The Dangers of Nonduality

I want to talk about the dangers of nonduality where nonduality is essentially when looking at reality in all of its dual manifestations you have day and night, man and woman, black and white. The dual nature of reality is recognised because of the nondual nature of reality. Both are true.

What is nonduality?

Nonduality is a direct path to the recognition and abidance in the nondual sense of being that is typically overlooked in everyday life simply because of the over attachment and identification with the dualistic aspects of reality. On this direct path, if you like, or the teachings of nonduality, there are several obstacles or pitfalls or things that can happen that in some way can actually increase the turbulence, increase the stress or suffering, especially when things are misunderstood.

So one common thing that I realise is commonly shared within the nondual space is that yes, you are not your thoughts, you are not that which is appearing in reality. Whatever form that appears, the body, the thoughts, whatever it is that appears, you are not that these are things that have been accumulated and just appear and disappear in reality. You must be that which is unchanging.

But with that notion, if there is the assumption that because you are not your thoughts, you shouldn't be thinking, you're not allowed to use your thoughts, then this is actually counterintuitive, it doesn't make sense and it's really the start of the accumulation of a new belief system that you shouldn't be using your thoughts.

So the nature of a lot of these dangers or pitfalls that we can come across in nonduality are in the same theme where if it has to do with creating new assumptions, creating new expectations, then really it's not a direct path anymore. We are actually going around in circles. All we are doing is we are replacing old expectations and assumptions with new ones.

The birth of a new assumption

Look into this sincerely and honestly, you can quickly realise and recognise that when inquiring into belief systems that we've been holding on to inquiring into assumptions, it can feel like creating a new assumption is progress. But really, they just shouldn't be the identification with the assumptions, they shouldn't be the attachment with the assumptions. And me saying that there shouldn't be attachment and identification with the assumptions is actually the birth of a new assumption in itself as well. This is actually the danger or the problem with nonduality.

So true nonduality is actually a path or a teaching where even the teaching in the path is dropped itself. The teaching in the path itself is dropped eventually. It's not a typical mental problem solving endeavour, it's not your typical type of exploration that you go on.

This is really a common pitfall where people I get messages from different individuals. It's like I've been practising nonduality for over a year or two years and I'm not in a place where I don't know if I have been liberated, I don't know if I have seen this and have seen that, or what does it feel like to be in this liberated state? And there's all these questions. The problem with these questions is if you give any particular answer, they can either believe or disbelieve or hold on or attach themselves to that answer. And I myself was actually a victim of this.

It's an understanding or a clear observation of what is taking place. That is all it is. All it is, is an understanding and observation of what is taking place.

The detachment factor

Some people may add that actually it's also detachment from that which is observed and taking place. But the problem is that when you add the detachment factor, you are introducing the notion that there is something to do, that something needs to be done. With that comes a whole baggage of assumptions and steps and this is right and this is wrong.

So instead I say that's just clear, pure observation. Because out of the clear and pure observation, if done sincerely and compassionately and honestly, detachment naturally is a byproduct or attachment naturally falls away. Identification with these aspects naturally begins to loosen up. If you very clearly and sincerely observe this for what it really is, you can come to the recognition that actually there is nothing and no one to be attached to this. Because in order to clearly observe and recognise anything, you cannot be the intermediate to its recognition or you cannot be the focal point that is looking out into something.

When you observe the attachment to a particular belief system, if you observe it deeply and sincerely enough, the depth and true understanding is borne out of observing it as though there is no one there to observe. It is as though it's just a manifestation of reality as anything else.

So really trying to walk the path of nonduality whilst holding on to an identity or an egoic sense of separate self is futile. It's pointless. Because like I said earlier, you're just replacing old beliefs and assumptions with new ones. And so honesty and sincerity is key here.

The importance of honesty and sincerity

I don't see many nonduality teachers speaking about the very importance of honesty and sincerity where actually you don't desire enlightenment, you don't desire liberation. There's just a deep desire for truth. There's just a deep desire of truth that far outweighs any other desire. Everything else becomes ordinary, but there's a deep desire for truth and then eventually comes a point where even that desire is looked at. The desire for truth in itself is looked at.

This is what I mean. If it's just clear and honest observation of what is and then there's a sense of okayness with what is and it makes sense to be okay with what is, because what is, is manifesting as it is, regardless of our opinions and assumptions. But me saying that there's a natural sense of okayness is not now a character that you should try to forcefully embody. No, this natural okayness comes from the sense of honesty. The true sincere honesty.

There's true honesty even if there's something that extremely terrifies you, you'd look at it because there's just a sincere approach that isn't about trying to accumulate something new. It's not about trying to one up someone or something. It's not trying to reach a higher calibre. It's simply about sincere and honest pursuit of truth.

The pitfalls and the dangers of non duality are occupying as though it's any other religion. And it's not. It's not a religion. It's a method of practise. It's about moving towards the path of selflessness where you are not really the centre of the universe. It's the recognition that you are not the centre of the universe.

Practises such as compassionate practises, like helping the needy or giving charity, these are practises of compassion that are in some way supposed to lead into the recognition that you are not the centre of the universe. Because in order to give in the first place, you need to recognise that there are others also experiencing a story, also experiencing different aspects of reality appearing, which may be physically favourable or unfavourable. But to recognise these things there needs to be some sense of selflessness. Because if there is no sense of selflessness, you cannot help but see reality only through the lens of the ego, only through the lens of the separate self.

The Takeaway

The dangers of nonduality is to fall into the trap of replacing old beliefs and assumptions with new beliefs and assumptions, when in reality it's about just observing them clearly, honestly and sincerely so that they are seen for what they are. Once they are seen for what they are, I won't tell you what happens. It's not about what happens either, but just sincere and honest observation above all else because it's what appears. It's what's appearing right now. So give your all, give your all into the sincerity and the honesty of this investigation or inquiry.

I get a lot of messages about certain obstacles and pitfalls that I can see you guys are in. And it's really about trying to develop more assumptions because the moment we actually do observe a particular assumption and that assumption naturally falls away because it's just seeing through, then it's like, okay, give me a new assumption now. I need a new assumption to hold on to. Because if there is no new assumption, then there is no direction in my life or perhaps there is no direction, there's no set out direction. It's in all directions and there's natural okayness.

The reaction or the notion that no, I need another assumption and there is no direction or the notion of feeling lost or whatever comes with as soon as you drop the other assumptions, there's a sense of liberation, but then it's followed with, oh no, I need this, I need that. That in itself is also a different assumption or belief system that is bringing about this particular reaction and feeling as well.

So really it's just pure, sincere, honest observation so that the layers are just looked at. You're opening a book and all you're doing is you're turning page by page. Sometimes when you turn the first page and it's like, oh no, I've turned this page, I need to add a new page somewhere in between and this page isn't appropriate or whatever the case. No, just keep turning the page, keep sincerely reading what's taking place.

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