As you may have noticed from the video, I’m still developing my language skills when it comes to speaking about “the illusion” of separation. The way I see it, the most honest thing I can do to express The Truth of the Oneness of Being is to be silent. However, because I am engaged in human relationships, I have to do the next best thing which Jesus described as being in the world but not of the world. So somehow, I must live among beings who have somehow managed to become convinced of their separateness while maintaining a consciousness of One. And let me tell you, it ain’t as easy in the role of a middle-aged adult male as it was when I was younger.

For the first twenty-three years of my experience I had a difficult time identifying myself with a separate and particular personality or even my body. Truthfully, I didn’t eat from The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil until I took an event in my life personally. It was the first time I consciously withheld forgiveness and wanted to blame someone for my interpretation of an experience. Even as I was telling myself it was their fault, I could feel the separation or idea of separation taking root. I could not be One with them and blame them at the same time. I had to choose and I chose blame.

I didn’t have the language to explain my feelings at the time, but in retrospect I knew that I was ceasing to see the person as One with me. Little did I know, that by separating myself from them I was separating myself from Myself. What really got me was that I was doing this consciously. I was choosing my so called “right” to be hurt over the other person. Now I see why Jesus said if we hate anyone we are murderers (1 John 3:15). To be “in the world” is to operate from the idea of separation and consequent judgment. It is a house built on the foundation of sand (Matt 7:24-27). It is the house divided that is doomed to fall (Luke 11:17).

What I have found is to avoid getting pulled into this illusion or to get out of it, we must prepare ourselves. We must be aware that we are subject to illusions at anytime and we must exercise our ability to forgive until it is a reflex. As children, before we knew or considered ourselves to be separate, we healed from offenses as quickly as we forgave, which was close to instantaneously. How many of you remember that space? How did we get out of that space? Whose “fault” was it? That’s a trick question.

If you want to reclaim that space, release the blame. Only the separated self can blame. In a great sense, the separate “I” itself is an illusion. Perhaps “I” is The Illusion and “We” is closer to reality. But, I’ll save that for another blog. For now let’s just trust that We are in this thing together.