When we see the light of God in every being, we truly realise unity. It then becomes easy for us to love everyone because we see our own self in each being, writes Sant Rajinder Singh
Many noble-hearted souls have been calling for human unity. This trend has gained momentum over the past few decades. Yet, despite the popular growth in movements for unity, we still find conflict and discord in the world. Speeches and conferences are motivated by high ideals. They inspire the participants to turn their attention to the goal of oneness. But unity comes about only at the personal level, when each one experiences it for one’s self. When we merge in God and see the light of God in every being, we have truly realised unity. It then becomes easy for us to love all, because we see our own self in each being. If we truly wish to achieve human oneness, we must first experience it ourselves. Just imagine what a beautiful world we would have if every person saw God’s light in every other form of creation. We could then exclaim as Sant Darshan Singh did in one of his exquisite verses: “I have learned to cherish all creation as my own; your message of love is the very meaning of my life.”
There would be an atmosphere of peace and tranquility. Gentleness would flow from our lips. Tenderness would exude from our actions. Sweetness would pour from our eyes. All who came within our ambit would feel serenity and joy. If anyone has been lucky enough to have spent some time in the company of great spiritual teachers, he or she would have felt a tremendous love and peace in their company. Any time we go to spiritual adepts with a troubled heart, we feel that our pain has been relieved and our burdens lifted. They speak to us lovingly, they embrace us affectionately, and they care for us from the depths of their heart and soul. The world and its troubles disappear when we are in their presence. We feel as if we are living in moments of eternity. Time stands still, and our difficulties vanish. This is the result of being in the company of someone who has merged with God and who loves all creation as if they were a part of one large family. What they have attained is possible for each of us to attain. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we felt this love and harmony radiating from everyone we met?
The world was meant to be a garden of Eden and a haven of bliss. To attain such a paradise on earth, each of us has to make a contribution. Peace and unity begin within each one of us. We cannot expect others to radiate harmony and oneness if we ourselves are not prepared to see their fruition in our own lives. Each of us must do our own small part to bring about the fulfillment of this noble dream. We can attain this condition by the process of meditation that leads to self-knowledge and God-realisation.
When we begin to have love for all, a transformation occurs within us. Our whole behaviour towards others changes. We become non-violent in all our dealings. We begin to have understanding and compassion towards the idiosyncrasies and habits of others. We stop criticising people in our minds. First, we realise that they are bound by the shrouds of ignorance and illusion of this world. We know that deep within them is the soul, a part of God, that it is only their mind and their state of spiritual ignorance that causes them to behave the way they do. Secondly, we are so steeped in God’s love and the bliss which permeates us that we do not want to be distracted from that rapturous state by petty thoughts of others. We are so far removed from the trifles that people become involved in that we do not recognise them.
Criticising others in our thoughts only pulls us away from the state of happiness that union with God brings. Since our thoughts will be filled with divine love of God, our words will become sweet and loving. We will not say anything unkind to anyone. People who come within our sphere will find only words of love and kindness. Even if some short word escapes our lips accidentally, we will feel the pain we cause someone else and will immediately apologise and set the relationship right. We will become sensitive to the hearts of others and will wish them no harm. Finally, we will never do anything to physically harm anyone. We will not become violent with anyone. We will even have regard for the life of animals. This is why people who are serious about treading the path God-wards become vegetarian. They do not wish to take the life of any other creature, because they see God’s light shining within all creation.
When this unity is attained, the divisions that separate human beings from one another will fall away. As Sant Darshan Singh once prayed in a verse: “Your tipplers are divided by temple and mosque; remove the barriers that separate them, Cupbearer.”
Whether we pray in a temple or a mosque, we will all realise that each person, irrespective of the religion into which he or she was born, is praying to one God. We will recognise that God is one, whether he is called God, Allah, Jehovah, Wahiguru, Parmatma, the Oversoul, the creative power of the universe, or by any other name. We will see unity in the diversity of life. It will not matter to us whether someone is Hindu or Muslim, Sikh or Jain, Christian or Jewish, Buddhist or Parsi. We will recognise God’s light in each being, whether their outer skin is black, white, or tan. We will know that God resides in every person, whether born in Asia, Africa, Australia, Europe, North America, or South America. We will realise that the same light of God is in each of them. We will appreciate the differences caused by tradition and cultures, but realise there is unity in all living beings.
Peace and unity are assured when we achieve the union of our soul with God. If we feel that this is a goal we would like to accomplish in the remaining years of our life, there is a way to make it a reality. We owe our gratitude to the great spiritual teachers who have given us the tools and technique to reach this goal. Let us take advantage of the golden opportunity, for we will not only be helping our own selves and our loved ones, but we will transform the world into one of peace and unity.
The writer is a spiritual leader
