One or many? | Awakening Forums

michaelwriter
Infant Soul

Posts: 4

One or many? Nov 10, 2017 14:25:42 GMT -8

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Post by michaelwriter on Nov 10, 2017 14:25:42 GMT -8

To me, part of the problems of the world are caused by us constantly looking for 'oneness.' Whether it's the 'one way' approach to life, the 'one reality' idea or any variation on the theme (even pantheism is essentially a philosophy of 'oneness') it's that obsession with order and unity that creates so many problems.

The pagans of the old world were polytheists and animists; for them the world was always plural and manifold.

That idea makes a lot more sense to me; it is a more logical explanation of evil, disaster, confusion and chaos than any other I've come across.

To me the idea of 'the many' works much better both as an explanation and in terms of my experience of the world (material and spiritual.)

So why not embrace our diversity within a manifold universe with many Gods and many creative (and destructive) principles?

scottishgal
Young Soul

Posts: 102

One or many? Nov 10, 2017 23:23:40 GMT -8 via mobile

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Post by scottishgal on Nov 10, 2017 23:23:40 GMT -8

Nov 10, 2017 14:25:42 GMT -8 michaelwriter said:

To me, part of the problems of the world are caused by us constantly looking for 'oneness.' Whether it's the 'one way' approach to life, the 'one reality' idea or any variation on the theme (even pantheism is essentially a philosophy of 'oneness') it's that obsession with order and unity that creates so many problems.

The pagans of the old world were polytheists and animists; for them the world was always plural and manifold.

That idea makes a lot more sense to me; it is a more logical explanation of evil, disaster, confusion and chaos than any other I've come across.

To me the idea of 'the many' works much better both as an explanation and in terms of my experience of the world (material and spiritual.)

So why not embrace our diversity within a manifold universe with many Gods and many creative (and destructive) principles?

As far as I am concerned due to my personal experiences, this world is ruled by the two aspects of positivity and negativity and we can be influenced by both. We are the ones who make the choice as to which path we will follow. Good or Evil. We are actually creating the conditions that shapes the state of the world.

noble
Infant Soul

Posts: 3

One or many? Nov 11, 2017 14:50:01 GMT -8

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Post by noble on Nov 11, 2017 14:50:01 GMT -8

I see where you are coming from but I think that maybe you misunderstand what oneness refers to.

While the world is multi-faceted, in the sense that we observe it as such, I think it only seems that way to us from our point of view.
If you "zoom out" your perspective, at least for me, it is usually observable that "the many" are actually parts of a bigger "one".

I am sure you are familiar with the concept that good would mean nothing without evil.
How would a completely good or completely evil world look?
How would you know in which one you lived if you had no way of comparing it to something else?

I think that is the point you were trying to make.
But to me, oneness doesn't refer to choosing to do only good or only evil, or having any other 'one way of life' as you put it.
True oneness for me would be a perspective in which both good and evil are unified and you use them both when approaching life.

The way a battery works is having a positive and a negative node that are connected. It is only because of the polarization between them that electricity can flow from one to the other.
Wouldn't you say that having both of the opposing forces work towards the same goal (in this case generating electricity) has unified them?
And that though they are clearly different from each other and "plural", the system that is making use of them for a greater purpose that either couldn't achieve alone is "one"?

By embracing that good and evil are actually working towards the same goal, you can achieve a perspective that is beyond both of them and that can achieve something greater than either good or evil could on their own.
To me, this is the process of spiritual evolution.
If you unify all of the "many" aspects within yourself, you continuously evolve beyond them and gain a better perspective.

If you go beyond all the different aspects of the world and unify absolutely everything, you will gain a perspective beyond the world, and that might as well be synonymous with being God.

So the conclusion is that while the world is composed of many, there are always bigger "ones" in which they can be unified, with the last "one" being God.

Last Edit: Nov 11, 2017 15:41:08 GMT -8 by noble

WeAreAllOne
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Only Egos, Fears, and Illusion separate us.

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One or many? Nov 11, 2017 15:07:52 GMT -8

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Post by WeAreAllOne on Nov 11, 2017 15:07:52 GMT -8

Nov 11, 2017 14:50:01 GMT -8 noble said:

I see where you are coming from but I think that maybe you misunderstand what oneness refers to.

While the world is multi-faceted, in the sense that we observe it as such, I think it only seems that way to us from our point of view.
If you "zoom out" your perspective, at least for me, it is usually observable that "the many" are actually parts of a bigger "one".

That's pretty much spot on right there. With how diverse life is on earth and how many different shades of people there are. How many of us there are, we are all apart of life itself playing a separated illusion from source as if we were disconnected when in reality we are all connected to each other and much more regardless of skin color.

In the end though I think people will use labels and terms that make sense for people and to themselves to describe these esoteric concepts but what really should be more common discussion among people.

Be better than the person you were yesterday

scottishgal
Young Soul

Posts: 102

One or many? Nov 12, 2017 15:57:13 GMT -8 via mobile WeAreAllOne likes this

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Post by scottishgal on Nov 12, 2017 15:57:13 GMT -8

Nov 11, 2017 14:50:01 GMT -8 noble said:

I see where you are coming from but I think that maybe you misunderstand what oneness refers to.

While the world is multi-faceted, in the sense that we observe it as such, I think it only seems that way to us from our point of view.
If you "zoom out" your perspective, at least for me, it is usually observable that "the many" are actually parts of a bigger "one".

I am sure you are familiar with the concept that good would mean nothing without evil.
How would a completely good or completely evil world look?
How would you know in which one you lived if you had no way of comparing it to something else?

I think that is the point you were trying to make.
But to me, oneness doesn't refer to choosing to do only good or only evil, or having any other 'one way of life' as you put it.
True oneness for me would be a perspective in which both good and evil are unified and you use them both when approaching life.

The way a battery works is having a positive and a negative node that are connected. It is only because of the polarization between them that electricity can flow from one to the other.
Wouldn't you say that having both of the opposing forces work towards the same goal (in this case generating electricity) has unified them?
And that though they are clearly different from each other and "plural", the system that is making use of them for a greater purpose that either couldn't achieve alone is "one"?

By embracing that good and evil are actually working towards the same goal, you can achieve a perspective that is beyond both of them and that can achieve something greater than either good or evil could on their own.
To me, this is the process of spiritual evolution.
If you unify all of the "many" aspects within yourself, you continuously evolve beyond them and gain a better perspective.

If you go beyond all the different aspects of the world and unify absolutely everything, you will gain a perspective beyond the world, and that might as well be synonymous with being God.

So the conclusion is that while the world is composed of many, there are always bigger "ones" in which they can be unified, with the last "one" being God.

Naturally I have heard all that before. This is a dual world where the forces of positivity and negativity exists and as you have said, they complement each other. The path that I am traversing is known as the middle road so I guess that actually makes you neutral.

I see us all as Soul (Spirit). I believe that Soul inhabits the physical body and uses it in order to have experiences, which we wouldn't have otherwise. Whilst we are here, every action we put into being brings another action, this is known as cause and effect so there is a price to pay known as Karma. It is baggage that stays with us through every lifetime &affects what happens to us, I would call it destiny. In each incarnation we can still make choices within these boundaries.

Last Edit: Nov 12, 2017 16:00:33 GMT -8 by scottishgal