Practice 11
The Embrace of Oneness
“Embrace all things as part of the Harmonious Oneness, and then you will begin to perceive it.”
— Lao-tzu (translated by Brian Walker)
“Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.”
— Albert Einstein
“Within us is an all-embracing light overflowing with love from God that illuminates a divine path mysterious and beautiful. If we acknowledge that light, we create a new humanity of divine unity and everlasting bliss.”
— Micheal Teal
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Exercise
Today’s practice invites you to fully embrace your life with naked, nonjudgmental awareness. The embrace of Oneness moves you beyond acceptance into a full and embodied experience of your emotions, sensations, and interactions in each moment. In the embrace of Oneness, you greet all things with open arms, ready and willing to be present with what is.
The practice begins by creating a “naked awareness” mind-set: a state of being where your mind is open, receptive, and nonjudgmental—no rejection, no preferences. When you achieve this state, you’re able to experience reality as it is, not as you would like it to be. Your transformation involves going from resistance and rigidness to deep openness and expansion, allowing the flow of Life to move through you.
This is the freedom that the embrace of Oneness offers you. It’s a state of being, a place of presence where you discover your wholeness and the wholeness of life in each moment. This is the liberation from your enslavement to expectation and attachment, which are barriers to Oneness. In the embrace of Oneness, despair may be a precursor to unimaginable joy. And if you reject that despair, the joy is also suppressed. Oneness invites you to be in communion with what is and welcome the totality of your experiences with a compassionate and loving embrace.
This practice has no beginning and no end. It is fluid and depends upon your willingness to create a receptive embrace of the truth of your moment-to-moment experiences. It requires your willingness to see yourself as you truly are. Thus, the embrace of Oneness is a “dyanmic” meditation, as it follows the ebb and flow of your life.
For today, be fully present and attain a calm and naked awareness of your surroundings. See life as a witness and a participant, exploring the dynamic relationship between the two. Notice any propensity to judge your emotions, sensations, or thoughts. When you do so, bring yourself back to a state of gentle awareness. Soften the hard edges of judgment with the breath of compassion. Allow yourself to ride the wave of your life with the grace and agility of a seasoned surfer.
Whenever you have difficulty openly accepting what is, breathe in and out, and whisper the words of the mystics: All is well. In all matters of life, all is well. Practice the following steps to tap into the embrace of Oneness and surrender to the natural flow of the river of life:
• Create a calm mind (a naked, nonjudgmental awareness), a sanctuary of unconditional presence.
• Use your breath to create the willingness to sense and feel the reality of your life.
• Lovingly embrace everything you encounter, be it joy or despair, grief or elation, agitation or harmony, confusion or clarity . . . allow what is to dynamically flow into the next what is.
• Remember that all is well. In all matters of life, all is well. Amen.
Affirmation
I AM lovingly embracing every experience of my life, which flows in dynamic surrender and in perfect beauty.
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Practice 12
The Temple of Oneness
“Your daily life is your temple and your religion. When you enter into it take with you your all.”
— Kahlil Gibran
“This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness.”
— The Dalai Lama
“The moment I have realized God sitting in the temple of every human body, the moment I stand in reverence before every human being and see God in him—that moment I am free from bondage, everything that binds vanishes, and I am free.”
— Swami Vivekananda
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Exercise
What would it be like to feel at home wherever you go? At home in your body, in your relationships, in the world, and even in the universe? What if you could experience everything as holy and whole? What amounts of peace, freedom, and joy might that bring you? Today you’re invited to experience everything and everyone you encounter as an integral aspect of the temple of Oneness. All are invited into this temple, and everything is contained within it. Nothing exists outside of the sacred temple of Oneness.
Begin this practice with a deep realization of your own wholeness. Remember that you’re a sacred temple—home to the Divine, to Oneness, to Love. This is your true identity, your Soul’s identity. You are a temple of Oneness. Know this, and become rooted in this truth. Emanate and radiate this essential wisdom: I AM a temple of Oneness—home to God, a house of Love. Allow the inner fire and light of this temple to grow and encompass your whole body. Feel the temple of Oneness surround you.
Now imagine this view expanding to include your home, neighborhood, and city—the traffic, the buildings, the people, the streets, the cars, and so forth. Imagine everything enveloped by the warm light that shines in the temple of Oneness. Expand your awareness again to include the state in which you live, your country, and eventually the entire planet. All sentient beings and all of nature are living in the temple of Oneness. Allow your experience to expand even further to include the universe. Explore every aspect of the temple. What lives within this holy sanctuary? Do you see children, animals, stars, plants, people, statues, oceans, rivers, mountains, buildings, and cars? What else? They are all living temples of Oneness.
