Question: "Ishvara, is it true that each part is the whole and that the sum of all the parts is also the whole? "

Ishvara: The question requires almost a yes and no answer. It depends on where a person is coming from. The "yes" part is that yes, everything is The Consciousness. Period. But to say that each part of the synergy is the whole synergy is not correct. That would defeat the unfolding process.

There are synergies within synergies. There are unique manifestations of The Consciousness which are whole in themselves, but we could not say that they are the whole of The Consciousness. Each is a unique aspect of The Consciousness and in blending with other unique aspects of The Consciousness, the whole becomes greater than the sum of the parts. So to say a part is all of it would not be true.

Each part is not separate from the whole, but each part is not itself the whole expression either. If it were possible that a unique expression of The Consciousness was expressing the whole thing, then there would be no diversity. There would only be one individual. There would be no need for other individuals. Many spiritual seekers believe that uniqueness is an illusion, that physical existence is maya. In other words, "This physical existence isn't it; something else (such as the so-called 'bliss of the unmanifest') is it.” That kind of thinking involves separation. It represents an attempt to escape physical existence, to escape the unfolding process, and it breeds a complacency that could lead to the destruction of the planet.

Each part is not the whole thing. It is like a hologram: if you shatter the plate of a hologram, you still see it, but it is not as complete. It is fainter. It is fuzzier. Each piece has some aspect of the whole, and each piece is The Consciousness, but each piece is a unique expression of The Consciousness. So each piece is not the whole. The Consciousness is unique individual expressions, and the whole of The Consciousness is not placed in any one expression. At the finite level each body is a wholeness, made up of cells, organs, tissues, etc., but one would not say that an individual body is all of humanity. It is one being, one aspect of Life, and it is unique.

The parts are what make everything. So, I am a part of that, you are a part of that, and we have different functionality within our part-ness. It is difficult to go there without creating a semblance of separation. There is always that balancing point of not going into such an individual perspective that you wind up creating more separation in the process. It involves keeping everything in that alignment of oneness, but yet allowing for each unique expression to be what it is while functioning totally. It is difficult to put into linear language. It is a non-local, non-linear experience.

Individuality does not necessitate separation. It is hard for the consensus mind to let go of the belief in separation, to not confuse individuality with separation. The parts of The Consciousness are able to look at other parts and function with them and interact with them, while still remaining The Consciousness and manifesting as unique aspects of that, unique possibilities.

It is OK to say that "everything is the One Self." That's true at the core level. It is all one self, but that doesn't mean anything. There is no movement in that. There is no dance. There is nothing in that philosophy. It misses the actuality that Life is The Consciousness expressing itself, evolving and expanding in its understanding of itself, experiencing its immensity, its myriad and unlimited possibilities, moment by moment.

Life, The Consciousness, is expressing itself as you, uniquely but not separately, moment by moment. My experience is that one can totally relate to all the unique individual expressions and still not lose sight of the big picture or the realization that there is purpose for all the unique expressions of The Consciousness.

Do you have a question? Ask Ishvara.