In plain words
By the reckoning of the world, how many are there here? You, the reflection and the mirror: there are three. Ask even a first-standard pupil, ‘If one of the three goes, how many are left?’, and he will say, ‘Two.’ Worldly arithmetic is known to everyone: 3-1=2. But God does not agree with this. ‘Wrong,’ He says. ‘3-1=1,’ He says. What is that? ‘God never studied in any school; why, He does not know arithmetic!’ With such words many people mock even God. Here there are three: you, your reflection and the mirror. Madman! Take away the mirror. Then the reflection too is gone. What is, is one! The original. So in the matters of the world, differences show up in many ways, in nature and in spirit. Many people think, many people say money makes many things, but I say money makes many wrongs. Money makes many things, people say in the world. No, no. Money makes many wrongs. Only when we recognise this truth can we put Money to good use. This is what is distinctive in Śaṅkara's oneness. Even the things that happen in daily life he taught in terms of oneness. I told you that yesterday, did I not!
When Saṃskāra Ripens, the Feeling That All Is One Comes
One lump of clay, many forms of pots; one gold, many ornaments.
The clay is one, but the forms and names of the pots are different. Gold is one! The ornaments are different. In the same way divinity is one: ‘Ekaṃ sat viprāḥ bahudhā vadanti’. Call it Allāh, call it Jesus, call it Buddha, call it Zoroastrian, call it Rāma, call it Hari: taken all together, it is one! How is this? An example from daily life.