You Are One, But Part Of Many: Together We Are Complete Marvel

Are you lonely? Me, too — sometimes. Life binds us together regardless, which means that our loneliness is a delusion in many ways. But…

But, it is hard when everybody else seems to be miles away, even if they sit next to you. It is even more problematic when we long for company, camaraderie and friendship, and there is nobody for us. Or so it seems.

For a lonely human, tears are never far away if the loneliness is not our conscious choice.

Do you feel that you belong? I sometimes feel isolated and not part of anything. Again, it’s an illusion. By default, we always belong but do not necessarily admit or want to be seen as part of some community.

We rebel, escape and try to fit in somewhere we think we belong. The more we try to cut the chains, the more we are tangled in the complexities of the cobweb called life.

But the surface of individual loneliness and isolation is thin if we look deeper at our lives. Ultimately, we are one and meant to be here for each other.

The Buddhist concept that helps us break our prison walls of loneliness is called onenesses. At least in theory, but there is also a practice to support it.

Ten onenesses is the Buddhist view on this complexity of life

Miao-lo (711–782) was a Chinese scholar who analysed Buddhist writings and revealed a concept of the Ten Onenesses that the ancient teachings hid in their depts.

What have those almost 1,500 years old concepts to do with us? Nothing at all, but everything.

They give us a way to understand how deep the philosophy is and how well aligned it is with the findings of modern sciences, especially neuroscience and astronomy.

1 — The oneness of body and mind

As neuroscience has proved to us, the mind is not something to consider a separate entity but is tightly bound to our physical body and every cell.

Sports people use this truth every day when they train. They know that their mind and body work together, and moving the mind will move your body and vice versa.

2 — The oneness of the internal and external

Spiritual, inner reality and the external world are one. It becomes interesting when we think, for example, of a mother who feels her child’s agony.

When I was severely battered in the late 90s by a brutal gang and lost my teeth and consciousness, and ended up in the emergency ward, my mother woke up at the same time in the night because she had a terrible nightmare about me. I was smiling with unreal teeth and screaming for help in her dream.

Similar examples fill books, and the emotional bond between people can be more tangible than somebody’s accidental push on a packed train.

3 — The oneness of the result of spiritual practice and the true nature of life

Buddhist practice is to awaken us to the sanctity of life and its eternity. Life goes on, and even when our current form ceases to exist, life goes on. Life. Goes. On. And. On.

Enlightenment is the realisation that happiness in this life results from practising the eternal principle of impermanence. The practice is the true nature of life: the endless transformative flow of its various formations and being part of it and in rhythm with it.

4 — The oneness of cause and effect

A Cause, in the most profound sense, means us, the ordinary people. The effect is enlightenment, which means embracing the true aspect of all phenomena. Ordinary mortals can experience enlightenment as we are — instantly without going through never-ending cycles of rebirths.

In the more mundane explanation, we can think of a cause as something we think, say or do. And simultaneously, an effect is embedded in this oneness of cause and effect. We will be unable to escape this strict law of cause and effect.

If we do something, the effect will manifest — maybe not immediately, but evidently when the circumstances are right. It’s also called the Law of Karma.

5 — The oneness of the impure and the pure

“Because ignorance or delusion and enlightenment are two expressions of the same mind and essentially one, the impure mind shrouded in ignorance is itself the pure enlightened mind,” explains the Buddhist dictionary. And Nichiren Daishonin (1222–1282) puts this beautifully in his letter to one of his followers:

“There are not two lands, pure or impure in themselves. The difference lies solely in the good or evil of our minds”.

6 — The oneness of life and its environment

This oneness is now more relevant than ever before. Climate change directly results from our actions; so are the wars and famines made by us.

The life that suffers will be visible in the environment, which shows the degree of decay in our lives.

7 — The oneness of self and others

We are not alone; we are part of society. In the Buddhist sense, you are a Buddha or enlightened one who seeks to teach others to become happy and fulfilled.

We feel unity, belonging, and purpose when we gravitate toward helping and serving others.

We and I are the same entity that can sustain, support and enrich lives. We are one.

All political, social and religious movements play this tune: isolated, we will fail; together, we will win.

It is truly hard-wired into our genes. We would not have survived without the unity and the oneness of self and others.

8 — The oneness of thought, word and deed

We prosper and serve (or destroy and corrupt) others through three action categories — thought, speech, and behaviour.

It’s called integrity in modern terms. It is the psychosomatic whole that manifests itself as our distinctive personality.

9 — The oneness of provisional and true teachings

It may sound a bit esoteric or even woo-woo, but it indicates that we should not throw the baby with the bathwater when our knowledge grows, and understanding deepens.

Even the old and no more relevant truths are part of the human journey. It is still helpful to read what Darvin said, even if modern science does not always agree.

We are standing on the shoulders of the giants. Some of them were so wrong that their views feel even horrific (like Phrenology), but those giants pushed the human race forward in their time.

In Buddhism, nothing is wasted, not even teachings and views that are not correct or are entirely false. The trick is to use those misguided views (provisional teachings) as an example to show what matters and is valid and is the truth.

In Buddhism, the true teaching is to declare that life is eternal, infinitely valuable and sacred and that we all have an infinite potential to be happy; be enlightened as we are and where we are.

10 — The oneness of benefits

In Buddhism, the benefits of the ordinary and enlightened people are the same.

We all are equal: regardless of our religious faiths, belief systems, gender, sexual orientation, political views, etc., we can enjoy peace, prosperity and happiness if we base our lives on respecting and supporting life in all its manifestations.

Quite a list, but what does it have to do with you?

When I first heard about the concept of oneness, I was sceptical and wanted to poke holes into the idea. However, the more I read, the more it made sense.

And now, in the era of neuroscience, these teachings make even more sense.

Combining ancient wisdom with the current findings of science, we can have a full spectrum view of life. They can teach us to respect each other, embrace diversity and serve a slightly higher purpose than maximising shareholder value.

Buddhism is the telescope of the universe of human reality

When the new Webb telescope sent us stunning images of the universe and its deepest past, I thought Shakyamuni did the same for the human soul some 3000 years ago. He sent his telescope of wisdom to our internal universe. It has been travelling there ever since.

Buddhist teachings explore our existence from within. The findings align with modern science.

The hauntingly beautiful pictures from the birth of the galaxies and the brain scan that neuroscientists show us are part of the Buddhist quest for understanding life better.

The Buddhist faith is not blind faith but an active seeking spirit. It is a way to put these beautiful theories into practice and show their validity. It is not always easy but challenging — like learning always is — but the benefits we gain are worth the effort.

Buddhism is reason, and there is no reason not to study it. It will enrich the findings of the science and give them a deeper meaning. It will help us to cope and find contentment.