Duality is a fact of life you must take note of. It can enhance your life and provide you with the balance and meaning you are looking for. The key is to be aware of both good and bad things and be grateful for the good things as well. Duality helps you balance out the contradictions in life and improve your quality of living. It is an essential feature of human brain. Here are a few facts about duality you must know.
Non-Duality has many spiritual associations. It is a state of consciousness in which practitioners experience the feeling that they are an integral part of their surroundings. American spiritual teacher Shinzen Young defines Non-Dual Awareness as being intimate with everything. The experience is similar to feeling that you are an object of observation. It is not an easy state to achieve. In order to attain Non-Dual Awareness, you need to learn to be present in the moment.
Western philosophers have often misinterpreted representation as reality. They tried to make reality a single entity and attempted to confine the truth to one end of the dualistic spectrum. This approach has caused many philosophical problems, but it does have some positive qualities. Nonetheless, it is important to understand that we are dual in nature and need to take note of duality. This does not mean we need to live in a dual world.
Hegel argues that dualities are artificial byproducts of analysis. To overcome these, he proposes synthesis. While Buddha aimed to simplify life, Hegel hoped to embrace it in its entirety. Hegel saw salvation through higher abstraction. But the opposites are not necessarily mutually exclusive. As long as we are willing to embrace the paradoxes, we are free to live a more fulfilling life.
Hume argues against dualism a priori, saying that there is a link between the mind and the body. Hence, the dualism of the mind cannot be established a priori. However, he argues that the dualism of the mind and the body is not possible. So, it is necessary to make an effort to understand dualism. So, let's explore how dualism affects our lives.
It violates the law of conservation of energy. While the mind is not material, it cannot be immaterial. Hence, it cannot have mass, motion, or solidity. So, for the mind to act on the body, there has to be a mechanism. This mechanism is called a mind-body interaction, or telekinesis. You must realize that the existence of both causes a paradox.
While common sense tells us that we have a physical body, intellectual pressure toward materialist monism tends to overrule this idea. Because of this, discussions of dualism usually start with the assumption that we have a physical body. Then, we move on to discussing arguments for and against dualism. But, it is important to understand that this is the case before you decide which way you stand on the issue.