Occult literature is full of allusions to the underlying oneness on which all oriental philosophy rests. You can find it everywhere if you really look for it. Upanishads call it cosmic-consciousness. Hinduism explains the one life force in all forms, shapes, colours and sentient beings with Tat Tvam Asi or ‘Thou are that’. The German mystic Eckhardt has said,  “God is the soul of all things and everything. He is the light that shines in us when the veil is lifted.” Sufi Qawwals refer to this veil of illusions as purdah when they sing their qawwalis.

This oneness of all life as a manifestation of the highest power of supreme reality has been spoken of by our ancient Rishis and Munis. Also by Grecian thinkers, Chinese philosophers and modern authors like Spinoza, Kant, Hegel, Schopenhauer and Ferrier. Although differing in their theories, all of them have expressed unity of life as ‘the’ fundamental truth. The Vedas say, ‘at the last, all is one’.

At a physical level, even within the human body, there is perfect unity between our various biological systems like the hormonal, metabolic, respiratory, digestive, etc. There’s unity between the various organs of our body down to the cellular unity in which millions of cells, atoms and molecules function and interact with each other in perfect harmony to keep us in good health. When this unity is disturbed in any way, ill health results. Similarly, at a mental and emotional level, if we are united with other human beings at home or at workplace or socially, we feel grounded and at peace. If there is a conflict (disunity) with another, then we are agitated and unhappy whether at home, workplace or socially. Hence, unity is the touchstone of happiness and peace of mind – two things that money can’t buy!

Study any religion and you find the same message. There’s a beautiful fragrance that emanates through every religion – a heady, mind-boggling, extremely sweet fragrance that comes from the teachings of every prophet, sage, savant, seer, thinker, philosopher and savior that ever walked on this planet. It is this fragrance that touches the lives of all. If every person truly believes and lives according to this concept of unity of life, all suffering will automatically change into perfect peace. For peace in the world, man first needs to have peace in his own heart. At some point in life, each one of us has asked, ‘What is the purpose of life?’ The purpose of life is not to amass wealth, hold on to a powerful position or merely eat, drink and be merry all the time. The real purpose according to the highest teachings of yogic philosophy is regarding the one reality and its many manifestations. We are all at the center of consciousness in a great ocean of life. We are all connected to each other and everything else in the Universe by countless spiritual and mental filaments, which emerge from the fountainhead of one supreme reality. The King as well as the beggar, the one who adores you and the one who tortures you, the ones showing great love and great hatred – all emanate from the one source. The illusion (Maya) of separateness (me and you) and illusions of relationships are merely a working fiction of the Universe because underlying all is one. In nature, there’s no ‘yours’ and ‘mine’, everything is ‘ours’… we cannot divide fresh air, sunlight or the beautiful scenery into yours and mine.

At a spiritual level, there is only one energy that we all pray to and worship through different religions, in different ways. This energy gives us the innate, inborn knowledge of ‘Do Good’ and ‘Avoid Evil’.  However, the supreme irony of life is that some people who self-proclaim themselves as very religious or Bhan-Nar, Gan-Nar and visit fire-temples daily, hurt others the most. Throughout history, wars have been fought in the name of religion. Even within a microscopic community like ours, there is no unity because people don’t acknowledge the Cosmic Law of Unity.  It pains me to mention this fact but it is the truth!!

Resolve to carry with you the thought of one energy that permeates the Universe and underlying that one life is its real self, its essence, its spirit which is the absolute, living, feeling, suffering, rejoicing, longing, striving ‘in’ and ‘through’ us. The absolute is all that really is and the visible forms of life are its expression.

Dedicate your every thought and action throughout life to the one who has been with you constantly in this life and down through the centuries in various births, various religions, guiding you and training you for each life-time’s work. Call the Supreme by any name through any prophet of your birth because all religions lead to the same source and all prophets teach the same thing in different ways. Respect the ONE supreme energy in its countless forms of manifestations from the tiny ant to man. Don’t be entangled in the web of illusion called life, which is merely a series of karmic meetings and partings between various souls. From God to man, from Universes to atoms, from the sun to the vital heat within a matchstick, the Universe is an immense chain, whose links are all connected.  We are all connected to Everyone… and Everything!