Our identity reflects a deep paradox.
There are two basic aspects to who we are:
- We are consciousness,
- We are a body.
Consciousness and the body are completely opposite to each other.
What is true for the body is not true for consciousness. What is true for consciousness is not true for the body.
What is true for one part of us is not true for the other part of us.
We are a living contradiction.
As body we are part of the world of matter and form.
As consciousness we can experience universal oneness.
We can never say that something is true about ourself without also acknowledging that at the same time, it is also not true about ourself.
As a body, we are unique and separate from all other forms of life. As consciousness, we are one with all of life.
As a body, we are located in a specific place and a specific time. As consciousness we discover that who we are extends beyond space and time.
As a body we have a finite beginning and a finite end. As consciousness we have no beginning and no end.
As a body we have specific needs that must be met. As consciousness we have no needs.
We are both one and not one. We are separate and not separate at the same time.
We are form; we are formless. We are mortal; we are eternal.
All are opposites. All are paradoxically true.
We are a living paradox.
