Unity in Diversity: loving our own reflection

Explaining the purpose of this multi-faceted Universe we live in, The Maharishi Tom Knoles said in one of his Vedic Worldview podcasts that “The intent of the One is to become the Many, so as to recognise the One. This is why there is both unity and diversity, which is where we get the word "Universe" from.

Knoles said that The One becomes Two for the sake of love. For in order to love, One has to bifurcate into Two. The One (Source) exploded into Two (Matter) to experience itself from a myriad of vantage points, and to fall in love with itself as the beauty of all these different perspectives is revealed. Like a hall of mirrors, the point of life is to love every reflection of yourself, from every angle, from every standpoint.

When One bifurcates into Two, there is a challenge because it involves the pain of separation. When diversity does not feel united, there is suffering, because all the different aspects of the Two no longer feel whole, they no longer feel one with Source. When we are birthed into the material world,  we forget we are One, so we do not feel Home. There is a sense of loneliness because there is polarity and duality to contend with.  Everything seems separate and divided, which makes us feel small and alone.

To feel whole again we need to heal the original wound; the illusion of being separate. This illusion makes us feel inadequate, so we search for wholeness outside of ourselves, in another person, in wealth, in material things to make us feel complete. But the truth is, we already are that which we seek.

 The illusion of separation brings about three wounds in humanity;

1. Abandonment (we have been abandoned by God)

2. Self-worth issues (we are not good enough for God)

 3. Lack of trust (we are alone in a random and potentially hostile universe)

These wounds make us act out, polarise, judge, blame & shame. They make us react and deflect, all to defend ourselves from the original wound we feel deep inside, that we are not One, that we are not whole.

 This is the journey that starts in darkness and ends in light, ultimately leading us to unity as we finally realise that everything in the entire universe is us, that I am you and you are me. Tat tvam asi - thou art that, (or as Alan Watts puts it - you're it!).

We are the universe seeing itself through human eyes. When we recognise that we have not been abandoned, that we are perfect just as we are, that we are more than enough, we are worthy of love, that we are love, loved, and loveable, then we remember that we are whole, that we are Source, Cosmic Consciousness, the whole shebang. At this point we are free to love everything on the outside unconditionally, because we know that it is a reflection of what is on the inside.

When we fall in love with someone, that blissful, excited feeling is coming from inside ourselves. So, in truth, we don't fall in love with another, but who we are when we are with them. We are the one falling in love, so everything we feel is within us, yet we tend to  externalise things, believing it to be the other causing these emotions in us. This causes neediness, co-dependence and hurt when the other doesn’t live up to our expectations. When we don’t feel completed by our partners, we are once again reminded of the original wound of separation. But remember, there is no 'other'. Others are simply the parts of ourselves helping us see who we truly are –  Buddha nature in human form.

Love is thus an experience of coming to know oneself. When someone triggers us, they are showing us what we need to heal in ourselves. When we feel appreciation for the qualities of others, those qualities dwell within us, or we wouldn’t be able to recognise them.  What we love in another is in fact our own reflection; the self loving the self.