Author: It Is What It Is
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The Final Non-Duality 2 – Buddhism: Emptiness and the Movement Beyond Suffering
The Eternal Structure Misread as Impermanence Among the spiritual paths of the world, Buddhism stands out for its analytical clarity and radical focus on the problem of suffering. Its foundation — the Four Noble Truths — begins not with metaphysical speculation but with existential urgency: dukkha, the suffering that characterizes life, and the promise of…
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The Final Non-Duality 1 – Advaita Vedānta: The Identity of Self and Brahman
The Eternal Truth Beyond the Path of Realization Among the world’s spiritual philosophies, few have exerted as profound an influence as Advaita Vedānta. With clarity and subtlety, it proclaims a truth that stands at the heart of the human search: that the Self (ātman) is not separate from the ultimate reality (Brahman), and that the…
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The Final Non-Duality: Rereading Spiritual Traditions in Light of Being — Introduction
The Spiritual Quest and the Hidden Contradiction Across the world’s spiritual traditions, from ancient Vedānta to contemporary non-dual teachers, we encounter the same longing: a desire to overcome division, to dissolve the sense of separation, to awaken into unity. Whether spoken of as enlightenment, liberation, realization, or union with God, this quest appears as humanity’s…
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The Last Dualism 5 – Direct Cognition and the Necessity of Recognition
The End of the Search and the Fulfillment of Seeing There is a growing interest today in what many call direct experience, pure awareness, or non-conceptual knowing. People seek a state beyond language, beyond belief, beyond thought—something immediate and unmediated, where truth is no longer a theory but lived, seen, known. This yearning often carries…
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The Last Dualism 4 – The Eternal Structure of Thought
Beyond Self, Ego, and Silence Modern non-duality often speaks of “going beyond thought.” Thought is treated as noise, as interference, as the domain of the ego. Silence is upheld as the pure state—the absence of self, of mind, of conceptual filters. Enlightenment, in this view, is the cessation of thought, or at least a radical…
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The Last Dualism 3 – Awakening Without Becoming
The Contradiction of Enlightenment in the Light of Eternal Being The modern non-dual discourse is saturated with the language of awakening. One is said to awaken from illusion, from ego, from time, from the false self. This awakening is often described as a shift, a transformation, a sudden recognition, or the end of seeking. For…
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The Last Dualism 2 – The Myth of the Body’s Illusion
Plato’s Legacy and the Persistence of the Great Dualism In the midst of today’s non-dual revival, a strange contradiction persists. While the language of unity, presence, and wholeness is widespread, the body—this visible, touchable, vulnerable being—is often spoken of as an illusion, a veil, a mistake. In countless spiritual teachings, the body is subtly or…
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The Last Dualism 1 – What Is Truly Non-Dual?
Beyond the Confusion of Experience, Metaphor, and Ontology In recent decades, few terms have gained as much traction in spiritual and philosophical circles as “non-duality.” From Eastern teachings like Advaita Vedanta and Dzogchen, to Western spiritual movements, therapy sessions, and even casual Instagram posts, the term has become a kind of shorthand for ultimate truth,…
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The Last Dualism – Intro: How Non-Duality Preserves the Root of Nihilism
Introduction A growing chorus in contemporary spirituality and philosophy sings of non-duality, interconnection, and wholeness. Eastern traditions, modern mystics, and therapeutic modalities echo the same refrain: separation is an illusion, all things are ultimately one, and awakening lies in transcending dualistic thought. Terms like oneness, pure consciousness, and non-separation circulate freely, suggesting a new paradigm…
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The Structure of Madness
Madness is the belief in what is not. The common image of the madman who is Napoleon is crude, but correct: he affirms nothingness. Pursue this logic, and all are mad. We are mad in our faith that will originates action, that “if” governs “then.” This is humanity’s primordial error. The Faith in Contingency This…
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The Acrobat and the Void: When Therapy Cannot Cure Nihilism
We are like acrobats who have let go of the trapeze of tradition, of metaphysics, of a world imbued with inherent meaning. For a moment, the flight was exhilarating; the freedom of self-creation, the triumph of the individual. But now we are suspended in the void, arms outstretched, waiting for a trapeze that never arrives.…
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Contemplative Seeing and the Unshakable Center – 9
The Final Unveiling: Recognizing the Ground of Being As we bring this exploration to completion, we stand before a recognition that is both deeply familiar and profoundly transformative. Throughout history, the great traditions of religion, philosophy, and spirituality have pointed—though often in fragmented or contradictory ways—toward the same reality: the existence of a foundational ground…
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Contemplative Seeing and the Unshakable Center – 8
Love, Effortlessness, and the Unshaken Self Throughout this series, we have explored the nature of contemplative seeing—the immediate recognition of reality beyond the conditioned patterns of thought. We now turn to three interwoven aspects of this recognition: the paradox of effort and non-effort, the realization of love as the ground of being, and the abiding…
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Contemplative Seeing and the Unshakable Center – 7
The Depth of Silence – Seeing Without Seeking There is a seeing that is not bound to the restless search for meaning, control, or security. It is not the movement of thought attempting to grasp, categorize, or resolve, but a direct witnessing—silent, effortless, and without center. This article explores the nature of contemplative seeing, the…
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Contemplative Seeing and the Unshakable Center – 6
The Unclouded Sun – The Ground of Joy and Love In moments of deep presence, there is often a subtle yet undeniable sense of joy and love—not the shifting emotions we commonly associate with these words, but something deeper, quieter, and more fundamental. This is not an experience added to reality but the natural fragrance…
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Contemplative Seeing and the Unshakable Center – 5
