One and the Many
"From the gods a gift to the human race:
thus I reckon the gift of seeing the One
in the many and the many in the One."
— Plato (428-348 B.C.), Philebus 16d
Many appliances in household
all run by One electricity.
Many waves in the ocean
made by One essence— water.
Many breads, bagels, and cakes
made of One ingredient— wheat.
Many rings, braclets, necklaces
all made from One metal— gold.
Many trees in the forest
made from one substance— wood.
Many threads in the shirt & skirt
made from One material— cotton.
Many bowls, cups, pots, and vases
made from One medium— clay.
Many leaves on tree branches
all nourished by the One sap.
Many flags flying in the country
all represented by One nation.
Many mailboxes to mail letters
delivered by One post-office.
Many students in the classroom
learning lessons from One teacher.
Many instruments played by musicians
under the guidance of One conductor.
Many words on many pages
in One book by One author.
Many brushstrokes on the canvas
all painted by One artist.
Many rooms inside the house
divided by walls in One space.
Many countries on the globe
all residing in this One world.
Many hours in the day
made by One rotation of Earth.
Many clouds floating high & low
all inhabiting in the One sky.
Many amino acids in proteins
each with One peptide unit.
Many children and grandchildren
linked together by One bloodline.
Many cells born and dying
all inside One living body.
Many electrons in an atom
going around One nucleus.
Many planets orbiting the Sun
held by One gravitational field
Many objects seen in the world
visualized by One pair of eyes.
Many scenes in the movies
from One projector on One screen.
Many thoughts inside the head
created by the One mind.
Many stars formed from the Big Bang
from One point of the Black Hole.
Many things in Manifestation
born from the UnManifest that's One.
Cosmo di Medici read to the young
Michelangelo on "One and the Many"
now displayed on the Sistine Ceiling
for the Neo-Platonic initiates—
Many in "The Drunkardness of Noah"
to the One God: "Let there be Light !"
Peter Y. Chou
Mountain View, 8-8-2018
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One Hedgerose in Bush
Hackett Ave, Mountain View
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Many Hedgeroses in Bush
Hackett Ave, Mountain View
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One Iris in Shrub
Wells Fargo, Castro Street
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Many Irises in Shrub
Wells Fargo, Castro Street
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Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564)
Sistine Chapel Ceiling (1505-1512), Vatican Museurm
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