Ch. 12 - Non-Duality
12.1. Thought, Time, and Becoming
Thinking is a very natural process. It is impossible to live or imagine life without thinking. However, thinking within a particular pattern has caused unnecessary divisions and conflicts in our brain and within society. We need thought to build a house or go from one place to another. All scientific knowledge and economic planning is based on thought. Thought comes from knowledge, which is the result of experience—whether pleasurable or painful. Knowledge and experience are stored in our brain as memories. Whenever we think about the past experiences, whether pleasurable or painful, there is a sensation. A lot of times, we want the pleasurable experiences to continue in the future but we want to avoid the painful experiences. This pursuit of pleasure, which is already over, brings unnecessary suffering in our lives. All efforts to avoid psychological pain without understanding the cause of it keeps bringing negative emotions like fear, anxiety and stress.
Suppression of Thought
Memory is natural and it is not possible or desirable to get rid of it consciously. When the mind is working healthily, it uses memories. They are used whenever necessary, and such a mind is not continuously occupied with them unnecessarily. Now, sometimes the mind chatters and is continuously occupied with something or the other. Then we want to free ourselves from this chattering. However, any effort to stop the chattering or suppress a thought that is bothering us means one thought is suppressing another thought. This is, in fact, a continuation of the chattering because the brain is still occupied when it is concentrating in the direction of suppressing the thought. If a thought inside the brain is struggling to suppress a negative thought, then such a brain is not quiet but is occupied.
The self cannot end what it has created. The division and conflict in the brain cannot end without the ending of the self. If we try to end one thought with another thought, then it is merely the continuation of the self. The new thought becomes a problem. If we keep acting on one thought with another thought, then it leads to a continuation of the cycle of thought. Then there is no freedom from the self. The moment we make an effort to free ourselves from all the thinking and suppress all the thinking, it is still a form of thinking.
So, suppression of a bothersome thought or any effort to end the thought would not be of any help. It will only lead to further problems. The question that arises is how do we free ourselves from this continuous chattering?
Society encourages and discourages various values. When we pick up these values, then they drive us in various directions, which is all becoming. It is necessary to see for ourselves that this constant becoming or effort to be something is causing unnecessary conflict and struggle in our lives. However, if we cultivate the value of not making any effort, then this knowledge becomes the centre in our brain. When we act from this centre, then there is the effort in trying to stop ourselves from making any effort. Whenever there is an effort, there is a becoming, whether we try to be something or nothing. When we make an effort to achieve the goal of ‘nothingness,’ then the goal itself becomes something.
Time and Its Manifestations
Now, let us move on to the question of what time is. Time is a movement from sunrise to sunset, day to night, winter to spring, and so on. There is biological time, chronological time and psychological time. There are several biological changes in the body from childhood to youth to old age. This biological movement is biological time. And there is chronological time, which is the time by the watch or the time from day to night. There is yet another time, that is psychological time, which is the movement of thought in the nervous system.
Psychological time is not real but is illusory. It is created by the brain by thinking about the past, living in the past, wanting the past to be repeated or living in the future and having a future goal of ‘what should be.’ When the ‘what is’ is painful, then the mind thinks about the goal of ‘what should be.’ But this ‘what should be’ is illusory and only a thought about a beautiful future or tomorrow. So, this thought is time, whether it is of the past or the future, which does not exist.
Conflict of Opposites
To avoid the pains of attachment, one may cultivate its opposite—which is detachment. In trying to be detached, one is still attached to the detachment. So, any effort in trying to be detached is the same as attachment because one is still attached to the idea that a particular method of cultivating detachment will solve all problems. But the method itself becomes the problem because one starts to depend on this method and gets attached to it. When we are attached, then there is a strong desire for something in order to move away from our loneliness, in the hope of seeking satisfaction. But when we try to become detached, we are still not free from desire because the goal now is to move away from the pain caused by attachment, in the hope of seeking pleasure or satisfaction.
Psychologically, every opposite contains in it its own opposite. When one is greedy but makes an effort to be non-greedy, then he is not free from greed because he is greedy to be non-greedy. A person who cultivates humility is no longer humble because he is acting according to a concept, which becomes his style, trait or ego. So, there is a sense of pride that one is a humble person. The ‘I’ comes into the picture. There is real humility only when the ‘I’ ends. This means that one is not acting mechanically according to a certain knowledge. Then one is nobody.
