I or no I
In case you have not already picked up on the fact, I have little to no understanding of nonduality. I have never experienced it or should I say I have never experienced not having an I. I am not up on terminology. Judy
Hi Judy,
Just to give 'equal' time to nondual teachings, not all nondual teachings say that you do not have an I.
In fact, some would say the fact that you have never experienced not having an I, proves that the only thing which you actually are is that I, which you have always experienced.
If you say you have never experienced nonduality, again, some teachings would say, that you have never not experienced nonduality.
That nonduality is the very nature of that 'I' which you have always experienced.
However, you have a mind, and that mind which itself is changing in nature, experiences nothing but change, which is the nature of all experience given to you by your sense organs.
The only thing about you which is not changing is that 'I' which you mention as always having experienced, which is why you have always experienced it, because it has never changed.
If you hold that indeed you do exist, and that you never have not experience having an I, then there are teachings of nonduality that you may resonate with more than those which hold that there is no such thing as an I.
There are some very simple pointers to this. For instance, do you feel as if although your body grows old, you don't? Do you feel as if you always are? If these types of things seem to be your experience, then there are teachings which speak to those understandings.
Those teaching begin with this basic premise. I am. I exist. I am a conscious being. I don't know who or what this conscious being that I am is, but I do know that I am, I exist.
So there is a wealth of teachings which begin right there, and very often, from what I've seen, for the mind of the individual, end up with a complete experiential understanding of what has always been true, but not recognized for what it is, i.e. the very nature of your existence, and that recognition is called liberation, or moksha.
"Always I am.
Always I shine.
...
Therefore it is established that I am Brahman,
Which is of the nature of existence,
Awareness and fullness."
From Advaita Makaranda (The nectar of nonduality)
Best wishes,
Durga
NonDualPhil“yahoogroups.com
Hi Judy,
Just to give 'equal' time to nondual teachings, not all nondual teachings say that you do not have an I.
In fact, some would say the fact that you have never experienced not having an I, proves that the only thing which you actually are is that I, which you have always experienced.
If you say you have never experienced nonduality, again, some teachings would say, that you have never not experienced nonduality.
That nonduality is the very nature of that 'I' which you have always experienced.
However, you have a mind, and that mind which itself is changing in nature, experiences nothing but change, which is the nature of all experience given to you by your sense organs.
The only thing about you which is not changing is that 'I' which you mention as always having experienced, which is why you have always experienced it, because it has never changed.
If you hold that indeed you do exist, and that you never have not experience having an I, then there are teachings of nonduality that you may resonate with more than those which hold that there is no such thing as an I.
There are some very simple pointers to this. For instance, do you feel as if although your body grows old, you don't? Do you feel as if you always are? If these types of things seem to be your experience, then there are teachings which speak to those understandings.
Those teaching begin with this basic premise. I am. I exist. I am a conscious being. I don't know who or what this conscious being that I am is, but I do know that I am, I exist.
So there is a wealth of teachings which begin right there, and very often, from what I've seen, for the mind of the individual, end up with a complete experiential understanding of what has always been true, but not recognized for what it is, i.e. the very nature of your existence, and that recognition is called liberation, or moksha.
"Always I am.
Always I shine.
...
Therefore it is established that I am Brahman,
Which is of the nature of existence,
Awareness and fullness."
From Advaita Makaranda (The nectar of nonduality)
Best wishes,
Durga
NonDualPhil“yahoogroups.com
