THE VEIL OF THE OBVIOUS :

The Forty-Eight Manys, which are ONE.
Or Many Words, One Truth

From the forthcoming book “From Ecstasy To Lunch”
By Samuel Ben-Or Avital
January 1983

We live in a time of rapid change, when evolution of thought and consciousness is proceeding by leaps and bounds.  There are many avenues open to us, so many voices competing for our attention that we are sometimes overcome by confusion.

To meet and transcend this confusion, we must increase our awareness.  To eliminate confusion and to transmit and radiate the simple, beautiful messages of the heart’s flame of truth is what the artist in us considers as his chief work, not only for his own benefit, but also for the benefit and well-being of others.

We respond with laughter and sometimes tears.  The higher emotions of being one with the Cosmic lifts us beyond the cares of daily life to an experience of oneness with ourselves and the eternal life that is vibrating in us at all times.

Source of Imagination

When the artist taps this source of imagination by proper attunement and mastery of the art of visualization, he gives us a glimpse of something precious and essential. When we have a close look at the essence of another, we experience our own essence, for this same essence resides in different places.  There is no separation, no division.  There is only the reflection in the mirror of the One being.

These special moments lead our attention to the obvious and natural law of the One in the many, the many in the One.  Once this law is understood and lived and maintained constantly in the situations we face, we enter a world of peace; we become calm in the midst of turbulence.  We finally begin to understand the adage of the sage, which urges us: “To be in the world but not of it.”

The obviousness of this law is actually the “veil,” and we need only increase our attention to see through to the depths, to unveil and reveal the truth of the one in the many.  This obviousness comes from the hypnotic spell of the material world in its extreme.  We accept this hypnotic curse because of our laziness and unwillingness to think deeply with proper discrimination.  It is actually easy to see through this illusion, which we have accepted at one time of another, either consciously or unconsciously.  But until we do, this hypnotic reality is one with our thinking structure, and we sink into a slumbering attitude toward life.

We know from observation that the entire ocean cannot sink a ship unless the waters enter the ship.  All the hypnotic vibrations of negative thinking cannot affect us unless we welcome them and allow them to enter our selves, unless we believe in their existence.  It seems ridiculous to spend so much energy dwelling in those negative waters, letting our ship sink.  The inner intelligence rather suggests we guide our ship in a positive direction, toward the manifestation of the same beautiful law of oneness in its perfect working order.

The Illusion of Separateness

The illusion of separateness and division are actually obstacles toward the One.  We should divide only in order to unite.  Harmonizing the opposites is the very work that will abolish this division, but in order to increase the necessary awareness, we have to recognize the oneness in the other as well as in ourselves.  WE may theorize, but we must go immediately to the activity of the theory. Acknowledging, accepting, allowing, and welcoming this action of penetrating deeply into the obvious reality in nature leads us to a comprehension of the one reality, that which we call the state of harmonium.

The essential requirements to unveil the obvious are simplicity and the focalized attention of single-mindedness, which in turn sharpens our perception, thus opening wide the door to illumination so that we finally may see inwardly the invisible ways of the Cosmic at work.  See the obviousness of it, reflect and see “How great are Thy works!” as the psalmist says.

Have you noticed how many words are written here in order to utter one simple truth? 

Many petals, but only one rose.

Many letters, but only one word.

Many hairs, but only one head.

Many Days, but only one Saturday.

Take time and see for yourself how simple this beautiful law

is and activate it in your daily life.

You will thus, witness the oneness with the God of our Hearts

that is available to all living beings.

But, please see through the OBVIOUS and thy soul will rejoice

in THE CREATOR that makes us be ONE with The ESSENCE of Creation.

The Forth-Eight (48) Manys, Which Are One

Note: These words were designed as a Mandala wheel, in which the inner spokes contain the

ONE and the outer spokes contain the Manys, in the published article. (See the article sample).

THE FORTY-EIGHT (48) MANYS, WHICH ARE ONE

MANY                                                           ONE

1.         Words                                                            Truth

2.         Thoughts                                                       Mind

3.         Volumes                                                        Knowledge

4.         Letters                                                            Word

5.         Hours                                                             Day

6.         Minutes                                                         Hour

7.         Chips                                                              Computer

8.         Light bulbs                                                    Generator

9.         Candles                                                          Light

10.       Sparks                                                            Flame

11.       Bodies                                                            Soul

                                    12.       Hairs                                                              Head

                                    13.       Fingers                                                           Hand

                                    14.       Breaths                                                           Life

                                    15.       Cells                                                               Organism

                                    16.       Movements                                                   Stillness

                                    17.       Spokes                                                           Wheel

                                    18.       Ties                                                                 Track

                                    19.       Ways                                                              Highway

                                    20.       Routes                                                            Path

21.       Cities                                                              Planet

                                    22.       Children                                                        Father

                                    23.       Babies                                                            Mother

                                    24.       Branches                                                        Tree

                                    25.       Petals                                                             Rose

                                    26.       Grains                                                            Seed

                                    27.       Colors                                                            Rainbow

                                    28.       Rays                                                               Sun

                                    29.       Rocks                                                             Mountain

                                    30.       Waters                                                            Ocean

31.       Streams                                                          River

                                    32.       Details                                                            Whole

                                    33.       Diseases                                                         cause

                                    34.       Ingredients                                                    Recipe

                                    35.       Containers                                                     Essence

                                    36.       Chambers                                                      Castle

                                    37.       Threads                                                          Carpet

                                    38.       Brushstrokes                                                 Painting

                                    39.       Lines                                                              Circle

                                    40.       Dots                                                                Line

41.       Melodies                                                       Harmony

                                    42.       Notes                                                              Keyboard

                                    43.       Vibrations                                                     Sound

                                    44.       Sounds                                                           Silence

                                    45.       Religions                                                       God

                                    46.       Theories                                                         Reality

                                    47.       Interpretations                                              Truth

                                    48.       Pages                                                              Book