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The Unity of All -Non-Dualistic Apophatic Higher States of Consciousness

13 Apr

Non-Dualistic ApophaticHigher States of Consciousness

While Apophatic theology was often in the past regarded as heretical, blasphemy, and unorthodox, we have seen in the previous chapters that now the sciences including physics, cosmology, psychology, biology, ecology, linguistics, as well as meditation, all provide a secure platform for the non-dualistic Apophatic convictions and practice. Apophatic teachings and analysis clearly provide an alternative to the dominant Dualistic Cataphatic dogma. This acceptance and application of the non-dualist perspective is not just an academic survey but a way of living that has crucial truths that benefit the individual, interpersonal, biological, psychological, sociological, spiritual, societal, and ecological levels.

This book is meant to indicate the possibility and rationale that is encompassed in the title of Apophatic. To further explore in-depth the Buddha’s teaching of the Path to Awakening, the reader is referred to my previous books: The Buddha’s Teachings; Seeing Without Illusion, The Buddha’s Radical Psychology: Explorations and The Buddha’s Gift: A Life of Wellbeing and Wisdom.

Now we have the testimony of numerous modern articulate thinkers whose ability to describe their awakening perspectives leads a strong support to past spiritual leaders who, even in the threat of death, spoke their truths out of compassion for others. Remembering the insights of his personal mystical experience, Martin Buber, in his book, The Heart of Mysticism, described his higher states of consciousness: “Now from my own unforgettable experience I know well that there is a state in which the bonds of the personal nature of life seem to have fallen away from us and we experience an undivided unity.”

With this experience of Awakening, Buber understood the world without the alienating and separating dualistic subject/object dichotomy. Like the Buddha, out of compassion for humanity, Buber taught us how to experience and act in a non-alienated way. While Buber always emphasized that he understood relating to the world in an I-It manner, a ‘functional’ relationship between subject and object, is necessary, his primary concern was when a person was unable to respond from I-Thou, thus creating alienation and suffering. The relation between the person and Nothingness is a universal relationship that is found as the foundation for I-Thou, as authentic beings, without objectification. From an apophatic perspective, it is from the background of the I-Thou relation that I-It arises in the foreground.

Virtuous and Kind Behaviors

For this apophatic potential relational world to be realized, virtuous and kind behaviors are encouraged. This promotes sensitivity to the inner and outer world, more serenity, more authenticity, empathy and wisdom with less alienation, rumination, conflict, hatred, and bias.

The ‘I-Thou’ relation participates in the dynamic and living process of Being. That relationship simply Is. Through this relation, we interact with the world in its whole Being. It is not a means to an egocentric objective or goal of use and order but an authentic relationship involving respect and care for the whole being of each subject and existence.

Basic to the Apophatic relation, Lovingkindness or benevolence is a subject-to-subject relationship. Love cannot be an ego-based relation of subject to object but rather a relationship in which all members are subjects and share the immanent unity of Being. According to Buber, the I-Thou relationship is “the existential and ontological reality in which the self comes into being and through which it fulfills and authenticates itself.” This relation is characterized by mutuality and openness, directness, and being in the present.

I-Thou an expression of Inter-being relations

Using Buber’s ‘I-Thou’ as an apophatic example, communication is the fundamental expression of the uniqueness of relation within inter-being. These relational patterns of rapport and affinity are usually found when beings relate with lovingkindness, friendship, openness, and care. I meet you as you are, and you meet me as who I am. In this relationship, I am with you openly in my heart and mind. Living through relationships with this authenticity brings deep satisfaction, happiness and richness in life and opens a greater sense of the original relation with the Being. One easily expresses empathy and compassion, knowing that all are interconnected in unity. Such a perspective makes a different world, a world without violence. As Jesus said, ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.’ The Buddha said as well, “All beings tremble before violence. All fear death. All love life. See yourself in others. Then whom can you hurt? What harm can you do?”

As all Apophatic sages teach, by being ‘empty’ in the moment, here and now, we experience the wonder of existence. As we have seen in other chapters, the ultimate, even the very idea of the ultimate, cannot be known by discursive thinking. In the now, we live our life as it is. Also, through the practice of silent meditation, we focus on our life awareness. With this awareness, we experience our interconnectedness with all things and empathy and compassion for all sentient beings.

