Tag: Advaita Vedanta
-
The Mystery: Ego Only (Seemingly) When ‘Looking Elsewhere’
The reason our ego disappears when we investigate it in this way is that it does not actually exist even now, but merely seems to exist when we are looking elsewhere instead of at ourself alone. –Michael James, in reference to the teaching of Sri Ramana Maharshi (my emphasis) There’s something very peculiar about the…
-
Self-inquiry, Vivarta, And Ajata
Michael James has written a number of excellent long form essays (for example, here and here) about the ajata doctrine, the highest or ultimate nondual teaching according to Gaudapada, Ramana Maharshi, and others. The ajata doctrine states that there is no creation, manifestation, or origination. Being is only being. Period. I’d like to briefly lay…
-
How I Found Peace At The Bottom Of A Well
By Alexandra Taggart PART 1: My Mind Is Moving A Very Peculiar Notion Of Interior Decoration Right before I leave my apartment, I have the terrific urge to rearrange the furniture. Not just once but repeatedly over the course of some weeks. Moving a dresser, a side table, a futon. Today the lamp looks better…
-
Courage Is The Most Important Virtue For Our Time
In 2012, I argued, “The most important virtue for our time is courage.” Yesterday, I read Christopher Rufo’s manifesto, “New Right Activism,” in which he states, “The most important virtue of our time is courage.” Despite the fact that Rufo’s claim is situated within a particular political context–for him, it’s the New Right’s attempt to…
-
Self-control As An Aid For The Inward Turn
The nondual teaching says that one must turn inward in order to know that one is, right here and right now, being-peace. And yet, actually turning inward seems, at first, to be nearly impossible. I touch on this conundrum in this talk: The question then arises, “What is it that makes an inward turn possible?”…
Andrew Taggart, Ph.D. 