If one is violent but suppresses this violence in order to be non-violent, then he continues to be violent because he is fighting the violence inside him. The person who cultivates patience and puts up with something that he feels is not right is cultivating the ideal of patience in order to get the right results. This means that he is impatient for the result. Only the understanding of greed, violence and envy gives freedom from these states and not the cultivation of the opposite. The human mind is caught in thoughts, knowledge, methods and desires. The mind is constantly seeking ways to attain a particular feeling or be free from a feeling. It uses various methods and techniques to become what it is not or achieve various states in order to be satisfied. To achieve its goals, the mind uses will and effort, both negatively as well as positively. When the mind understands that there is suffering in the effort to become something, then it decides not to make any effort or use resistance. This means there is a negative will and effort. Such a mind is still concentrating on not making any effort. When it sees that there is suffering in becoming ‘what should be,’ then it makes an effort to become ‘what is.’ So, there is still the concentration, will and effort to remain with ‘what is’ and avoid its opposite.
Whenever we are making an effort to become or not to become, then we create the opposite and live in a state of duality and conflict. Our thoughts and feelings are caught between the conflict of the opposites. To free ourselves from the opposites, there must be an awareness of the opposites. We need to think out and feel out the opposites as deeply as possible.
The understanding of ourselves does not need psychological time. This means that, to understand ourselves, there is no need to have a goal in the future. Here, I am only talking about psychological time and not chronological time. If one is conditioned and imagines the unconditioned state and tries to achieve this unconditioned state in the future, then he is not free from time because he is living in the future while ignoring ‘what he is.’ This thought about the future is an illusion, which does not exist. To understand ourselves, we need the quality of intelligence, which uses thought as a tool to go deep into ourselves. This understanding is necessary to free ourselves from the self, me or ego.
However, only the effort to change the content in the brain is in question here and not the change of an undesired physical condition. If the room is dirty, and one has the goal of a clean room, then the goal of a clean room is not illusory. Although the room may not be clean in the present, there is nothing wrong with having a goal of a clean room and actually cleaning the room to achieve the goal. The room can thus become clean. The goal of a clean room may not cause any conflict in the brain. It is very natural and healthy to change the outward situation that is not right. There is nothing wrong if one wants to become healthier. There is nothing wrong in a poor doctor wanting to take higher studies in medicine, so that she can be more efficient in her profession. There is nothing wrong if a person does something to improve his living conditions.
When there is a physical requirement, there is nothing wrong in having a goal. There is nothing wrong with becoming. But effort to become something psychologically causes conflict in the brain. In the process of becoming, there is no freedom from the fact of ‘what is.’ This means that one continues to remain in the state of ‘what is’ in a modified form.
Division and Conflict in the Brain
Even when we are trying to change a physical condition, the brain can be quiet. There may not necessarily be any duality or conflict in the brain at that time, as long as there are no ideals, beliefs and ideologies. The brain may use any thought to change the physical condition outside. When this thought is free in its movement and is not controlled or resisted by another thought, then there is no conflict in the brain. If a new thought emerges while the mind is already using a thought to change the situation outside, then it may either use this new thought or discard the new thought (if it’s of no use) and carry on using the first thought. So, there is no question of one thought fighting another one here. Hence, there is no conflict unless two thoughts are pulling you in different directions and both are tremendously important. But you can always assess the situation and decide what you need to do. However, if there are ideals, beliefs, and ideologies that dictate our actions, then there would still be division and conflict in the brain, even while trying to change the physical condition. These ideals and beliefs control our thoughts and actions and create division and conflict in the brain.
Although it is natural to change the physical condition that is not right, many of our physical problems are caused by the disorder in the human brain. The desire to change the physical condition of the world, which is in ruins with all the wars, brutalities and violence, might be natural, but such a state is caused by the self, me or ego, which causes unnecessary hurt, anger and desire for fame. To understand the physical condition of the world, one must delve deep into the causes that have divided our society. The causes of all the division in the world are our beliefs, ideals and ideologies, which have separated us from one another. Any attempt to change the prevailing ideals or beliefs through will and effort, by offering or imposing a new pattern of action or a new set of ideals, would only mean imposing new rules and ideologies, which can only divide us. There can be a change only if we are able to free ourselves from the self, me, or the ego, which means freedom from all the beliefs, ideals and ideologies. This thereby removes the cause of all the hatred and violence in our society.
