Non-duality

[Marble]

Does non-duality extist in any religions/philosopies that did not originate in Asia?
I know of 3 religions with non-dual philosophies: Taoism, Advaita (Hinduism) and Buddhism.
Are there others?

 

[Willamena]

Judaism (Ein Sof), and hence also Christianity (Gnosticism), and Sufism and Irfan within Islam.

 

[Otherright]

Judaism (Ein Sof), and hence also Christianity (Gnosticism), and Sufism and Irfan within Islam.

No Judaism is non-dualistic. Christianity is dualistic.

 

[Willamena]

No Judaism is non-dualistic. Christianity is dualistic.

I disagree.

 

[Madhuri]

I disagree.

To compromise then, most Christian philosophical interpretations are dualistic.

 

[Willamena]

To compromise then, most Christian philosophical interpretations are dualistic.

That wasn't the question, though.

 

[Otherright]

I disagree.

Christianity, by and large, at a theological level is dualistic. Concepts such as Heaven and hell, good and evil, God and Satan, salvation and damnation. These are all dualistic concepts. How can you see Christianity as anything but dualistic?

 

[Willamena]

Christianity, by and large, at a theological level is dualistic. Concepts such as Heaven and hell, good and evil, God and Satan, salvation and damnation. These are all dualistic concepts. How can you see Christianity as anything but dualistic?

If you can read what I said, then please address that.

 

[Otherright]

If you can read what I said, then please address that.

Gnosticism refers to secret knowledge. But that secret knowledge is still used to attain salvation. Without that knowledge there is damnation. Dualism. There is still the belief in God and Satan. Dualism.

While there are different groups that expound different teachings, the end results are often dualistic in nature. One is still striving for salvation rather than damnation. One still seeks freedom from the material world in the form of heaven.

 

[Willamena]

Gnosticism refers to secret knowledge. But that secret knowledge is still used to attain salvation. Without that knowledge there is damnation. Dualism. There is still the belief in God and Satan. Dualism.

While there are different groups that expound different teachings, the end results are often dualistic in nature. One is still striving for salvation rather than damnation. One still seeks freedom from the material world in the form of heaven.

Gnosticism has their pleroma, with which unity and divinity is possible. The unity fractures no matter which images of religion you approach them with --Gnosticism its aeons, or Hinduism its gods. There is no "damnation" inherent in Gnosticism, putting "salvation" on a par with "enlightenment," a concept with which even Easterners "strive" for understanding.

 

[Otherright]

Gnosticism has their pleroma, with which unity and divinity is possible. The unity fractures no matter which images of religion you approach them with --Gnosticism its aeons, or Hinduism its gods. There is no "damnation" inherent in Gnosticism, putting "salvation" on a par with "enlightenment," a concept with which even Easterners "strive" for understanding.

Which group of Gnostic writings are you reading? Or are you reading from one of the five modern branch Codices?

 

[Willamena]

Which group of Gnostic writings are you reading? Or are you reading from one of the five modern branch Codices?

I don't recall the book, sorry. It was about the time I was reading about Neoplatonism.

 

[Marble]

No Judaism is non-dualistic. Christianity is dualistic.

I thought both, Judaism and Christianity, are dualistic.
Because non-dualism means that you and God are one, that you are God.

 

[Otherright]

I thought both, Judaism and Christianity, are dualistic.
Because non-dualism means that you and God are one, that you are God.

No, dualism is something that has two opposing parts. Heaven-Hell. Good-evil. God-Satan. Salvation-damnation. Non-dualism simply means it doesn't adhere to the dualistic properties.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

Taoism isn't dualistic? What about the Yin Yang.

 

[Valjean]

Non-dualism is a perennial philosophy. You'll probably find it in all the mystical religions.
As non-dualism's realized whenever someone achieves cosmic consciousness, it pops up everywhere, regardless of culture, place or religion.

 

[Onkara]

I agree with Seyorni, and would like to add that for duality to exist it must exist in non-duality. In other words the foundation for duality is no duality.

There is no dramatic change to a person or a religion when no duality is known, all it means is that you have got your head around it (or past the duality)

 

[TheKnight]

Does non-duality extist in any religions/philosopies that did not originate in Asia?
I know of 3 religions with non-dual philosophies: Taoism, Advaita (Hinduism) and Buddhism.
Are there others?

Yes. Hasidic philosophy (in Judaism) is based on the non-dual philosophy that God is infinite and, as is often said, "Ein Od Milvado" which means "there is nothing besides Him." The idea is that God can be found everywhere. The computers we're using to communicate are not separate objects, but merely an extension of the Ein Sof (God). Nothing has a separate existence but everything is a part of the Ein Sof. Our purpose in coming to Earth is to reveal that fact within our own perceived reality and thus re-achieve a sort of unity with the divine, which I suppose you could say is a type of enlightenment.

Non-dual Judaism isn't all that common but is growing in popularity as more and more begin to study and accept Hasidic philosophy.

I thought both, Judaism and Christianity, are dualistic.
Because non-dualism means that you and God are one, that you are God.

There are different ways of looking at Judaism. Many Hasidim are non-dualists. The struggle is to try and match your perception with the reality that "there is none other than Him."

 

[Willamena]

Taoism isn't dualistic? What about the Yin Yang.

It's a symbol that brings the opposites together as one, each a perfect mirror of the other, a dot within the other to represent the image of the other in the one. "Form does not differ from emptiness," identifies form and emptiness (two) as one.

 

[GabrielWithoutWings]

Gnosticism has their pleroma, with which unity and divinity is possible. The unity fractures no matter which images of religion you approach them with --Gnosticism its aeons, or Hinduism its gods. There is no "damnation" inherent in Gnosticism, putting "salvation" on a par with "enlightenment," a concept with which even Easterners "strive" for understanding.

Every mainstream Gnostic scholar disagrees with you, unless you aren't talking about classical Gnosticism. Classical Gnosticism is abundantly dualist.