I can understand the feeling you are reflecting, but how do you merge this feeling of unity with the everyday realities of separation? How do you reject the approach of a stray dog in the market when inside you know that the two of you share the same flame inside and are one and the same? How do you retain your comfort whilst rejecting the beggar in the street for his booze money? It is so easy to share the flame with creatures that deep inside you know are superiour on some level. But how does it feel to reject those that you consider inferior for practical reasons dictated by the everyday reality? Are those even valid questions? Are some amongst the equals more equal than others?
sobad, thanks for asking.
my usual answer to such questions (not that anyone ever asks) is that you have to be "here" or in this position to know. Otherwise there will be no end to your questions. and the questions are not even valid.
However, since you will interpret that as my "running away" from answering i will attempt to answer. but at the very outset i must say that i am NOT liberated, or enlightened or
anything. You must also believe that i have no agenda, no religion or God to promote, etc. i came here only to hang out with tennis lovers, honest. These answers are the answers of someone still on the way ...
1. since i am attached to a body, and perceive it to be mine, i will still protect it if a dog attacks. However, there will be no malice or hatred or ill-will. Same for when one of the guys who plays with me, and keeps cheating and trying to draw me into a fight.
the latter is a more serious case actually, since it attempts to draw out the separation even more. what happens is that i first fail (once i lost my temper) and then i grow a bit, and then i fail less the next time, and more love comes. i clearly know that these are the tests that are designed to complete the unity. they are testing the separation, forcing me to decide between hatred and love. each time i allow love to win, i grow. As i see it God guides and works through
choices, not by talking to me from the sky (that may happen to others, but NOT to me). He puts me in situations that allow me to grow, providing i chose correctly.
2. i was recently in a situation again where i failed miserably. i dont want to get into it, but i did reject someone knowing it was God pushing me, testing my limits. I am trying to grow, so i can cross that in future. God sees the
sincerity in your attempt/desire.
3. I don't sense this, but people far away have said that i clearly emanate love. I believe i radiate joy, otoh. whatever, i do believe this influences the environment, and whatever "untoward" that happens, happens only by divine will, this i KNOW, i do not believe. Thus, whatever happens, i welcome it. i do NOT fear the future at all, or anyone in my path. i would not fear a snake in my path, or even let's say armed people (however, this has never happened, so its just talk).
4. i do know that even the boozing beggar on the street is God, but he doesn't know it. Just because he is God, does not mean that i would empty my pocket to him. otoh, there is no way i can have more love for someone nice, or related to me, than i could have for a stranger.
perhaps this smacks of hypocrisy, and i admit that at the stage i am (whatever that is) one is fighting against internal hypocrisy, the only difference is that i am always aware of it, never lying to myself, never making excuses for rejecting someone, never looking the other way.
and i know that this "struggle" is also divine will, so its not really a struggle, it causes me no pain or sadness or frustration. i accept it and am at peace.
5. there is really no one more equal than others. Love is unconditional, without boundaries, what has boundaries is some kind of selfishness in the guise of love.
6. my only agenda at this stage really is non-violence to all creatures, since it has always deeply pained me to see suffering, even though today i do know so well that whatever happens is divine will. And this thing of "divine will", honestly, cannot be discussed or explained or defended. Unless you KNOW it, it will seem like a negative, primitive, loser way of looking at things.
Yes, it will be, if its just a mental belief. But not if its something you experience. So until you experience it, i could say forget about it, don't believe me.
sobad, thanks again for an open-minded discussion.