Unity and Separation

To transcend separation and realize oneness is the supreme goal of our human evolution, by the power of which we come back to our original state and actualize our eternal identity. True oneness cannot be accessed prior to the awakening of the inner state, for without the inner state there is no existential bridge between self and reality. As we move into the states beyond the mind, our human consciousness gradually begins to surrender to reality as a whole. Expansion into no-mind, the awakening of integral consciousness and the return to the natural state are the various aspects of our enlightenment to complete oneness with existence.

As it is a universal experience that unity is bliss and separation is suffering, the attainment of oneness has always been the ultimate goal of all real spiritual paths and traditions of enlightenment. Although their means and teachings differ, they unanimously agree that separation is ignorance and unity is self-realization.

To transcend the illusion of separation, we must transform our false self, give birth to a higher consciousness and, finally, merge with all-that-is. The awakening of the inner state, the realization of the soul, the surrender of the mind, and dissolution into the realm of pure subjectivity, are the fundamental elements of the process through which we regain our integral unity with existence.

Unity is indeed the antidote to separation, but only from the standpoint of lower truth. The one reality transcends this division inherent to the realm of ignorance. It is within the undivided whole that we experience our dream of separation as well as our awakening to unity. In our evolution we journey between these existential extremes, shifting through a rainbow of diverse realizations as we draw increasingly closer to the realm beyond opposites.

The state of totality is not subject to divisions, for it is the absolute container of all possible and actual realities. To enter this great unknown, we must return to the natural state of selfless being and merge with the root of all things, the non-abiding realm of universal I am. Only after merging with existence do we finally rise above the dichotomy of unity and separation and realize the exalted state of oneness.

The State of Oneness

In its most direct definition, oneness is the absence of separation. While it is true that separation obscures the state of oneness, it is at the same time the very energy that makes the realization of oneness possible. Without separation, there is no oneness - without oneness, no separation. It is their complex interaction that constitutes the multilayered nature of both our awakening and the reality of oneness itself.

Just as the poles of ignorance and enlightenment are often misconstrued as having no intermediate reality, separation and oneness are commonly regarded as fixed opposites. However, sensitive examination of the evolutionary process reveals that prior to our arrival at the ultimate state of oneness, various levels of separation still coexist with our growing experience of unity. Unification with the universal self is not simply the removal of separation, but the result of a positive process of evolution and expansion into the one reality. In the state of oneness, separation is not nullified, but transformed into the unity of individual intelligence with the ocean of universal I am.

Essentially, the state of oneness is a result of an expansion of our consciousness, energy and existence beyond our separate sense of self, based on both the awakening of the soul and our absorption into the beyond. The awakening of the soul entails our entry into the inner state and the actualization of our pure subjectivity; our absorption in the beyond involves the dissolution of our sense of separation from both phenomenal reality and the inner realm. When the soul transcends separation through her realization of unity, all traces of duality are erased and oneness itself is forgotten.

The Two Dimensions of Separation

Although existence is one, due to the human inability to experience it as a whole, it is mistakenly viewed as being comprised of two distinct realms - inner and outer. This division is real, but only from the standpoint of unevolved consciousness. As long as we operate in the plane of forgetfulness, the poles of inner and outer remain our primal reference points as we mature towards enlightenment. Until unity with both inner and outer is realized, our apperception of totality remains inaccessible.

The human being is painfully split from both the outer and inner realms - the planes of objectified reality and pure subjectivity - as if living neither inside nor outside of existence. He is locked in a netherworld, suspended between the outer reality of appearances and the inner reality of universal I am, experientially and existentially disconnected from both. From this rootless, painfully unstable place, our human evolution begins.

The cardinal cause of our separation from both inner and outer is the exteriorization of our human consciousness from the dimension of pure subjectivity. The human sense of me is entirely uprooted from the internal space of the universal now, the ground of reality as it is. In fact, our sense of me is estranged from both the subjectivity of the soul and the subjectivity of the universal self. It has no stable sense of self, nor any abiding place in the inner realm - it is alienated from its own essence as well as fundamental reality.

