What
is Nonduality - Nondualism - Advaita?Jerry Katz, editor
"Nonduality means
non-separateness."
"Defining nonduality is more
than opening a dictionary. 'You' have to be opened."
"The concept, often described in English as
"nondualism," is extremely hard for the mind to
grasp or visualize, since the mind engages constantly in
the making of distinctions and nondualism represents the
rejection or transcendence of all distinctions."
The best
explanation of nonduality for beginners is found in Chuck
Hillig's book, Enlightenment for Beginners.
Encylopedia Britannica article
Traditional
Various
authors and teachers
Brief
Explications
Lengthier
Explications
From What
Is Enlightenment magazine
From 'A Brief History of Everything', by Ken Wilber
Secondary
Nondualism and Ultimate Nondualism of Da Free John
Meeting
the Great Bliss Queen: Buddhists, Feminists and the Art
of the Self, by Anne Carolyn Klein
The
Rotten Root, by Drew Hempel
Advaita
Vedanta web site FAQ
Traditional
Explications
--from The Song of
Ribhu: The English Translation of the Tamil Ribhu Gita.
Translation by Dr. H. Ramamoorthy and Nome. Published by
SAT, Society for Abidance in Truth, 2000.
"Advaita Vedanta, or the
Teaching of Nonduality, is that which is
expounded by Ribhu, Sri Dattatreya (the Avadhuta), Sri
Ashtavakra, Sri Sankara, Sri Ramana Maharshi, and many
other great sages. It reveals the utter absence of any
differentiation between Atman (the Self) and Brahman. It
is the revelation of Reality without even a trace of
notional superimpositions. The entire Ribhu Gita gives an
exposition -- a veritable scripture -- of Advaita
Vedanta."
"ATMAN. The Self. The Self is one and universal,
different from the body, sensory organs, senses, mind,
intelligence, inner senses, and such others, remaining
only as a witness to the activities of these and
unsullied by them. The Self is of the nature of
Being-Consciousness-Bliss, self-luminous, of the nature
of Knowledge, needing no other knowledge to know it. The
Self is without desire or hatred, fear or sorrow, quality
or activity, form, change or blemish. It is immaculate,
indivisible, all-pervasive, and infinite. The Self and
Brahman are one."
"BRAHMAN. A Sanskrit word formed from the root brmh,
which means growth, and the suffix man, which signifies
an absence of limitation (in space or time). Thus,
Brahman means that which is absolutely the greatest.
Brahman, according to the Masters of Advaita, is said to
be known through Vedic texts, primarily the Upanishads,
which are considered a valid means of knowledge, as a
direct perception.
"Brahman is the only Reality; it is beyond
definition in words, the range of sensory perceptions,
and the human mind. It is conceived to be boundless
Being, ever existent, limitless in space and time,
immutable, immaculate, devoid of qualities, attributes,
name, or form. It is not subject to birth, continuation,
growth, maturity, decay and dissolution, and has nothing
similar to it and nothing different from it. It is also
described as pure Knowledge.
"It is also regarded as both the efficient and
material cause of the visible universe, the all-pervading
spirit of the universe, the essence from which all beings
are produced and into which they are absorbed. The entire
phenomenal world of beings, qualities, actions, all
manifestations, and so on, is said to be an illusory
superimposition on the imperishable substratum, which is
Brahman.
"The Upanishad-s also identify Brahman with the
Universal Self. What Brahman, the only Reality, is and,
more importantly, what Brahman, the only Reality, is not
is discussed in the entire text of the Song of
Ribhu."
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From Encyclopedic
Theosophical Library:
Advaita (Sanskrit) [from a not + dvaita
dual from dvi two] Nondual; the Advaita or nondualistic
form of Vedanta [from veda knowledge + anta end]
expounded by Sankaracharya teaches the oneness of Brahman
or the paramatman of the universe with the human
spirit-soul or jivatman, and the identity of spirit and
matter; also that the divine spirit of the universe is
the all-efficient, all-productive cause of the periodic
coming into being, continuance, and dissolutions of the
universe; and that this divine cosmic spirit is the
ultimate truth and sole reality -- hence the term advaita
(without a second). All else is maya, in proportion to
its distance from the divine source.
The greatest initiates and yogis since Sankaracharya's
time are reputed to have come from the ranks of the
Advaita-Vedantists. "Yet the root philosophy of both
Adwaita and Buddhist scholars is identical, and both have
the same respect for animal life, for both believe that
every creature on earth, however small and humble, 'is an
immortal portion of the immortal matter' -- for matter
with them has quite another significance than it has with
either Christian or materialist -- and that every
creature is subject to Karma" (SD 1:636; cf 2:637).
