Embracing the Eternal Soul Beyond Gender and Form

At Life in the Bliss Lane, we honor the ancient Hindu understanding that our souls are eternal, ever-changing, and interconnected beyond the physical forms we take in each lifetime. We are not just the bodies we inhabit; rather, we are players in a vast, holographic reality—what many call the Maya, or the illusion of the material world. Just as a gamer chooses different avatars in a virtual game, our true selves—our Atman (soul)—take on different forms, genders, and experiences across multiple incarnations.

This philosophy is deeply embedded in the wisdom of Sanatana Dharma (the eternal Hindu philosophy) and is beautifully illustrated by the Shiva Sutras and the Ardhanarishwara form of Lord Shiva. These teachings reveal that gender and identity are not fixed constructs but fluid expressions of divine consciousness—a concept that aligns perfectly with the natural spectrum of queerness and diversity.

Imagine reality as a grand, multi-dimensional game where each of us is a conscious player who has entered the world through different "avatars"—bodies, identities, and experiences. Each lifetime is like playing a different character, with its own story, lessons, and challenges.

But here’s the key insight: it’s always the same player behind the scenes. Who we are at our core—the witnessing consciousness—remains unchanged. Just as a skilled actor takes on many roles in different movies but remains the same person, our soul moves through incarnations, embodying different forms.

Since time is nonlinear in Hindu philosophy, our soul doesn’t just move forward in a straight line. It oscillates, experiencing the collapse of every possibility, meaning it lives through multiple realities and identities simultaneously. This is why we experience deep soul connections, déjà vu, and a profound sense of familiarity with certain people or places.

If our soul is constantly shifting and taking on new avatars, why should we be attached to gender, race, or physical form in a single lifetime?

• We have all been many genders before. The same soul that is in a male body today may have been female, nonbinary, or intersex in another life.
• We have experienced all forms of love. Attraction and relationships transcend gender and orientation when seen from the soul’s perspective.
• We exist outside of labels. Queerness and gender fluidity are not deviations; they are natural expressions of the infinite spectrum of existence.

The idea of fixating on one’s gender, race, or appearance as an absolute identity is a misunderstanding of the soul’s true nature. These are temporary "costumes" we wear in this particular reality. When we shed this body, we return to the eternal consciousness that is neither male nor female, neither fixed nor limited—it is pure, limitless awareness.

In Hinduism, the Ardhanarishwara form of Shiva is a powerful representation of this fluidity and oneness. Ardhanarishwara is a half-male, half-female deity—Shiva and Shakti merged into one. This symbolizes that within each of us exists both masculine and feminine energies, and true spiritual enlightenment comes from embracing the full spectrum of our being.

The message of Ardhanarishwara is clear: we are not confined to one gender, role, or identity. We are the union of all possibilities. When we understand this, we free ourselves from unnecessary struggles over labels and identities and embrace the infinite creativity of the soul.

At Life in the Bliss Lane, we encourage everyone to let go of rigid societal constructs and instead:

• Recognize the soul’s fluid nature—you have been everything before and will be everything again.
• Celebrate queerness and diversity as natural expressions of the infinite self.
• Reject limiting beliefs about gender and identity, as they are momentary roles in an eternal play.
• Live authentically and compassionately, knowing that we are all here to experience, learn, and evolve.

Instead of creating problems where none exist, we choose to honor the divine dance of consciousness—a dance that moves through all genders, all identities, and all experiences. To resist this truth is to cling to the illusion; to embrace it is to align with the eternal wisdom of the universe.

Let’s play the game of life with open hearts and open minds, knowing that at our core, we are everything, and we are one.