There Is Oneness Beyond The Apparent Separation

There is Oneness beyond the apparent separation of good or bad, right or wrong.

Today, I am reprinting an article from my good friend, Kevin Curnutt with his permission. Kevin is an author and a modern-day mystic. And he wrote a book, From Horror to Transcendence.

There is an inner sanctuary, and it is available to all of us. Image by Larry Jordan

There is Oneness Beyond the Apparent Separation of Good and Bad

On a sunlit winter afternoon in Arlington, Texas, Super Bowl Sunday of 1981, young friends Trey Shelton and Kevin Curnutt rode their dirt bikes into the crosshairs of a troubled neighbor who didn’t like the noise. Trey died instantly from the first shotgun blast. Kevin, age thirteen, was paralyzed when the second blast struck him in the head. He has been a quadriplegic ever since.

Kevin’s book draws from a variety of sources, including Joseph Campbell, Ram Dass, Viktor Frankl, Lao Tzu, and Dogen Zenji. In the book, he comes to terms with his physical limitations, embraces a non-dual understanding of our interconnected Universe, and reveals a joyful and loving heart that transcends his circumstances. It is a very insightful and inspirational book.

After contemplation and study, Kevin found a place within himself of universal love and peace. This is an inner sanctuary, untouched by the tribulations of the world. And it is available to all of us. Also, he came to understand that human beings always have the choice about how they respond to life, no matter how cruel the fates might sometimes be.

Recently, Kevin wrote about the shooting on its anniversary. Here, he reflects on how he feels about the shooting and how he has come to terms with it:

A Moment of Clarity

As many of you know, January 25 is the anniversary date of my injury. For those who don’t know, I was shot in the head by a disturbed individual in 1981, 45 years ago (when I was 13 years old), and I have been a quadriplegic ever since. At the same time, this disturbed individual shot and killed my best friend, Trey Shelton.

As I was lying in bed late last night, collecting my thoughts before sleep, I was wondering, as I often do on this date, how I should feel and exactly what this day is. Is it a sad day, full of remembrances of pain, suffering, and death? Or is it just another day here in this glorious existence that we call life?

And then in A Moment of Clarity, it hit me: IT IS BOTH. I no longer have to choose between the two. I now see this day as just another part of the Oneness of Life. Of the Wholeness of Existence.

I often talk and teach about non-duality and non-attachment.

Non-Duality and Non-Attachment

Non-duality, the concept of not categorizing everything into one of two categories (good or bad, right or wrong, big or small, etc.), is at the very heart of this. I now see the Oneness, without having to categorize this day, or any day for that matter, as either good or bad. All it took was taking a step back to look at it from a different perspective.

Non-attachment (and its counterpart non-aversion), the concept of not relying on things, people, and situations for our happiness, is at the heart of this as well. Non-attachment does NOT mean detached. When you are detached, you are intentionally turning your back on these things, people, and situations. You are not accepting them.

Non-attachment, however, means that you do indeed accept them, but you recognize that they have no control over your happiness. And moreover, when you take a step back and see the Whole of Existence, you see only ONE, and not many, and therefore there is nothing to BE attached to. You simply ARE. I now see that I simply AM.

In fact, I now see these two concepts are one and the same. They are simply two different ways of expressing the acceptance of the Oneness of Life, the Wholeness of Existence. I count myself very fortunate and very blessed to be able to see this, and I am now totally at peace with this day… And all the others as well.