David Hall's Non-Duality Blog
My name's David Hall. I'm the creator of this web site and its content. I live in Wales in the UK.
I developed the Celtic design software KnotWorker, I create electronic music as Goldcup7, and I've written books on spirituality and non duality.
Hope you enjoy this Non Duality blog. New blogs are added on Fridays.
Please use the Contact page if you have any questions or would like me to discuss a topic.
- Category: The Universe
- Hits: 1093
The term cause and effect is often used when referring to how things happen in the world. The assumption is that something causes something else to happen. But is that really how it is?
We may think, "I'm going out for a walk." That seems like we are the cause, and the effect is the body going for a walk. Or maybe a seed drops from a tree into a pond and ripples appear on the pond, spreading outwards across the pond. In that case we may consider that the seed falling is the cause and the ripples on the water are the effect. But when you look into it closely it's difficult to really identify the cause. For example, although I may vaguely accept that I made the decision to go for a walk, there is likely something that caused this decision. It may be that I haven't been outdoors for a few days, I need to stretch my legs or get some exercise, or some other reason that prompted the thought and intention to go for a walk.
In this example the decision can itself be understood as an effect rather than a cause. If you continue chasing the cause you find that there really is only a flowing of effect. We could say that each cause is also an effect, but it is more like a flowing of change. In the example of the seed dropping into the pond, causing ripples, the seed dropping is part of the nature of the tree. When the seed drops we can call it a cause or an effect, but really it is neither. There is only the flow of life. The tree grows from a seed that fell from a tree before; the tree grows seeds that eventually fall; one of the seeds falls into the pond; ripples flow. I'm sure there's a haiku there:
Tree drops seeds in soil
Seeds grow to become great trees
Seeds splash, ripples flow
Even here we are breaking apart this continual flow of life into segments. The human mind likes to do this to explain the world in finite terms. But really the world is infinite. There is no cause then effect or even cause-effect followed by cause-effect. There is only the continual flow of apparent change.
This leads to the non-dual understanding of choice. It's not that we choose what we do, where we go or what happens. The world just seems to happen. Thoughts seem to appear. Decisions seem to be made. Actions seem to take place. This is all the appearance of the flowing world. But it all appears right here and now. It is from the still point of Unchanging Awareness that this flow of change is experienced.
One may wonder what caused the world to appear, but this same understanding applies: there is no cause. Cause and effect are one and none. There is no beginning or end. The world only seems to appear. Space and time only seem to happen. Separation of the Singular nature of Reality only seems to happen. The Singular nature of Reality is never broken.
We don't need to be concerned with this seeming cause and effect. We are not part of this apparent flow. We remain as we are. Unchanging perceiving change, though truly nothing changes.
- Category: Non-duality
- Hits: 1091
In the Zen tradition of Non-Duality it is stated that there is One Mind. But what is the mind? It can't really be defined. No nouns can really be defined. The reason being that Infinity is the reality behind the seeming limits of the world.
So defining the mind is impossible. People generally have a vague assumption of what the mind is, and this assumption is generally accepted and shared by people to different degrees. That means that people have an idea of what the mind is, and some people have similar ideas about it, but there is still a vagueness. There is the materialist view that matter is the main stuff of the world, and that the human form evolved with a brain that creates the mind. But the Non-Duality understanding is very different to the materialist.
Truly all we can know about the world, the human form and the brain is known in the mind. We can't know anything without the mind - that aware, knowing, perceiving ability. The mind can be considered as a focusing of sensation and perception. We could say the mind is a qualityless, spaceless space in which thoughts, sensations and perceptions appear. Thinking appears in the mind. Hearing, seeing and all other sensing appears in the mind. The whole world appears in the mind. What seems to be outside and inside all appear in the mind.
The human mind generally has a sense of limitation, being a centre point at the heart of perception. We can say that the mind is that seemingly limited field in which a viewpoint of the world is perceived. But the perceived world is not separate from the mind. Neither is perceiving. It can be recognised that the mind is perceiving an appearance of centralisation. It doesn't mean that this centralisation is true or real. That's just how it appears. The belief of this centralisation develops the sense of a limited, separate self - me and the world. This belief also appears in the mind.
We can go deeper. We can perceive this sense of identity. We can perceive thinking. We can perceive the body's sensations and its perceptions, which include the appearance of the world. We don't really perceive limits to the mind. The edge of the mind can't be found. Indeed, the mind only imagines its limitations.
In Non-Duality understanding there is only Awareness or Consciousness. In Zen this is the One Mind. The seemingly limited mind is perceived in Awareness. There is One Awareness. We could say it is like a central pool from which all mind streams flow. But truly there is no centre. There is only One Mind, giving the appearance of centre and outer. There is no inside and outside. These opposites seem to appear in the mind, but there is no true limiting that divides the mind. The 'outer' world can never be experienced outside of the mind, because there is no outside of the mind.
All that is is One Mind. Even the term 'Mind' isn't it, but it's a way of trying to describe it. Even 'One' isn't accurate. Truly there is no number. There is just What Is.
- Category: The Human Experience
- Hits: 1086
The Non-Duality answer to the question, "Is there a me?" is that there really isn't anyone. The ideas 'we' have of who 'we' are are mere imaginations in the mind. But then there isn't even a mind or minds. There is only Beingness appearing to be otherness. There is not a 'me' thinking or a 'me' doing. These are labels that don't stand up to scrutiny.
