Advaitacentrum

The Sanskrit word advaita means 'the absence of two-ness' or 'non-duality' (a-dvaita).  People can realize that the highest reality of their own being and that of the world and cosmos are identical. Self, the others and the world exist then in a sphere without separations. To define this inexpressible sphere the word advaita is preferred over the word oneness, which might indicate that it could be pointed to and so be opposed to plurality.

In the non-dual experience, that which you experience is not different from yourself who experiences it. Experience also is self-experience. You are pure being-consciousness-bliss and merge with all and everything in the Inexpressible.

Non-dualism is also a way of viewing man and the world, which considers the boundaries and separations between me and the other, body and mind, the micro- and macrocosm, subject and object, man and God as learned and so of relative importance. This non-dualistic vision has been philosophically elaborated in Advaita Vedanta, the Indian tradition which originates in the Upanishads from the 8th-6th century B.C.  The non-dualistic vision is also present in other traditions, such as Buddhism, Daoism, Jewish and Christian mysticism and also Sufism.

In practice making separations in everyday life is the cause of many problems, for the individual as well as for society. Continuously, conflicts come into being when oppositions are made, when one person opposes the other. Separation is the source of all conflict. So, the solution to problems is making the separations radically relative, and experiencing the greater whole in which everything and everyone is included. In that whole differences persist, but they do not destroy the Unity.

Is there a pathway to non-duality? Non-duality is always present as the most essential element in everyone and everything. Everybody experiences and knows themselves directly, without any means. There is no distance between you and your essence. So also, there is no pathway to non-duality. However, starting from duality some conditions seem useful for becoming less stuck in old identity structures and so in becoming more open to no-duality. The most important conditions are a clear, open and reflective attention, a deep relaxation and the proximity of 'someone' in whom non-duality is clearly experienced. For the first two, a well-oriented yoga and meditation practice can be helpful.