NON-DUALITY - Advaita Vedanta, As Realized By Indian Yogis and Saints

Raja Ravi Varma, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Many ancient spiritual traditions believe that a special state called non-duality can be experienced through yoga and meditation. In Sanskrit, this state is called Advaita, which means “not two.” It means seeing everything as one, without any separation between “me” and the world, or between the thinker and the thought. Non-duality is a deep and peaceful understanding that there is no real gap between ourselves and anything else. It is the awareness that everything is connected, and in fact, is already one.

This idea of non-duality is very important in Indian philosophy. It is a central teaching in Advaita Vedanta, a school of thought based on the Upanishads. It is also important in some forms of Buddhism, such as Zen, Dzogchen, and Mahamudra. Even in classical Yoga, especially in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, we find paths that lead toward non-dual awareness.

But can non-duality really be reached by doing yoga and meditation? The answer is both simple and deep. Yes, yoga and meditation can help a person uncover this truth. Non-duality is not something far away. It is already present, but our busy minds, constant thoughts, and sense of being separate often hide it. Yoga and meditation help to quiet the mind and remove confusion, so we can see clearly what has always been true—that everything is one.

Let’s explore how yoga and meditation slowly prepare the mind and body to realize non-duality. 

1. Yoga as a Path to Inner Peace and Clarity

One of the oldest and most respected systems of yoga is found in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. Patanjali describes Ashtanga Yoga, which means “Eight-Limbed Yoga.” These eight steps help a person move from a noisy and confused mind to a quiet and peaceful one. The goal is to go beyond the ego (the false idea of being a separate “I”) and reach a state of pure awareness.

Let’s look at the eight limbs of yoga in a simple way:

• Yama (moral rules): These are basic rules for good behaviour, like telling the truth, being kind, not stealing, and not hurting others. They help create peace in our actions.
• Niyama (personal discipline): These are habits that keep us clean, humble, and focused. They include being content, studying sacred texts, and thinking of something higher than ourselves.
• Asana (postures): These are physical poses that help keep the body strong and calm. A steady and comfortable body helps the mind relax.
• Pranayama (breath control): Breathing deeply and slowly helps control the energy in the body. It also makes the mind quiet and focused.
• Pratyahara (turning the senses inward): This means pulling the attention away from the outer world. Instead of being distracted by sights and sounds, we begin to notice the quiet within.
• Dharana (concentration): Focusing the mind on one thing helps us stop the endless stream of thoughts.
• Dhyana (meditation): This is deep, steady awareness without distraction. The mind becomes still.
• Samadhi (absorption): This is the final stage where the sense of being a separate person disappears. The mind becomes completely still, and awareness shines by itself.

In the highest form of samadhi, called nirbija samadhi (seedless absorption), there is no thought, no ego, and no separation between “me” and “that.” There is only pure awareness. This is where the idea of non-duality becomes real. It is not a belief—it is a direct experience. You don’t just think that everything is one—you know it deeply. 

2. Meditation and the Disappearance of Division

While yoga prepares the body and mind, meditation is the tool that takes us even deeper. Through meditation, we begin to notice how the mind creates a false split between the observer and the thing being observed. We are usually caught in the idea that “I am here, and that is there.” But in meditation, this split slowly fades.

Two very powerful types of meditation used for this purpose are:

• Self-inquiry (vichara) in Advaita Vedanta
• Mindfulness (Vipassana) in Theravāda Buddhism

Self-inquiry, made popular by the great sage Ramana Maharshi, begins with the question, “Who am I?” When you look for the “I” that thinks, feels, and experiences, you cannot find a solid thing. You realize that the sense of “I” is just a bundle of thoughts and feelings. When those thoughts quiet down, what remains is pure awareness—silent, still, and peaceful. That awareness is not personal. It is not “mine.” It is the same awareness in all beings.

Mindfulness meditation, on the other hand, asks us to watch everything without judging. We sit quietly and observe our breath, body, feelings, and thoughts. Slowly, we begin to see that all of these things come and go. The body changes. Emotions rise and fall. Thoughts appear and disappear. But something is always there—the watcher, the awareness. That awareness is not touched by the changes. It does not come or go. It is always here.