Slowly allow your awareness to return to your own body. Feel the world and the cosmos contained within you. Sense the cells in your body, and know that each is an entire universe unto itself. Remember that you inhabit all of these temples of Oneness—from microcosm to macrocosm. There are many temples held in the One temple, as Jesus affirmed: “In my Father’s house are many mansions.”
Remember this as you walk in the world today. Look upon everyone and everything with the gaze of Oneness. This transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary. A tree, a cloud, a bicycle, a poster, a mini-mart, and a cat are all living temples of Oneness. With everything you encounter, ask yourself, What does this temple of Oneness hold?
Feel at home wherever you go. No place, person, or experience is foreign. Remember that all beings, all things, are Divine, integral parts of the expansion and expression of Oneness.
Affirmations
I AM awake, walking in the world.
I AM a holy temple of Oneness.
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Practice 13
The Elixir of Oneness
“Indeed, God hath created everywhere around this Gate oceans of divine elixir, tinged crimson with the essence of existence and vitalized through the animating power of the desired fruit.”
— The B?b
“By the elixir of divine love, the solar regions are strong; by the divine elixir, the earth is great; the divine elixir is stationed in the midst of all the constellations.”
— from the Atharvaveda
“This nectar, trickling from the palate, is the sweetest of all tastes. Each drop is worth more than millions. This elixir will expel all your diseases and fill you with gladness. Your anger will vanish. You will exude ambrosial sweetness. You will rejoice in your spouse and children. As you taste this nectar and become absorbed in it, you will be transported with inner delight.”
— Swami Muktananda
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Exercise
The elixir of Oneness is none other than the presence and power of unconditional love. It’s the sweetness of agape (tender, benevolent affection and compassion) and the fire of Divine Love. It’s the life force that animates and sustains all life. It stirs the consciousness of Oneness, allowing it to emerge, blossom, and bear fruit. It’s what causes the rose to bloom and release the scent of the sacred.
Just like sap in a tree, the elixir of Oneness lives in your body: it swims in your blood, oscillates in your nervous system, and beats in your heart. There are many words for it—including Kundalini, Holy Spirit, Chi, Ka, Prana, Mana, Gtumo, The Microcosmic Orbit, and Shakti—all referring to the experience of the vital energy of love rising and circulating throughout your body, heart, mind and consciousness. The elixir of Oneness awakens the evolutionary force within, growing in you as love.
Today’s practice begins with tapping into the elixir of Oneness that’s already alive and well within you. Sit or lie down in a comfortable position. Become aware of your breath, finding a pace and rhythm that feels most pleasurable and satisfying to you. Breathe in and out. Inhale sacred love, circulate sacred love, and exhale sacred love. Continue your breathing, circulating Divine love to all of your cells throughout your body. Allow your breath to tickle each limb and organ, every part of your being. Let it dance within you, nourishing you with its sweet ecstasy. Inhale sacred love, circulate sacred love, and exhale sacred love. Smile as you bathe and delight in your own life-force energy. Feel this course through your veins and vibrate in your cells, awakening this sleeping giant of life, love, and bliss.
Continue to allow the essential life-force energy to build and strengthen. Gently bring your attention to your heart chakra, the source of unconditional love and compassion. Allow the sacred energy to flood your heart with tender loving-kindness. Feel your heart soften and open, like the petals of a rose blossoming in the warmth of the sun. Inhale sacred love, circulate sacred love, and exhale sacred love. Allow the love in your heart to fan the Divine spark into a powerful flame.
Now turn your attention to your base chakras, which are the roots of your connection to the earth and the fountain of creativity and sexuality. Feel the potency of life force as it builds and activates within these centers. Inhale sacred love, circulate sacred love, and exhale sacred love. Acknowledge the beauty of your connection to nature and to all life. Experience the pleasure and ecstasy of your own creativity, sexuality, and sensuality as the elixir of Oneness brings you into aliveness, radiance, and presence. Let go and trust the presence of God, the universal life force, as it leads you into full resonance with the consciousness of Oneness. Inhale sacred love, circulate sacred love, and exhale sacred love.
