"not-two"

[Guest guest]

This is from Andrew Harvey, in "Dialogues With a Modern Mystic"

Andrew Harvey and Mark Matousek.

 

Advaita is not monism. Advaita means "not-two." We and the universe are not

"one": then all distinctions would be destroyed. We are "not-two," intricately

interrelated with everything, both separate, unique *and* united. The

astonishment of this dance of "not-two" grows slowly as the mind and heart

open in divine love and wisdom. Imagine that there was a heap of gold and a

skillful smith. The smith made fir trees, geraniums, tables, human beings,

lamps. Every object had a different shape, a different purpose and identity

but was made of the same thing. Look at the sea. All waves are rising and

falling differently, in different rhythms, with different volumes. Some

catch the light some do not. You can see the separations between

the waves but what you also see quite clearly is that all the waves are

water. That is what the knowledge of "not-two" is like. Things

retain the separateness which the senses give them, which we

use to negotiate this reality, but the illumined mind knows that

all things are Brahman, waves of one infinite sea of light. You

know, in other words, that you and everything and the light that

is at all times manifesting everything are "not-two," and "you"

come to exist normally on all levels of the divine creation, and

meet "yourself" in all states, events, conditions, beings. This is

sahaja, spontaneous negotiation of and union with all dimen-

sions at all moments. Nisargadatta Maharaj explains most

lucidly the marvelous transitions to this state: "When the I am

myself goes, the I am all comes. When the I am all goes, the I am

comes. When even I am goes, Reality alone is and in it every 1

am is preserved and glorified."

 

It is wonderful that this the most ultimate and holy of all

possible experiences in this world, that of unity, of advaita, has

to be enjoyed by everyone in their own profound solitude, at that

diamond point of solitude at which everyone secretly joins and

meets God and each other and all things. This final experience

kept for this most sacred and secret moment and is too vast an

precious to be ever completely communicated. This is the

moment when the created one returns to the source of creation

the moment at which all laws, dogmas and techniques that helped the mystic

arrive at that diamond point vanish in the silence of return to origin.

 

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[Guest guest]

Hi Gill,

>This is from Andrew Harvey, in "Dialogues With a Modern Mystic"

>Andrew Harvey and Mark Matousek.

>

>Advaita is not monism. Advaita means "not-two." We and the universe are not

>"one": then all distinctions would be destroyed. We are "not-two,"

intricately

>interrelated with everything, both separate, unique *and* united. -snip-

 

Thank you for this... it's the best explanation I've seen yet. Now I

think I understand better what people mean by nondualism.

 

Love,

Dharma

[Guest guest]

Dharma,

 

At 09:52 AM 3/7/99 -0600, you wrote:

>Dharma <fisher1

>

>Hi Gill,

>

>>This is from Andrew Harvey, in "Dialogues With a Modern Mystic"

>>Andrew Harvey and Mark Matousek.

>>

>>Advaita is not monism. Advaita means "not-two." We and the universe are not

>>"one": then all distinctions would be destroyed. We are "not-two,"

>>intricately

>>interrelated with everything, both separate, unique *and* united. -snip-

>

>Thank you for this... it's the best explanation I've seen yet. Now I

>think I understand better what people mean by nondualism.

 

No, now you understand better what people mean by Advaita Vedanta. :-)...

there are actually MANY views of nonduality, Advaita Vedanta being the

primary one, but there are many others as well (Nonduality simply being a

perspective holding God or Ultimate Reality to be of the nature of Sameness

or One-ness). Although I must say, having investigated many, I keep being

led back to Advaita Vedanta in its most pure form, again and again. If

"pushed," I would gladly claim it as "my religion."

 

I like to mentally picture Brahman (I AM / Ultimate Reality) being like a

soap bubble or globe or ball of light without any real separation between

surface and inside. On the "outside" or periphery of Brahman is the

universe and everything that can be known, kind of like a globe with

irregularities on its surface. There is constant movement and change on

this periphery. "Underneath" and hidden by this movement and change of the

visible universe is Pure Consciousness, Everlasting Peace, the CORE of

Reality. This is very much in holding with the views of Advaita Vedanta,

from what I've seen.

 

With Love,

 

Tim

 

 

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