Knowing shatters illusions

Knowing begins with the release of illusions, with dis-illusion. Knowing means to penetrate through the fog, to arrive at reality; knowing means to ‘see’ the reality without illusion. Knowing is that the ‘ownership’ of truth is not possible. The Awakened relationship cannot be explained; it simply is. Through this ‘empty’ relation, we interact with the world in this whole Being. It is not a means to some object or goal but an authentic relationship involving respect for the whole being of each subject. Buber considers ‘I-Thou’ communication the fundamental expression of the uniqueness of relation within inter-being. These relational patterns of rapport and affinity are usually found when beings relate with lovingkindness, friendship, openness, and care.

In the I-Thou encounter, we relate to each other as authentic beings, without inquisition, prejudice, enmity, or predisposition. I meet you as you are, and you meet me as who I am. In this relationship, I am with you openly in my heart and mind. However, there are many people who never fully understand this deeper level of relation. This is tragic because living through relationships based on the non-dualistic perspective brings happiness, deep satisfaction and richness in life and opens a greater sense of the original relation with the Absolute.

When an I-Thou encounter occurs, I am meeting the other as thou with openness, directness, and presence by means of real mutual action, meaning and confirmation. As Buber wrote, “This person is other, essentially other than myself… I confirm it; I wish his otherness to exist, because I wish his particular being to exist.” We are interconnected, “not just with people, but animals too, and stones, clouds, trees” (Aitken 1984, p. 10). We are an integral part of everything.

Nothing exists by itself; nothing has a separate existence, an inherent separate self. As human beings we are Being, one with All. The truth is pure interbeing, beyond dualistic thinking of the alienated mind. Thus, one becomes aware of the impermanence and the Emptiness of the ‘IT’ world. Serenity comes with the acceptance of impermanence and interrelatedness. The insights of such Sages as the Buddha, the Hebrew prophets, Jesus, and Master Eckhart show that knowing begins with the awareness of the deceptiveness of our common-sense perceptions and cognitive constructions; our formulations of physical reality do not correspond to what is ‘really real.’ Therefore, most people are half-awake, half dreaming, and are unaware that most of what they hold to be true and self-evident is an ‘magician-like’ illusion produced by the influence of the dualistic alienated world in which they live.

Knowing, then, begins with the transformation of illusions, selfishness, and alienation. Knowing means to penetrate through the fog, to arrive at reality and to ‘see’ the reality without illusion. Knowing is not to own the truth, as possession is not possible, but to Be the truth. The Being mode of knowing allows us, as psychologist Erich Fromm (1992, pp.117-120) also observed, to go beyond ourselves, outside the ego. The Path’s result is kindness to oneself and another, to transcend the barriers that separate us from one another, and living life with recognition of interdependence and impermanence. When communicating at this level, we move beyond biased social roles, identifications, and objectification.

In I-Thou dialogues, we trust and can disclose deep, private aspects of ourselves that enable us to engage in deep and authentic relationships. The rigid, dualistic and egotistically dominated mind remains enmeshed in ignorance, greed, and anger that feeds on itself and, therefore, does not let go and rise above the suffering quagmire in which it remains. This ego rigidity needs an empathetic and compassionate approach to assist it in letting go and coming to know how it is possible to live in a world without the pain and distrust and suffering created through this dualistically based ignorance. And, in fact, the path can be clear and successfully traveled without much difficulty.

What is difficult is allowing oneself to give up the encased hatred, the anger, the greed, the biases of egoism and of selfishness. In the book, Lost Horizon, there is this passage: ‘Look at the world today. Is there anything more pitiful? What madness there is! What blindness! A scurrying mass of bewildered humanity crashing headlong against each other. The time must come when brutality and the lust for power will perish by their own sword. When that day comes, the world must begin to look for a new life.’

The new life away from that is and always has been pointed to by the apophatic teachers in the past and now. The whole movement is toward the development of maturity of perspective and, therefore, action with wisdom about the way we understand and think about existence. Therefore, incorrect ideas and beliefs must be renounced, which will change our human character and end further suffering.

