Loving the world as it is feels impossible when we’re staring at the evening news and or arguing with our partner. To find peace, we have to shift from our judgmental ‘ego’ view to a non-dual relationship with reality.

It’s difficult to love reality until we get to a practically non-real non-dual relationship with the world. Truly, the world is full of evil – it’s in you, it’s in me – and it can feel ever more ubiquitous and discouraging. Most turn downward, into delusion and escape, and exacerbate the problems. We seek to turn upward, open to the world and beyond to a more timeless reality.

“Can’t you see it’s all perfect?” is one of the most famous teachings of Neem Karoli Baba—affectionately known as Maharaji-ji—regularly quoted by his close devotee, Ram Dass.

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This radical acceptance is the heartbeat of ancient wisdom.

In Hindu philosophy, the universe is seen as Lila, or the “spontaneous, joyous act” of the Divine (Brahman). Creation is not a task with a goal but a playful expression of divine abundance.

The Brahma Sutras (2.1.33) state, “But (Brahman’s creative activity) is mere sport [lila]”, suggesting that even suffering and destruction are parts of this cosmic theater.

The Buddhist term Tathātā refers to “Suchness” or “Thusness”—seeing things exactly as they are without the “overlay” of human judgment. It is the “True Suchness” of reality, which is described as perfect and unchanging beneath the surface of chaotic events. Instead of judging a situation as bad, a practitioner simply takes note of it twice—acknowledging its “suchness”—without feeling friendly or antagonistic toward it.

Taoism: The Perfection of Non-Action (Wu-Wei) – The Tao Te Ching often speaks to the absurdity of trying to “fix” a universe that is already governed by the Tao.

Verse 29: “Do you think you could do a better job of running the universe? … Everything that comes from the Tao is perfect as it is“.

Verse 45: Suggests that “perfection is as good as imperfection” when both function as part of the whole.

In Christianity & Islam, while humans see “wrong,” God’s plan is ultimately whole and perfect.

Christianity: Romans 8:28 is a classic parallel: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good…”. It suggests a “perfect will” that can be discerned even in trials.

Islam: The concept of Divine Decree (Qadar) teaches that nothing happens outside of God’s will, and “all will be well” when one submits fully to that divine verdict.

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Seeing the ‘perfection’ doesn’t mean we stop caring; it means we stop fighting the flow, allowing us to act from love rather than from fear.