Non-Duality

Guide
By Joe Monteleone

2023 Joe Monteleone All Rights Reserved

 What is non duality?

By definition, it’s not

any “thing” because
every “thing” is dual
with that which it is not.
 Measuring "Me"
Find the edges of your body.
You can do this by drawing an imaginary line from the
top of your head to the bottom of your feet. Take a
moment to feel that finite measurement.
Draw another imaginary line from the right-most part
of your body to the left-most part of your body. Take a
moment to feel that finite measurement.
Now see if you can draw that same imaginary line from
one end of your consciousness to another.
You will notice that this is impossible because
consciousness has no ends, no edges! It is infinite.
Remember that sensation and thought are not your
consciousness. They are what you are conscious of.

Congrats, you just did what a ceremonial magician might

call a "qabalistic cross".

The contradiction
between the finite
and the infinite is the
interest of all mystics,
sages, philosophers,
magicians, and
kabbalists

It's the question . . .HOW DOES SOMETHING . . . . . . COME OUT OF NOTHING?

Since non duality
is not a thing, let’s
start to define it
by what it is not.
 THE THING IS . . .

THINGS are made, done, different, or changeable. They are "here or

there" and always have EDGES in time or space.

As you discovered, consciousness does not have edges.

All things show up in consciousness (what else would give them their
edges?)

Consciousness is not made, done, different, or changeable. It is both

"here and there". It simply is.

Consciousness is the “is”ness of things.

For this reason, consciousness can be called "no thing". Try as you
may, you will never find the edges of consciousness. You will never
make it, do it, differentiate it, or change it. It will always be both here
and there in time and space (or any dimension).
 oh look!
"Things" being MADe,
done, different, or
changeable!
Every"THING" you've ever known . . . has edges in
time or space:

Physical objects
Your body
Sensations
Feelings and emotions
Thoughts and ideas

All of these have form. All

of these have edges in
time or space.
IF YOU KNOW "NO THING", YOU'RE A MYSTIC
HOW DO YOU KNOW “NO THING”?

"NO THING" can be expressed in an apophatic way,

through negation. In this mode, mystics point out the
ultimate reality (no thing) by discerning what it is not.
Some examples of this include:
Shunyavada, the doctrine of the void/emptiness as
seen in Zen or the Madhyamaka tradition of
Buddhism (See the Mulamadhyamakakarika by
Nagarjuna)
Neti Neti, "not that, not that", (Brihadaranyaka
Upanishad 2.3. 6)
Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite, a Christian
Neoplatonist
Ain Soph of the Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism)

"NO THING" can be expressed in a cataphatic way,

through radical ontological affirmations. In this
mode, the mystic attempts to point at the ultimate
reality, instead of describing what it is NOT. But the
ultimate reality includes all things. How does one
point at something that includes the one pointing?
This very paradox has inspired the most profound
writings of mystics, sages, and philosophers, from
the Upanishads to Plotinus’s Enneads and now tarot.
The next page includes the mahavakyas and other
ontological affirmations (or "mystical mic-drops").
They are affirmations of the absolute.
 Radical Ontological Affirmations, Mahavakyas and other
Slightly Isomorphic Mystical Mic-Drops

Tatvamasi (Thou Art That)

-Chandogya Upanishad

IS-NESS Aham brahmasmi (I am Brahman)

--Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Being
Ehieh Asher Ehieh (I am that I am)
--Exodus

Prajnana is Brahman. (Wisdom is the Self)

-The Aitareya Upanishad

Ayam Atma Brahma (This Self is Brahman)

-The Mandukya Upanishad

Tathata ("thatness/suchness" of Buddhism)

Come now, I will tell thee . . . the only two ways of search that can be thought of.
The first, namely, that It is, and that it is impossible for anything not to be, is the way
of conviction, for truth is its companion.
-Parmenides, On Nature

Nothing real can be threatened. Nothing unreal exists. Herein lies the peace of
God.
-A Course in Miracles

Ana al-Haqq (I am the Truth)

-Mansur al-Hallaj

I, oh Arguna! am that which is and that which is not.

--Bhagavad Gita

This All is universal power, of infinite extent and infinite in potency, a god so
great that all his parts are infinite. Name any place, and he is already there.
― Plotinus
 . . . COME OUT OF NOTHING?
USE OF TAROT TANTRA NOTES AND TAITIRYA MANDUKYA TAROT + QABALISTIC
PLOTINUS
MANTRAS UPANISHAD UPANISHAD TREE OF LIFE
MYSTICAL Cit: "Consciousness" (as above)
The Absolute BRAHMAN
Anandamaya
Existence, Consciousness, Bliss
Negative theology lives here.
AIN SOPH the infinite
No Thing Atman: Self THE ONE

Atziluth Transcendence
Kosha To Hen
"I=am" TURIYA

Emanation
(Negative Theology)
Shunya: "Void" 0
MAYA w
Cro n
Seeds of Duality: CAUSAL 1
Birth of Creation and
Vijñanamaya BODY
Causation THE INTELLECT erstan isdom

BEING
W
Kosha

din
Und
God the Creator PRAJNA + IŚVARA Nous 3 2

g
BRIAH
The Possibility of Things DEEP SLEEP
Prana: "Life Force" "I am"
SUBTLE/CAUSAL SUBTLE