For as the Buddha and other apophatic teachers have consistently taught, what is now clear through scientific investigation, that living beings, the environment and even the universe are deeply enmeshed and co-dependent on each other. This is one world and every action by all living and non-living forces interact with and alter the previous reality- some more than others. Therefore, once we become experienced, inspired, and apply the truths that the Buddha and others have discovered, and now are explicated in more modern terminology and description, there is a real possibility for a Heaven on Earth without the distraction of seeking supernatural intervention.

Heaven on Earth can briefly be described in a biocentric way as a world of humans acting through wisdom and empathy and compassion, The Buddha, one of the greatest Apophatic teachers, said in his last words to the monks, “It may be that after I am gone that some of you will think, ‘now we have no teacher.’ But that is not how you should see it. Let the Dharma and the discipline that I have taught you be your teacher. All individual things pass away. Strive on, untiringly.”

Now, as we have explored in this book the similar meditation instructions and doctrinal perspectives taught by the many Apophatic spiritual teachers, over time and different cultures, we know we can attain Awakening and know Emptiness and give up our suffering and the harmful consequences of dualistic alienation, for a life of wellbeing and happiness. Let us all assert the Apophatic Way and accomplish knowing the ‘unknowable’ – No-thing

Chapter 16 The Unity of All. Of the Book, God is No-thing. The Apophatic Assertion The
Salvation for Humankind – revised -. Copyright Rodger Ricketts Psy.D.,2022. All rights
reserved.

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Experiencing Non-Duality: NDE

2 Apr

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God is No-Thing: An Apophatic Assertion

1 Apr

Publisher’s review of this book

“God is No-Thing; An Apophatic Assertion” by Rodger R Ricketts is an outstanding work on apophaticism and how it relates to various religions or philosophies around the world and across time. At the heart of the discussion is the apophatic nature of “God,” Buddhism as a philosophy, and the clear benefits of an apophatic approach in life, both for the individual and for society. The author backs up his claims and observations about the apophatic way with references to scientific research as well as quotes from celebrated mystic and religious people from across time and from different backgrounds. In addition to providing a large body of proof for the validity and benefits of an apophatic way of knowing God, this book also provides a helpful guide to meditation itself and how to go about it.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Buddhism, meditation, apophatic philosophy, and working for the betterment of themselves and humanity

Published 2023

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One doesn’t become a Buddha

22 Mar

I saw this statement: All Humans can become a Buddha. If the definition of to become is, ‘to come into existence’ my personal understanding is different as written below.

Or every human being have a Buddha-nature and by following the Eightfold Path they can realize it fully. For example, if you have a gift that is well wrapped in coverings, once you unwrap the gift completely, you finally realize what the gift is, which, in fact, is the same as when it was wrapped. It is the same about the Buddha. We are all intrinsically a Buddha, it is just that we have veils that hide our realization of that. The veils are lifted with the Path of ethical conduct (Sila), mental discipline (Samadhi) and wisdom (Panna). One doesn’t ‘gain’ Buddhahood but instead removes the veils or obstructions that prevent one from knowing that their nature is already Awakened.

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Awakening/Enlightenment

12 Mar

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Awakening…

5 Mar

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THE INTERCONNECTED UNIVERSE

19 Feb

THE INTERCONNECTED UNIVERSE

‘Causes and results are infinite in number and variety. Everything affects everything. In this universe, when one thing changes, everything changes.’

Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj

Spiritual Teachings and Interdependence

Both science and spiritual and metaphysical teachings recognize that all things and events are interconnected, and part of a greater Whole. Every part of the universe is directly or indirectly related to every other part, and the description of any one part is inseparable from the description of the whole. Sufi teacher Murat Yagan: “Interdependence is a state of mutual support for the greater good of the Whole.” The concept of an interconnected universe appears throughout history, in philosophical and spiritual writings:

  • Egyptian magus Hermes Trismegistus: “The without is like the within of things; the small is like the large.”
  • Greek philosopher Empedocles: “The nature of God is a circle of which the centre is everywhere and the circumference is nowhere.”
  • Hindu Avatamsaka Sutra: “Each object in the world is not merely itself, but involves every other object and, in fact, is everything else.”
  • Buddhist Fa-Tsang: “Suspending a candle in the middle of a room full of mirrors represents the relationship of the One to the Many; placing a polished crystal in the centre of the room so that it reflects everything around it, shows the relationship of the Many to the One.”
  • Oglala Sioux medicine man Black Elk: “Anywhere is the centre of the world.” And, he reported in a vision “seeing in a sacred manner the shapes of all things in the Spirit, and the shapes of all shapes as they must live together as one being.”

