Have you ever heard of the saying that we are all the same? That the essential part of me is the essential part of you? Yes, I agree that we are made of stars. But go down even deeper and some may say that we are all interconnected. We are ONE soul. Now do I believe this? Yes. In fact, you could think of it as one soul or mind having different interpretations. Thus, you have your own life that you see with your “eyes” as I have the same. We are one.
However, life for the most part (at least in the capitalistic society I live in) seems so fragmented and that people are busy being divided and living individualistically rather than as part of a whole. Unfortunately, these types of attitudes get people and societies in trouble as they argue and in the end battle each other for their elusive gold (and kill each other and destroy the Earth while at it). The reason why people act in such ways that ultimately divide is because the ego-self is in control. Now what is the ego-self or ego, you may ask? It is the part of us that constantly thinks and constantly needs reaffirming of its own existence. It is the part that says “I” and creates the illusion of your identity and your individualism. Thus, its very nature is to always create divisions, labels and non-unity (which leads to all sorts of problems for humankind).
Yet it seems to be a pipe dream for everyone to let go of their ego and start working as a whole for the betterment of humankind. Well not entirely. You see, if everyone is really the same thing and is just one thing, then dissolving your own ego would be suffice for the betterment of all. There’s a beautiful and true adage that says: as above, so below. This means that everything is a microcosm or macrocosm of something. Or another way to put it is that you can put forth change in the universe by changing your own universe (your own mind). A lot of people (including myself) have believed that the universe is of effect, meaning that what happened, happened and you are just a product of all things forth and had nothing to do with it (a very victim mentality). Well, I have learned that you have everything to do with it. In fact, you created everything that’s happening to you and that will always happen to you. It is a causal place so that whatever you do has an effect–simply cause and effect. So once you change how you see the world, then everything else changes with it–sort of like a ripple effect.
Now how do you change how you see the world? Well, I really like how Eckart Tolle explains in his book, A New Earth. He basically says that in order to dissolve the ego, you first need to become aware of your thoughts and emotions. The reason for this is that you typically identify yourself with your thoughts and emotions (I am hungry. I am happy. I am sad). But that is false. You are not your emotions or any of your thoughts. You are divine presence. And when you become aware of yourself thinking these thoughts, then they are no longer identified with you because you are outside of them. Then you realize you are much more and much deeper than what you formerly thought you were. You are timeless, divine being.
A step further, you come to the realization that not only is your individual self/body an illusion but everyone else is too. I mean isn’t there only ONE? How can there be a bunch of “individual” persons or souls out there? Well, folks, that’s the GRAND ILLUSION or maya. So whatever you do or say to another is really toward or about yourself; thus, unconditional love is crucial. Once you come to this awareness, then you are able to break free and advance spiritually to become enlightened. It’s not going to be an easy road. Trust me, I am consistently practicing and sometimes (or a lot of the times) the ego finds ways to creep back in and messes you up. But I keep trying and everyday I learn and am more aware and grow as a result. I know achieving true peace of mind is eternal and just plain worth it 
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