The Gatekeeper of Oneness

“You are the gatekeeper”

I heard these words on day in meditation, but what could they mean? I am not accustomed to hearing or seeing much of anything in meditation. At best I feel a tingling sensation or a feeling of peace. At worst I feel only the numberless distractions of the body and mind: tension, an itch, a muscle pain, or thoughts from the day before, or what’s for lunch.

Why would these enigmatic words suddenly pop into my head? I began a contemplation of the gatekeeper. And I discovered that we all may be gatekeepers.

A gatekeeper lives on the border, watches the gate and holds the keys that allow the doors to be opened so that others may pass through. I’ve always loved the borders, the fringes of thought where seemingly different ideas find something in common. We find these places of commonality between things like music and mathematics, science and religion, nature and spirit, or anything else if we look deeply enough.

The more deeply we look within the more we experience unity as we feel the interconnectedness of all things, the Oneness. Oneness is an eternal infinite space which by definition contains everything. The very definition lacks definition since it can never be held or described fully by the mind. It is a fearful place for the mind which makes its way by division and identification with the parts.

Oneness is fearful for the mind because we stand on the edge of an abyss afraid of the loss of our small self. So the mind has created walls more substantial and enduring than the Great Wall of China to protect us from the abyss of the unknown.

As our souls descended into the myth of separation a whole series of walls were built inside of us to allow us to experience the layers of our individuality. But these walls were not meant to trap us in separation and aloneness. Each wall was installed with a door, a gateway, and a set of keys is always available to the gatekeeper who silently waits and watches those who approach the infinite, the Great Mystery of Creation.

Those who become acquainted with the gatekeeper will begin one by one to unlock the inner doors of wonder and innocence which lead by gradual steps back to the place of Oneness. In the loving heart of Oneness nothing is lost, not even the sense of individuality so highly prized by the little mind.