"For me, non-dual awareness is not based on either the characterless
ground of being or on the manifestations of duality that spring unbidden from it.
Instead, it is both. Always. Without hierarchy or preference."- Jason Shulman
ground of being or on the manifestations of duality that spring unbidden from it.
Instead, it is both. Always. Without hierarchy or preference."- Jason Shulman
As I began to perceive the both/and nature of nonduality, it became clear that the term "nonduality" itself is misleading, because it is dual --it has the exclusionary nature of an either/or appraisal of reality built into it. If we interpret "nondual" as synonymous with things like non-separation, not-two-ness, indivisibility, then from a both/and perspective, we recognize that hey, wait a minute, nondual also applies to nonduality and duality! From a both/and understanding, everything that nonduality describes as nondual, is actually both one and two, separate and not separate, at the same time, so in light of this, nonduality feels like a misnomer that is responsible for a great deal of confusion surrounding it's meaning. The way I see it, in order to reconcile, to come to terms with this paradoxical reality that oneness and separateness are simultaneously true, we literally need a new term for it, one that reflects it's both/and nature and points us towards wholeness rather than a partial understanding -- Uniduality. Coined by spiritual philosopher Tim Freke, Uniduality feels perfect to me. There is no better word to illustrate the astounding paradox that everything is both unified and separate. I adore the ring of harmony that unidual carries, the sense of wholeness it exudes. Perhaps the best thing about this re-christening is its' revolutionary ability to help spiritual explorers avoid the pitfalls that result from an imbalanced fixation on negation that some nondual teachings promote, and hazards that are especially common in new-age "nondual" teachings (see section on Neo-Advaita). Because my life has been so profoundly touched by the transformative power and world of possibilities this re-languaging offers, I feel deeply called to share it with you!
While I am passionate about supporting spiritual emergence and emergencies of all kinds, I feel especially called to shine a light on the hazards embedded within paths of radical ego dissolution and the dangers of imbalanced non-dual approaches that teach self-transcendence as self-erasure, spiritual realization as de-realization of the world, and detachment from the inter-personal sphere as a means to escape our suffering. I'm especially called to help people re-embrace and embody the unique personality of their soul, to find meaning in and recover from the harm done by either/or non-dual paradigms like (Neo)Advaita. To support one another in transitioning from the partial truth of nonduality, to both/and unidual perception that reveals the One in and as two. It's here that we experience the simultaneity of separateness and oneness, the personal and the universal, the divine and the human, in which we return from the beyond, to discover the transcendent right here within the immanent, everything a really real expression of god rather than just an illusion that veils it, and the great potential this opens up for human self-actualization, conscious co-creation, and ultimately the positive evolution of humanity. For those who were taught otherwise, this transition can help re-purpose ego dissolution as a stage in a process of consciously deconstructing the unconsciously created aspects of ourselves, on the way to consciously creating ourselves and our lives. Along this path, we journey from "all is separate," to "all is one," to the third thing that emerges when we behold reality as a "oneness of multiplicity," and know ourselves and the entire world to be the universe, in a ever-evolving relationship with itself.
When two people discover themselves to be one, it is an astonishing partial revelation of the truth.
And the spellbinding whole revelation? You and I are one, experiencing itself as two!
We only experience oneness because one became two.
If two is a delusion, oneness follows suit.