Five Fingers Versus One Hand

Q: Is the manifest necessary for awareness to be aware? Am I inside me (my Self as true nature)? I keep feeling that Awareness and phenomena are two. What is amiss?

Over and over again, I have a question for you and then I pick up one of your books and there the first sentance I read is about the question I have. The above questions are written about in the end of chapter seven of That is That. But, I would still like you to answer.

A: That is the beauty of this mystery....that one thing can appear as two or more. If you look at your fingers, there are more than one, but if you look at your whole hand there is only one. Both are true at the same time. So there is nothing "amiss" when you experience two things as separate. It is just also possible to experience those same two things as one thing.

Awareness or love is what moves between the source of awareness and the manifest world. It can move very subtly and simply sense itself as awareness without an object, but most of the time awareness likes to touch, smell, taste, see, hear and/or sense an object. However, it is still just one finger of the hand touching another finger of the same hand. In other words, the manifest world comes from the same source as awareness. It all comes from the same source, appears in the same space, and dissolves back into the same emptiness. So you, awareness, objects and space itself are all inside your true Self which is all of these and more.

The real gift of realizing the oneness is that it is no longer that important what is in awareness. There is room here for everything. It still matters what happens and what you do each day, but it does not matter very much. The source itself cannot be harmed. And when the source is recognized, then everything that could happen is always available. It is like the water in your faucet: once you realize it is always available, then you do not need to turn it on all of the time. You can experience a dry faucet and still in essence have all of the water you need. Whatever you are experiencing right this very moment is as good as any other experience. And while of course you can choose a different experience, that different experience is also as good as any other experience. Your choices still matter, but again they do not matter that much.

Knowing that it is all one puts the differences (and your choices) into perspective. And yet knowing the differences keeps the oneness fresh and alive. There are infinite choices within the oneness. What an amazing journey it is to discover all of the differences that are possible. And yet how much easier and more relaxing the journey is when you realize the differences do not really matter. Even the difference between experiencing oneness and experiencing separation does not really matter. Five fingers versus one hand is just another difference within the infinite game of awareness. You might as well enjoy the experience you are having....at least until another one shows up!

(Note: Nirmala invites questions that he can answer on this blog. Use the contact form to get in touch.)