Allow this life-force energy to move into your belly, into the navel and the solar plexus, stirring the fire within—strengthening your will to live, to create, to transform, and to be here now. Know that you have the ability to do anything you put your mind to. Permit the fire of unconditional love to fuse with the fire in your belly.
Breathe this energy through the heart, dedicating your connection, creativity, and personal will to serve your mission of love. Feel this vital energy expand and open your heart even more as it swirls and spirals throughout your entire being. Know that the sacred source of life force lives within you and that it can be activated through your conscious contact with it.
Continue to breathe this energy to your throat, the center of expression. Let it vibrate through your vocal cords and then shoot up into your third eye, the place of intuition and knowing. Let it vibrate in your head and up through your crown, shooting beyond to the heavens and then falling back down to bathe your entire being in the sweet elixir of Oneness.
Feel your whole body and being vibrate and resonate. Feel the hum of life force zoom through your cells. Feel alive and radiant; feel good; feel God. This is the experience of Love in the body. Bask in it, live in it, and create from it.
Make it your intention to live within the awareness of and in connection to this vital energy every day. Allow everything you experience to bring you alive. Imagine and know that everything is conspiring to love you and wake up your life-force energy. Use everything to feed, nourish, and strengthen you, from the water you drink and the food you eat, to the colors you see and the air you breathe. Vibrate, tremor, and dance. Come alive with the ecstasy of life, for this is the elixir of Oneness.
Affirmation
I AM opening to the greatest Mystery of all, becoming Love’s alchemy realized.
*** ***
Practice 14
The Sensation of Oneness
“And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.”
— Kahlil Gibran
“The greatest gift of a garden is the restoration of the five senses.”
— Hanna Rion
“Our senses are indeed our doors and windows on this world, in a very real sense the key to the unlocking of meaning and the wellspring of creativity.”
— Jean Houston
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Exercise
Your senses are a doorway to Oneness. They take you straight into presence and the core of your original nature. They ground you in the reality of your innate connection to and resonance with life. You are a sensing being, and this is a sensing universe. Becoming present to your five senses, as well as your sixth sense, restores your natural mind-set of undifferentiated unity you were born with.
In today’s practice, you’ll use your senses to connect with the oceanic field and feeling of Oneness, the shared foundation of humanity. Celebrate your senses as you smell, taste, touch, see, hear, and know the ground of Oneness. You can use this practice as a morning or evening meditation and to heighten your awareness to the sensation of Oneness throughout the day.
Begin by taking several deep, full breaths. Become still and present to this precious moment. Breathe yourself into a calm, open, and centered state of mind; and engage in the following steps:
1. Open to the sense of sight. Fully see what’s around you. Take in the colors, textures, shapes, and movements. What do you notice? Expand your vision so that you see the details as well as the larger picture of life as it unfolds. Let everything you perceive feed and enhance your vision. Open to the gift of sight as a doorway into Oneness.
2. Open to the sense of smell. Breathe in the air and life around you. Open your nose to the scent of life. What do you smell? Experiment with this. Sniff the blanket on your bed, roses in a vase, your lover’s shirt, an orange, a tree, the earth, your own skin. Inhale the fragrance of life around you. What scents are most pleasing to you? Open to the gift of smell as a doorway into Oneness.
3. Open to the sense of touch. Touch the life around you. Feel the textures with your fingertips. Reach out and touch the Oneness. What do you feel? Experience the sensation of Oneness using your feet, hands, cheeks, toes, and so on. Immerse yourself in the sensation of touch and discover a new world. Allow your sense of touch to be enhanced by the textures that touch you. Open to the gift of touch as a doorway into Oneness.
4. Open to the sense of hearing. Listen to the sounds around you. Open your ears to the symphony of life calling to you. Hear the sound of Oneness. Can you describe it? Listen to the sounds and the silence. Experiment with making your own sounds. Tune in to your inner and outer ear, and experience the orchestra of life serenading you. Allow your sense of hearing to be enhanced by the sounds around you. Open to the gift of hearing as a doorway into Oneness.
5. Open to the sense of taste. Taste the flavors of life around you. Open your taste buds to the flavors of Oneness. Savor everything you eat and drink. What do you taste? Experiment with the sensation—taste air, water, fruit, skin, and sunshine. What does love taste like to you? Open up and taste life! Open to the gift of taste as a doorway into Oneness.
