The Will of God
According to the nondual understanding, the concept of a universal will, as it is expressed at the relative level of space and time, is not a predetermined cosmic plan orchestrated by an external agent. Rather, it is an activity of the inherent dynamism, the spontaneous unfolding, and the very freedom of infinite consciousness manifesting as a multiplicity of forms in the world of perception.
This universal will is not a rigid decree but the very impulse of life, the creative urge that gives rise to all phenomena. In other words, consciousness is exploring its own infinite potential and experiencing itself in the world of appearances.
This boundless freedom expresses itself, however, through the necessary limitations of each of our localized, finite minds. The mind is the perceptual apparatus or lens through which subject-object relationships can be known. In other words it is through the activity of thinking and perceiving that consciousness knows the world.
Instinctively, though mistakenly, thinking and feeling create a “me” distinct from an “other,” separating itself from the seamless flow of the consciousness. It is through these very limitations that the universal will seeks to rediscover itself.
Each of our lives, with its unique challenges, desires, and experiences, could be seen as an experiment in self-recognition for consciousness. The yearning for connection, the search for meaning, the striving for growth—these are not the drives of a separate ego, but the inherent impulse of the universal will seeking to transcend the limitations of its localized expressions and to recognize its own inherent wholeness through the kaleidoscope of human experience
The creativity and spontaneity we experience—the unexpected insights, the intuitive nudges—can be understood as glimpses of this underlying freedom slipping through the cracks of the habitual thought patterns of the mind.
Just as a wave, while part of the ocean, still has its own unique movement and impact (and seems to have its own freedom), our individual lives have their own unfolding trajectory. However, recognizing the underlying unity of will shifts our understanding of agency from the personal to the universal. Our choices are not the product of a separate “I” making independent decisions, for there is no independent entity with its own separate agency, apart from consciousness. (This article explores why there can be only one consciousness.) All expressions, then, belong to consciousness.
Understanding the unity of will leads to the gradual dissolution of previous conditionings grounded in the illusion of being a separate agency. When this happens, the inherent spontaneity and freedom of the universal will expresses itself more fully and authentically.
By embodying this fundamental unity in our lives, we learn to trust. We learn the value of surrender. We walk steadfast, finally, in abiding peace and happiness.