(Photo by Janosch Lino on Unsplash.)
We may look a little different, speak different languages, have different nationalities, but these are all different parts we play. Essentially, we are all one.
As an analogy, consider the sea. All the waters came from the sea, isn’t it so? From the sea, the water went up to form clouds, then dark clouds, then rain. Once the rain fell onto the earth in different places, it got different names, different colors, different smells. And then ultimately, you see all the waters running toward the sea. From the sea, all the waters came, and they are all going back to the sea. You see? That’s why it’s called sea and you have to see that!
In the same way, from God we came and to God we go. Why did we come? If we are ultimately going back to God why is there any need to come after all. We should ask God, ‘Why did you create all these things if you are only expecting us to come back to You? That’s what is called God’s play—in Sanskrit “lila.”
The Upanishads say there is only Infinite Consciousness. Everything we see, everything we experience, is nothing but the temporary manifestation of the Infinite Consciousness. And all the diversity we see in the world is the divine lila of God or Infinite Consciousness. The diversity is for us to enjoy. Unfortunately, we have lost sight of the truth and now all the diversity has become something that divides us.
If we go back to the sea analogy, the sea is nothing but water. But the very same water appears as the waves, big and small, the foam and the bubbles, the ice that floats and the vapor that creates the clouds. These are all nothing but the temporary manifestations of the same sea water. Like that, we are all temporary manifestations of one Infinite Consciousness.
It is this essential oneness that is to be realized. This is the goal of spiritual life. Otherwise, we suffer. We divide ourselves and we fight, we create wars. We all have roles to play in life, no doubt. Whatever part we play let’s play our parts well. But we should remember that we are only playing a part and remember that we are all essentially one appearing as different players. Otherwise, the play will go bad.
So, without forgetting our real nature, our original truth, we can play our parts well. The truth is that the Atman (Self) is the same as Brahman (Infinite Consciousness). But when we don’t recognize this all the problems come.
We actually already see the “Self” in everything we often say: myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself. Why do you add self, self, self to everything? The tree itself, the dog itself, the cat itself, the equipment itself, the sofa itself. What is the common thing? Self. The Self is the common thing. So, everywhere there is the Self. But it appears to have different identities, just as a gold necklace appears to be different from a gold ring but is all just pure gold.
We don’t have to go and read any scriptures to know this. In our daily life we see this: yourself, myself and so on. We are all one Self having different identities to play different parts. That means we are one and many. Let us always remember this.
