Unity

I have not written a blog for a long time, for various reasons. Home schooling my son and somehow feeling a sense of grief and shock at the unfolding apparent events within this dynamic theatre of consciousness, at this time. Challenging times indeed. Tests to strengthen spiritual muscle.

However, ‘Maya’, this dynamic phenomenal play, is essentially illusory and the only reality is truth. As it says in the Course of Miracles “Nothing Real Can Be Threatened; Nothing Unreal Exists”. Gratitude and comfort in that.

Look with the eyes of unity

To look with the eyes of unity is so important in these times so here is an offering from this heart. I hope these blogs are useful to you.

It has stood out lately that it appears that opposing forces within the human family, are somehow being influenced to be in conflict with each other. There is one physical earth, but many different worlds as Mooji so often says. Each sees his or her ‘world’ through filters, interpretations, projections, attachments, desires, fears and imagination.

“There is one earth, but there are millions of worlds. In each body, a unique world is present”. Mooji

It appears that the apparent ‘world’ is divided into opposing groups, in various differing scenarios. It feels like there are forces that are appearing to create oppositional tensions whereby families, communities and nations can be torn apart and needing to make a stand against each other, rather than to pull together and really co operate as one, in unity. However this is a tremendous opportunity to look deeper, to step back for a moment and to awaken to the truth.

Conflict, although a part of life, can seem to weaken humanity. Marshall Vian Summers speaks here of an opportunity to for us to advance as a human race and become more united in these times of adversity and during these ‘waves of change’. Surely this is a time to call on a wise and mature intelligence in our species. To really come together in love and see with the inner eye of unity and transcendence.

I say use the word ‘appear’ or ‘apparent’ in the context of the phenomenal world, by the way, because I am speaking of what appears to be unfolding, not actually what is ‘real‘. All that unfolds is against a background of unchanging awareness, untouched bliss that is beyond any description and before any mental posture.

As Mooji says in his profound, direct, experiential invitation

‘An Invitation to Freedom’

that ‘All conflicts are between forms, and all forms appear inside the formless. How paradoxical that our most firm ground is in formlessness’

What does this really mean? One thing is for sure that within the realm of forms and names we can easily see much conflict arising. Your opinion in opposition to mine. The limited perspective of me in here and the world out there. ‘Us and them’ mentality, dualistic thought and analysis of the ‘world’ out there.

Very often this is as far as our seeing can perceive as reality, but the sages and mystics look deeper.

Including with love and transcending by grace, our identification with what is impermanent, reveals the permanence and mystery of God, as our own indivisible, infinite, ineffable being. This is the ground of being as formlessness itself.

A Presence of Peace

Whether or not it is taking a stance on Brexit or Covid or the US elections or any other apparent scenario that appears before our eyes, it can seem that either side is convinced that their side or viewpoint or conviction is ‘right’. The opposite side therefore seems to be very much misguided or false and even dangerous. What is extraordinary is that both sides seem to ‘know’ they are right with absolute conviction. Therefore the ‘others’ must be wrong. Does that sound familiar?

Without identifying with any of those opposing views at all, if you are willing, just for a moment, what is noticed here is that all this is witnessed. If we pull back a little and distance ourselves just a little from the accusations and beliefs and actions that appear to divide us, we can discover a witnessing presence that is far more peaceful and that sees much more of the whole. Like a parent who observes two toddlers getting into a fight in the sandpit about who gets the toy. The parent can see a fight developing but feels love and compassionate for both the children as they get blinded by whatever it is they are fighting for. The good parent is able to not get involved in the battle, but helps alleviate further escalation of the conflict simply by having a presence of peace, reconciliation and care. Action may be needed – for sure – but it can be action that flows from a more ‘enlightened’ position, rather than full of reaction, blame and aggression. Action from the true place.

From and as the True Self that is our shared being, all toxicity and conflicts are dissolved. This is beautifully illustrated in Mooji’s An Invitation to Freedom that I referred to earlier. The ‘person poison’ is neutralised. Why? Because a deeper truth is seen, recognised and lived. This deeper truth is rooted in peace, neutrality and yet it is the womb of compassion. Action can flow also from this true place of awareness – it is not passive or inert as we may imagine. It is most natural, spontaneous and beyond any description.

What really IS, is seen and there is a purity and immense realisation in that because what is revealed, without the doer, is grace.

This is Practical

I am going to give a practical example from my own experience as to how a deeper seeing into our true nature can be a saving grace in a time of conflict, opposition and misunderstanding.

‘I’ – as in the personal, separate ‘I’ was recently verbally attacked. There was misunderstanding and an unfortunate series of events that led to this personal assault. The extraordinary thing was that although it was hurtful and impactful on that human level, it did not have the power to actually touch who I truly am. This wasand is quite miraculous. At the same time as hearing the words and feeling shock and a sense of being threatened, there was also this immense peace. There was a witnessing, uninvolved, impersonal presence that simply was untouched by the words that were uttered. Cushioned by grace, as it were. It was as if the true ‘I’ was and is immune to any description of the false sense of self, whether it was praise or persecution.

Was this denial? No – it is not to say ‘I’ had nothing to learn from this incident – quite the contrary, in many ways it helped clarify things and also did help highlight that ‘I’ had acted in ways that were perhaps insensitive, even if unintentionally. There was not denial on a human level and I did take responsibility for my part and have done all I can to make amends and be generous and understanding, but what struck so powerfully was that in the past the separate self (which is not who I am) would have felt crushed by such a personal assault, because it believed itself to be that person! But here, it was as if this experience could be used to reinforce the true indivisible place and it neutralised completely any desire to retaliate or react. This apparent happening was used to confirm that no description, no label, however wonderful or terrible, can actually encapsulate who I truly am, yet an appropriate response can be made.

“Nothing Real Can Be Threatened; Nothing Unreal Exists”

Every personal attack, whether from an apparent other, or from our own mind, is relating to an image of who I am, or a memory, or a projection or imagination that is rooted in form and name. Such things come and go, they are essentially thought, imagination, psychological projection and are therefore not real. That is not who I am. These things may feel true in the moment to be expressed – but they are not ‘truth’. Freedom

‘Love your neighbour as yourself’

So, in conclusion, it feels important to say that when Jesus said ‘Love your neighbour as yourself’ Mark 12:31 This, as I see it, is pointing to the fact that our neighbour actually IS ourself. Which self do I refer to? If we are obsessed with believing in separation, as we have been conditioned to do. If we are convinced we are all essentially divided, separate, isolated and individual only, then we have to try to love our neighbour as much as we love ourself, personally. Of course personal love and actually helping or loving a neighbour is absolutely good and beautiful and kind. But I feel that Jesus pointed to a deeper and more subtle reality than this. If we see the True Self in every one and every thing, then in and as that truth is the one indivisible, ineffable, ungraspable one that is in harmony with God. Love your neighbour AS your True Self because he or she IS your True Self, in essence. In this love we truly are one.

In the face of conflict therefore, if we look at the other with the eyes of unity and love, with forgiveness also, as our own True Self, as the shared being that is happiness and peace, then this world can be transformed in the light and power of the glory of God.