An Introduction to Non-Duality

The non-dual understanding addresses the quest for lasting happiness and the nature of reality by asserting that peace is the essential nature of the self. Suffering and the restless search for fulfillment in external objects or relationships stem from a lack of clear self-knowledge rather than an inherent absence of joy. Because all experience is mediated through the mind, investigating the mind's own nature serves as the highest endeavor for understanding reality. This perspective defines reality as an infinite, indivisible whole of pure consciousness from which all separate entities borrow their existence. Such insights are foundational to major spiritual traditions, reflected in the Christian unity of self and Divine, the Sufi connection between self-knowledge and the Lord, and the Buddhist identity of Samsara and Nirvana. Ultimately, this internal recognition of "knowing thyself" acts as the necessary foundation for both individual peace and the establishment of a civilized, harmonious society.