Thursday 19 February 2009

No One Going Nowhere.

It's funny, perusing the various and plentiful resources that cover non-duality on the Internet. (What did we ever do before the Internet?) There's plenty written about all is one, there are no separate individuals, blah blah blah. Then there is abundant advice about what these non-existent individuals must do to "achieve oneness". Get into the experience...envision a different reality...meditate until your ass has to be amputated from gangrene...follow the stillness...don't believe your thoughts...get to know intimately your sub-personalities...climb a mountain, have a satsang with a master...and on and on ad infinitum. My goodness. Who is it, exactly, that's going to do all this? There's certainly nothing wrong with any of it. There's nothing right with it either. It is the story. It is just the story, and no amount of practice of any kind can do anything but reinforce duality. There is nothing happening, no one doing anything, and nowhere to go. This is it. This is oneness. It is has the distinct advantage of already being everything. There is no hope for the individual to make his or her life better. There may be the appearance of peace and serenity and bliss and all those things duality tells us are desirable. But even a life of disciplined practice, leading to a guilt-free and happy existence, is a shadowy parable of the source, oneness, whatever we call it on a Thursday. All those practices are just fine, but they have little to do with liberation. Until liberation, every appearance is the perfect invitation to oneness. Then there is oneness. And I can type and criticise and opine and speculate until my apparent fingers fall off my seeming hands; it is all gibberish. The finger points to the moon, the moon is seen, and then it is noticed that the moon appears to be about the size of the fingernail. Yet another illusion. As is it all. A mysterious, wondrous, intense and poignant appearance. Nothing is wrong with it. In fact, nothing is wrong.

1 comment:

Maury Lee said...

Nice irreverent writing. Love it.