The world-view of traditional Eastern spiritual teachings is based on the underlying unity of all that exists and the interdependent relationship of all phenomena. In The Tao of Physics, physicist Fritjof Capra describes this connected and interactive universe: “The most important characteristic of the Eastern worldview is the awareness of the unity and mutual interrelation of all things and events, the experience of all phenomena in the world as manifestations of a basic oneness. All things are seen as interdependent and inseparable parts of this cosmic whole; of different manifestations of the same indivisible ultimate reality.”

Although the various schools of Eastern mysticism differ in many details, they all emphasize the basic unity of the universe which is the central feature of their teachings. The highest aim for their followers – whether they are Hindus, Buddhists or Taoists – is to become aware of the unity and mutual interrelation of all things, to transcend the notion of an isolated individual self and to identify themselves with the ultimate reality . . . In the Eastern view, then, the division of nature into separate objects is not fundamental and any such objects have a fluid and ever-changing character. The Eastern worldview is therefore instrinsically dynamic and contains time and change as essential features. The cosmos is seen as one inseparable reality – forever in motion, alive, organic; spiritual and material at the same time. (1)

One of the fundamental principles of Buddhism is the ‘interdependent nature of all things.’ This takes the form of an infinite network of interrelationships among all forms of existence. Zen roshi Philip Kapleau: “Everything is connected and interrelated; all things are mutually dependent for their existence. All things in the universe depend upon one another, the influence of each mutually permeating and thereby making a universal symphony of harmonious totality.” In Zen Keys, Vietnamese Zen teacher Thich Nhat Hanh writes: The expression “the interdependent relational nature” of things is tied directly to the concept of non-identity. To see things in their interdependent relational nature is to perceive their nature of non-identity. Put another way, it is to recognize their existence, even when they are not present. Let us look, for example, at a table. It exists at this very moment. We recognize its existence only when the interdependent conditions, upon which its presence is grounded, converge; but we cannot recognize its existence before these conditions are brought together. Nevertheless, the table existed before being there; it existed formerly through the play of interdependent factors such as the wood, the saw, the nails, the carpenter, and the multitude of other elements directly or indirectly connected with its existence. If one can see the existence of the table through these interdependent conditions, one can also see it in unlimited space and infinite time. (2)

The Dalai Lama articulates the traditional Tibetan Buddhist understanding of the interdependence of all phenomena in The New Physics and Cosmology: Dialogues with the Dalai Lama: “[Interdependence] does not entail that these interacting events or facts have some kind of intrinsic, objective reality in and of themselves, but rather that this absence, or emptiness, of independent existence is at the heart of their existence. Their existence and reality can make sense only within the context of interrelationships and interconnectedness.”

This accords with the core teachings of Mahayana Buddhism which describes the world as “a perfect network of mutual relations where all things and events interact with each other in an infinitely complicated way.” Buddhist scholar Lama Anagarika Govinda:

The Buddhist does not believe in an independent or separately existing external world, into whose dynamic forces he could insert himself. The external world and his internal world are for him only two sides of the same fabric, in which the threads of all forces and of all events, of all forms of consciousness and of their objects, are woven into an inseparable net of endless, mutually conditioned relations. (3)

An interconnected universe in which all parts are, at some level, related to all other parts is at odds with simple cause and effect models of reality. In fact, no event occurs in isolation, as multiple interdependent causes may be involved. “Everything is interlinked, and therefore everything has numerous causes. The entire universe contributes to the least thing. A thing is as it is, because the world is as it is.” Sufi author and teacher Idries Shah argues that cause and effect is a “primitive short-term rule of thumb.”

