An argument for non-duality; Extending the Advaita philosophy

‘That which exists is ONE; the sages call It by various names’

Reality can only be one

An object can appear in different states at different intervals of observation, but the underlying does not change. Also, it cannot be in different states at the same time. It can appear as dual, but in reality, it isn’t. A molecule of water can appear physically in various states, but its chemical composition remains the same AND it can exist only in one state at a time. A lump of clay can be molded into a pot but you can’t take the clay away from it. The underlying remains the same, appearing as dual.

We being unaware of the reality, doesn’t mean it ceases to exist. A classic example to refer is Schrodinger's Cat. As per the thought experiment, the cat is both alive and dead at the same time, till the box is opened, and state of the cat is observed. However, just because we don’t know the state of the cat, doesn’t mean the cat is both dead & alive at the same time, that’s absurd. The cat in the box is in one of the two states. In fact, Schrodinger's thought experiment was also to highlight the absurdity of this idea, which for him originated from the quantum states.

Let’s understand non-duality with another example. Sky or the empty space above us has a particular color in daytime but it has a different color when the sun sets. Does this mean sky has different colors? We know that’s not true because we have studied the behavior of light and laws of physics it follows. Two things worth noting here are:

a. The reality is non-dual – in fact, space above us has no color. It appears as dual in nature, but in reality, it isn’t.

b. We know the non-dual nature of the above example because we understand the underlying phenomenon causing the duality. Similarly, many things around us appear as dual, till we comprehend their reality and then our perspectives change.

To repeat, we not being aware of the real nature of something, doesn’t mean that reality does not exist.

The above argument is based on the Advaita school of thought which staunchly propagates one-ness: The ultimate reality. The non-dual nature of existence.

Vedic texts say - ‘ekam sat vipra bahudha vadanti’.

Which translates to: That which exists is One; the sages/learned call It by various names.

The abstraction of non-duality derived from Advaita philosophy can be superimposed on human nature & behavior and we see interesting patterns emerge.

People

All successful people have non-duality in their though process. It’s the single minded-ness of their pursuit that differentiates them and their actions follow the same pattern. Duality in thought causes conflicts and contradictions. It causes delays in reaching decisions. Does one prefer to interact with individuals who are dual in their behavior?

Organizations

Same traits are exhibited by organizations. There is a reason why all great organizations articulate their values which are the foundation pillars of everything they do. They define their purpose and missions to clearly eliminate the scope of any duality. They eliminate the scope of any ambiguity in the interpretation of what they stand for.

Core values are non-dual

However, there can be exceptions. Do we treat a kid like an adult? Do we behave same way in different cultural settings? These should be termed as adaptation rather than duality, because our core values still remain the same. Adapting to a situation or a circumstance should not compromise what we stand for / live by. If what’s at core changes with situation & geography, then it calls for serious introspection. An example here is: some people are more likely to litter or break traffic rules when they are in a place where law enforcement is weak. Same set of people would behave differently when placed in a separate geography where they know the law will catchup with them and won’t differentiate based on social stature.

From deep spiritual exploration to character building, there is a strong case for eliminating duality leading to our betterment. If people do what they mean. If leaders act same as they preach. If politicians deliver what they promise. If we all follow what we agree to, in spirit, world would be a shade better.