THE LANGUAGE OF THE INFINITE
As I sit here, staring at this blank page, part of me sighs. How can I possibly explain the Language of the Infinite—with words? How can I communicate that which cannot be defined? Or explained? How can I attempt something so monumental without falling on my face? The answer is simple: “I” cannot. My personal self would falter and fail. Yet even as I consider moving on to another topic, a part of me smiles.
That smile grows because within that smile is the answer to my question. It is not my personal self who will speak. It is the Universal Self who will respond. Because the Language of the Infinite belongs to the Universal Self; it is the language of Existence.
The Language of the Infinite transcends any human language. It is important to understand that while Existence may use words, it is not limited to words. Any form of expression can transmit the Language of the Infinite: music, paintings, a look, a hug, a touch. A smile. The Language of the Infinite is not a product of minds, of experts. You do not learn this language. You are born with an innate understanding. But that understanding is diminished over time as you become more and more identified with your personal self.
Why is this? The world focuses on the personal: A personal self, a personal god, a personal love. These are what people identify with and attempt to define. If I asked you to describe yourself, what would you say? You might begin by providing the usual demographic details pertaining to this particular form you currently occupy: where you were born, in what year, tidbits about your immediate family. You could add details about your education, your accomplishments, your hopes and dreams. You might even toss in your astrological sign or your favorite color. The list is endless. The story of your life could fill a few pages or a few volumes.
While you might relish the opportunity to describe yourself, how would you respond if asked to describe God? You might be tempted to fall back on the standard cliches: God is all knowing and all powerful. Or even better, God is unknowable. If you have embraced atheism or flirted with agnosticism, you might dismiss the idea of God entirely. Or shrug your shoulders in mock confusion. Who can say whether God exists or not, you argue. Where’s the proof?
And then we come to love. Oh, how this question torments us: What is love? How many times have we attempted to define love? We have an endless parade of songs, movies, and books on the subject. Experts are standing in the wings, ready to offer their advice or counsel. Have you noticed that when you describe love, it’s like trying to hold water in your hand? The tighter you squeeze, the more it escapes you.
Your own experiences with love will color your description. Some people see love as a weakness, an impediment in the way of their dreams. Or schemes. Love has a checkered history. When are you happiest? When you are in love and the other returns that love. When are you most miserable? What can wound you deeper than love lost? Hm-m-m. Is it any wonder that people feel ambivalent about love? Love tosses you from pillar to post, seeming to embrace every conceivable emotion.
Regardless of how you express it, you would be able to speak about these three things on a personal level. But what if I were to ask you to speak about these three on a Universal level: a Universal Self, a Universal God, and a Universal Love? If it is difficult to define personal love, how much more difficult to explain its Universal counterpart? Words simply aren’t up to the task.
It’s true that Life can come through everything. For those of you who have witnessed the miracle of birth, for example, you know this from your own experience. When you first hold your child in your arms, words are unnecessary. This is pure feeling. A look between mother and father speaks volumes. And there are so many moments in life where the Language of the Infinite is expressed in this way.
But for this occasion, let’s focus on how the Language of the Infinite takes expression through words. Words (in any human language) reflect the same dichotomy of the personal/Universal conundrum. We know the personal. But the Universal is a stretch. We have not yet embraced what we cannot see.
Take the concept of oneness as an example. The dictionary defines “oneness” as follows: “the fact or state of being unified or whole, though comprised of two or more parts.” Even in oneness, the separation remains. Even when oneness is achieved, it is a temporary phenomenon. But what about Oneness?
You may have noticed my tendency to capitalize certain words. Why, you might ask? Why should I capitalize words such as Existence, Love, Life, Oneness, or Great Soul? Because when I use these words, they mean something different to me. When they serve to express the Universal, they become an indication rather than a definition.
One of Life’s open secrets is that your journey through life can best be described as moving from the personal to the Universal. For Mother Stella, the word that embraced what we call the entirety of Life is Existence. Although she would freely use the word “God,” Existence was what she meant. The very word “God” is weighed down by all the conditioning that people bring to it. God is generally viewed as a personal god. A personal god can be necessary at certain stages of your life, but the gap between you and a personal god can never be bridged.
Think of God as the ocean. Imagine yourself as a drop of rain. Over the course of your lifetime, that drop travels back until it merges with the ocean. And when you merge, who can separate the drop from the ocean? It’s impossible. Because in that merger, the boundaries disappear. This is Oneness. When you have merged with Existence, you have come home.
But this merger is not just physical. It is total. Forms come and go. That is the nature of what we call the material world. But your true essence, your Universal Self, continues. You have always been. And always will be. This is why Mother Stella encouraged people to find that something inside which cannot die, the Universal Self. Because once you discover the true self, the fear of death disappears.
The Language of the Infinite is part of that understanding. When you can see Existence smiling through every word, every musical note, every look, every touch—then you have become fluent. When you look into the eyes of another human being and see God looking back, then you have reached. When paradise is born within you, you will bring that paradise out to transform the world. You will become such a tremendous blessing.
