Multiplicity and Duality

[Guest guest]

Dear List,

 

The views presented here may seem quite 'radical' to some, please discard

if it doesn't agree with 'your perspective'. All of it (to my knowledge)

agrees with Nisargadatta's 'stance' on the matter. None of this is from

any spiritual book or text, but mostly 'direct experience').

 

It has been seen here that what's normally called 'duality' is actually

better referred to as 'multiplicity', like a tree with a thousand branches.

 

The " pure duality " (two) or (2) is this: " Existence " and " Nonexistence. "

Seen here, 'nonduality' is an existential matter.

 

When only the pure duality of 'beingness' remains, it could be said one has

reached from multiplicity to duality.

 

'Beingness' or " I Am " is not an easy quality to define (it has to be

experienced, and in order for this a great deal of 'slowdown' seems

necessary), but it could be described in words as " the desire to be " or

" the will to live " -- and can actually be felt in the body as 'life

energy'. A hot, burning sensation, an endless assertion: " I Am, I Am, I

Am! " (not in words, but as a 'feeling' or 'sensation' asserting).

 

The body constantly asserts this " I Am " or 'touch of beingness' even during

sleep -- and this " beingness " is the 'life force'. This is " prior " to

even the emergence of 'personality', which is multiplicity and also purely

'conditioned'. The " I Am " is often misunderstood... there is no " I " or

" Am " in it, no words, only the 'feeling' of 'I-Am-ness.' -- the endless

'felt' cry of the body-mind: " I am! I exist! "

 

Once reaching to 'pure duality', remaining there and never moving away...

Eventually it becomes clear that 'the desire to be' or 'the will to live'

is the 'root desire' or 'the root duality'. The " I Am " is the root desire,

the desire to BE. And 'life' consists of nothing more or less than the

will to live or the desire to be. The first 'life form' could only have

coincided with the arising of 'the first desire'.

 

So remaining with the simple sensation of 'beingness' ('pure duality' or

" 2 " )... the root desire makes itself known, and it will drop off

eventually. This 'drop' could be called 'moksha' or 'liberation'. The

body does not die (at least this is assumed, maybe it would sometimes), but

" attachment to life " is utterly gone.

 

The root being 'cut', no more multiplicity, no more tree and no more

branches -- and since the desire to be is the 'root cause' of all other

desires, no more 'desires' either (in other words, the " compulsion to

satisfy " or the feeling " I want " 'becomes' simple detached arising of

thoughts that are witnessed and 'acted on' spontaneously, if/as required).

 

At some point, the 'nonduality game' can be seen as cutting the branches

off the 'tree of duality' (multiplicity) -- they always grow back, without

fail. This should become evident after awhile. The tree itself gets

uprooted when remaining at the root, which is " the sense of beingness " or

" I Am. "

 

Anything beyond this involves 'burning' of 'remaining conditioning' or

'innate tendencies' (vasanas). It could be likened to burning the uprooted

tree. Generally such 'burning' is automatic, like a fire continues to burn

once started -- it could be experienced as a 'constant, unbroken state of

meditation' (traditionally, 'savikalpa samadhi') -- actually a very

'blissful' state without emotions (or if emotions arise, they get burned

immediately).

 

When the work of the fire is complete, that's the end of it... no

multiplicity, no duality, no nonduality. *Poof*.

 

Namaste,

 

Tim