“What did the spiritual seeker say to the hotdog vendor?”
“Make me one with everything”
Throughout history, humans have sought to understand their place in the world and the nature of the universe. One recurring theme is the idea that there is a higher power that governs everything, and that enlightenment or awakening involves “becoming one with everything”. This higher power is often referred to as God, Source, or the Self. It is said to be all-encompassing, permeating every aspect of existence, including the ugliest parts of ourselves and of humanity as a whole.
The concept of an all-encompassing force implies that there is no separation between the individual and the universe. Every aspect of existence is a manifestation of this force, including the good, the bad, and the ugly. We are all interconnected and contain all parts of the larger whole. This can be a difficult concept to accept, especially when we consider the atrocities that humans have committed and are capable of committing. How can acts of violence, hatred, and cruelty be a manifestation of a higher power?
One way to approach this question is to recognize that the concept of good and evil is a human construct. It is a product of our dualistic thinking, which categorizes everything into binary opposites, such right and wrong. Where there is light, there will also be shadow. Evil does not exist without virtue.
This does not mean that we should encourage acts of violence or cruelty. We just have to recognize that these seemingly “bad” things have their origin in the same source that we do. From the perspective of an all-encompassing force, there is no such thing as good or evil. Everything is simply an expression of the universe experiencing itself. It has been said that the Whole Self is the beauty that is not beautiful or ugly. Everything is a wondrous manifestation of the divine. We are all manifestations of God experiencing manifestations of God.
As souls we incarnated into this specific existence to experience the entire spectrum of humanity, and that includes both the most beautiful and most ugly aspects of our world. In fact, sadness and negativity can add to the poignant artistry of life. For example, the best movies are never 100% cheerful and positive. They are often wrought with tragedy and suffering, yet people flock in swarms to experience the film.
When we are able to open our heart to accept the good, bad, and ugly of life, we become closer to the all-encompassing Source. As described in my previous article, we must begin with ourselves. Inner peace starts with unifying our internal divisions, which is to see the glory and wonder under each part of us, even the ones we deem “ugly”. Can we let go of our self-judgement, of “good” and “bad”, and see each part of us as works of art sourced in the divine? If you are afraid thinking this way may set you down a path of evil, I encourage you to try it on for just five minutes. We can always go back to wearing our halos (and shackles) immediately after 😊
To close, this is one of my favourite quotes from the Sufi poet Rumi:
“Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing,
there is a field. I’ll meet you there.
When the soul lies down in that grass,
the world is too full to talk about.
Ideas, language, even the phrase ‘each other’
doesn’t make any sense.”
Youtube version below:
