There is only one. Many years ago, my Teacher Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba gave me an experience of Self-Realisation. I realised I am Atma (Self/Soul) and part of Paramatma. There is no ‘seven billion atmas’, there is only one. It is a paradox. It is the mind that creates the seven billion. The analogy of the hologram explains the paradox. The bit in a hologram contains the whole. You can take away any number of bits from the whole, it remains always whole. The reason we think the way we do is because in the physical world, physical matter becomes less if something is taken away from it. A drop taken away from the ocean becomes a drop less. This is not true in consciousness.
We are One
We are all one, my Teacher says,
“…See in Me yourself, for I see Myself in you all. You are My life, My breath My soul. You are My forms, all. When I love you I love Myself; when you love yourselves, you love Me. I have separated Myself from Myself so that I may love Myself. My beloved ones, you are MY own self.” Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba
The Wisdom of the Upanishads
The Upanishads which are part of the Vedas (are primary texts of ancient Hinduism) where a divine mantra states in Sanskrit:
“Om Puurnnam-Adah Puurnnam-Idam Puurnnaat-Purnnam-Udacyate Puurnnashya Puurnnam-Aadaaya Puurnnam-Eva-Avashissyate Om Shaantih Shaantih Shaantih.”
It means, “THAT is full/complete, and THIS is full/complete. From THAT comes THIS and if THIS is removed from THAT. THAT remains full/complete or, ever full”. The meaning of this mantra explains the holographic nature of reality. THAT (Brahman/TRUTH) is the one consciousness and THIS (LOVE) is creation. Creation (LOVE) comes from (Brahman/TRUTH). The absolute Truth is within oneself. The world outside is a relative truth. However, most people look outside themselves and identify it as real. Therefore, they seek their happiness from the objects in the world. When their desires are not fulfilled, they become unhappy. True happiness is their connection to God (Love & Truth) within them. As long as they look outside for happiness, it won’t be fulfilled.
The Search for Happiness
You can observe this behaviour in people looking for happiness in the world, thinking that the external objects in the world will fulfill their desires and give them happiness. Unfortunately, instead of happiness people suffer because their desires are unfulfilled. People follow the wrong role models, who are themselves confused and create negative behaviour. This confused behaviour is adopted by people who consider themselves followers. An example would be Michael Jackson singing the song called ‘Bad’. He was traumatised, confused, and angry with the world. The lyrics go on to say, “I’m bad”, exhorting his followers, mostly young impressionable youths to think that, “I am bad” is a good thing. This idea compromises personal values, sowing seeds of confusion and dissension.
However, he is not the only one. There are other so-called celebrities in industries like clothing and retail. Where once people took pride in the clothes they wore, now they go about in torn jeans to look fashionable. How ridiculous can you get? Some have gone to extremes, where their pant legs are supported by a few threads, looking disintegrated. They look like paupers who can’t afford new clothes but, they pay an exorbitant price for these torn clothes. Followers of fashion, also wear clothes that cover strategic parts of their anatomies, like a peep show. They have become body conscious, parading their bodies to seek attention.
It is like the story of the ‘Emperor’s New Clothes’. Where the king was looking for clothes which no one had, to be special. A couple of scammers persuaded the king that the clothes they supplied were so fine, that it was almost invisible. They persuaded the king to wear these invisible clothes in public. The king paraded in public to show his beautiful clothes to his subjects. The king was made aware that he was actually naked, by a young child who shouted out the truth. The child was not inhibited or conditioned like the adults, who were afraid to voice their opinions.
Until people stop identifying with the objective world, they will keep suffering. When they realise that they are not the body, or their title, or occupation and become AWARE, that they are ‘Love and Truth’, their suffering will stop.