That which is outside is as that which is inside.
That which is above is as that which is below.
THE ONENESS OF THE ONE
by Julie
That which is limitless has no name and no measure. Therefore it may be called nameless, faceless, formless, and beyond definition. However, that which is infinite includes all definitions within itself, even as it is beyond them. The limitless One is both personal and impersonal. It is consciousness that is a Being in the sense of having will or intentionality, self-awareness, and the capacity to love, and it is consciousness that is in everything and that IS everything.
As a soul, one has a predilection to relate to one or another aspect of the Divine being of the One, because the essence of each soul partakes of the essence of the Divine One in unique and particular ways. So does every other soul relate to its own perceived facet of the One, whether personal or impersonal, finding that facet or essence within itself and recognizing it as true. There can therefore be no exclusive principle that eliminates This from That, one aspect of divinity from another, for they are all contained within the Oneness. It is only the ongoing consciousness of duality brought about by the structure of thought and the process of naming, that requires that we say the One is a This or a That.
In the West, many have rejected the heritage of their familial or childhood religions, finding these too repressive, restrictive, guilt-evoking, or just limited in truth. In the search for greater truth many, today, have moved toward Eastern religions which have offered some alternatives to the original childhood dilemmas. And so the pattern of exclusion has become embedded in the need to reject what felt like it was 'less' true in favor of what was 'more' true, when, in fact, the original truth had not been perceived and had been buried under external controls and requirements.
The One does not care for names and labels. As a self-aware consciousness that includes all and that embraces all, this Divinity exists both in a relationship of love with each and every individual soul, and exists AS PART OF each and every soul. There is no difference in value between inner and outer, for both are parts of the One, and both form the truth of Divine being.
The need to reject or select out part of the Whole to embrace as a central feature of one's identity does not come from truth, but from a search for self-definition which has been accompanied by a need for healing. Out of this authentic search and the wish to avoid further pain or disillusionment, a partial grasping of the One is sought and held too steadfastly, excluding all others. But the end-result of this is only a temporary end-result, for ultimately, the individual consciousness will need to embrace its limitations and perceive that all are One, all are part of the One, and the One contains all within Itself.
The words 'immanent' and 'transcendent' have been used to describe the orientation of particular religions and their primary focus, and these are good words – words that describe God within and God beyond. But these words also lead to a polarization of different parts of the One into segments that cannot easily be reconciled.
'Immanence' relates to the Divine presence or Divine holiness within each and every living thing that is part of the One. 'Transcendence' refers to God the Creator who is beyond all living things and beyond all non-living things as well, who is contained within everything and yet who is greater than this everything,
having given rise to it.
To select out 'immanence' or 'transcendence' as the basis for choosing a spiritual path is part of what it means to be seeking. It is part of what it means to search deeply within oneself for what creates an authentic experience of Divine reality and truth. But it is not the whole. For the whole cannot be comprehended by the words 'immanence' and 'transcendence' which are just words, and as words, create another duality. No, the one IS both immanent and transcendent. And is beyond either.
The function of prayer has brought people and cultures into relationship with the Divine that is transcendent. These are often relationships of the heart in which the seeker or lover asks to exist in a relationship of love and blessing with the Beloved. Prayer can only be addressed to a divine Being – to One who it is presumed can listen and respond. Prayer cannot be addressed to an anonymous universe or to a universal Spirit.
The function of meditation has brought people and cultures into relationship with the Divine that is immanent – the Divine within. These are relationships in which ordinary consciousness learns to let go of its external referents and acquires the capacity to reflect and merge with the larger consciousness of One
of which it is a part.
Both prayer and meditation can bring us into understanding the oneness of the One, the non-exclusiveness of mind and heart, of consciousness and being, of immanence and transcendence. They can form the foundation for knowing that the One is all and everything, beyond words, beyond formulations, beyond every thought that we might conceive of it. And yet that same One is as close to us as our own breath; as knowing of us as our own tears; and as much a part of the center of who we are as any other attribute that we give to ourselves – in fact more so. Thus the oneness of the One can be perceived as being within all, and can also be perceived as being beyond all - the beloved One who is the source of Life itself and who IS Life itself in all its mysterious manifestations.
