371:
world is seen as the stage of the divine play. Like most of Hindu mythology, the myth of lila has a strong magical flavour. Brahman is the great magician who transforms himself into the world and then performs this feat with his "magic creative power", which is the original meaning of maya in the Rig Veda. The word maya—one of the most important terms in Indian philosophy—has changed its meaning over the centuries. From the might, or power, of the divine actor and magician, it came to signify the psychological state of anybody under the spell of the magic play. As long as we confuse the myriad forms of the divine lila with reality, without perceiving the unity of
Brahman underlying all these forms, we are under the spell of maya. (...) In the Hindu view of nature, then, all forms are relative, fluid and ever-changing maya, conjured up by the great magician of the divine play. The world of maya changes continuously, because the divine lila is a rhythmic, dynamic play. The dynamic force of the play is karma, an important concept of Indian thought. Karma means "action". It is the active principle of the play, the total universe in action, where everything is dynamically connected with everything else. In the words of the Gita Karma is the force of creation, wherefrom all things have their life.
341:, "isolation-integration", can be attained only by turning away from the distracting allure of the world and worshiping with single-pointed attention the formless Brahman-Atman; to the Tantric, however—as to the normal child of the world—this notion seems pathological, the wrong-headed effect of a certain malady of intellect. (...) "I like eating sugar," as
262:
spontaneous creation of
Brahman. It is a Lila, or sport, of Brahman. It is created out of Bliss, by Bliss and for Bliss. Lila indicates a spontaneous sportive activity of Brahman as distinguished from a self-conscious volitional effort. The concept of Lila signifies freedom as distinguished from necessity.
370:
The basic recurring theme in Hindu mythology is the creation of the world by the self-sacrifice of God—"sacrifice" in the original sense of "making sacred"—whereby God becomes the world which, in the end, becomes again God. This creative activity of the Divine is called lila, the play of God, and the
261:
Brahman is full of all perfections. And to say that
Brahman has some purpose in creating the world will mean that it wants to attain through the process of creation something which it has not. And that is impossible. Hence, there can be no purpose of Brahman in creating the world. The world is a mere
78:) can be loosely translated as "divine play". The concept of lila asserts that creation, instead of being an objective for achieving any purpose, is rather an outcome of the playful nature of the divine. As the divine is perfect, it could have no want fullfilled, thereby signifying
417:. It suggests that God cannot be blamed for sufferings because God is simply playing without any motivation. Lipner argues that since God is not "playful" by nature, but effortlessly acts as such, God maintains the law of karma and rebirth even while playing.
303:
motif of an unfolding or flowering cosmos is expressed here specifically in the relation of male to female, as well as in terms of consciousness and intentionality (in the concept of lila as the divine play of male and female). As such, the core
192:, in his commentary, likens Brahman to a king whose needs have been fulfilled, but engages in recreational activity. In another comparison, he says that it is Brahman's nature to create freely as it is our nature to inhale and exhale. Further,
353:) with which he is in love, the all-comprehensive Divine Being in its cosmic aspect of playful, aimless display (lila)—which precipitates pain as well as joy, but in its bliss transcends them both.
180:, as in daily experience.) This sutra responds to the objection that Brahman is not the cause of the world because causation requires motive. The reason given is that Brahman's act of creation is
633:
291:—the unfolding force of nature—becomes here a relation of male to female. This is expressed in the Siva temple in the core image of the sivalinga, an expression of male (
349:
seek release: the perfect devotee does not suffer; for he can both visualize and experience life and the universe as the revelation of that
Supreme Divine Force (
308:
image of cosmogony as the flowering of consciousness and sexual union rather than the sacrificial act. This theme resonates with other Hindu doctrines, such as
438:
771:
752:
591:
410:, which describes the Universe as God taking a physical form in order to experience the interplay between the elements of the Universe.
717:
399:
plays in which human actors re-enact
Krishna and Rama's divine play to remember the deities and experience their presence.
658:
Information—Consciousness—Reality: How a New
Understanding of the Universe Can Help Answer Age-Old Questions of Existence
237:
that
Supreme Divine Personality, the greatest of the great, accepted the subtle material energy which is invested with
90:
86:
781:
151:
cannot be translated as "sport" or "game," since those word suggest a motivation of competition. In contrast,
617:
664:, one can find variations which too have found a place in the history of human thought. For instance, in
100:, but has a markedly different significance in each. Within non-dualism, lila is a way of describing all
539:
257:
through practices such as adorning the image of
Krishna, singing devotional songs, and offering food.
749:
381:
713:
597:
587:
559:
520:
213:
97:
34:
776:
551:
510:
93:
55:
756:
621:
414:
325:
321:
270:
155:
is "pure play, or spontaneous pastime,” which has no purpose other than experiencing joy.
