For Anyone reading (and if you will, you can answer):
How do You view non-duality and how do you view duality?
Which one of these do you think is the truth or do you think they are both true or neither is true?
What other (related or non related to this subject) views you have regarding Existance, if you want to share?
Thank You.
My current take/view:
I’ll start with the obvious/disclaimer, and that is that I do not know how things actually work or how they actually are, I only have an appreciation of how they are, obviously limited, due to me having limitations, both in perception and in other capacities, thus my views are, well, limited, but even if they are limited in scope, they might still be true, at the very least true for me.
I think that both duality and non-duality can be both correct and incorrect, depending on definitions, points of view, knowledge and understanding that one has, experiences, the ability to perceive, clarity, etc.
We can barely define an individual, since we also have concepts like Soul, Spirit, Essence, Higher Self, Energy, Memory, Reincarnation, Identity and also Different Philosophical Views on what is an individual, etc.
Anyway, without dwelving too much into definitions, I would like to present my understanding and views.
I do not have a strong view on either of these concepts (duality or non-duality) yet I understand them, at least somehow/partially.
Ok…
Using the internet and Artificial Intelligence, I get these two simple definitions: “Duality is the perception of reality as separate and distinct parts, while non-duality recognizes that everything is a seamless, interconnected whole”.
Also “Duality is characterized by concepts like ‘two’, ‘self and other’, or ‘good and evil’, and often leads to feelings of separation and conflict. Non-duality, conversely, sees these divisions as an illusion and emphasizes that everything arises from the sane source, leading to a feeling of oneness and interconnectedness”.
Ok…
I Agree with these definitions, but not entirely, in the sense that (for example) duality doesn’t necessarily leads to conflict, but has the potential to lead to conflict, between different parties, parts, opposites, wether persons, ideas, structures, etc.
Another OK…
Analyzing from the P. O. V. of non duality, let’s go with the view that “everything arises from the same source”; does that automatically imply that all things are one, literally one entity or one consciousness?
In a way, yes, but not necessarily in an absolute way.
Just because everything arises from the sane source, it doesn’t mean that all parts are one, they just have a common origin.
On the other hand, the simple fact that there is a connection between them, could imply that they are still the same, just different branches of the same tree, to give such an analogy.
If you go with the Hindu Advaita view/Concept, you get that reality is ultimately one, that Atman (individual soul) is identical to Brahman (supreme reality).
Yes, judging from that point of view, you and the Creator (to use such a word for the Source of all) are One And The Same.
Still, without going into too many details, I know that there are philosophical currents in Hinduism which are not fully Advaita, nor Dvaita, and which posit that there is a level of separation between the different parts of the Whole, even though they are technically one Being (or one body).
Of course, the separation might exist thanks to the limited point of view/perception of each part of the whole (or at least some parts, which view themselves separate; although I would argue that perhaps all parts, all incarnations of the whole feel a certain level of separation).
Now, if we see things from a Christian or Muslim or Jewish perspective, things usually take a dual approach.
I would argue that fir the most part, Western Society as a whole has been mostly dyalistuc, even in the pre-Chrustian Era(s), during the heyday of Hellenism, for example, when God’s were viewed as Unique, Separate Beings.
Of course, I have not dwelved deep enough into Mysticism from either one of the Abrahamic Faiths, nor really know, in depth, what views did/do Gnostics have, and especially, I have even less knowledge regarding the Gods the populations surrounding the Mediterranean Sea and beyond worshipped.
There could have been instances or similarity with Advaita or at least a kindred concept.
A interfering theological aspect is The Thrinity, as viewed from the Christian side, since it’s an interesting approach and view regarding the Divine; all I know is that these things are considered Mysteries by the Christian Cults, in the sense that they are beyond mere mortal understanding.
The Father, The Son and The Holy Ghost are seen as One Being, in essence, but also Three Distinct and Eternal Persons.
As a side-note, I have seen some individuals (Pastors, Rabbis, etc.) on YouTube saying that Christianity borrowed a lot from older cults, thus even their ideas on God and Divinity are borrowed concepts or at least, merged concepts.
Another thing is that in Christianity each human being is a Unique Individual, a Unique Soul, Created by God; even though God is Everywhere and in all Creation, He is beyond creation too, not identified with it; thus, to simplify things, Christianity has a dualistic approach, although, of course there are other and perhaps even more appropriate terms for how Christians see the World, Reality and God/Divinity.
