A Bright Light Perfected

Question: I'm really enjoying your nonduality blog. Thanks for starting it.

Rodney: Thank you!

Q: This is probably a silly question, but does true nondual understanding awakening interfere with one's religious faith?

Rodney: If I may ask, why would you want to have faith in God when you not only can know that He exists, but that He exists within you? Discovering who or what you are can be the ultimate boon to your spiritual life. Then you are alive to hymns, scripture, and fellowship in ways you could never imagine. St. John of the Cross said that upon discovering your "original state of unknowing," all learning and theology are "perfected," as when a faint light mingles with a bright light, and the bright light prevails."

Q: I'm afraid I might leave the church, though it's nondemoninational and has great people.

Rodney: You're projecting, of course. But yes, you may choose to leave the world of organized religion. It depends upon your personality and temperament. But don't try to predict what's going to happen. That's just thoughts coming up, and thoughts can't be used as accurate assessments of anything nondual. Make your decision from the Source of your existence, when your understanding is clear. Then the answer will be clear and immediate.

Q: Are there miracles?

Rodney: You're the miracle.

Q: How so?

Rodney: Only you can answer that question. I can point to the answer, but you must discover it for yourself.

Q: Is Advaita a religion?

Rodney: No. Advaita--an ancient Indian school of nonduality that shows that everything in the universe is ultimately God, Brahman, Self, Absolute Reality--isn't a religion. It's that which points to the direct experience of KNOWING that you are awareness itself. And awareness belongs to no group, person, or religion. As Atmananda Krishna Menon (1883-1959) noted, "It is Truth pointing to Truth."