For example, we tend to look at events one-sidedly. We also assume, without any justification, that an event happens as it were in a vacuum. In actual fact, all events are associated with all other events. It is only when we are ready to experience our interrelation with the organism of life that we can appreciate mystical experience. If you look at any action which you do, or which anyone else does, you will find that it was prompted by one of many possible stimuli; and also that it is never an isolated action – it has consequences, many of them ones which you would never expect, certainly which you could not have planned. (4)

Other spiritual traditions agree with this contention. According to Advaita Vedanta, the principle of cause and effect is only a conceptual category. Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj: “It is the illusion of time that makes you talk of causality. When the past and the future are seen in the timeless now, as parts of a common pattern, the idea of cause-effect loses its validity and creative freedom takes its place.”

Like everything mental, the so-called law of causation contradicts itself. No thing in existence has a particular cause; the entire universe contributes to the existence of even the smallest thing; nothing could be as it is without the universe being what it is. When the source and ground of everything is the only cause of everything, to speak of causality as a universal law is wrong. The universe is not bound by its content, because its potentialities are infinite; besides it is a manifestation, or expression of a principle fundamentally and totally free . . . For everything there are innumerable causal factors. But the source of all that is, is the Infinite possibility, the Supreme Reality, which is in you and which throws its power and light and love on every experience. But, this source is not a cause and no cause is a source. Because of that, everything is uncaused. You may try to trace how a thing happens, but you cannot find out why a thing is as it is. A thing is as it is, because the universe is as it is.

Rodger R Ricketts

  • Fritjof Capra The Tao of Physics (Boulder: Shambhala, 1975), p. 24.
  • Thich Nhat Hanh Zen Keys (New York: Anchor Books, 1974), pp. 88-89.
  • Lama Anagarika Govinda Foundations of Tibetan Mysticism (New York: Samuel Weiser, (1974), p. 93.
  • Idries Shah The Sufis (London: Octagon Press, 1984), pp. 71-72.
  • Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: The Acorn Press, 2005), pp. 9-11.

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Non-Duality: What the World Needs Now

14 Feb

Preface

After 40 years of active study and practice of the Buddhist teachings and having written four books on what I call Buddha inspired psychology, I recently found a very insightful perspective that elaborated on what I had learned before. The insight is that the Buddhist teachings are a mysticism, which inherently undercuts any easy attempts at codification. Therefore, union with the divine or emptiness is experienced rather than defined and categorized through limited language. such an emphasis on first-hand experience runs contrary to abstract, ‘positive’ cataphatic theology. this book is the unique and cogent perspective that incorporates the Buddhist teachings as a ‘negative’ apophatic theology.

While there are some scholarly books and research articles on the topic of apophatic theology, very few incorporate the Buddha’s teachings. I hope to show in this book that indeed Buddhist teachings and wisdoms are succinctly integrated into this apophatic spiritual tradition that spans cultures and time. Within the larger scope of the typology of ‘via negative’, the Buddhist teachings of nothingness or emptiness or Sunyata are clearly a part of the apophatic spiritual tradition.

Therefore, this book goes beyond what is usually taught in traditional Buddhist texts. My aim is to make accessible from a modern perspective what the Buddha was universally teaching for those who are on their own spiritual path of personal discovery.

–I have always been struck by the universal applicability of the Buddha’s teachings, which transcend geographical and temporal constraints. The integration of these teachings with proponents of apophatic theology has only reinforced my belief in their universality. Despite four decades of rigorous research, temple retreats, lectures, and meditation practice, it is only now that I have uncovered this enlightening connection between the Buddha’s teachings and the apophatic traditions. It is my sincere desire to share this newfound insight with my fellow spiritual seekers.

-I have always appreciated that the Buddha taught universal truths that are applicable everywhere and throughout time. Integration of these truths with other teachers of the Apophatic theology has affirmed my belief in this universality of the Buddha’s teachings. Even with my forty years of research studies, attendance of temple retreats with monks and lay lectures and meditation practice, I have only now found this instructive link between the Buddha’s teachings with other teachers of the Apophatic tradition, and I want to share this with my fellow spiritual path voyagers. I believe they will also find it as interesting and illuminating as I have.

The Apophatic emphasis on firsthand experience hence knowledge, stands in stark contrast to abstract, ‘positive’ cataphatic theology. This latest work of mine presents a unique and compelling perspective that positions the Buddha’s teachings firmly within a ‘negative’ apophatic theological framework.

