Living Oneness

“Oneness – the realization that all of life is one inseparably connected evolutionary process – is not an idea being put forth by any one particular organization. It is a growing movement of consciousness that is being increasingly embraced by individuals and organizations all over the world.”

– Taken from Humanity’s Team website

www.humanitysteam.org

In my talk this past Sunday, I spoke about Oneness, and how our realization of it shifts us from the experience of fear, stimulated by the belief in separation, into the experience of love for ourselves and others as ourselves.  We give from the conscious awareness of Oneness because we know that as we give, we receive.  When we give to another, we are in reality giving to ourselves.  Oneness is a concept that can be challenging to discuss, but certainly one worthy of further exploration.

The belief in Oneness is fully supported by Unity teachings.  In fact, the first of Unity’s five basic principles states “there in one Power and one Presence active as the universe and as my life, God the Good.”  What is Oneness? We believe that it is a universal Truth, but how do we realize and practice Oneness? 

As stated very clearly in the quote above, Oneness is the realization that all creation is not just a part of the evolutionary process, but that all creation is the evolutionary process itself.  All creation is an expression of the same source – the One.  However, we are not always consciously aware of this Truth.  The awareness of Oneness, as with all Truth, begins with each of us - the One [God] individuated as a localized point of intention and attention expanding in the conscious awareness of Itself, expressing Itself, experiencing Itself and reflecting Itself to Itself.  Until and unless we embody that awareness and live consciously from It, we will continue to see separation because we will continue to live in a mind of duality.  In other worlds, one cannot truly be aware of Oneness until that one realizes Self as the One.  We will only see the One as all that we observe when we truly know that nothing else exists.  There is not ‘you’ and ‘me.’ There is not ‘God’ and me.  There is not ‘God’ as me.  There is only ‘God,’ the One.

We are never separate from the One, thus we are never separate from each other.  Only in the ego-identified mind can separation appear to be a reality.  Nothing separates me from you except my belief that there is a ‘me’ and a ‘you.’  When I believe that I am a body and you are a body, then my belief in ‘body’ separates us.  When I believe I am a man and you are a woman, my concepts of ‘man’ and ‘woman’ separate us.  When I believe I am a Christian and you are a Muslim, my belief separates us. 

How do we demonstrate Oneness?  It begins with connecting deeply with our Essence through prayer and meditation and engaging with practical tools that help to connect us with the Truth in the every moment.  We can then choose to behave in ways that acknowledge our intent to know ourselves as expressions of the One, and to see all humanity in that Truth as well until the point at which we no longer have to think about it.  Instead, it becomes our way of being in the world. 

We must question every belief of the ego-identified self.  There must not be any “sacred cows” when it comes to our beliefs.  When we question our beliefs, more often than not, we will find that they are limiting in some way, even those we hold to be most dear.  The Work of Byron Katie® provides a simple and effective tool for questioning our beliefs.  It consists of four questions and a “turn around.”  When practiced in earnest, The Work® can free us to a greater awareness of Oneness.  If you would like to learn more about The Work® please visit www.thework.com.  You can watch videos that demonstrate the effectiveness of the process.  You can also freely download worksheets and other valuable information that will assist you in engaging this tool for embracing Oneness consciousness.

We must also connect deeply with the pain and suffering, our own, and others’, caused by the ego-identified self.  We share the “human condition” with more than seven billion people on the planet, each of us attempting to find our way back to the Garden of Eden, which is a metaphor for Oneness consciousness, not realizing that in Truth we never left.  Our belief in separation causes us to struggle to get the things we believe we are lacking.  We must be willing to face our own pain and suffering, connect with the sense of lack that stimulates it, give ourselves empathy and compassion, and eventually come to the realization that we are that which we have been seeking – the One.  And, we are not alone; we are in this together.   When and only when we are willing to give ourselves empathy and compassion are we able to extend that to the perceived “other.”  Through the practice of empathy and compassion, we connect deeply with ourselves and others and begin to recognize, and eventually realize, the possibilities of knowing and living from Oneness.  Nonviolent Communication (NVC), a.k.a. Compassionate Communication, provides a foundation for facilitating Self-connection and connection with the “others” in our lives.  There are many online learning opportunities available through www.cnvc.org.  There are also opportunities to learn more about NVC locally.  Please visit www.fwcompassion.org to learn about classes and workshops offered in the Dallas/Fort Worth area by our own Owen Kinser and J Kendel Johnson, as well as other facilitators.

Now is the time, and we are the ones who are here to remember our Oneness and live from that consciousness awareness.  I suggest spending time today in quiet contemplation, meditation and prayer, questioning our beliefs, consciously choosing to hold on to only those that empower us, giving ourselves empathy and compassion and then extending that to all the "others" in our lives. There is only One.