“Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” – Jesus
As I recall, I was perhaps five years old, sitting without purpose, without judgment, in the shade of an Elm tree near my home. It was late afternoon on a summer day, and the golden light filtered through the leaves, casting dancing shadows that seemed alive. I was captivated, fully present, simply observing the interplay of sunlight through the leaves.
As I sat, I noticed butterflies gathering around me. They landed gently on the ground very near me, their wings opening and closing in a slow rhythm, as if absorbing the warmth and light of the afternoon. In their presence, I felt no separation—just an unspoken harmony, as if we were all part of the same quiet, eternal dance.
In that timeless moment, joy arose effortlessly—born of the open innocence of a child. Looking back, I now recognize that this was a glimpse of non-dual beingness, a natural state unclouded by the layers of thought and perception that so often obscure our true nature.
It was a simple moment, yet profound. There were no thoughts of “me” or “them,” only the seamless unity of existence. In childhood, before the misperceptions of culture and family take root, these experiences of unity flow naturally, like a gift we have yet to fully unwrap.
Today, I reflect on that moment as a reminder of what is available to each of us. The “kingdom of heaven” that Jesus spoke of is not a distant place or an unattainable ideal—it is our birthright, the effortless joy and wholeness of being that resides within. Through compassionate self-inquiry and the release of conditioned judgments, we can rediscover this innate unbroken connection we have with the eternal.