What is Oneness? Usually, in America, we speak of oneness as an ideal, a goal. Unity or harmony among all people is oneness. Equality regardless of race, nationality or gender is oneness. Compassion for those in need is oneness.
Buddhist Oneness goes beyond these ideals. The idea of Oneness is central to the Buddhadharma. In Buddhist practice, Buddhist Oneness is not a goal. It is the reality of life.
One of the best explanations of Oneness occurred at a Buddhist convention I attended. During the question and answer period after a seminar someone asked, “What is Oneness?” A panel member replied in a simple, understandable manner.
Holding up a sheet of paper he asked, “Do you see a cloud in this paper?” No one responded. Again he asked, “Do you see a cloud in this paper?” “You must see a cloud in this paper,” he continued, “because without a cloud there is no rain. Without rain there is no tree. Without a tree there is no paper.” He then asked, “Do you see a steel mill?” “You must see a steel mill because without the mill there is no steel. Without steel there is no ax or saw to cut the tree. No tree cut down, no paper.” The audience was beginning to understand his point. Chuckling he asked, “Do you see Wheaties?” “Loggers work hard and need a good breakfast. No loggers, no cut trees, no paper.”
What was the point he made? First, nothing exists independent of outside conditions（緣起）. Second, no single component is more important than another （無我）. These two points, along with the idea of impermanence （無常）, are the basis of Buddhism.
Yes there is oneness （性空）. That oneness lies in a more expansive frequency of Divine Consciousness. It exists right now fully, and completely. Human beings are not at that frequency, but they are connected to that frequency. That frequency empowers their lives, their love, their joys and their potential. Human beings could not exist were it not for that higher frequency.
Earth is a school. There are different levels of knowledge to assimilate throughout our journey of lifetimes. The human self is a projection from our more expansive Consciousness. People here are at different stages of their growth, or in different classes you could say. This is one reason why it is so erroneous to try and make rules and define "normal". There is no such thing. There are numbers of people who adhere to the same class. There are just as many who don't, and should not be made to feel there is something wrong. That is a part of the ignorance in this world.
Those who believe most in separation, are those who instigate wars, cruelty, slavery, and every other form of negativity. Those who are beginning to awaken to the truth within themselves, are beginning to remember the Consciousness in which we are one, and are gaining knowledge that is transforming their physical, human self into a higher being. The more human beings who wake up out of their human trance of "separation", the more empowered all of humanity becomes to also awaken.
The majority of people on this planet now are still living in darkness. They think they are the human ego （我執）and that is how they identify themselves. It is ego that perceives reality in a distorted, fragmented, limited manner. It cannot fathom our ONENESS because it is incapable of doing so until the Consciousness within the human being becomes powerful enough to transcend identity with ego and refine its perceptions. There becomes a time when that consciousness is freed of the limitations and fears of the ego, and identity is transitioned from limitation to Oneness.
Before you learn anything, you simply don't know it. Does that mean that knowledge doesn't exist? No. As human beings we have remarkable potential. No human is a finished product, and nothing they think they know is a finished product. We are NEVER finished products and there is always new information awaiting us. We were never meant to be beings who stop and start, stop and start. This indicates finality of something. We are fluid beings. Our lives are fluid, one aspect flowing into the next. To stop at what one thinks they have figured out goes against our "authentic" nature. It is human ignorance, humans beings wholly asleep in their consciousness in physical form that engage in, and perpetuate the darkness in this world. However, there are many other human begins who are awakening their awareness to the truth.
We must each choose to grow（修行）, to challenge limitation and ignorance and to dare to trust in our potential and the power and beauty of the ONENESS that awaits the recognition of each of us. We cannot wait for everyone else to say it is okay at this point. We must choose. We must each embrace our self authority and dare to be a part of life's expansion, not distortions of limitation, stagnancy, and hesitancy. We must quit thinking it is everyone else who makes the rules and claim our own lives, or get dragged down by the status quo that, like a slug, plods along until those with real vision and courage give them a jump start.
The New Age is merely humanity awakening to a timeless truth（解脫自在） and rising up out of centuries old darkness and oppression. A New Age is something each of us gifts our self. We actually gift ourselves with new vision of our "agelessness". When there are enough human beings who finally come out of their coma, only then will any manifestation of New Age thinking and being manifest on this planet. Until then, we need wait for no one. We are here to live up to our own potential. Those whom we must still witness performing the atrocities that only ignorance condones, are in their own class and it is a very beginning class. Think of how ironic that their human ego can propel them into positions of power, while their true Conscious level is in first grade. Such is this world. Ego reigns until authentic truth is claimed.
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