By Nicola Albini, J.D., M.A. -This article originally appeared on March 28th 2016 on huffingtonpost.com
What if we knew for certain that all of our needs and desires are now (and forever will be) met — not by a punitive and capricious Creator who bestows abundance and then takes it away on a whim, but rather, by the indefatigably loving Source of our own existence?
What if, instead of life happening “to me,” or “by me,” or “through me,” life happens “as me”?
Is this even possible? And if so, what would it actually mean, if life happened “as me”?
What would it mean to be so connected to the Source of all life that we could not perceive the difference between “them” and “us” or “you” and “me”?
What if we were able to experience the state of being that the great mystics and spiritual teachers have described as “Oneness”?
How would the world be different if we all recognized ourselves as the authors of our existence, constantly writing and re-writing the script of our lives?
For this to happen, what perceptions must we shed like a heavy jacket on a warm spring day?
For one thing, we would have to relieve ourselves of the belief that some people are blessed more than others. We would have to shift from dualistic ideas of “deserving vs. unworthy,” “sick vs. healthy,” and “rich vs. poor.”
We would have to drop the notion that our dreams — and the resources to make them happen — exist outside of ourselves. We would have to know that, in fact, nothing exists outside of ourselves. We would need to really, deeply “get” that everything we see, smell, touch, feel, taste is coming from our own experience of ourselves.
We would have to know that when we pray, we are like a fish in the ocean who is searching for water: we search for a connection to our own divine nature that we never actually lost in the first place.
In other words, we would have wake up from the dream that we are separate from each other, the planet, the universe and yes, even that politician that drives us absolutely crazy.
We would have to admit our “Oneness.”
We would have to recognize that there is only “One Power” and that we are a part of that singular force. Furthermore, we’d have to know that “Oneness” does not know about sin or duality. Oneness knows only the perfection of ceaseless, unrelenting love. Oneness just IS.
But what does this mean, really? When all appearances indicate that an absence of love in the forms of disease, poverty, lack, limitation, and war exists, how can we legitimately say there is “only love”? How can we say that there is only “One “Power” and that the concept of “good and evil” is no more than an illusion?
We could start with the idea that if we come from Oneness, there is really only one of us here. And if that’s true, then we all have the same inheritance of infinite supply, abundance and freedom. And in order to have this realization, we would need to know that, for example, Oprah Winfrey does not inherently have more wealth than the homeless man who panhandles by the gas station – even though appearances would say otherwise.
True, Oprah has more access to her infinite supply than the homeless man, and there are many factors that led to that appearance. But what if it is not really true that Source has blessed one person more than the other? What if all of us are equal in our true wealth, even though there is an illusion that we are not?
This is not about belief. This is about losing belief. It is about aligning with who and what we already are. It is about ceasing sourcing our wealth, health, validation, opportunities, joy, happiness, and relationships from the outer world, and, instead, going deep inside to the quiet majesty of our own beingness where we can have the direct experience that all-we-are striving for is already present.
I’m not suggesting that you stop going to work or delete your online dating profile. This notion of “Oneness” is not something we can intellectually understand. It’s not an application that can be used without a genuine shift in how we experience ourselves. And, because Oneness already Is, it can’t reveal itself when we are trying very hard to find it, because looking for it implies that it’s not already there.
And still… you cannot become what you do not yet know (even if you are already that thing that you don’t know you are in the first place). It is a paradox.
In the spirit of knowing and becoming, I invite you to try on this Oneness exercise:
Begin with deep breath and a smile.
Start the practice by taking away your name.
Say to yourself:
“I am called [Your Name].”
“And really, I am the One.”
“[Your Name] is my costume. S/he is very helpful and helps me to navigate this world. I am always in a dance with her/him.”
Sit for awhile, nameless, feeling your connection to the experience you’re having.
There is no one to pray to, nothing to ask for.
Just breath.
You are Oneness seeking and finding itself, over and over.
Ask: “What do I want to create?” Trust what you hear, as the One.
This is a dance. You are practicing speaking from the One that is greater than the “you” that has a name, a job, a family, a Facebook profile…
In this practice you are learning how to surrender into the reliable flow of love that is always present. It’s like building a muscle; you are able to surrender a little bit more each time you do it.
If and when fear comes up, know that it is here to help you remember how to experience Oneness.
You are like a flower that is well into its opening.
You are ready to explore the depth of who you truly are.
Take the time every day to get connected with the endless supply of potential that is available to you.
When we acknowledge our Oneness, we see that there is nothing outside of ourselves in opposition to our dreams, and all doors open.
We discover that freedom, love and joy are not available on a limited basis to certain, special people. They are the birthright of every single human being on the planet, no matter what they’ve done or who they’ve been.
We understand love does not discriminate, and that Source does not pour blessings upon one person over here and deny them to another over there. (This does not mean that there are not apparent inequalities; it means that the inequalities come from somewhere other than Truth, which is Oneness.)
We have a good laugh about the fact that Oneness is not found; it is revealed, usually when we are not looking for it. And it is inevitable that each and every one of us will remember our Oneness at some point.
Now, imagine if the majority of us were able to live into our Oneness. At the very least, our Presidential elections would be very, very different – which, at this point, is motivation enough to try!
“It's difficult to believe in yourself because the idea of self is an artificial construction. You are, in fact, part of the glorious oneness of the universe. Everything beautiful in the world is within you.”
— Russell Brand