Because everything is energy, we are all interconnected. This principle is seen in the way our personal energy interacts with the collective energy around us. You may have noticed how being in a room full of happy, positive people can elevate your own mood while being around negativity can drain you. This is the nature of energetic exchange.
The energy you radiate affects not just your own life but also the lives of those around you. By committing to raising your personal vibration, you contribute to the greater good. It’s a powerful reminder that we have the ability to impact the world simply by being mindful of the energy we bring into it.
Understanding that everything is energy shifts the way we approach life. It teaches us that we are creators, shaping our reality through the energy we give and receive. The key to thriving is learning to harness this energy—nurturing the positive, letting go of the negative, and recognizing the beautiful, ever-flowing exchange that connects us all.
The energy of life is the source from which all form and substance is created. We live in a universe of energy – literally and not just metaphorically. We are form- body- and need to follow the need of the body to follow our destiny of living..The energy is available if the conditions of the form are carefully nourished and met.
TheBauer principleoriginates from the fact that it transcends the framework of physics, this universal life principle represents a significant advance in our understanding of the structure and nature of the Universe. This comprehensively life-centered world-view unites our physical, emotional, and intellectual aspects. It is also comprehensive in unifying individual, communal, and cosmic life. It offers an unexpectedly profound scientific basis for a cosmic ecology respecting all life forms, including the Living Universe. It offers new perspectives for our conduct of individual life as well as for good government and developing a healthy civilization. There is one natural law for all of us to live by, and that is caring and sharing and being responsible for the well-being of all other living things… Having a good relationship with all life is the key to physical, mental, social, and spiritual harmony. This is the way it was meant to be.
“The cosmos is within us. We are made of star-stuff. We are a way for the universe to know itself.” “Every one of us is, in the cosmic perspective, precious. If a human disagrees with you, let him live. In a hundred billion galaxies, you will not find another.” “The nitrogen in our DNA, the calcium in our teeth, the iron in our blood, the carbon in our apple pies were made in the interiors of collapsing stars. We are made of starstuff.” “For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.” “We are like butterflies who flutter for a day and think it is forever.” “Science is not only compatible with spirituality; it is a profound source of spirituality. When we recognize our place in an immensity of light‐years and in the passage of ages, when we grasp the intricacy, beauty, and subtlety of life, then that soaring feeling, that sense of elation and humility combined, is surely spiritual. So are our emotions in the presence of great art or music or literature, or acts of exemplary selfless courage such as those of Mohandas Gandhi or Martin Luther King, Jr. The notion that science and spirituality are somehow mutually exclusive does a disservice to both.”
Copyright is claimed by Rodger R Ricketts, Psy.D. All rights reserved, Fair use is granted, 2022 by Amazon KDP.
In this chapter, we reviewed several Apophatic methods to access the Oneness or No-Thing. They all begin with the incorporation of virtue, compassion/kindness and wisdom to oneself and others into everyday life. By giving up the cravings and obsession with sense gratifications, anger/resentments and egotistic selfishness based on a dualistic worldview, one’s life is unfolded by a degree of true peace of mind created by a virtuous mind and action: at this point, one is ready to move to the higher levels through meditation/prayer.
The Buddha’s pure experience unveiled for him the delusion of the cognitively based complementary relationship of the dualistic subjective/objective world. The supreme non- dualistic apprehension of existence is accomplished by consistently bending one’s awareness to the natural and higher, purer states of mind. Release from the lower to higher states is accomplished by silencing the separation created by dualism and the subject/other split. Therefore, the prescription is to do nothing, relax, be alert and allegorically let the mind, be like ‘the lotus flower blossom’, rise above the ‘muddy paddy field’ of worldly obsessions. The final stage of meditation is reached by becoming aware of and letting go of everything that alienates us away from being present in the All. When that happens, we understand and empathically feel that everything is inter-being, interconnected and all living Beings are Family of the Universe or Divine. The realm of pure experience is not an ontological category, but the ordinary world of phenomena experienced directly, with no intervening conceptualization.
