His "mask" is black, my "mask" is white. We talk for about one-and-a-half hours. He is asking questions about life, death, and after-death. In our sharing I point him to the birthless-and-deathless, and observe with him that anything time touches will die. What is it, we explore together, that time does not touch? I look to him and note to him his appearance is black, my appearance, I say, is white, but Spirit (or God, or Grace, or Life) looking through the eyes does not see that as anything more than a quality, an aspect, of personality, or person. I observe that he and I are not persons. Indeed, we do not deny qualities - black will be seen, white will be seen. Yet, what looks through eyes and, while not denying differentiation by qualities, does not see the other as those qualities? So, This does not create otherness from seeing the other, but retains a seeing of shared Beingness. All the hatred and prejudice in the world, over all time, is based on one simple illusion: we are different, so separate - and from this comes the need for an ill-fated personal security that sees otherness not as I am but as something to be feared. This is why all the teaching, and songs, and politics on Oneness will never bring us peace among ourselves, for peace arises from our Oneness, not our similarities or dissimilarities. Peace arises from Oneness, not the differentiation. Difference is seen, not separation, in Oneness, in Love. And, from This, appreciation for our differences in quality, or aspects, is enhanced. I would not want my friend to be white like me, to be like me. Rather, that DNA has clothed him with a dark skin is simply part of the beauty and grace of appearance. So, self sees separation, Spirit sees Oneness and celebrates diversity, not being afraid of it, but being glad for it.
