Nonduality: A Study in Comparative Philosophy

by David R. Loy

Many Western philosophers are poorly informed about the issues involved in nonduality, since this topic is usually associated with various kinds of absolute idealism in the West, or mystical traditions in the East. Increasingly, however, this topic is finding its way into Western philosophical debates. In this "scholarly but leisurely and very readable" (Spectrum Review) analysis of the philosophies of nondualism of (Hindu) Vedanta, Mahayana Buddhism, and Taoism, Loy extracts what he calls "a core doctrine" of nonduality of seer and seen from these three worldviews and then applies the doctrine in various ways, including a critique of Derrida's deconstructionism.

Genres: Philosophy, Buddhism, Spirituality, Nonfiction, Religion, Mysticism, Eastern Philosophy

360 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

David Robert Loy is an American author and authorized teacher in the Sanbo Kyodan lineage of Japanese Zen Buddhism.

Reviews

[Jason Gregory · Rating 5 out of 5]

David R. Loy has produced an epic tome of nonduality within the great Eastern spiritual traditions. Nonduality is the best book I've read in the last five years. It is scholarly, mind-blowing, and enlightening. Some may say that might be due to my focus on nonduality in my work. But I can say with confidence that even if I was new to the subject, this book would give me a thorough understanding on the subject and transform my life. But I am not saying that it is for a beginner, it is an important book for anyone no matter how familiar they are with Eastern philosophy and nonduality. The book itself is a gem and goes further than any other book before it.

Loy explores the great nondual traditions, especially Advaita Vedanta, Buddhism, and Taoism, as well as the dualistic schools of Samkhya and Yoga. He thoroughly analyzes these traditions so that the reader can better understand the differing philosophical views on the subject-object relation at the core of these Eastern schools. On top of this, Loy explores the nature of nonduality itself and why we are accustomed to thinking dualistically. He tackles this through delving into the nature of nondual perception, nondual action, and nondual thinking. He makes a great argument that our perception is naturally nondual, and after you understand how nondual perception, action, and thinking operate, then you may too. But this book goes above and beyond to explain nonduality as our natural function of mind. The cognitive error of seeing yourself as independent and separate from the world will begin to dissolve when you explore the nature of nonduality within the great Eastern traditions. This book is where you will begin your journey and also the destination you'll arrive at, as is ironically the case with the nondual nature of life.

[Morgan Blackledge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenomenal.

Absolutely spellbinding.

Author David Loy explores non-duality (advaita in Sanskrit) from the perspectives of Buddhism, Hinduism, and Contemplative Christian spiritual and theological hermeneutical traditions. As well as from both eastern and western traditional, modern and postmodern philosophical traditions.

NONDUALITY IN BUDDHISM:

Buddhist nonduality (particularly important to Mahayana and Zen Buddhist traditions) refers to the deeply experienced realization that conventional experiences of dualistic binaries such as SELF/OTHER and SUBJECT/OBJECT are (upon close inspection/introspection) both illusory and the ultimate source of human suffering, as explained in the Four Noble Truths.

In Mahayana Buddhism, emptiness (Śūnyatā) refers to the deeply experienced realization that all phenomena lack intrinsic meaning/substance or inherent, independent existence. In other words. Things exist only in relation to other things. Mahayana Buddhism asserts that a deeply experienced realization of emptiness (Śūnyatā) leads to the bigger realization that all dualities (SELF/OTHER) are ultimately false.

Similarly, Zen Buddhism asserts that koan practice, meditation (zazen), and mindfulness practices elicit an experiential realization of oneness, where apparent (SUBJECT/OBJECT) dualism is revealed to be ultimately false.

Author, David Loy asserts that these Mahayana and Zen perspectives are like two sides of the same coin, in other words, or the FIGURE and the GROUND of the same non-dual experience.

NONDUALITY IN HINDUISM:

Nonduality is central to Advaita Vedanta school of Hinduism. Wherein the deeply experienced realization that the infinite divine (Brahman) and the self/soul (Atman) are non-dual (unitary), and that the perception of the duality between Brahman and Atman is an illusion (Maya).

