The Language of Paradox in Advaita

A talk by Swami Sarvapriyanada:
So it's almost an hour long but well worth it if you have the time.

The gist is how to discuss things that can't be expressed in language. I'm not an interfaith wiz by any means but I've seen similar ideas pop up in every religious tradition I've ever looked at. There are things/thoughts/experiences that by nature seem to be ineffable. Any attempt to put them into words is going to lead to misconstrueing the thing. One approach is the use of paradox and the swami presents this in a way that makes it clear why some things are so difficult to express and how to paint the impossible-to-grasp by kind of talking around it.


He also uses the phrase "inaction in action" which has been tickling me for days. I'm a simple man.

I don't have time but I resonate with paradox concept including "actionless action".

Even in physics we run into paradoxes like light is made of particles but is not made of particles but instead waves. We have proof that the paradox is true and that it's resolved by being both at the same time.

That gives me a handle to approach the spiritual paradox inherent in non-duality although my mind boggles very easily when trying to deeply appreciate that reality. Maybe a boggled mind is a good thing.

Sure, it's difficult, though a great deal can be expressed by way of metaphor and simile. Much of this can be resolved with intelligent question and answer, though this isn't always practical.
Perhaps sometimes people just can't express themselves very clearly? Or maybe they're trying to communicate a teaching, rather than an actual experience? The distinction isn't always obvious.

"inaction in action"
That's what I tell my wife when she asks why I've been sitting around doing nothing all day.
"Honey, I'm a spiritual man"

sun rise said:

Even in physics we run into paradoxes like light is made of particles but is not made of particles but instead waves. We have proof that the paradox is true and that it's resolved by being both at the same time.

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With the wave/particle thing I take the same approach that I currently fall back on with regards to the physical/mental distinction. Light isn't a wave or a particle and events or objects are neither physical or mental; things appear to us depending on the means we have of making them appear. That's how I ease my confusion these days anyway.

Jaiket said:

He also uses the phrase "inaction in action" which has been tickling me for days. I'm a simple man.

Click to expand...

Another side-splitter: positionless position.
Reality itself is indeed ineffable. Hence the finger and the moon stuff.

Paradox = stuff I can't explain. Maybe.

Jaiket said:

He also uses the phrase "inaction in action" which has been tickling me for days. I'm a simple man.

Click to expand...

Although the body performs actions, "I" am the witness, and "I" am aware that "I" am not the doer of the action.