Finally, as philosopher, educator and writer, Martin Buber wrote in ‘I and Thou’,
“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…. I can elicit from those experiences only that in them I reached a non-differentiable unity of myself without form or content. I may call this an original pre-biographical unity and suppose that it is hidden unchanged beneath all biographical change, all development and complication of the soul.”
Ever feel like you’re separate from the world, like a lone wolf? What if that feeling was just a trick of the mind? Non-duality suggests everything is connected, all part of one big, amazing reality. This article will dive into experiences that show you this truth.
The Core Understanding of Non-Duality
Non-duality means “not two.” It’s a concept that flies in the face of how we normally think. Usually, we see things as “this” or “that,” “me” or “you.” This is dualistic thinking. Non-duality, on the other hand, says all these separate things are actually one. It has roots in many spiritual paths, each with its own way of expressing this deep unity.
Beyond the Illusion of Separateness
Our minds are amazing, but they can also trick us. They create stories, build beliefs, and condition us to see the world in a certain way. This can lead to the illusion of separation. We start believing we’re isolated individuals, cut off from everything else. This belief causes suffering. It limits what we think is possible.
Think of the ocean. Waves look like separate things. But they’re all made of the same water. They rise and fall. Yet, they always come back to the ocean. We are all like waves, unique expressions of one ocean.
The Oneness of All Things
If non-duality is true, then everything is connected. This changes how we see everything. Our relationships become deeper. Our actions have more meaning. The world feels different. It feels alive and interconnected.
Try this: Pay attention to your breath. Notice how it connects you to the air around you. That air came from somewhere. Maybe a tree. Maybe an ocean. You are connected to all of that.
Common Experiences That Hint at Non-Duality
Certain experiences give us glimpses of non-duality. They aren’t the goal, but they point to a deeper truth. Keep an open mind.
Peak Experiences and Flow States
Have you ever felt pure joy? Or been so focused on something that time disappeared? These are peak experiences and flow states. In these moments, the sense of self fades. You become one with the experience.
Profound Connection and Empathy
Ever felt deeply connected to someone? Maybe you felt their pain as if it was your own? That’s empathy. It reveals the unity of consciousness. We are all connected on a deeper level.
Try loving-kindness meditation. Send feelings of compassion and kindness to yourself, then to others. Even those you dislike. See your heart start to open.
Practices That Facilitate the Realization of Non-Duality
Certain practices help us quiet the mind. They dissolve the ego. They show us the non-dual nature of reality.
Meditation and Mindfulness
Meditation helps quiet the mind. Mindfulness helps us pay attention. Both help us experience the present. We can see things without judgment or interpretation.
Sit comfortably. Focus on your breath. When thoughts arise, just notice them. Let them go. Keep bringing your attention back to your breath.
Self-Inquiry
Self-inquiry is about asking, “Who am I?” Keep asking this question. Don’t try to answer with your mind. Let the question sink in. See what happens. It might dissolve the sense of a separate self.
Contemplation on Nature
Spend time in nature. Look at the trees, the sky, the water. Notice how everything is connected. Everything relies on everything else. This can reveal the unity of life.
Overcoming Challenges on the Path to Non-Duality
The path to non-duality isn’t always easy. Doubts and fears come up. Resistance arises.
The Role of the Ego
The ego wants to be in control. It wants to protect itself. Non-duality threatens the ego. The ego will resist.
Learn to recognize your ego’s patterns. Understand what motivates it. Don’t fight it. Just observe it.
Accepting the Unknown
You must surrender to the unknown. You have to accept that you don’t know everything. Clinging to beliefs will hold you back.
Living a Non-Dual Life: Implications and Applications
Realizing non-duality changes how we live. It affects everything.
Compassion and Ethical Action
When you see your connection to others, compassion arises. Ethical action becomes natural. You want to help everyone, because helping them, you are helping yourself.
Letting Go of Attachment
Non-duality helps us let go of attachment. We see that everything is impermanent. Nothing lasts forever. This frees us from suffering.
Conclusion
Non-duality is a transformative experience. It shows us that everything is connected. It’s not a belief, but a direct experience of reality. Keep exploring this path. You may find that the separation you felt was never real.
