Questions

Many questions come up for us humans...

How did the world emerge? What is the relationship between matter and mind? What is the relationship between the universe and God/Spirit? What happens after we die? Does something live on after death? Will our loved ones always be with us? Is reincarnation real?

Dualistic View

From a dualistic view, these questions can not be answered to our satisfaction.

In a dualistic mode of operation, awareness is esclusively identified with the organism. This particular body and personality with its unique and habitual patterns on physical, emotional and mental levels.

We experience the world as spilt and fragmented, but existence is beyond and embracing all dualities, it is a fluid and seamless whole.

Words

Words come from the need for differentiation and thus split and fragment the world, but existence is a fluid whole beyond dualities. So words cannot adequately describe existence.

At the same time, each statement we make has some truth in it. It points to some aspect of existence that reflects something that is there. Remembering the transdual nature of existence, we can also look for what is missing. For each statement we can make, there is an equal and opposite statement that also has truth in it.

Maps

Words, as well as any theory, model and story we can come up with, are all maps.

And as we know, the terrain is always more than and different from the map. The value of the map is that it simplifies - it highlights some features, simplifies other, and leave others out entirely - and this is also the limitation of any map.

When we speak or formulate verbal expressions from our experiences, it goes through many filters. First, it is the clarity of the experience itself. Then, our interpretation of the experience, influenced by the characteristics of the universe we are a part of, our biology, and our culture, subcultures and personal experiences. Then, it is our conscious filtering. How do I want to tell the story? Who is the audience? What are their experiences with this? What do they understand already and what may they not understand? Which models and worldviews should I align my story with? What is important to include? What should I leave out?

When we digest a story telling us something about the world, it similarly goes through many filters. Some are the same as when we tell a story, such as the universe, biology, culture, personal experience, and others are different, such as how we perceive the source etc.

In short, verbal communication - or any human communication - has both immense value, and many shortcomings.

Transdual Experience

Our questions only find some form of resolution when we experience existence directly from a transdual view. When we experience spacious and luminous awareness in which all phenomena unfold, and the two as one fluid and seamless whole.

From a fully transdual view, or even from glimpses of this view, there is some resolution. We see that the questions came from a dualistic and fragmented way of experiencing the world, and existence is a seamless whole beyond all dualities. One the one hand, the questions came from a misunderstanding. On the other hand, they are immensely important, and the answers goes beyond dualities and what can easily and satisfactory be expressed in words.

If anther person has a similar experience of the world, then few or no words are necessary. If the other do not have a similar experience, then no amount of words will be sufficient to convey the experience. Of course, it is also true that words can be immensely helpful as pointers, as aids to help another open up for such an experience.

Answers

From a more transdual view, it is possible to give incomplete answers to some of these questions. But it only goes as far as words are able to convey a transdual view, and as far as the recipient has similar experiences or glimpses.

How did the world emerge?
All phenomena of the inner/outer world are one fluid and seamless whole. They unfold and shift in mutual dependence. They arise and are not separate from spacious and luminous mind, also referred to as God, Spirit, the Absolute.

What is the relationship between matter and mind?
Mind and matter arise from and are expressions of a seamless whole. As with all phenomena, they can be differentiated and have different characteristics. And as with all phenomena, they are part of a fluid seamless whole. On the level of phenomena, they are part of a whole. And all phenomena and spacious, luminous mind is a fluid and seamless whole.

What is the relationship between the universe and God/Spirit?All phenomena unfold within luminous space. There is a differentiation between the two, but no separation. God can be seen as this mind or space that phenomena unfold within, or both this space and phenomena.

What happens after we die?
Does something live on after death?
Is reincarnation real?
Will our loved ones always be with us?
Everything emerges from and unfolds within luminous space, as one seamless whole. There is differentiation between this luminous space and phenomena, and among phenomena, but there is no separation.

In some parts of the universe, local awareness arise attached to a biological organism. It tends to identify itself with this organism and the patterns of the particular organism, and it sees itself as separate from all other phenomena. Thus, there is an experience of birth, life and death, and a concern about what - if anything - came before birth and may continue after death.

From a transdual view, it all unfolds from and within luminous space. The particular phenomena, including organisms, arise, unfold and fade, all within God, Spirit, the Absolute.

From one perspective, something did happen. From another, nothing happened. Nothing is ever lost nor gained. The characteristics manifested in any phenomenon are always there. But there is no separate "entity" with eternal existence.

Reincarnation means that the patterns of the personality may live on in another body, but this personality is "empty" in a certain sense. There is obviously an awareness attached to it or centered on it, and this awareness tends to identify with the organism. But this awareness also emerges from the vast and luminous mind, beyond all dualities and all separate entities.

Something does live on after death of the organism, because it was never born. But it is not what local awareness perceives as "me"...