Grace in the Time of Covid
This life is a field for refinement in which we have the opportunity to align with the power of Grace. While under pressure due to the restrictions of living with a global pandemic we can open to Grace in the time of covid to find a new way of perceiving and expressing yourself.
Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and right-doing,
There is a field. I’ll meet you there.
When the soul lies down in that grass,
The world is too full to talk about.
Ideas, language, even the phrase ‘each other’
Doesn’t make any sense.
We have this way of talking, and we have another.
Apart from what we wish, and what we fear may happen,
We are alive with other life, as clear stones
Take form in the mountain.
Rumi, Open Secret, #158, 403
Grace
The Sufi poet Rumi talks of a place beyond conflicts and comparisons. It is a place where the soul lies in rest and welcomes all comers, all lovers of the Beloved. Though Rumi doesn’t use the word “grace” in his lines I believe he is talking about what I have come to know in my yogic studies and practice as Grace. It is the power that opens the heart and embraces all things as an aspect of the Divine.
Grace has many references in world religions; I first heard of it as something the Virgin Mary possessed in fullness. Grace, (intentionally capitalized here), is both the human quality we are poised to embody and is a divine quality given as a gift. This article explores what that quality is and how do we embody it. It is my desire that this exploration may present a tangible way that can increase Grace in your life. At the least, recognize where it already is. The imagery of Shiva Nataraja dancing existence into being is a useful tool for unpacking meaning in life. Tapping into this wisdom is especially important when life is challenged and compressed as it is now in the “times of Covid.”
Growing up Catholic I was taught that Mary, as the “Mother of God,” was so full of Grace that she merited being chosen to bring Jesus into the world. As such, I was aware that Grace was a power of high vibration shaping life from the base up. The Sanskrit term for this base of divine goodness is ānanda. In Sanskrit the long-a accent mark signifies an extension or amplification of the next word-part: nanda. Nandi is bliss, the great bull that metaphorically is represented as Lord Shiva’s vehicle in the cosmos.
Grace is being in the flow
I love the concept of Grace as a flow of blissful energy, full of Shiva Consciousness. Not only is there a self-aware power that moves throughout the universe, but it also is the support of its own existence. One flow feeds the other, like a torus spiral weaving it all into one whole. This is the spinning dance of Shiva, his Tandava. It is the pulsation of creation that brings existence into being.
All we know gets danced into existence within the field of ever-changing material reality: the fiery wheel of samsara. Metaphorically, his drumbeat beats creation into being, sustains it, and eventually, bringing it all to an end. In the process the heart is concealed and Grace reveals it. It all takes place between the highest light of our awareness and the darkest expression of our limited ego self.
I learned by watching dancers and yogis move what Grace in motion is. It comes from awareness of where you are in space and time, especially when in relationship to others. Grace as a way of moving is a delight to watch and experience for oneself. It is full of nandi, bliss. I believe this is because it is a state of presence that is both confident and loving.
Grace is a way of being
Grace evolves as a way of being. Metaphorically, it is a product of letting the fires of experience burn until refinement produces gold. The alchemy of getting there is not usually an easy path. Indeed, it is the journey itself that creates it, or, opens our hearts to let it flood in.
It is a valuable self examination to ask what is blocking your access to and expression of Grace. You may discover how ego or a sense of self importance may be an obstacle. Most spiritual practices have an aspect of being broken down to find the base of your true Self. This is the root of who you are, not as an ego identity, but rather, as a part of a connected whole. If your sense of self does not emphasize the greater Self something has to change. At times the Universe brings in the wrecking machines until you are brought down to the basics of humility and unconditional love.
Being broken sometimes leads to being better, reborn into something new and improved. When what you know isn’t working for you it is a sign that there is new knowledge to be uncovered. Indeed, being broken—emotionally, physically, financially—can be a leverage for change taking you to the next level of living with an open heart. This leads to a new relationship to joy, one that can hold pain.
Getting there
So how do we get to that place? The answer comes in the concept of Shiva drishti, keeping your eye on the highest. Our happiness arises entirely from what you chose to think about, and thoughts create in a powerful way. The act of refocusing your perception can also be called “peering through the eyes of God.” This is expressed in the following words by Neal Donald Walsch:
When you see others who appear separate from you, look at them deeply. Look into them. Do this for a long moment and you will capture their essence. And then you will meet you waiting there.
In that moment you will know Unity.
When you see nothing but you wherever you look,
you peer through the eyes of God.
The Delicate Balance
The iconography of Shiva’s tandava—dance of creation, sustainment and dissolution—serves as a model for living with Grace. It represents the delicate balance within the wheel of samsara, the material world. First of these images is Shiva depicted with his palm raised at heart-level representing “fear not, come close!” One arm (remember multiple arms are symbols of Shiva’s qualities) crossed in front of his heart represents “concealment” and the other arm with fingers pointing to his raised leg “Grace.”
Our divinity within the sphere of samsara is hidden only to be realized through the power of Grace revealing itself. The symbolism of the tandava is that in the dance of existence everything is pulsation, everything is in flux; we seek illumination within the balance of our higher and lower self.
Qualities of Grace
Once we know that the work is done by shaping our perspective and keeping our thoughts focused on the highest expression of our greatest good we can employ the expression of those qualities.
The first principle is opening to Grace. It is acknowledging that we are in partnership with the Divine, that we are not in this alone. This comes from the breaking down of our self-importance, aggrandizement and ego centricity. The cosmic 2×4 has done its work and smashed us into humility so we can lower our guard and open our hearts to receive what is freely given from a higher level. It takes work to get to this place so patience and diligence are required to mold our life into something resplendent.
Through steadfastness we can work through our issues and create a sense of calm in stormy waters. As our resolve to reset and rebalance takes shape we become more flexible and forgiving with our self and with others. Being open to change we can be more introspective and see our vulnerability as an endearing quality that makes being a human of such great value. This opens the doors of infinite possibilities and empowers our creativity.
Ascension
To take our live to its next highest level is a process of ascension. This is forming a union of mind and heart so as to live in “union consciousness,” or yoga. This is also referred to as “heaven and Earth in harmony.” Living in a way that is aware of our un-broken connection to the Divine is living in the flow of Grace. Each day is another day in paradise, not bound by the conditions of our environment, but rather, expressing the qualities of the heart and gratitude for the abundance of Grace in which we live.
Take responsibility for your life and learn the power of focused thought. Ultimately we learn to honor generosity of spirit as a way to flow in Grace, from the inside-out. A favorite saying of mine is “Nowhere to go, nothing to do.” Be an expression of Grace and define your own dance of creation, sustainment and dissolution.
For more concepts and practices to get you there check out this list of resources on this website.