While there are scholarly works and research articles on apophatic theology, very few incorporate the profound teachings of the Buddha. In this book, I aim to demonstrate how Buddha’s wisdom can be seamlessly integrated into this spiritual tradition that transcends cultural and temporal boundaries. Within the broader context of the ‘via negativa’ typology, the Buddhist concepts of nothingness, emptiness, or Sunyata are undeniably intertwined with the apophatic spiritual tradition. It is my sincere desire to share this newfound insight with my fellow spiritual seekers.

Rodger R Ricketts

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The Importance of Experiencing Non-Duality

14 Feb

The Importance of Experiencing Non-Duality

Non-duality is the recognition that at the core of existence lies a fundamental wholeness, ultimately arising from a single, unified source. It is understanding that everything is interconnected and inseparable, and that perceived dualities—such as self and other, or subject and object—are ultimately illusions. Awakening to non-duality offers profound benefits for our well-being, relationships, and understanding of life. Interestingly, recent advances in various branches of science are beginning to echo these insights.

1. Unity with All Beings – Everything is interconnected and constantly interacting. We are all connected on a deep level and when we see beyond the surface-level distinctions, we embrace the oneness of everything. When we realize our affinity with All that share this gift of Life, we experience a profound sense of unity and wholeness and have a deep sense of compassion and empathy towards all living beings.

2. Living in the Present Moment – Non-duality helps us release attachment to the past and anxieties about the future, allowing us to remain serenely fully in the present. Free from judgment or rigid interpretation, we experience life with greater clarity and peace.

3. Transcendence of Duality – By realizing non-duality, we move beyond the limitations of binary thinking—such as mind vs. body or self vs. other. While categorization is useful for practical navigation, it can also be a source of suffering. Non-dual awareness fosters a broader, more flexible perspective, freeing us from illusions of separation and the biases they create.

4. Enhancing Psychological Well-Being – Non-dual awareness has profound psychological and emotional benefits, not just for individuals but for society and the planet. Also, when we no longer see self as a separate entity, the fear of death diminishes; it is understood not as annihilation but as a transformation within the continuum of existence.

5. Embracing the Mystery of Existence – Non-duality invites us to appreciate life’s mysteries and accept the unknown. Rather than resisting uncertainty, we learn to welcome the vast possibilities and complexities of existence.

6. A Path of Awakening – Non-dualism spans ancient traditions and modern teachings, offering a structured path for personal and transpersonal growth. True awakening involves a transformative shift from conditioned ways of thinking, feeling, and acting toward a life aligned with universal principles.

Rodger R Ricketts

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One Transcends the Subject/Object Duality. Pure Experience.

14 Feb

“
‘This is what pure experience is: neither the world nor “I” in it other than experience.’ Susan Hamilton


‘The seeing of Truth cannot be dualistic (a ‘thing’ seen). It cannot be seen by a see-er, or via a see-er. There can only be a seeing which itself is Truth.’
Wei Wu Wei


‘The outside world of form-and-name and the inner world of thought and feeling are both no more than the construction of mind, and when the mind ceases, the weaving-out of a world of particulars is stopped. This stopping is called emptiness or no birth, but it is not the wiping out of existence, it is on the contrary viewing it truthfully unhammered by discriminative categories.’
D-T. Suzuki


‘The ‘world’ of experience is not given in experience: it is constructed by thought from the data of sense.’
C.I. Lewis


‘In whatever egotistic terms they think of an object, it becomes that. And therein, verily, lies its falseness, the puerile deceptive phenomenon that it is.’ S N v. 916



‘Bhikkhu, ‘I am’ is a conceiving; ‘I am this’ is a conceiving; ‘I shall be’ is a conceiving; ‘I shall not be’ is a conceiving; I shall be possessed of form’ is a conceiving; ‘I shall be formless’ is a conceiving; ‘I shall be non-percipient’ is a conceiving. Conceiving is a disease, conceiving is a tumour, conceiving is a barb. By overcoming all conceiving, bhikkhu, one is called a sage at peace.’(M.N. 140.31)

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