Instead of recognising the inate and identical Divinity in all Human Beings, people tend to see other people as being higher or lower. For example: He is more educated or he is less educated. She is more wealthy or she is less wealthy. I belong to this ethnic group and they belong to that ethnic group. This is my religion (ownership) and they have other religions.
Chapter 18 verses 18 – 25 of the Baghavad Gita looks at the topic of separateness. Of course we can see everyone has an individual nature and they all have their own story. In many ways people are very distinct and different, we can’t deny them. If we focus on the difference for example: I like this person because he is the same religion as me; or I like this person because she is the same ethnicity as me; or I like her because she has lots of money that may benefit me; then we fail to recognise our underlying oneness, our Divinity. To recognise the inate Divinity of all living things including animals and the earth, which is also a living, breathing entity, is to avoid divisiveness.
Taking a slight turn here, I’ll ask you why do People rarely remember the good sunny summer days or sunny summer evenings or sunny summer mornings we’ve had this year, but they do remember clearly that it rained solidly for 2 days last weekend and talk about it amply.
The mind is always drawn to the negativities of life. It’s for reasons of survival so we can keep ourselves safe. However it is not always a practical solution in the 21st century. Instead of helping us to survive like our ancestors who may have perished otherwise in the savannah or Jungle etc, for us this tendancey to negative thinking causes other emotions like anger, frustration, grief and jealousy to arise and stick around, which causes a lot of division between humans. Negative thinking is no longer a matter of killing a bear or running away, and then that experience is over, like it was for our ancestors.
I don’t think humanity has ever been more divided in my lifetime, but yet I feel a hankering in people to come together in these chaotic times. A realisation that this division cannot last much longer if humanity is to survive.
Should you hate this group or that group of people because they have different beliefs? Perhaps they incite violence, so you feel a right to hate on them. Does that feeling of hate help you? Does it make you feel good or angry? What then do you do with your anger? Where do you put it?
Humanity is complicated, we cannot help ourselves until individually – ”I know who I really am;” What is my purpose and do I follow the path that fullfills my purpose or waste it by disbelieving in my true self, perhaps having never witnessed my authentic true Self; then ”I don’t know who I am”. So I remain unfullfilled and unhappy, attached only to the temporary happiness of the material world of desire.
Donna Farhi a world leading Hatha Yoga Teacher says, ”Advanced Yoga is any moment that draws you closer to who you really are.” Your advanced may just be beautiful and simple, graceful movements that are a sign of great progress for you. These movements that you witness in yourself as your body and mind move together as one, with a beautiful effortless synergy. A lightness and joy that cannot be replicated through politics or religion or attachment to the material world.
Metaphotically the Inner Self – the Witness, is the deep ocean and the thoughts, emotions and behaviours are the waves breaking on the surface. While the waves break on the surface can you keep your awareness on the ” deeper I” in the ocean depths?
I just watched a video on the life of Swamil Prabhupada who established the Hare Krishna movement in the West. He came to America in the 1960’s with absolutely nothing but a tiny set of cymbols to use while chanting God’s name – Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, krishna kirishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. He found 12 disciples and they were sent to open temples around the globe also with nothing. ( I can remeber them chanting in Corn Market in the 1970’s). By chanting God’s name they had by 1977, within 13 years, opened 119 temples in 6 continents and prepared 3 billion meals to feed people.
Swami Prabhupada was sent to America by his Guru who was aware that after the war many people were seeking, but they didn’t know what or how. They were taking drugs and becoming lost in their search, many turned from drugs as they realised he offered them a way to feel good that didn’t require drugs or alcohol.
Today our world is falling into a dark place and individually people need to find a path to discover their authentic true Self. Through meditation joy, dellight and oneness can be found. If people connect to the goodness and love that resides within each and every one of us, then perhaps we can start to love each other and be compassionate with ourselves and others. To create a better world for our children.
You can repeat this intention during your meditation or prayers if you would like to make a start.
” May we all have access to the source Creation within ourselves, so we may function from here as Creators.”
The world is a much bigger place than you. Look out into the vastness and think of the billions of people on earth. In the light of this you are tiny and insignificant. Your problems are mainly mountains made out of molehills. We have lost sense of who we truely are. Learn to love yourself first then we can love each other. As you realise what self love means then you will realise that God is Love residing in all humanity.
When you have that realisation then you will not need to dwell on the insignificant negativities of life but will find a greater purpose for your time with others, making a more unified humanity. Start small, think vast, like Swami Prabhupada. Find your own true Self and follow your instincts. Recognise the inate and idential Divinity in all human beings as Love. Human Beings are all One.
Hari Om Tat Sat🙏🙏🙏 (The manifest world and the unmanifest world that is Truth.)
https://youtu.be/We6MFOP4vqE?feature=sharedLink for Swami Prabhupada movie.
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