In deep meditation:

• The mind becomes silent like a still lake.
• The idea of being a separate person becomes weaker.
• There is a sense of space and peace that holds everything.
• Awareness is seen to be timeless, ever-present, and not bound by body or name.

This leads to the realization that all experiences happen in one open space of consciousness. There is no “me” inside the head looking out. There is just seeing, hearing, feeling, and knowing—without anyone doing it. This is the heart of non-duality. 

3. The Meeting of Advaita Vedanta and Yoga

Some people think that Advaita Vedanta (the path of knowledge) and Yoga (the path of discipline) are different. In some ways, they are. Advaita teaches that there is nothing to do, nothing to gain. You are already the Self. Yoga, on the other hand, teaches that the mind must be cleaned and trained step by step.

But many great teachers say that these two paths can work together. They are not enemies. In fact, yoga can prepare the mind to understand the truth of Advaita. When the mind is full of fear, anger, and desire, it cannot see clearly. Yoga helps calm the mind. Then, when the teachings of non-duality are heard, they sink in more deeply.

Modern masters like Swami Sivananda, Ramana Maharshi, and Sri Aurobindo combined both paths. They taught that meditation, breath control, and ethical living help remove the layers of confusion that hide our true nature.

Here is an important point: Yoga and meditation do not “create” non-duality. Non-duality is always present. It is the truth of what we are. But it is hidden under habits, beliefs, and mental noise. Yoga and meditation help clear that noise so we can see clearly. They don’t bring something new; they help us uncover what was already there. 

4. Buddhist Ways of Realizing Oneness

Buddhism also has powerful teachings about non-duality, though the words and ideas can be a little different from Advaita Vedanta. In Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism—especially in schools like Dzogchen, Mahamudra, and Zen—the aim is to see the true nature of the mind and the world.

Buddhist teachers say that everything we see and experience is empty. This does not mean nothing exists. It means things do not have a fixed or separate self. For example:

• A flower is not just a flower. It depends on sunlight, water, air, and time.
• A person is not just a person. They are made of thoughts, feelings, body, and history.
• Even the “self” is not solid. It is a changing collection of ideas and habits.

This is the teaching of anatman, or “no fixed self.”

In deep meditation, Buddhist practitioners see that there is no solid boundary between the “self” and the world. There is just experience flowing—thoughts, sounds, feelings, and sights—without anyone controlling them. There is no inside and outside, no here and there. There is just what is. And this is also non-duality.

Buddhist non-duality also teaches that samsara (the world of pain and confusion) and nirvana (freedom and peace) are not two different places. When the mind is quiet and clear, even everyday life is seen as pure and complete.

So, both Advaita Vedanta and Buddhism, though different in language, lead to the same truth: there is no real separation between you and the world, between self and other. The separation is only an illusion created by thought. 

5. The Realization of What Already Is

The most important thing to understand is that non-duality is not something you have to create or achieve. You do not have to go to a special place or be a special person. You are already the Self. You are already that pure awareness. But most people do not notice this because the mind is always busy, comparing, fearing, wanting, and thinking.

Yoga and meditation are not about getting something new. They are about letting go of what is false. They help us:

• Drop the idea that we are separate.
• Drop the belief that we are just the body or just the mind.
• Let go of fear, desire, and pride.
• Sit quietly and watch.
• Become still.
• Rest in the truth of who we are.

And in that silence, in that stillness, the truth shines. The truth is simple: everything is one. There is no “me” and “you.” There is only being, awareness, and peace. 

Conclusion: One Without a Second

Yes, non-duality can be realized through yoga and meditation—not as a reward or a prize, but as the discovery of something that was always there. The practices of yoga and meditation help clean the mirror of the mind. When the mirror is clean, it reflects the truth: there is no division in reality. There is only one—unchanging, ever-present, and full of peace.

Whether you follow the path of Yoga, the teachings of Advaita Vedanta, or the meditations of Buddhism, the goal is the same. The goal is not to add anything, but to see clearly. In that clear seeing, the idea of separation fades. What remains is silence, joy, and deep understanding.

Non-duality is not far away. It is here. It is now. It is what you are.