Advaitin or Advaita-Vedantist Also Advaitee. An adherent
of the Advaita philosophy.
Advaya (Sanskrit) [from a not + dvi two] Not two, without
a second; unique. As a masculine noun, name of a buddha.
As a neuter noun, nonduality, unity, identity --
especially as applied to Brahman -- with the universe, or
of spirit and matter; hence ultimate truth.
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from Encyclopedia
of World Problems and Human Potential:
Nondualism: Literally
the following of a philosophy of non-duality,
practitioners follow the Upanishad tradition through the
pathof wisdom, jnana yoga, as founded by Badarayana and
expounded by Sankara. They allow no duality between
creator and created - all are reflections or
manifestations of the one, which is not and cannot be an
object of sense ("not this, not this") but
which is the underlying reality or consciousness, the
subject of which all else is the object ("thou art
that"). It is through identification with the body
and the bodily senses that the gross universe is seen as
reality. In a state of ignorance, an idea (the world of
manifest objects) is superimposed on true reality
(Brahman). By the removal of ignorance - avidya - the
Self, the vital principle, the Atman, comes to be seen as
identical with the first principle, the all-pervading
power, the Brahman.
Non-duality is not meant to imply simply one-ness; the
distinction between what is and what is not is to be
found in the permanence or changeableness of what is
being considered. That which observes does not change
with what is observed, the ultimate being perception or
consciousness itself which is unchanging. Rationally it
is clear that there can be no being beyond consciousness
and that consciousness and real existence are
inseparable. Consciousness and "is-ness" are
Brahman. It is the deluded sense of separation from
Brahman, of separate individuality, which is the cause of
pleasure and pain; identification with Brahman is bliss.
Refs
Wisdom of the Vedas (Chatterji, J C, 1980);
Advaita Vedanta: a philosophical reconstruction (Deutsch,
Eliot, 1969);
The Secret Teachings of the Vedas: the eastern answers to
the mysteries of life (Knapp, Stephen, 1991);
The Integral Advaitism of Sri Aurobindo (Misra, Ram
Shankas, 1957);
The Ten Principal Upanishads (Purohit, Swami Shree and
Yeats, W B);
Methods of Knowledge According to Advaita Vedanta
(Satprakashananda, Swami, 1975).
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from http://www.poonja.com/Advaita_Vedanta.htm
In the Sankrit language Advaita means
"not two" and Vedanta means "the end of
knowledge". So one could say that Advaita Vedanta is
the non-dual experience at the end of knowledge, or
beyond knowledge. However, in the non-dual state there
can be no experiencer and experience
and so the term arises, "The Mystery beyond the
mind," simply because that That that is beyond the
mind cannot be conceptualized much less described by the
mind. This mystery refers to the cessation of the
experience of duality, the removal of separation between
any two objects, the lifting of the veil of illusoryness,
the drowning of individualness in the eternal ocean of
Love.
This Mystery is the Majesty of Saints like Bhagavan Sri
Ramana Maharishi of Tiruvannamalai, his disciple Sri
H.W.L. Poonja of Lucknow, Ananda Mayi Ma of Haridwar, and
Sri Nisargadatta of Bombay. By their words, their touch,
their look, and mostly just by their presence these
Saints enlighten their disciples.
Enlighten is a word that is a gossomer vessel overflowing
with sticky concepts. For lack of a better word it is
used but realize that any word, any concept, and any
Saint is a finger pointing to Advaita Vedanta, the
Mystery Beyond the Mind.
The Rig Veda, the oldest book on the planet, tries to
describe the mystery by singing hundreds of thousands of
hymns and yet it comes to the famous conclusion: Neti,
Neti, meaning 'not this, not this'. Freedom,
Enlightenment, Love, though the topic of Advaita Vedanta
remains untouched by the wondering mind, and yet is the
light by which the mind sees. Only when the mind stops
does Consciousness behold Itself. Then 'Consciousness
knows the Truth and the Truth sets itself Free'. You are
this Truth, the Isness joyously radiating as the Light of
this Moment.
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from The Lotus Sutra
translated by Burton Watson and The
Threefold Lotus Sutra translated by
Bunno Kato, et. al.
