What is Nonduality?In this lesson, you will explore how a thing, though composed of many parts, is considered as a whole. For example, the shamrock at left has three distinct leaves coming from a single stem; is it three plants or one?
If you said it is one plant, then you already have some understanding of the key concept of this unit: nonduality or nondifference. The Sanskrit word for this is advaita, translated as “not two,” which is the central concept in Advaita Vedanta, a branch of Hinduism that promotes the idea that all is one and there is a single universal truth or reality, manifested in many names and many forms. |
How many quarters are in a dollar?
Before there were dollar bills, there were dollar coins. The first coins were minted in 1794. Both the dollar bill and the silver dollar shown here have the same value, but the shape of the coin better demonstrates how it encompasses its four parts (the quarters). Together, the four quarters are the dollar, just as the many forms and names of individual reality are, in fact, one reality, according to the principle of advaita, or nonduality, that we are studying in this unit. |
Illustrating the concept
The graphic above started with a pie chart. A Creative Commons image of a quarter was copied and pasted into the four sections as follows:
1 quarter = 25 cents 2 quarters = 50 cents 3 quarters = 75 cents 4 quarters = 1 dollar Can you think of other ideas to illustrate how parts = the whole? The moon is one example—there are four quarters, or phases, of the moon, but regardless of whether you are seeing crescent, half, or full, it’s the same sphere in the sky. The four phases are merely a matter of our perspective from Earth. |
Your project
Now it's your turn to be creative! Think of your own example and make your own illustration of the concept of advaita, or nonduality!
Extension activity
The graphic at right illustrates a central concept in Advaita Vedanta. Atman is a Sanskrit word that can be translated as the “individual” self or soul. Brahman is the Sanskrit word for the "world soul," which is everywhere and inside of each living being. The Sanskrit phrase “Tat Tvam Asi,” originally appearing in the Chandogya Upanishad and translated as “That Art Thou,” means that the Atman is, in reality, no different from the Brahman.
In this graphic, the word Atman is repeated many times, indicating that there are many “individual souls” comprising the whole, which is represented in black both inside and outside the circle. The ultimate reality, or Brahman, extends beyond the boundaries of the circle and includes all of the self-identities people create. |
Your challenge is to CHOOSE ONE of the following extension activities to complete:
- Create your own graphic to illustrate the relationship between Atman and Brahman, individual soul and collective soul
- Research and write about the relationship between Atman and Brahman. Be sure to cite at least three credible sources.