NONDUALITY IN WESTERN PHILOSOPHY:

Non-dual ideas appear in Western philosophy in the works of thinkers like Spinoza, who proposed a monistic view of the universe, where everything is one substance. Similarly Hegel spoke of overcoming dualities in his dialectical process. The author convincingly argues for a non-dual current in postmodern thinking, most clearly indicated in the deconstructavism of Jock Derrida.

The book is heady and theoretical.

But not lacking in deep spiritual insights.

Amazing piece of scholarship.

5/5 stars ⭐️

[Mark Scorelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alot of really good reviews have been contributed here. I don't need to repeat. I have read and studied the most modern Non-Dual Advaita, Zen and Original spokes people (Eckhart Tolle, Gangaji, Adyashanti, Rupert Spira etc) and I think they have made great inroads in understanding and/or realizing what is really the depth of teachings of Eastern er...spiritual philosophy. This book was written in the early 70's when there wasn't much on the shelves about Non-Dual Reality. I had a teacher then who also wanted to make a grand synthesis of the various teachings, philosophical and metaphysical and practice. The headspace of the cultural wave has moved beyond this idea. Now the traditions, let's say Tibetan have cut and trimmed, and pruned their vast oceans of teachings and presented it to Western thinking and culture. And a few Western heros have ventured into those traditions and come back with golden offerings. We get the Cliff Notes and they get to maintain their cultural identity in terminology, heros and Gurus, hoary texts and cultural artifacts. Now there is a whole cauldron of teachings of various traditions which any Westerner so inclined can imbibe. David Loy is a syncretist and that's okay.
One idea that struck me as innovative was the analysis of thinking, feeling and perception to each have a Nirvikalpa and Savikalpa dimension. Or even a triple dimension corresponding to the Dharmakaya, Sambogakaya and Nirmamkaya of traditional Buddhism. Sort of like a Being or noumenal aspect and a active and manifesting aspect, Siva and Sakti. And the trick is to wrap your head around these as Non-Dual or not two. But examining my own experience this analysis is true and a useful teaching. For example thinking can peak in a formless void-type of experience and that's where its creativity lies, in the space between thoughts. You get a great idea not only is it inspiring but happens to correspond to objective truth because it comes from a deep place where thought and thing are united, where subjective and objective collapse into a unified field.
The other point, I have thought myself occasionally and he put form to it, Advaita Vedanta is Subjective bent and Zen and other forms of Buddhism are Reality bent. Just like Berkeley and Hume. Thank you, that clears a few things up.
The book seems like a Ph.D. thesis that has been edited to be quite readable. I met David Loy at a couple of Science and Non0Duality Conferences where he was giving talks particularly on Ecological Buddhism. And he a great guy, very friendly and open. I want to go hang out with him up in Boulder.

[Miles Tiller · Rating 5 out of 5]

God damn!!!! So much in this. I need to think long and hard about the implications nonduality has toward the possibility of true metaphysics IN GENERAL. My brain hurts from this, seriously fatiguing difficult ontology. The best/worst kind of paradox-filled mind-hurting non-dimensional thinking.

[Hugh Simonich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loy explores the roots of nondual philosophy of the East and compares the nondual categorical differences in traditions. Loy did this so well and so thoroughly that he was able to dissect what he has taken to be superficial differences of perspectives or attitudes, and found the similarities. Loy is not only a precise scholar of Eastern studies, but of Western philosophy as well. So, he would many times integrate thoughts from Hegel, Schelling, Kant regarding non-dualism.

Loy does an exceptional job with explaining everything there is to know about non-dualism and why it's more veridical than our typical dualistic way of being. Many people in the West would find that nutty, but after reading Loy's comprehensive book, your mind will be expanded, question that very intuitive assumptions under which you operate, and see yourself and the world of things from a new perspective and attitude.

There are a number of different quotable quotes in here and I am glad that I took notes all the way through - basically a summary. This book is one of the important ones that help induce large perceptual changes that bring spontaneous feelings of freedom, peace, love, and compassion.

I've read Loy's other book Lack and Transcendence (highly suggested reading). His books make sense together. Truly, Loy is one of my favorite authors of all time.