"The concept, often described in English as
"nondualism," is extremely hard for the mind to
grasp or visualize, since the mind engages constantly in
the making of distinctions and nondualism represents the
rejection or transcendence of all distinctions. The world
perceived through the senses, the phenomenal world as we
know it, was described in early Buddhism as
"empty" because it was taught that all such
phenomena arise from causes and conditions, are in a
constant state of flux, and are destined to change and
pass away in time. They are also held to be
"empty" in the sense that they have no inherent
or permanent characteristics by which they can be
described, changing as they do from instant to instant.
But in Mahayana thought it became customary to emphasize
not the negative but rather the positive aspects or
import of the doctrine of Emptiness. If all phenomena are
characterized by the quality of Emptiness, then Emptiness
must constitute the unchanging and abiding nature of
existence, and therefore the absolute or unchanging world
must be synonymous with the phenomenal one. Hence all
mental and physical distinctions that we perceive or
conceive of with our minds must be part of a single
underlying unity. It is this concept of Emptiness or
nonduality that leads the Mahayana texts to assert that
samsara, the ordinary world of suffering and cyclical
birth and death, is in the end identical with the world
of nirvana, and that earthly desires are
enlightenment." (p xv)
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"Namu Amida Butsu"
"Namu Amida Butsu" sums up nonduality.
"Namu" is the ego-self. "Amida" is
the boundless light of Wisdom and life of Compassion that
embraces without exclusion. "Butsu" is the
Buddha, in whom we take refuge.
Together this is the Name-that-calls. Nonduality is
realized when we discover how essential self-power
derived from knowledge of the self and intellect is to
Other power, yet that Other power is greater than the
ego-self and its misuse of self-power.
Beyond good and evil, there is the greater Good. Beyond
the limits of our passions, there is only the
Name-that-calls.
This is the essence of non-dualism in Shin Buddhism. Thus
the name of Jodo Shinshu is translated as "The True
Essence of the Pure Land Way", the fulfillment of
non-duality. Stephen H. Kawamoto
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Seng T'san, the third Zen Patriarch: The
Mind of Absolute Trust
The great way isn't difficult for those who are
unattached to their preferences.
Let go of longing and aversion, and everything will be
perfectly clear.
When you cling to a hairbreadth of distinction, heaven
and earth are set apart.
If you want to realize the truth, don't be for or
against.
The struggle between good and evil is the primal disease
of the mind.
Not grasping the deeper meaning, you just trouble your
minds serenity.
As vast as infinite space, it is perfect and lacks
nothing.
But because you select and reject, you can't perceive its
true nature.
Don't get entangled in the world; don't lose yourself in
emptiness.
Be at peace in the oneness of things, and all errors will
disappear by themselves.
If you don't live the Tao, you fall into assertion or
denial.
Asserting that the world is real, you are blind to its
deeper reality;
denying that the world is real, you are blind to the
selflessness of all things.
The more you think about these matters, the farther you
are from the truth.
Step aside from all thinking, and there is nowhere you
can't go.
Returning to the root, you find the meaning;
chasing appearances, you lose there source.
At the moment of profound insight, you transcend both
appearance and emptiness.
Don't keep searching for the truth; just let go of your
opinions.
For the mind in harmony with the Tao, all selfishness
disappears.
With not even a trace of self-doubt, you can trust the
universe completely.
All at once you are free, with nothing left to hold on
to.
All is empty, brilliant, perfect in its own being.
In the world of things as they are, there is no self, no
non self.
If you want to describe its essence, the best you can say
is "Not-two."
In this "Not-two" nothing is separate, and
nothing in the world is excluded.
The enlightened of all times and places have entered into
this truth.
In it there is no gain or loss; one instant is ten
thousand years.
There is no here, no there; infinity is right before your
eyes.
The tiny is as large as the vast when objective
boundaries have vanished;
the vast is as small as the tiny when you don't have
external limits.
Being is an aspect of non-being; non-being is no
different from being.
Until you understand this truth, you won't see anything
clearly.
One is all; all are one. When you realize this, what
reason for holiness or wisdom?
The mind of absolute trust is beyond all thought, all
striving,
is perfectly at peace, for in it there is no yesterday,
no today, no tomorrow.
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from The Lankavatara Sutra
What is meant by nonduality, Mahatmi?
It means that light and shade, long and short, black and
white, can only be experienced in relation to each other;
light is not independent of shade, nor black of white.
There are no opposites, only relationships. In the same
way, nirvana and the ordinary world of suffering are not
two things but related to each other. There is no nirvana
except where the world of suffering is; there is no world
of suffering apart from nirvana. For existence is not
mutually exclusive.
