I can feel it. I can see it. The earth, once frozen and dormant, is beginning to breathe again. Trees, left barren and ghostlike under the icy grip of winter, are starting to pulse with life again. Their sap is already flowing, and an aura of energy graces their crowns like glimmering garlands.
Seedlings are bristling with energy, ready to give birth to the next generation.
Life is beginning to spring back to life. It’s literally the time of springing.
And this “springs” to mind Swami Nirmalananda’s teaching article for this month: Duality is Reality. When we see through the lenses of duality, it’s like seeing through old bifocals. Our view is divided into near vision and far, separated by a clear line of distinction. Likewise, we see spirituality as separate and distinct from physical nature. We don’t see the divine in the natural world. The two are seen as irreconcilable. In the same way, we see God as being somewhere out there, or up there. We do not see God in here, or down here. We don’t see God as being within us. Swami writes:
“There’s God, and there’s the world, and ‘never the twain shall meet.’ Religion is dedicated to bridging the gap, generally doing a good job at it. The point of every religious service is to give you an experience of God. I’ve explored all the major religions….I find God in every church, every temple, every synagogue, every mosque.”
When our consciousness is raised to that level, we will no longer see reality through the lenses of duality. Instead of seeing our differences, we will see our commonality.
In other words, we will see with what Swami calls “Divine Eyes.” We will see ourselves and each other as Divine. We will also see each other as God sees us: with great love and equality. We will not judge others by their age, their faith or the color of their skin. We will see more clearly, more deeply, to the core of our being. We will see the essence of all beings as Divine.
We are all divine brothers and sisters. We are manifestations of the One Divine Reality, in different forms. Moisture in the sky transforms into snow; each snow flake is an individual condensed form of the cloud from which it came. Each is unique and beautiful, but all are made of the same substance: water. Modern physicists now claim that Consciousness is the underlying basis and substratum of the universe and of everything in it. Consciousness is the One Divine Reality.
In yoga’s parlance, that One Divine Reality is called “Shiva.” Shiva is the Creator, and the universe is Shiva’s blissful creation, ever unfolding and expanding. Swami cites the following sutra from the Spanda Karikas, a Kashmiri Shaivism text:
“The universe is the blissful dance of Shiva unfolding within Shiva.”
Shiva is springing, through all four seasons, not just one. Shiva is creating a blissful Cosmic dance, and Shiva experiences that bliss through each of us, the dancers.
“When you know your own Self as Shiva,” Swami says, “you see this world for what it is – a paradise, but full of people who are not yet able to see it clearly. You care about them and want to help.”
Saints, mystics and ecstatic poets through the ages have had that same yearning. They want you to experience the bliss that they are experiencing. They do not want you to suffer any longer. They want you to see what you are missing. They want to open your heart and eyes. They want you to grow into your full potential, to unfold your wholeness and holiness.
They want you to come away from the wall and onto the dance floor. They want you to be your Self. They want you to celebrate your divinity and have a ball!
And now here is my secret,
a very simple secret:
It is only with the heart
that one can see rightly;
what is essential is
invisible to the eye.~ Antoine de Saint Expupery
The Little Prince