However, this transformation of the human psyche is not going to happen overnight. This does not mean that one should not act at all in the meantime. There is tremendous poverty, war and suffering in this world, and one has to use his intelligence to decide what to do, what to support, and what not to support.
12.2. The Observer and the Observed
Knowledge and words are important in communicating with each other, recognising a person, plant and tree, and differentiating between two animals. But the word by which we recognise a person or an animal is not the thing itself. Therefore, it is important not to be caught in words. What is important is to use words and knowledge whenever necessary and not be caught in them. If one looks at something from the already acquired knowledge about that thing, then he is not looking at that thing completely but is only measuring or comparing that thing with the knowledge that he holds about that thing. This measurement creates a psychological distance between the watcher and the thing that he is watching and prevents direct contact or observation.
In Chapter 10 (Image, hurt and forgiveness), I explained how images are formed and how they prevent actual communion with people. We not only have images about ourselves and others, but we also have so many images about physical things and also about our psychological problems which prevent us from looking at those things and the problems completely. The accumulated knowledge that we hold about a thing or a psychological problem is the observer that prevents direct communion with what is observed. Now, suppose I have acquired certain knowledge about an animal, and when I meet this animal in real life, then I start comparing it with the behaviour and tendencies that I have learnt about it. But, in doing so, I am missing the whole beauty of the animal that might be playing in the sand, resting or doing something that might be worth watching.
If there is no image, then the observer is not separate from what one observes or the observer is the observed. However, this does not mean that the observer or the watcher becomes the thing (observed) that he is watching. That would make no sense. But the separation between the observer and the observed happens when the mind is different or holds some particular knowledge or an image about a thing and views that thing from the screen of this knowledge. Then there is separation between the observer and the observed. When there is no image, then there is no distance between us and the other person or the thing psychologically, but we are in direct communion with it.
Similarly, we have various images about our psychological problems of greed, envy, violence and so on. This image tells us that greed is not right, we must become non-greedy, we must free ourselves from violence or we must not be envious. When the image or the observer is separate from the state that is observed, then there is no communion with the state that is observed and there is no freedom.
So, to free ourselves from all images or accumulated knowledge (which is the self), we must look at ourselves. For this to happen, we must be free to look. But, if we are looking at ourselves through some method given by various professionals or brain specialists or we are full of opinions, judgements and our past knowledge about the thing we are observing, then the observer who is separate from what is observed is active. If we are looking at greed through the observer that says that greed is ugly or through an idea of what non-greed is, then we are not in contact with the greed. There is a space or distance between the observer and the fact of greed that is observed. And there is an effort made by the observer to cover this space.
When we make an effort in a particular direction to be or not to be, to become more or become less psychologically, through the action of our will, then there is a duality in the brain. This is because we are trying to be one thing and resisting its opposite. Now, what we are resisting is constantly beating against the wall that has been created by us. This duality causes a conflict in the brain.
What is important is to understand that when I am greedy, then the ‘I’ and greed are the same, unless I decide to act upon on this greed. When the past interferes with the present, then there is the observer who is separate from the observed. But if there is no interference of the knowledge, then the observer is the observed.
When one is ambitious, then there is a state of ambition, which is observed. This means that the state that is experienced by such a mind at that time is ambition. But then the mind, which is the ‘I’ or the observer with all accumulated knowledge, conditioning, beliefs and ideals, decides to act on this ambition and tries not to be ambitious. So, on one hand, the state of the mind is ambition (observed), and on the other hand there is another state of the same mind that wants to conquer this state of ambition. The mind that wants to conquer this state of ambition is the observer which has separated itself from the observed (ambition). This causes more conflict in the brain. Whenever I am becoming, there are two separate processes at work. But if I stay with what I am, then there is no duality. If I am aware that when I am ambitious, then I and ambition are not two separate states. So, I do not make any effort to change this state of ambition and stay with ‘what is.’ This means ‘I’ is not working on ambition but ‘I’ am myself ambition. ‘I’ is not becoming or dominating. Then there is no conflict. In this state, there is only ambition. I am ambition and there is no observer separate from what is observed. And when I am with the ambition completely and deeply, there is an understanding of this state. Then the ambition will end. However, by ‘ambition’ or ‘greed,’ I mean the misplaced desire for various things that are beyond actual requirements or needs.
