Oneness

Oneness is a concept that expresses unity or wholeness, the idea that apparent diversity in the world derives from a single underlying reality or principle. Used across philosophy, religion, and science, oneness denotes connections among beings, events, and phenomena beyond surface differences.

In philosophy and religious traditions, oneness is linked to monism and nondualism. Advaita Vedanta teaches that ultimate reality is non-dual Brahman, with individual beings as manifestations. Taoism emphasizes the Tao as the fundamental source from which all opposites arise and are reconciled. In Neoplatonism and mysticism, all things emanate from a single source known as The One. Theological contexts include Tawhid, the strict unity of God in Islam, and similar notions in Christian or Sufi mysticism about union with the divine.

In Buddhism, the doctrine of emptiness (shunyata) is often interpreted as a form of ontological unity, though its emphasis is on interdependence rather than a simple monistic substance. In modern science and secular thought, oneness appears in notions of a unified natural order, systems theory, and the search for universal laws describing diverse phenomena.

Practical approaches seek oneness through meditation, contemplation, ethical living, or ritual, aiming for a direct experiential insight rather than doctrinal agreement.

Scholars debate whether oneness entails a genuine reduction of multiplicity or adequate acknowledgment of difference. Monistic accounts can clash with pluralist or realist positions, while proponents stress interconnectedness as a guiding principle across disciplines.