Ahoy, and Hello
What is this place?
If you are wondering what non-duality is, dive in, take a look around. The meaning will become clear as you investigate. But know that non-duality is not something that will be understood by reading a definition, a blurb, this About page, or even an article or several. Non-duality will turn your world upside-down and inside-out (in a good and wonderful way), and that might happen today. Or it might take weeks. Maybe months. Even longer. And once you think you are seeing clearly, you will likely continue to fine-tune your understanding. That’s why there is a gerund in the name: Discovering. It’s ongoing.
But where to begin?
We can begin to see non-duality by reading about it, by studying it. This is not enough, but it helps. To really see non-duality, we must experience it. And the good news is we can experience it, because non-duality is not an abstract concept, it is real. No one can experience an abstract concept. Everyone can experience Reality. Consider this image:
You’ve probably seen that before, or something like it. Do you see a vase or two faces? You can flip back and forth between the two, but you can’t see both at once.
The distinction between non-duality and duality is similar, in a way. Duality is how we normally see the world. Non-duality is seeing the world from a higher order. It’s hard to flip to, and it’s not necessarily within our control to do so. It’s also super-easy to flip back out of even when you might not want to. Not that you’d want to. But that too is out of our control. Initially, anyway.
The non-dual way is one way of experiencing reality. The ordinary, dualistic point-of-view is just as valid. I’m not saying they are different realities. I am saying it’s the same reality experienced in different ways.
A.H. Almaas
A lot of concepts are thrown about on this site. They are helpful in framing understanding, and in correcting misunderstanding. But concepts begin and end in the mind, and the mind is not where non-duality lives. Rather, the mind lives in non-duality, and creates the illusion of duality. The mind interferes with the experience of non-duality. In fact, non-duality is only experienced when the mind is still. When concepts have fallen away.
Consider a joke. More specifically, consider the gap between the end of a joke and the onset of laughter. That gap is where we ‘get’ the joke. And once we’ve gotten it, we can then attempt to articulate it to someone who doesn’t get it. Non-duality is gotten in a similar kind of gap. Unfortunately, our culture doesn’t like gaps. We feel the need to fill gaps with noise. With thoughts, with entertainment, with food, with pleasure-seeking, with any manner of distraction. To experience non-duality, we must not only welcome the gap, we must dive into it.
If you are not new to non-duality, you may take issue with what has been said. Or you might not have issues but think you could have said it better. Or you might have something to add. Or questions. This site is intended for you, too, and your contribution is welcome. Visit the contact page, or just speak up in the comments section on any post or page. Your voice is more than welcome.
I offer training and counseling in support of a non-dual understanding. Visit the Contact page for more details. I do not provide training in Self-Inquiry meditation. My trainers have requested (and rightly so) that any interested persons be referred to their expertise in supporting you in this endeavor. I receive no benefit financially from this referral.
Thanks,
Mike
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Disclaimer:
This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified mental health providers with any questions regarding a medical or mental health condition.
Discovering Nonduality 