What is the glorious both/and?
In the either/or non-dual view, the existence of duality is denied*
When this paradigm talks about indivisibility, it means that what can be divided is unreal, and only an amorphous, substance which cannot be divided (it has no qualities), is real.
The "True" nature of reality can only be this or that. Rather than this and that.
For example, material or immaterial/spiritual, spirit or matter, separateness or oneness, the one and the many, personal and impersonal, absolute or relative, sameness or differences.
As with all binary black and white perspectives, polarities like "absolute" and "relative" are seen as incompatible, so a choice must be made between one or the other. It's a rigid way of thinking that doesn't allow for the possibility of a third option.
This limited either/or view typically leads to partial truth presented as the whole truth, as well as imbalance, extremism, and fragmentation/dis-integration.
[The Neo-Advaita non-dual view is considered to be "monism," since it says that the true reality of everything is actually just one substance. Its' important however to understand how there is a hidden either/or dualism within it. If you'd like to go deeper into this, read more here]
When this paradigm talks about indivisibility, it means that what can be divided is unreal, and only an amorphous, substance which cannot be divided (it has no qualities), is real.
The "True" nature of reality can only be this or that. Rather than this and that.
For example, material or immaterial/spiritual, spirit or matter, separateness or oneness, the one and the many, personal and impersonal, absolute or relative, sameness or differences.
As with all binary black and white perspectives, polarities like "absolute" and "relative" are seen as incompatible, so a choice must be made between one or the other. It's a rigid way of thinking that doesn't allow for the possibility of a third option.
This limited either/or view typically leads to partial truth presented as the whole truth, as well as imbalance, extremism, and fragmentation/dis-integration.
[The Neo-Advaita non-dual view is considered to be "monism," since it says that the true reality of everything is actually just one substance. Its' important however to understand how there is a hidden either/or dualism within it. If you'd like to go deeper into this, read more here]
The "both/and" view affirms the existence of both this and that
In this non-binary view, seeming opposites are mutually inclusive. Polarities that the either/or view sees as incompatible, such as spirit and matter, being and becoming, separateness and oneness not only co-exist but co-arise - they only ever arise as a pair.
For example, it takes us from separateness only to oneness only, to a third reality that includes separateness and oneness as dependent on each other.
Seeing polarities as mutually inclusive, it brings forth qualities qualities of balance, harmony, nuance, wholeness, and integration, that the either/or perspective misses out on.
Evolutionary Emergence
This glorious both/and I'm describing becomes even more extraordinary, with astonishing implications for humanity, when put into a perspective that can be described as evolutionary emergence...which leads to a flip from reductionism to emergentism which has far-reaching, stunningly life-affirming implications for us individually, and societally. I could sum it up as what changes when we experience the universe as the one in relationship with itself, as the ground of Being blooming! I'll unpack this more here...
In this non-binary view, seeming opposites are mutually inclusive. Polarities that the either/or view sees as incompatible, such as spirit and matter, being and becoming, separateness and oneness not only co-exist but co-arise - they only ever arise as a pair.
For example, it takes us from separateness only to oneness only, to a third reality that includes separateness and oneness as dependent on each other.
Seeing polarities as mutually inclusive, it brings forth qualities qualities of balance, harmony, nuance, wholeness, and integration, that the either/or perspective misses out on.
Evolutionary Emergence
This glorious both/and I'm describing becomes even more extraordinary, with astonishing implications for humanity, when put into a perspective that can be described as evolutionary emergence...which leads to a flip from reductionism to emergentism which has far-reaching, stunningly life-affirming implications for us individually, and societally. I could sum it up as what changes when we experience the universe as the one in relationship with itself, as the ground of Being blooming! I'll unpack this more here...
The both/and non-duality that I'm talking about takes it further than simply affirming the reality of both this and that...
In this view, rather than simply granting the existence of both the absolute and the relative, it sees them, along with all polarities as interwoven and interdependent - not only can they only arise as a pair ("co-dependent arising) they're embedded within each other like yin and yang!
-Here, this is that and that is this.
-You can see the glorious both/and as a marriage/wedding of opposites, whereas the either/or perspective is a divorce, and then funeral for one out of the pair!
[in fancy land, this non-dual perspective can be described as the unity of opposites. Others describe it as Uni-duality, dialectical or relational non-duality. explore more here.]
[Marrying polarities like spiritual and material, personal and universal, subject and object, is actually what integration on a path of spiritual emergence is about. Learn more about this here (and why either/or non-duality forever blocks us from full integration.)]
For example - we see being becoming, trans-immanence, unity of diversity (vs. a unity of uniformity) division without fragmentation, uni-duality, and unividuals.
There's an achingly beautiful way that some describe this - as "the third thing" that emerges from the coalescing of the two opposites, greater than the sum of its' parts, and more specifically, is different from what either polarity is on its' own.
-familiar examples are bittersweetness, tears of joy, etc. but not so familiar examples are the experience that either/or non-duality misses out on, which is something altogether astonishing, poignant, profound, and more cathartic than my awakening to oneness alone, the ground of Being alone, etc. - what it's like when you experience oneness and separateness simultaneously, the transcendent in and as the immanent, formless enformed, Being blooming! The qualities this gives rise to are....
-The poignance is partly in feeling the most profound aliveness when for example, joy and sorrow are mixed, ecstagony, etc. and a kind of wholeness and
In this view, rather than simply granting the existence of both the absolute and the relative, it sees them, along with all polarities as interwoven and interdependent - not only can they only arise as a pair ("co-dependent arising) they're embedded within each other like yin and yang!
-Here, this is that and that is this.
-You can see the glorious both/and as a marriage/wedding of opposites, whereas the either/or perspective is a divorce, and then funeral for one out of the pair!
[in fancy land, this non-dual perspective can be described as the unity of opposites. Others describe it as Uni-duality, dialectical or relational non-duality. explore more here.]
[Marrying polarities like spiritual and material, personal and universal, subject and object, is actually what integration on a path of spiritual emergence is about. Learn more about this here (and why either/or non-duality forever blocks us from full integration.)]
For example - we see being becoming, trans-immanence, unity of diversity (vs. a unity of uniformity) division without fragmentation, uni-duality, and unividuals.
There's an achingly beautiful way that some describe this - as "the third thing" that emerges from the coalescing of the two opposites, greater than the sum of its' parts, and more specifically, is different from what either polarity is on its' own.
-familiar examples are bittersweetness, tears of joy, etc. but not so familiar examples are the experience that either/or non-duality misses out on, which is something altogether astonishing, poignant, profound, and more cathartic than my awakening to oneness alone, the ground of Being alone, etc. - what it's like when you experience oneness and separateness simultaneously, the transcendent in and as the immanent, formless enformed, Being blooming! The qualities this gives rise to are....
-The poignance is partly in feeling the most profound aliveness when for example, joy and sorrow are mixed, ecstagony, etc. and a kind of wholeness and