6. Open to the sense of knowing. Experience the knowing that lives beyond your five senses. Feel the knowing of Oneness. What do you perceive? What lies beyond your knowing? Experiment with your sixth sense—your intuition and unique life perception—and let it guide you to Oneness. Allow your knowing to be enhanced through your conscious contact with your intuition and Divine guidance. Open to the gift of knowing as a doorway into Oneness.
Now that your sight, smell, touch, hearing, taste, and knowing are activated, allow them to move together in a sensory dance of Oneness. Experience your connection to life through your six senses, as this is the sensation of Oneness.
Affirmation
I AM unlocking the meaning of life, living my connection to the whole through the wondrous sensations that surround me.
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Practice 15
The Touch of Oneness
“At the touch of love, everyone becomes a poet.”
— Plato
“Touch seems to be as essential as sunlight.”
— Diane Ackerman
“Some men know that a light touch of the tongue, running from a woman’s toes to her ears, lingering in the softest way possible in various places in between, given often enough and sincerely enough, would add immeasurably to world peace.”
— Marianne Williamson
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Exercise
As you become increasingly conscious of your breath, you’ll become aware that your body isn’t limited by your skin—in other words, it surpasses your physical sense of touch. This is the touch of Oneness. Your skin represents about 16 percent of your body, and it’s the most sensitive organ, the one that nourishes you the most. Allowing yourself to touch and be touched by the world inspires creativity and manifests an embodied experience of Oneness.
Allow yourself to be caressed by a tree, kissed by a flower, and supported by a rock. Reach out and run your hands over the bricks of a building. Cup the rain in your hands. With presence and grace, experience the Divine touch of Oneness.
To touch another person in this way necessitates being the other person, and to achieve this, you must live in a state of Oneness. In this practice, you’re invited to move beyond the illusion of separation of the body into deep connection with all of life around you.
As soon as you wake up in the morning, become conscious of your skin—the soft, thin membrane that holds and protects you. What sensations do you feel? Warmth, well-being, ease? As you rise, notice the change in temperature. How does your skin react? Feel the contact of your feet on the floor, your hand on the door, and your body as it moves through the room. Notice the different textures and temperatures as you shower, dress, eat, and prepare for your day. Water, soap, sponge. Fabric, leather, hair. Bread, apple, knife, cup. Be fully present with everything you touch, absorbing the wondrous sensations on your skin.
Throughout the day, your skin will change environments and respond to all kinds of stimulation. This continuous tremor and radiance will bring your awareness into the embodied experience of Oneness. Trust your body and your presence, and have faith in your desire to touch and be touched by life.
Experiment by touching with deep reverence. Touch others as if you were touching yourself. Reach out with the intention to love and be loved. Know that this is a sacred gift of Oneness: when you touch others, you’re being touched as well, which restores the body to its sacred vibration. Acknowledge your fears and relax in the knowing that this is an essential aspect of achieving Oneness. Allow yourself to view your skin as an instrument of love, enabling you to be truly present. This is the touch of Oneness.
Affirmation
I AM tremoring with the textures of life, nurturing and nourishing the loving touch of Oneness.
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Practice 16
The Seeds of Oneness
“We plant seeds that will flower as results in our lives, so best to remove the weeds of anger, avarice, envy, and doubt, that peace and abundance may manifest for all.”
— Dorothy Day
“Whatever we do lays a seed in our deepest consciousness, and one day that seed will grow.”
— Sakyong Mipham
“Whether you tend a garden or not, you are the gardener of your own being, the seed of your destiny.”
— The Findhorn Community
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Exercise
Sowing seeds of Oneness requires you to grow the garden of your heart. Your heart holds the precious seeds of Oneness. Many of these are already growing and manifesting as the conditions of your life, and others may be waiting for your conscious attention to activate them. For the seeds of Oneness to eventually blossom and bear fruit, they need to be nurtured by your willingness to cultivate Oneness and to conform your nature to that of the Divine. Your Divine nature is the nature of Oneness.
Today’s practice requires devotion and discipline. In the book of Galatians, it says: “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control; against such things there is no law.” Other seeds of Oneness that we must plant include compassion, tenderness, selfless service, nonviolence, inclusiveness, receptivity, gratitude, surrender, devotion, and generosity.
Today, cultivate the soil in the garden of your heart by actively devoting yourself to embodying Oneness. Dedicate yourself to being a living, breathing expression of the qualities of Oneness. Consciously demonstrate these traits in everything you do. Nurture and grow them by planting seeds of Oneness every day. Create a garden that lifts, inspires, comforts, and heals everyone around you. Through your conscious intention, you’re creating the outer conditions of your life via the inner cultivation of the seeds of Oneness.
