Lens of Association: Nonduality
Lenses, in the context of the Beacons of Everyday Enlightenment represent more specific concepts and practices through which we can understand the rich meaning of each Beacon. There are Primary Lenses, which are the most commonly understood and most robust meditative concepts, and there are Other Lenses which are a collection of other closely related ideas for that Beacon.
 | |
| Lens: Nonduality | |
|---|---|
| Beacons | Association |
| Landmarks | Observe Duality and Connectedness |
Nonduality, or "not-two", refers to a state or experience in which there is no distinction between the subject and object, or the self and the external world. It implies a sense of oneness and a realization that there's no separation between you and everything else. Importantly, this includes thoughts and emotions. Nonduality is an essential part of Association as Unlearning the Self includes unlearning the way we perceive subject and object.
Landmarks
The Realms of Everyday Enlightenment each have some noticeable Landmarks which show the likely alignment someone within that Realm has with each of the Beacons and their various Lenses. These Landmarks are things that need to be noticed and explored in the context of those Lenses and Beacons. And then through working on the Trails and Guides these Landmarks will serve as markers toward the next Realm where new Landmarks await.
Landmarks of Enrollment
Landmark: Observe Duality and Connectedness
 | |
| Landmark: Observe Duality and Connectedness | |
|---|---|
| Beacons | Association |
| Realms | Enrollment |
| Lenses | Nonduality |
| Guides | Eating |
| Trails | Learn About Association |
The Landmark of Observe Duality and Connectedness gives you a chance to see Duality and then try to use the Lens of Nonduality to see things in a different way.
Review these questions to see if you have fully explored this Landmark and are ready to move on.
Landmark Lookouts:
- Noticing Duality: Can you make a point see things from the perspective of Duality, and that "that thing" is not "you"?
- Trying Nonduality: Given things you are connected with, such as food and drink, can you sense one clear moment where there isn't a meaningful distinction between those things and yourself?
The next time you're sipping your morning coffee, tea, or even a glass of water...
- Sit your drink down in front of you just for a few moments.
- Consider the drink and yourself. You are yourself. The drink is the drink, the cup is the cup. You are not the drink, and the drink is not you.
- Now for a moment, consider what makes up "you" - is it just your body and mind? If so, what about your hair and fingernails. What about the glasses you need, or the sweat coming out of your pores?
- At the moment when you can really sense that the question makes sense, reach out and put your hand around the drink.
- Reflect on how you, the drinker, and your drink are interconnected in this moment, just through that touch.
- As you pick up the drink and begin to enjoy the taste and feel of it going into your mouth, think again on how you are connected.
- Explore the sensation of the liquid passing down your throat, becoming a part of you. Feel the unity in that moment.
- Remind yourself that you're not separate from the world around you, just as the drink isn't separate from you.
- As you put down your cup, remember that experience - it's a small glimpse into the Nonduality that's inherent in all experiences.
Landmarks of Engagement
Landmarks for this Realm (Engagement) will be added here when those pages are created.
Landmarks of Enrichment
Landmarks for this Realm (Enrichment) will be added here when those pages are created.
Shadows
The Beacons of Everyday Enlightenment provide powerful guidance through the Realms. The Lenses represent different facets of those Beacons, which provide further focus or illumination of that Beacon. On the other hand, Lenses are also accompanied by two types of Shadows which tend to obscure our journey to Enlightenment. The first kind of Shadows are the Looming Shadows, which are the obvious opposite of a given Lens, and should hopefully be easy to avoid and train against once we understand them. The second kind are the Flickering Shadows, which could be confused with the associated Lenses, because they are quite similar to the Lens, while actually being a harmful or negative counterpart. Both types of Shadows should be understood in the context of the Lens and Beacon, and reviewed periodically to ensure our view is not obscured. Within the Lens of Nonduality, there is no distinction between subject and object, self and external world.
- Looming Shadow - Dualism, the insistence that there is an observing Self that is different than experience, and that thoughts in one's mind are essentially distinct from observation of outside experience. This is a roadblock that may take practice to overcome.
- Flickering Shadow - Dual Consciousness, happens when learning about Nonduality is halted prior to experiencing actual Nonduality. Someone might observe (correctly) that all experience is part of the same consciousness, but there is another step to go - we must Unlearn the idea that the sense of self is somehow special, and falls outside of our conscious experience.
Resources
- Sakshi (witness), Vedanta (mind) - "... this table is an object of experience to my eyes. My eyes and the body are objects of experience to my mind. And my mind is an object of experience..."
- Prakāśa, the self-reflexive nature of awareness - "... in the process of being aware of any object, consciousness also illuminates itself at the same time..."
- Nondualism - ""not-two" or "one without a second""