The Illusion of Separateness

Looking around at the world today, it seems that we are becoming more divided. Relations are becoming more fractured not only between countries but also within countries too, with many experiencing polarisation of their populations in some way - whether that be in terms of religion, or politically or racially or between rich and poor. Unfortunately division stokes fear and fear stokes division so we can get caught in a vicious cycle. But the Enneagram shows us that we each have all of the Types in us. We are not one Type to the exclusion of all the others, it is simply that one is dominant. So, in other words, we are all people and other people are us. However the more caught up we are in ego (ie; the more caught up we are in Type), the more trapped we are in the illusion of separateness and the less able we are to access the other Types in us. Someone who is less caught up in their ego (Type) is more open, more porous in a way, and has a greater repertoire of responses to any given situation because they are able to call on those other parts of themselves. Which is why we say they are not so fixated in Type.

Kishnamurti said 'wherever there is a division, a fragmentation, love cannot be. Because goodness is the state of non-division. The word itself means indivisible'.

I like this photo because the sea and sky all blend into one.