Seek Harmony Rather Than Unity

Seek Harmony Rather than Unity

It may not be what you want to hear, but the human race can never achieve unity. As paradoxical as it may sound, unity can only be achieved at a personal level. Only an individual can transcend time and space, unveil the essence within, and realize that the same essence saturates the entire universe.

This takes effort and work.

At every stage in history, only a small percentage of the faithful have ever reached the stage of knowing Oneness firsthand.

Therefore, unity is not to be for the masses.

Harmony, on the other hand, is achievable.

Disharmony is a Cacophony of Sounds

Just as in music, harmony exists on a spectrum. It is the coming together of numerous different notes. When everyone is focused on him- or herself then the notes they bellow will not harmonize with other notes but rather generate a garbled cacophony of sounds.

However, when people are attentive to their surroundings and sing the purest notes they are capable of, the result can be anything from a rough-edged garage band to jazz-fusion to the most ecstatic of symphonies.

Harmony is a Gradient Rainbow

Based on that analogy, improved relations between humans can be anything from ceasing hostilities to reluctant tolerance to cooperation to congenial relations to absolute harmony.

It’s important to acknowledge this gradient rainbow of relations. We don’t all need to be friends in order to see an increase in harmonious relations. A small move from intolerance to tolerance is just as important as coming together and singing Kumbaya.

Reason for Hope

There is tremendous discord in the world. No one disputes that. Nevertheless, there is reason for hope.

Yes, hope.

When you look away from the news and social media feeds to view at the data, there has been a steady decrease in violence and steady increase in cooperation all over the world for many years.

At the very least, we should be encouraged by the fact that we have not destroyed ourselves and the planet we live on yet. Considering our collective past, that is quite an accomplishment.

Means Are Less Important Than Acts

Of course, we can do more. We need more people to water the seeds of love and compassion within.

For that purpose, we should take inspiration from where we find it.

Directions on how to nurture our capacity for love and compassion can come from our faith, ancient scriptures, gurus, imams, psychologists, sociologists, priests, ministers, monks, friends, and family, or any other source for that matter.

The means are less important than the ends of showing love and compassion.

Those who seek harmony should nurture warm-heartedness, kindness, and selflessness, in short, nurture the seeds of Goodness within.