English
To those who have reached this consciousness by either route just mentioned — or by other routes — there is no sense of loss of individuality or power or strength. On the contrary there is always a new sense of increased power and strength and knowing — instead of losing Individuality, there is a sense of THE UNITY OF LIFE. 83 having found it. One feels that he has the whole Universe at his back, or within him, rather than that he has lost his identity in the great Ocean of Life. While we are speaking of this phase of the sub- ject, we should like to ask you if you have ever in- vestigated and inquired into the real meaning of the much-used word "Individuality?" Have you ever looked up its origin and real meaning, as given by the standard authorities? We are sure that many of you have no real idea of the actual meaning of the term, as strange as this statement may appear to you at first glance. Stop now, and define the word to yourself, as you have been accustomed to think of it. Ninety- five people of a hundred will tell you that it means something like "a strong personality." Let us see about this. Webster defines the word "Individual" as follows: "Not divided, or not to be divided; existing as one distinct being or object; single; one." The same authority informs us that the word arises from the Latin word individuus, meaning "indivisible; not di- visible." Does not this help you to gain a clearer idea of the Individuality that knows itself to be a Centre of Consciousness in the One Life, rather than a sep- arate, puny, insignificant thing apart from all other centres or forms of Life, or the source of Life? We. think it will help to clear your mind of some of the fog that has not as yet lifted itself. And while we are on the subject of definitions, let us take a little look at the word "Personality," that 84 GNANI YOGA. is generally believed to be a synonym of "Individu- ality," and is often so used. Webster tells us that the word "Person" originated from the Latin word per- sona, meaning "a mask used by actors," which word in turn arose from two other words, per, meaning "through," and sonare, meaning "to sound," the two combined words meaning "to sound through." The same authority informs us that the archaic meaning of the word was "a character or part, as in a play; an assumed character." If you will think of Person- ality as "a mask used by an actor," or as "a part in a play," or as something used to "sound through" or to speak through, by the real Individual behind the mask of Personality, then perhaps you will see a lit- tle further into the Mystery of Personality and Indi- viduality. Oh, dear students, be not deceived by the mask of Personality which you may happen to be wearing at this moment, or by the masks which are worn by those around you. Realize that back of your mask is the great Individual — the Indivisible — the Universal Life, in which you are a centre of consciousness and activity. This does not wipe out your identity — instead it gives you a greater and grander identity. Instead of your sinking into a Nirvana of extinction of con- sciousness, your consciousness so enlarges as you un- fold, that you will in the end feel your identity to be the identity of the Universe. Instead of your gaining Nothingness, you gain Allness. All spiritual growth and unfoldment gives you a constantly increasing THE UNITY OF LIFE. 85 sense of relationship with, and agreement with, the All. You grow into Allness as you unfold. Be not deceived by this chatter about Nothingness, and loss of Individuality, in the Oriental thought, although some of the presentations of its teachings may so seem to mean at first reading. Remember always that Personality is the mask, and Individuality the Real One. You have often heard persons, claiming to be ac- quainted with the teachings of Theosophy and other expositions of the Oriental Wisdom Religion (in- cluding our own presentation), asserting that the Oriental mind was ever bent upon attaining a final stage of Nothingness or Extinction in Nirvana. In addition to what we have said, and to what we shall say on this subject, let us quote from the inspired writer of the "Secret Doctrine" (a standard Theo- sophical work) when she says, in that work on page 286, Vol. I : "Is this annihilation, as some think ? . . . To see in Nirvana annihilation, amounts to saying of a man plunged in a sound, dreamless sleep — one that leaves no impression on the physical mem- ory and brain, because the sleeper's Higher Self is in its original state of absolute consciousness during these hours — that he too is annihilated. The latter simile answers only to one side of the question — the most material; since reabsorption is by no means such a dreamless sleep, but, on the contrary, absolute existence, an unconditional unity, or a state, to de- scribe which human language