Nondualism: A Brief History of a Timeless Concept

by Michael Taft

Many traditions and mystics talk about nondualism. But what is nondualism, and how have people—from different religions in different parts of the word—described this concept over the millennia?

In this book you will discover the long history of nondualism, from its first roots in the Indian Upanishads, to its expression in Buddhism and Advaita Vedanta, to its most modern-day expressions in the West. If you are a person in a nondual tradition, this book is an invaluable companion on your journey.

Genres: Meditation, Spirituality

100 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 12, 2014

About the author

Michael W. Taft is an author, editor, meditation teacher, and neuroscience junkie. He is currently a meditation coach specializing in secular, science-based meditation training in corporate settings and one-on-one sessions. Michael is the author of several books, including the upcoming The Mindful Geek, and Nondualism: A Brief History of a Timeless Concept, Ego (which he co-authored), as well as the editor of such books as Hardwiring Happiness by Rick Hanson and the upcoming The Science of Enlightenment by Shinzen Young.

He has taught at Google and worked on curriculum development for SIYLI. Michael is also an official advisor to the Therapeutic Neuroscience Lab. He was previously editor-in-chief of Being Human, a site for exploring what evolution, neuroscience, biology, psychology, archeology, and technology can tell us about the human condition, and was editorial director of Sounds True.

From Zen temples in Japan to yogi caves in India, Michael has been meditating for over thirty years and has extensive experience in both Buddhist and Hindu practice. Michael is a senior facilitator in Shinzen Young’s Basic Mindfulness system, and is a teacher at Against the Stream Buddhist Meditation Society. He currently lives in Berkeley, California, and is founding editor of the popular mindfulness meditation blog Deconstructing Yourself.

Reviews

[Tyson Nichols · Rating 5 out of 5]

Michael Taft’s brief guide was a perfect overview for me, a daily meditator with roots in the Vipassana tradition. I now have a basic understanding of Nondualism (“the philosophical and religious concept that all things are essentially one,” as defined by Taft) and its place in the history of spiritual thought; it is a jumping off point for me to dive into detailed histories of Nondualism in Eastern and Western thought. I highly recommend this to anyone in a Nondual practice who would like to see how Nondualism fits into other traditions.

[ar · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent tour of the history of the most powerful ideas in history. I will be coming back to this book both to review it, as a launching point for conversation, and a starting point for further learning on the subject. Taft does a great job of outlining nondualism in its many variations, as well as pointing out ways in which seemingly different interpretations are indeed more similar than one may think at first pass.

The book is not an instruction manual for the experience of nonduality- it focuses on the philosophy in it iterations throughout different religions and traditions, and it does a great job. Taft is becoming one of my favorites, ill be reading his other books soon (and I highly recommend his podcast).

[Ramana · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fine survey w/o fluff.

The not-book book if you have “glimpsed” the topic. A fuller book by the author would be great to see some day. Meanwhile, his deconstructing yourself podcast also points out well.

[Dean Paradiso · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short, concise, modern and easy to read introduction to Nondualism. I really liked how the author set out right away the difference between nondual awareness (nonduality in practice), and the study of the subject, Nondualism. He focused on the latter. He covers most of the big areas in the history of Nondualism, and it sets the stage for more research, if one is interested.

[Nadvornix · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short and simple. Delivers exactly what it promises.