Reflect on the following questions in quiet contemplation or by journaling at the beginning of your day:
1. What kinds of seeds do I want to grow in my garden—the ones that will blossom into the outer conditions of my life, my community, and my world?
2. What seed of Oneness will I devote myself to planting today?
3. How can I demonstrate my commitment to this seed of Oneness in both consciousness and action?
4. What support do I need from God to sow this seed in all that I am and all that I do?
Now imagine yourself planting this seed of Oneness in your heart, watering it, nurturing it, and watching it grow. Write the name of it on a piece of paper, and keep it in your pocket or on your desk or dashboard. Center yourself with it, using the name as a mantra and living prayer throughout your day. In all situations and experiences, return your focus to cultivating this seed of Oneness. Invite others to join you in planting and growing the garden of Oneness. Through your devotion and discipline, you are becoming a glorious, blossoming garden. These are the seeds of Oneness.
Affirmation
I AM a blessed seed of Oneness flowering in the heart of humanity.
*** ***
Practice 17
The Blossoming of Oneness
“The most precious gift we can offer others is our presence. When our mindfulness embraces those we love, they will bloom like flowers.”
— Thich Nhat Hanh
“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.”
— Anaïs Nin
“Earth laughs in flowers.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Exercise
Today, take time to stop and smell the roses, literally and symbolically. You’ve been consciously tending to your garden of Oneness through disciplined and devoted practice. Now it’s time to take a moment to reflect and examine. What’s growing in your garden? Is anything blossoming and bearing fruit? How is the ever-blooming consciousness of Oneness changing you, your relationships, and your life? Acknowledge yourself for your decision to become a spiritual gardener, sowing the seeds of Oneness . . . seeds of love, connection, and union.
Notice how Oneness is unfolding in your Soul. What unique qualities of Soul are growing in your life? These emit fragrances in the form of a spiritual personality, creating an atmosphere of grace and carrying the scent of the sacred, of Oneness. What scent are you offering to others and the world?
Spend time with a blossom today. Look for one in nature or treat yourself to a majestic rose, joyful tulip, luscious peony, or whatever calls to you. Be in prayerful communion. Imagine that this blossom is an outward expression of the inner flowering of your heart as a mystic, lover, and peacemaker in the world. Notice its colors, textures, and smell. What are its qualities? What qualities do you share with it? What guidance and inspiration does this blossom have to offer you on your journey into Oneness? What does it inspire you to become?
Allow yourself to overflow with the joy, beauty, and infectious delight of this flower. This is the blossoming of Oneness.
Affirmation
I AM the scent of the sacred emanating the perfume of Oneness.
*** ***
Practice 18
The Creativity of Oneness
“I want creation to penetrate you with so much admiration that wherever you go, the least plant may bring you the clear remembrance of the Creator.”
— St. Basil the Great
“God is really only another artist. He invented the giraffe, the elephant, and the cat. He has no real style. He just keeps on trying other things.”
— Pablo Picasso
“You become more divine as you become more creative. All the religions of the world have said God is the creator. I don’t know whether he is the creator or not, but one thing I know: the more creative you become, the more godly you become.”
— Osho
***
Exercise
The creativity of Oneness is constantly calling to you. Now is the time to answer the call and open yourself to the boundless inspiration available to you. When you hear the Divine knocking, fling the door wide open and invite your own particular genius inside. When you do so, you become receptive to the creativity of Oneness. You’re filled with wisdom and enthusiasm that is deeply and intricately connected to your well-being and to the well-being of the world. This inspiration is sourced in the Divine Idea of goodness for all. The creativity of Oneness taps into the collective Soul and delivers to your doorstep a notion of life that surpasses your wildest dreams. Your creativity fans the flame of Oneness; this is the Divine spark that connects you to the Source of all life.
Today, notice which Divine Ideas catch your attention and intention. What do you want to create? Do you feel pulled toward something? What fascinates you or whets your appetite? If you were to stop conforming to someone else’s idea of creativity, how would you express your own unique brilliance? Would you dance, paint, cook, sing, garden, act, draw, write, dress up, decorate, orchestrate, or design? Trust the Divine impulse that moves you to express and contribute. Have faith and act. As the wave of creativity rises and swells within, catch it and ride it in! This is the creativity of Oneness at work in you.