109:
211:
and his devotee, as well as the macrocosmic actions of the manifest universe, as seen in
765:
698:
The Domain of
Constant Excess: Plural Worship at the Munnesvaram Temples in Sri Lanka
555:
376:
345:
said, "but I have no desire to become sugar." Let those who suffer from the toils of
342:
274:
168:
444:
431:
189:
499:"A God at Play? Reexamining the Concept of Līlā in Hindu Philosophy and Theology"
661:
204:
196:
is not a necessary attribute of
Brahman i.e. Brahman does not have to engage in
117:
515:
498:
723:"Playing", Richard Schechner, Play & Culture, 1988, Vol. 1, pp. 3–19.
581:
563:
524:
250:
Hindu denominations differ on how a human should react to awareness of lila.
744:
601:
454:
361:
360:
The Domain of Constant Excess: Plural Worship at the Munnesvaram Temples in
300:
238:
42:
694:, Ram Shanker Misra, Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Pvt Ltd, Delhi, 1998.
665:
459:
407:
403:
313:
305:
688:, Heinrich Zimmer and Joseph Campbell, Princeton University Press, 1969.
449:
396:
346:
288:
284:
113:
101:
79:
704:
Purifying the Earthly Body of God: Religion and Ecology in Hindu Indi
467:
463:
426:
350:
338:
309:
292:
125:
105:
17:
580:
Cush, Denise; Robinson, Catherine A.; York, Michael, eds. (2008).
471:
614:
296:
540:"God at Play: Seeing God Through the Lens of the Young Krishna"
144:, which suggests playfulness of children or someone delicate.
128:, as well as the macrocosmic actions of the manifest universe.
253:
In Pushtimarga worship, devotees experience the sentiments of
208:
121:
64:
706:, Lance E. Nelson, State University of New York Press, 1998.
739:
712:, William Sturman Sax, ed., Oxford University Press, 1995,
70:
740:
Maha Lilah : Portuguese version of Gyan Chaupad
660:(2019), p. 534: "Within the set of ideas related to
136:
There are multiple theories about the derivation of
67:
61:
58:
586:. London ; New York: Routledge. p. 462.
413:"The Lila Solution" is a proposed answer to the
368:
335:
281:
259:
337:The Vedantic yogi never tires of stating that
82:, instead of necessity, behind the creation.
8:
434:, western mystical conception of divine play
538:Largen, Kristin Johnston (September 2011).
140:. It may be derived from the Sanskrit root
514:
729:, David Mason, Palgrave Macmillan, 2009.
692:The Integral Advaitism of Sri Aurobindo
484:
439:The Mysterious Pastimes of Mohini Murti
503:International Journal of Hindu Studies
85:The concept of lila is common to both
700:, Rohan Bastin, Berghahn Books, 2002.
7:
727:The Gods at Play: Lila in South Asia
710:The Gods at Play: Lila in South Asia
672:is akin to the concept of pandeism".
575:
573:
492:
490:
488:
120:, lila refers to the activities of
207:, lila refers to the activities of
402:Lila is comparable to the Western
25:
556:10.1111/j.1540-6385.2011.00618.x
497:Lipner, Julius J. (2022-12-01).
54:
239:three material modes of nature
1:
544:Dialog: A Journal of Theology
108:, as the outcome of creative
772:Hindu philosophical concepts
27:Sanskrit word, "divine play"
147:According to Edwin Bryant,
43:
798:
516:10.1007/s11407-022-09322-1
188:takes place in the world.
745:A Here-Now glossary entry
38:
615:Vedabase entry SB 3.26.4
583:Encyclopedia of Hinduism
223:daivīḿ guṇamayīḿ vibhuḥ
221:sa eṣa prakṛtiḿ sūkṣmāḿ
174:lokavat tu līlākaivalyam
112:by the divine absolute (
656:James B. Glattfelder,
388:
367:
334:
280:
243:
686:Philosophies of India
330:Philosophies of India
225:yadṛcchayaivopagatām
219:
166:first appears in the
750:Shirdi Sai Baba Lila
638:publishing.cdlib.org
395:Lila also includes
299:) union. The basic
267:Ram Shanker Misra,
159:Appearance in texts
755:2016-03-03 at the
620:2015-07-01 at the
382:The Tao of Physics
184:, in the same way
634:"Divine Passions"
593:978-0-7007-1267-0
214:Srimad Bhagavatam
176:" (However, but
98:Indian philosophy
16:(Redirected from
789:
673:
668:, the notion of
654:
648:
647:
645:
644:
630:
624:
612:
606:
605:
577:
568:
567:
535:
529:
528:
518:
494:
386:
365:
332:
283:The relation of
278:
235:As his pastimes,
104:, including the
77:
76:
73:
72:
69:
66:
63:
60:
46:
40:
21:
797:
796:
792:
791:
790:
788:
787:
786:
782:Play (activity)
762:
761:
757:Wayback Machine
736:
682:
680:Further reading
677:
676:
655:
651:
642:
640:
632:
631:
627:
622:Wayback Machine
613:
609:
594:
579:
578:
571:
537:
536:
532:
496:
495:
486:
481:
423:
415:problem of evil
393:
387:
375:
366:
357:
333:
326:Joseph Campbell
322:Heinrich Zimmer
320:
279:
266:
248:
246:Interpretations
232:
231:
226:
224:
222:
217:, verse 3.26.4:
161:
134:
57:
53:
28:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
795:
793:
785:
784:
779:
774:
764:
763:
760:
759:
747:
742:
735:
734:External links
732:
731:
730:
724:
721:
707:
701:
695:
689:
681:
678:
675:
674:
649:
625:
607:
592:
569:
550:(3): 253–261.