When love overflows your heart, it will bring life to whatever it touches. Everything will bloom in your presence. You will become the greatest miracle, the deepest mystery. Therein lies another open secret: You are more precious to Life than you can possibly imagine. You have not been forgotten. Or abandoned. This is Life’s open invitation to each and every living soul: Come home.
That smile grows because within that smile is the answer to my question. It is not my personal self who will speak. It is the Universal Self who will respond. Because the Language of the Infinite belongs to the Universal Self; it is the language of Existence.
The Language of the Infinite transcends any human language. It is important to understand that while Existence may use words, it is not limited to words. Any form of expression can transmit the Language of the Infinite: music, paintings, a look, a hug, a touch. A smile. The Language of the Infinite is not a product of minds, of experts. You do not learn this language. You are born with an innate understanding. But that understanding is diminished over time as you become more and more identified with your personal self.
Why is this? The world focuses on the personal: A personal self, a personal god, a personal love. These are what people identify with and attempt to define. If I asked you to describe yourself, what would you say? You might begin by providing the usual demographic details pertaining to this particular form you currently occupy: where you were born, in what year, tidbits about your immediate family. You could add details about your education, your accomplishments, your hopes and dreams. You might even toss in your astrological sign or your favorite color. The list is endless. The story of your life could fill a few pages or a few volumes.
While you might relish the opportunity to describe yourself, how would you respond if asked to describe God? You might be tempted to fall back on the standard cliches: God is all knowing and all powerful. Or even better, God is unknowable. If you have embraced atheism or flirted with agnosticism, you might dismiss the idea of God entirely. Or shrug your shoulders in mock confusion. Who can say whether God exists or not, you argue. Where’s the proof?
And then we come to love. Oh, how this question torments us: What is love? How many times have we attempted to define love? We have an endless parade of songs, movies, and books on the subject. Experts are standing in the wings, ready to offer their advice or counsel. Have you noticed that when you describe love, it’s like trying to hold water in your hand? The tighter you squeeze, the more it escapes you.
Your own experiences with love will color your description. Some people see love as a weakness, an impediment in the way of their dreams. Or schemes. Love has a checkered history. When are you happiest? When you are in love and the other returns that love. When are you most miserable? What can wound you deeper than love lost? Hm-m-m. Is it any wonder that people feel ambivalent about love? Love tosses you from pillar to post, seeming to embrace every conceivable emotion.
Regardless of how you express it, you would be able to speak about these three things on a personal level. But what if I were to ask you to speak about these three on a Universal level: a Universal Self, a Universal God, and a Universal Love? If it is difficult to define personal love, how much more difficult to explain its Universal counterpart? Words simply aren’t up to the task.
It’s true that Life can come through everything. For those of you who have witnessed the miracle of birth, for example, you know this from your own experience. When you first hold your child in your arms, words are unnecessary. This is pure feeling. A look between mother and father speaks volumes. And there are so many moments in life where the Language of the Infinite is expressed in this way.
But for this occasion, let’s focus on how the Language of the Infinite takes expression through words. Words (in any human language) reflect the same dichotomy of the personal/Universal conundrum. We know the personal. But the Universal is a stretch. We have not yet embraced what we cannot see.
Take the concept of oneness as an example. The dictionary defines “oneness” as follows: “the fact or state of being unified or whole, though comprised of two or more parts.” Even in oneness, the separation remains. Even when oneness is achieved, it is a temporary phenomenon. But what about Oneness?
You may have noticed my tendency to capitalize certain words. Why, you might ask? Why should I capitalize words such as Existence, Love, Life, Oneness, or Great Soul? Because when I use these words, they mean something different to me. When they serve to express the Universal, they become an indication rather than a definition.
One of Life’s open secrets is that your journey through life can best be described as moving from the personal to the Universal. For Mother Stella, the word that embraced what we call the entirety of Life is Existence. Although she would freely use the word “God,” Existence was what she meant. The very word “God” is weighed down by all the conditioning that people bring to it. God is generally viewed as a personal god. A personal god can be necessary at certain stages of your life, but the gap between you and a personal god can never be bridged.
Think of God as the ocean. Imagine yourself as a drop of rain. Over the course of your lifetime, that drop travels back until it merges with the ocean. And when you merge, who can separate the drop from the ocean? It’s impossible. Because in that merger, the boundaries disappear. This is Oneness. When you have merged with Existence, you have come home.
But this merger is not just physical. It is total. Forms come and go. That is the nature of what we call the material world. But your true essence, your Universal Self, continues. You have always been. And always will be. This is why Mother Stella encouraged people to find that something inside which cannot die, the Universal Self. Because once you discover the true self, the fear of death disappears.
The Language of the Infinite is part of that understanding. When you can see Existence smiling through every word, every musical note, every look, every touch—then you have become fluent. When you look into the eyes of another human being and see God looking back, then you have reached. When paradise is born within you, you will bring that paradise out to transform the world. You will become such a tremendous blessing.
When love overflows your heart, it will bring life to whatever it touches. Everything will bloom in your presence. You will become the greatest miracle, the deepest mystery. Therein lies another open secret: You are more precious to Life than you can possibly imagine. You have not been forgotten. Or abandoned. This is Life’s open invitation to each and every living soul: Come home.
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