Q&A: Reconciling Nonduality with Other Beliefs

Q: Non duality seems to be the truth, but how do I reconcile that with everybody else's beliefs? Basically, nobody wants to acknowledge that they are playing a character, and that creates a lot of conflict when I don't play along. I mean I won't go around telling everybody they're delusional or whatever, that's ridiculous. But the ego is very resistant to these ideas, and I don't think I could hide these beliefs from other people. My behavior would make it

obvious.

A: When a child walks up to you with a pile of dirt in her hands and says “this is magic dust,” what do you do? Some correct the child, others smile and ignore, and some play along. No approach is better or worse than the other, but I find playing along is a lot more enjoyable. The same goes for "people in the world."

Personhood is the belief system, not nonduality. The challenge, as you’re pointing out, is that it is a belief system appearing in many more places than nonduality (even though there are no places, no areas where one thing can exist and another not). This is all one thing! All one happening, all one Being. 

There seems to be a common period of time, post-awakening, that one might call a Save the World phase. In the case here, it involved buying friends and family books, recommending videos, sharing the good news, “hey, you can cancel your anxiety meds prescription, it’s all an illusion!” But it subsided, a relaxing followed. The illusion is strong, the programming powerful. For a period, thoughts arose, “this nonduality integration thing would be so much easier if it weren’t for other people!” Except then it was remembered that there aren’t other people. We’re all Oneness, we are That. There are no others. 

If possible, do not look externally for outside validation of this truth. Make no attempt to convert, convince, or discuss it with those who don’t have a baseline interest or understanding. You’re welcome to, of course, but such practices typically contain expectations and intentions. Expectations and intentions that are never fulfilled.

Most people walking around in the world will not see any change in the character of you. Some might, but there’s so much “important chatter” in the minds of most, the constant ramblings of problems looking for solutions, that there isn’t the bandwidth to process the subtle settling into Being. Even that description isn't quite correct, because there was never a time where Being didn't exist, no restless state that needed to be settled.

Feel the quietness of Knowing:Being and observe. Observe the thoughts and words and actions in pursuit of solutions to problems that don’t actually exist. When complaints and concerns are lobbed as things needing to be fixed or improved upon, you don’t need to play along with complaints of your own (of course you can if you like), just nod and smile inside, knowing it’s simply the Infinite pretending it doesn’t exist in a form, so it can find itself again in this cosmic game of hide and seek. 

The whole purpose of life is just to Be. Have fun playing the character of you, without the burden of belief that you are separate from the Infinite. 

🙏🏼♾❤️