ONENESS

From the days of the ancient Vedic sages and their conception of Brahman up to the present day, there are those who believe that there is a deep underlying unity in all existence—that all is truly one and, moreover, that all this Oneness is divine. This means that the world is essentially not a fragmented place and that in its essence it is not dark and conflicted, but rather that there is an inherent harmony, unity, divinity. If we accept that this is so, then everything we observe and experience is a manifestation, an expression, of the true divinity within. The belief in this divine Oneness comes to us from those who have realized it. We find this realization first described in the Vedas and the Upanishads and then also in the literature of spiritual mystics in other traditions. Furthermore, many who have not actually realized the divine Oneness believe in it or want to believe that it is so. Even without having the full realization of the divine Oneness, many have a sense of its reality, perhaps having had a glimpse of this truth, which then makes an enduring difference in their lives and vision. In any case, the reality of a divine Oneness is something that has resonance within and offers an appealing sense of promise that the world, and our lives in it, have the potential to be much more, much finer and better than they seem to be.