Underlying Unity of Humanity
Different people around the world have many different types of experiences. There are many different types of cultures but there are many things in common such as warm days and the response of human beings to warm days, the response of human beings to cold, to sunlight, to darkness. Many things are similar in the human condition around the world in different cultures. Even one might say should human beings not be of this particular planetary body, still you may find many similarities. Although there are differences among human beings from different diverse backgrounds, still you will find that the degree of commonality in the human experience is more than the degree of difference. Then it becomes a matter of preference should a human being wish to emphasize the differences with others or the commonalities. In the emphasis upon differences between peoples, there are two impacts. One is that there is the development of a certain security of belonging to a known and quantified group of people, a family, a clan, a kingdom, a country. There is the identity with this quantifiable group and it gives a certain personal identity. One may think, "My group is like this or that and therefore I am like that" and one knows one's place in the world. It has this appeal to the human psychology. There is a great disadvantage to this identification with limited grouping, whether it be family, clan, ethnic group, racial group, or nationality or whatever the grouping. Perhaps there is identity with class, "I am the upper crust" or "I am impoverished." Whatever these different identifications with groupings, there is one failing in this approach. One begins to see more and more the differences between one's self and those in one's group and others and in this a barrier arises, a barrier based on heightened awareness of differences, rather than upon the commonalities within human experience.
When the babe is born and comes into the world and is first held in the mother's arms, is it so different from one country to the next, from one race to the next, from one people to the next? Is it not the same experience? When the old one lies in their bed and prepares to leave this world in the last hours if they are in one part of the world, of one race or another, is there so much difference in the human experience? I believe there is far more similarity than difference. Due to identification with the differences between people and with group of people with certain characteristics, certain ideologies, certain understandings, certain similarities, there is a heightened awareness of difference. From this substantiation of difference come schisms between human beings, between groups of human beings. When there are schisms, then there are conflicts between one and the other and out of these conflicts arises war. What is the fundamental cause of this terrible human phenomenon of war? It is a heightened emphasis upon the differences between people rather than the unity between people. It is from this approach that all the cruelties and abuses occur in the larger social field arise. As one begins to think that "I" and "mine" are something separate from "them," one feels justified doing some nasty action to them. Then if they, in turn, do some hurtful things to you or your family, clan or society then you feel justified taking mean action to them. Like this, the walls between people grow very high and last for generations, acculturating bitterness, anger, resentment, and pain into the human experience, into the society. For thousands of years one group living right next to another group may hate each other and do mean acts from time to time to each other, attempting to crush the other, all based on old wounds, "Oh, my grandfather and my grandfather's grandfather, this and that happened to them from these mean people." These bitternesses are perpetuated generation upon generation. They can go on for thousands of years but their cause remains the same. Even if they have existed for five thousand years, if one traces back, the cause is the same. It is identification with differences rather than similarities of human experience. From these have come so much bitterness, so much pain, so much strife, and so much cruelty in the human condition.
What is the solution to this dilemma in human society? The solutions, some say, are political. Others say they are military, "When I have sufficient weaponry and I have a spy TV and satellites and a big plane, then I will be dominant; no one with bother me." Others say, "No, no, it doesn't solve the problem. We need diplomatic political solutions so that everyone may talk about it." This is good but even then, you haven't gotten to the core of the problem. The real solution lies not in armaments nor in political alliances. Rather the solution lies in the acknowledgement of the fundamental unity in human experience, in the fundamental spiritual base of human life.
Though there are many cultures and many religions, many traditions, yet there remains a fundamental base in human life, a universal base. The unity of human experience that underlies diversity is universal. Is it not that all human beings are conscious, aware, that they love; they feel pain; they feel joy; they feel sorrow; they experience; they grow; they learn; they become? This fundamental human spirit is a universal force; it crosses the boundary of race; it crosses the boundary of ethnicity; it crosses the boundary of nationality. It is a fundamental base for the unification of human society and it is in this human spirit that the real basis of the solutions to all of the troubling differences and strife in this world lies.
When the human spirit is a strong, healthy, dynamic, it prevails over all of these problems and differences. When any force suppresses the human spirit, then all the antagonisms, emphases upon differences grow in magnitude. Therefore, the solution to these problems of human society lies in the development and magnification of the human spirit, of the fundamental base of humanity. In this fundamental human base, this fundamental conscious base, this fundamental unity of human experience, is the brightness and vibrancy of the human soul and human heart. In emphasis upon this lies the solution to all of these serious conflicting situations in the world today. When one recognizes the unity in human experience, surely one will want to aid one's brothers and sisters. Surely one will feel an outpouring of loving kindness for all the living beings and in this the generous experience arises and one feels, "All the living beings are my brothers and sisters and I must love and care for all of them." From this sentiment comes an expansion of the human heart and in that expansion of human love and human sentiment of care and kindness come transcendence of all of the petty and bitter feelings within the mind and love prevails and dominates. Should this happen to a great many people, then the vibrancy of the human spirit will be such that no longer can these chains hold back this vibrant spirit and it will tear them asunder. Then humanity will become as one and the human state will unify.
This is the destiny of human beings, this unity of heart and spirit. Nothing can keep the brightness of the human spirit from this universal approach. No small identification, no little grouping can hold the entirety of the magnitude of the human spirit. For this, only a universal approach will do and that universal approach recognizes the commonality of all human experience. In that commonality is the brightness and source of the human heart and soul, the bright source of the spirit of humanity. This universal source is the only unifying factor for all living beings. Some call it God; Allah, Jehovah, the universe, peace, love, compassion, consciousness. It has many facets like a brilliant diamond, sparkling, inviting the beatitude of the sun and shooting rays of elegance in all directions. This one unifying spirit, the heart of the spirit is fundamentally the same in all despite appearances of differing characteristics. It is one and you are one. There is only one. So many wars take place and so much suffering occurs to defend differences that are passing dust upon the truth of the human heart and the human condition.
Each day is a new dawn, a new beginning. Each day is a new opportunity to become, to be, to grow and to recognize the unity between all and make that your firm bridge in life. Never allow feelings of "I" and "Thou," feelings of differences to dominate you. Rather become established in knowledge of the fundamental commonality within human experience and the fundamental unity in all life and make that your stance in the world.
Each one of you is like a bright light and if there are a hundred lights, a thousand lights whose spirit shines bright, whose minds are clear, who see the unity within the diversity of humanity, surely those lights joined together make a brilliance that dispels darkness from the world. It is from this light that a bright new beginning may be forged for humanity.
