Oneness vs. Separateness

The concept of oneness—the understanding that we are all one people, one planet, one universe—is profound and beautiful. But it has been so overused that it borders on cliché. We hear sayings like “We really are all one,” or “We are the world.” Then there’s the old joke about the monk who approaches a hot-dog vendor and says, “Make me one with everything.” While there’s nothing inherently malicious or damaging about these examples, they’re sorely lacking in depth. The reality that people, nature, and even God are interconnected deserves thoughtful exploration.

The Illusion of Separateness

No one would deny that every living creature shares the same air, earth, water, and planet—in essence, we’re all connected at the core of existence. So how does the notion of separateness arise? Blame the mind. Despite the existential fact of interconnectedness, we constantly evaluate, differentiate, compare, and judge. As soon as we do this, we separate ourselves from everything else. Michael Gottlieb, founder of Royal Way, writes, “If you say ‘this is beautiful and that is ugly,’ then mind has entered, because life is both.”

While the mind is an extraordinary instrument, when used to separate ourselves from everyone and everything, it can be destructive. Michael points out that “It is not so much that you use your mind wrongly. It uses you. You believe that you are your mind. This is the delusion. The instrument has taken you over.”

When that happens, the gap of separateness increases. As Michael says, “Identification with your mind creates a screen of concepts, labels, images, words, judgments, and definitions that block all true relationship. It comes between you and yourself, between you and your fellow man and woman, between you and nature, between you and God.”

In reality, Michael adds, “Life is a unity. Existence is undivided. It is a deep unison. It is oneness.”

The Path Toward Oneness

Like other divine manifestations, such as love and bliss, oneness cannot be pursued through the mind. Experiencing oneness must come from the heart. Michael shares that “The heart knows it is the same drop in the ocean of consciousness as every other drop.” Michael illustrates this further with the analogy of a river that flows from and returns to the ocean—the river is not separate from the ocean. In the same way, we are not separate from God. We come from God and are returning to God.

So how do we move toward oneness and away from separateness? First, it’s vital to cultivate awareness. We need to watch our judgments and conclusions, and really look at the content of those expressions. “He’s wearing a red shirt.” That’s an observation. “He’s wearing a red shirt to garner attention.” That’s a judgment. We don’t need to feel bad or try to stop such thoughts. We want to simply watch them, like a cloud passing across our field of view. Michael elaborates: “The moment you start watching the thinker, a higher level of consciousness becomes activated … all the things that truly matter—beauty, love, creativity, joy, inner peace—arise from beyond the mind.” 

By letting go of the ego’s need to separate ourselves, we free ourselves from identification with the mind and experience the world through our true divine nature.

Meditation Is Key

How do we best free ourselves from identification with the mind? Meditation. Just as the world is noisy, so is the mind, constantly clamoring for attention. Constantly judging. Constantly separating. We don’t want to throw out the mind—we want to use it as the incredible instrument that it is. Think of a walking cane, a wonderful tool to steady yourself as you travel on foot. But when you’re no longer walking, you simply set it down until you need it again. Sounds simple, but with so much noise inundating our senses, not to mention the mind’s own chatter, we need something to help connect with our natural being, with silence, with the God within us. Meditation is one of the most effective ways to quiet the mind and experience our natural being.

In meditation, we fully engage the witness, the watcher. Our thoughts, feelings and emotions become transitory. Meditation, Michael teaches, is our “most natural and most yearned-for freeing of the mind.” And when we are free of the mind, we are free to experience oneness. It is no surprise that meditation is a key teaching and practice in Royal Way.

Oneness Is a Natural State

Oneness is not the dilution of our individual uniqueness, but rather, the merging of it. Think of a chorus made stronger by each singer coming together as one voice. So too, oneness is connecting with the divinity that we share with everyone and everything. It is, Michael teaches, our natural state—"a state of connectedness with something immeasurable and indestructible, something that almost paradoxically is essentially you and yet is much greater than you. It is finding your true nature beyond name and form.”

Through watchfulness and meditation, we can lift ourselves out of the ego-mind. Michael imparts, “God is one; all divisions are shadows. Light is one; colors are many. Live in the light and you live in God.”