As you increase your willingness and ability to receive, conceive, and act on Divine inspiration, you open the channel for more to flow through. Divine inspiration for all aspects of your life will become easily accessible to you. Have the courage to create today! Make it contagious. Invite others to join you, uniting in the creativity of Oneness.
Take out a pen and paper. Set your watch or a timer for seven to ten minutes, and begin to write in a stream-of-consciousness style, allowing the words to flow uninterrupted onto the page. In other words, don’t stop or edit. Don’t think. Just go with whatever naturally arises. You may write the phrase This is so stupid! 30 times before something fresh comes forth. Trust the process and go. Create!
To get your engine purring and the words flowing, here are several jump-start phrases. Pick one of the following and jot it down on the top of a blank piece of paper or in your journal. Then start writing! Whenever you feel blocked or want to dive deeper, rewrite the phrase and continue to let your thoughts flow freely. Have fun!
Jump-start Phrases
Who am I
Behind my eyes
What matters
What I see
In my strength
What I know
Lost and found
What is true
In my hopes
What is real
What I remember
What I want the world to know
The truth about me
What if
Finding my way
In the silence
Where possibility lives
Inside out
Finding my voice
A window into me
Who will I be
In the center of myself
What changes everything
In the mirror
Can you see me
Innocence
Alone and together
Why am I here
What I really want
Becoming me
Waking up
Going deep
Sometimes
Underneath
Who I used to be
Inside my mind
If only
Being the truth
What draws me to it
What’s growing inside me
Inner voices
Honoring myself
When I’m there
Who lives inside of me
What I’m afraid of
By myself
Locked away
Finding the key
Affirmation
I AM consciously creating a world of brilliance and Oneness with my every expression—prayer, thought, statement, feeling, and action.
*** ***
Practice 19
The Spontaneity of Oneness
“Only in spontaneity can we be who we truly are.”
— John McLaughlin
“Play is the only way the highest intelligence of humankind can unfold.”
— Joseph Chilton Pearce
“I still get wildly enthusiastic about little things. . . . I play with leaves. I skip down the street and run against the wind.”
— Leo F. Buscaglia
***
Exercise
Tuning in to the reality of Oneness connects you to wholeness, innocence, and to the natural rhythm of life. From this, deep trust and surrender are born. The outward expression manifests as childlike joy and freedom in the now. In the spontaneity of Oneness, you become moved, animated, inspired, and illuminated by life. You are connected to the bubbling fountain, the effervescent Source; and your life becomes an expression of beauty, play, and flow. In the deeply rooted knowing of your Oneness, you have faith and are able to let go of your ego. Fear and resistance dissolve, and you’re free to swim in the warm and inviting sea of life. Play, laughter, fun, and creativity are all expressions of the spontaneity of Oneness.
Give yourself permission to live in this mind-set today. Go beyond the routine of your scheduled tasks and habitual actions, and explore the realm of childlike wonder. Feel and follow the fluidity of inspiration and impulse, allowing it to sweep you away. Let go and be alive within this free-flowing and continuous state of clarity and joy. Be fully present and open to whatever arrives in each moment. In this pure, vibrating consciousness, all sense of separation will dissolve. It’s the simple, essential truth of Divine love . . . the spontaneity of Oneness. Relax in total immersion in the Divine, and follow the invitation of your Soul.
One of the signs of a life sourced in the spontaneity of Oneness is experiencing Soul grandeur. Yet you may wonder how you can attain this in your modern life—in a culture that often cuts you off from communion with your natural mysticism and sense of wonder. French philosopher Gaston Bachelard, the author of The Poetics of Space, asserts that three factors are required for living a life of spontaneity and passion: intensity, intimacy, and immensity. Allow these qualities to become your guides today as the universe sweeps you away in its natural rhythm and flow.
— Intensity. St. Thomas Aquinas said that zeal comes from an intense experience of the beauty of things. How would you describe these “intense experiences” of your life? Do you feel like you’re being pulled toward something unfamiliar that will perhaps vanquish the illusion of boredom once and for all? What fans your inner flame? Go directly to that experience right now! Don’t delay or distract yourself from the intensity of life that beckons you, for it is here that you’ll come face-to-face with a living Oneness that will bathe you in radiance and bring you to life.