The action of the will maintains itself through the effort to be or not to be psychologically. This creates division, conflict and duality in the brain. There is a will towards something that we want to achieve against something that we want to avoid, and there is a constant battle of the opposites. So, if one decides that one has to be watchful, then there is will and constant effort to be watchful, while trying to avoid inattentiveness. This leads to the conflict between the opposites.
The purpose of this cultivated watchfulness through continuous effort is to observe and end some negative state of mind and achieve the goal of free mind or happiness. But such concentration is not awareness. And in it, there is duality. As long as there is a desire to change the state of ‘what is’ and there is a goal to reach the imaginary state of ‘what should be’ by making an effort, there will be conflict and duality. Awareness cannot be practised. It comes naturally with an urge to understand something. So, there is no need for an effort to understand. There is also no need for any effort to stop ourselves from making an effort.
We cannot be aware all the time, from the time we wake up till the time we go to bed. That would be impossible. There are times when the body and mind need rest. So, there are moments of inattention during awareness. But this kind of inattention is different from the inattention in which one is continuously making an effort to be aware. The inattention in which the mind is taking rest is very natural. There is awareness the moment one is aware of this inattention. But the inattention in which one is continuously making an effort to be aware is a wastage of energy. What is important is to be aware of the fact that awareness cannot be maintained all the time.
Awareness implies sensitivity to the beauty of nature, to the poor, and to the sick. It also means sensitivity to our psychological problems. To observe, there needs to be something that demands observation, such as unhappiness and sorrow. One cannot observe when there is nothing to observe. Happiness does not demand observation or understanding, but unhappiness needs to be observed and understood. It might be very natural not to like a certain feeling of sorrow, fear and psychological hurt. We see or realise that the sorrow must end when it is bothering us. Fear darkens our lives and brings neuroticism and suffering. Similarly, when there is a psychological hurt, then it can bring its own misery and pain. But if we have already decided what is good and what is bad and have also made up our mind about what to pursue and what to avoid, then there can be no understanding. And without understanding, there can be no end to suffering.
All of us want to be happy and why not? The purpose of life is to be free from conflict so that there is love and joy. But it is necessary to understand that happiness cannot be sought. It comes uninvited. The one who seeks happiness cannot be happy. However, a person who feels tremendously lonely and is insensitive to the beauty around generally seeks happiness through various activities and unnecessary pursuits of power, fame and position. But all these hardly bring any joy in life. It is necessary to understand the state of unhappiness, but if one pursues happiness instead, then he may get some sensation upon achieving various goals, but it is not happiness. There is happiness in doing things that one loves to do. But if happiness is the goal and one is doing things not because he strongly feels for them but because he thinks that it would give him happiness, then there is a constant struggle.
Moreover, there needs to be a balance in our lives or some kind of moderation. But this is not a moderation according to a formula because it then becomes merely a thing of the mind and we are only taking the formula of moderation to the extreme. By moderation, I mean that one is acting from intelligence, doing something when needed or necessary and not doing it excessively out of habit.
12.3. Meditation
The word ‘meditation’ is a commonly used term today. There are an innumerable number of gurus offering different types of meditation around the globe. Some gurus may tell us to concentrate on an object or between the forehead, and others may tell us to think of no thought. Some may make us sit in different postures and follow various techniques. Some therapists have even advocated that, when one is angry, he must throw this anger out by punching a bag, squeezing something or swearing loudly, in order to free himself from the anger. However, all these so-called techniques and meditation methods involve a conscious effort to free ourselves from anger, jealousy or some other painful state. And there is a desire to reach the state of peace and silence. These methods may bring some temporary relief, but the problem will keep recurring again and again unless there is freedom from the root cause.
