non duality

 Non-duality is often considered a way of being in Buddhism. One of the ways it is experienced is through meditation itself, especially where the notion of a separate 'subject' and 'object' start to disappear. I think that there is a lot in human conditioning that is somewhat stacked against non-duality, and I have found in my own personal practice that it is difficult to sustain. One example of a dualistic approach that is encouraged in modern life is advertising. Walk into any movie theater these days, and you will find that there are enough commercials (esp. car commercials) to fill an entire two hours! But what advertising relies on is the belief that one's own body and personality are limited by circumstances and in need of the newest gadget or accessory. Without dualistic notions of self and other, the advertising industry might not do so well as it is doing today, because there wouldn't be this sense of a vulnerable self that 'needs' something beyond itself to be special, happy, etc.
   I feel it is very important to cultivate a neutral approach and not to succumb to the notion of subject and object. How is it possible to do so? One way that has worked well for me is to realize that I won\t die from not having certain possessions or recognition from others. If I have this approach of not taking things to the extremes of a subject 'acquiring' an object, I can learn to live peacefully without craving (or secretly craving) some recognition or attention from others around me.