is absolutely and hope- 86 GNANI YOGA. lessly inadequate. . . . Nor is the individuality — nor even the essence of the personality, if any be left behind — lost because re-absorbed." As J. Wm. Lloyd says, in connection with the above quotation, "This seems conclusive proof that Theosophy does not regard Nirvana as annihilation, but as an infinite enlargement of consciousness." And we would add that this is true not only as regards the Nirvana of the Theosophist, but also of the consciousness of the Unity of Life — the Universal Life. This too is not annihilation of individual consciousness, but an "in- finite enlargement of consciousness" as this Western writer Lloyd has so well expressed it. The very consciousness of Life that every man feels within him, comes not from something belonging ex- clusively to himself as a separate or personal thing. On the contrary, it belongs to his Individuality, not to his Personality, and is a phase of his consciousness or "awareness" of his relation to the One Universal Life which underlies his existence, and in which he is a center of consciousness. Do you grasp this idea? If not, meditate and concentrate upon it, for it is im- portant. You must learn to feel the Life within you, and to know that it is the Life of the great Ocean of Universal Life upon the bosom of which you are borne as a centre of consciousness and energy. In this thought there is Power, Strength, Calm, Peace, and Wisdom. Acquire it, if you are wise. It is indeed a Gift from the Gods. In this lesson we are not attempting to build up THE UNITY OF LIFE. 87 your idea of the Unity of Life by a series of argu- ments taken from a world of phenomena in which separateness and non-Unity is apparent. No such ar- guments would suffice, for it would be like trying to prove the existence and laws of color to a man born blind, by arguments taken from his world of darkness. On the contrary we are appealing to that region of the mind in which is stored the capacity for intui- tively apprehending truth. We are endeavoring to speak in tones which will awaken a similar vibration in that part of your mentality, and if these vibrations be started into being, then will you be able to feel and know the truth, and then will your Intellect eagerly seize upon the new idea that it finds within itself, and will proceed to apply the same to the various prob- lems that have been bothering you in the past. This consciousness of Unity must come from the higher regions of the mind, for the Intellect alone knows it not, — it is out of its field. Just as one may not know that the earth is round by means of his senses which report quite the contrary, but may and does know this truth by abstract reasoning and higher intellectual effort; so may one know the truth that All Life is indeed One, at the last, and underlying, by the higher faculties of the mind, although his senses and ordinary intellectual processes fail to so inform him. The senses cannot inform man that the earth is round, because they cannot see it as a whole, but only in part — while the higher reasoning faculties are able to vis- ualize the earth as a whole, and know it must be 88 GNANI YOGA. round. And the Intellect, in its ordinary field can see only separateness, and cannot report Oneness, but the Higher Mind sees Life as a Whole, and knows it to be One. And it is the Higher Mind that we are try- ing to bring into the field of consciousness in the appeal to you in this lesson. We trust that we may be successful — in fact we know that we shall be so, in many cases, for we know that the field is ready for the sowing of the seed — and that the call has been heard, and the message passed on to us to answer the call — else these words would not have been written. The consciousness of the Unity of Life is something that must be experienced before the truth may be realized. It is not necessary for one to wait until he acquire full Cosmic Consciousness before he may real- ize, at least partially, the Oneness of All Life, for he may unfold gradually into the Cosmic Knowing, ex- periencing at each stage a fuller conception of the underlying Unity of Life, in which he is a centre of consciousness and manifestation. But there must be at least a partial unfoldment before one is able to feel the sense of Unity. To those who have not un- folded sufficiently to gain at least a glimmering of the truth, everything appears separate from every other thing, and there is no Unity of All. It is as if every leaf on a mighty tree were to consider itself a being separate and distinct from everything else in the world, failing to perceive its connection with the branch or limb, and tree, and its unity in being with every other leaf on the tree. After a bit the unfold- THE UNITY OF LIFE. 89 ing consciousness of the leaf enables it to perceive the stem that connects it with the twig.