What is Nonduality?
Nonduality means “not two” or “nonseparation.” It is the sense that all things are interconnected and not separate, while at the same time all things retain their individuality. An awareness of nonduality gives you a bigger perspective on life, a greater sense of freedom, and brings you a more stable happiness.
Why do we need to know about nonduality? How is it helpful?
The word nonduality is commonly seen in the spiritual press and blogs. Nonduality bears on quantum physics, movies, education, psychology, ecology, sexuality, art, music, dance, organizational theory, and many other fields. A knowledge of nonduality can change the way we look at ourselves and the world. That change is in the direction of a unified perspective. This perspective, if pursued, is found to go far and deep.
The Perception of Nonduality
If you have ever had a sense or experience of “something” deeper and more meaningful that lies beyond the everyday you, yet that is you in some way, you have had a taste of nonduality.
The taste of nonduality is the sense or experience of unity, peace, “something” vaster than the everyday you. The taste may be known through an experience in nature, from music or art, from being deeply involved in a hobby or work, from being in the “zone” during an athletic event, from sex, a walk in the park, dance, surfing, having a few beers, or other social interaction.
It may be known in meditation, Yoga, any other spiritual practice, a near death experience, while driving your car, or in the midst of any activity, or for no apparent reason at all.
If you have ever felt deeply dissatisfied, intensely unhappy, psychically imprisoned, it might be said that you can only feel this dissatisfaction because part of you knows there is a place of freedom. That freedom is the experience of nonduality. Your unhappiness may be viewed as the hunger for the taste of nonduality, nonseparateness.
The Pursuit of Nonduality
After experiencing or sensing the taste of nonduality, you may begin to pursue nonduality. Your pursuit may take you to books, teachers, ashrams, India, Internet groups. You may engage spiritual practices, attend meetings with nondual teachers, go on retreats.
Since you are not separate from the “something” that is deeper, vaster, more meaningful than the everyday you, it follows that this pursuit is the discovery of who you really are.
For whatever reason you are here, congratulations on discovering nonduality and looking beyond the everyday you.
Some short descriptions of what nonduality is:
“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.”
–from The Lotus Sutra translated by Burton Watson
–from The Lotus Sutra translated by Burton Watson