The realization of oneness with phenomenal existence can only be achieved from a place of unity within the inner plane. The outer world is not outside of the universal I am; it is contained within its boundless space of pure being. Since creation dwells within the universal subjectivity of the self, there is no way to experience oneness with the external reality unless one becomes unified with the inner realm and the soul. When inner and outer are united and integrated in the consciousness of an individual, their duality is dissolved and the experiencer reaches the state of universal non-abidance and impersonality. Thus reality as a whole is divulged.

Self and Other than Self

The essence of separation is the friction between the experience of self and the reality external to self. As long as we are lost in ignorance, our sense of identity is experienced only in contrast to the phenomenal world. Since the reality external to self is both objective and subjective, the experience of existence is determined by the quality of one's simultaneous abidance in the world and in being.

To possess a sense of self is perfectly natural and fundamental to all living things, and does not in itself create a sense of separation. A bird feeling its sense of me is not extracted from its natural unity with existence; its sense of me is more or less dissolved in its environment. Since creation contains diversity-in-unity composed of infinite angles of perception, the subject is by nature distinct from the object, and can therefore clearly distinguish itself in thought and feeling. There is a natural equilibrium between individual consciousness and the reality containing it. In the universal experience, subject and object are both embedded in consciousness, balanced in perfect harmony.

If we look deeper into the nature of reality, we can see that the balance between subject and object is actually intrinsic to pure consciousness. The very fact that consciousness is self-perceiving demonstrates how its absolute subjectivity includes a translucent objectivity that mirrors that same subjectivity back to itself. It is not the sense of me as such that is to blame for the friction of separation, but the distortion caused by the crystallization of identity resulting from a loss of the soul's original transparency.

In the natural state of being, the cognition of oneself and the outer reality is unobstructed, freely interpenetrating, mutually inclusive and translucent. But in the human realm, consciousness has become unnaturally self-centered and alienated from the external world. This primal friction between knowing oneself and knowing the world is the essence of duality and the source of our isolation from reality as a whole.

We arrive at the state of oneness not by eliminating the faculty to experience ourselves, but through the realization of the ultimate transparency between self and other-than-self. The ego alone can never reach transparency, because its very presence creates an existential knot in the openness of being. It is by its very nature in a state of perpetual contraction and self-centered attention. This crystallization of identity involuntarily translates as excessive self-awareness, and is responsible for the acute sense of separation between I and the world. In order for there to be transparency between self and other, we must first awaken the soul to regain the transparency inherent to our true being. When the soul awakens, she supplants the petrified ego and experiences herself in an expansive and pure way that mirrors the complete translucency of her abidance in the realm of pure subjectivity. From this place, her perception of the outer world is open, unhindered, all-pervasive, and free of any center. After she attains oneness, the soul continues to live in the world, but her identity is no longer constrained by a sense of separate self. She has no fixed boundaries and the world ceases to be external to her being and consciousness.

The Root of Separation

The root cause of our separation is our self-consciousness. The human mind perceives reality based on a split between subject and object, experiencer and experienced, observer and observed, knower and known. Whatever is perceived occurs external to the perceiver, who has no stable identity apart from the mind. The apparent subject observes his surroundings from his conceptual watchtower, processes incoming data, and responds to outer stimuli, all in reference to a fragmented sense of me that becomes increasingly self-conscious as the subject of the experience.

Lesser-evolved creatures have a sense of me just as we do, but one that is too weak to crystallize into a sense of separation. As humans, our sense of me has solidified in the mind, creating the illusion that our personality is an actual entity. This ego-entity is both excessively self-conscious in how it relates to the world and how it relates to the virtual reality of its own mind. By over-exercising its ability to think about itself, the ego has deformed our natural sense of me into a wound of separation.

Although self-consciousness is essential and fundamentally positive, the warped self-consciousness of the mind is responsible for our sense of isolation from both the natural state of being and the rest of creation. It has become a wall separating us from the totality of existence. Everything we experience is processed in the obstinately self-centered mind-construct of the pseudo-me; we are conscious of ourselves only in contrast to everything that appears to be outside of our singular sense of I.

