Before Non-Duality, Duality

In spite of its name, the tradition of Advaita (“not two”) Vedanta doesn’t only teach knowledge of non-duality. Some may assume that Advaita Vedanta is just about oneness, atman and Brahman. But understanding the nature of duality is equally as important, if not more, than understanding non-duality.

Duality is seeing the world through the lens of subject and object. It’s the belief that I am a distinct and separate entity (jiva) navigating through a world of external forms and interactions. Identifying with the body-mind, I go throughout my day experiencing “me” and “not me.”

Non-duality (advaita: “not two”) shows us that reality is not what it seems, and that all experience comes out of (and resolves back into) awareness. Advaita Vedanta suggests that we should accept duality as a provisional experience necessary for moving about the world, but that ultimately duality should be transcended through the realization that absolute reality is pure awareness (“the one without a second”).

The nature of duality is shown to us through various related sub-topics, such as cause and effect, Creation/manifestation, the basic elements and forces, universal governance, the play of opposites, and the insubstantial quality of objects; as well as other themes related to the individual (e.g. the gross, subtle and causal bodies). And while Vedanta doesn’t try to explain every aspect of our shared experience in duality, it does provide an elegant and logical systems-view of Creation that is useful in developing a proper attitude toward the world (I wrote a book, A Conversation with an Atheist, that explains this relationship in greater detail).

Several terms within the tradition may be used interchangeably to describe duality, including maya (that which makes the world appear as one of multiplicity, instead of unity), samsara (the cycle of life and death), vyavahara satyam (relative reality), as well as the Field of Experience (kshetra) or dharma field (dharma-kshetra). The Field of Experience is sometimes compared to a gym or playground that offers just the right circumstance for a person to strengthen and grow spiritually. It’s the Field and its resistance to fulfilling our every whim that ultimately motivates us to seek lasting liberation. Only when we realize through both pleasure and pain that we aren’t in charge, can we earnestly begin our journey.

By comparison, non-duality is found to be equivalent to Brahman (pure awareness; absolute reality) and paramarthika satyam (“the ultimate truth”). Non-duality is also related to ajata vada, the doctrine of “non-creation,” which posits that the world was never truly created and that there is only Brahman.

So if duality is not the ultimate truth of reality, what is it? Vedanta instructs that it is a delusion created by maya, the principle of appearance. Maya fools everyone with its powers of concealment and projection. It hides the truth about the nature of reality, while creating a perception of diversity. It’s what encourages us to be extroverted (mindlessly chasing every perceived new, shiny object “out there”) instead of introverted (attentively seeking the truth from within).

Another key characteristic of duality is that it is not real. In this case, “not real” refers to duality’s tendency to change and turn into something else. Even though we experience duality in the form of objects, Advaita Vedanta shows us that all objects are ultimately insubstantial and reliant on pure awareness for their existence. You can have pure awareness without objects, but not objects without pure awareness.

It’s no secret that all beings experience duality as inherently frustrating. Duality isn’t only a world where everything is in the process of changing into something else, but where there exists pairs of opposites and their extremes. For one thing, you can never have total pleasure (or total pain) in duality. Any pleasure will inevitably bring some pain due to pleasure being temporary and dependent on other factors outside one’s control. And while this may seem like a real downer, it’s just the way it is! You can’t have hot without cold, sweet without bitter, or gain without loss. In short, you can’t have a world without opposites.

In duality there are also universal laws that help maintain order. For human beings, these include physical, psychological and moral laws. You can be the richest man in the world, but you are still bound by certain laws. You may have your billions, but you still have to fight gravity as your rocket ship enters orbit (physical limitation), will still feel lonely when you can’t trust anyone anymore (psychological limitation), and will at least try to hide the fact that your making your billions unfairly (moral limitation). And to top it off, whatever you apparently gain in duality, you will lose when you die (ugh!—another physical limitation).

There are many anecdotes Vedanta uses to show duality and non-duality as different orders of reality:

The snake and the rope - A person mistakes a coiled rope for a snake, which instills fear. Shining a light on the object, they realize their error. The snake symbolizes duality, which originates from ignorance (avidya). The rope, on the other hand, represents the ultimate reality (paramarthika satyam). When ignorance is dispelled through knowledge (of the true nature of reality), the dualistic perception vanishes.

