Division or Now?

Posted on February 26, 2006
Filed Under Journal, Society, Spirituality, Consciousness |

I have spoke before about the Polarisation in our reality, and how over the past few months and years it has gained an astounding momentum. I see this on almost a daily basis now – far stronger than ever before. People being pulled into the political world, others rejecting it outright, one person going all out at their job to claim a life of pure materialism whilst another walks away deciding they need only the basics. The escalation of this appears to be leading to a mentality of Us and Them. Of course this mentality has existed throughout all of history; however look around you today, and you will see it exists at a level far beyond it previously did.

People are carving out their own beliefs and rules; their very own worlds, either individually or collectively. We walk as kings or queens within our own private realms. Maybe to some extent we can place some blame at the foot of the Internet – which has allowed rapid communication along with the extensive dissemination of all our personal opinions on every subject known to man. Of course this is all good – despite the growing campaign against the Internet. However, are people carving off their own slice of reality – or are they coming together in common cause?

Looking around today – it’s possible to see a lot of both happening. The availability of information has caused most people pause – and things are slowly changing. On the one hand some see opportunity for power and control – whilst others see opportunity for freedom and transcendence. There maybe many positions in-between these polar opposites – but the fact remains that a line has been drawn somewhere between the two “factions”.

But now something different has arisen out of this; ideas which were once considered mysticism are gaining prevalence, both in many quarters of the Internet – as well as the mainstream world. Much indicates this; Eckhart Tolle’s million selling “The Power of Now”. Quantum Physics understanding of consciousness. The belief that our reality is an illusion…and so on…

It seems as a whole, we are slowly coming to a better, more realistic understanding of the Universe and our place within it. Yet even still, the closer we get, the further away we seem to walk.
Anyone who has a basic understanding of the spiritual world will have an intellectual understanding of the concept that “All is One”, whilst others will have direct experience of this fact. Regardless of this though, there seems to be a growing trend on interpreting just what these understandings mean. And so it is interesting to see what people believe are incompatibilities arising between each of those many perspectives. For example some contend that being open to Oneness – or living in the Now, would mean that one has to lead themselves into inactivity, because action beseeches change. Conversely, others feel that involvement in action or contention rip one away from the Now.

In short there are a number of approaches people are taking in order to understand how they believe Oneness fits into life. A challenge between Ego and Wholeness if you like. So where does the ego end and Oneness begin? How do we put away the ego and take up Being? And indeed should we even be attempting such a thing?

Our ego can trick us into believing many things, including that we understand what the ego is etc. The very fact I am writing this perhaps indicates that I haven’t fully transcended the ego and that at this moment I am not in the Now. Likewise there are those that say the duality we see within the world, is a reflection of what we see in ourselves. But what does it mean to live in the Now and to accept Oneness?

Zen Buddhists sit in temple for hours and days at a time. They remain in meditation and eventually see and feel the universe as one. A true Zen Master has a deep awareness of this. They live utterly in the Now. A true Zen Master will not even put pen to paper because he understands the division it causes.

Is that the extent we should go to in order to live in the *Now*?

Everything we do and say – regardless of how enlightened we are – causes division, and from that division manifests all the infinity of existence.

The symbol of the Tao is divided into two, yet encompassed within a circle. It is both unity and division. The Universe is divided into two, and from that, comes all the infinity of existence. Yet it is a UNI-verse. Thus one.

It is the easiest thing in the world to live a life of division and categorization. Nearly 100% of the population live this way. If truth be told – once our _being_ grasps the nature of reality and kicks the ego down, it is just as easy to see reality as One undividable whole.

Yet on their own, neither of these aspects truly represents reality. We are both divided and whole. Reality is both divided and whole. We are One and the Ten Thousand Things at once.

Ultimately if one puts themselves in the right circumstances, up in a mountain, or in a room of their house – it becomes very easy to stay in the now. If one meditates a lot it becomes a matter of course to bring about this being of Oneness at any and all times. But if we believe the world is purely One, then we are only seeing half of reality.

It is strange to me how people fail to see this. I often see the relentless discussions of “All is One!” opposed to “But how do we apply that / what about this or that aspect?” or even, “Stop talking and be at One!”

Such conflicting arguments (which are merely attempts at seeking a method to comprehend Unity) only exist because we make them exist. And that is the truth in the statement; “we create separation!”

…separation between One and Infinity.

Infinity is a never ending dividable number – it goes on forever. Infinity is neither there nor here because it is everywhere. Yet infinity can best be represented by the number One.
We see division because there _is_ division. We see Unity – Oneness – because there is indeed only the *Now*.

It is our humanity that struggles to choose one over the other. Why? It is utterly clear that both exist at once! And so the challenge is in understanding what this means to _us_.

Marcus - 2006