Monday, May 10, 2010

The hallucination of separateness

A message from Eric Allen Bell, founder, Global One TV - Online Spiritual Television for a New Age

A message to all members of Global One TV

I want to thank everyone who participated in the live chat with Deepak Chopra on Sunday. The topic was "Oneness" and he had quite a bit to say on the subject.

What I found particularly interesting was this notion that the internet has become the modern Akashic Records. And that if you wanted to know the state of humankind, look at what's popular online. Of course this has been a fascination of mine for some time and is much of the reason for my decision to launch Global One TV in the first place.

I asked Dr. Chopra a couple of questions and I wanted to share with you the answers that he gave...

The first question I asked was a rather general one, but perhaps a classic when it comes to one of the obstacles so many people have in believing in a Divine intelligence. I asked Deepak, "Why is there suffering in the world" and he answered.."All suffering comes from the hallucination of separateness".

There was a lot of talk about non-duality. Although I don't personally have a religion, if I did it would be that of Advaita Vedanta - the Vedic mystic tradition of non-duality. Separateness is clearly an illusion. It causes us to perceive ourselves as being separate from God. That and the idea that we are separate from one another has been the source of most wars. The concept of us and them exists only in the mind, which leads me to the second question I asked Deepak:

I asked,"Does the mind exist in time or does time exist in the mind?" to which he answered..."Neither. Time and mind exist in non-local consciousness."

Someone asked where we go when we die and he answered, "You do not go anywhere as there is no time and space."

On the subject of oneness and non-duality Dr. Chopra went on to say that "You are the ocean and the drop of water" meaning that we are not one or the other. There is a beautiful saying I heard once at a Science of Mind conference that says, "God in me, as me, is me." Chopra put it differently referring to a quote by Franz Kafka which says, "All of our problems are the result of an inability to sit quietly and do nothing."

But of all the insight that Deepak Chopra had to share with us, what stuck with me the most was this quote: "I am that, you are that, all of this is that and that is all there is."

3 comments:

  1. I asked,"Does the mind exist in time or does time exist in the mind?" to which he answered..."Neither. Time and mind exist in non-local consciousness."

    I take this to mean: "time and mind" doesn't exist in the consciousness of individual humans (local), but in "non-local consciousness" (the collective consciousness).

    There's only One Mind, and we humans are an individuation of that Mind. Similarly, there's only One Spirit, and humans are an individuation of that Spirit. There's only One Life, and humans are an individuation of that Life.

    That doesn't mean that we manifest or express that Mind, that Spirit, or that Life perfectly. We don't!

    A greater understanding is this: Neither time, nor space exists. It's always "here and now." Things are occurring in the Holy Moment of now, overlapping, or spiraling upward into eternity.

    "'I asked Deepak, 'Why is there suffering in the world' and he answered..'All suffering comes from the hallucination of separateness'".

    In an absolute sense, this is true. Suffering is a judgment, usually a prejudgment of a thing. You've perhaps heard the saying: "Pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional."

    There are those who live with pain without suffering. They choose not to suffer. They choose to endure the pain, but to do so without judging it.

    "Someone asked where we go when we die and he answered, 'You do not go anywhere as there is no time and space.'"

    True. We're everywhere all at once. There's no place we're not. For the moment, we're projecting into this reality. But there're other realities into which we're projecting, as well. It's just that we choose not to know this, and to keep these various other realities distinct one from the other.

    From time to time, they do bleed through.

    Consciousness is illimitable, and more creative than we know, or fully comprehend.

    "Separateness is clearly an illusion. It causes us to perceive ourselves as being separate from God."

    It is an illusion. Yet, separation isn't a bad thing. Actually, it, too, serves a purpose, just as the "fruit of the Tree of Good and Evil," from the Garden of Eden, serves a purpose, a Holy Purpose, and shouldn't be seen as wrong or bad.

    It's not, although I may have implied that in my earlier post.

    The so-called "original sin" has also been referred to as the "original blessing."

    Because Adam and Eve made a choice, it gave rise to other choices, allowing for the possibility of any and all choices--including the choice to return "Home" at anytime by choosing not to "judge."

    "All of our problems are the result of an inability to sit quietly and do nothing."

    We have the ability to "sit quietly and do nothing," but, for us, doing trumps being. Yet, life is about what we're being, not about what we're doing. Our "doing" is an outgrowth of what we're "being."

    Our problems stem from what we're believing, what we believe is true about God, and about our fellowman and woman. Not to believe in God is also a statement and a belief about God.

    Hence, to change what we're doing (our actions), we need only change what we believe. Mostly we seek to change beliefs by attacking actions--whether we attack them militarily, politically, socially, or what have you.

    "'I am that, you are that, all of this is that and that is all there is.'"

    We're all of it. There's nothing we're not.

    My first response was obliterated. This is my second one.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for your validation of these thoughts. When you say "obliterated" does this mean that you lost the message before sending? I haven't refused to publish anything you sent from my end.

    ReplyDelete
  3. "When you say "obliterated" does this mean that you lost the message before sending?"

    Yes. Rossa, you have been very gracious, and generous. Thank you!

    When I hit the "Preview" button, my comment disappeared. I should have been more specific.

    ReplyDelete

I am no longer approving comments. All I ask is that you be respectful of others and refrain from using profanity.