The mirage in the desert - A thirsty traveler walking through the desert runs toward the water he believes he sees in the distance. In this case, duality is like a mirage that appears real due to our ignorance. The mirage symbolizes our ignorance, while the desert represents the unchanging substrate behind the illusion.

The clay and the pot - A clay pot appears to have a certain shape, size, color, texture and utility. But the truth of the pot isn’t its many attributes, but the clay. The pot may fall to the ground and shatter into a hundred pieces. And even though the pot is no more, it was only an illusion formed with clay. The truth of the “pot” is the clay.

The method for transcending duality can be summarized as Self-inquiry (atma vichara). It traditionally includes three phases: shravana (hearing), manana (contemplation), and nididhyasana (assimilation). Shravana is having an open mind while hearing and familiarizing oneself with the teachings. A skilled teacher will methodically reveal the truth based on a student’s level of understanding. The next phase, manana, is contemplating what has been heard and clearing up any doubts. In shravana, the student is asked to just listen, while in manana, they are given the opportunity to ask questions and even challenge what was heard. In the last phase, nididhyasana, the non-dual knowledge gained is constantly meditated on, and assimilated into one’s lived experience. It’s a permanent shift in perspective.

Everyday, we experience myself and other, subject and object, good and bad, hot and cold, etc. But we can’t begin to move beyond these distinctions until we first understand the framework from where we’re standing. Without explaining duality, the teachings on advaita will only appear abstract and inaccessible. So, duality must be where we begin our journey if we hope to meet our spiritual objective.

It’s no coincidence that the Bhagavad Gita includes both yoga shastra (instruction on discipline) and brahma vidya (knowledge of what is)—because you cannot have one without the other. The former dwells on dualistic themes such as karma (action), dharma (the field and its governance), dhyana (meditation), bhakti (devotion) and the gunas (qualities/powers of the field); while the latter deals with atman, Brahman and unity (“tat tvam asi”). It is said that half the Gita is about psychology, which makes sense if you take into account that we perceive relative reality through the senses and mind. Thus, understanding duality also provides practical advice on how to interpret and act in the world, so that we can purify and steady the mind in preparation for the more subtle teachings on non-duality.

Beginning students often pay little attention to the teachings on duality, wishing to hear only the juicy parts about advaita. They come to the tradition with urgent questions about who they are and what life’s purpose is, and are anxious to arrive at conclusions. But they do so at their own peril. Neglecting to understand and cultivate the right attitude toward the world only sets up one for failure, later, when one may have non-dual knowledge, but is unable to put it to any practical purpose.

The following are some of the pitfalls as a result of not gaining a proper understanding of duality, first:

Not developing a proper relationship with the world. This is vital because if we are constantly in conflict with our surroundings and always see it as a problem to be fixed, we won’t be able to concentrate on how to move past it. First and foremost, we need the right relationship with the world in order to progress spiritually and live in better harmony with it. Developing the right relationship with the world may require a lot of work. We know we have arrived when we can honestly say that the world is perfect as it is and can’t be otherwise.

Overlooking ethical implications. Bypassing an understanding of duality can lead to the neglect of practical ethical frameworks that guide our interactions in the Field of Experience. Vedanta emphasizes the importance of dharma (righteousness) and cultivating proper values, which serve as the foundation to spiritual practice. Without values, the mind becomes corrupted and agitated. Such a mind is no vehicle for learning Vedanta.

Overlooking bhakti (devotion). A premature focus on advaita might lead to bypassing or undervaluing the practice of devotion (bhakti), which encapsulates the tradition of Advaita Vedanta. Dismissing the importance of devotion can hinder development of humility, gratitude, and maintaining a heart-centered approach to spiritual practice. Devotion in Vedanta isn’t blind adherence to a set of beliefs, it’s developing a certain attitude toward the Field, and refocusing the mind on the Total rather than the small self. Devotion in Vedanta is God-knowledge, rather than God-belief.

Inability to bridge the absolute and the relative. A disregard for understanding duality can create a disconnect between the two orders of reality: pure awareness/absolute reality (paramarthika satyam), and worldly existence/relative reality (vyavaharika satyam). This disconnect can hinder a seeker’s ability to integrate the truths of non-duality into their daily life resulting in a fragmented understanding of the different orders of reality. Understanding existence can be compared to the layers of an onion. We need to go through the process of cutting through the layers of duality in order to get to non-duality.