Nonduality From Wikipedia, the free
encyclopedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonduality
Nonduality is the nature of reality according to
teachings (generally originating in Asia) such as
Advaita, Buddhism and Dzogchen, and probably
Taoism as well. Western philosophy includes an
(unrelated) intellectual tradition of nondualism,
known more commonly as monism.
While attitudes towards the experience of duality
and self may vary, nondual traditions converge on
the view that experience does not imply an "I".
In Buddhism
In the Buddhist canon, the Diamond Sutra presents
an accessible nondual view of "self" and
"beings", while the Heart Sutra asserts
shunyata
— the "emptiness" of all
"things". The fullest
philosophical exposition is the Madhyamaka; by
contrast many laconic pronouncements are
delivered as koans. Advanced views and practices
are found in the Mahamudra and Maha Ati, which
emphasize the vividness and spaciousness of
nondual awareness.
"Not Two and Not One"
Mahayana Buddhism, in particular, tempers the
view of nonduality (wisdom) with respect for the
experience of duality (compassion) — ordinary
dualistic experience, populated with selves and
others (sentient beings), is tended with care,
always "now". This approach is itself regarded
as
a means to disperse the confusions of duality
(i.e. as a path). In the Hinayana, that respect
is expressed cautiously as non-harming, while in
the Vajrayana, it is expressed boldly as
enjoyment (especially in tantra).
In Dzogchen
Dzogchen is a relatively esoteric (to date)
tradition concerned with the "natural state",
and
emphasizing direct experience. It is independent,
yet closely allied with the Buddhism of Tibet,
particularly the Nyingma lineage and the Maha Ati
teachings. In Dzogchen, the primordial state, the
state of nondual awareness, is called rigpa.
In Advaita
Advaita (Sanskrit a, not; dvaita, two) is a
nondual tradition with Advaita Vedanta as its
philosophical arm. Probably the best known
advaitist of modern times is Ramana Maharshi,
according to whom the jnani (one who has realised
the Self) sees no individual ego, and does not
regard himself (or anyone else) as a "doer" of
actions. The state of nondual awareness is called
jnana.
In Taoism
The Taoist's wu wei (Chinese wu, not; wei, doing)
is a term with various translations (e.g.
inaction, non-action, nothing doing, without ado)
and interpretations designed to distinguish it
from passivity. From a nondual perspective, it
refers to activity that does not imply an "I".
Nonduality in Carlos Castaneda
Carlos Castaneda's writings describing the
shamanism of Toltec naguals are a rich but
troubled source of nondual themes. Their
authenticity as ethnography is a matter of much
controversy. As well, Carlos' self-portrait as a
confused apprentice is not merely a literary
device. Nevertheless, the narratives contain
numerous assaults on the idea of an individual
self, and propose a worldview of emanations
powered by an abstract Intent. Yet Carlos never
seems to acknowledge the nondual implications in
his stories: "Naturally, he heard the inner
voice, but he believed it to be his own feelings
he was feeling and his own thoughts he was
thinking." (Castaneda, 1987, chap. 1).
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Explications
from Various Authors and Teachers
Nisargadatta Maharaj (from I Am That):
When you go beyond awareness, there is a state of
non-duality, in which there is no cognition, only pure
being. In the state of non-duality, all separation
ceases.
Ken Wilber:
"Nonduality" means, as the
Upanishads put it, "to be freed of the pairs."
That is, the great liberation consists in being freed of
the pairs of opposites, freed of duality-and finding
instead the nondual One Taste that gives rise to both.
This is liberation because we cease the impossible,
painful dream of spending our entire lives trying to find
an up without a down, an inside without an outside, a
good without an evil, a pleasure without its inevitable
pain.
Adyashanti:
To awaken to the absolute view is profound
and transformative, but to awaken from all fixed points
of view is the birth of true nonduality.
...
Enlightenment means the end of all division. It is not
simply having an occasional experience of unity beyond
all division, it is actually being undivided. This is
what nonduality truly means. It means there is just One
Self, without a difference or gap between the profound
revelation of Oneness and the way it is perceived and
lived every moment of life. Nonduality means that the
inner revelation and the outer expression of the
personality are one and the same. So few seem to be
interested in the greater implication contained within
profound spiritual experiences, because it is the
contemplation of these implications which quickly brings
to awareness the inner divisions existing within most
seekers.
Richard Miller:
Advaita means, "not-two" and reveals
the truth that all objects are expressions of unqualified
Consciousness and always point back to Awareness, our
true nature, the unfathomable Vast-ness-that-we-are.
