Peace, Unity and Interdependence of All Beings

Oneness is the most lucid explanation for the interconnectedness of all beings and has an important lesson for all those who seek contentment, unity and peace.

The unity and interdependence of all beings is the basic nature of all creation. Egocentric thinking is against the order of nature. It prevents us from achieving harmony with the rest of the universe by creating artificial barriers between us and others.

It is these barriers that make us think in terms of you and I, yours and mine, us and them. They prevent us from reaching out to others and prohibit others from reaching out to us.

This disconnect makes us view others as rivals and breeds negative emotions - fear, hatred, jealousy, enmity and anger, one leading to another. This is the biggest obstacle in achieving peace.

Since the barriers arising out of egocentric thinking are our own creation, then only we can dissolve them. "He who sees all beings in the Self and the Self in all beings, feels no hatred because he shares with me a portion of the divine - I, then, can neither be harmed by him, nor can I become angry, nor can I hate him."

Thus, the only way to free oneself from the vicious cycle of negative emotions is to expand one's consciousness till one achieves what is known as egolessness.

It is not difficult to see that we all share a common destiny. There is something of us in all and something of all in us.

This realization helps us to feel the Oneness with others. We become happy in others' joys and sad in their sorrows. This must be understood, for this alone will give mankind unity, contentment and ever lasting peace.