The human stream of consciousness constantly oscillates between subject and object, object and subject. Locked in a claustrophobic reality of mind, lonely and disconnected from the rest of creation, human self-consciousness has overridden the consciousness of the undivided whole. It is too conscious to feel unity with existence and too unconscious to transcend the illusion of separation.

Separation and Unity

Most creatures below us in the hierarchy of existence recognize neither unity or separation - they are in an unconscious state of oneness. Above them on the evolutionary ladder, however, many possibilities exist for how beings can relate to unity, separation and their interplay. There are those who recognize the presence of separation, but not the absence of unity - they are too asleep to question their existence, but conscious enough to suffer due to their separation.

There are those who recognize both the presence of separation and the absence of unity - they have begun their evolution towards realization of oneness, and those who experience both separation and unity simultaneously - they have reached a relative realization of oneness, but have not yet transcended separation. There are those in a state of complete unity, but have no concept of the presence or absence of separation - they live in a conscious state of oneness that bears no relation to the plane of illusion. Finally, there are those who are conscious of both their complete unity with existence and the absence of separation - the awakened souls who have realized oneness, but continue to exist in the plane of ignorance.

Returning to the State of Oneness

Evolution is a journey from unconsciousness to consciousness, from consciousness to the soul, and from the soul into the beyond. The realm of unconsciousness can be seen as a dimension of negative oneness, for in it there is no possibility to recognize either unity or separation. Even an evolved ego, though aware of separation, cannot transcend it alone, for it lacks the foundation of pure subjectivity.

Once again we stress that we cannot reach oneness prior to realizing our subjective essence. Pure subjectivity is the only gateway to the one reality. The ego can neither dissolve itself nor dissolve into the beyond; it can neither attain reality nor abolish its own unreality. To attempt to negate the ego by seeing through its illusory nature fails, because the ego cannot invalidate itself. All mental conclusions we reach about the mind and ego are confined to the mind and ego, and therefore cannot take us beyond them. Our limited self can only be transcended through the awakening of the soul. Because pure subjectivity is the root of our perception and the source of me, unless I am is awakened, we lack the requisite ground to embrace oneness.

The soul is both the essence of our individual subjectivity and the portal to universal subjectivity. Through her awakening, we unite with the source, the foundation and container of all-that-is. In order to realize oneness, we first must actualize our whole individuality and then merge with the universal beyond. To abolish any trace of separation, we must open the inner state, awaken our soul and surrender our consciousness.

The Portal of Perfect Soleness

Before we can experience the world and self as one field of unified consciousness, we must first attain 'perfect soleness', complete separation from objectified reality. Upon entering the inner path, our identification with the world of perception is the fundamental distraction from realizing our essential self. For this reason, in our early efforts to disengage from objectification, we must isolate our consciousness from all that does not possess the nature of I am. To awaken our true subjectivity, we first have to disconnect our essence from the sensory, emotional and mental impressions that constantly invade our psyche and create the construct of the personal self. Due to this need for internal focus as we evolve towards self, we initially may feel even more isolated from the world than in our previous, ordinary state of unconscious separation. But unless we regain solidity and stability within our true self, the illusory forces of the external reality and our own mind will continue to antagonize our integrity. Only upon realizing the soul in her eternal unity with the inner realm can a seeker cease to view the world of appearances as alien to his true nature and consciousness. By actualizing the soleness of I am, we lay the ground of being from which we can move beyond the polarities of inner and outer, self and other, I and you, here and now - and embrace the whole of existence as the undivided one.

Misconceptions about Oneness

We cannot transcend separation through the negation of our individuality, or through a simplistic identification with objective reality. These, the two most common misconceptions about oneness, actually lead us away from the reality of unity, for they presume that we must somehow disappear in order to merge.

Losing one's sense of self is not an experience of oneness, but the imbalanced condition of a split mind that is not grounded in the reality of I am. Although our individual consciousness is indeed responsible for our separation, it also serves as a base for the actualization of our union with the totality of existence. We do not need to eradicate our individuality, but to awaken its true subjectivity and surrender it to the whole. Only when our individual essence is awakened and then merged with the universal self, can subject and object be embraced in one, homogeneous field of reality.

