Interconnectedness

Everything is interconnected and has a relationship with each other and with the source—Divinity. Energy and the energetic are one but different. We live in this world with a separatist mentality, seeing everything as separate from each other, with separate functions or purposes. Things and people seem to serve separately, and relationships revolve around the center of our desires, cravings, and dislikes. Yet, if we change our vision and explore the idea of the interconnectedness of everything, we begin to see how energy takes on different forms, all in service to the Whole, or the source of Ultimate Reality.

Cultivating a vision that sees the relationships and relevance to the Whole gives us a greater perspective, instead of viewing life’s experiences  as fragmented or disconnected. Even something small or mundane becomes significant when part of the Whole. It’s all about relationships—how do two opposing objects relate to each other? Perhaps we are unable to see the connection between two seemingly opposing things, or how they serve a function in relation to each other. The same applies to people. We are all interconnected, even though we may not know the beggar or the stranger we pass on the street. The micro makes up the macro; our actions influence and affect those we may not consciously feel connected to.

Intentions manifest in action, and those actions become tangible. Our intentions affect and influence others, either positively or negatively. The energy we express doesn’t just disappear into the ether—it affects our entire ecosystem on physical, interpersonal, and metaphysical levels. For example, when we are angry, the energy builds up inside from disappointment and frustration. It manifests as road rage or unconscious rude behaviors that may cause harm. That anger imprints on the receiver and can continue to be projected elsewhere. This creates a domino effect. The same is true with loving-kindness; that energy is healing and joyful. When shared, it inspires others to be kind. When someone sees your greater potential, you live it and, in turn, can see the greater potential in others.

Ultimately, seeing grace in everything is an active relationship with God or Divinity. It’s not separate from going to church, a temple, or dressing a certain way. I contemplate the Sanskrit word sambandha—to establish a connection or relationship with Divinity. It is seeing grace and the hand of the Beloved in all that happens, even in the pain. Sambandha is the process of establishing a relationship with God, seeing how everything is connective , related to and relevant to divinity. But what does that mean? I like to return to the word relationship. What can I relate to in another person that will form a bond or connection? How can I relate to God? When that relationship is established, a bond or connection may develop.

There is the initial awe and grandeur of this world—whether in seeing the vast stars in the night sky, the open oceans, or the beauty of forests with trees so large that we feel tiny and awe-struck. This ignites an initial attraction of curiosity and wonder that brings one to a greater inquiry or quest. Some form of attraction needs to be there. Attraction brings our attention into focus, we become aligned with, absorbed and connected to the object of attraction. Who doesn’t find an organic attraction in nature? Its beauty, awe, wonder, and mystery are inherently attractive. Attraction pulls us away from our mind’s matter; it has the power to take us out of our comfort zone. Just like when one initially falls in love, there is an attraction—it doesn’t have to be based on looks, but that attraction pulls us away from our mind’s preoccupations, sparking curiosity and a desire to connect.

Grace and Divinity are interwoven into nature. The mystery of this world attracts us. For some, this is the first invitation to form a relationship with Divinity. This experience of the Supreme Source of Absolute Reality is all-pervasive. From there, we might find moments of curiosity that lead us to a more personal understanding of Divinity. From feeling connected to and experiencing the energy of Absolute Reality, we begin to question what lies behind or is the source of this energy. We might see and feel grace in our mind’s eye, but when it reciprocates in some mysterious, undefined, or unexplainable way, our hearts might awaken to question the personal source behind the mystery of the energy we experience.

Sacred texts depict that form, revelation, and a desire to see or to be seen by grace bring the personal form into reality. From hearing sacred texts from those who have seen, the self doesn’t need convincing—something awakens. What is already there is uncovered; it is not an artificial imposition on the mind. When the self becomes curious and aware, it moves toward this connection naturally.

Establishing this relationship on a personal level becomes deeply fulfilling—the heart is attracted because it has been awakened, maybe that awakening came through a sacred picture, a deity, or sacred text. Either way the heart knows for it resonates, as it is already familiar with the connection and sensation. The intuition is aligned, the relationship is established.  This is sambandha.

Is it possible to establish a relationship with God, if we do not have a relationship with ourselves? I may think I know myself, or perhaps as I get older I see all the things I am not. I see the narrative, the conditioning . How I relate to myself, might mirror how I relate to divinity or my ability to deeply connect and be present . If my relationship with God is based on a material exchange, my relationship with others might also be based on gain and pleasure. That may then also mirror how I see myself and my sense of happiness.