Exploring ancient traditions from different parts of the world and different historical periods, it seems that for them the path of human development is synonymous with the path towards unity. The search for truth, higher reality, is often presented as the ability to transcend the illusion of separation that causes man to act in contradiction to his true nature, which is part of the universe.
The teachings of cosmogenesis and cosmography of ancient civilizations such as Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece, India, and pre-Columbian cultures, to name just a few, share some common fundamental principles. This does not exclude the unique value and perspective of each individual tradition, but rather offers us the most valuable standpoint for our own exploration. Observing the fundamental similarities among different traditions requires great attention in order to notice the reflection of a universal truth with which they were all connected or even a common origin of their knowledge. The constitution of man and the universe as a whole is often described as a mysterious fusion of the eternal and the fleeting.
is the reality of things. Man is considered a reflection of the whole, microcosm of the cosmos, and is fundamentally guided by the same laws of nature.
Mythologies and the ancient teachings associated with them describe the process of creation as the process of limiting the unlimited, giving it shape and boundaries, as the transition from formless (Indian arupa) to form (rupa). The boundless ocean full of life potential (like Nuna in ancient Egypt) gives birth to the first island from which creation begins. The process of creation is often paradoxically described as a transition from One to Many, from unity that expands into multiplicity without losing its original unity.
Schools of thought like those in ancient Greece, India, and Rome, to name just a few, speak of the universe as a great being, a single organism of which man is a part, whether conscious of it or not. Man’s development is a journey in reverse, from multiplicity and separateness towards the unity of life.
This journey of consciousness is often symbolized by the ascent to a point of union: the summit of a mountain, the center of a mandala, or the axis of a pyramid. This is a spiritual journey that leads us inwards and upwards, from the multitude towards the one, removing the web of illusion that makes us see only a part of reality, a part that consists only of the partial and separated. It is a journey that, symbolically or not, marks the death of the separate identity and the rebirth of a new identity, a drop that returns to the ocean it has always been a part of, albeit unconsciously. Hindus speak of yoga as a path to unity with oneself, with teachings, and ultimately with Life itself (Prana Jiva).
The awakening of human consciousness to the unity of life is therefore a transformation of mortality into immortality, ignorance into true knowledge, and if we understand Truth as a synonym for the entire reality – into one life that is itself the universe.
Modern man is accustomed to separating everything, every element of life from the whole. It is as if we have separated the leaf from the branch, forgetting the existence of the tree as a whole, and even the entire forest of which it is a part; not as the sum of its parts, but as its own entity! The extraordinary opportunity is precisely what many ancient traditions suggest. If their observations are accurate, time cannot dim the teachings that are vital to us now as they have always been.
Our ancestors may have been at a negligible level of technological development compared to us, but if they were right in their fundamental observation of life, they had a clear advantage in knowing what matters most!
In simple terms, it doesn’t really make much sense to know how to survive well in this world, how to enrich it with comfort and health, but to forget why.
The quest for unity encompasses several key principles; one is the pursuit of truth or wisdom. What is true is connected to a holistic view of life. Partial perception, disconnected from the whole, inevitably leads to wrong and unsustainable understanding of reality. “Only truth prevails!” ancient texts whisper, reminding us that what is not in harmony with the truth will not last. To that, we can add: “What has “Anything that is separated from the whole will eventually perish.”
In unity with life, we will find justice, as the great stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius said: “What is not good for the beehive, cannot be good for the bee.” If the individual is part of a larger life, how can their well-being contradict the well-being of the whole? On the contrary, what separates us from the whole is the main cause of unjust actions, as well as their unethical motives. An ethical way of life must be the result of our own consciousness and identity. Being ‘part of everything’ and being ‘separated from everything’ lead to completely different paths that result in different thoughts and actions.
Today, we talk so much about the need to find a harmonious way of living with nature, an ecological system that would preserve the fundamental natural balance that ultimately supports human life. Many are concerned about nature and dedicate their time to finding solutions to this great challenge of our time. New approaches to this issue are approaching those from the past – the view of the world as an integrated whole. a living organism that depends on the balance and harmonious contribution of all living beings.
But ultimately, knowledge about our environment, i.e. ecology, depends on human consciousness and identity.
How can a person protect nature if they have forgotten that they are a part of nature? If they are blind to the fact that they are an inseparable part of nature, can they not harm their surroundings regardless of how good their intentions might be?
The search for unity elevates the individual beyond the realm of time, beyond the false boundaries of mortality. It follows ancient schools of thought that view the human being as an eternal soul that only wears different masks throughout time, but is ultimately determined by its inner being that transcends temporary appearances. The individual self (individua), as understood by the ancient Greeks, is an inseparable part of the human being. It is precisely there, in that mysterious connection within the human being, in their inner world, that the door connecting them to the whole is located – a door that can be wide open. It is glimpsed. There is a mysterious connection between the subjective and the objective, where the illusion of separateness can be discarded and true brotherhood can be created; the brotherhood of all people and the respect for all other forms of life. It is miraculous that we can unite with the universe around us by turning our attention to our inner world!
To establish unity means to build harmony with life, both inwardly and outwardly, to revive the hidden connection between the smallest and the greatest, between a drop and an ocean.
There, within us, treading on tiptoes, we can notice flashes of truth that tell us that life is always one. We can find a connection with those who speak of Beauty, with great thinkers and artists who, with deep love, write their timeless poetry using words and sounds. We can hear the echo of their hearts as we observe the same wondrous life that enchanted them, because ultimately, we are and have always been ONE.