Consciousness and its objects are One, not two. This can
never be conceptualized, only intuitively realized. Yana
is the pathless "path" we traverse as our
misperceptions of separation are healed. This path is not
developmental. Separateness is not a case of something
that exists becoming non-existent. Our 'self' never
exists in the first place except conceptually. The path
reveals the non-existence of the 'self' that always was
nonexistent. Yoga is the means we utilize in realizing
our non-separateness. We investigate all that we take
ourself to be (body, senses and mind), and understand
That, which we always are Be-ing-unqualified Presence.
The body/mind is an expression of Consciousness, and we
are That unqualified Consciousness. There is only
Consciousness. Our yearning to understand comes from
Consciousness. The path we traverse unfolds in
Consciousness. The means that we utilize are the tools
provided by Consciousness. And That, which we realize is
Consciousness. Therefore, the emphasis of Advaitayana
Yoga from the beginning, in the middle, and at the end is
not on transformation but upon seeing, listening,
understanding and welcoming all that is. From the
non-dual perspective nothing needs to be changed in order
for freedom to be ex-perienced. It takes effort to live
our separateness. It takes no effort to be free. This is
the final understanding of Advaitayana Yoga.
Bede Griffiths (1997):
"Advaita (nonduality) does not mean
"one" in the sense of eliminating all
differences. The differences are present in the one in a
mysterious way. They are not separated anymore, and yet
they are there."
from Andrew Harvey, in
"Dialogues With a Modern Mystic"
Andrew Harvey and Mark Matousek:
Advaita is not monism. Advaita means
"not-two." We and the universe are not
"one": then all distinctions would be
destroyed. We are "not-two," intricately
interrelated with everything, both separate, unique *and*
united. The astonishment of this dance of
"not-two" grows slowly as the mind and heart
open in divine love and wisdom. Imagine that there was a
heap of gold and a skillful smith. The smith made fir
trees, geraniums, tables, human beings, lamps. Every
object had a different shape, a different purpose and
identity but was made of the same thing. Look at the sea.
All waves are rising and falling differently, in
different rhythms, with different volumes. Some catch the
light some do not. You can see the separations between
the waves but what you also see quite clearly is that all
the waves are water. That is what the knowledge of
"not-two" is like. Things retain the
separateness which the senses give them, which we use to
negotiate this reality, but the illumined mind knows that
all things are Brahman, waves of one infinite sea of
light. You know, in other words, that you and everything
and the light that is at all times manifesting everything
are "not-two," and "you" come to
exist normally on all levels of the divine creation, and
meet "yourself" in all states, events,
conditions, beings. This is sahaja, spontaneous
negotiation of and union with all dimensions at all
moments. Nisargadatta Maharaj explains most lucidly the
marvelous transitions to this state: "When the I am
myself goes, the I am all comes. When the I am all goes,
the I am comes. When even I am goes, Reality alone is and
in it every am is preserved and glorified."
It is wonderful that this the most ultimate and holy of
all possible experiences in this world, that of unity, of
advaita, has to be enjoyed by everyone in their own
profound solitude, at that diamond point of solitude at
which everyone secretly joins and meets God and each
other and all things. This final experience kept for this
most sacred and secret moment and is too vast an precious
to be ever completely communicated. This is the moment
when the created one returns to the source of creation
the moment at which all laws, dogmas and techniques that
helped the mystic arrive at that diamond point vanish in
the silence of return to origin.
Lex Hixon:
"Basically, non-duality is a continual
correction of dualistic conceptions as they arise. It's a
spontaneous process which, without judgment, playfully
erases lines of division as they arise. You can't have a
map without lines of division, certainly. Celebrating
non-duality is pre-mapping or post-mapping. It doesn't
negate mapping, because when you have a good map, there's
the paper right behind it, giving it vividness and making
it readable. How to get to this conscious state of being
the paper? We have to be extremely careful about the
language we use here. There are no energetics, no
dynamics, no structures in non-duality. These come later.
If our structural social forms are consciously rooted in
the celebration of non-duality, they can be more
energetic, more dynamic, more kind, more
insightful."
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Charlene Spretnak:
Karen Osborne Pope
discusses 'Ecofeminist alternatives to interpreting the
World'...
In a dualistic world view, you might have femininity/
nature/body/emotion/connectedness/receptivity/the-private-sphere
-vs.- masculinity/culture/ mind(spirit)/reason/autonomy
/aggressiveness/the-public-sphere.
Ecofeminist philosophers consider various alternative
conceptualizations of a relational, interdependent
understanding of reality.
