A nondual philosophical or religious perspective or theory maintains that there is no fundamental distinction between mind and matter. In Western philosophy, nondual views are often called monism. The term "nondual" is a literal translation of the Sanskrit term Advaita. Plotinus, Nagarjuna, Shankaracharya, F. H. Bradley, Aurobindo, Ramana Maharshi, Nisargadatta Maharaj, Ram Dass, Ken Wilber, and Stuart Davis subscribe to nondual views of reality. Zen and Advaita Vedanta Hinduism are nondual views. Philosophy (from the Greek words philos and sophia meaning love of wisdom) is understood in different ways historically and by different philosophers. ... Religion, sometimes used interchangeably with faith, is commonly defined as belief concerning the supernatural, sacred, or divine, and the practices and institutions associated with such belief. ... The word theory has a number distinct meanings depending on the context. ... The mind is the term most commonly used to describe the higher functions of the human brain, particularly those of which humans are subjectively conscious, such as personality, thought, reason, memory, intelligence and emotion. ... Matter is the substance of which a physical object is composed. ... Monism is the metaphysical view that all is of one essential essence, substance or energy. ... The Sanskrit language ( संस्कृता वाक्) is one of the earliest attested members of the Indo-European language family and is not only a classical language, but also an official language of India. ... Advaita Vedanta is probably the best known of all Vedanta schools of Hinduism, the others being Dvaita and Vishishtadvaita. ... Plotinus Plotinus, (died about A.D. 270) is widely considered the father of Neoplatonism. ... A statue depicting Nagarjuna Nāgārjuna (c. ... Sri Adi Sankara Adi Shankaracharya or Adi Shankara (the first Shankara in his lineage), reverentially called Bhagavatpada Acharya (the teacher at the feet of Lord), Shankara (approximately 509- 477 BC (though some claim 788-820 CE)) was the most famous Advaita philosopher who had a profound influence on the growth... Francis Herbert Bradley (30 January 1846 - 18 September 1924) was a British philosopher. ... Śrī Aurobindo Śrī Aurobindo (August 15, 1872–December 5, 1950) was an Indian nationalist, scholar, poet, Hindu mystic, Evolutionary philosopher, yogi and guru. ... Ramana Mahrishi as portrayed in a loving oil painting by Jayalakshmi Satyendra Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi is regarded by some as one of the greatest saints of Hinduism in the 20th century. ... Nisargadatta Maharaj (March ??, 1897 - September 8, 1981) was a seller of cigarettes in Mumbai and was considered by many an enlightened being and a master of spirituality. ... Ram Dass at the Hanuman Temple in Taos, New Mexico, September 2004 Dr. Richard Alpert (born April 6, 1931), later known as Baba Ram Dass, was a professor of psychology at Harvard University who became well known for his controversial research program which studied the effects of LSD. He later... Kenneth Earl Wilber Jr. ... Stuart Davis (born on January 11, 1971 in Des Moines, Iowa, USA) is a contemporary American musician and songwriter from Minnesota. ... Bodhidharma, woodblock print by Yoshitoshi, 1887. ... Advaita Vedanta is probably the best known of all Vedanta schools of Hinduism, the others being Dvaita and Vishishtadvaita. ... Vedanta (Vedānta) is an important branch of Hindu philosophy and is a form of Jnana Yoga (one of the four basic yoga practices in Hinduism; the others are: Raja Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Karma Yoga), a form of yoga which involves an individual seeking the path of intellectual analysis or... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

To the Nondualist, reality is ultimately neither physical nor mental. Instead, it is an ineffable state or realization. This ultimate thing can be called "Spirit" (Aurobindo), "Brahman" (Shankara), "God", "The One", "The All" (Plotinus), "The Self" (Ramana Maharshi), "The Absolute" (Schelling) or simply "The Nondual" (Bradley). Ram Dass calls it the "third plane"—any phrase will be insufficient, he maintains, so any phrase will do. To say that something is ineffable means that it cannot or should not be spoken. ... Here the underlined vowels carry the Vedic Sanskrit udātta pitch accent. ... Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph von Schelling (January 27, 1775 - August 20, 1854) was a German philosopher. ...

It must be pointed out that technically there can be no such thing as a nondual view or theory or experience, only a realization of Oneness or nonduality. That is to say, nonduality can only be achieved through a mystical union with all. Thus, technically, there cannot truly be a verbal account of this union, only words that insufficiently point to the realization.

See also

• Nonduality