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Nonduality in Early Buddhist Thought

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Encyclopedia of Mindfulness, Buddhism, and Other Contemplative Practices

Synonyms

Advaya (Pāli and Sanskrit)

Definition

Unlike its role in later Buddhist traditions, non-duality does not occupy a special position as such in early Buddhist thought. It simply features as one out of different modalities of viewing experience and is not seen as necessarily implying a successful surmounting of something that is inherently problematic or necessarily false.

Nonduality

The early discourses report the Buddha at times taking dualistic positions, such as when categorically asserting that one should not do what is ethically unwholesome and should do what is wholesome (Bodhi, 2012, p. 149). Such a procedure is not confined to matters of ethics, as a whole discourse dedicated to presenting insight-related modes of contemplation takes a dualistic contrast as its point of departure (Bodhi, 2017, p. 280). The basic pattern throughout is the contrast between dukkha (Sanskrit: duḥkha) together with its arising on the one side and the end of dukkhatogether with the path...

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References

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Numata Center for Buddhist Studies, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany

    Bhikkhu Anālayo

Authors
  1. Bhikkhu Anālayo
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Raleigh, NC, USA

    Nirbhay N. Singh

Section Editor information

  1. Centre for Positive Behaviour Support, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

    Yoon-Suk Hwang

  2. Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    Lance Hawley

  3. West Chester University of Pennsylvania, Center for Contemplative Studies, West Chester, PA, USA

    Donald McCown

  4. NOUS-School of Specialization (PsyD) in Psychotherapy, Milano, Italy

    Fabio Giommi

  5. Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy

    Antonino Raffone

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Anālayo, B. (2023). Nonduality in Early Buddhist Thought. In: Singh, N.N. (eds) Encyclopedia of Mindfulness, Buddhism, and Other Contemplative Practices. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-90465-4_75-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-90465-4_75-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-90465-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-90465-4

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