Charlene Spretnak defines her philosophical radical
nonduality as "the existence of unitive dimensions
of being, a gestalt of a subtle, unitary field of form,
motion, space, and time."
Rationalism denies organicism: if you think you can't
feel The self as separate rejects the unitive notion of
being "one with the universe" According to
Spretnak, nonduality "mean(s) a dynamic system of
relations wherein any particular manifestation functions
simultaneously as a distinct part AND the unbroken whole.
The parts are not derivative of the whole, nor vice
versa. Each aspect constitutes the other. "
Metaphors of a web or a net are often used by
nondualists, but they seem to me not quite dynamic enough
to convey subtle processes of wholeness and diversity, of
nonduality and particularity.
Justin Stone:
T'ai Chi Chih and Non-Duality
"Advaita" in Sanskrit means
"Non-Duality." This is a difficult concept for
most people as we look about us and see multiple objects.
But what we see are only transformations not permanent
forms, whether we are speaking of a chair, a tree, or a
human being. Each exists provisionally, but is certainly
not lasting. One day the tree may become the chair and
the human body will be eaten by worms. The "I"
that observes all this may disappear and become another
"I". To bank on permanence is to promote
suffering. When we perform T'ai Chi Chih properly we feel
the results. Since we are, essentially, a conflux of
moving energies, stimulating and balancing the Intrinsic
Energy (CHI) affects our whole being. The effects seem to
be personal, but, in truth, they are widespread. Just as
our Enlightenment is "Saving All Beings", so
does the balancing of the Universal Energy affect both
the outer and the inner. So many students have written me
about how their lives have changed with the practice of
T'ai Chi Chih! Those who truly practice note that their
attitudes change--and others notice it, too. We do not
heal symptoms; we become "whole". So, to
practice regularly and sincerely is to promote the
positive in this world; we reap the benefits. This is
"Advaita" in action.
David R. Hawkins:
see <http://www.uni-verse.net/Website/Powerforce.htm> for background
information.
Non-duality:
Historically, all observers who have reached a
consciousness level over 600 have described the reality
now suggested by advanced scientific theory. When the
limitation of a fixed locus of perception is transcended,
there is no longer an illusion of separation nor of space
and time as we know them. All things exist simultaneously
in the unmanifest, enfolded, implicit universe,
expressing itself as the manifest, unfolded, explicit
perception of form. These forms in reality have no
intrinsic independent existence but are the product of
perception (i.e., man is merely experiencing the content
of his own mind.) On the level of non-duality there is
observing but no observer, as subject and object are one.
You-and-I becomes the One Self experiencing all as
divine. At level 700 it can only be said that "All
is;" the state is one of Being-ness; all is
consciousness, which is life, which is infinite, which is
God and which has no parts nor beginning or end. The
physical body is a manifestation of the One Self which,
in experiencing this dimension, had temporarily forgotten
its reality, thus permitting the illusion of a
three-dimensional world. The body is merely a means of
communication; to identify one's self with the body as
"I' is the fate of the unenlightened, who then
erroneously deduce that they are mortal and subject to
death. Death itself is an illusion based on the false
identification with the body as "I." In
non-duality, consciousness experiences itself as both
manifest and unmanifest, yet there is no experiencer. In
this Reality the only thing that has a beginning and an
ending is the act of perception itself. In the illusory
world, we are like the fool who believes that things come
into existence when he opens his eyes and cease to exist
when he closes them.
For a deeper look into Hawkins'
work and its connection to martial arts, see the
following articles by Gene Poole. Of course, the reader
might want to purchase Hawkins's book, which can be done
via the link at the beginning of this paragraph.
September 11: Reacting to 911: Power Vs.
Force
Continuation of Discussion on Power Vs. Force
A Saddhu's
Reminiscenses of Ramana Maharshi
By Saddhu Arunachala (A.W. Chadwick)
Now Advaita is not the same as
is usually meant by Monism ,nor is it some catch-word to
avoid difficulties.The word means , of course ,
Not-Two,but this is not the equivalent for One , though
to the casual thinker it is not easy to see where the
differences lies. But if we call it Monism then premising
one we infer a whole series , one,two,three etc. Not such
series actually exists , there is just Not-Two.
When we see things we see duality ; in one sense this
duality is not unreal , it is only unreal in the sense
that there is Not-Two. It is there in appearance but yet
is imparmanent and fleeting.
