Experiencing Oneness

 

Lalita Rao

Swami often tells us that we are all one; that we may assume various physical forms, but we are all from the same divine source. Although we have heard this from Him continuously, we don’t experience this oneness too often during our humdrum everyday life.  We specialize in building walls around ourselves and finding the differences among each other rather than the similarities. The walls we build are double-bricked, well cemented and hard to knock down!

Still, once in a while, we get glimpses of this oneness. We will think of someone, and out of the blue, they will drop by unannounced. I was just thinking about you this morning, I would say. Although it would sound facetious at that moment, it would indeed be true that we had talked about this person or wondered about their well being. You think of someone and they call. Or, you see them in the news! I remember I was so stunned once, years ago, I was walking to the library on the Northeastern Univ. campus. Randomly, without any context, someone’s name and face flashed in my mind: Raman Lamba, who was a cricketer at that time. No reason. Totally random. I went into the library and sat at a computer terminal. As I read an Indian newspaper online, I saw a news item: Raman Lamba was playing in the Bangladesh league. He was hit on the head by a ball and had died. Coincidence? What are the chances? Not even remotely connected, in anyway. Or so I thought. Oneness… somewhere, somehow, we are all connected by something.  Something – I don’t know what – some layer of my consciousness had acknowledged what had happened to Raman Lamba, and thought of him literally a few minutes before I read this news item on line.

Why is it that we experience this oneness only momentarily then? Why are we not usually tuned into this thought that we are all one, from the same source, and that the only difference between us is that we occupy different bodies for just this moment in time?

Everyday Forms of Oneness

Something that happened yesterday brought home this message in a nice way. Please bear with me as I set the elaborate stage leading up to today -

My parents and I live on a small street in south Bangalore. Houses are spaced close together, and if I have good eyesight and look hard enough, I can see an ant crawling on the opposite house’s wall. That is how close the houses are. Our neighbors are mostly long term residents, barring a few new renters. Yet, while cordial and amiable, only a few are friendly and forthcoming. This is just the “Bangalore culture”, someone told me. It is nothing personal. There is one family diagonally across from us, however, that doesn’t get along with most of the people on our street. The father and daughter are quick to anger, berate passersby loudly and abrasively, and generally succeed in keeping away most people from their premises. The mother is present, but I have never heard her voice before. Skirmishes on parking and other issues have left us studiously avoiding them as much as possible. Having moved here only this past year, I noticed their fights with all and sundry, but didn’t have any direct personal experience with them.

Even within their own family, the only daughter’s behavior was anything but pleasant. The whole street often heard her loud and violent fights with her father, often while under the influence of various toxic substances. Whenever this happened, my heart went out to her and the family – they needed some intense love and energy sent to them. And that is the best I could do – send them love and positive energy and pray for them. Everybody talked about them, but no one was friendly. With good reason, it seemed; so I am not blaming them.

A few months ago, we heard (and saw) that the daughter’s engagement ceremony was performed. Everyone commented on who the ‘lucky’ bridegroom might be [read: sarcasm and derision!]. They commented on how she lost weight, and how she might have accomplished that. And on and on…. keen and intense interest without any direct contact.

Fast forward to yesterday – a beautiful mantapam/canopy of leaves, flowers and fruits was erected in front of their house. I have never seen anything like it before. Rumor, via the car washer on the street(!), was that the wedding was on August 6th (today).  No one knew who was invited on the street. Maybe some. Maybe none.

Thoughts That Fly

As I stood on our porch and admired the lovely handiwork of the guy who erected the canopy, I felt for a moment that maybe we could send flowers to the bride, just to congratulate her and wish her well. I had never spoken to her, never made eye contact (not for lack of trying on my part!). Yet, this was a big day in the life of this family – the only daughter, despite whatever trials and tribulations we had all witnessed, was getting married. What was the harm in wishing her well?  Even if we were not invited?

I gingerly broached the topic with my parents. Do you think we should send her some flowers? Having lived on the street longer, and experienced the unpleasantness, they were understandably chagrined at my idea. One would think I was proposing to gatecrash the wedding or something! Oh, no! They will think we are trying to finagle an invitation or something!! was the immediate response. I could see they were torn, though. They had nothing against the girl or the family. Yet, considering the past, they were not in a position or mood to be so forthcoming as to acknowledge the wedding without being invited. Well, I tried to negotiate, what if we send the flowers after the wedding? That way, they will not think we are trying to get invited to the wedding. In my head I am thinking, really, do you REALLY think I need an invitation to ONE more wedding? I have attended more weddings in the last one year since I moved here, than in the last fifteen years combined. Ok, maybe a slight exaggeration. But only slight. Not really that far off from reality.

Anyway, my idea was shot down and I reluctantly let it go. We could still send her our best wishes and energy in our hearts I suppose, without the flowers, I thought.

I went to sunday evening bhajans at Sai Gitanjali and returned home around 8.30 pm. As I entered, I noticed a large wedding invitation on the coffee table. My mother caught my eye and grinned sheepishly. The wedding invitation has come. She said. Maybe they read your thoughts from this morning. How did that happen? I asked her. Well, the bride’s mother and aunt came by an hour ago and invited us to the wedding.

The wedding was less than 12 hours away. Out of the blue, they just decided to come and invite us. No word had been exchanged in the last three years; but the invitation came twelve hours before the wedding. Ha… made my day . Not because I wanted to go to yet another wedding, but because it reinforced the power of positive thoughts and vibrations. The ice was broken.

So, are you going to go? I asked my parents. My father was otherwise occupied; I was going to go to work. That left my mother to attend the wedding at the nearby temple. I have to ask Riaz, She said. Riaz is another neighbor a few houses away; both he and my mother consider themselves long suffering members of the grievance club against this family! After much back and forth, she knew that it was the right thing to do. And it was arranged in such a way that only she could attend! Can you come with me, and go to work an hour late? She asked. Nope, I replied. This was something she had to do.

And she did. To her credit, she got ready, went to the wedding all by herself. It was a small crowd at the temple. She sat through the wedding, blessed the couple and returned home. Her presence was acknowledged and appreciated by the parents and the bride. It wasn’t so bad, she said. Maybe this will end the unpleasantness on the street.

I remember a speaker on Radiosai saying recently - if there is a problem, add some Love. And if it still persists, add some more Love. How many times has Swami told us – Love is the way, Love is the only way!

The power of our thoughts is amazing. And sometimes scary, I admit! I guess the light bulbs are all connected to the same source, after all. If this is what a fleeting thought can do – reach out and touch the person we thought about, imagine what the constant ruminations and churnings in our head can accomplish! The domino effect of all our zillions of thoughts can stir up a tsunami! All the more reason to indulge only in positive thoughts and vibrations, right?

(Lalita Rao studied, worked and lived in Boston, USA for more than two decades. After moving back to Bangalore two years ago, she has been working at the Public Affairs Foundation, Bangalore. While in Boston, she served as a youth adviser for the Northeast Region (Region 1) of the USA Sathya Sai Organization, and was a Sai Spiritual Education (SSE) teacher and coordinator at the Boston Sai Center for many years. Currently, she is also closely associated with the development of the Sharavathi Kannada Higher Primary School in Hosadoddi village. She lends her enthusiasm, professionalism, time management and sincerity to every activity she takes up.)