What is non-duality?
Non-duality is a concept that can be difficult to understand and describe. At its core, it is the understanding that there is no separation between things and that everything is one. To understand non-duality, it can be helpful to first understand the concept of duality, which is the fundamental illusion of the mind.
Duality is the illusion that there are separate entities, when in reality, everything is connected. For example, when we look at the ocean, we see waves. We can talk about waves and describe them, but in actuality, waves are not separate entities. They are just the ocean. Similarly, if we look at the Pando in Utah (see picture above) — a forest of quaking aspen trees — we might say we see hundreds of trees, but science has found that it is really one organism, one tree, with a single root structure. It is through our mind and conventions of speech that we divide and see separate distinct entities.
Another example is the snake and the rope analogy which is an old Indian analogy of realization. If you mistake a piece of rope on the ground for a snake, you can not say that both the snake and the rope exist, because, in reality, what-is is a piece of rope. There never was a snake.
Similarly, in a dream, we believe ourselves to be a person and we see other people, animals, trees, etc. We might say, “look at all these other things, they are all other than me.” But that is not true. Everything in the dream arises in one consciousness, there is no one else.
In this way, non-duality is the understanding that everything is not separate, but one undivided whole. It is the realization that duality, the illusion of separate “other” entities, never existed in the first place.
An analogy that is sometimes used to explain non-duality is the Mobius Strip. A Mobius Strip is a loop of paper with a twist in it, which creates one continuous surface with no inside or outside. Similarly, in non-duality, there is no inside or outside, no separation, only oneness.
Realizing non-duality is not about an experience or a change in perception, but a fundamental change in understanding that cannot be doubted in the future.
This understanding can also be applied to the concept of energy. Science has proven that everything is energy and that energy cannot be created or destroyed, it can only change forms. This means that everything is connected as energy and there is no separation.
In conclusion, non-duality is the understanding that there is no separation between things and that everything is one. There can be a visceral realization that duality, the illusion of separate entities, never existed in the first place. The realization is a fundamental change in understanding that cannot be doubted in the future and is present in everything as ever-present knowing, from the ocean to a forest of aspen trees, to energy and our dreams. There is no other.
This article summarizes the following three videos: “What is nonduality? Nonduality explained simply”, “Nonduality for dummies: nonduality explained again”, and “Duality does not exist. The illusion of duality explained”. Please see these videos for more information.