Although the purpose of most of meditation techniques is to reach a state of no mind, when there is a will and an effort to reach a particular goal, then the thought is active within a specific field. The mind is seeking a particular end while trying to resist other thoughts. A brain that is held down in such a manner is not quiet. It may give some temporary relief from a particular psychological problem that is bothering us, but it is not freedom from the problem. There is a temporary relief because one is focussed on an object or thinking about achieving a state of no thought. While one is doing so, there may be some temporary freedom from other thoughts and worries. However, it is a very futile exercise because the thought always keeps slipping away from this concentration, as the mind keeps wandering here and there. Keeping control over thoughts is a waste of energy.
Now, when the mind concentrates and if the object of our concentration is something that interests us, then the concentration is slightly easier. This is because we are occupied for the time being in that object and forget about our worries. However, after continuous practice, it may also become a dull exercise and there is a loss of interest in that object. For instance, if one has interest in stones and gems, then he may be able to concentrate on it for some time. But it may be difficult to concentrate on the same stone every day. When the object of our concentration is something we are not interested in, then there is a constant struggle because our mind is constantly wandering elsewhere. In this process, there is a resistance towards other thoughts from entering our mind. Although one may be able to find a new object to concentrate on every day, it is merely an escape from the actual problem and there is no freedom.
A mind that is concentrating is full of conflict and duality. It is not in a state of meditation. When one concentrates, then his mind is not free from measurement or comparison because it is measuring itself with an idea, which might be non-greed, non-jealousy or stillness of mind. All this is not meditation. The practice of meditation cannot be meditation because practice involves following a certain method or knowledge in order to achieve a result. In meditation, knowledge or goal has no place. Any kind of conformity to an ideal is also not meditation. If one acts from particular knowledge, which is the past or has a goal in future, then there is a cause. And where there is a cause, there is no meditation.
Escaping from Problems
There are numerous ways of escaping from problems, depending on one’s conditioning, interest and upbringing. If one is a religious person, then there are prayers, mantras, and singing with fancy lights and musical instruments inside a beautifully designed building. It might be easier to forget our worries here. The mind just gets so absorbed in all these activities that it forgets about its miseries. But once the activities are over, then we are back to our problems. Some of us run away from the problems either by watching TV or engaging in some sport, which might be a good escape, but the problem is still there and it will come back. However, all these activities of watching television, sports or listening to music are not in question. It is the escape from a problem that is in question because it prevents us from understanding the problem. Moreover, these escapes have nothing to do with meditation.
There are people who turn to drinking and drugs. These things can make the brain temporarily quiet while their effects last. But they also make the senses dull. Alcohol, smoking and drugs make our body and mind dull and insensitive, because we tend to lose our sensitivity towards others and our problems, whether they are physical or psychological. This kind of temporary relief from our problems is not meditation.
There are times when the doctor may advise alcohol as medicine for treating cold and other conditions. Or one may need a painkiller or other sedatives to reduce some severe physical pain. In such cases, intoxicants or drugs may be necessary. It is the excessive drinking and habit of drinking that is being questioned because one loses sensitivity as well as responsibility for his actions. Nevertheless, I am neither condemning nor advocating alcohol or other intoxicants but only trying to convey my observation to the readers.
Psychological Freedom
All the artificial means of making the mind quiet do not give any psychological freedom. It is meditation that sets us psychologically free.
Meditation does not involve any effort, but it is about staying with ‘what is’ naturally without pursuing ‘what should be.’ This process of looking at the various psychological problems and freeing ourselves from them is meditation. It is only in the understanding of ‘what is’ that there is freedom from ‘what is.’ And when we free ourselves from various psychological problems, there arises silence of the mind. This whole process is meditation.
Liberation from the False
Meditation and self-knowledge have a peculiar relationship with each other. There cannot be one without the other. Self-knowledge is necessary for meditation because without understanding the self, me or ego, there cannot be freedom from various psychological issues. Hence, there can be no stillness of the mind. Also, without meditation, there is no self-knowledge because one can know himself only when the brain is silent and not when it is chattering. It is necessary to discover the truth in the false because it is this discovery that liberates us from the false. The false is the whole structure of the self, me or ego in which greed, jealousy and all other psychological problems are included. In staying with the false, which is the observation of the false, the truth in the false is revealed. And this perception liberates us from the false.
