Transformation and Evolution: We do deep inner-personal work of self-discovery and healing to reveal the greater truth of our divinity, wholeness, and freedom.
- From “Our Shared Values,” Centers for Spiritual Living Operation Design Model
Welcome to Part II of this blog mini-series, Language Matters. It has been a fun little journey to watch one idea turn into a multi-part communication about the importance of the language we use, how it impacts our communication, and ultimately, how it helps us come to a better understanding of ourselves.
There are so many other words within the Science of Mind and teachings like it that easily fall into similar categories of misunderstanding. Words like wholeness, consciousness, vibration, energy, etc..… the list goes on — Words that we are very familiar with. They are frequently used in just about all of our communities. Anyone hanging around one of these new thought centers for even a short time picks up on these words and others like them, easily integrating them into regular dialogue. We use them all the time. Jargon that seems so integral to the teaching and yet is so infrequently defined. We know this because when we take the time to truly find meaning in most of these words, we find that they probably don’t really mean what we had thought, or we find that we hadn’t thought much about what they meant in the first place. Worse, we find we have been using them in a way that actually implies the exact opposite of what it sounds like the word should mean.
Just like in the case of “transcendence” and “transformation,” the impact of understanding these words is huge. Let’s look at a very real example of this: oneness. Oneness is a word we use all the time in the Science of Mind. It is a core tenet of the teaching, and in this case, just about anybody could probably provide a general definition of this concept. It might sound something like, “Oneness recognizes that everything is one life, that we are all connected.” That sounds great, right? It does. It sounds great, and so we like it! But providing even this very innocuous definition almost immediately creates more questions than answers, even if it is just unconscious. Let’s give it some context. Often we can hear oneness being spoken about when we want to recognize, and sometimes even state, that there is no separation between ourselves and others. “We are all one.” And this is True, with a capital T. We are all one, and we are not separate. Yet, the context of this statement is so often amidst a conversation that is otherwise attempting to recognize, and maybe even honor, the perceived distinction that we, as humans, are wired to experience. And so, what happens is we end up either unintentionally bypassing someone’s experience — saying something like, “Yeah, but we’re all one,” implying, “So, your experience doesn’t matter” — or we inadvertently reinforce an unconscious belief that there are some elements of life that we would rather not look at and are not included in our perception of oneness; sometimes we do both. We end up implying and sometimes even saying out loud that our definition of oneness is actually two-ness, duality. “All of this over here is my version of oneness, and all of that over there — the stuff I don’t like, the things that make me uncomfortable, the experiences I don’t want to recognize or admit to — that is not part of my oneness.” It doesn’t take much to realize that doesn’t work out so well, and in no way does it actually means oneness.
Oneness must include the whole experience. We can’t have oneness and attempt to exclude certain experiences, things that make us uncomfortable, or things we don’t like. It must be that which we see as positive and that which we see as negative. It is feeling happy and (dare I even say it) feeling angry; all of the emotions. All of that is God. All of it is One. It can’t be any other way.
It becomes ironic in those times when our declaration of oneness actually beings to imply duality, which it seems might happen more often than we realize. This speaks directly to how easy it is to take on jargon and bear it as a shield. “If I say the right things, then perhaps it will all change,” or “If I say the right things, maybe I don’t have to change.”
And right here, we find the real importance of understanding oneness, of all of our language really. What do I mean when I say _____ (Fill in the blank)? It is not just in communication where understanding our language matters. It is also in understanding ourselves and our own journey.
When you say a word like oneness, what is it that you mean? Do you know what you mean, or is it just another word that got picked up along the way? When you say oneness, do you have a specific and intentional understanding that embodies the essence of true oneness as best as you can at this current moment? When you say oneness, are you aware of the human perception of the whole made up of all of the parts? When you say oneness, does it just sound good and feel right without really thinking too much about it?
There is no shame or judgment here in any of these answers. These are questions that help us better understand our own beliefs. What we believe about oneness is demonstrated in the ways that we unconsciously use and misuse… and then learn, and use and misuse… and then learn again, attempting to become more and more aware of our beliefs.
We can allow our use of oneness, or any of our words really, to be a mirror for a better understanding of ourselves. As stated in Our Shared Values, “We do deep inner-personal work of self-discovery and healing to reveal the greater truth of our divinity, wholeness, and freedom.” The deep inner-personal work of understanding and uncovering our beliefs, conscious and currently unconscious, allows for the creation and experience of that greater yet to be that is looking to come through us.
Rev. Dan Granda
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