Ibn – e – Arabi, the great 12th Century Sufi mystic named this continuum as the “Unity of Being”. This focuses on the esoteric reality of all beings instead of the exoteric reality. The esoteric reality he calls “Wujud” or existence, is the same and the whole physical and mental universe is made up of that. Before Ibn – e – Arabi, Shankara (8th century CE) the greatest of all ancient Indian philosophers in his Advaita philosophy also spoke about “Sat” or the singular nature of reality that projects itself as all the components of the physical and the mental universe.
For both the mystics from two different ends of the world their respective idea of this continuum was concluded to be the God. When Ibn-e-Arabi stressed the "Al-Haqq" or the Reality aspect of Allah and gave a new meaning to the phrase “La Ilaha Illa’llah” – there is no reality apart from the Reality, which extended to everything that is real, being God and making God synonymous with the existence or being itself. Shankara’s explanation claims that the supreme reality “Brahman” to be the single metaphysical truth or “Ekam Sat”, that pervades everything that is or “Sarvam Khalvidam Brahma”.
The underlying thesis of oneness in both the philosophies first indicates towards God, who Himself is this continuum of being, while we individuals are nothing but entities non-dual with that. This oneness with the continuum of being, makes us the individual beings infinite, as God is. This inherent infinite nature of ours does not let us draw fulfillment from anything which is limited, be it a thing or a person or a thought limited by name, time, and form.
Each and every path that seeks spiritual realization leads to the understanding of this oneness and the path of love probably is the sweetest and most enjoyable among all. Sufis claim the path of love is as old as the idea of love itself, the day in the history of mankind, human beings learned to love – this path came into being. In this path prayer is an enjoyment, meditation is an intoxication, contemplation is bliss, and state of realization is an ecstasy. As Rumi said “Be drunk with love, for love is all that exists”, indeed the Sufi writers repeatedly referred to God as Saqi – who serves wine, where wine is a metaphor of love.
This wild excitement and the intoxication from the enchanted eyes of a wayfarer on this path is captured probably best in the following lines by Rumi,
The Lover is ever drunk with Love.
She is mad. He is free.
She sings with delight. He dances in ecstasy.
Caught by our own thoughts, we worry about everything.
But once we get drunk on that Love
Whatever will be, will be.
~ Avirup Chakraborty
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