NEARNESS TO ONENESS—A DREAM JOURNEY

 

The Oneness of You

It's not the bless that excites me,
That thrills and delights me,
Oh no, it's just the Oneness of you...

It isn't your near sweet vision
That brings this sensation,
Oh no, it's just the Oneness of you.

When my deep prayers allure
And I feel you so close to me,
All my wildest dreams come true

I need no promises to enchant me
If you'll only grant me Oneness
And be in me forever in firmness
To let feel the flow of thy spirit
The bliss of Oneness of you!

(In the pattern of Glenn Miller’s “The Nearness of You”)

Introduction

Relationships play a vital role in our daily life be it with a living or a nonliving entity. The very essence of interactions dominates in the deliberations, be it social, commercial, environmental, ethical, spiritual and so on, in this vast universe divided by geographical, continental, regional, religious and political aspirations. Every interaction thrives on attraction or hatred, belief and disbelief, likes and dislikes, notwithstanding pretentions, false projections and propaganda ethics to gain advantage. How far or nearer are the human beings to self, with nature, or for that matter the Almighty or the supreme savior that might have created them is the locus point. Are we at least in the vicinity of the sphere of this truth which is nothing but the truth? Numerous Philosophical and theological institutes are striving hard towards bringing us to nearness, proximity, vicinity or close contact, each wheeling on their own track. While doing so, knowingly or unknowingly, have they even sacrificed the nearness? Sometimes prestige and/or prejudice seems to rule the roost. Integration process has only led to fragmentation.” Birds of a feather flock together”, a saying which in our view has only created voids. What if we can create a universe where, “All birds have the same feather”?

 

The question of whether these close contacts are physical, social, religious, mental between human beings or human beings and animals, human beings and environment, human beings and scientific revolutions, human beings and religious beliefs and extending to the very important human being and Almighty relations need to be subjected to a detailed examination. I thus propose in this article a novel concept of NEARNESS TO ONENESS of the universe encompassing all possible aspects including the spiritual. I support the concept with relevant examples which I firmly believe substantiate the very foundation of the concept. It is rather nearer to the very harmonious living and protection of the universe.

Discussion

The beauty of nearness is that it is dimensional physically yet dimensionless emotionally. Nearness of one place from the other is measured in terms of space and time. It is two meters away we say. It takes a few minutes to reach the spot people say. “So near, yet so far” we often whisper. “He lost the race by a whisker”, we say to narrate the narrowness of misfortune.  “Cheek by Jowl”, wrote Williams Shakespeare to narrate the vicinity, proximity or even closeness of the person. Technology, science, astronomy measure the distance of nearness by using space and time coordinates. Psychology, philosophy, spiritual divinity adopts both physical and emotional aspects of nearness. A few institutions and schools have examined nearness in a non-holistic manner. However, these seem to be specific and confined to certain groups invoking God.

Oneness, on the other hand is predominantly a social, psychological and spiritual aspect dealing with relations. Science limits its consideration due to the concept of “No two things can occupy the same space at the same time.” Negative emotions such as anger, disgust, hate, fear work to create distance among people. Things such as common identities, similarities etc., bond humans. The role emotions play in human bonding and human interaction is not always straightforward and linear. 

In the domain of spirituality and philosophy not forgetting theology, the goal is to bring human beings to oneness with the supreme directly or through an agency. It should be human to human, human to nature, human to the supreme if belief is rational. As such, this article treks on the various tools, different means, ethical hurdles in the dreaded path of Nearness to Oneness. Oneness with self as well as nature which minimizes the entropy of the whole universe. A universe free from disorder, disarray, chaos so that the mankind and the nature interact in utmost coherence. Many luminaries have surrendered their worldly pleasures to achieve this nearness and oneness limiting their efforts to the supreme. Simple living and great thinking people like Saibaba could manage flooding thousands of human beings to their nearness. Even Albert Einstein from the field of science has discussed this. I quote,

“A human being is part of the whole called by us universe, a part limited in time and space. We experience ourselves, our thoughts and feelings as something separate from the rest. A kind of optical delusion of consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from the prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. The true value of a human being is determined primarily by the measure and the sense in which they have obtained liberation from the self. We shall require a substantially new manner of thinking if humanity is to survive.” — Albert Einstein. Unquote.

