What I want to write about today is no revelation to be quite honest, and dearest John Lennon puts it very nicely…
“Imagine there’s no countries
It isn’t hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
and no religion, too…” –John Lennon
What I want to write about today is no revelation to be quite honest, and dearest John Lennon puts it very nicely…
Whenever I mention anything about this topic, people mostly call me a dreamer. They say utopia can never be achieved in this world, as well as many other things.
Well, I’m a dreamer, and even if it’s a million-to-one shot, or something we won’t get to see in our lifetimes, every inch forward counts. You never get anywhere without hope…
So, let’s dream together…
There are no countries or religions. There’s no division or separation.
As there’s nothing to split, people are not split either. There’s just a unity of oneness and love.
Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about rituals. That’s why I decided to write about this topic in the first place, namely rituals, ceremonies, symbols, and religious ways.
There are examples of many nice, heart-warming, and fun rituals I can think of, at least until people start taking them too seriously, using them to manipulate others, or favoring some people while excluding and casting out others. I won’t go on and on about this, though. I’m sure you get the picture. At some point, people hit a brick wall, separating themselves from others, just because they feel there is just one valid way to reach the Divine, which just happens to be their way.
Religion never meant much to me, nor did countries and their borders, which can be just as divisive. But here, for the sake of argument, I will focus on religion, rituals, and ceremonies. I could never see the point when I was a kid. I did not understand why there were Muslims, Christians, Jews, and Buddhists. Why did we need any religion at all? They all seemed to pray to one God, but contrary to the notion of Oneness, they all seemed to pretend that their God was the best God. But how could that be? If there is just one God, why do we need separate religions? Well, in a nutshell, these were my ignorant, childish thoughts, or so I thought at the time at least. I didn’t really talk much about the subject when I was growing up.
When I was in my later teenage years, 18 or 19, I became curious. I felt a bit guilty, too. I mean, while my family was not religious, we had friends with various beliefs, and we lived in a Muslim country, so I was exposed to various opinions. Belief is a fragile topic, but I was influenced. To put a long story short, I did learn some basics about Islam and even prayed regularly for a while. It still didn’t feel completely right, but I was exploring.
Then I outgrew that phase. I looked into other religions and belief systems, reading about them, learning their rituals, and so on.  It wasn’t much, but it gave me a general idea…
I never became particularly attached to any of them, and I still couldn’t see the point of them. Eventually I went back to my original feeling.
I’ve always known I was a believer. But I believed in Oneness, Unity, Love. I still do, and now I can say it out loud without feeling guilty or ignorant, even if I know I’m part of a very small minority. Something greater than myself—like when everything unites as One, creating Love—is also a part of me deep inside.
The strength of Oneness is the unity of many…
Bright and shining Love…
Never dividing, never splitting one from the other…
No boundaries…
No countries…
No religions…

Unity and Oneness…

This is why you cannot choose a path or religion above all others. There is a path for everyone, however, the path of love.
And you can walk that path simply by being your natural self. Be yourself and listen to your heart. You can create your own ways or not, but just live, fair ‘n square. Feel that you are living. Feel your own existence as part of that great, amazing, fascinating, infinite existence. Feel a part of the unity as your wonderful self, like the purples, pinks, and oranges of a sunset, like the blue hues of the ocean, and like the greens of the forest, sometimes blending in, sometimes popping out of the picture.
It is essential to see what divides and what unites. Listen to your heart, your soul, and your very molecules. You are a part of life, and every part of you already has the knowledge. Listen and be aware. Ask the right questions, and you will guide the way.
Light the path…
So you’ll know your own steps…
Do not be the one who takes your freedom away, as Krishnamurti said.
But don’t believe what I say. Ask yourself and find the answers in your heart. Only if the ritual comes naturally to you is that ritual or prayer a belief.

Guldehan Aysan