The Internal Worlds We Create: Lessons from Project Sekai

Life has a way of presenting us with diverse conditions – some delightful, others challenging. These past few weeks have been particularly full in our household: my daughter battling illness while preparing for her final Calisthenics competition, my husband away in Malaysia for a funeral, and myself organizing a 21-day meditation challenge for our temple. In moments like these, when resources feel low and energy needs conserving, I notice something fascinating about my internal experience.

I find myself oscillating between steadiness and getting caught in the mental images and stories I create. Some days feel like everything has come to a standstill; others flow with momentum and progress. This dance between states reminded me of a recent conversation with a client who introduced me to Project Sekai (Colourful Stage), a Japanese rhythm game featuring anime characters. One character, Miku, shares a profound insight: "As you work out your true feelings, a Sekai will be formed."

'Sekai' in Japanese translates to "world," "society," or "universe." It's a concept that encompasses everything from our entire planet to specific aspects of human experience. What fascinates me is how this mirrors our internal experience – we each create our own "Sekai," shaped by our interpretations, feelings, and thoughts about what we experience.

When we're in a positive state, our internal Sekai brightens – everything feels awesome, energy flows freely, and life's soundtrack plays light, uplifting tunes. But when our mood dips, this same Sekai fills with unpleasant memories or projections of worst-case scenarios, painting everything in darker hues.

We often react to these internal worlds as if they're absolutely real. But are they? The Diamond Sutra offers a powerful perspective: "All conditioned phenomena are like a dream, an illusion, a bubble or a shadow, like dew or a flash of lightning; thus, should one contemplate them as such." This teaching invites us to recognize the impermanent, illusory nature of all phenomena, encouraging us to approach our experience with wisdom and non-attachment.

Everything in this universe follows natural cycles of formation, existence, decay, and emptiness. Nothing – including you, me, and our internal Sekais – lasts forever. When we cling to the permanence of things, people, or events, we set ourselves up for disappointment, grief, and loss. While these emotional responses are deeply human and normal (I experienced this profoundly when I lost my parents), they often become sources of internal suffering.

There's a vast difference between intellectually understanding impermanence and experiencing it firsthand. Yet, when we deeply comprehend and appreciate that everything is an aggregation of causal conditions, we can open ourselves more fully to both gain and loss. The phrase "This too shall pass" becomes not just a comfort but a profound truth that helps us maintain perspective.