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The Origin of Oneness

Human minds can reflect on every subject matter, concrete and abstract. Different minds can grasp the same truths, hence there is something universal about the human mind. This is specifically true in relation to the ability of the human mind to understand the concept of the Oneness of God. According to both Gandhi and the Bahá'ís, since God is One, therefore humanity must also be, on a very fundamental level, a single undivided entity. `Abdu'l-Bahá writes:
God is one; the effulgence of God is one; and humanity constitutes the servants of that one God. God is kind to all. He creates and provides for all; and all are under His care and protection. The Sun of Truth, the Word of God shines upon all mankind; the divine cloud pours down its precious rain; the gentle zephyrs of His mercy blow and all humanity is submerged in the ocean of His eternal justice and loving-kindness.[4]
All men are servants of the One God. One God reigns over all the nations of the world and has pleasure in all His children. All men are of one family; the crown of humanity rests on the head of every human being.[5]
The following words of Gandhi show that he also saw the oneness of humankind as a fundamental corollary of God's essential unity:
I believe in [the] absolute oneness of God and, therefore, also of humanity. What though we have many bodies? We have but one soul. The rays of the sun are many through refraction. But they have the same source. I cannot, therefore, detach myself from the wickedest soul (nor may I be denied identity with the most virtuous). Whether, therefore, I will or not, I must involve in my experiment the whole of my kind. Nor can I do without experiment. Life is but an endless series of experiments.[6]


next up previous contents
Next: One Organism Up: The Oneness of Humankind Previous: The Oneness of Humankind   Contents

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