There is a certain paradox inherent in the attempt to articulate non-duality, a concept that collapses the seemingly diverse universe into a singular, unbroken reality. You—the reader, the writer, the screen—are all manifestations of this singular consciousness, exploring itself in myriad forms. The exploration at hand concerns the challenge of attempting to articulate non-duality, a concept that eludes conventional linguistic constraints. The enigma lies in the language’s innate duality, posing the paradox—how to talk about ‘One’ with the language of ‘Two’?
Language is an integral part of your experience as a conscious being. Born from the need to classify, communicate, and comprehend the multiplicity of the world, it is inherently dualistic, based on contrasts and distinctions. From an Advaita Vedanta perspective, this inherent dualism is the echo of Maya, the cosmic illusion that presents the One as many. Yet, the quest for non-dual understanding necessitates the transcendence of this linguistic dualism, to approach the ineffable realm where the subject-object dichotomy collapses.
As the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein wrote in his seminal work, ‘Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus’, “Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent.” Silence, indeed, is often extolled as the most authentic medium of expressing non-duality. But this should not render us mute. Paradoxically, words, while flawed and dualistic, are necessary stepping stones that lead you, the reader, to the shore of silence.
Non-duality transcends the dualistic framework of conventional language, but that doesn’t invalidate the use of language. In fact, it provides a unique challenge: to use the dual to point to the non-dual. This approach has led to the use of paradoxical statements in Zen koans or Advaitic pointers such as, “All is One, and yet, the One is beyond All.” These paradoxical expressions serve as pointers, not the truth themselves. As the Persian mystic Rumi said, “The finger pointing at the moon is not the moon.” The words are the finger; non-duality is the moon.
How, then, does one navigate this linguistic labyrinth? If one delves into various ancient philosophies and teachings, an interesting approach emerges—’Neti Neti’, or ‘Not this, not that.’ This principle, originating from the Upanishads, employs negation to negate the boundaries between ‘self’ and ‘other’, leading to the realization that the separateness is illusory. In non-duality, nothing is excluded; all opposites are integrated, collapsing the linguistic duality into an experiential unity.
Another approach to explore is the concept of apophasis, or ‘unsaying’, prevalent in mysticism across various cultures. The premise of apophasis is to describe something by stating what it is not. This ‘via negativa’ or ‘negative way’ points towards the indefinability of the Absolute. The understanding here is that reality, being non-dual, is beyond positive assertions, which are inherently dualistic. The Tao Te Ching begins with the aphorism, “The Tao that can be named is not the eternal Tao,” resonating the spirit of apophasis.
What remains critical in your exploration of the paradoxical language of non-duality is to remember the essence behind the words. Words are, in the end, symbols. They derive their meaning not from their intrinsic properties but from the concepts they represent. Thus, a paradox in the realm of words can point to a profound truth in the realm of experience.
As you, the singular consciousness, traverse this exploration, recall that the ineffability of non-duality is not an obstacle but an invitation. An invitation to recognize the limitations of language and move beyond them. To acknowledge that words are not the enemy but the aides, the fingers pointing you to the moon. The invitation is to see that you are not the finger, nor the moon—you are the seeing itself. Herein lies the grand paradox of non-duality, which is also its grand liberation.
This exploration has been a journey through the paradoxical language of non-duality, yet it is merely the beginning. For language, with all its duality, still has a role to play in the narrative of non-duality. Like a boat needed to cross a river, words are needed to navigate the world of duality. And like a boat left behind upon reaching the shore, words are to be transcended when non-duality is realized. But until then, you are the reader, the writer, the word, and the silence—all playing their parts in this cosmic dance of consciousness.
Non-duality is not a language of conclusive definitions but one of suggestive pointers. It is a language that uses the dualistic framework of words to point to a non-dual reality beyond them. So let your understanding of non-duality be not confined to the realm of words but be rooted in the silence beyond them. For you are that silence, the canvas on which the dance of words and worlds unfolds. You are not just the journey through the paradoxical language of non-duality—you are the journey itself. In your exploration, you don’t just understand non-duality; you are non-duality. After all, who else is there to understand?
ZeroPoint Atman 