One of the best things I ever heard my meditation teacher say was that ‘the universe is benign, not some random and slightly hostile place that we are led to believe’. I remember taking a moment to really think about this, and it made me smile as I realised I was at the point in my life where I could truly accept it, in spite of all the bad things that happen in the world. I’d had enough experience by this time to know that everything in life has a value, a learning lesson held within it. In every trouble lies a treasure, in every shadow a gift awaits. The dark night of the soul brings salvation, in death we come to appreciate life. The old leads to the new, loss leads to gain, good comes from bad. Light always prevails in the end.
Just think of World War II. The horror was like no other, the darkness was pitch black. Yet that is what it took to light a fire in the heart of humanity that burned so brightly we are still inspired by the stories today. The mind-blowing heroism, the spirit of the blitz, the heart-warming camaraderie and profound self-sacrifice of the wartime generation beggars belief. And after two world wars, what did we gain? Only the spread of democracy, women’s liberation, the end of Western colonialism, the creation of the United Nations, the birth of the European community, the world’s first computer, the launch of the space age, antibiotics, nuclear deterrence, the end of American racial segregation, not to mention a huge upsurge in peace and prosperity around the world. Two world wars is what it took to raise human consciousness to that degree and elevate the planet. Of course, it didn’t have to get so dark to achieve this; pyrrhic victories can be avoided if we are willing to embrace progressive change. But even if we shroud ourselves in ignorance and fear, our suffering eventually leads us to see the error of our ways. As Eckhart Tolle says, “suffering has a noble purpose; the evolution of consciousness”. Or in the words of Rumi, “what hurts you, blesses you. The darkness is your candle.” In modern lingo, this is how ‘our mess becomes our message’.
That’s how I know the universe is benign. The divine plan is exultant beyond all imaginings. We may deviate from its blueprint, and this is allowed, for the twists and turns we take on our journey are what make our stories so beautifully complex and poetic. Every wrong turn is a learning experience that evolves our soul, ensuring we don’t get lost the next time. With each dark corner we get to shine a light in the shadows and find lost parts of ourselves, the roots of our karma, so that we begin to feel whole again. It’s all part of the plan.
All it takes to enjoy the journey is trust. Trust that we are part of something so big and beautiful, so divine and triumphal that we can relax and rejoice in the adventure, in the multitude of paths that lead to the awesome mountain summit of life. The view is heart-stoppingly spectacular from the top, but when one takes a moment to look around, the vista is also stunning from every vantage point on this lofty road to enlightenment. All it takes is the trust that each and every path eventually leads to our highest potential, no matter how twisty-turny it feels. Trust that when we get to the ‘big reveal’ at the top, when we see the grandeur of the landscape before us, we are filled with wonder and awe for it all. With the big picture view, we appreciate why it all happened the way that it did, and what our lives were all for. We are grateful for all the dark corners, the dead ends and even the double back loops that made our journeys take twice as long, for those held the biggest learnings, the highest truths, the deepest spiritual realisations. They were the parts of our story that made us evolve and spring-boarded us to the top.
And when we are at the summit we see how we were supported at every stage, how the universe bent over backwards to light up the darkness and show us the way. How the moon and the stars illuminated the road when the sun dipped below the horizon. How we were showered with blessings from dawn till dusk to lift our spirits and keep us on track. The solid ground under our feet, the warm sun on our back, the ample fruits of the earth that fuelled our adventure. The encouraging words of our team mates as we made our way up. The friendships we forged, the loves we adored, the children we lovingly brought into the world. The laughs that we shared, the hearts that were bared, the music we danced to till dawn. The inspiring wisdom that came our way at just the right moment, in just the right form. The uproarious fun of it all, the sweetness of life that pierced through the pain of the climb.
And the love, so much love! It radiates from every fibre of our being as we realise the rich tapestry of life is far greater than we ever imagined. That’s when we see how everything intertwines so magnificently, with soul-stirring synchronies held within each moment as every thread of our incredible journeys weave together to tell a collective tale. That’s when we truly understand the majesty of humanity’s story, the unfolding drama of our emergence from darkness to light, and the way it touches us deep inside. Our hearts fill with magic and wonder as we see how our thread influences everyone else’s, rippling out to the whole of the cosmos. We see that we all have a role in the ‘Lila’, the divine play of the universe. It is then that we get just how benign the universe really is, how unconditionally loving. Trust is all it takes to get to this lofty view. Trust that we are loved and supported every step of the way, in a multitude of different forms. Life is a journey, the end is the pinnacle, but its the road travelled that’s truly the miracle.
Comments