Tat twam asi.

This Sanskrit aphorism is the most famous of the mahavakyas, the "great sayings" of yoga vedanta. It's usually translated as "That you are."

"That," of course, refers to the cosmic Being, the One, the Source, the Godhead. Hey, that's great! Now that we know each of us is one with the absolute, all our problems are solved, right? We can have immediate world peace and total harmony in all relationships!

The funny thing is, "Tat twam asi" has been around for a few thousand years, and we still act like we don't get it. Why is that, I wonder?

Here's another problem. When I meditate, it's really hard to keep my mind from wandering. Has that ever happened to you?

I'd like to suggest that the two problems are similar, and there's an easy way to fix both problems. You like easy, yes?

The thoughts in the mind are often compared to waves on a lake, although I believe an endless ocean is more like it. Anyway, what I've discovered in myself is I have one or two waves in my mind that say "Tat twam asi" and about a hundred billion waves that say, "Oh no you're not!"

I also find that when I try to concentrate on a single wave like "Tat twam asi," all my other mental waves roll right over it and demand equal attention.

So here's the basic problem: We have only a few waves of noble spiritual truth in our mental oceans, and countless waves from this and other lifetimes that overwhelm and wipe out our efforts to become enlightened.

Are you ready for the easy solution? Whenever you encounter another human being, hold this thought in your mind:

"You're the most interesting person I ever met."

In his Universal Prayer, Swami Sivananda says, "Let us behold Thee in all these names and forms. Let us serve Thee in all these names and forms." That's what you are doing when you practice this simple spiritual discipline. By holding every human being as supremely interesting, you are beholding them as manifestations of the Divine, the Absolute, the "Tat." You are beholding that supreme Self in every person, and serving it with your humility and respect. Inevitably, you will learn to behold and serve it in yourself, simply by continuously producing mental waves that say "yes I am" instead of "no I'm not."

You'll also find that your ability to concentrate in meditation will improve rapidly and dramatically. Let's admit it, we really don't pay much attention to each other in most interactions. However, a living, breathing human being takes up a lot of space compared to an abstract idea. When your mind wanders away from the person in front of you, into extraneous thoughts of yourself, it's easier to catch and correct the mind in real-life moments than in some dreamy, sleepy state we like to call meditation.

And, if we learn to perceive each other as completely interesting, maybe world peace and personal harmony would be achievable after all!