Lila ( ') or leela () 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 fulfilled, thereby signifying

freedom Freedom is the power or right to speak, act, and change as one wants without hindrance or restraint. Freedom is often associated with liberty and autonomy in the sense of "giving oneself one's own laws". In one definition, something is "free" i ...

, instead of necessity, behind the creation. The concept of lila is common to both non-dualist and

dualist Dualism most commonly refers to: * Mind–body dualism, a philosophical view which holds that mental phenomena are, at least in certain respects, not physical phenomena, or that the mind and the body are distinct and separable from one another * P ...

philosophical Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...

schools of

Indian philosophy Indian philosophy consists of philosophical traditions of the Indian subcontinent. The philosophies are often called darśana meaning, "to see" or "looking at." Ānvīkṣikī means “critical inquiry” or “investigation." Unlike darśan ...

, but has a markedly different significance in each. Within non-dualism, lila is a way of describing all

reality Reality is the sum or aggregate of everything in existence; everything that is not imagination, imaginary. Different Culture, cultures and Academic discipline, academic disciplines conceptualize it in various ways. Philosophical questions abo ...

, including the

cosmos The cosmos (, ; ) is an alternative name for the universe or its nature or order. Usage of the word ''cosmos'' implies viewing the universe as a complex and orderly system or entity. The cosmos is studied in cosmologya broad discipline covering ...

, as the outcome of creative

play Play most commonly refers to: * Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment * Play (theatre), a work of drama Play may refer also to: Computers and technology * Google Play, a digital content service * Play Framework, a Java framework * P ...

by the divine absolute (

Brahman In Hinduism, ''Brahman'' (; IAST: ''Brahman'') connotes the highest universal principle, the ultimate reality of the universe.P. T. Raju (2006), ''Idealistic Thought of India'', Routledge, , page 426 and Conclusion chapter part XII In the ...

). In

Vaishnavism Vaishnavism () ), also called Vishnuism, is one of the major Hindu denominations, Hindu traditions, that considers Vishnu as the sole Para Brahman, supreme being leading all other Hindu deities, that is, ''Mahavishnu''. It is one of the majo ...

, lila refers to the activities of

God In monotheistic belief systems, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. In polytheistic belief systems, a god is "a spirit or being believed to have created, or for controlling some part of the un ...

and devotee, as well as the macrocosmic actions of the manifest universe.

Translation

There are multiple theories about the derivation of ''lila''. It may be derived from the Sanskrit root ''lal'', which suggests playfulness of children or someone delicate. According to Edwin Bryant, ''lila'' cannot be translated as "sport" or "game," since those words suggest a motivation of competition. In contrast, ''lila'' is "pure play, or spontaneous pastime,” which has no purpose other than experiencing joy.

Appearance in texts

''Lila'' first appears in the '' Brahmasūtra'' 2.1.33 as "''lokavat tu līlākaivalyam''" (However, t isbut ''līlā'', as ccursin 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 ''lila'', in the same way ''lila'' takes place in the world. Shankara, 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, ''lila'' is not a necessary attribute of Brahman i.e. Brahman does not have to engage in ''lila''. In

, lila refers to the activities of

and his devotee, as well as the macrocosmic actions of the manifest universe, as seen in ''

Srimad Bhagavatam The ''Bhagavata Purana'' (; ), also known as the ''Srimad Bhagavatam (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam)'', ''Srimad Bhagavata Mahapurana'' () or simply ''Bhagavata (Bhāgavata)'', is one of Hinduism's eighteen major Puranas (''Mahapuranas'') and one o ...

'', verse 3.26.4:

sa eṣa prakṛtiḿ sūkṣmāḿ
daivīḿ guṇamayīḿ vibhuḥ
yadṛcchayaivopagatām
abhyapadyata līlayā

"As his pastimes, that Supreme Divine Personality, the greatest of the great, accepted the subtle material energy which is invested with three material modes of nature."

Interpretations

Hindu denominations differ on how a human should react to awareness of lila. In Pushtimarga worship, devotees experience the sentiments of ''lila'' through practices such as adorning the image of Krishna, singing devotional songs, and offering food. According to a

Gaudiya Gaudiya Vaishnavism (), also known as Chaitanya Vaishnavism, is a Vaishnava Hindu religious movement inspired by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486–1534) in India. "Gaudiya" refers to the Gaura or Gauḍa region of Bengal (present-day Malda dist ...

interpretation of the Bhagavat Purana, Krishna's ''lilas'' on earth are a manifest counterpart to his unmanifest eternal ''lila'' in his abode.

Other uses

Lila also includes

Raslila The Raslila (), also rendered the Rasalila or the Ras dance, is part of a traditional story described in Hindu texts such as the Bhagavata Purana and Gita Govinda, where Krishna dances with Radha and the gopis of Braj. Rasalila has also been a ...

plays in which human actors re-enact Krishna and Rama's divine play to remember the deities and experience their presence. Lila is comparable to the Western

theological Theology is the study of religious belief from a religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of an ...

position of

Pandeism Pandeism, or pan-deism, is a theological doctrine that combines aspects of pantheism with aspects of deism. Unlike classical deism, which holds that the creator deity does not interfere with the universe after its creation, pandeism holds tha ...

, which describes the Universe as God taking a physical form in order to experience the interplay between the elements of the Universe.James B. Glattfelder, ''Information—Consciousness—Reality: How a New Understanding of the Universe Can Help Answer Age-Old Questions of Existence'' (2019), p. 534: "Within the set of ideas related to

panpsychism In philosophy of mind, panpsychism () is the view that the mind or a mind-like aspect is a fundamental and ubiquitous feature of reality. It is also described as a theory that "the mind is a fundamental feature of the world which exists throug ...

, one can find variations which too have found a place in the history of human thought. For instance, in

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Hypernymy and hyponymy, umbrella term for a range of Indian religions, Indian List of religions and spiritual traditions#Indian religions, religious and spiritual traditions (Sampradaya, ''sampradaya''s) that are unified ...

, the notion of ''lila'' is akin to the concept of pandeism". "The Lila Solution" is a proposed answer to the

problem of evil The problem of evil is the philosophical question of how to reconcile the existence of evil and suffering with an Omnipotence, omnipotent, Omnibenevolence, omnibenevolent, and Omniscience, omniscient God.The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, ...

. 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.

References

External links

Maha Lilah : Portuguese version of Gyan Chaupad

{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303205349/http://www.shirdisaigift.com/about-sai-baba/sai-baba-leela.html , date=2016-03-03 Hindu philosophical concepts Reality Play (activity)