No bullshit guide

There is something called Knowledge. This is evident from the growth of human knowledge (science & technology).

There is something called Suffering. This is evident from human experience (and great literature).

What is Knowledge? What is Suffering? What is this world where these exist?

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Knowledge

• Knowledge grows through hypothesis and error correction.

• Hypotheses and ideas for error correction originate in the mind. All humans possess minds capable of generating good ideas.

• It's important to recognize that this knowledge is provisional, not final. It's better to view this knowledge as solutions to problems we face, rather than an accurate & final description of reality.

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Suffering

• There is suffering. Its causes are ignorance, greed & hatred.

• Removing ignorance requires seeing things clearly as they are. One helpful way to do that better is the practice of mindfulness meditation.

• Removing greed & hatred requires all-encompassing love. One helpful way to grow that is the practice of loving-kindness meditation.

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World

• There is an underlying reality (Brahman in Sanskrit): pure existence (matter-stuff), consciousness (mind-stuff), limitless infinite. Sat-chit-anantam in Sanskrit (in the Upanishads). All multiplicity we see is an abstraction (Maya or Mithya in Sanskrit) layered on top of this underlying reality.

• Knowledge growth / Problem solving is possible in this world because we are manifestations of that Reality - part existence/consciousness and can know ourselves.

• Suffering exists in this world because abstractions (like body, mind etc) are taken literally by us.

Non-Dual reality theorizes why knowledge is possible and why suffering exists. The underlying reason for both is ignorance of who we really are. That is, if we were not ignorant, there would be no possibility for knowledge growth or suffering.

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Purpose

If someone subscribes to non-dual reality as the ontology of the world, then I'd argue their purpose in life becomes the removal of ignorance for oneself and others.

• Remove ignorance about the world. It's possible for us to do this through the methods of Science.
• Remove ignorance about oneself. It's possible for us to do this through the methods of Meditation.

The uniqueness of this vision is:

• Doesn't encourage dogmatism. No knowledge is final as there is always ignorance. Emphasizes humility.
• Doesn't encourage egotism. You are the world reflected in a particular way. So is everything else. Encourages happiness, compassion, empathetic joy and equanimity for all.

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Alternative

One may counter and say, remove ignorance by stopping future births (antinatalism). No humans, no knowledge or ignorance, suffering or happiness, greed or hatred. Human extinction is indeed one possible way in which ignorance disappears from the human world, whether through antinatalism, nuclear war, asteroid impact, AI, or other causes. I counter this by echoing Alan Watts: Consciousness is Brahman expressing and knowing itself in myriad ways. Humanity is part of that unfolding. We are inevitable. The task is not to end minds, but to reduce ignorance and suffering within them.