The Paradox of Radical Non-Duality: How the Denial of Self and Path Can Lead to Spiritual Impasse
Why grasping at ultimate conclusions bars us from the journey
In recent years, we have witnessed a growth of groups and communities dedicated to so-called “radical non-duality." Non-duality, as the recognition of the oneness of all existence, is an ancient concept present in many spiritual traditions. However, some contemporary expressions of this view appear to fall into contradictions and extremes.
By tending to see one's view as the singular truth - as with radical non-duality - while simultaneously seeing everything else as separate, a duality is paradoxically created.
I do not believe one can genuinely attain the theoretical nectar of non-duality without steeping oneself in the millennia-old philosophies which provide a theoretical framework for fully understanding this concept. Without standing on the shoulders of these traditions, radical non-duality risks being intellectually superficial.
The goal is non-duality, but everyone has the freedom to reach it in their way.
One cannot proclaim:
‘We are all one, come eat and sleep in my home,’ and then slam the door shut in another’s face!
While denying the necessity of a path may appear aligned with certain non-dual teachings, this denies seekers the maturation and discernment required for genuinely embodying non-dual truth. For non-duality is not an abstract concept to be grasped, but an embodied reality attained through direct experience.
Dispensing with preparatory practices and wisdom traditions deprives aspirants of the possibility of maturation.
The revelation of non-dual awareness emerges organically through a developmental process which unfolds as we chip away at habitual modes of dualistic thinking. Attempts to forcefully override this unfolding foster confusion rather than realization. Genuine non-dual understanding therefore calls us to honor the spacious flowering of consciousness along the way.
Another controversial aspect of some radical non-dual groups is the tendency to deny the value of any practice or spiritual path. If everything is already perfect, there is nothing to achieve and no path to follow.
Zen master Ch'ing-yuan Wei-hsin said:
"Before awakening, mountains are mountains and rivers are rivers; during awakening, mountains are no longer mountains and rivers are no longer rivers; after awakening, mountains are once again mountains and rivers are once again rivers."
The meaning of this teaching is as follows:
- Before awakening: one perceives the world in a dualistic way, seeing forms (mountains, rivers) as separate entities.
- During awakening: one is liberated from distinctions and concepts, no longer seeing dualistic forms. There is only the Void, the Indistinct.
- After awakening: one perceives the world of forms (mountains, rivers) again, but with a non-dual awareness. Forms are seen as the manifestation of the one Reality. They are no longer perceived as separate entities.
Non-duality is something to be recognized, not created. And recognition requires a path, consisting of practice, exploration, and the development of understanding. How can one recognize non-duality without having some conceptual idea of what it is? And how does one develop this understanding without study, reflection, and meditation?
Denying the need for a path, however much it may seem in line with some non-dual teachings, ends up creating confusion and depriving people of the possibility of genuine understanding. Non-duality is not an idea to grasp, but a truth to be directly experienced. And this direct experience requires a process of maturation and discernment that cannot be bypassed.
The teacher-student relationship, considered by some groups as a remnant of dualism to be overcome, actually plays a fundamental role. The authentic teacher is the one who has walked the path before us and can show us the way. Certainly, the ultimate truth must be recognized directly by each individual, but without the guidance of those who have already seen it, the risk of getting lost and deviating is high.
Furthermore, the experience of the teacher is valuable because it shows us, through living examples, the fruits of that non-dual understanding. The teacher is a mirror that reflects our true nature. And this reflection is often crucial in breaking through the clouds of ignorance.
Some argue that enlightenment is sudden and immediate. But even when the last veil is suddenly torn apart, this sudden understanding is made possible by all the preparatory work that preceded it. If everything is perfect and completely non-dual at this very moment, why then is this understanding not evident to everyone?
The effort is required to overcome the innate tendencies toward fragmentation, selfishness, and ignorance. And this effort is gradual work, a journey that takes time and determination. Non-duality can only be fully understood by abandoning the idea of a separate "self" and the sense of being an isolated individual. But the self does not dissolve by decree. It dies slowly, reluctantly, after a long struggle.
To sum up, the radicalism of some contemporary expressions of non-duality appears more verbal than real. True radicalism lies in letting the ego die, not in emphatically asserting its nonexistence. Such a work of death and rebirth requires humility, patience, and a profound understanding of the subtleties of the mind and the self. The path is subtle, and the result of the entire journey is to abandon any radical position and immerse oneself in the open dimension of wonder and grace.
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