“Beyond Measure”

by Dr. Larry Morris

In “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” T. S. Eliot has his character (who is bored with the humdrum routine of his life) declare, "I have measured out my life with coffee spoons." At times we all feel tired and weary of the sameness of our days. Perhaps we have structured our life too much. In Sanskrit, 'maya' means ‘to measure,' to divide up life into mental categories or constructs. In the same language, 'daya' means measurelessness or beyond measure. When we feel too constrained and stifled by the routines and patterns we live in, perhaps we need to release and let go of our mental constructs. Maybe we have allowed ourselves to become trapped by utilitarianism; we seek function rather than meaning, artifice rather than beauty. When we are driving home in the evening, if we see the billboards but miss the sunset—perhaps it’s time to let go to a renewal of awe and joy for the gift of this vast measureless universe. We are each a tiny dot at home in an infinite ocean of consciousness—so relax into wonder.