The easiest way I can semi-explain non-duality from a monotheist perspective would be with the question: What if God was all there was? Or more, what if God was everything, and everything was God? (Using whatever definitions for “God” and “everything” are biggest for you.)
The notion being that all aspects of existence are, in a very literal way, unified, the same way atoms are unified in being a molecule, molecules are unified in being a cell, and cells are unified in being a body, we are unified in being a God/universe/Tao/is-ness. Likewise, one could go a step further, and say that each of those pieces are interdependent: If a cell changes, so does the body, and if the body changes it affects the cells; the identity of each piece is dependent on all the other pieces, none of them are independent, none of them could be what they are, on their own. If you change an atom, you change the universe, and vice versa; not only is no man an island, no man can be an island, nor can anything else (even actual islands.)
So that’s the crib notes for nonduality and interdependence.
Lao Tzu called this oneness the Tao.
Hindus call this oneness Advaita Vedanta.
If you’re into physics you might be familiar with the idea that our universe could be described with a single quantum wave function…. if we didn’t know about quantum wave functions.
I’m a Taoist, I find the Tao a chef’s kiss metaphor for the universe as I understand it, I think of it as “everythingeverness,” though even that is limiting in its way. I just wondered if Judaism had any parallel or similar strains of thought? But then maybe seeing God in all things has some overlap with idolatry or something, I think I heard a Christian tell me that once, but they’re weird.
Anyway, thanks for taking the time, I appreciate it!
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Source: Reditt