When all our conscious and unconscious problems have been thoroughly investigated and understood, then there is freedom and stillness of the mind. A mind that has the quality of silence is completely empty. Such a mind is free from any conflict. In this emptiness, there is no particular knowledge to dictate or impede our thoughts and actions. So, whatever is born out of this emptiness is free thinking because there is the free movement of thought. The mind is open to everything, or the whole is open to us, which means that the mind is infinite or has no limits. And there is love, bliss and joy. When we are acting from particular knowledge, then the thoughts and actions are limited to a specific field. This means that we are mostly occupied within that field to achieve our particular ends, and the whole is not open to us. So, when there is the ending of accumulated knowledge, self, me or ego, which is the ending of the time, then there is a state of emptiness. In this state, whatever one is doing is not continuous, but there is the ending of it. So, there is a new beginning and ending from moment to moment, but the ending and the beginning are the same in the sense that everything flows from and into this emptiness. Therefore, there is no ending or beginning. This state is creation, which is new from moment to moment and is not a continuous state.
A Whole Mind
When there is this emptiness, there is tremendous energy because there is no wastage of energy in unnecessary conflict and pursuits when the mind is empty. Such a mind has no limitation and is the whole, and then there is more energy for the fragments as well. This energy can be called ‘holy’ because it does not cause any conflict with others and there is love and compassion. But one can experience this energy only when the mind is whole, which is possible only when the self ends. The mind wastes energy in trying to oppose one thing and achieve the other, and such a mind is in conflict within itself and with others.
Although there is energy that is also generated during this conflict, such energy is divisive, destructive and demonic, because there is no love. There is hatred and violence. Also, there is the attachment to what the mind has given importance to and one is ready to sacrifice oneself or kill others for this fragment. In the understanding of all our psychological problems, the problems are transcended, and there is silence. This process is meditation.
Meditation is to look at the beauty of the animal or the face of your partner or look at the countryside and so on without any image. To be aware of what one is doing without making effort is meditation. To look at the various problems and free oneself from them is meditation. When there is freedom, then such a mind is in a state of meditation, and then one can sit and watch himself without any effort or do something else, and the meditation is going on.
12.4. The State of Creativity
There is a stream of human consciousness which is the collective brain of humanity. This stream conditions people’s brains and manifests itself there at different stages of life through various propagandas, desire for psychological security and so on. When we are stuck in that stream, then there is the burden of tradition, organised religion and culture. There is no freedom. There is only selfishness, misery and conflict. So, unless one moves himself completely out of that stream, there is no end to sorrow and selfishness.
Now, even when a person dies, the thought of himself (his accumulated knowledge) continues within that stream. When we are stuck in that stream, then the accumulated knowledge dictates our actions, and as such, we remain within the field of the known. And there is nothing new in our lives.
The craving for a particular experience or an experience that is already over with the help of memory and recognition prevents us from experiencing anything new. This is because such a mind cannot experience anything apart from what it is conditioned to. The limited experience of the limited mind, whether pleasurable or painful, becomes our knowledge. It is stored in the brain as memory, which then leads to the formation of another image, such as ‘this is good’ or ‘that is bad’/‘I should have more of this’ or ‘I should avoid this.’ This image then becomes another tradition that is added to the already acquired knowledge in the brain and guides our future actions. Therefore, the accumulated knowledge in a modified form continues. And there is nothing new. Unless there is freedom from the self, me or ego, there is no experiencing of the unknown.
It is through self-knowing and understanding that there is freedom from the self, me or ego. And then there is silence of mind, in which there is the experiencing of a new state, from moment to moment. It is the state of creativity. Perhaps most of us have experienced this state of silence when the brain is completely quiet. In this state, the self is not active. But we rarely have such moments of stillness in our lives. Even when they happen, they generally occur accidentally, either when we are in front of something beautiful and immense or when we are listening to some music, which knocks the self out.
However, when the past is completely understood and there is a complete ending to it (which means the mind is now free from any influences and there is no becoming psychologically), then there is stillness of the mind, even without being in the presence of something immense. In this state, there is actual seeing. There is a contact that is not partial but total. There is also sensitivity, love, compassion, bliss and joy. It is a state to be experienced and not to be speculated upon.