Is Buddhism about non-dualism?

A discussion on all aspects of Theravāda Buddhism
SarathW
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Is Buddhism about non-dualism?

Post by SarathW »

Is Buddhism about non-dualism?
“Again, Udāyin, I have proclaimed to my disciples the way to develop the ten kasiṇa bases. One contemplates the earthkasiṇa above, below, and across, undivided and immeasurable. Another contemplates the water-kasiṇa…Another contemplates the fire-kasiṇa…Another contemplates the air-kasiṇa…Another contemplates the blue-kasiṇa…Another contemplates the yellow-kasiṇa…Another contemplates the red-kasiṇa…Another contemplates the white-kasiṇa…Another contemplates the space-kasiṇa…Another contemplates the consciousness-kasiṇa above, below, and across, undivided and immeasurable. And thereby many disciples of mine abide having reached the perfection and consummation of direct knowledge.
https://suttacentral.net/mn77/en/bodhi

Interesting video by Doug's Dhamma

“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
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DooDoot
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Re: Is Buddhism about non-dualism?

Post by DooDoot »

this topic is similar to asking: "Is Buddhism about kasina?" :roll:
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Re: Is Buddhism about non-dualism?

Post by DNS »

SarathW wrote: Thu Jul 22, 2021 9:59 pm Is Buddhism about non-dualism?
No, perhaps one of the misconceptions of Buddhism due to New Age non-dualism and some forms of modern Hindu movements.

good and evil
puthujjana and sekha
violence and non-violence
sila and immorality
samsara and nibbana
kamma-vipaka is individual from deeds and misdeeds

As he noted in the video, there are some meditations that could be called non-dualism and the emptiness of self could be considered another form of non-dualism, but for the most part including the doctrine, it is dualistic.

Although, some forms of Mahayana could be considered non-dualism.
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DooDoot
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Re: Is Buddhism about non-dualism?

Post by DooDoot »

Doug Smith is attacking Ajahn Amaro, who was possibly brainwashed by Ajahn Buddhadasa:
Buddhadasa wrote:When there is no positivism and no negativism, then there is what we call sunnata - voidness.

Voidness is when there is no more positive and negative, when there is no more dualism. When the mind is free of all those dualistic illusions, then there is Voidness or sunnata.

Can any of you fit or classify Voidness as positive or can you classify Voidness as negative?

Sunnata is neither positive nor negative. It is beyond, above, surpassing both positive and negative.

This is the meaning of Nibbana or Nirvana , which is unsurpassed Voidness . Nibbana is the supreme Voidness that absolutely transcends ‘positive’ and ‘negative’, that is free, void, empty of all dualism.

Buddhadasa Bhikku

Translated by Santikaro Bhikkhu
5 September 1987
Suanmokkhabalaram, Chaiya, Thailand
There is always an official executioner. If you try to take his place, It is like trying to be a master carpenter and cutting wood. If you try to cut wood like a master carpenter, you will only hurt your hand.

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DooDoot
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Re: Is Buddhism about non-dualism?

Post by DooDoot »

SN 35.95 provides a detailed explanation of the brief teaching found in the Bahiya Sutta, which may help overcome the non-dualism inference made about the Bahiya Sutta. :console:
There is always an official executioner. If you try to take his place, It is like trying to be a master carpenter and cutting wood. If you try to cut wood like a master carpenter, you will only hurt your hand.

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Bundokji
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Re: Is Buddhism about non-dualism?

Post by Bundokji »

One could ask if non-dualism is nothing but affirmation of dualism (being the opposite of dualism) or the end of all dualism?

The above "dilemma" is to be expected whenever we are dealing with determinations.
And the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus, saying: "Behold now, bhikkhus, I exhort you: All compounded things are subject to vanish. Strive with earnestness!"

This was the last word of the Tathagata.
circuit
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Re: Is Buddhism about non-dualism?

Post by circuit »

no, Buddhism is not about any -ism. The Buddha walked around ancient India and taught metta (universal loving kindness), karuṇa (universal compassion) while practising sīla (morality ), samādhi (contemplation), pañña (wisdom) . very little amount of people relatively to whole population are moved and follow the Buddha.

Majority failed to understand Buddha, because Buddha's teaching not aligned with their defilements which they worship.

Yes, human worship defilements.

India herself failed to follow Buddha's teaching. all over the world 7 billion people failed to follow Buddha's teaching.

500 millions people of buddhist majority don't understand what the Buddha really taught. Majority only pray pray pray and wait for Buddha to help them.

Majority buddhist don't like to read, even buddhist SuttaVinaya pitaka or Agamas. They come to temple for other reasons. They do rituals just same as the Brahmin taught, majority are like that. They ignite incense, recite mantras, beg to Buddha for prosperity, worldly happiness and so on.

They follow their masters, their bhikkhus, their leader, who teach other than what Buddha taught. After that, those majority buddhist feel they already done all buddhist religion.

Except a little, a very little informed people, who like to read and contemplate the teachings. Some majority of these are still like to read Dhamma literature only for debating in forums. They argue, as if the Buddha taught them to argue.

abominable debaters
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mjaviem
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Re: Is Buddhism about non-dualism?

