We are all leaves of one tree, waves of one sea

From the scientific perspective , we all are part of the “one”, so called “universe”, changing and modifying in it, but universe itself remains constant. From Buddhist perspective, seemingly separate things can’t come into existence, be maintained and pass away on its own. Everything depends on every other thing to exist (hence the non-self/inter-dependent/empty nature of all phenomena). From non-dual Hindu perspective, we all are one consciousness experiencing this separate world due to ignorance of our true nature.

Oneness’ means that the central element of everything and everybody in this entire world is just, ‘one’. There are diversities, but only apparently just as you have steel in a bridge and you have steel in a sword. But if you are a little intelligent then you will know that their element is the same. And you have steel here and you have cobalt here, but you will know that their element is still one. Why? Because ultimately you have electrons, neutrons and protons in both. So, the element is one. This is just an example.

Similarly, the element of everything that appears, be it wood or plastic, be it man or woman is one, this realization is called ‘oneness’. We live in a dualistic world, we live in a world where everything exists only because of its opposite. So you have a whiteboard. If something is to be written on that whiteboard, what does that mean? Can you write on whiteboard with a white chalk? No! White and black must co-exist. But whenever you are reading something, your entire mind is concentrated only on the black. So much so that you forget the white that is immediately and closely present.

The intelligent mind says, ‘White and black are one. One cannot exist without the other. They are not two, they are one. Had they been two, then one could have existed without the other. But the fact is, one of them cannot exist without the other one. They are one’. Similarly, ‘happiness’ and ‘sadness’. You cannot experience happiness, if you are not sad. You have to be sad in order to experience happiness. In fact, the more sad you are, the more happiness you experience. Is that not so? Are we together? It is a prerequisite. Unless you are sad, you cannot be happy.

So the wise man does not look at ‘happiness’ and ‘sadness’ as two things. We said that when we are reading something on the whiteboard, then our entire mind is concentrated entirely on the black. We simply forget the white that is present behind. Right? In the same way, when we are happy then our entire mind is concentrated on happiness. We totally forget the sadness that is accompanying the happiness. The wise man does not do that. The wise man knows that this happiness is definitely accompanied by sadness. So happiness and sadness are one. That ‘one’ is the element that I am talking of. That ‘one’ is the element of this entire world. This is called ‘oneness’.

‘Oneness’ is to see non-dual in duality. ‘Oneness’ is to see the non-dual in all duality. ‘Oneness’ is to see the common element in all apparent diversity. ‘Everything that appears to be different, I am able to see one common thing in it’, that is called ‘oneness’. So the wise man who sees that oneness, is not moved by pleasure and is also not moved by pain. Because he knows that pleasure and pain are..? Same! He is not moved by ambition and he is also not moved by fear, because he knows that ambition and fear are…Same!

When he looks at the day, he knows that the day is a little bit of an illusion. Why? Because there can be no day without the night. So he cannot be very persuaded by the fact that, ‘Oh! it’s a great day! It’s a great day!’ He knows that, ‘Aah! this is side of the coin. The other side must be there, it has to be there.’ So he cannot be a pleasure seeker. He cannot be an ambitious man. He cannot be attracted to only one side of duality. That is oneness.

The stupid one does not see that. He thinks that happiness and sadness are different. The stupid one will say, ‘I want permanent happiness.’ Now, can permanent happiness ever be there? Because if happiness is permanent, then it is no more happiness. Happiness needs to have sadness so that it can be ‘happiness’. But the stupid mind will say, ‘Let me be happy forever. Let us be together forever.’ Can there be permanent togetherness?

Impossible. So the stupid one suffers, because he does not see that ‘oneness’. Only that oneness is permanent, duality is never permanent. To really know who you are, we need to understand that there are two prerequisites for getting the real answer to any question: First, You must not already know the answer. To get an answer you must not already believe that you already know the answer. If you already believe who you are, can you ever know who you are? But you know so much about who you are.

And if in real life conversation, I don’t look towards you and answer you, you will feel awkward. Doesn’t that suggest that you know that you are a body? If I look at some other side but still speak, you can still hear what I am speaking but you will not like it. If I am speaking to you, then you expect that I must face towards you. Right? Doesn’t that indicate that you firmly believe in your body because it is your body that is there? Otherwise you could have looked that side also. But because your body is not placed there, so you feel offended.

You have a deep and firm belief about who you are. And when you already know the answer, how can I give you the answer? Can you first empty yourself from all the beliefs? That is the first prerequisite that I must not first believe that I already know the answer. But most of you believe that you already know. Second, There must be a deep, deep urge to know the answer. Such deep urge that you say that I can’t sit still until this question is resolved. Do you have such a deep urge? Something will come out of this question for sure. It is the most precious question anybody has ever asked. ‘Who am I?’ And going into this question is surely fruitful.

It is the question that counts, all answers are worthless. And remember this question will not give you any answer, it will give you something else. You will not get an answer, you will get something else. The first thing is to look intelligently at your identities. You have already answered ‘Who am I?’ by the ways of your identities, as you said, that you are a son/daughter, a national and the rest of it. Now you are so closely attached to these identities that this ‘Who am I?’ has been already answered for you. Answered falsely. But you have taken those false answers to be true and you have taken them to heart.

First step is to see that they are false. And seeing does not mean just saying that they are false. No. Their falseness must penetrate deeply, that belief must go away completely, and then you realize the truth of this question ‘Who am I?’ This question can be answered only in negative sense. This question can be answered only in the sense of ‘Who I am not?’ And when you keep on discounting these away- this I am not, and this I am not- then you are left with just one entity. Which entity? That entity which keeps on discounting everything. As I am saying, ‘this I am not’, surely there is something who is saying, ‘this I am not’.

That understanding which is realizing, ‘this I am not’, that understanding will remain, and that you may be. But that cannot come from outside, you have to figure it out on your own. When you will figure it out, I assure you, I really assure you, what you will find will be extremely precious. That extremely precious is what makes life worth living. You will be amazed, it will be beyond all your expectations, it will beat all your desires, it will be so beautiful, so fulfilling, utter joy. But it cannot happen as a borrowed thing. You have to make that effort on your own. I can only urge, I can only give you a little push but you have to travel yourselves, in your own intelligence. Alright? Cheers!