[Finja Kemski · Rating 4 out of 5]

David R. Loy explores the profound concept of nonduality, delving into its roots in Buddhism and its connections to other spiritual traditions. This book offers a philosophical and contemplative approach to understanding the illusion of separation and the unity of all things. Thought-provoking and dense, it’s ideal for readers seeking a deeper understanding of nonduality’s practical and metaphysical implications.

[Slater Henatay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did not read this book from a Buddhist perspective. I was more or less going into to it to try and understand Heidegger and Hegel's philosophies. Really excellent book for understanding nondualities and paradoxes and whatnot

[Bonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent study of nonduality, relating mostly to eastern schools of religions, but also bringing in various western scholars and mystics. Loy compares and contrasts and synthesizes superbly.

[M Spiering · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book provides an enjoyable and exceptional account of what nonduality is. It goes well beyond vague and abstract hand waving by explaining this sometimes misunderstood term (which, as explained in the book, refers to ways of thinking, acting, and experiencing, among others).

Although primarily focused on Buddhist philosophy and practice in several contexts (i.e., Theravada and Mahayana), the author includes several other traditions, including Advaita Vedanta (a school of Hinduism), Taoism/Daoism, and an occasional sprinkling of Christian mysticism (notably Meister Eckhart). This work greatly enriched by extended discussions also of Western philosophy disciplines such phenomenology (especially Heidegger) and language use (e.g., Derrida).

Although very well written, it's a dense read that takes time to fully absorb. It does not provide instructions for how to directly experience nonduality, but makes plenty of references to traditions and practitioners that use contemplative practices for exploring and deepening the experience.

It's not uncommon to hear among practitioners of meditation and other contemplative practices that too much reading leads to too many concepts ("prapanca" or mental proliferation) cluttering the mind and thereby hindering practice. The author is very sensitive to the tension between understanding the world in terms of concepts or else nonconceptually. He makes the valid point, as others have made before him, that language and conceptual thinking are a necessary prerequisite and tool to instruct and guide those wishing to explore nonconceptual modes of experience.

This book complements a dedicated meditation practice (whether nondual or not) extremely well in my experience. I'm very grateful to the author for this tremendous work on and dedication to the topic and for sharing his knowledge and insights. A must-read for the serious practitioner (and/or philosopher of mind or nonduality).

[Dann · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW. I can say this might possibly be the best book I’ve ever read. The author, David Loy, is so well read in both eastern and western philosophy and has utter mastery over the subject as a whole. He is one of those unique scholars that is actually a practitioner of the subject they explicate as well, which makes the explication richly deep and nuanced. He is a true philosopher in the ancient traditional sense of the title, which is sadly rare in today��s academic milieu.

The book’s focus is the synthesis of a core non-dual doctrine to reconcile the philosophy describing the underlying non-discursive experience of Daoism, Mahayana Buddhism, and Advaita Vedanta. The author’s insights are not limited to these traditions though as he brings in everyone from the Greeks (notably Plotinus, Parmenides, Heraclitus, and the like) to the continentals to Sankha-Yoga, and many more. That’s one of the reasons I loved this book so much. While I was familiar with these, some much more than others, his use of them in comparison, in juxtaposition, opposition, and such really magnified and refined every point he made.

If you have an inclination towards philosophy and an interest in non-duality, this book will be beyond rewarding. It will be insightful in the truest sense of the word. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

[Ethan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall this is a thought-provoking book about the idea (if that's the right word!) or, better, experience of nondualism. It was originally written in the 80's when more syncretic or perennialst interpretations of Asian philosophy were more en vogue. I'm not really convinced that say, Advaita Vedānta, Indian Mahāyāna, Daoism, and Zen are all getting at "the same thing," but Loy does make a case for it. Some highlights are his categorizations of different senses of nondualism, his explorations of Indian philosophy (albeit from a somewhat East Asian point of view that emphasizes nondualism in the sense of nonplurality rather than subject-object nondualism, which is more the South Asian emphasis: I just don't think these are the same), his critique of Derridean deconstruction (that I think has big implications for how nondualist philosophies are often misunderstood in contemporary scholarship), and some reflections at the end of possible ethical, aesthetic, and social implications of nondualism (a topic I've been thinking about lately concerning the pandemic, climate change, etc.). Loy has given me a lot to think about as I explore nondualism in South Asian Buddhist philosophy in a project of my own.