High in the quiet hills, far away from noisy towns, lived a spiritual master named Kaelen. He did not speak with big, booming words. Instead, he sat under an old olive tree every morning as the sun painted the sky in soft shades of gold and rose.
People walked for miles just to sit near him. They brought heavy hearts, tired minds, and endless worries about yesterday and tomorrow.
One crisp morning, a woman named Mara stepped forward holding an empty clay pot.
“Master,” she asked, her voice trembling, “my mind is always full of noise. How can I find peace when life demands so much from me?”
Kaelen smiled gently. He did not give her a long lecture. Instead, he took her empty pot, walked over to a clear stream, and filled it with sparkling water until it was completely full to the brim.
“Look closely,” Kaelen said.
Mara looked into the water. She could see her own face, clear and calm like a mirror.
Then, Kaelen picked up a single, smooth pebble from the ground and dropped it into the water. Circles of ripples spread outward, and her reflection wobbled and broke into pieces.
“When life drops pebbles of trouble into your day,” Kaelen whispered, “the water gets disturbed. If you try to grab the water with your hands to fix it, you only make more waves. What must you do?”
Mara watched as the ripples slowly faded away, one by one. The water grew still again, and her reflection returned, calm and clear.
“I… I wait,” Mara said. “I let the water settle on its own.”
“Yes,” the master nodded. “Your mind is like this water. When thoughts and worries stir it up, do not fight the waves. Sit in the quiet. Let the mud sink to the bottom. Peace is not something you have to chase or build; it is what remains when you stop shaking the pot.”
A soft murmur of understanding drifted through the crowd. Faces that had arrived tight with stress began to loosen. People looked at one another—some with gentle smiles, others with quiet tears of relief. The heavy weight in their shoulders melted away like morning mist under the warm sun.
They did not leave with a list of rules. They left with lighter steps, quiet smiles, and hearts overflowing with a deep, quiet joy.
‘Years ago, my weekend retreat began similar to others I had attended at the Buddhadharma Center, in a pleasant suburban setting in Willowbrook, about 30 miles outside Chicago, Illinois. I arrived by car on a sunny, summer Friday afternoon with my sleeping bag, meditation pillow, mat and a small bag of clothes and toothbrush/shampoo and towel. I was grateful to again have an opportunity to practice a few days of Mindfulness meditation in a supportive and relaxed atmosphere.
As I walked into the small temple, I was greeted by the friendly smiling faces of volunteers who were going to provide us visitors with delicious Thai vegetarian meals as well as evening tea and cookies. One of the helpers showed me to the large room where the male meditators would be sleeping and, looking around the sparsely furnished room, I found a spot where there wasn’t an open sleeping bag on the floor and, firstly, I put my mat down and then on top of it, my sleeping bag. Next to my sleeping bag, I set down my clothes bag. No one else was in the room.
Shortly after setting up my ‘bedroom’ I heard a bell ringing which meant for all participants to go to the main Temple room. Leaving the ‘bedroom’, I put my shoes back on and walked upstairs where there were already about thirty people, men and women, young and older, sitting. I again took my shoes off and went into the Temple room, which, in the front, on a small stage, had a large gold-painted statue of the Buddha, beautiful flowers on both sides and three monks in light brown robes were sitting quietly in front of the Buddha statue. With my meditation pillow in hand, I found a comfortable spot, sat down on my pillow and quietly focused on my breathing and centering myself in this new situation after a three-hour drive.
