NON-DUALITY
Kosmos - the Relative 'Side' of Ultimate Reality - The Great Mother - AdiShakti/Parashakti
The delightfully varied, colorful, and blissful Kosmos.
The True Self is beyond the five shealths (which are 'no self'). Once discarding all 5, what is left is the Self, Sat-Chit-Ananda. (Compare Hindu and Buddhist and emphasize both philosophies despite their differences share in the deep structures of the Kosmos - 3 States, 3 Realms, 3 Bodies and a Nondual 4th Stateless State, Realmless Realm, Bodiless Body that includes all the others at once:
All States = All Bodies = All Realms = Nondual Suchness that has no beginning or end.
The delightfully varied, colorful, and blissful Kosmos.
The True Self is beyond the five shealths (which are 'no self'). Once discarding all 5, what is left is the Self, Sat-Chit-Ananda. (Compare Hindu and Buddhist and emphasize both philosophies despite their differences share in the deep structures of the Kosmos - 3 States, 3 Realms, 3 Bodies and a Nondual 4th Stateless State, Realmless Realm, Bodiless Body that includes all the others at once:
All States = All Bodies = All Realms = Nondual Suchness that has no beginning or end.
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Brief Overview of the States of Consciousness
To best understand the actual direct experience of Nonduality (which the Buddha called 'One Taste'), it is helpful to give a brief overview of the four main states of consciousness (that we are all know and experience each day, even if unconsciously) These are deep structures common to Hinduism, Buddhism and the Perennial Philosophy. Known as the great chain of Being, there is not any true philosophy that denies this, as we all experience it as human beings every day. It is perhaps the most recognized and basic common denominator all humans share.
There are 3 natural states of consciousness that the brains of all human biological organisms are born with and you experience them consciously or unconsciously every day. Each of these states corresponds to a "body" in both the Hindu and Buddhist philosophical and meditative traditions. I say meditative because these bodies and states of consciousness are able to be directly experienced 'consciously' in meditation.
1) Physical/Gross Body (Waking State of Consciousness, typically Beta and Alpha brainwaves): This state of consciousness is known by everyone, it is the normal waking consciousness of life with all its highs and lows. It is a consciousness that functions in the physical body primarily. Nature Mysticism. Nirmanakaya, Gross Realm.
2) Subtle or Astral Body (Dream State of Consciousness - typically low alpha and theta brainwaves): This state of consciousness is also known by everyone those we are typically not aware of it consciously unless we are lucid dreaming, astral traveling (in deep meditation, remote viewing and other means). Both Hindu and Buddhist philosophies attest to the reality of this body referring to it as Astral and Subtle body (in Sambhogakaya) respectively and much research has been done to scientifically prove its existence.
It is a body of light, emotions, thoughtforms, dreams, heavenly realms and is a whole universe that transcends and includes the physical, and as such it is much larger (in the relative sense) then the physical.
Sabikalpa Samadhi or Deity Mysticism
3) Causal or Very Subtle Body (Deep Sleep State of Consciousness - typically theta and delta brainwaves): This state is also known by everyone, those nearly everyone experiences it unconsciously, by great saints, sages and yogis can and do remain aware during this state. Translated, the Hindus refer to it as the Causal Body and the Buddhists the Very Subtle Body (in Dharmakaya), because it is the realm of the pure thought and the Witnessing Awareness.
NOTE: The state of Witnessing awareness is also Referred to as Turiya, which translates literally "the fourth" as in the fourth state of consciousness, but it can be combined with the Causal into Causal/Witness state as Wilber and other philosophers have done due to the incredible similarity of the two, which for simplicity we'll follow here.
Nirvikalpa Samadhi or Formless Mysticism
To best understand the actual direct experience of Nonduality (which the Buddha called 'One Taste'), it is helpful to give a brief overview of the four main states of consciousness (that we are all know and experience each day, even if unconsciously) These are deep structures common to Hinduism, Buddhism and the Perennial Philosophy. Known as the great chain of Being, there is not any true philosophy that denies this, as we all experience it as human beings every day. It is perhaps the most recognized and basic common denominator all humans share.
There are 3 natural states of consciousness that the brains of all human biological organisms are born with and you experience them consciously or unconsciously every day. Each of these states corresponds to a "body" in both the Hindu and Buddhist philosophical and meditative traditions. I say meditative because these bodies and states of consciousness are able to be directly experienced 'consciously' in meditation.
1) Physical/Gross Body (Waking State of Consciousness, typically Beta and Alpha brainwaves): This state of consciousness is known by everyone, it is the normal waking consciousness of life with all its highs and lows. It is a consciousness that functions in the physical body primarily. Nature Mysticism. Nirmanakaya, Gross Realm.
2) Subtle or Astral Body (Dream State of Consciousness - typically low alpha and theta brainwaves): This state of consciousness is also known by everyone those we are typically not aware of it consciously unless we are lucid dreaming, astral traveling (in deep meditation, remote viewing and other means). Both Hindu and Buddhist philosophies attest to the reality of this body referring to it as Astral and Subtle body (in Sambhogakaya) respectively and much research has been done to scientifically prove its existence.
It is a body of light, emotions, thoughtforms, dreams, heavenly realms and is a whole universe that transcends and includes the physical, and as such it is much larger (in the relative sense) then the physical.
Sabikalpa Samadhi or Deity Mysticism
3) Causal or Very Subtle Body (Deep Sleep State of Consciousness - typically theta and delta brainwaves): This state is also known by everyone, those nearly everyone experiences it unconsciously, by great saints, sages and yogis can and do remain aware during this state. Translated, the Hindus refer to it as the Causal Body and the Buddhists the Very Subtle Body (in Dharmakaya), because it is the realm of the pure thought and the Witnessing Awareness.
NOTE: The state of Witnessing awareness is also Referred to as Turiya, which translates literally "the fourth" as in the fourth state of consciousness, but it can be combined with the Causal into Causal/Witness state as Wilber and other philosophers have done due to the incredible similarity of the two, which for simplicity we'll follow here.
Nirvikalpa Samadhi or Formless Mysticism