The Examined Heart in Collective Loss

Mirabai's devotional practice required constant examination of the heart—distinguishing between true love for the divine and ego's demands. This same rigor applies to collective grief. When mourning public figures or tragedies, the examined heart asks: Am I grieving authentically, or performing grief for social validation? Am I honoring the lost, or centering my own narrative? This practice prevents collective mourning from becoming narcissistic theater. By regularly checking our inner motives during public losses, we maintain spiritual integrity and ensure our grief serves healing rather than ego inflation. Mirabai's example shows that authentic devotion requires vulnerability and honesty about our attachments, attachments that surface most vividly when we mourn those we've never met but whose stories moved our souls.