To experience oneness with external reality, we do not abandon our individuality. We do not become an object that appears in our field of perception - a chair, for instance. The perceiver does not become the perceived. Oneness does not stand in opposition to the natural presence of diversity and differentiation. The very existence of unity depends upon the polar unsameness of the subjective and objective modes of experiencing reality, without which there would be no way for consciousness to identify the manifested universe as an actual experience. To assume that one must actually become a chair in order to experience unity with it would degrade the concept of oneness to the level of 'mystical' insanity. The chair is just the chair, and the subject perceiving it remains just the subject. In the consciousness of unity, an object continues to be what it is, an object, in reference to me, but it is no longer existentially external to the experiencer. The experiencer of oneness is absorbed in the inner realm, from which both subject and object spring forth in each instant of creation.

'Negative' Oneness

Oneness cannot be achieved by expanding or modifying the false self through altered states, emotional exhilaration or the suspension of consciousness. Though they sometimes create the illusion of oneness, such experiences are not grounded in pure subjectivity, and thus can be considered examples of 'negative oneness'. The true foundation of oneness is the ground of non-perception that envelops us in the boundless space of pure subjectivity, where nothing is outside of self. To experience oneness is to dissolve the boundaries of self, inwardly and outwardly, into the limitless translucency of total reality.

In the realm of the mundane, the most common experiences of negative oneness are ecstatic states and human love, for both alleviate the pain of separation by transporting one beyond the boundaries of the individual self. In the case of 'ecstasy' - its original meaning was 'standing outside oneself'. This type of euphoric feeling can be induced by certain music, dance, and drug experiences, or by identification with a powerful idea or emotion. Here, one is taken out of oneself; the very one who would constitute the foundation of unity is absent. Hence, no positive experience of oneness can be attained.

As for human love, most people are overly attached to this concept, missing the hidden truth of love that is rooted in unity. While at times we may feel an empathetic connection to phenomenal reality when overwhelmed by intense beauty or compassion, and temporarily lose our sense of separation, if we look beyond appearances, we can see that the experience actually points to our deepest longing for oneness with existence. For the average human, love as expressed in its many forms is the most accessible means of coming closer to a sense of unity with 'other'. However, though love is an attractive way to lose oneself, true oneness cannot be accessed by merging with an external being or object. Again, to lose or forget oneself is a case of negative oneness - not a positive expansion, but an unconstructive absence of conscious separation. Real oneness is actualized by first becoming one with oneself, next merging with the source of creation, and finally, embracing reality as a whole. Love is an imperfect oneness, while oneness is the perfect love. True love melts the duality between lover and beloved.

There are also more 'mystical' varieties of negative oneness, for example, to forget oneself by becoming spaced-out. Pure absent-mindedness goes beyond getting lost in daydreams or becoming distracted - it has no object. In fact, being spaced-out involves neither object nor subject; one does not know who, what or where one is. It is not a state signifying true freedom from separation, but resembles more a temporary experience of non-existence or suspension of self. Spacing-out is actually a regression to a pre-conscious state wherein the conscious mind loses grip of both its internal and external reality.

It is possible that a spaced-out state mixed with certain energetic expansions can transport an adept into a mystical plane. There are in fact numerous spiritual paths that do not point to the grounded realization of pure subjectivity, but to mystical states. Through mystical states the soul can connect to other dimensions and mental realms that present an alternate way of existing within totality, but she cannot realize herself and reach wholeness, for she remains alienated from her original nature and the vertical purity of being. Mystical states exist in-between the dimension of pure subjectivity and objectified reality, and as such, abide outside of the soul's essence. As altered states of consciousness, they can be seductive for the mind - they provide relief from ordinary waking consciousness, and may even give us a sense of oneness. But as they are not founded upon the inner realm and the soul, they are unable to deliver us to the freedom and transcendence that is anchored in the self. Shifts to mystical states that do not coincide with the awakening of awareness offer no means to arrest the mechanical mind. They may give one an energetic experience, but no real refuge from the chaotic mind, for they are not solid states, but relative dimensions of expansion related to planes of existence peripheral to the source itself. They do not serve the realization of true oneness.