An umpteen number of definitions for the word proximity based on the domains of application exist. Social psychologists have developed the Theory of Proximity and Law of Proximity. Most of the definitions are tailored around the concept of Space and Time. Even though there are a limited number of observations on this aspect, the approach to the problem of nearness of mankind and the universe seems to be scanty and confined to a particular aspect. I will pin my thoughts on the term nearness as it revolves in the nearest vicinity of the concept I envisage in this article.

The Concept

“We cannot be nearer and yet farther physically, simultaneously but so emotionally. As we inch nearer to a thing, we may be in the thing physically or emotionally. And that, attachment often requires detachment.” “The nature of attraction or repulsion physically or emotionally within the living and nonliving things bestowed upon by Mother Nature in this universe is based on the nearness of each other. Often, this nearness leads to oneness, Almighty not being an exemption.”

To substantiate consider the following situations:

The mobile

Digital life has brought a revolution. Who does not hold a mobile in their hand nowadays? It is a classic example of bringing nearness to oneness. The mobile with internet has brought the whole universe in to our nearness and once we start interacting, we are right in oneness. We are totally merged. No passport, no visa, no stamping and lo, our kith and kin, far away, are with us. However, it cannot get us that feeling of “HUGGING”, that feeling of belonging, that joy of wholeness!

Salt, spoon, soup and cup

Soup is in the cup but soup is not the cup. Spoon is in the soup but spoon is not the soup. They are in proximity but not merged or submerged. Each in another but distinguishable and so apart.

Salt in the soup but salt is not the soup. They are in proximity but merge and submerge. Salt in the soup but now salt is also the soup. Each in one another indistinguishable part.

Salt in the spoon, spoon over the soup, soup in the cup, each apart. Turn over the spoon, salt in the soup, salt is part of the soup. The spoon the “Blocker” keeps the salt and the soup apart. Take away the spoon, take away the unwanted and be a part. A concept of so near, yet so apart, only to be a part. Nearness to oneness. “The limit of Nearness is Oneness” if you only believe it can.

The rainbow                                                                              

Consider the prism diagram which is another simple example of oneness. The light rays while falling on the surface of the prism was in oneness. The prism the agent split the light into different colors. A case of fragmentation of integration. What if we could reverse the whole phenomenon?

Ability of senses

Now consider another interesting aspect of the limit of our senses. How far is the natural reach of our hearing, seeing and recognizing smell? Have we ever thought of? It certainly has to have a limit which may vary from person to person. This is a relative phenomenon. It depends upon the individual’s capacity, proximity and the size of the object. Probably this is the reason why we do not see many things though they exist. Aren’t we floating or swimming in an ocean of dust particles? We sure observe these dust particles only when light rays get reflected or diffracted from them.

The planet earth looks so vast when we are living on it. Ask NASA, they will say the earth is just a point if we observe from the far away planets like Pluto and beyond. Then are we visible on this point earth? We are not even mini or microbes. We may be smaller than a nanometer. The matter is there but not there. Call it an illusion or maaya.  The ability to see is inversely proportional to the distance, brightness and size of the matter depending upon our direction of observation as the earth is round. It is interesting to know that an invisible thing like a photon makes things visible by reflecting. The mind is a miracle. It can visualize anything and everything on its own.

God and the disciple 

It is interesting to observe that this nearness to oneness concept has been evident from olden yet golden eras. Hindu puranas narrate the oneness of Lord Shri Rama and his ardent Bhakta Hanuman, who even today is not only worshipped but believed to be existing with his Lord embedded in his heart. An embodiment of oneness.

Synchronization

An automobile has several wheels. It is a joy ride only when the different wheels function in oneness.

A platoon in a march past looks elegant only when there is a synchronization in the movement of the individuals who constitute it.

An orchestra feels soothing only when the performers are in tandem.

All of these and several others enhance the beauty of Oneness.

The approach

In general, a few processes towards achieving this oneness could be pointed out.

Human relation reaches the peak when there is a barter of give and take. Two persons in tune with each other merge in to oneness emotionally to the nearest permissible. 