530:
509:(3): 283–326.
483:
482:
480:
477:
476:
475:
457:
452:
447:
442:
435:
429:
422:
419:
392:
389:
373:
358:Rohan Bastin,
355:
318:
295:) and female (
264:
247:
244:
160:
157:
133:
130:
26:
24:
14:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
794:
783:
780:
778:
775:
773:
770:
769:
767:
758:
754:
751:
748:
746:
743:
741:
738:
737:
733:
728:
725:
722:
719:
718:0-19-509102-7
715:
711:
708:
705:
702:
699:
696:
693:
690:
687:
684:
683:
679:
671:
667:
663:
659:
653:
650:
639:
635:
629:
626:
623:
619:
616:
611:
608:
603:
599:
595:
589:
585:
584:
576:
574:
570:
565:
561:
557:
553:
549:
545:
541:
534:
531:
526:
522:
517:
512:
508:
504:
500:
493:
491:
489:
485:
478:
473:
469:
465:
461:
458:
456:
453:
451:
448:
446:
443:
441:
440:
436:
433:
430:
428:
425:
424:
420:
418:
416:
411:
409:
405:
400:
398:
390:
384:
383:
378:
377:Fritjof Capra
372:
364:
363:
354:
352:
348:
344:
340:
331:
327:
323:
317:
315:
311:
307:
302:
298:
294:
290:
286:
277:
276:
275:Sri Aurobindo
272:
269:The Integral
263:
258:
256:
251:
245:
242:
240:
236:
230:
227:abhyapadyata
218:
216:
215:
210:
206:
201:
199:
195:
191:
187:
183:
179:
175:
171:
170:
165:
158:
156:
154:
150:
145:
143:
139:
131:
129:
127:
123:
119:
115:
111:
107:
103:
99:
95:
94:philosophical
92:
88:
83:
81:
75:
51:
47:
45:
36:
32:
19:
726:
709:
703:
697:
691:
685:
669:
657:
652:
641:. Retrieved
637:
628:
610:
582:
547:
543:
533:
506:
502:
445:Radha Ramana
437:
432:Ludus amoris
412:
406:position of
401:
394:
380:
369:
359:
336:
329:
282:
268:
260:
254:
252:
249:
234:
228:
220:
212:
202:
197:
193:
185:
181:
177:
173:
167:
163:
162:
152:
148:
146:
141:
137:
135:
84:
49:
41:
30:
29:
662:panpsychism
404:theological
205:Vaishnavism
172:2.1.33 as "
169:Brahmasūtra
132:Translation
118:Vaishnavism
96:schools of
87:non-dualist
766:Categories
643:2024-09-17
479:References
391:Other uses
301:cosmogonic
564:0012-2033
525:1574-9282
455:Rasa lila
362:Sri Lanka
343:Ramprasad
271:Advaitism
753:Archived
666:Hinduism
618:Archived
602:62133001
460:Trimurti
421:See also
408:Pandeism
374:—
356:—
339:kaivalya
319:—
265:—
190:Shankara
35:Sanskrit
777:Reality
450:Ramlila
397:Raslila
347:samsara
306:saivite
289:Prakrti
126:devotee
114:Brahman
102:reality
91:dualist
80:freedom
716:
600:
590:
562:
523:
468:Vishnu
464:Brahma
427:Avatar
385:(1975)
351:shakti
310:Tantra
285:Purusa
229:līlayā
116:). In
106:cosmos
472:Shiva
314:Sakta
293:linga
50:leela
48:) or
714:ISBN
670:lila
598:OCLC
588:ISBN
560:ISSN
521:ISSN
324:and
312:and
297:yoni
255:lila
198:lila
194:lila
186:lila
182:lila
178:līlā
164:Lila
153:lila
149:lila
138:lila
124:and
110:play
89:and
44:līlā
39:लीला
31:Lila
18:Līlā
552:doi
511:doi
287:to
273:of
209:God
203:In
142:lal
122:God
768::
636:.
596:.
572:^
558:.
548:50
546:.
542:.
519:.
507:26
505:.
501:.
487:^
470:,
466:,
379:,
328:,
241:."
200:.
65:iː
37::
720:.
646:.
604:.
566:.
554::
527:.
513::
474:)
462:(
316:.
233:"
74:/
71:ə
68:l
62:l
59:ˈ
56:/
52:(
33:(
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.