Many years ago I had the privilege of spending time with an individual I considered to be enlightened. At the end of our conversation, he asked if I had any questions. Of course, I asked him a rather complicated, philosophically oriented question. He replied, “Don’t go crazy; keep it simple.” Children are simple, generally speaking. When we ask them a question, they give honest answers. When they are happy, they smile; when they are sad, they cry; and when they are hungry, they eat. Their lives are organized around simple pursuits: play, curiosity, and wonder. Jesus tells us that the kingdom of God is in our midst. He means that all we need to live fully and freely is available at all times. But it comes at a cost: we must be willing to surrender our complexity at the feet of God’s simplicity. This surrender is not necessarily easy because complexity is seductive; it makes us feel important, in charge, and safe. One simple question continually confronts all of us: do we want to be complicated, or do we want to be happy?
Divine Mother,
Beloved Guru,
Help me to surrender my complexity
To the safety
Of your simplicity.
This week’s reflections come from Isha Das’ book Living Grace: A Companion For Meditation And Contemplation.
