Ross Edwards: Coach, Author, FounderI want to give you my raw, unfiltered opinion on non-dualism from a spiritual perspective and help you avoid the many traps of non-dual work.
To begin, there is a key distinction we must make between conceptual knowledge of non-duality and embodied knowledge of non-duality. This is, in fact, the crux of my entire view.
The Key Distinction: Non-Dualism & Non-Duality
So, let’s differentiate between these two kinds of non-dual knowledge.
The first kind is conceptual knowledge. This means buying into non-dualism as you would buy into any other philosophical framework. It involves conceptually adopting non-dual axioms (subject and object are one; there is nothing outside of one’s awareness; etc.) and making logical inferences based on them.
In my opinion, this is what we should call non-dualism. It is an “ism” in the sense that it is purely conceptual and requires no real work to embody or actualise. To subscribe to it, intellectual belief suffices.
The second kind is embodied knowledge. This means doing spiritual work to realise that non-duality is the fundamental truth of your moment-to-moment perception. It involves a direct perception of the fundamental truths of non-duality, such as that subject and object are one, and that there is nothing outside of one’s own awareness.
This is not an “ism”. Granted, you can certainly turn it into an “ism”, but at its core it’s a series of direct, first-person realisations into the nature of one’s own perception. It doesn’t require intellectual belief, but hard work and an earnest effort to see through the limits of your conceptual mind, sense of identity. As I say in The Boundless Body, it typically requires 10 years of meditation work for it to become established in you.
This is what non-duality really is.
Non-dualism = Conceptual belief in non-dual truths
Non-duality = Embodied knowledge of non-dual truths
Why This is Crucial
If you are a philosopher, I won’t try to persuade you why embodied non-dual knowledge is superior.
However, if you’re a spiritual practitioner, I’ll firmly persuade you that engaging in non-dualism is a huge trap and that practicing non-duality is what you should aim for.
Believing in non-duality (i.e. engaging in non-dualism) means being attached to fancy concepts and chasing the asymptote of your mind’s limited understanding. It’s not spiritual because it doesn’t lead you beyond ego-contracted consciousness into transpersonal consciousness. It’s not designed to do so.
On the other hand, practicing non-duality means coming to discover several key facets of the nature of spirit: that is to say, it entails several key facets of spiritual insight. It is spiritual, when practiced well.
My Conclusion on Non-Dualism
As a spiritual writer, teacher and practitioner, I don’t speak of non-dualism. That is, I don’t use the word non-dualism, because that would subtly encourage people to smudge non-dualism and non-duality together. I also don’t encourage non-dualism, because that leads people off the spiritual path and into conceptual philosophy.
In fact, I’m reticent to use the word non-duality, because in many cases non-duality has become non-dualism. It’s not a surprise, it’s human nature: when something becomes popular, it tends to lose its original essence.
As such, I use other tips and pointers to continue teaching the core truths of non-duality without leading people into tempting traps and distractions.
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Non-duality need not be a mere “ism”: it is a truth that sits at the core of many spiritual traditions the world over, and it is possible to come to realise and embody it yourself.
You do not believe non-duality; you practice and embody it.
Please see my series of articles on non-duality to learn more of these key distinctions, how to realise it, and how it shows up across spiritual traditions.