Beware: This non-duality trap is duality

Some people readily grasp the non-dual teaching that “there is no-one there.” Looking within when the limited idea of yourself arises, it immediately disappears and you can readily notice in your immediate experience that “there is no one there”–no “person” with any substance.

But by itself, this seeing is incomplete, and therefore false.

It’s true that you have, almost all your life, thought yourself to be the separate, individual, maker, taker, and actor of decisions. And it can be quite mind-blowing to no be able to find yourself.

Not finding yourself, as an object in your awareness, can result in the realization that you are not who you thought you were. Good.

However, you still are. Can you deny your existence? If so, who is doing it?

We have only ever always found things as objects, things you can point to “out there,” and so we can become quite lost with the realization you can’t “find” yourself in this way. And yet still, not finding yourself as an object in your awareness, as something you can point to, like you point to all other objects, does not negate your reality.

Not being comfortable with not being able to find your objective self, and still not knowing your true self, you may grasp at something to explain it, to stabilize yourself, and you can hold onto a new concept that “there is no one here.”

This can become a new identity. When this happens, rather than exploring the recognition of not being who you thought you are (and so who are you really?), you settle on a denial of your existence.

Where you can get trapped in a non-dual concept is applying impersonality to everything, and ignoring yourself.

I often hear: “There is no seer, there is only seeing.”

Well, says who? Who is aware of the seeing?

There is no such separate actor, and there is no such separate one being acted upon.

Decisions are thought to happen first, mentally, before the next action is known or taken. But the recognition of the next action comes before the I-thought. What we call “decisions” are I-thoughts claiming (through and as words), to be “the one” who made the decision–after the action has already become known to you!

Does not the whole universe “decide”? You may think you’ve decided which route to take across the city, until you come upon an accident or construction detour. Where is the doer or decider now? Oh yes, this fictional character now decides to take a detour! LoL

There are no decisions, since decisions are defined to be made by an individual separate person. There are only actions. Whether the action is limited or ecological (that is, taking into account the whole,) is dependent upon whether or not you think you are the limited.

Through this body-mind, there is only openness to the totality, or contraction and restriction. Contraction creates the image of the false self.

You could say that intelligence is deciding–if the body-mind is open. If not, then ignorance is deciding.

There *is* an I. And this sense of I, identified (through your powers) with the body, thoughts, images etc in the mind, seems separate, and is a pale, limited reflection of your true Self. It may sit on the highway, ignorant to the possibility of a detour. It suffers and causes suffering.

The imaginary separated self does not take the whole ecology into consideration because it can’t even see it–it is by definition, selfishly small.

This same sense of I, pure, with no stories or false images attached to it, is at peace–and is the doorway back to your true Self, the end of separation and duality, for the Self is the same Self of all.

It’s true: there is no {seer… AND seen…} That is subject-object, and duality.
There is only the subject, only the Seer, who is both the subject and the seen.

The I in what appears as a limited manifestation is the unlimited Absolute. (Atman is Brahman).
This cannot merely be acquired as second-hand thought knowledge, it must be directly and actually perceived. That removal of the false, association with the truth, and final recognition is Self-Realization.

The first thing the inquiry “Who am I?” does is remove the false ignorance, but do not stop when you can no longer find your false self. That is just the first step. Don’t get stuck there, continue because it it only after removal of the false can the Truth of your identity be realized.

If you settle on a self that says there is no self, well you still have a false self.