Introduction: Why We Struggle to See the Divine Within Ourselves
In spiritual circles, we often speak of seeing God in nature, in others, or in moments of stillness. But one of the greatest challenges is recognizing the divine within ourselves.
Why is this?
We’ve been conditioned to look outward — for love, for validation, and even for salvation. Most people can look at a sunset and feel the presence of something greater. Yet, when it comes to seeing that same presence within themselves, they hesitate. There’s a mental block, a deep-seated belief that says, “I am not that holy. I am not that powerful. I am separate.”
But what if the opposite were true? What if you have never been separate — only unaware?
The Ten Fools: A Parable About Forgetting the Self
There’s an ancient Indian story about ten fools who cross a river. When they reach the other side, they count to make sure everyone made it — but each man forgets to count himself. They panic, believing one of them has drowned. A passerby watches their distress and says, “You’re all here. Each of you has forgotten to include himself in the count.”
This story illustrates our spiritual forgetfulness. We look around at the world and acknowledge its divinity. We admire spiritual teachers, sacred texts, and miraculous experiences. But like the fools who forgot to count themselves, we forget that we too are part of the divine reality we revere.
The kingdom of God is not outside you. It’s not a place to be reached after death. It is within you — here and now.
The Illusion of Separation: How the Ego Keeps Us Small
The sense of being separate from God is the core illusion that drives most human suffering.
From a young age, we are taught to identify with our name, our body, our achievements, our failures. We are shaped by cultural and religious narratives that often portray God as distant — a being “up there” watching and judging. In this view, God is something other than us — perfect, infinite, and inaccessible.
This reinforces a false identity: I am small. I am flawed. I am not enough.
But spiritual awakening begins when we start to question that identity. What if the “you” you think you are — the ego, the personality, the story — is just a mask?
And what lies behind that mask?
Consciousness. Presence. God.
Natural Theology: All of Creation is an Extension of God
There’s a concept in natural theology that resonates with many mystics and spiritual seekers: all of creation is an extension of the divine. This isn’t just poetic — it’s metaphysical. If God is infinite, then there can be nothing outside of God. Everything that exists must be a part of that whole.
You are not an exception.
Just as a wave is not separate from the ocean, you are not separate from the Source. You may appear to be an individual, but your essence is the same essence that moves the stars, beats your heart, and breathes life into all things.
Oneness According to Yeshua (Jesus): The Forgotten Message
Yeshua — commonly known as Jesus — taught a radical truth that many miss: “I and the Father are one.”
This wasn’t a declaration of ego; it was a revelation of identity. And he wasn’t saying it only applied to him. In John 17:21, he prays, “That they all may be one; as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be one in Us.”
Yeshua came not to declare his superiority, but to reveal your true nature — to show that you, too, are the light of the world. The Christ is not a person; it is a state of consciousness. And it is your birthright.
The Role of Religion: Tool or Obstacle?
Many religions began with individuals who awakened to their oneness with the divine. But over time, institutionalization turned mysticism into doctrine. Instead of guiding people to their own divine essence, religion often emphasizes guilt, shame, and unworthiness.
You may have been told you were born in sin.
But what if you were actually born in light — and simply forgot?
It’s not about rejecting religion, but reclaiming its deeper message. The goal was never blind obedience. It was always conscious union.
The Path Inward: How to Awaken to Your Divine Nature
Awakening isn’t about adding something to yourself. It’s about removing what’s false. It’s the art of unlearning — peeling back the layers until only truth remains.
Here are practices that support this unfolding:
1. Self-Inquiry
Ask yourself daily: Who am I? Go beyond roles and labels. Look for the presence that is aware of your thoughts. That is your true Self.
2. Meditation
Sit in silence. Breathe. Feel the space within. In that stillness, you begin to sense a presence — peaceful, boundless, eternal. That’s the divine.
3. Embodied Awareness
As you walk, eat, or speak — remain conscious of the divine within you. Everything becomes a meditation when you’re present.
4. Spiritual Study
Read scriptures, but from a non-dual lens. The Bhagavad Gita, Gospel of Thomas, Tao Te Ching — all contain pointers to your true nature.
5. Watch the Ego with Compassion
Don’t fight the ego. Observe it. Smile at its fears and stories. As you stop identifying with it, it begins to dissolve.
You Are Already That
The journey to God is not one of distance, but of recognition.
You are not becoming divine. You are remembering that you already are.
There’s nothing to earn, prove, or fix. There’s only the simple, sacred act of seeing clearly. When the fog lifts, the mountain was always there.
Final Thoughts: Living as the One
Living from the awareness of oneness transforms everything.
You begin to treat others not as separate, but as extensions of yourself. You respond to life with more love, less fear. The drama of the ego loses its grip, and you move through the world as a channel for peace.
You are not a drop in the ocean. You are the ocean in a drop.
Suggested Next Steps
- 🌱 Read: “I Am That” by Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj
- 🎧 Listen: Eckhart Tolle’s teachings on presence and the ego
- ✍️ Reflect: Journal on moments you’ve felt deeply connected — to nature, others, or yourself.
Leave a Reply