If you’ve been following the tradition of nonduality for some time, then you’ve likely become accustomed to a more abstract concept of the divine so as to avoid the treacherous personalization of it.

After all, we all know the rabbit holes that pop up whenever we assign human emotions and characteristics to the one universal intelligence that’s responsible for… everything.

Just look at what’s happened to the buddhas of the past- each tried to utilize a primitive language in order to communicate truth in a more personal way so that it could be understood by a primitive people. And yet, as valiant as their efforts were, they never the less shit the bed.

The world is fucking nuts.

If these buddhas’ teachings of cosmic unity and enlightened consciousness had actually succeeded on a global scale, then things would likely look a lot different for you and I.

For example, some generally accepted norms that we place the utmost importance on in our current society would likely not have made the cut…

We probably wouldn’t worship humans who throw, kick and catch balls really really well.

We probably wouldn’t worship humans who pretend to be other humans really really well.

We probably wouldn’t worship devices that tell us how to think and behave really really well.

We probably wouldn’t worship dead humans who specifically told us not to worship them.

We probably wouldn’t… well, do pretty much everything that we do right now.

In fact, if Jesus were alive today, he would probably be like “For Christ’s sake, who the hell thought it would be a good idea to turn my teaching into a god-damn money-making power-hungry empire… fucking shit!”

Fun fact: Jesus had a temper.

If Buddha were alive today, he’d probably be like “What the fuck, live a little, step on a few ants if you have to, what’s important is that you feel free to be free.” (It’s possible)

If Mohammed were alive today, he’d probably be like “For fuck’s sake, take it easy on the prayers man, that was just a suggestion, head to the club, get your dance on and have a drink on me.” (Seems likely)

I understand why their teachings fell apart of course, after all, from a teaching perspective, personalizing the divine has always been the easier route to take because it gives people something (someone) to devote themselves to and removes the confusion that inevitably arises from trying to live abstract spiritual concepts. (a main reason the new age movement has struggled to sustain itself).

Clearly, devotion isn’t going anywhere because in spite of the suffering that many humans experience, there’s a lot to love and appreciate about life. When you have such a wellspring of love inside of you, you have no choice but to want to express gratitude for that love.

Perhaps it’s time to find a balance between the devotional aspect of being human and the awareness aspect of being human.

Rather than trying to place devotion on a singular religious figure or on an impersonal concept like ‘source’, why not stay grounded and place devotion on what’s right in front of you instead? (Existence)

Why not feel the connection with the sunlight filtering through the blinds when you wake up in the morning or the rain clouds that tickle your face in the afternoon? Why not feel the connection with the warm soapy water that flows over your hands when you wash the dishes? Why not feel the connection with the soft glow of the gas station sign as you drive by it at night time? Why not stand in reverence of the ever-changing flow of life events, so beautifully timed that you’re always being given exactly what you need when you need it?

Devotion to existence, to what’s right in front of you, will always be the safest place to express your love because it will never interfere with your own self-awareness; which is your inherent ability to decipher between what’s true and what isn’t.

So, from now on, let Buddha, Jesus, Mohammed, or Source become the puddle on the sidewalk instead. Allow your heart to soar to new heights as you witness the flow of coffee pouring into your mug every morning. Let your gratitude encapsulate the handshake you have with your mechanic the next time an oil change is due.

If nothing else, recognize the intelligence that’s needed in order for any of this to be happening at all because the truth is that none of this needs to be happening, and yet it is.

Thank God. (The puddle)

For more puddle worshipping, join me live this Sunday July 2nd in the ‘Society of Nobodies’ Facebook group for my bi-weekly meetup (free to attend). Join here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thesocietyofnobodies

Copyright © 2023 Kyle Hoobin