Thich Nhat Hanh says: "enlightenment is when a wave realises it's the ocean" which is such a beautiful metaphor.
It's a pivotal moment when an individual (or wave) realises that it's like all of the other waves - made of the same stuff (water) and connected together in something so vast and powerful that it's almost beyond comprehension (the ocean). What's even better is when a wave realises that it's also like the whirlpools, ripples, spray and splashes - that we humans are just like the animals, trees, birds, insects... and that together with us, they too form the ocean. This is the realisation of Oneness - that we are all formed from the same fibre and that we are all interconnected.
If we can practice living from a state of Oneness then it follows that we become more enlightened - but what does that actually mean? En-light-ened to me - means being in more of our light - embodying more of the highest, purest part of us and seeing that same light in all other creatures. Now, you may well be asking - why do we talk about light all the time and is this just another spiritual metaphor? Well, I don't believe so and I'll try my best to explain why...
On this level of form we are conditioned to split reality into two parts - matter, things which are tangible and have a weight - and energy, which exists in waveforms like sound and light. As humans we are comfortable that we exist as matter - we have a physical body which we can feel and clearly see the edges of - but are we also aware that we exist as energy?
In fact, we exist as a spectrum of energy across different frequencies or wavelengths - the higher frequencies of which are constantly in flux. The physical body is the lowest frequency/vibrational rate and the most dense part of us which is manifest. We then rise higher in frequency/vibration into the aura and the largely unseen parts of ourselves - our emotional, mental and spiritual bodies. Our spirit or soul energy is the part of our energy spectrum which has the highest frequency. And what is the highest frequency of energy in our universe? Light. Our soul is made from light.
With that in mind, looking at ourselves holistically we are a soul (light) blending into a human body (matter). In fact, we are the living examples of the paradigm shifting 'wave-particle duality concept' developed by quantum physicists in the 20th century. This concept holds that particles (matter) can behave as waves (energy) and vice versa - that our reality is not split between matter and energy but is a constantly moving picture between the two. All matter, including our physical bodies are built from atoms and even smaller subatomic particles - particles that can also behave as waves or energy. We are matter which is also fundamentally energy. Applying this scientific concept to our existence - we can say that beyond the physical manifestation, beyond matter - we are all energy, we are all light - expressed in a variety of forms.
Just the waves, the ripples and the splashes are all expressions of water.
When we see and feel this truth of oneness, the implications for our world are far-reaching. Would racial, gender, religious and cultural divides exist as they do now if we could all see past the physical packaging of our souls? Would warfare, cruelty and our abuse of the planet be as prevalent if we all felt more unity and connection? I really don't think so.
I wholeheartedly believe that as more of us awaken to the true nature of ourselves and our existence, as more of us embody more of our light, that there will be a critical shift in our collective consciousness. A shift that will align us further towards equality, harmony and love. Collectively we will rise up out of fear, resentment and prejudice. This shift has already started and continues with us now as individuals, reconnecting with our soul through whatever practice feels right, being kind to ourselves, others and the planet, and taking responsibility for our own energy. I share with you my efforts in this collective endeavour and thank you for all of yours <3
With much love, always
Justine xxx