Negative oneness can be a dangerous pitfall on the path. We can lose our way getting distracted by, or even addicted, to negative experiences of oneness that give the illusion of being constructive in spite of the fact that they do not free us from our fundamental forgetfulness. We must strive to move beyond illusive experiences of freedom and bliss in order to attain a true awakening that is rooted in the light of I am.

The Essence of Oneness

Is oneness an experience? While in any ordinary experience self is external to the object of experience, true oneness occurs in the non-experiential dimension, beyond the division of knower and known. It is experienced through one's own dissolution. The experiencer merges with the experienced - he is one with it. To experience oneness is to disappear into the beyond.

In essence, oneness is an expansion beyond oneself realized through one's positive absence in the presence of total existence. In the space of pure subjectivity, the truth of oneness is divulged, absorbing our sense of me without annihilating it. Through the realization of oneness, the core of our individuality, the light of the soul, is integrated into the total experience of reality as a whole.

The complete state of oneness requires stillness of self and the motionlessness of being as its foundation. In pure being, all-that-is reveals itself to the absorbed consciousness as the non-conceptual apperception of everythingness. To be one with reality is to dwell in the state of non-activity, the unconditional repose of existence. Although oneness encompasses both the inner and outer realms, it is primarily rooted in the vertical dimension of the now. From the vertical profundity of being, the stillness of our essence, we expand horizontally into universal consciousness. Thus manifests the bliss of oneness.

Levels in the Realization of Oneness

Are there stages leading to the state of oneness, or is the realization of oneness a singular event? Following an impersonal philosophy, we could deny the possibility of gradual evolution into oneness on the grounds that oneness signifies the sudden and absolute transcendence of individuality. If we dissolve individuality, who remains to experience any levels of unity? But the logic behind this reasoning is overly simplistic; the truth is of oneness is far more subtle. The secret of healing is not to obliterate the patient but to eradicate the causes of his illness. In other words, the realization of oneness is not the annihilation of individuality, but its transmutation - it is the removal of ignorance, the unification of self with the whole.

Oneness itself has no grades, but the process of the unification of the individual with the universal is gradual. The journey begins with our evolution into the inner state, and progressively deepens through the awakening of our true identity, our surrender into the beyond and our expansion into the one reality. The more oneness increases, the more separation decreases, until by the cumulative power of our awakening, separation is no more.

The first level of oneness is accessed through the awakening of awareness, which opens the space of pure subjectivity. However, pure awareness represents a stage in the realization of oneness only if it is linked with the energy of being. If the state of presence is too crystallized and lacks surrender, it may temporarily intensify our self-consciousness and sense of separation. The natural state of presence is restful and transparent - it absorbs the sense of me in choiceless awareness.

The next level of oneness involves our expansion beyond awareness into being, the opening of our connection with the universal source. Merging into being, the soul dwells in the ground of existence, anchored in the unconditional state of repose. Through this absorption, she expands beyond herself and grows roots into the beyond. Only from the depth of being can the soul experience reality unmodified - as it is.

Absorption in being links the soul with the uncreated, but further expansion into oneness takes place through the portal of the heart. In being the soul is one with the source, but remains alienated from the external world. It is through the awakening of the heart that she reaches horizontal unity with creation, for the heart energetically and existentially bridges the inner and the outer spheres of the one existence. The unity of vertical and horizontal expansion gives rise to a whole new experience of reality: when being and heart merge into one, they create a holistic field of energy that expands the soul into unity with both the source and all of creation.

After the awakening of the heart, the evolution into oneness progresses through the immersion of intelligence in I am, and the attainment of transparent me, in which the integration and unification of the soul and the inner state are completed. Beyond the state of transparent me, yet deeper states of oneness manifest through existential shifts into the state beyond polarities and the transcendental state. The final and complete state of oneness is based on samadhi of me, the transcendence of ego, the merging of the mind and the complete actualization of our eternal soul-identity.