Emanation through
contemplation of The One
everit Mercy
BODY

y
S
5 4
au
Be ty

YETZIRAH
Duality of the Inner 6
Manomaya TAIJASA + THE SOUL
World
Citta: "Mind" Kosha HIRANYAGARBAH Psyché ctor
Glory Vi y
8 7
Jnana Shakti: Know Cria Shakti: Act
Inner World Icha Shakti: Will
da
un ti
9

on
Fo
"I am not the mind" DREAMING
MECHANICAL Deha: "Body"
Pranamaya GROSS

ASSIYAH
Kosha BODY ingdo

m
K
NATURE 10
Duality of the External World VIŚVA + VIRAT
All of the physical universe, perceived
Outer World by Arjuna in Gita
Anamaya WAKING the finite
Vastu: "Stuff" "I am not the body" Kosha
(so below)
HOW DOES SOMETHING . . .
 UNFOLDING TECHNIQUE

1. Choose something you want to let

go of. This can be any "thing",
including a feeling, negative
thought, or sensation.
2. Become aware of the space it takes
up in physical or mental space.
(Source: Joe Dispenza)
3. Notice that space within the infinite
space of your awareness
(experienced in the “Measuring Me”
excercise).
4. Release the effort of differentiating
the two.
5 Steps to the Non-Dual Understanding
Recognize what a “thing” is. A “thing”
is made, done, different, or
changeable with edges in time or
space. “No thing” is awareness.

Things include your stuff, your body, your feelings, your emotions, and your
thoughts. They all have edges in time, space, or another dimension.

There is one exception to this rule: awareness. Awareness is not a “thing”. By

your own direct experience, you noticed the infinitude and "edgelessness" of
awareness.

Floor Example

The floor exists. It is a “thing”. It was made. It is different from the wall. It is
changeable. It has 4 clear edges in space.

How do we know? We sense it.

What do those sensations exist in? Awareness.

The feeling of the floor exists because you are aware of it.
 This is a big one: recognize that all
“things” exist in and because of
awareness.

No “thing” can ever be proved to exist outside of awareness. When has anything been
shown to exist outside of awareness?

As Rupert Spira beautifully puts it, “there is not a shred of evidence of matter outside of
awareness.”

All things exist only because of awareness. Awareness is what provides the edge!

No awareness=No edges=No “things”!

The formula is . . .

Existence=Awareness.

“But many things exist that I’m not aware of!”

Most things that exist in the universe are not in your localized mind. But, if they are things,
they exist in awareness/consciousness.

There is a difference between:

Mind Consciousness
Citta Cit
 fLOOR EXAMPLE
The floor exists because you
are aware of it.

But if I leave the room and

forget about it, the floor
will still exist!

Yes, but only ever in the

awareness of someone or
something.

So does the floor disappear

when no one is looking?

Not necessarily. That would

be like a video game that
loads for the player. It’s the
fact that awareness
precedes all experience and
the floor is an experience. But everyone has a different
awareness. there is 1 floor
that is the same and
multiple people with
different awareness.

I would say there are multiple floors in 1

awareness. Everyone experiences the floor
differently. But everyone is experiencing one
awareness that is the same. No one can ever
experience the exact same “thing” at the
exact same “time”. But everyone experiences
every different “thing” through one single
unchanging “no thing”: consciousness.
 Recognize that all your sensations,
feelings, thoughts, and even your
mind, are “things” and thus exist in
awareness.

Ever”thing” in your life has edges in space or time (or other dimensions). When
you walk out of a room, multiple “things” pass by your awareness with their
physical edges. You have 40-70,000 thoughts a day that pass by your
awareness with their abstract edges. Even your body comes into your
awareness in the morning and leaves your awareness during sleep. Even your
mind comes into your awareness in the morning and leaves your awareness
during deep sleep.

Recognize that all your sensations,

feelings, thoughts, and mind are
awareness.

No “thing” is ever experienced outside of awareness. Not only that, but no

“thing” is anything else BUT awareness. If all “things” owe their existence to
awareness, then awareness is their higher reality.

Floor Example: There is no floor that exists outside of an experience, name,

form, function, or idea. All of those exist in and through awareness.

Awareness is fundamental. It will slip through the floorboards of any

philosophy, claim, or experience. It is the most subtle aspect of reality being
that which contains reality.

If you had a race of the fastest things in all the universe, awareness would
always win. The finish line is in awareness before any”thing” gets there.

There is no “thing” that is not awareness.

The awareness of your sensations, feelings, and thoughts are more real than
the sensations, feelings, and thoughts themselves.
 You are awareness. There is no
“thing” to lose.

Like any other “thing” with edges (in time or space that is made, done, different,
or changeable) you exist by and as awareness.

This includes your body AND your mind. You could blow up the whole world
and it would still all happen in awareness. Awareness wouldn’t blink.

Awareness does not begin or end. It simply is. It is never lost.

Because you are awareness, and every”thing” is awareness, there is literally no

“thing” to lose. And if there is no “thing” to lose, there is no “thing” to fear.
This guide is a small excerpt of a textbook from the
Tarot Mysticism Academy.

For the full textbook, or to take the full course, visit:

www.tarotmysticismacademy.com