Metaphysics is the study of ultimate realities, of being, and of that which is beyond matter or sensible experience. It encompasses a vast field of reflection.
The main themes of metaphysics
Being: What is being? What is its nature? Why is there something rather than nothing?
Reality: Is reality objective or subjective? Is there an absolute reality behind the phenomena?
Time and Space: Are they real entities or mental constructions?
Causality: What is the first cause of the universe?
A non-dual metaphysics
She always seeks to understand what is fundamental, beyond appearances.
It questions the validity of ordinary perceptions and explores what lies behind the phenomenal world
The transcendence of oppositions:
- Modern metaphysics tends to go beyond rigid dualities, notably with thinkers like Spinoza (monism) or Whitehead (process).
- Nonduality, for its part, entirely rejects the idea of separation.
A questioning of mental categories:
- Both approaches question the way in which the mind structures reality. They recognize that language and concepts limit our understanding.
A non-dual metaphysics could
Abandon rigid conceptual distinctions and favor a holistic approach.
Replace direct experience at the center of philosophical research.
Recognize that ultimate reality is beyond what the mind can grasp.
A non-duality illuminated by metaphysics
Metaphysics can enrich non-duality by providing conceptual frameworks for communicating non-dual experience.
By connecting non-duality to other disciplines such as physics, ethics or epistemology.
Metaphysics and nonduality share a common goal: to understand or experience the ultimate nature of reality.
Metaphysics approaches this quest through reflection, analysis and reasoning, exploring first causes and fundamental principles.
Non-duality, for its part, is based on a direct approach, aiming to transcend the ego and illusions of separation to perceive the intrinsic unity of all that is.
Together, they invite us to go beyond appearances and the limits of our ordinary understanding, to access a broader and deeper vision of existence.