The Oneness Of All Being

by Chris Walsh

For me, there is a connectedness in all that I am, all that I do and all that there is.  I think most people experience the same feeling, whether consciously or unconsciously, especially when they are immersed in nature, whether that be standing along the edge of the ocean and feeling that sense of awe or standing under the stars, and with humility, accepting our place in the expanse.  It is a wonderful feeling and one that is not to be denied.   Our cognitive thinking can only take us so far, but the deeper knowing in our bodies can help us be aware that we are all ultimately One.  Look deeply into someone’s eyes, someone you love, and you know this.  You experience this Oneness.  If you look deep enough, you can find this wisdom in almost all spiritual traditions. And there are rituals in every tradition to help guide us along in this belonging.  

     We are all connected, each to another, and no one person or no one thing is ultimately greater than another.  All that we are comes from and is something greater than ourselves…call it God, Buddha Nature, Atman…choose your descriptor.  I use the term “That Which Is Holy”.  No matter what we call this mystery, it is unknowable.  But perhaps, if we cannot know this wonder in an intellectual way, we can have a much deeper knowing and connection by feeling in our body this unknowable Oneness.   From my perspective, a blade of grass is as much a part of this mystery as I am, no greater, no less…and each of us, as part of the natural cycle of life, will ultimately die and merely fade into this Oneness that I am so fond of.  Like a drop of water falling into the ocean, I will become one with the ocean, but there is no more Chris.  Only the Ocean.   For a while, I was a wave only to return to the greater Ocean.  To me, that is a soothing thought.