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Avalokiteshvara, awakening, buddha nature, buddha seed, Buddhism, Buddhist, compassion, divine spark, equality, gnosis, Guanyin, harmony, humanity, Kuan Yin, Kwan Yin, Let It Be, loving kindness, mankind, Mother Mary, peace, Sophia, The Beatles, tranquility, truth, unity, Virgin Mary, wisdom
This morning, for no apparent reason, I found myself singing while making my breakfast…
This song has always meant a lot to me, from the very first time I heard it, as a very young girl. Even as a child, I understood how powerful the lyrics were & why. And I believe that this song speaks directly to what the world needs – what it needed then, what it needs now, & what it will always need:
Compassion – Not only for one another, but also for ourselves.
This is why some version of “Mother Mary” seems to exist across cultures & religions; that goddess spirit, filled with compassion, often depicted as a martyr. As a baptised Catholic, former Gnostic, & practicing Buddhist, you might say I have a bit of experience with this goddess archetype. In Catholicism we revere the blessed Virgin Mary, in Gnosticism she is Sophia, & in Buddhism she is Kwan Yin (Kuan Yin/Guanyin), the female embodiment of Avalokiteshvara – (S)He who hears the cries of the world. However it is not her name, but her purpose, which makes her so important.
She exists to embrace us in her warmth & wipe away our tears, regardless of who we are or what we’ve done. She exists as a light in our darkest hour, to guide us out of our own suffering & open our eyes to the suffering of others. She serves as an example of the love & compassion we should show to all beings, including ourselves. And I emphasize compassion for self because that has been one of the hardest lessons for me to learn (& still learning). Without compassion for self, we can become self-destructive & critical, & what good are we to others when our own spirit is beaten down & broken?
It doesn’t matter your religion (or lack thereof), race, nationality, gender, sexuality, etc. Those things do not truly define us, as we are far too complex to be defined in such narrow terms. And when we use them to define ourselves & each other, we draw lines in the sand, further dividing mankind, when THAT is the one fundamental & most glorious trait we all share; that we are part of the human race. And as such, we are all marvelous works of art & science. Each one of us is completely unique; no two alike, not even “identical” twins. Yet by nature of the fact that we share this trait, it can be inferred that we all come into this world with the same capacity for intelligence, compassion, & loving kindness as anyone else. And while we may be born into a variety of circumstances & cultures – some of which foster & encourage the growth of those capacities, while others hinder or even discourage it – the seeds remain intact, at our very core, capable of being awakened at any moment, regardless of what life we’ve lived up to that point.
In Gnosticism this is referred to as the divine spark, which all of mankind contains within itself & influences us toward love, peace, & harmony. In Buddhism it is Buddha seed or Buddha nature; the root mind & ultimate nature of all sentient beings. The goal of both practices being to recognize & cultivate our own spark/seed, while also encouraging the same in all of mankind – to paraphrase one of my favourite passages from the prayer I use in my own Shodaigyo (Buddhist meditation practice) – so that all people throughout the world may return to their true nature & everywhere under the heavens become a tranquil land, & all the people of those lands lead happy lives.
So what does all of this have to do with a Beatles song? While Paul McCartney may have been inspired to write the song in 1968 by a dream in which his mother imparted her wise words to him – “let it be” – there is no doubt that the tone of the song & basic idea that it encompasses speaks directly to that innate spark or seed in all of us; that divine wisdom, compassion, & loving kindness that has the power to change the world… if only the world would open itself to its power.
And when the broken hearted people living in the world agree, there will be an answer… Let it be. For though they may be parted, there is still a chance that they will see, there will be an answer… Let it be.