Celebrate Duality, That's All That There Is
Questioner: I have fears and greed, thus a life of duality. How long must I live like this? Should I try to force a change?
Acharya Prashant: There is no other life, and duality is wonderful, duality is sacred. There is nothing reprehensible about duality. Can there be duality without the non-dual? Can there be duality? What lies at the source of all duality? It’s just that we do not see the imprint of the source upon all dualistic events, and that is the only thing that is needed; duality will still exist. Without duality, how do we talk? Without duality, there is no Prashant and no Mudit; otherwise, there is just the ocean, the beautiful ocean, and nobody to watch the ocean.
You know, what is duality?
Duality is Truth wanting to know itself. Duality is the Source enjoying itself by dividing itself into two. That is what duality is.
There is nothing evil about duality; it’s wonderful. Without you, how will the Source know itself? Without you, how will the Source know what it is to fail, what it is to suffer? So, you are important. All our failings, all imperfections are important. They are alright; otherwise, there is just shoonya. What else is there? Truth will become so boring. That also needs some spice, some gossip, you provide that gossip. That’s your role in the scheme of things.
If there is no duality, what will the Truth do? Alone, absolutely alone.
He too needs a partner, but from where to get a partner? Because the Truth is alone; there is nothing else. So, it divides itself into two. And then there is Mudit Ji, and then there is family, and then there is the world. So, two are there, and then 2ⁿ. Now there is some spice, some foolishness, some this and that. It’s alright. Good. All this is leela; nice. There is no reason to feel small about it. It is not at all small. Just don’t forget, that's what all this is. Indulge yourself fully, but do remember what is happening. Get fully engrossed, but remember what is happening. Don’t forget that.
There is no need to come out of a life of duality because there is no other life. This is it, you will not find any other life. In fact, we do not know what life is. That’s why we are saying that out of this life of duality, I want to go somewhere else. No. This is the only life but it is known only when it is lived without any apology, without a sense of shame. We live life as if we are ashamed of living.
And that’s why all we know is very limited both in sense of experience and time. That’s why all we know is a very limited experience and then duality appears so very confining, so limiting. So, live shamelessly, unabashedly. And then this question itself will not arise: why is the duality there and how can I know the non-dual? Duality is non-dual, just get into it.
Every bit of duality carries the imprint of its maker, of the source. Look at it carefully. Come close to it. Come close to sadness; come close to happiness. Whatever there is, come close to it. Don’t live as if the world is untouchable. There is nothing untouchable in the world. All is That, what will you declare as abhorrent? When all is That, what can be untouchable? What are you afraid of? What are you ashamed of? Get into it; get close to it. Get close to what can be seen; get close to what can be heard.
First of all, get close to your body and drive every bit out of it. Experience the body. And in that, you will see the markings of its maker. What else are these Whirling Dervishes doing? They are pushing the body to its limit; spin, spin, spin, spin, and then the spinner is gone. But you will have to come close to it; see what it is. Push it.
Duality cannot be bypassed. To bypass duality is to live in great illusion. Duality is the only way the Source manifests itself. You will never come to know anything except the root of duality.
When duality is not there, who is there to know? When duality goes away, do you think Mudit Mathur will be there to inquire? So, what are we wishing for? That I should remain and the duality should go away? You are duality, and to know duality is to be self-aware. You are duality. That’s all that there is. Enjoy it, fully shameless.