This fleeting manifestation is called Maya , which is
often taken to mean illusion, but actually means
"that which is not," or which sets a limit to
the limitless. In fact everything we sense (everything
being in the mind , and the senses only the instrument of
the mind. )
For as a matter of fact there is no illusion, only
impermanence.
The
Lama Yeshe Experience: Buddhist Ways of Thought
Question/Answer Lectures by Lama Thubten Yeshe
Compiled from various sources by Champa Legshe (Hans
Taeger)
http://www.iol.ie/~taeger/yesheque/yesheque.html
Non-Dual
Awareness/Nirvana
Lama Yeshe: When you
contemplate your own consciousness with intense
awareness, leaving aside all thoughts of good and bad,
you are automatically led to the experience of
non-duality. How is this possible? Think of it like this:
the clean clear blue sky is like consciousness, while the
smoke and pollution pumped into the sky are like the
unnatural, artificial concepts manufactured by
ego-grasping ignorance. Now, even though we say the
pollutants are contaminating the atmosphere, the sky
itself never really becomes contaminated by the
pollution. The sky and the pollution each retain their
own characteristic nature. In other words, on a
fundamental level the sky remains unaffected no matter
how much toxic energy enters it. The proof of this is
that when conditions change, the sky can become clear
once again. In the same way, no matter how many problems
maybe created by artificial ego concepts, they never
affect the clean clear nature of our consciousness
itself. From the relative point of view, our
consciousness remains pure because its clear nature never
becomes mixed with the nature of confusion.
From an ultimate point of view
as well, our consciousness always remains clear and pure.
The non-dual characteristic of the mind is never damaged
by the dualistic concepts that arise in it. In this
respect consciousness is pure, always was pure and will
always remain pure. We can compare positive states of
mind to water at rest and deluded states of mind to
turbulent, boiling water. If we investigate the nature of
the boiling water we will discover that, despite the
turbulence, each individual droplet is still clear. The
same is true of the mind: wether it is calm or boiled
into turbulence by the overwhelming complexity of
dualistic views, its basic nature reamains clear and
conscious.
The conclusion, the, is that we
all have the capacity to move from the confused, polluted
state of ego-conflict to the natural clean clear state of
pure consciousness itself. We should never think that our
mind has somehow become irreversibly contaminated. This
is impossible. If we can train ourselves to identify and
enter into the natural, unaffected state of our
consciousness, we will eventually experience the freedom
of non-dual awareness.
Aziz:
The essence of the Non-dual
perception is the desire of a particular Me to identify
itself with the Source and the Totality of Creation. In
awakening to the Oneness, which is Enlightenment, Me may
wish to negate its very own existence. Me wants deeply to
dissolve its identity within the ocean of Existence. The
personal wants to become the Impersonal, the Universal.
So the question arises: can Me really negate its own
existence? Can it simply disappear in the experience of
Wholeness? At this point one can see that Truth and
Reality are subject to the interpretation of the
individual Me with its unique psychology and desire to
position itself in a way that suits its intelligence
best. But one thing is clearly certain: for any
proclamation of I am That to take place, the individual
Me has got to be there to proclaim it. How could the
Universal be expressed, without the existence of the
particular? Me is the experiencer of all states and
cannot cease to be present. When Me dissolves, one
returns to the Original State, prior to consciousness.
Me is that which allows us to experience the I AM. The I
AM which one experiences is not Me it is that which
created Me. One can never become the Creator. It is true
that Self-realization is a state of complete Oneness with
the universal I AM, but Me which experiences this Oneness
is not this I AM. Me can disidentify with the whole
universe, but is not able to identify with its Creator.
The Self-realized Me rests upon the Ultimate Subjectivity
and experiences it through itself. Me cannot become the
Ultimate, no matter how deeply it is awakened to the
dimension of Pure Rest and Wholeness. Why? For the very
simple reason that Me always, regardless of the State it
is in, feels itself.
The philosophy of Non-duality traditionally was designed
to negate the essential presence of Me in all states and
levels of experience. The nature of Me, is from a certain
perspective, much more subtle than all the inner states,
for it is the Nearest. Me cannot simply disappear in any
state, for without Me the experience of that very state
vanishes. What I am is not eternal though it evolves
eternally within the universal I AM. It is born and it
dies. It dies, and is reborn into a new Me. Me expands
infinitely into the vastness of the Universal
Intelligence. It is the journey of the Spirit into the
ultimate experience of love, beauty and happiness.
It is possible to call the Creation an illusion, the
Creator -- emptiness, and the Soul - - non-existent. This
would be the shortest way to the impersonal. Seemingly,
the impersonal is reached by the impersonal and dissolves
into the impersonal. This is the ideal of Non-duality.