If human beings believe in the existence of Almighty without being irrational and demanding evidence, get nearer to him as much as he can be. If an individual detaches himself from all the undesired ill feelings and perceptions, he gets in tune with the Almighty and merges. Remember the saying, “God is omnipresent and he is in everything”.

The issue of likes and dislikes is also scientific. It varies from person to person based on the way a particular molecule in the human body behaves. X likes Y but dislikes Z and the chain continues. To make X like Y as well as Z, a methodology or a pathway is to be initiated. This could be biological, spiritual, philosophical, theological, psychological depending again upon the likes and dislikes of the person being subjected to this transformation. It is welcome to strengthen further so that in future, more human beings are brought to nearness with selves and nature, culminating in oneness or at least an atmosphere of oneness. “Brotherhood” one may call. An attempt to keep the entropy of the universe to its minimum. A world from disorder to order, disarray to array, chaos to peace. The political rulers may raise their eyebrows, the heads of various philosophical schools of thought may laugh in ridicule. Aren’t they also aiming at bringing nearness to oneness, though, through their own means? There is a befitting stanza in Hindu worship, “Aakaashaat patitam toyam, yathaa gachchati saagaram”, meaning all the rivers which begin their journey from the sky in the form of rain, flow unto the ocean.

The shining sun 

Throwing sun’s own light on the concept, the interaction between human beings and sun lasts eternal. Scientifically, the sun’s energy provides the much-needed vitamin “D” to all of us and signaling no differentiation at all between us. It provides raw material for the photosynthesis in plants thus heralding sun-plant nearness to oneness. The plants in turn interact with human beings and animals in the form of food. The much-needed light and solar energy is provided to us by him. He helps in evaporating water from the ocean and bring rains. He is thus regarded as god even by atheists. Hindus worship him as “Pratyakshadevata” a god whom we can really see through the naked eyes. Thus, one can see the nearness to oneness as well as impartialness. It is interesting that no country, no religion is claiming him as his own. Still he is in nearness to each and every one. Distance is buried. Thank god, we have not yet meddled with him.

Meditation/Yoga

These two terms need no elaboration. Even if you are not in oneness with nature, being in self oneness, one is contributing towards the oneness of the universe. A major contribution as you are not meddling with others. A yeoman service indeed.

Passion

Every human being develops a passion in to one or the other thing. A passion towards certain looks, towards activities, certain creative hobbies, certain pets/animals, nature, performing arts and so on…. We merge and submerge with that thing which inspires us and feel that it is the universe. So, cultivate this passion with fellow human beings, with fellow creatures, with nature, fall in love and get nearer to experience that wholeness.

Digitalization

You are lucky (not sure) to be born and living in these days of digitalization. Be your technician. Rewire yourself, erase all the programs in you and start rewriting a new program, one of joy, one of peace, one of oneness with the universe, a program which rejoices you and the world revers you as the crusader of wholeness, a person who minimized the entropy, a person whom even the gods will envy.

Multiple bonding

We have been pumped with so many thoughts multidimensional since childhood. Schools of thoughts, institutions of knowledge, our own intuitions, the greed of our senses. A girl who gets married has to detach herself from her early bonding and create a new bond with her husband’s family. She can as well create a wonderful harmony within the two families. Hold on to that earlier bond and create another bond and be a part of the macromolecule. Extend this logic to achieve nearness to oneness with fellow human beings as well as nature.

It is compassion that conquers. If we are able to inculcate the spirit of consideration for others in the minds of fellow human beings, we are taking a giant step towards this nearness to oneness. We may not be zero error heroes in our effort. Change is the essence of life. Then why not in this direction of nearness to oneness.

Conclusion

The five key controls which can bring this oneness are Compassion, Consideration, Care, Coordination and Clearness. However, one is free to adopt his own methodology to be in tune with others. The concerned agencies and the persons at the helm of affairs should synchronize their actions, move in tandem with a common purpose of achieving this NEARNESS TO ONENESS which in turn will usher in minimum entropy in the universe.

All said and done, this may seem a faraway dream. A little scream in the wilderness. But at the end of the tunnel, there is a bright ray of hope. The hope of realizing that nearness to oneness. By the time it is achieved, we may be in nearness to oneness with that creator. Someone someday will take the lead, read these thoughts, make it a reality, a homage richly deserving.