“I am in Kyiv, Ukraine, and I have this question: how do I stay courageous in the face of possible death”
The source of all courage in the face of possible death is a recognition of the ever-present nature of being. Behind whatever fear may arise lies your ever-present being – the ever-present being of God's being, the only being there is. That one is ultimately ever-present, deathless, and real courage comes from that recognition, which doesn't necessarily mean to say that this recognition needs to be formulated in the way that I have.
Many people in your country now are acting in a way that is consistent with this recognition, without formulating it as such. In other words, they are transcending themselves as a person, they are acting for something greater than themselves, they are acting for freedom. Their actions, whether they know it or not, come from a deep recognition – which is where true courage comes from – that what we essentially are transcends the limits of the person. That recognition, even if it's not formulated like this – which in most cases it is not – gives us the courage to transcend our individual personal needs and to act with courage, which means to act for a cause that is greater than the survival of the person.
Many people in your country are inspired by this understanding, although perhaps many would not formulate it in these terms. You think deeply and specifically about these matters, so you can formulate it in this way. More importantly, remain in touch with this ever-present being – God's ever-present being, the being we all share – that lies in the background of your experience. Allow that to inform your actions, relationships, conversations and the way you look after your people.
Thank you so much. That is really encouraging. This is one of those confirmations that a previous questioner asked you about. Happiness? Happiness. Thank you very much. I love you very deeply.
Thank you, Lilia, I love you very deeply. I'm very touched by your beautiful presence in the midst of your extremely challenging circumstances. My heart goes out to you all. God bless.
Lilia has been in touch with the team and gave us permission to share the notes below from her letters to one of our team members, Ellen W. (April 2022)
March 5, 2022
Dear Ellen,
I am so touched by your very kind email.
Indeed, these are the darkest times many people in my country and I have experienced in our lifetimes. The Direct Path and non-dual understanding have been a solace and a beacon of light for my husband and me. It breaks my heart that, apparently, very few people here can share this recognition. I feel inspired to share it to the best of my ability when appropriate, whether it is expressed in non-dual terms or in a smile.
I am so grateful to you for sending us your heartfelt prayers. The light of your prayers is reaching us and empowering every single one of our actions. This war has brought about so much unity amongst us. Very counterintuitively, I feel there is wisdom in this war that we are yet to uncover.
With much, much love from Ukraine,
Lilia
March 7, 2022
Ellen,
I felt I wanted to tell you something.
You see, when I was a child, I had moments of happiness. We owned a house in the middle of nowhere, and I would spend summers there. There were trees and some hens, and we talked.
When I was about 8, parents made a decision to move to the city, and the house was sold to a family friend. I have never returned, except in my memory, which I do every day. I see the tree crowns at dawn and wonder how I could lose them all. Since we left, I have spent my entire life in an attempt to reconstruct this private version of heaven.
Now that the intensity of military action around my present-day house is increasing, I notice the intensity of those memories is increasing as well. I tend to use them to invoke a sense of serenity in my being, and this is how I come home. I wonder if it is blasphemy to use them in this way, and maybe I should be adult enough to be able to return to my being without using crutches. But maybe, it is their very purpose to serve as a wind-back button. I don’t know.
March 8, 2022
Dear Ellen,
I have an obsession with religious buildings. Here in Kyiv, we have quite a few. Let me share a few photos with you. I took them in my favourite monastery where I went to pray in November. They also have underground catacombs where monks went to pray. Some would lock themselves in tiny cave-like chambers and pray there until they died. The catacombs are deep and stretch for kilometres in all directions. They are the brightest place I have ever visited.
Showers of warmth,
Lilia
March 12, 2022
Ellen,
Thank you so much, dear friend.
It's been a hard night for us. We felt besieged by almost constant sirens, explosions and shooting. My husband taught me to differentiate between rocket launchers and howitzers by the sounds they make. He makes every effort to keep me away from the window, but I am not the easiest woman to protect.
March 12, 2022
Ellen,
I welcome and treasure every single thing that I receive from you and the world. So does my husband, our neighbours, the building I'm in, passersby in the street I am watching. I feel so grateful that the nondual understanding is in place. If it were not in place, I would have stacked all this love in my head and thus butchered its impersonal innocence. But now at least my vision is clear.
Yours entirely,
Lilia
March 21, 2022
Dear Ellen,
Our Being is acquiring a bitter taste here. It shakes and shudders, as bits of shrapnel cut and dig into Its open chest.
You may have heard, last night a big shopping mall in Kyiv was damaged by a rocket. The damage happened in Podilskyi - this word might have been on the news as well. Perhaps it's just another word, another odd cyrillic symbol to people who have never walked the streets of Kyiv, but I feel for it. Podilskyi is a residential area in Kyiv, and I live here.
We heard the explosion at night. I don't know how it happened. My husband shouted: "Air alert!" and we rushed to our bathroom shelter. Next thing we know, a loud sound bursts in our heads, then we sit down on the floor, and my legs are shaking. We smell fire. I click the entrance door open and stick my head out. It's not our building, my neighbour is quick to tell me, but what it is, we do not know. After a long while in the shelter, this time longer then usual, we settle down in our beds. Our left ears hurt.
As I am writing this email, my heart feels trapped in despair. Before this war struck, all our windows had been intact and all our bodies had been intact. We would complain about the weather and contemplate the colour to wear.
Now, once again, as window time is relatively safe before a 36-hour curfew, I am admiring the warm evening sunlight. I spot a sunlit satellite dish on a roof just across the road, and it looks like the moon.
March 31, 2022
Lilia responds after Ellen sends her a YouTube version of Benjamin Zander’s conducting of the Ukraine National Anthem.
Hello dear Friend!
My ear thinks it is very unusual. It sounds very solemn and soft at the same time. We are used to a mechanical and march-like version of it. This one would be like honey, and what we are used to would be a lively brook.
Save Ukraine Fund
Lilia has sent up a 'Save Ukraine' fund which she decribes below:
The 'fund' I have set up is a special option on my Patreon page. It is called 'Save Ukraine'. All monthly pledges people make here I will direct to Ukrainians in need, especially old people (in Ukraine they are the most unprotected group) and those whose lives have been demolished.