We could say that humanity has made a mistake in identifying with the body, and feeling that 'I am this and not that'. There is a feeling or sense of personal identity that most humans have. It's a mistaken identity, but it's okay. It's not the truth, but it's okay. This sense of personal identity has developed from the experience of centralised senses. There is a sense, a feeling, and a belief, that 'I am this, perceiving that'.
But really we can't pinpoint who or what we are. There aren't any real limits. It's more accurate to say that the personal identity appears to happen, but it appears to no-one. So what I'm saying here is that there is no-one saying this. That can sound a bit ridiculous until it's recognised that really there is no-one saying anything. Words being written or spoken just happen. It's part of the flow of the appearance of the world. We could say that humans write and speak, and that's relatively accurate and useful, of course. But it's still not accurate, because we can't define the 'human'. We could also say the hand writes or the mouth speaks, but we can't really define that either. It's all just an appearance of flowing, movement, vibration, and so on.
Where are we in all of this? Well, we're nowhere to be found. Humans like to think we are personal and we are all separate people. That's the play of Oneness, appearing to be something other than what it is, appearing to be many. There is only this What Is or Beingness, no matter what appears to be. What Is or Beingness can't create something other than what it is. At best it can appear to be or seem to be what it is not. But that's all a play.
So there isn't really a 'me' separate from others. There is only always What Is. We are That. But there's no 'us' and 'That'. There is only What Is.
- Category: The Universe
- Hits: 1091
Imagine that planet Earth is one being. Within that one being there seem to be billions of beings, all made up of the body or substance of that one being, Earth. There are beings and non-beings, formations such as rocks, lakes, rivers, air, cars, buildings etc. The beings are the insects, fish, animals, humans etc. We could class plants as beings too, in that they seem to have their own existence or life force. There is air and water that seems to separate the solid forms of these beings and objects. All this is planet Earth.
What we have here is one being playing at being many beings. Within the form of this one being it divides itself with itself to create many beings. Through the use of density of form there can appear a separation of form. So some forms appear solid, some appear fluid and separate the solid forms. The seemingly solid forms of animals are separated by air and water. This juxtaposition of solidity and fluidity creates the appearance of separate beings within the one being. For example, the human body is mostly fluid but appears reasonably solid, and air, which is less dense than the human body, seems to separate these solid forms, creating the appearance of separate beings. Though it should be said that air and water flow through these seemingly solid forms.
So what seems to be happening here on planet Earth is that one body (the planet) is appearing as many bodies (animals, humans etc.). These bodies seem to be separated, but it is just another substance of the planet body that seems to create a separation. The play and flow of solid, liquid and gas in the planet body create the appearance of many bodies. But truly there is just the one body, planet Earth. Earth's solid forms, liquid forms and gas forms are all planet Earth. So there only appears to be a division in the planet's forms based on the contrast of density of form within the planet. The division of the planet is illusory.
We imagined that Earth is a being, albeit a somewhat spherical being. And why not? Ultimately even planet Earth is an appearance of separation in the universe. Planet Earth is one appearing as many. The universe is one appearing as many. The universe and planet Earth are expressions of one appearing as many. This is the play of the universe. The universe can't really be separated from something else. There can only seem to be a separation by means of appearances.
The universe is the appearance of One Being expressed as many separate forms, though never truly separated. This expression of 'one to many' is scattered and multiplied throughout the One Being. Or so it seems.
- Category: The Universe
- Hits: 1086
The world appears as a World of Variety and Change. There seem to be so many different things - different elements, different combinations of elements, different densities of form - solid, liquid and gas, different formations of these forms - inert substances, plant-life, animal-life and human life. And it all swirls around, interacting, producing new forms and developments. The world is continually changing.
Sometimes the world may seem to be quite still, maybe when you're sat in a quiet room reading a book or relaxing. But the stillness of your room is illusory. Even the walls of the room are moving. It's only a relative stillness. The molecules that make up the walls, the air, and the different forms in a room are vibrating energy. In addition to this, the room is part of a spinning planet. Planet Earth spins on its own axis whilst rotating around the sun. The sun and this solar system in turn flows in the arms of a spiral galaxy, swirling through the universe.
Where was I? Right here. Ah, everything in the world is moving and changing, and any unchanging stillness we perceive is illusory. That's how it appears. You look at a table and it appears solid and still. You feel the ground beneath your feet and it seems solid and unmoving. But it's not quite the way it really is. We know it's not completely solid. It's permeable. That is, frequencies of energy can pass through it. Light can pass through glass windows. WiFi radio waves can pass through walls. Ground Penetrating Radar sends high frequency radio waves through the ground to detect buried objects. Nothing is ever truly impermeable.
There's some magic at play here. Really this moving and changing is illusory, and stillness is the reality. What is perceived is a reflection of reality. What is perceived is a play of opposites, whilst reality remains purely One.
Space and time are not natural to Reality. Reality is an Infinite Singularity without division, unchanging and unmoving. It cannot move or change because there is no space or time in the Singularity. Space and time only seem to appear within it. Distance and change seem to be created through the appearance of opposites. When the Infinite Singularity seems to split into opposing characteristics then a sense of separation, distance and change appears. Space and time appear to be instantly created, but they don't appear from the Singularity. They appear within the Singularity. The Singularity remains as it is. The separation never really happens. Space and time don't really happen. There is no real beginning or end to space and time, because they are illusory.
So this world of variety and change is illusory. That's not to say it isn't real. There is nothing other than the Real. That's the Singularity. What's unreal is separation and change. It doesn't really happen. So space and time isn't real, yet what this is is Real.