Non-Duality: From the Mountaintop to Your Laptop · Shangriballa

Non-Duality: From the Mountaintop to Your Laptop

Isn't it funny how some concepts, which once felt so far away, are now popping up everywhere? It's as if non-duality is having its moment, suddenly appearing in podcasts, on social media, and in various spiritual circles. We've got to wonder what it even means to us, here and now, in the middle of our chaotic, modern lives.

Non-duality, a simple idea with a big history, literally means "not two." It's the understanding that there's no fundamental separation between you and everything else, between the observer and the observed, or between the self and the universe. A hundred years ago, this concept was mostly reserved for mystics and monks in remote monasteries. It was something you dedicated your entire life to, often giving up worldly possessions and human connections to pursue. The non-duality of a century past was often about escaping the material world to find a deeper, singular truth.

But today, the conversation is different. It's more about how to live this truth right here, in the messy, dualistic world we inhabit. We aren't all moving to a mountaintop. We're trying to figure out how to be "not two" while paying bills, raising kids, and navigating social media. This is where the struggle comes in. It's easy to read a book or listen to a talk and feel a glimmer of non-duality, but putting it into practice is a different matter. That's a whole other story.

Here are some challenges:

The "I" is Sticky: We've spent our entire lives building up this identity, this "I," with all its stories, preferences, and fears. Suddenly being told it's not real, that it's just a concept, can feel disorienting and even threatening. How do you go to work and get things done if there's no "doer"?

Emotions vs. Detachment: Non-dual teachings can sometimes be misinterpreted as being emotionless or apathetic. People worry that if they don't experience anger or sadness about things, they won't be able to stand up for themselves or others. Non-duality isn't about getting rid of emotions; it's about seeing them for what they are, just passing sensations, without letting them run the show.

The All-or-Nothing Trap: There's this tendency to think you've either "got it" or you "don't." A moment of profound peace can be followed by a week of feeling completely lost, and we get discouraged. Non-duality isn't a destination. It's a subtle shift, a different way of looking at things, and that insight can come and go.

But I think there's a beautiful crossover where non-duality can transform modern living. It’s in our relationships and our everyday interactions. When we stop seeing others as fundamentally separate from us, our compassion grows. When we stop seeing a problem as something happening to "me" and instead see it as part of the interconnected flow of life, our suffering lessens. Non-duality, when applied to our jobs, families, and communities, isn't about escaping life; it's about diving into it with more presence and less resistance. It's about seeing the dance of duality for what it is—a beautiful, temporary play—while knowing the stage is a single, unified whole.

So what's your take on all of this? How do you see the concept of non-duality showing up in your own life? And what's the biggest challenge you've faced in trying to live from this perspective?

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