The illusion of individuality

July 9, 2012

Through Knowledge we know that we are “souls.” We are “individual” souls. We have a “number.”
How can I say that individuality is an illusion? 🙂

As souls, in “Parandham” there is no consciousness of being “individual.” In the physical world, we know through gyan, that sanskaras play automatically according to time. Those sanskaras make up a person’s “unlimited” Drama. In fact, the Drama manifests its change or movement through different souls playing different parts. Those parts are not unrelated, those parts are inter-related. Those parts belong to a greater theme. Those parts are not isolated. That theme is what exists and we are just part of that.
Similarly, no one could live alone. We are in a continuous relationship with different beings in Nature. As a matter of fact, Nature is alive and we are mingled with it. We are so entrenched with Nature that when we experience entropy, Nature experiences the same as well.

Individuality conveys the idea of isolation. To live life means to live in relationship. The illusion of individuality is brought to us by ego alone. Ego divides. When there is division, there is isolation.

We perceive our bodies as “individuals,” when we cannot live as “individuals” but always in relationship with everything else.
The image of being “drops” of the ocean; makes sense for those individual drops mean nothing without other drops. Many drops make the ocean and that ocean moves as a unity, moves in a particular direction, just like the Drama of life. As much as we like to think that “we do what we want,” that does not happen. The current is already moving in one direction and whether we are aware or not, we move in that direction as well. That is Drama the “fruit,” which resides in the sankaras, the “seed” of that fruit.

The paradox is that even though we are “individual souls,” there is no individuality except when we manifest ego. We are part of the ocean of the Drama. The parts are already fixed. Through souls, the Drama manifests the parts of the movie. Actually, there are no “single” parts even though it may appear like that.
Can “Coyote” exist without “Road runner”? Can “Sylvester” the cat exist without “Tweety bird”? Yes… but there wouldn’t be a “cartoon show” (life) unless they are paired together. That is why individuality is an illusion.

In our spiritual life, the sense of isolation and loneliness is part of that ego centeredness. That is why sooner or later someone in the path of spirituality has to learn to live “alone,” so he can be aware of a greater reality. As mentioned before, there is no such a thing as “alone” but that person will find diverse ways of being in relationship: with the self (detached observer) and with others. It just takes time and that time could be “hellish,” but it could be understood when we finally wake up to the reality of “relationship.” Life is meant to be relationship.

Written by avyakt7- New Generation Posted in Churnings or Realizations Tagged with individuality, life, loneliness, relationship