Here’s the sixth lojong slogan: “In postmeditation, be a child of illusion.”
When I first began to meditate, I would hear my teachers use this phrase “postmeditation” and I had no clue what they were talking about. Was there some kind of ritual or practice we were supposed to do after each meditation session?! Actually, postmeditation simply means all the rest of the time when we aren’t meditating. It’s literally everything else other than the minutes on your cushion.
I love that. It’s whimsical and fun, for one thing, to remember that the whole point of those minutes on the cushion is for (cue arms swinging up and down vigorously) *all of this.* We aren’t doing this to hide out in some hut and protect our inner peace from any intruders. We’re doing this because the life waiting for us outside of those minutes on the cushion is so beautiful, precious, and life-giving.
So what does it mean to be a child of illusion? I know it can sound negative, but that’s not the angle at all. Think of yourself as a child walking through a hall of mirrors. You know most of what you see isn’t really you, isn’t some solid sense of reality. It’s just fun, it’s just projections and warped images. There’s no need to get all worked up about it.
Pema Chodron says, “You don’t have to feel claustrophobic because there is always lots of room, lots of space.” Think of ALL the minutes outside your meditation minutes! So much room to practice and learn and grow and laugh at our mistakes. All of this is a playground for true awareness.
Being a child of illusion also means we don’t need to get worked up about things. As Marie Forleo says, “Everything is figureoutable.” Everything is workable and there’s no need to get stuck in one story. There’s always room to begin again, try something different, change things.
What’s one thing you can do today to feel the absolute roominess of this universe? Can you stare up at the sky, or glance at (a picture of) the ocean or a mountain range? What if you took a deep breath and felt all the expansiveness of your lungs?
The universe is expanding and here you are in it and we are all just children of illusion. Let some of that joy and spaciousness into your heart today.
