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I don't think so. I think dualism is the result of the way our brains function: compare/contrast/repeat.Does idolatry lead to dualism?
Does idolatry lead to dualism?
Does idolatry lead to dualism?
Actually, I believe it's the other way around.Does idolatry lead to dualism?
Depends on your rendition of Idolatry.
e.g. Idolatry according to this book called the Quran is idolising anything as divine other than God who is "the divine".
Even money or children.
Please offer an example of a rendition of idolatry that doesn't involved dualism.
I believe I already gave that example brother. You responded to that. If I am not clear I shall try to.
Does idolatry lead to dualism?
If one idolizes anything, it creates a dichotomy, which is the very nature of dualism. So in your example, such a rendition is dualism.
When you say you idolise anything it creates a dichotomy, you are already assuming that anything someone idolises (e.g. God or "the divine") is separate from everything else.
No.
Anything one idolizes is separate from him/herself. That’s dualism.
Not true. And you didnt understand what I said.
Nevertheless. Cheers. Have a good day.
Perhaps not to you. And it wasn’t for lack of effort.
You, too.
Hmm. After some contemplation, I think you are spot on with your statement "perhaps not to you". Haha. I didnt expect that. Truth is also subjective. So let me say that was excellent.
Nevertheless, when YOU say dualism, what do you mean? Which dualism are you referring to? Do you discuss mind-body dualism and monism, Indian-hindu-religious-buddhist type of dualism or property/predicate dualism?
I am asking you because you began with idolatry (which also you should define if possible because idolatry is subjective).
Cheers.
Depends on your rendition of Idolatry.
e.g. Idolatry according to this book called the Quran is idolising anything as divine other than God who is "the divine".
Even money or children.
so this triggered an idea on the tree of good and evil as knowledge vs the tree of life. almost as if it might have been a warning against idolatry. could knowledge be a form of idolatry; especially if its used to subjugate and enslave others?If one idolizes anything, it creates a dichotomy, which is the very nature of dualism. So in your example, such a rendition is dualism.
I think in general, the over-emphasis of Nonduality in modern Hinduism is almost fascist (towards strict Dualists) but at the same time naive. I've more respect for Hindu philosophers in this sense, because they usually consider these things on a deeper intellectual and mystical level than simply belief-based.
Dualism itself is limiting (however it is entirely necessary and in many way, superior) but Nondualists seem to forget that even if they believe in Nonduality, they still experience life through Duality, it's inescapable.
The truth is that Ultimate Reality itself is Nondualistic but it's manifestation/emanation/creation is Dualistic. Dualism and Nondualism fit within each other. Any individual person is not the Absolute, only the Absolute it the Absolute. We are a result of the Absolute which is eternal and 'not like this or that'.
And I mean this, even if one has full conviction that Atman = Brahman.
In general to Hindus though, Dualism is a dirty word. At the same time, many Western monotheists seen to think Nonduality is a dirty word.
The thing is, all common worldviews (especially including Atheism) will often be one or the other.
Islam offers the perspective I think is closest to the truth, being that God is 'none of these'. We think Dualistically because we are Dualistic. We experience Dunya, we experience 'incarnation' (of Ruh), we experience the manifestation of the 99 names of God. But there is nothing independent of God, everything is of God's essence but nothing is identical with God, it can't be, we're experiencing impermanence, whereas God is eternal.
As for Idolatry, it's easy for people to go twisting what it even means. Idolatry doesn't exist (in the same terms) in Hinduism, so a Hindus interpretation will not suffice. Idolatry is attachment to temporal, impermanent, transitory things (aka, anything in the Universe), not just idols or deities. Idolatry is Dualistic again, because the Universe is Dualistic.
Nowadays in Hindu traditions in Vedanta there is this utterly hilarious tendency to apply metaphysics to physics (however, not the other way around ), it speaks for itself but the only true Nondualism has to have a clear understanding of what Māyā applies to (being anything but Brahman), there are truly no exceptions to it, considering that Advaita tends to be strong-Nonduality.
However, modern Nondualism in general tends to be incoherent because it doesn't really understand how Nondualism has been traditionally understood.