Author: Dr. Manasa Nagabhushanam, Daiv
Oneness is not a philosophy for books; it is a way of looking at the person in front of us.
Tradition tells of Adi Shankaracharya, walking in Kashi toward the Vishwanatha temple after his morning bath. A man of the so-called lowest caste, with four dogs, came walking from the opposite side. Shankara's disciples cried out, "Move aside!" The man smiled and asked a question: "Do you wish this body to move away from that body, or the Self to move away from the Self?" In some tellings he adds: does the sun's reflection in the Ganga differ from its reflection in a drain?
Shankara bowed, understanding that he had met his teacher. He composed the five verses called Manisha Panchakam, each ending with the declaration: "Chandalo'stu sa tu dvijo'stu gururityesha manisha mama", whether he be an outcast or a Brahmin, he is my teacher, this is my conviction.
The Isha Upanishad states the same truth: "One who sees all beings in the Self, and the Self in all beings, feels no hatred thereby" (verse 6). Hatred, contempt and comparison feed on the idea of separation, and they weaken when we see the same light in others.
Today, choose one person whom you usually overlook, a driver, a cleaner, a stranger on the road. Greet them warmly, as you would greet your own teacher, and see whose light you meet there.