The Transparent Self – Seeing Without Distortion The more we rest in presence, the more we recognize that much of what we call “ourselves” is a web of interpretations, habits, and conditioned patterns. Thought constructs narratives, emotions amplify them, and desires propel them forward. Yet beneath this constant movement, there is something still—something clear, open,…
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Contemplative Seeing and the Unshakable Center – 4
The Stillness of Presence – Encountering Reality Beyond Thought In our exploration of truth and the unshakable center, we have touched on the peace and joy that appear when resting beyond thought. Now, we delve deeper into the stillness of presence—a state where reality reveals itself unhindered, beyond the filters of thought and interpretation. This…
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The Unbearable Truth: What Our Demographic Collapse Really Means
We are witnessing not a problem to be solved, but a fate to be understood. The converging crises of demographic implosion, unsustainable debt, and societal aging are typically diagnosed as separate policy failures: a lack of childcare incentives, flawed economic models, or medical advances that have outstripped our wisdom. But to see them this way…
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Contemplative Seeing and the Unshakable Center – 3
The Unshakable Center – Resting Beyond Thought In our previous articles, we explored the immediate encounter with truth and the peace and joy found in resting in truth. Now, we turn to a crucial aspect of this experience: the unshakable center—the deep core of awareness that remains unaffected by the fluctuations of thought, emotion, or…
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Contemplative Seeing and the Unshakable Center – 2
Resting in Truth – The Joy and Peace of Being Building upon our exploration of the immediate encounter with truth, this article delves deeper into the experience of resting in that truth. Once the ground of being is revealed—however briefly—it offers a profound peace and joy that transcend ordinary understanding. This rest in truth is…
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Contemplative Seeing and the Unshakable Center – 1
The Immediate Encounter – Discovering the Ground of Being In moments of stillness—whether fleeting or sustained—there arises the possibility of encountering something profound: the immediate, unmediated appearance of truth. This is not a concept or an intellectual insight but a direct recognition beyond thought, beyond the pull of becoming. It is a moment where reality…
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Contemplative Seeing and the Unshakable Center
Introduction: The Unveiling of Contemplation Contemplation. The word often carries religious, mystical, or philosophical weight, evoking images of silent monks, meditating sages, or deep thinkers lost in reverie. It seems distant, reserved for those who dedicate themselves to spiritual pursuits. But is this really the case? Is contemplation something rare and otherworldly, or is it…
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I Am – 2: The Divided Mind – Thought, Perception, and the Illusion of Fragmentation
The Split Between Awareness and Thought The recognition of “I Am” as the unshakable ground of Being is foundational. Yet, despite its immediacy, this recognition is often obscured by the incessant movement of conditioned thought. Why does the mind veil what is most evident? The tendency of thought to divide experience into subject and object,…
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“I Am” – 1: The Unshakable Foundation of Being
The Most Certain Truth The search for truth often begins with questions about reality and existence: What is the nature of being? Yet, the most fundamental certainty is not found “out there” but within the immediacy of our own awareness. Before we inquire about the nature of reality, we must first recognize that we are.…
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Beyond Materialism & Idealism 4: The Implications of the Necessary—Reframing Thought and Existence
This series has exposed the contradictions at the core of two dominant worldviews: materialism and idealism. Both are entangled in the impossibility of becoming, whether through the assumption that matter arises and perishes or the belief that reality is dependent on thought. Both, in different ways, attempt to explain being through non-being—an assumption that collapses…
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Beyond Materialism & Idealism 3: The Unveiling of the Necessary
After exposing the contradictions of materialism and idealism, we arrive at a crucial crossroads. Both worldviews, despite their opposing stances, share a fundamental flaw: they are rooted in the concept of becoming—the notion that reality either comes into being or evolves through mental processes. The only consistent and coherent alternative is the recognition of being…
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Beyond Materialism & Idealism 2: Why Idealism Also Fails – The Limits of Mind as Reality
Materialism collapses under the weight of its own contradiction: it insists that things come into and out of existence, yet it offers no justification for this assumption. Idealism, often considered its intellectual counterpoint, seeks to overcome materialism’s limitations by placing mind or consciousness at the center of reality. However, despite its valuable critiques, idealism ultimately…
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Beyond Materialism & Idealism 1: The Faith of Materialism – The Unquestioned Assumption
Materialism presents itself as the most rational, scientific, and evidence-based perspective of reality. It claims to reject unfounded beliefs in favor of empirical knowledge. Yet beneath this confident exterior lies an unquestioned assumption: the belief that things come into being and pass away. This belief, which serves as the foundation of materialist thought, is neither…
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Beyond Materialism and Idealism: The Search for the Real
For centuries, materialism has shaped the modern worldview. It presents itself as a sober, evidence-based approach to reality—asserting that all things, including thought and consciousness, emerge from material processes and ultimately vanish into nothingness. Yet beneath its claims of objectivity lies an unexamined assumption: that things come into being and cease to be. This belief…
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Identity 3: The Inevitable Resolution – From Fragmentation to the Recognition of Identity
In the previous articles, we explored identity as necessary (unchangeable and eternally true—it simply is) and eternal, hidden by cultural pressures, nihilism, and fragmentation. We examined how contemporary society’s emphasis on becoming, technological influences, nihilistic tendencies, and social isolation contribute to the division of the self. Now, we turn to the resolution of this fragmentation.…
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It Is What It Is 