Being a “child of illusion” as the sixth lojong slogan teaches means tapping into our childlike innocence. Norman Fischer writes, “Spiritual practice requires a certain degree of childlike innocence. What could be more childlike, if not childish, than to believe that radical spiritual transformation is possible, that the world can be suffused with love, that one can enjoy a measure of happiness and peace in the crazy world we live in?”

When we see the world as a child, we find wonder and grace, joy and abundance. We notice all the small things and collect small joys like pebbles in our pockets. Really, so much of the practice of awareness is about recovering the capacity we had as children to pay attention to the world.

I know practicing awareness can feel like a chore some days. It asks us to dig deep. Persevere. Try again. But it would be such a shame if we forget our joy. It’s the whole reason we do all of this. Life is sacred and beautiful, and here we are in this new day. It’s a gift. And seeing this day with childlike innocence is also a gift.

There’s a reason Jesus said the Realm of God belongs to children. And there’s a reason he said we must become like children to enter it.

Fischer says when we rest in childlike innocence, “you will feel protected and at peace. You will feel not only that you are loved but that love is built into the nature of what you are and of what the world is, so that you are never apart from it.”

What if today, you tried to see the world with the joyful attention of a child? With the exuberance and delight of young eyes? Feel the Love that is the heart and soul of this universe at the center of your heart and soul.