Uncompromising Non-Duality
Advaita Vedanta, the non-dualistic school of Hindu philosophy, is mostly derived from the Upanishads and elaborated upon by eminent scholars such as Sri Adishankaracharya and Gaudapada.
The Sanskrit term advaita literally means ‘not two’ (advaita: a = not; dvaita = two). In simple terms, it refers absence of the duality between subject and object.
Traditional Advaita Vedanta is often contrasted with so-called Neo-Advaita, or radical non-duality. Between these two, there are key differences.
While traditional non-duality offers a path for the separate individual to follow, radical non-duality asserts simply and categorically that there is ‘not two’. This means that nothing is separate. There is no thing, no one, no time, no space. Just nothing appearing as everything. And since there is no one, no thing and no time, there is no path or practice to realize this. No more practice, such as sadhana or meditation, as a means to achieve an end.
No more practice as a tool for self-realization does not signify no more action takes place. Here, some confusion might occur.
Kat, at the Daily Nonduality Substack channel, recently wrote a clarifying article on this topic, entitled Problems on Both Sides of Nothing.
In short, the author identifies two common problems when the individual only understands no-self conceptually:
1) The separate self tries to believe he or she does not exist. This deteriorates quickly into: “There is nothing to do and it’s all pointless”.
2) The separate self tries to believe he or she is everything. This leads to either arrogance or bypassing.
In truth, radical or uncompromising non-duality simply points that there is nothing separate and hence no ‘you’. It is already not two. Meditation might still arise or not. Life will continue life-ing, unfolding, dancing, marvelously.
