India, Nov. 13 -- Dr. Manasa Nagabhushanam, Daiv

Oneness is not a philosophy for books; it is a way of looking at the person in front of us.

Tradition tells of Adi Shankaracharya, walking in Kashi toward the Vishwanatha temple after his morning bath. A man of the so-called lowest caste, with four dogs, came walking from the opposite side. Shankara's disciples cried out, "Move aside!" The man smiled and asked a question: "Do you wish this body to move away from that body, or the Self to move away from the Self?" In some tellings he adds: does the sun's reflection in the Ganga differ from its reflection in a drain?

Shankara bowed, understanding that he had met his teacher. He composed the five verses called Manisha Panchakam, each ending...