One World

... spiritually speaking

Today we’re diving into the deep end of a particular tradition in Indian philosophy/spirituality - Kashmir Shaivism.¹ There are many features of this philosophy that I find appealing, not only because it is full of interesting ideas but because it has immediate consequences for how we live and how we treat people. This connection between abstract theorising and practical outcomes is the thing that has always kept me interested in philosophy and theology.

Tibetan mandala painting on monastery ceiling, Nepal. Adobe Stock.

One of the most important features of this philosophy is a rather technical idea, often referred to as ‘non-dualism.’ My goal here is to give you a sense of what this means, and why it is important for how we live.

So here is the big idea: ‘non-dualism’ is the idea that only one thing exists.

Our ordinary experience tells us that the world consists of many things: my wife downstairs getting breakfast, that bird I hear off in the distance, Saturn and its rings 1.3 billion…