I would add that there is a concept of Energy in Christianity too, although it is created by God and not one with Him; I’m talking about Grace (as a concept - viewed especially from an Orthodox but probably Catholic P. o. v. too); it is a gift which is added to the created soul and it is a quality through which a person becomes a Saint (if certain criteria are met), which is the goal of the process called Salvation (view/research Theosis/Deification).
OK…
Back to Duality and non-duality…
I have seen an interesting video about Itzhak Bentov once, where he explained how he views spirituality, and he was talking about our relationship/relation with the Divine, how things are on a higher realm, judging from a higher view, the nature of our souls/us, etc., which made me think about this idea thst maybe we are separate beings, possibly having separate origins or with no origin at all (in the sense that we are eternal beings, not created - also, something akin to how the ancient Greeks viewed their Gods).
Maybe there is no Source or maybe there are countless multiple sources for existance, and maybe these sources were made by each one of us or by us, as a collective.
Also, there is the possibility that the multitude (us) created the Whole, even God or the Source, as a Supreme Egregore, representing our collective will and power, and that was a starting point of us living in a union, as one, yet being eternally different too (although in this theory or rather concept/idea, I think being or becoming one with the Supreme Eggregore is fine too, since technically, for omnipotent beings, time and space are toys).
Yeah, you can view it as fantasy, but at least give it a thought.
Anyway, I do not necessarily believe that, nor condone it, nor do I necessarily claim it as my idea, but I can say that it came to me, in my thoughts, the concept, and not now, but quite a while ago.
Of course, if you were to view things from another perspective, maybe the Supreme Eggregore also existed in us, until we manifested or created Him/It/Her.
In this imaginative exercise/view, the role of that being was and is to facilitate our Evolution and It’s Evolution too, linking all of us and helping us have a common will, although perhaps a changing common will, something like a morphic field, where the settings of our collective creation are being changed all the time, although probably there are settings which still bind us all to the whole.
Anyway, the last part was/is just an exercise of my imagination and my thinking, I do not claim it as anything else, but it could actually be a or the truth, who knows.
Also, it (this theory of mine) transcend our Science, so maybe there can never be proof or maybe there is, for such an hypothesis.
It doesn’t deny a common origin of our Universe, if that’s the most accepted model of contemporary Science, it just says that, above all, beyond time and space, originally all that it is, or rather all beings, co-created an Ultimate Source, in order to fasten our evolution, both as individuals and as one being, which we already are (through that Ultimate Union/Creation and Supreme Eggregore of all of us).
The thing is, I am not confined by views, ideas, notions, absolutisms of any kind, dogmas, etc., so, yeah, I’m flexible as I can possibly be, thus I’ll always search for more and for a higher meaning, higher understanding and higher purpose.
Well, don’t mind those last phrases if you don’t like them.
I treat almost anything as theoretically, above all.
Heck, even the brain in a jar or solipsism cannot be denied, because each argument you give against it, can be circumvented and used for it, so, for me, Spirituality and Existence and Experiences are all, above all, probabilities.
Still, I always take the chance thst it is all real, regardless of hidden or higher truths, since I would rather behave well with creations of my imagination, then risk doing any harm to a real being.
Plus, it’s more fun to think that it’s all real, we are all real, etc., and not just dome data in a extremely advanced “computer” or “brain” or (hive?) “mind” or whatever.
Everything and everyone evolves better through such a leap of faith, believing in what our senses and our brain (or what we perceive as our senses and our brain) dictate is “out there” and “real”.
Well, actually, Spirituality, for me, above all, even above ideas, is about Living and about Experiences and about The Journey, thus beliefs, ideas, concepts, become just secondary, at best, in importance.
I do not know anything, I do not claim anything, I just take life as it is, how it presents itself to me, and I try to make it better, for me, my dear ones and others, hopefully for the whole too.
So, as a conclusion, please leave your view on duality, non duality and anything you want - if you want, of course.
Reality is whatever we accept as real, at least from a subjective p.o.v.
Live (Your) Reality on Your Own Terms. 
All The Best to Everyone. 
(From a Highly Flexible Person)