Everyone sat quietly. I heard birds chirping in the field outside. There was a pleasant smell of incense and the light whirling sound of the three ceiling fans. My meditation weekend had begun. After about ten minutes, one of the monks went to the microphone and greeted everyone and then gave a short talk on the five precepts, which is the basic Buddhist code of ethics, undertaken by lay followers, that we were expected to observe during the retreat. He said that the precepts were meant to provide a harmonious situation for the best practice of meditation and cooperation among all the participants. The five precepts are: I shall refrain from harming the life of others
I shall refrain from taking the not given
I shall refrain from harmful sexual practices
I shall refrain from deceitful words
I shall refrain from intoxicating drinks and drugs which lead to carelessness
After this short introductory talk and ‘Taking the Precepts’, we all participated, for an hour, in first chanting and then sitting meditation. After that, we had individual time during which I went to the Temple’s small bookshop where I browsed through the titles. With the again ringing of the bell, we were informed that lunch was ready for us so everyone went to the auditorium area where tables had been set up and we chose our lunch of Thai cooking, buffet style. Sitting at tables with our food, we all ate silently and mindfully. After lunch, the program had a pause and I went outside behind the temple where there was an acre of lawn with neat rows of different fruit trees. Sitting in the warm sun, I enjoyed my contentment of the moment.
So that day and the next two included the following: mindfully meditating on loving-kindness, walking, sitting, yoga, chanting; Dhamma instruction by the monks followed by Q&A; individual time to read, write, think, rest, and eating nourishing and tasty vegetarian meals for breakfast and lunch and refreshments in the evenings. All activities were done in silence to help keep our focus on the here and now and to quiet the mind and body. As in previous retreats, I noticed a gradual transformation of my mind/body condition. With the meditation practices, the instructive Dhamma talks, and the peaceful environment, my mind/body began to shed the stress and tension of everyday life and I began to melt into a deeper state of present awareness and mindful absorption.
On the last day, in the late morning, during walking meditation, I chose to walk outside among the trees. It was a beautiful warm sunny day. I began my walking meditation by finding a place where I could walk unhampered for about ten yards. I started walking slowly, mindful of each step, keeping my gaze forward, right foot rises and falls, left foot rises and falls. Arriving at the end, stop, stand and turn, begin walking again. And so it went for about twenty minutes. Then, intuitively, I shifted to a standing meditation by just standing and gazing out without a particular concentration. At this moment I had a wonderful, profound transformative experience. I stood without thinking, without a subject/object split. I experienced a state of profound freedom and deep happiness and relief. I was ‘one’ with existence. I realized that my ‘happiness’ was dependent not on the external but on my internal state. I experienced a sense of timelessness.
Without attempting to keep ‘creating’ my experience but only to continue to allow it, my ‘pure experience’ continued for possibly fifteen minutes until I felt the need to return to the schedule of the retreat. After that, my continued meditation and ‘mundane’ activities had a continued profound peacefulness and ‘selflessness’. When I ate, I just ate, when I walked, I just walked. I had a sensitive awareness of everything/everybody. Even in the rolling up of my sleeping bag, my experience was as the Japanese philosopher Nishida wrote, “In pure experience, there is no prior or posterior, no inner or outer; no experience precedes or generates experience” and (there is) “not the slightest interval between the intention and the act.”. There was only the rolling up of the sleeping bag, a oneness of action.
After having had this lovely transformative experience, later the retreat ended, I drove home and went back to work the next day. However, my transformed understanding of ‘myself’, happiness and the ‘oneness’ of life has remained deep for me and has continued to be a spiritual inspiration, guide, and direction in my life as well as has my continued meditation and Dhamma study.
Practically, I have continued to explore how to relieve myself from the burdens of the ‘virtual’ self and the accumulation of objects which, in the past, was a vain and destructive attempt to find happiness in ‘things’. I now understand how to better resist the obsessions that our modern mass consumption society attempts to create in our minds. Also, I have since adopted a voluntary simplicity to my life both for ethical and environmental concerns as well as for my own happiness. I try to create environments –both physically and emotionally – which nurture kindness and wisdom. Last, but not least, I continue to try to be mindful, accepting, compassionate and sensitive to my own being and to other living beings.
Reflecting back on my meditation experience, I understand that there was nothing ‘special’ about its creation, indeed, only the correct conditions caused what took place. A deep, spiritual, life-altering transformation is available to anyone who is willing to devote time to study and practice, have a “beginner’s mind” and finds wise teachers.’ Me meditating in nature- a serene mind.
In Islam, life is sacred and one of the greatest gifts and blessings of God. Every moment of life has great value and is irreversible. Therefore, it must be appreciated and protected; even if it has a lesser quality.