Not taking into account unresolved psychological and emotional patterns. Our emotional baggage can be a hindrance to reaching our spiritual goals. In fact, even the Self-realized, to their disappointment, may be told by a teacher that they need to “re-qualify” for moksha. Focusing exclusively on advaita too early can encourage avoidance of dealing with personal traumas, interpersonal conflicts, or emotional immaturity under the guise of being beyond such concerns. Many of us will find we need to “do the work” before making any real spiritual progress. Practices such as Patañjali’s Yoga or even Vipassana (Buddhist insight meditation) can be helpful in working with emotional imbalances. Teachers often emphasize that Vedanta is for mature individuals who have already worked out their psychological and emotional issues (perhaps, this is one reason why Vedanta isn’t very popular).

Neglecting preparatory practices. Overemphasis on the non-dual perspective might lead to bypassing the foundational practices necessary for preparing the mind for realization. Traditional Advaita Vedanta prescribes before Self-inquiry, karma yoga for developing humility, gratitude, and selflessness, and upasana yoga for developing a steady mind. It also states that there are certain qualifications (sadhana chatushtaya) for gaining success with Self-inquiry, such as discrimination, dispassion, and discipline (as well as a fourth—a burning desire for liberation). Without the right preparatory practices, Vedanta may be nothing more than a dry, intellectual exercise.

Intellectually reducing non-duality to an academic or philosophical idea. The point of Vedanta isn’t to become an expert in eastern metaphysics and recite scripture from memory, but instead, to remove ignorance and a sense of limitation. Gaining Self-knowledge has an actual purpose: to remove suffering—the bane of our human existence. Disinterest in the topic of duality often reflects a desire to avoid the challenges of addressing the ego. It’s ironic that one can gain Self-knowledge without actually experiencing much or any spiritual progress. Again, one can intellectually understand Vedanta, but feel little or no freedom without making it a lived experience.

After enlightenment, the laundry. Lastly, seekers may fantasize thinking that once they gain a little Self-knowledge that the jiva will experience bliss 24/7 and all their worldly problems will miraculously go away! However, even after enlightenment the jñani (knower of truth) must interact with the world. After Self-realization, your view of life may be that it’s all a dream, but that doesn’t mean that the dream objects can’t still create problems for the jiva! So, even though you may be Self-realized and know that you are ultimately, eternal and untouchable, you should still make an effort to do what’s within your control to cultivate a relatively peaceful existence for the jiva. You can’t expect much peace if you, figuratively, received an ‘A’ in non-duality, but missed the class on duality. Leading a happy existence requires the jiva to have a keen understanding of both.

Pitfalls noted, the paradox is that duality is both an impediment to realizing the truth, and a necessary stepping stone to gaining liberation. On one hand, duality can keep us bound, blind and ignorant to the causes of our suffering. Most individuals spend their entire life under the spell of the Maya, never asking any questions regarding the nature of their existence. They may also feel a gnawing sense of lack, which they will repeatedly and unsuccessfully, try to satisfy with more, better or different objects and relationships.

On the other hand, duality provides a framework from where to start one’s spiritual journey. It should also be called out that even Advaita Vedanta, itself, exists as a tool within duality. However, once the tool is used and no longer needed, it’s discarded like a thorn used to remove another thorn. So, as seekers stuck in samsara, duality has a practical use. We only have duality to remove duality.

Even our suffering plays a role, which inadvertently becomes a catalyst for seeking and obtaining freedom. Karma theory suggests that all individuals will eventually (through many lifetimes) become enlightened as an inevitable result of suffering. So, duality can be viewed as both the lock and key to samsara. Alas, we can only pray that we awaken and have the wisdom to follow the way out.

In conclusion, duality and non-duality are not opposing truths but complementary aspects of the same spiritual journey in Advaita Vedanta. Duality provides the stage on which the play of life unfolds, offering lessons, challenges, and the opportunity for growth. It is only through understanding and navigating this framework that one can prepare the mind and heart to transcend it. By embracing both the practical wisdom of duality and the liberating truth of non-duality, we can harmonize our lived experience with the profound realization of our true nature, leading to freedom and lasting peace.