Divinity has its roots in the Latin word divinus which means ‘of a god.’ Plato talked about the divine as the source of truth and a higher intelligence which was represented through the forces of nature, like lightning, sunlight, or even the simple act of loving another person.
The Tantric Buddhists in the earlier incarnations of Buddhism practiced visualising the Buddha in meditation to eventually become the Buddha himself. To realise one’s inner Buddha-hood, meant that you would transcend the limitations of fear and step into a boundless state of love … to transcend the realm of limited rationalisation and to step into limitless potential.
In the ancient world, when the faces of gods and goddesses graced the doors of temples, ceremonies were commonplace as a way to acknowledge and invoke the presence of the divine; and to invoke them was to taste the divine within one’s own heart.
Nowadays, it is more commonplace to favour logic over the extraordinary. Spiritual ritual is deemed superstitious or even idiotic in how sure it is in trying to communicate with the realm of unseen energy.
Yet, we forget that we are interfacing with unseen electromagnetic waves every day through using cell phones, radios and x-rays. The only difference is, we are connecting through mechanical processes versus biological ones.
We know that computers have hard drives that store data, and processors to sift through information; while networks are used to communicate between devices. However, we may have overlooked that our biological computer, our body, though simple, is the most sophisticated technology ever created. Just like a computer, we are processing information through a series of electrical impulses, through a neural network instead of electrical circuits. You use a keyboard to input logical commands to create a certain program, while biologically, you use your thoughts and emotions to do the same thing.
Your DNA acts as a software that carries codes of information inherited from your parents. A child who received a lot of love and affection while in the womb versus a child who didn’t are two children with completely different programs.
The beauty of such different software programs is that we can update them. Epigenetic research shows that we can alter our DNA expression through the kinds of emotions we create, which in turn change our blueprint. This blueprint is only made up of belief systems that can evolve just as fast as the most recent Apple iOS update.
Every time you meditate, engage in breathwork, practice mindful movement, or drop into a deeply healing plant medicine ceremony, you are updating your software. You are eliminating the limitations in the world of logic, and are opening yourself up to the world of unseen potential – which is so much more infinite than you could have ever imagined.
This is why I love to travel. When you get out of the rut of your daily routine, you are catapulted into a state of excitement … a state where you are naturally more creative and receptive.
Have you ever experienced a Shaolin monk extract blood from the back of your heart with his bare hands without the use of equipment? Or felt a priestess radiate volts of electricity out of her hands into your head? Or sat silent with a medium who spoke to the dead with unprompted accuracy? Or listened to a shaman call on the spirits of the thunder, and then sky responded with an unforgettable roar?
The world is full of mystery and wonder. And to commit to surprising yourself by inhabiting states of wonder is actually one of the primary human emotions (alongside, happiness, sadness, anger, fear and disgust). Without wonder, purpose gives way to despair.
We have been made to believe that we are inferior to the computer. Our modern world has enslaved us to technology instead of cultivating the infinite gifts of our biology.
The modern dilemma that we face as a society what is known as the God wound – or our trauma with remembering our divinity and the misconception with what divinity is. All self-realisation or enlightenment is, is the path to remembering and embodying our divinity.
All hierarchical religious orders went through the painstaking process of stunting our spiritual growth by outsourcing our divine connection to an elder of the cloth. They told us where, what, when and how to worship. And like rebellious teenagers, it makes sense that a majority of the population has substituted Reason for Religion. However, in doing so, they lost touch of the soul which is the very thing that differentiates our human experience from a mechanical one.
The greatest task, you can ever participate in, is the practice of restoring your divinity – to remember that you are made of the same stuff of the stars. This does not mean you abandon your family to hide in the mountains. To practice divinity means to create space within the contracted parts of you. And then to integrate this divine power into the mundane of your earthly responsibilities. This way, you will imbue more lustre into life, rather than succumb to the jaded mumblings of your inner misanthrope.
Here’s a Short Practice to Reconnect with your Inner Divinity:
- Set Aside Time: Dedicate just 5 minutes each morning or evening to connect with your inner divinity.
- Create a Sacred Space: Find a quiet spot where you won’t be disturbed. Light a candle or incense if you wish if you’re in doors. It you’re outdoors, have your feet on the sand or soil, or lay your back against a tree. If you don’t have time, do it on your commute to work by simply intending that the space around you is sacred.
- Breathe and Visualise: Close your eyes and take larger than life breaths that are non-stop and consciously connected. Visualise a warm, golden light at the centre of your heart. With each inhale, imagine this light expanding, filling your entire body with warmth and love.
- Affirm Your Divinity: Once this warmness expands fully into your heart, in a whisper or out loud, repeat say to yourself three times ”I am the earth, the sun and the stars. I am divine.”
- Express Gratitude: Conclude your practice by offering thanks to the Universe for this connection and for the opportunity to carry this divine awareness into your day.
