On Oneness:
Knowledge v Experience
A question an astrophysicist asks that “what the universe
expanding into?” is similar to a spiritual person asking “what is it that
becomes one with the Oneness?” As
we know that the universe is a runaway space expansion and galaxies are moving
away from each other faster and faster.
We do not know if the universe has a boundary and what a purpose of the
universe (if any). On a smaller
scale, within an internal dialogue, you might ask “what is the meaning of
life?”
Difference between a scientist and a spiritual person is
that one seeks for knowledge (with great details, observational accuracies, and
the simplest mathematical formulas) and the other seeks for experience (not a
metaphysical, in our mind notion, but an actual experience). I can write: Knowledge v Experience.
In quantum physics, we have become aware for the first time
in scientific history that an act of observation influences an outcome (an observer v a see-er), and in the area of particle physics the velocity and the
position of a particle cannot be accurately known both at the same time
(Heisenberg Uncertainty). Quantum
physics is unveiling how “weird” the world of particle physics is (“weird”
because it deviates from our daily and usual experiences), but the weirdness is
quite real as the reality. This
knowledge has expanded our consciousness exponentially compared to that of the
medieval era. Such is the power of
knowledge that frees us from conventional social norms and mores.
Einstein once said that he wanted to know the mind of God*1 (he meant not the personal god but a
harmonious perfection). But he
chose the wrong word, the “mind.” If one asks for the mind, he can glimpse on a
fraction of the whole. What he
should have said was: “I want to
experience god.” Then he had
gotten the whole, 100% of what there was (and is). Knowledge is great but Experience supersedes it. There is one obstruction, a hurdle, we
need to jump over on both cases:
that is about a “word.”
A word is an abstraction to explain and communicate easily with each
other. However, we need to
understand that the true reality cannot be explained by words alone. There is a limitation to words. Joseph Campbell always said that words
were second rate. Why? A minute we describe an emotional
quality with words, they cheapen it*2: for example, emotion and reverence we
feel after seeing a beautiful sunset is not describable: simply uttering “ah…” is all we can do. Remember, the most important word on AUM (or OM) is the silence after the M.*3.
Similarly, when we seek the meaning of life, we understand
that the word “meaning” is a concept, and therefore, there is no
“meaning.” We made up the word to
communicate, but since it is a word and is abstract, there are many interpretations
of the same word: if we search for
it, we will never ever get an answer.
Right question to ask is:
“How do we experience the Life itself every single moment in our times?”
The answer to the astrophysicist’s question is that, since
he seeks Knowledge, we don’t know what the universe is expanding into and we
may never know forever since the universe is expanding so rapidly and the
observable universe of about 14 billion years ago is so far away.
Do we then have the answer to the second question? In order to get an answer, we must know
and experience the following. What
is the difference between an Observer and a See-er? And, what is the state of mind of the See-er?
Look at yourself in a mirror, I mean for a long time. If you do so until your eyes and your
eyes in the mirror merge, them you experience that you are no long certain who
is an observer and who is a see-er.
An observer becomes being seen, yet you two are one and the same (same
with a particle: it behaves like a
particle at the same time as wave).
At the deeper level of this experience we realize that most of us are
not aware that our own ego makes us think that we exist. Here is an example to ponder: Do you look the sky and say “I
exit?” or do you realize that
because the sky is blue, “you exist?”
Do you say a flag is moving or air is moving the flag, or the mind is
moving? (Can you go beyond the mind?)
I give you another example: when you look at a dying person, could be your parent,
lover, friend, etc., what are you really thinking in your head and what are you
experiencing? Crying or being
sorrowful is a very human response.
But what is behind the emotion?
Are you crying because your emotion (the realm of the egoic
consciousness) making you or because of the past social behavioral pattern (we
are all programmed)? Are you an
observer or a see-er? Are you
experiencing before the “ah” moment, something cannot be described by words? And what is death?
Answer to the question of what it is that we are really
becoming one with the Oneness is in the Experience. Since words cannot explain, I cannot write it down here for
you. You must experience IT. When IT happens, you are no longer
bounded by emotions and the egoic consciousness. You look at a dying person as IT happens with pure
compassion: a true See-er, that
IS.
Namaste.
*1: I
wanted to avoid word god as much as possible in my writing.
*2: Please
do not misunderstand that words are often sacred such as in cases of
poetries; making words more abstract and meaningful.
*3: The
true experience with the Oneness is THAT
SOMETHING before we even
utter “ah…” (before the “a” and once again after the “M.”).
