The Ocean as One

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 In a recent conversation a friend referred to the idea that we as individuals are all a part of the One. Her metaphor was a common one. “We are each part of the One just as drops in the ocean make up the whole ocean.” It caused me to think about the concept of individuality and metaphors such as this that we so commonly accept as fact.

It sure looks like we are an “ocean of many individuals”. I’ve come to ask though, who is it, that separated the ocean out and named it into separate parts? By that, I mean that what appears as “a drop” is named a drop and not “ocean”. The wake behind a boat is separated out from the entirety that is ocean and is called “wake”. Similarly, a wave is a wave; a tsunami, a tsunami; a typhoon, a typhoon and a hurricane, a hurricane. What is all ocean has been named as separate parts and now we have names and language that maintains separate concepts of the one ocean.  In this we have an example of how the human mind defaults to the concept of “separate” and not,” One”.  

While the naming of the many ways in which the ocean appears in distinct forms may not be of great significance, it is a problem and is the cause of much of the suffering we experience when we do the same separating and naming as distinct or different, when it comes to humanity. I need not go on about how it establishes false concepts of who has greater or lesser value, entitlement or inherent rights.  Such separating out sets up an entire system that allows for the exploitation, abuse and unfair treatment of many groups of individuals. 

For now, we are different in terms of nationality, race, gender, age group and sexual identity, to name only a few. We further have different political interests, agendas, and so much more. We’ve all lived with the effects of this paradigm of separate selves and separate interests. It continues to be played out on the personal, community, national and global stages, much of it, to our dismay.

It was not God who separated it out. On the largest scale, God, or Creator by any name, created all of creation. It is man who named it and designated parts to the Oneness that is the whole of creation. Now, because of naming, we have earth and sky; land and water; continents, countries, states, Providences, counties, cities, townships and quadrants of cities. Creation in the spiritual plane seems more certain. Spirit is simply spirit and exists eternally as itself.  When we take a look at the physical world as we’ve defined it in all its separated parts, things have become quite dicey. 

All that was One is now many individual parts. While this is familiar, do we get a sense of loss of some quality of wholeness that goes way beyond the act of dividing the One into many physical parts? It’s an experience and awareness of the One that we are that goes beyond words. It’s a quality that provides another dimension to how we are able to live. And we can regain this quality as we choose to see beyond all the separation and the conviction that we too, are separate from the whole. Minimally, coming into wholeness provides a reprieve from the pain inherent in the world as we see it now.

The most vital change may seem to be the most impossible. But then, again, we are not alone in this. Many are here with us striving to see and live beyond the appearance of separateness. Many have ascended before us and are helping on other planes of existence. And most significantly, we are not alone, nor have we ever been apart from God—Creator, whose will is that we remember ourselves, our brothers and our Oneness with the Divine. Most of all, we have to know that what God wills will be done so let us indeed, strive for such awareness. 

In the seeming separation, “we do our part” and each day become increasingly aware of how we experience this separation tied to our individual self-concept. We become willing to see things differently so we can live with a higher wisdom. Willingness provides an open door to a change in how we think, see and are able to live.