The first chapter of Philip Renard‘s book Non-Dualism: Eastern Enlightenment in the World of Western Enlightenment provides an in-depth exploration of non-duality. Renard begins his discussion by framing man’s basic problem as “the tormenting voice.” Then, he describes the essence of non-separateness, discusses the Buddhist notion of two-truths and compares and contrasts non-dualism with mysticism.
Non-duality is what remains when the seeking stops, when there is ‘finding’. This happens when the inner struggle is realized as being not based on reality, and in this realization the whole body-mind relaxes. I am not two.
Philip Renard was born in Amsterdam in 1944. After a period of studying the original teachings of Ch’an Buddhism, he started practicing his spiritual life in Subud (a Java based brotherhood), in which the surrender practice called latihangave him a foundation for all further insight, that is: freedom from concept or method. (See Philip’s website for more details about Philip and his work)
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