— Intimacy. Andrew Harvey said, “In every tradition, the Presence is hungry to reveal itself and to enter into ecstatic and intimate communion with its own creation.” God exerts a continuous attraction on your heart, pulling you, in love, toward God. Today, allow yourself to experience the joyful ecstasy of being gently drawn to your Eternal Beloved. Pay attention to what your heart is longing to experience and express. What will bring you into intimate and ecstatic communion with yourself, with life, with others, and with God? Let yourself be drawn like a moth to the flame to whatever your heart and Soul are longing to experience. Dare to be intimate with yourself, with others, and with God in the spontaneity of Oneness.
— Immensity. Psalm 139 states: “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there. If I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.” Allow yourself to fall in love with the stars, the planets, and with all Life today. Fall in love with the immensity of life and return to elemental awe! Feel your connection to the primordial sense of being, knowing that you were birthed from the cosmos. You are wondrously and magnificently made—Imago Dei—in the image and likeness of God. Allow yourself to follow what naturally connects you to the awe-inspiring majesty of life, of the world, and the entire universe. Be willing to be swept away in the spontaneity of Oneness.
Affirmations
I AM living a life of Soul grandeur, a life full of intensity, intimacy, and immensity.
I AM flowing with the spontaneity of Oneness.
*** ***
Practice 20
The Desire of Oneness
“Bliss becomes blissful with practice. In our own bliss the desire, desirer and process of desiring are united—they are one. Desire is fulfilled at its source.”
— Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
“People who renounce desires
often turn, suddenly,
into hypocrites!”
— Rumi (translated by Coleman Barks)
“Desire is the very essence of man.”
— Benedict de Spinoza
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Exercise
Trust your innate desires, sourced in the presence of Oneness, to bring you into profound connection with yourself, others, and your Divine purpose. Your authentic desire is one of your most precious and vital life-force energies; it’s essential in order to achieve lasting fulfillment and well-being. Allowing yourself to trust and follow your heartfelt wishes is a powerful practice of Oneness. Everything proceeds from this state, and no single action or thing is more worthy than another. As you follow your inner wisdom, you play an essential part in creating a world that benefits everyone, that blesses all
Enter into the resonant field of the desire of Oneness and know for certain that it exists in you as it does in all things. In Oneness, you’ll discover a universality of desire and enter into its radiant and luminous space. In fact, cosmologist and scientist Brian Swimme tells us: “By pursuing your allurements, you help bind the universe together. The unity of the world rests on the pursuit of passion.” Are you willing to pursue your passion in order to manifest the energy of Oneness in your life and the world?
If your answer is yes, then the willingness to be wholly available to life is all that’s necessary to enter into this practice. What passions will you discover? Where will life take you as you follow the energy of desire in every moment?
By following your longings, you’ll find that true presence to life offers you incomparable happiness. The simplest things, such as drinking a hot cup of tea, relaxing in a warm bath, and staring into a crisp blue sky can bring you tremendous delight as long as you’re present to it. In other words, you can discover absolute joy simply by being aware of and fully embracing the ordinary experiences of life. You’ll become free from needing intense experiences in order to generate desire and pleasure, and you’ll be enlivened and enthused by pure existence and your relationship to it in each moment.
Nothing and no one can take away the desire of Oneness and the beauty, peace, and bliss it offers. It is yours as you become present to it. Your full presence and receptivity to desire creates a powerful medicine that will begin healing the schism between your body and mind, your ego and Soul.
Today’s practice requires nothing more than your desire to be wholly available to life. What amazing things will you discover amid the seemingly mundane activities in your life today? If you decide to practice the desire of Oneness 60 times a day for 15 seconds, you’ll spend 15 minutes simply being. For today, 5 minutes will suffice.
Become present, feeling the energy of desire and allowing yourself to receive the blessings each moment carries as it unfolds. Find the delight and joy in simply recognizing this awareness. Feel the Divine radiance of life bringing you into a deeper relationship with yourself, your essential nature. Breathe and be in relationship to all things: the clothes you’re wearing, the food you’re eating, the sidewalk you’re walking on, the hand you’re shaking, the music you’re listening to, and so forth. Love each moment through the desire of Oneness.
Whenever you feel disconnected and experience a schism of the body and mind, the Soul and the ego, return to presence and feel the desire of Oneness unite and restore you. For today, give yourself permission to experience the excitement and allure of the desire of Oneness. Spread your passion for a life of Oneness!
Affirmation
I AM living the fullness of my Soul’s desires in each moment, forever bonded with the world in the passion of Oneness.
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