Post by mjaviem »

DooDoot wrote: Fri Jul 23, 2021 12:11 am SN 35.95...
This is a good sutta. Thanks for pointing this one out :wink:
circuit wrote: Fri Jul 23, 2021 12:29 am ...
:clap:
Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Sammā Sambuddhassa
form
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Re: Is Buddhism about non-dualism?

Post by form »

Depends on what level you are talking about.
pegembara
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Re: Is Buddhism about non-dualism?

Post by pegembara »

“What do you think, Maluṅkyaputta, do you have any desire, lust, or affection for those forms cognizable by the eye that you have not seen and never saw before, that you do not see and would not think might be seen?”

“No, venerable sir.”

“Do you have any desire, lust, or affection for those sounds cognizable by the ear … for those odours cognizable by the nose … for those tastes cognizable by the tongue … for those tactile objects cognizable by the body … for those mental phenomena cognizable by the mind that you have not cognized and never cognized before, that you do not cognize and would not think might be cognized?”

“No, venerable sir.”

“Here, Maluṅkyaputta, regarding things seen, heard, sensed, and cognized by you: in the seen there will be merely the seen; in the heard there will be merely the heard; in the sensed there will be merely the sensed; in the cognized there will be merely the cognized.
It is about not grasping at signs.

If you don't see, hear, smell, taste, touch, think about the desired object, the answer is an obvious no.
What makes you notice/recognize or "see" are the signs(nimittas).
And what, venerable sir, is the signless liberation of mind? Here, with nonattention to all signs, a bhikkhu enters and dwells in the signless concentration of mind. This is called the signless liberation of mind.
SN 41.7

“And what, bhikkhus, is the path leading to the unconditioned?
Signless concentration….
SN 43.12

The one whose defilements are dried up,
Who’s not attached to food,
Whose resort is the liberation
That is signless and empty:
Their track is hard to trace,
Like that of birds in the sky.
Thag 1.92

"It would be a good thing, monks, if the organ of sight were
seared with a red-hot iron pin, on fire, all ablaze, a glowing mass
of flames. Then there would be no seizing of the general appear-
ance (nimitta) or details of visible shapes discernible by the eye.
Monks, consciousness, persisting, might persist in being tied by
the satisfaction in the general appearance or details
."
The second door of liberation is signlessness. A sign marks the appearance of something, its form. We recognize things based on their sign, but we are often fooled by the outer form of things. The Buddha said, “Where there is a sign, there is deception.”

For example, when we look up at the sky, we see a particular cloud. But if we look long enough, it seems the cloud we are looking at disappears. The cloud has become rain, mist, or snow, and we don’t recognize it anymore.

If you’ve grown attached to that cloud, you may think, “Oh, my beloved cloud, where are you now? I miss you. You’ve passed from being into nonbeing. I can’t see you anymore.” Maybe you don’t feel this way about a cloud, but this is certainly how you feel when you lose someone who is close to you. Just yesterday your friend was still alive. Now it seems that she has passed from being into nonbeing.

https://www.lionsroar.com/the-doors-of- ... -may-2014/
And what is right speech? Abstaining from lying, from divisive speech, from abusive speech, & from idle chatter: This is called right speech.
SarathW
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Re: Is Buddhism about non-dualism?

Post by SarathW »

’ When, Maluṅkyaputta, you are not ‘therein,’ then you will be neither here nor beyond nor in between the two.
https://suttacentral.net/sn35.95/en/bodhi

Is "in between the two" the non-dualism, which Buddha rejected?
or
What Buddha called non-dualism is different to the non-dualism explained by other sects?
Can I say that the Buddha's Path (Noble Eightfold Path) non-dualism?
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
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cappuccino
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Re: Is Buddhism about non-dualism?

Post by cappuccino »

SarathW wrote: Fri Jul 23, 2021 3:57 am Can I say that the Buddha's Path … non-dualism?
non dual teachers teach no self

which is contrary to the middle way

of not self
SarathW
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Re: Is Buddhism about non-dualism?

Post by SarathW »

Is the thought that "the all is one" a non-dualism?
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
form
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Re: Is Buddhism about non-dualism?

Post by form »

DNS wrote: Thu Jul 22, 2021 11:49 pm
SarathW wrote: Thu Jul 22, 2021 9:59 pm Is Buddhism about non-dualism?
No, perhaps one of the misconceptions of Buddhism due to New Age non-dualism and some forms of modern Hindu movements.

good and evil
puthujjana and sekha
violence and non-violence
sila and immorality
samsara and nibbana
kamma-vipaka is individual from deeds and misdeeds

As he noted in the video, there are some meditations that could be called non-dualism and the emptiness of self could be considered another form of non-dualism, but for the most part including the doctrine, it is dualistic.

Although, some forms of Mahayana could be considered non-dualism.
It depends on which level.

Like some people are talking about their theoretical nibanna.
form
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Re: Is Buddhism about non-dualism?

Post by form »

SarathW wrote: Fri Jul 23, 2021 4:25 am Is the thought that "the all is one" a non-dualism?
You need to know Iching to understand this. And Itching is not an Indian philosophy.
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