Douwe Tiemersma - Non-Duality: The Groundless Openness

Winchester, UK
Washington, USA

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What is non-duality? The word appears with increasing frequency in conversations and texts. It refers to a being-experience in which nothing is separated from yourself. This experience arises very easily when you relax. Then the separations between yourself and other things and other people disappear. Everyone seems to know these experiences. It can be a vague understanding, or it can be a clear vision of the truth without duality. In Advaita Vedanta, the current of Indian thought that goes back to the ancient Upanishads of the 8th6th century BC, the non-dualistic (a-dvaita) vision is elaborated into a philosophy. This non-dualistic vision is present as the highest truth in Buddhism, Taoism and also in Jewish, Christian and Islamic mysticism. Non-duality forms the essence of every spiritual and mystical truth.

The texts in this book refer to the non-dual experience and show the diverse aspects of non-duality in order to give its recognition a better chance. The book is comprised of spontaneous introductions and discussions with people who sought insight into non-duality by asking for descriptions or explanations. These were collected from meetings which were held from the early 1980s onwards. Recordings were made of many of these meetings, some of which were then partially transcribed. Such texts form the most important material of this book. A few other kinds of texts are also included: short pieces of poetry, articles and notes taken by a participant in some of the talks.

Non-duality and openness (the words non-duality, advaita and openness are used interchangeably) are groundless. They cannot be described in positive terms because the separations that the words create are themselves transcended. Also, the words used in this book remain inadequate. They can only give an indication towards awakening. They point towards the beingexperience of non-duality and through these references the experience itself can become clearer to the reader. The texts continually connect to your own experience, because its not about a theory or a system of propositions and ideas. Therefore a loose layout has been chosen for this book with different sorts of texts. Through the continual reference to your own personal experience a clarification can arise. Nevertheless, this explanation forms a more or less coherent philosophy. To a certain extent its useful to put this philosophy into words, in other words to clarify and supplement the being-understanding.

In your own being-experience a conscious recognition can take place of the undivided openness. These texts refer to that in the most direct manner possible. Through an ongoing orientation to this open essence of yourself and everything, the liberating realization can break through that this groundless openness is the truth. Its about a direct path. Therefore its not necessary to read the book from cover to cover, but rather to linger a bit with shorter pieces of text. Sometimes its more valuable to remain quietly with one sentence rather than continuing to read on. One thought may be sufficient for the opening of being-awareness.

The realization of non-duality has practical consequences for living and coexisting. All internal and external conflicts arise through divisions. As these separations fall away there is a wholeness without problems.

The texts are arranged in a sequence that is appropriate to the subject matter. After an initial introduction to non-duality, there is a further orientation using autobiographical material which can serve to stimulate the recognition of non-duality in the reader. The third chapter illustrates the diversity of situations in which people find themselves and the high value they ascribe to non-dual openness. From the highest there appears to be a non-duality for all situations. Three types of non-duality then are offered. There is a description of the groundless openness when it is experienced as external (Chapter 4), as well as when it is recognized internally as the deepest core of self-being (Chapter 5). Both perspectives appear to be not different from one another. Thus, there is a non-duality of the groundless openness on the subjective as well as objective side. This third type of non-duality is that of the absolute openness and the relative world. It requires a separate treatment (Chapter 6). The last chapter deals with the nature of the experience of non-duality.

From the available material of introductory talks and discussions only those texts which point directly to the core were selected. So all kinds of themes are left out, such as the path with its difficulties and the traditions with their texts. They are covered in other publications. Also, the selected texts contain a mutual overlap but that is inevitable and even helpful for the recognition to occur within the reader. In their diversity the collected texts offer an insight into all the important aspects of non-duality.

This book is created from the ongoing impulse to express in words that which has yet to be formulated. Its about what is experienced as the most important: freedom and unity, the non-dual openness. It is always already present in everyone as their own source and foundation, but in daily life it seldom receives a clear place in consciousness, in language and in the individual way of life. This book can contribute to a clearer recognition.

There has been a lot of help in creating this book. Thanks go to those who made the recordings and typed out the texts, especially Odile and Willem, and to Wanda who put the texts in order. Thanks to Pia for reading through the text and to Sabine for correcting the manuscript. I am especially grateful to Ellen and John who undertook the huge task of translating the text carefully and effectively into the English language.

Non-duality is simple. When there is relaxation and a clear consciousness, the simplicity is easy to confirm.

Everything is there as light,
light that knows no boundaries;
therefore there is no shadow,
no trace in the transparency;
only a play of light.
You are, I am, that light,
Light that has its center everywhere;
universally we radiate from inside out
unlimited, the wealth
of the light-play,