The Meditations of Pholkhero

[ed. note: I use 'God' to denote the common, Judeo-Christian deity; i use 'god' to denote my own belief, which views god as the Ultimate Source, the Godhead, the One, the True, the Good and the Beautiful]

There is a common misconception in American culture about God. Most Americans believe in a God that is a paternal, all-knowing, all-powerful, benevolent watcher from afar, residing in Heaven, judging us all worthy of salvation. This is false.

God does not exist in a far-off place, detached and removed from us nor can he be found in any one book. God is not a separate being; god is the inner essence of all things. God exists within all people, in your family, your neighbors and your enemies. God resides in each and every sparrow and fish, plant and animal, in every mountain and ocean. God is here, all around us, everyday. All things and events in this universe, all things that we are witness to, are the infinite manifestations of god, and the souls of men are no different. It is in this way that god is our own true mode of being, and our most authentic selves.

Once the individual has reached this level of understanding, he has achieved a mystical union between his self and god and recognizes the universal nature of the universe. This recognition is the highest form of Freedom for the individual. (Yet, god is not dependent upon our recognition; god existed before humanity evolved and will exist after we have passed on.) However, to recognize that humanity is part of a larger whole, you must also recognize that we are more than our individual selves.

It also means that our true authentic selves are not our individual egos, but are a general self (i.e., god), common to us all, and that our identity should not be sought merely in the individual, but also in the whole, the “one-ness” that is the universe and god. It seems to me that all great religious traditions can be traced back to this original experience by their founders or reformers and that a truly religious person should strive after this holistic sense of unity.