Weve all heard of the crazy types who think they are Jesus Christ, or Napoleon, or some other famous person. What if you actually brought a few of these people into the same room and introduced them to each other?! Well, that is exactly what Milton Rokeach did at Michigans Ypsilanti State Hospital in 1959-60. Over this period Rokeach held regular group meetings with three male psychiatric patients, each of whom believed he was Jesus Christ. Interestingly, no one was cured, and he did not succeed in lessening any of the patients delusions. What resulted was a series of arguments, power games and denials of each others existence.
In his book Not-Two Is Peace Adi Da draws an instructive, and archetypally significant analogy between this group of schizophrenics, and the current situation of the leadership of humankind. At the United Nations, and in other fora, the representatives of countries, or religions, or groups act the same way as the three Christs when discussing global peace, and other important matters of cooperation. They act as if they are absolute, completely unique and separate entities, each wanting to dominate in some way. The wholeness of humankind, the singleness of the planetary environment, never emerges as the prior reality it is always us, and them.
Who speaks from the point of view of the observer of the three Christs in the world forum? Adi Da speaks from this perspective in Not-Two Is Peace. He says Separateness cannot manifest wholeness. Only prior unity can manifest wholeness.
Prior Unity is not about three Christs in the same room or separate bodies of people arguing, playing power games, or denying each others existence, or perhaps their right to exist. Prior unity is inherent its already there. It just has to be acknowledged, and respected.
The peace lesson of the three Christs is that unless we act from the knowledge of prior unity, we all seem to act as if we are a bit mad.
