From the Taittiriya Upanishad:

From the Taittiriya Upanishad:

Humans, in their ignorance, identify themselves with the material sheaths that encompass their true Selves. Transcending these, they become one with Brahman, who is pure bliss.

Comment:

The material sheath is the human body. Identification with the body is also called the ego. The ego is the notion of having had particular experiences relating to this body with its mind and senses. Living as the ego is living in a restricted way, only being concerned with the survival of this body. Ego-centric living is a miserable way of living, full of conflict and fear. It is also a never-ending fight for survival. It is a highly restrictive way of existing, where only the things that relate intimately to oneself are accepted, while everything not intimately connected will be discarded, perhaps in a highly degrading and demeaning way.

Life exists outside of the limits that we humans put on it. There are people who look, think, feel, and act differently from the way we look, think, feel, and act. As long as they are not attempting to force us to accept their way of existing as the “correct” way, we should accept their differences as the way life has evolved over time.

The essence of other people is connected to the same essence that makes us come alive. Water is used to nourish all kinds of fruit trees, whether they carry apples, oranges, or cherries. The same water quenches our thirst, the thirst of cows, and the thirst of birds.

In the same way, the essence within all people is the same. This essence, when experienced consciously, is experienced as the ultimate bliss. This essence has been given different names by different cultures, but it is still only one essence. Water is called many different names in different languages, but its essence remains the same.