Duality has always been the foundation of our universe, which is why it’s a place of polarity. Without duality, there would be no contrast. There would be no diversity. Everything would be the same which means you wouldn’t exist. Well… not in this form anyway.
Everything has a shadow, for the laws of physics depend on it. Light does not exist without darkness. Happiness does not exist without suffering. Life does not exist without death. Everything in our universe has an opposite which creates space for contrast. This is why so much happens here – from bizarre, to beautiful, to horrific, and everything inbetween.
After all, that’s just how the universe works, but have you ever questioned why our universe works this way?
The concept of duality extends into every aspect of life as we learn to understand it. That’s why we will do a deep dive into this concept so that you can better navigate yourself within this bizarre realm of polarity.
Duality meaning
Duality is a mechanism of the universe where every extreme has an opposite extreme – facilitating contrast, polarity, and diversity of experience. We exist as separate beings that go through individual experiences, which are facilitated by opposites. We live in the middle of these opposites. This is why narrative exists.
Duality means to have two parts that operate synergistically to create a whole. The duality of life refers to many separate parts working together to create a broader system of reality. Everything functions separately, however, the entire system would not function without many individual pieces.
Duality infers that every condition has two opposites (or extremes), creating a spectrum between A to B. As each phenomenon can be seen as a string from A to B, reality is like a ball of yarn.
For example, the existence of light also enables darkness, because the lack of creates another variable. You can’t just have light and nothing else, it wouldn’t make sense. The duality of the two creates a visual spectrum. You can’t just have heat without cold, because then temperature wouldn’t exist. Likewise, how can you have good without bad? They’re part of the same string. Without opposite but complementary values, one constituent cannot exist because there would be no contrast.
The foundation of our reality is based on duality because duality creates space for narrative and a broader expression of consciousness. Our universe fundamentally works on the rule that there are two sides to every coin. There would be no contrast (which facilitates the experience of life) without duality. Everything would be the same. How boring that would be.
If someone is confident, the characteristic of being shy must exist too. If something can be very big, there must also exist something very small, otherwise the label would be obsolete. Having the ability to be bored implies that the ability to be entertained also exists.
Contrast is what makes life such a diverse, interesting, and dynamic experience. Contrast is what facilitates such a broad expression of consciousness, and all of the wild things we can experience within this reality. Life is strange, bizarre, and just about every label you can imagine (and many you can’t) because there is so much contrast – facilitated by duality.
We are capable of having unique experiences in life because there are so many different strings holding reality together. Opposite conditions provide space for the narrative of life, and it sure makes it an adventure.
Duality in spirituality
Duality in spirituality is a design that allows consciousness to undergo a broader array of experiences, by facilitating ‘difference’. It’s a spiritual law of the universe and a core element of it, but it’s also a principal of other dimensions which is why duality is a spiritual phenomenon. If light and darkness (figuratively speaking) exist in other realms (which it does, because good and bad spirits exist), it’s because duality enables it. Without duality, there is no separation, so wherever consciousness can exist individually, duality exists.
Duality is a prevalent spiritual doctrine seen in many religions around the world including:
- Taoism: The yin-yang symbol comes from Taoism, and depicts duality as complementary rather than opposing forces.
- Hinduism: Teachings of Hinduism recognize duality as Advaita Vedānta, in which we strive to achieve states of nonduality (divine connection with spirit).
- Buddhism: Duality is recognized especially within the context of happiness and suffering.
- Zoroastrianism: This is where the concept of good and evil took root and the struggle for salvation.
Besides the above, duality is a prominent theme in Native American beliefs and shamanic traditions, where the people who follow these faiths believe in balance with the natural forces of nature. Masculinity and femininity are also a big part of these traditions, regarding the cardinal directions, elements, sun and moon, medicines, and spirits.
Nonduality and totality
If duality exists, then surely nonduality must exist too, right?
Nonduality does exist, but not in this dimension. People may tap into nonduality to experience the absolutism of consciousness, but this is a spiritual experience – achieved by tapping into a deeper level of consciousness beyond the human mind.
Beyond duality is nonduality (which is also understood as totality, and perhaps ego death) which is a concept that is hard for our minds to conceptualize.
Nonduality is a state of consciousness where there is no division whatsoever. All existence is a singular phenomenon without difference, contrast, or polarity. During experiences of totality, there is no separation or individuality. Everything simply is.
Here’s my view about how totality fits into the framework.
Different layers of consciousness can be understood as dimensions or realms. Within reality, duality exists because we live in a dualistic realm. We are separate individuals with pudgy bodies, but there are also states of consciousness where duality does not exist.
The further we journey into our souls, the more we converge with Godself (or god), which is a single consciousness that all things (and all dimensions) are manifestations of.
The Godself is the source of all existence. Within this realm of consciousness, there is nothing besides one infinite consciousness. We can have experiences of Godself while humans, but certainly we will return to this state of totality at some point along the soul journey because it is the core of what we are – pure consciousness without separation.
The duality of life
Life is a dynamic thing. Humans are capable of creating anarchy and destruction, but also capable of peace and order. You can experience scarcity, pain, horror, and evil. You can have awful experiences, but life can also be equally blissful.
The world we see is not a purity of light or darkness, but an even distribution of both. We can experience the beauty of life through positive attitudes, uplifting actions, and desirable emotions.
By seeing the world through a lens of beauty, you can create your version of heaven on Earth. As long as you seek out the good in life, there are so many amazing things that you can experience.
When the dark side of life is illuminated, you will see everything that’s wrong with this world. The suffering, greed, hostility, destruction, poverty, corruption, conflict, disease, fear, hatred, and sickness we all carry. Many people spend their lives caught in the dark side of duality, which turns their realities into personal hells.
All experiences are complimentary
Dualistic paradigms such as positivity and negativity seem very different from one another, but they are complementary. Pain is a deeply entwined part of our human lives. Suffering cannot be avoided, but it can be recognized and accepted as a fundamental part of the human condition.
The role of suffering is to drive wisdom, growth, and movement. Suffering illuminates what we don’t want, and calibrates us with a more fulfilling direction in life. Part of what makes life so perfect is the contrast, the challenge, and the thrill of it all.
Think of it this way. Through conflict, we understand the importance of harmony. Experiencing painful emotions like resentment helps us recognize the importance of higher emotions such as forgiveness.
So when you’re going through something really difficult, think about how you can use the experience to make you a better person. What can you learn from your struggles, and what are your emotions trying to teach you?
We have been given the perfect opportunity to learn, boot camp Earth – it’s a tough one! We are free to experience all the contrast that the universe has to offer, and there’s so much to experience.
Navigating the duality of life and death
It doesn’t matter what your life situation is like. In the end, we all die. We will all be the same sooner or later – corpses decaying into nature. All things are temporary, and it doesn’t matter what you have experienced in life or how successful you have been. Death does not discriminate or discern.
Rest assured knowing that in the end, it doesn’t matter. With life comes death, and we all have to go through it at some point. The more you treat your life as a learning opportunity, the more at peace you will be with the entire process.
By utilizing every learning opportunity, when your time is called, you will know that you’ve made the most of it. Accepting the impermanence of life is a big step in accepting the nature of duality – that all things change, and there are two sides to every coin, all of which will be experienced at some point.
1 comment
I enjoyed your explanation