To view this newsletter in the browser, click here                 Issue #197       A newsletter from Creativegarh to help you live a life of passion, purpose and meaning.         When God invites you to play ‘I Spy’ with him.                     The offering is Brahman. The one who offers is Brahman. The fire is Brahman. And that which is offered is Brahman. ~ Bhagavad Gita 4.24           One day, little Bal Krishna was out playing. Creating the world, not out of lack, loneliness, or boredom but out of playfulness, joy, and that overflowing mischief that belongs to the divine child.           In that one such moment of celestial wonder, he said to himself: Let me invent a new game. Let me break myself into trillions and trillions of pieces and hide in everything.           So he did.           He hid himself in leaves and birds, in trees and rivers, in seeds and stars, in fire and droplets, in mountains and clouds, in books and songs, in films and dreams, in tears and laughter, in silence and sound, in lovers and strangers, in bread and butter, in breath and longing, in memory and forgetting.           He hid himself in everything and was awed by his own creation.           And then, as all mothers do, Yashoda called out: Krishna! Come home for lunch. Stop playing outside all the time.           So Krishna went home. He ate, smeared white butter on his mouth, and then fell asleep in his mother’s lap.           And when he woke up, he remembered the game he had created. He had hidden himself in everything. And now, he could not find himself.           And that is when he created the human being. To help him find him in everything. To help God find God in everything.           That is what this verse is really saying. Everything is consciousness. Everything is Brahman. That the one who offers, the offering, the fire, the altar, the act, the receiver, the whole sacred life, all is Brahman.           In ordinary life, we think in separation. I am here, the world is there, and God is somewhere else. This work is mine, the prayer is separate. The kitchen where I make the tea is ordinary but the prasad I make in the kitchen is sacred. But Krishna laughs and says, no, my love. Nothing is outside this.           So when you make tea today, hold this knowing that the offerer - the body-mind making the tea is the same source. The offering - the tea itself - water, leaves, heat is from the same source. The fire - the gas, the stove, the electricity is the same source in another form. And the one who sips the tea, your guest, is also the same source in a different costume.           The moment you begin to see this, the ordinary starts glowing, work becomes worship, cooking becomes a ritual, writing an email becomes an offering, your business becomes your sewa. You find God in everything.           Probably the deepest spiritual practice is simply this: To walk through the world remembering that you are not outside the divine, looking for it. You are one of the ways the divine is looking for itself. You are the divine looking at himself from within you.           So make the tea, tell that story, make that art, write the song, wash the cup, make that deck, call that person, hold the child, bake the bread, plant the seed, wipe the tears, read the book, watch the sunset, pet the dog.           And while doing it, remember, Bal Krishna is still hiding in all of this, waiting to play a game of I Spy with you, to help him find him in everything                       A customer care chat with the universe.                     You: Hello! I have a customer complaint. I still haven’t received the item from my wish list that I had asked for.           Youniverse: Oh, let me check. When did you wish for it?           You: Months ago.           Youniverse: I just checked. It was delivered to you within 18 microseconds of you wishing for it. Also, at my store, you don’t always get what you want, but what I feel you need. So if you may have asked for more love in your life, I may have sent you a situation that made you fall in love with yourself.           You: But that’s not what I wanted. How can you decide to send me stuff that you think I need? Stop doing that!           Youniverse: So, would you like me to stop sending you the sunrise from tomorrow morning, or the food on your table, or the friends in your life, or the books on your table, or the abundance in your life, or the present moment - which is your wish from two decades ago?           You: No, no! In fact, I want more of this. I’ll add more to my cart and pay for it at checkout.           Youniverse: We accept only two forms of payment: gratitude and generosity. If you show gratitude for what you have, we give you a lot more. And if you use what you have in the service of others, we have a lifetime supply for you at no cost. Also, genuine prayers are payments too. Once I hear the wish, I enter it into my database, and then I create a situation for you to co-create with me and turn that wish into reality.           You: What if I want something specific?           Youniverse: I only deliver into your life not what you want but what you are. So, if you are joy, I’ll dispatch more joy. If you are anger, I’ll ship a situation for more anger to you. So if you ask for love, I may first send healing. If you ask for abundance, I may first send responsibility. If you ask for purpose, I may first send emptiness so you stop living on autopilot.           You: And when can I expect delivery of what you think I need?           Youniverse: Be assured that what you need will come to you in due course. It has already left my warehouse, but you can’t ask for a tracking number. Also, it will be delivered to you through my children, who also act as messengers and delivery agents - as lessons, tests, gifts. They have been put into three categories - lovers, healers and teachers. Some wishes are delivered as people. Some as endings. Some as courage. Some packages do get delayed because I am still gift-wrapping them in the timing your soul can actually hold.           Also, please make sure you are available at home to take the deliveries. Sometimes blessings arrive, but the receiver is not home because they are stuck in resentment, fear, urgency, or comparison.           You: So I just sit at home, twiddle my thumbs and wait for one of your messengers to show up at my door?           Youniverse: What you have to do is keep showing up, with or without it, and wait. Show up believing that whatever you’ve ordered is already with you. Have patience. I am making things happen. I am rigging the backend in your favour so you have access to the entire store. All you need to do is wish. And then become it.           You: And what’s your return and replacement policy?           Youniverse: Uh! There is no return policy on lessons, only deeper understanding, my love.           You: Do you have a loyalty programme?           Youniverse: Yes, we have a loyalty programme. It’s called ‘Keep the Faith’. The benefits include inner peace, mysterious timing, and unexpected upgrades. Gold members get synchronicities. Platinum members get miracles disguised as delays. The loyalty programme has no joining fee. Just keep showing up with love and an open heart.             Our upcoming retreats                         Kolhapur Last 6 Seats Left 12th to 18th July     Escape the city's clamor, reconnect with your inner light. Indulge in a life changing retreat, experiencing the discovery of your true self, within the arms of nature.   More details     Reignite conversation     Kasauli Sold Out 13th to 19th September     The stunning vistas and holistic experiences at Kasauli create the perfect space for self-discovery and ensure this retreat is a transformative and unforgettable experience.   More details         Munnar Registrations Open 4th to 10th October     Sitting amidst lush landscapes and misty mountains, Munnar offers the perfect backdrop for a retreat focused on self-discovery, growth and renewal of life purposes.   More details     Reignite conversation           This week, let's revisit     Athoor September 2024                         Experience a life full of purpose                     Purpose of my life is to help people transform their relationship with abundance   Aalok Shah Jodhpur, February 2024         My purpose in life is to heal people through music and industry   Rishabh Jain Kasauli, January 2025               For a daily dose of Creativegarh and our retreats, follow us here:                           Mantra Gold Coatings & The White Paper Creative         Sunita Somani         Pedal On               View Our Collabs for Joy                   creativegarh.com             You are receiving this newsletter because either you have subscribed to it through our website, interacted with us by filling an invite form or because you have asked us to put you on the database. 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