But in truth, to meet the impersonal face to face, the
personal must be there to face it. Here, the ultimate
duality serves its supreme purpose, and Me rests in full
acceptance of its supreme dual existence and truth.
Non-duality, without the awakening to Me, represents the
Wholeness of Perception in which Me refuses to see itself
as a dynamic and alive center of identity behind the
Perceived. When Me is awakened to itself for the first
time, the new and true Non- dual vision of reality is
apperceived. In this apperception, the Wholeness embraces
its very experiencer, the unique Soul, the intimate heart
of Me, as itself. This Me is an indivisible part of the
Ultimate Seeing. The Non-dual Perception is not the end
of Seeing. The evolution into the Seeing of Reality does
not have an end. And this evolution can take place only
through the Me, the mysterious perceiver of the Universal
I AM. This Perceiver is not separated from the Wholeness.
It is this part of the Totality through which the Now
becomes the Seen.
Harold Stewart
www.horai.asn.au/index.htm (link no longer works)
The Buddha, from his Centre of
All-Knowledge, or sarvatha-jnana, can contemplate all
things simultaneously in the Eternal Present. The
Metaphysical is only apparently opposed to the physical,
for in reality it subsumes its contrary. To the outlook
of an Enlightened One, Nirvana is Samsara and Samsara is
Nirvana; but to the unenlightened, the nonduality of
these opposites has not yet been realized and so such
schematic devices and distinctive categories still have
their uses as upaya, or skilful means for leading to that
Realization. Just as Earth acts outwardly, whereas the
influence of Heaven is from within, so in the natural
world beauty is external, whilst it is the inmost quality
of the Divine. Thus the lowest level of sensory beauty
should be regarded as an aspect of Supernal Beauty. The
spiritual is not in opposition to the sensory: it is the
despiritualized secular world alone that is illusory and
false.
This nonduality of Samsara and Nirvana is brought out by
a famous passage in the Heart of Transcendental Wisdom
Sutra, the Prajnaparamita-hrdaya-sutra (called Hannya
Shingyo in Japanese): ‘Form is Void and Void is
Form; what is Void that is Form, and what is Form that is
Void; Form is no other than Void and Void is no other
than Form’. This Mahayana view, which was
theoretically developed in the Madhyamaka dialectic of
Nagarjuna, has long been acclimatized in China and has
provided the Metaphysical foundation for most schools of
Japanese Buddhism.
Woven reflections of
silence and stillness
Bede Griffiths: A Life
in Dialogue (on Christian Advaita)
by Judson Trapnell
http://www.bedegriffiths.com/Wisdom/wisdom_review2.htm
The principle of nonduality is a
key which opens
Christian scriptural interpretation, theological
reflection and spirituality toward the mystery’s
intrinsic fullness and power.
It becomes clear that the center
of gravity of Bede’s
vision is high, and that to meet the Gospel on its own
ground a descent will be required. Bede’s faith was
deeper than his gnosis, faith reaches lower than
gnosis. Faith comprehends levels of unitive reality
which are too dark for gnosis. Salvation (that is,
divinization), according to the New Testament and
the early patristic tradition, takes place in and through
the body; it is sacramental. A Christian advaita must
be grounded in the dark that is before and after
knowing. There is a nonduality before intuition and
knowledge. There is a baptismal nonduality of identity
deeper than knowing, that precedes experience and
knowledge. There is a eucharistic nonduality
-expressed in surrender- that is fuller than knowing,
and that succeeds mystical experience and
knowledge. Bede's last years witness to this latter
'dark' advaita.
In the “foolishness of
God” which Paul proclaims, the
nondual Absolute descends lower than we can know
or feel. We can imagine a further incarnation of
Bede’s advaitan vision, in which this prior dark and
latter dark of a Christian advaita are recognized in
their sacramental depth. Atman may be recognized in
the baptismal rebirth—in the nondual identity that
is
received at the dawn of knowledge, in Christian
initiation. Love and its consummation in the surrender
of self may be understood as a eucharistic
participation in the cross of Christ—in the
actualization of the original nondual gift at the sunset
of knowledge, in the loving gift of self which is
surrender. Symbol, incarnated, becomes sacrament.
Knowledge is fulfilled in body; knowledge is
completed in act.
What is most needed now, if we
are to realize the
depth and power of the Christ-mystery as the great
event of nonduality, may be an understanding of the
advaitan meaning of Incarnation.
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