[Seekers of Unity · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a brilliant and exciting work on Eastern thought. Loy endeavors, persuasively I believe, to show that underlying the major philosophical debates between eastern traditions (his main concern is between Adaita Vedant Hinduism and Mahayan Buddhism, although he throws in Taoism and other too) lies the same phenomenological experience of non-duality and then depending of which was you dice the experience you’ll end up with two seemingly contradictory positions, for example, ‘there’s no self,’ or ‘all is self,’ but really then both just point to the same experience. Brilliant brilliant book, beautifully systematic and laid out, ch. on varieties on Union/monism is fab. He has a crack at incorporation western thinkers into the mix, Derrida, Heidegger and one other, I feel like this was a weak part of the book, or was just too difficult for me to understand. The one major let down was when he said he would apply his analysis to solve the God issue (conception of God, bitheism, Ishvara vs Brahaman etc.) and totally failed to. But loved, loved, loved this book.

If you like books like this you'll love my project:
http://youtube.com/c/seekersofunity?s...

[Valentín Serrano García · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enlightening and illuminating. It offers a glimpse into another path and a different experience of reality.

Alongside great essays such as Lusthaus's 'Buddhist Phenomenology,' Roger Waldron's 'The Buddhist Unconscious,' or Moncayo's 'The Signifier Pointing at the Moon' (to name a few), this book is one of the most comprehensive and profound readings about the perennial wisdom that connects the West with the East.

Furthermore, it surpasses those preceding essays by decisively striving to bring order to the common wisdom and intuition of Taoism, Vedanta, different forms of Buddhism, mystics from different eras, and, to top it off, complements them with Heidegger, Husserl, Derrida, literary figures, poets, and musicians.

What is astonishing is that this author and his work are not considered one of the highest classics of thought (or beyond thought) of the 20th century.

[Roy Klein · Rating 4 out of 5]

A massive and seminal tome on Nonduality that connects many many dots across eastern and western traditions. It is a long, challenging and difficult read but quite rewarding when the effort is put in. This is an essential read for anyone interested in non-dogmatic Nonduality.

I took away one star because I believe the author could've done a much better job making the text more approachable and digestible.

[Tony · Rating 4 out of 5]

The most comprehensive study on non-duality. Juggles history, theology, and philosophy at once which at times eases and at times hinders what already is dense and even very complex. Necessary reading but wait a few years if you’re new to this.

[Scott Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Changed my relationship to emptiness

[DRugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

A foundational book for anyone who wishes to understand the metaphysics behind the self is the other.

[Chris Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

David Loy does a great job exploring one of the core tenants of Buddhism that first attracted me to the dharma. But be warned that this is VERY technical, dry, and long.

[Jeremy I Skipper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Important stuff, or lack thereof. 👏🍄

[Naga Arjuna · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the top 10 books I've ever read on Eastern spirituality. A definitive must for any scholar of philosophy and highly recommended for any open-minded spiritual seeker.

[Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coming back to write more but love it

[#DÏ4B7Ø Chinnamasta-Bhairav]

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To SEE a WORLD in a Grain of Sand,
And a HEAVEN in a Wild Flower,
Hold INFINITY in the palm of your hand
And ETERNITY in an Hour"
~ William Blake ~

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“Wisdom tells me I am nothing. Love tells me I am everything. And between the two my life flows.” Nisargadatta Maharaj

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Form is Emptiness; Emptiness is form.
Form is not different than Emptiness;
Emptiness is not different than form
~ Heart Sutra ~

Like the ocean and its waves,
inseparable yet distinct

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" I and The Father are one,
I am The Truth,
The Life and The Path.”

Like a river flowing from its source,
connected and continuous

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Thy kingdom come.
Let the reign of divine
Truth, Life, and Love
be established in me,
and rule out of me all sin;
and may Thy Word
enrich the affections of all mankind

A mighty oak tree standing firm against the storm,
As sunlight scatters the shadows of night
A river nourishing the land it flows through

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