Diversity within unity

[Excerpt Chapter Six, Be and Become]

We can readily confirm that the idea of Individuality (Diversity) within Unity is everywhere apparent.

We see examples in terms of our bodies—cooperation of billions upon billions of cells to form skin, organs, bones and other body parts. All such body parts then cooperate to form a functioning body.

We see how many such bodies form families or social groups and how many such families and social groups form communities, nations, global networks and so on.

When we take a step back and look out upon the myriad forms of life on this planet we see complex inderdependent relationships. And yet within that complexity is a simplicity and order which becomes more recognizable the more one compares it with the idea that all exists as “separateness within oneness.”

We can begin to appreciate this sense of separateness-within-oneness by realizing that each are simultaneously necessary to existence. We cannot exist in absolute isolation -- a community would make no sense without individuals (that is, any whole would have no validity without its parts). AS Maharishi Mahesh Yogi observed:

As pointed out in Chapter Three, we in the West take the measurable world of things —trees, trucks and tables, as being the primary reality. Once again, in terms of traditional Western society, the external physical world of things seems real, while the unknowable-spiritual world seems unreal. In the above quote, Maharishi acknowledged the validity of both the known and the unknown, with neither being more important, real or primary than the other.

All in all, wherever we look, we can see the validity of

• Diversity within Unity
• Separateness within Oneness
• Individuality within Communityl
• The Known within the Unknown
• Independence within togetherness
• One within All

The concepts provided at this site shows how nonlocal fields of potential unfold into everday lived experiences, via 'one within all' frameworks.

1. 1. Deepak Chopra, Quantum Healing: Exploring The frontiers of Mind/Body Medicine, Bantam Books New York 1989, page 228.

Fractals: the visible interface of physical and 'spiritual'

This section analyses the nature of the interface between finite and infinite, 'spiritual' and physical, as revealed by the deeper fractal nature of life.

Please refer to course materials for more details.

Understanding the TOA

[Excerpt  Be and Become, ProCreative, Sydney 2000]

For over 70 years scientists have been observing exceedingly strange behavior of very small bits (quanta) of matter and energy. The core principle of the TOA is based on the results of such research.

As is explained in detail at this website, one of the key experimental observations of quantum physics research is that all matter and energy exhibits a “wave-particle” duality of behavior. That duality of behavior is linked to the fundamental One-within-All principle mentioned earlier.

Given the universal applicability of the principle of One-and-All, the seemingly strange wave-particle behavior of quanta is simply another variant of this principle. In other words,

the wave-particle duality, in being a ubiquitous characteristic of matter and energy, "spins out" (unfolds) as various forms in everyday lived experience.

The Table of One and All reflects the preponderance of nature towards either the masculine-particle qualities of Definition, Individuality and Exclusivity, or the feminine-wave qualities of the Indefinable, Togetherness and Inclusivity.

Western culture has been correlated with the masculine-particle nature. This is not to suggest that Western culture is completely devoid of traditional feminine qualities of nurturing and community, but that it has a leaning towards the expression of individuality (as demonstrated by the American emphasis upon personal liberty and 'human rights'). On the other hand, Eastern cultures lean towards the ideals of community responsibility often at the expense of individuality.

The particle characteristic has been correlated with being individualistic, masculine, singular, decisive, controlled and predictable. The Table shows that masculine gender roles have traditionally leant towards these “masculine-material” characteristics.

The feminine has been correlated with being intuitive, passive, open, flexible and spontaneous. The Table shows that feminine gender roles have traditionally leant towards these “feminine-mysterious” characteristics. Hence the often heard and used phrases "feminine mystique," "women's intuition" and "it's a woman's prerogative to change her mind."

None of these correlations are meant to suggest that females are lacking characteristically “masculine” qualities of decisiveness and objectivity (refer table). Or that males lack intuitive, emotional, subjective qualities. Gender roles have been chosen (consciously and subconsciously) by the sexes as a means in the past for effective survival in physical reality.

 

1. 1. Robert Bly, Iron John, Element Books, Brisbane Australia 1993, page 120 (quoting John Layard's report of old traditions).

Apparent Contradictions within the TOA

[Excerpt  Be and Become, ProCreative, Sydney 2000]

The correlations provided in the TOA (Tao of One and All) appear to be contradictory.

For example, females (women, female animals, plants) are correlated with the mysterious and the non-physical ('spiritual') even though women and kind are obviously physical (while physicality has been correlated with masculine, known, real and measured).

The apparent contradictions in the Table of One and All arise entirely as a result of the fundamental inability to meaningfully categorise reality as either strictly 'Real' (Physical, Known and Local) or 'Spiritual' (Non-physical, Unknowable and Nonlocal).

Reality comprises 'both at-once,' and there can be no segregation or separation of parts from each other, or from their respective 'gestalts' without degradation of meaning of both One and All.

The golden rule to remember when analysing the Table of One and All is that the 'Western' or right-wing of the Table is anything to do with Difference and Individuality i.e. anything which can be 'measured,' identified or conceptualised to produce descriptions, labels, names, evidence, fact, proof.

The left wing is to do with 'everything' else which is not able to be measured, defined or differentiated. Structure, Order and Hierarchy are all based upon measure (or ratio) and are therefore deemed 'Western' or 'Masculine.' As well, anything which is able to be related to, contrasted or compared with, or differentiated from Order-Structure-Hierarchy such as rebelliousness and individuality is also 'Masculine.'

It is a common misconception that feminine Yin is opposite masculine Yang (as would appear to be implied by the layout of the opposing wings of the TOA). However,

Another apparent contradiction is the correlation of the future with the infinite. This has been done in deference to the Western habit of perceiving existence to be strictly local (physical, defined and limited). In other words, the validity of the correlation of the future with the immeasurable and the infinite is due to our serial experience of time even though the future, the present and the past all exist “at-once.”

TOAs 1 - 10

The TOAn Archives

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Tables 1 - 10 of The Table of One and All