Lila
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'''Lila''' sometimes spelled '''leela'''
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- For the municipality in the Philippines, see Lila, Bohol. For the Peanuts character, see Lila (Peanuts). Lila is also a character in Xena: Warrior Princess and a codename for 2003 UB313. The word "lila" (לילה) is also the Hebrew word for "night." It is sometimes used as a given name, usually as Lila, Laila or Layla. The Arabic form of the word is "layla" (ليلى), and is similarly used as a given name.
Lila sometimes spelled leela is a concept from Hinduism that explains the universe as a cosmic puppet theater or playground for the gods. "Lila" literally means "play," but in religious texts refers to "divine play" - life as a spontaneous game played by lighthearted forces beyond our understanding. In Vaishnavism lila refers to life and activities of God and his devotees.
It is an important idea in traditional worship of Krishna (as prankster) and Shiva (as dancer), and has been used by modern writers like Stephen Nachmanovitch, Fritjof Capra and Alan Watts.
The nearest Western equivalents are the lines from Shakespeare: "All the world's a stage..." and "As flies to wanton boys, are we to the gods; they kill us for their sport." The Hindu version is substantially more hopeful.
Lila is a common Indian female name as well. It is also the name of the sequel of the famous book "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance", written by Robert M. Pirsig. "Lila" is the name of his daughter as well, and that is not a coincidence. The author's son, Chris, was killed following the first Book's completion. It seems that the author believes that his son was reborn into his current daughter, Lila, in accordance with the ideas of Samsara (Reincarnation through trasnmigration into new bodies following death) in Zen Buddhism, and in a way the book seems to make a celebrative reference to this idea.
Further reading
- A Here-Now glossary entry.
- Another definition, by the Robert Pirsig-inspired metaphysicians of the "Lila Squad."
- William Sturman Sax, ed. The Gods at Play: Lila in South Asia. Oxford University Press, 1995, ISBN 0195091027