Seeking Oneness
"The spiritual path offers us a variety of methods designed to help us experience inner joy and boundless love, no matter what the external circumstances of our lives may be. It gives us tools to find contentment and fulfillment within ourselves so we no longer depend on other people and outer circumstances to make us happy. Spiritual awakening gives us the ability to be happy, to be joyful, and to swim in the Ocean of Love no matter what.
"The different forms of spiritual practice are designed to work with the specific circumstances of our lives. Whether we are alone or with others, at work or at rest, on retreat or in the midst of our daily lives, spiritual awakening is designed to guide us to our 'center,' to help us experience our atman, wherever we are and whatever we are doing.
". . . Through moments of ecstatic, loving connection, through prayer and meditation, and through love, service, and surrender, we sometimes get glimpses of Oneness. The spiritual path is about diving — inwardly — into that Ocean of Oneness, and then learning to think and act — in our outer life — in ways that are expressions of 'Oneness.' When we transform our inner experience into words, deeds, and values in the outer world, our life becomes a Grace-full spiritual adventure — an integrated, undivided whole.
"In spiritual terms, behaviors that have customarily been considered 'good' are those that express unity, or Oneness. Behaviors that are considered 'bad' are those that express separateness and division. Love, kindness, honesty, generosity, and compassion are all expressions of our inherent connectedness, our inherent Oneness. They are behaviors that unify us. We do unto others as we would have others do unto us because — in Truth — they are us.
"On the other hand, anger, hatred, hostility, dishonesty, thievery, violence, and indifference are all expressions of disconnectedness — or 'two-ness.' We can only harm someone if we put them out of our heart. If compassion is in the forefront of our awareness, we can't harm another person because we recognize that we would be harming ourselves."