Absorption into Oneness

The realization of oneness can occur in relation to the vertical or horizontal planes of existence. As we have just seen, the vertical plane of oneness reflects our unity with the source reached through being, whereas the horizontal plane of oneness reflects our unity with creation reached through the heart. Awareness can be seen as the intersection between these two dimensions; the state of self-awareness is horizontal in nature, awareness at rest is vertical.

Although oneness is primarily realized through the energetic awakening of the inner state, on a deeper level, the realization of oneness requires the transformation of our very consciousness. The depth of one's experience of oneness is measured by the level of absorption of awareness and the mind through the inner state into the beyond. The type of absorption we refer to here should not be confused with the trance-like consciousness that certain traditions misidentify as the experience or even realization of the self. In such a condition, one temporary loses awareness of oneself and dwells in blissful oblivion, but what one really experiences is negative oneness. The positive realization of oneness is engendered by the presence of clear awareness and the integral consciousness of the soul.

The absorption of awareness and me crown the process of merging into reality. In the state of oneness, our individual consciousness is merged with the soul and the beyond.

The Soul and the Self

Although oneness is a state beyond the subject-object relationship, its attainment does not nullify the subjective knower. We could not speak about oneness if there was no conscious presence experiencing it. The knower of oneness is not the ego, but the inmost essence of our individual consciousness, the soul. It is the soul who is the true subject to oneness, for unlike the ego, she does not experience reality based on duality.

We must deeply contemplate the difference between the soul and the self in order to grasp the delicate balance between our presence and absence within the realization of unity. In our complete absence, oneness cannot be experienced, for we become unconscious. In our ordinary presence, oneness cannot be experienced either, for our crystallized self-consciousness separates us from the whole. To realize oneness we need to transform our sense of me so that it can merge with absence, yet remain present. As long as there is an experience, there must be an experiencer; but who we are as the experiencer is fluid, and changes according to the level of our awakening. Our human personality cannot access the state of oneness - only our deeper self can. The dimension of me that experiences and recognizes oneness is not a product of the mind, but an intelligent expression of the deepest consciousness of I am. It is the soul uniting her eternal presence with total existence. The light of recognition is inherent to the soul's intelligence and existence. Her knowledge of being herself is unconditionally merged with the beyond and concurrent to her consciousness of all-that-is.

The integral consciousness of our true self is unified with the beyond and steeped in the pure knowing of its own light, yet free from self-reference. Such is the consciousness natural to all realized human souls. There are also various beings of light that inhabit the space of universal consciousness but possess no self-consciousness. They eternally dwell in a state of an uninterrupted union with the beloved, but, like humans, experience the light of creation in a way that is unique to their consciousness and level of evolution.

One must go deep into meditation to understand what it means to experience simultaneously both one's complete presence and absence within the universal I am. It is only by becoming our true self that we can merge with the ocean of universal presence and still remain conscious. In this, the ultimate coalescence of presence and absence, that which merges is our illusory consciousness based on false individuality, and that which re-emerges is the pure consciousness of the soul based on the immortal light of I am.

The soul is an individualized angle of perception. She is an aspect of totality through which the universal I am views its entire creation, an infinitesimal sphere of I am which has a function and purpose within the total existence. The soul is not separate from the self, but exists within the space of universal consciousness, like a wave in the ocean. By becoming one with the self, the soul transcends her illusive separation, but not her existence and function. She continues her everlasting evolution within universal I am. Prior to her awakening, the soul evolved towards the state of unity, but now, from the point of her complete realization, she begins to evolve within the state of oneness to beyond oneness.

Oneness is not the final goal, but the true beginning of our expansion into the mystery of the beyond. Who is evolving? Who is expanding into the bliss of reality? Who is growing into an increasingly deeper revelation of truth? There can be no final answer to this question because that one is eternally changing and expanding within his unchanging essence. The soul's identity can never be fully fixed, because there is no end to her awakening beyond awakening beyond awakening.

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