Why I quit 'non-duality' (and fell in love with our vulnerable humanity) - Jeff Foster

Welcome to this revealing video by Jeff Foster, where he shares his journey of moving beyond non-duality teachings to embrace the fullness of our vulnerable humanity.

★Here are some top takeaways:★
➣True spirituality involves embracing our humanity, including our imperfections and vulnerabilities, rather than transcending or den➣ying them.
➣ Non-duality teachings can become dogmatic and cult-like, creating a false sense of superiority and detachment from human experience.
➣ Identifying too strongly with being "pure awareness" can lead to denial of one's human feelings, doubts, and traumas.
➣ Jeff shares his experiences of meeting renowned spiritual teachers and realizing that they, too, struggle with doubts, fears, and imperfections.
➣ It’s important to live spiritual teachings in daily life, rather than just intellectually believing in them or using them to create a facade of perfection.
➣ Embracing our human imperfections, doubts, and mistakes allows for true spiritual growth and authenticity.
➣ True non-duality is not about rejecting duality or human experiences but about embracing and loving all aspects of our existence.
➣ The real miracle is to fully engage with and appreciate life on Earth, rather than seeking to escape it.
While acknowledging that we are all part of a unified awareness, it’s important to honor our unique, individual experiences and expressions.
Jeff encourages viewers to fall in love with their deep humanity, suggesting that this acceptance leads to a more genuine and fulfilling spiritual experience.

Video Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction and Thich Nhat Hanh's Quote
01:23 - Becoming an Obsessed Spiritual Seeker
02:45 - Shadow Side of Spirituality and Non-Duality
04:05 - Identity and Ego in Non-Dual Teachings
05:37 - Disillusionment with Spiritual Teachers
07:12 - Importance of Living Teachings in Daily Life
08:30 - Embracing Human Imperfections
09:50 - True Non-Duality Embraces Duality
11:05 - Real Miracles and Fully Engaging with Life
12:25 - Unity, Individuality, and Authenticity
13:40 - Call to Embrace Deep Humanity
14:20 - Conclusion and Invitation to Subscribe

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Thank you for watching this video. By embracing our human imperfections and vulnerabilities, we can develop a deeper, more authentic spiritual experience.

Don't forget to subscribe for more insightful content from Jeff Foster.

[carolynb]

I've come to the conclusion that the biggest mistake I made during my spiritual journey has been to listen to others. Not only did this trigger comparisons whereby I was never good enough, but I finally realised everyone's quest and experience is their own. Much of what a spiritual teacher teaches is influenced by their own experience, whereas we are all called and given experiences uniquely our own. I now realise I probably wasted decades thinking this is not it, or that can't be right, just because it didn't line up with what a teacher had taught. It wasn't until I let all of that go, that there was a spiritual stirring inside.... something that was uniquely true to me that had been crowded out or buried under the layers of words, dogma and ideology that was actually foreign to me. Yes, listen to teachers, but not at the expense of sacrificing what is intuitive, pure and simple that has its
source within, not from the world. I have come to understand that the only journey involved is the journey clearing the mental clutter and of turning inward.

[amandatrouette]

One of the great poems of the Zen tradition ends with this description of the awakened state: “To be without anxiety about imperfection.”

[annesilverman]

I remember how much I wanted to be enlightened. Then I was enlightened to the fact that Im human.

[L.C.Griffith]

Hearing this is saving me probably years of futility. Spirituality has to be simple, messy and loving. You expressed this so well.

[Dodgerzden]

Spiritual pride is the last trick of the ego and I'm not even convinced it can be eliminated. I think everyone has to move at their own pace and without comparing yourself to anyone else. It's why I try not to follow any one "spiritual teacher" for too long. Everyone says the truth is within yourself and I think that's the least dangerous path to follow. I believe there is no hierarchy of souls. There is no superior or inferior, only differences with different strengths and weaknesses, and all are essential. Thanks for reminding me.

[sourcehealing]

I was so disconnected to my body after my spiritual awakening and was so focused on Unity Consciousness. I felt like I had to kill my ego and felt a lot of shame and guilt because that wasn't happening. One day last year I just said I was done with this and that I am a human and I want to be here on this planet with all its intense feelings and experiences. All of the mundane human things are starting to bring me joy again. I am perfectly imperfect and the whole spiritual community is a huge turn off to me now thankfully. I still see God in each and every one of us and I'm thankful for my journey up to this point.

[evelinel.]

Love this!!! If people are not aware and haven't done their emotional work on childhood wounds, emotional repression, etc. non-duality can be used to further emotional repression and other emotional issues that need to be addressed.

[christineforro]

That is the sweetest and most authentic teaching I have heard in a long time. Thank you, love your humanness❤️

[danrt]

Not my experience with non-duality at all. In fact, if anything it made me understand my humanity better. It made me a better person, a more in touch, aware person. Sounds like you went through a huge push to remove that humanity. Because all that you are as a human with all the ups and downs is perfect. Thich Nhat Hanh said everything that happens is an event. Don't label anything or any emotion as good or bad, just sit with it, have the feeling don't fight it.
I would hate to end up like what you described, or like some of the people in the comments. But I can understand why it can happen. Sorry you had an experience on this path we all walk that wasn't what you thought it was going to be. Stay in the moment my friend, that's where everything is.

[Jason]

I went to a Mooji retreat in India years ago. I love Moojis teaching, but I was very surprised by the people there. They seemed to view him as some almighty leader that they wanted to get close to. One elderly lady there had been on the spiritual path all her life. From being a part of Oshos group. She could talk the talk, but she seemed very irritable. These people just seemed to have spiritual egos to me. Maybe bigger egos than people who don’t consider themselves spiritual. I decided it’s best to just not talk about it to people. Just stick to myself. Be present and keep noticing when the false self comes up. Also when I find myself thinking about enlightenment, just bring myself back to the present moment. Back to reality.

[gyurilajos]

The real miracle is not to walk on water but to walk on this earth❤

[christopher]

Believe me this will help many people more than you're thinking. Thank you for this video because this is honest and brave one to make!

[thematrixwizard]

Bhakti Yoga is where its at for me. It's just love. Loving ourselves, loving others. Loving god. Seeing it all as god.

[toddborstad]

Did you really quit non-duality as the title says? It appears that you understand non-duality better after realizing your also a human being.

[hansjorgsattler]

I have been on this so-called "non-dual path" for two years now and I felt more and more cold and as if I just couldn't manage it. Your words reach so deeply into me and give me a feeling of warmth and connection and a liberating feeling. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for that.

[yadirarodriguez]

I'm crying right now because I was so confuse and guilty and asking "God" to help me, and I found this video...what a relief.Thanks you

[antonyirvine]

Even Ramana Maharshi said, "Be as you are." Very important message. Thank you.

[BluSkyBliss]

I too have spent ‘behind the scenes’ time with one of my favorite spiritual teachers/well known author and was disappointed he was not walking the talk. I no longer give my power away like that. Thank you for sharing this message.

[cecile]

My sponsor from my 12 Steps fellowship started a few years ago going to retreats with Francis Lucille, she changed slowly in ways that made me feel uncomfortable, at times shaming me when I was grieving or upset with a personal issue. I had to distance myself from her, she is still very involved with his teaching going to his retreats several times a year. I love the way you engage with spiritual teaching, I am also doing Internal Family systems therapy which really embraces all our parts with love and compassion, no bad parts, the way to heal and embrace our shadows, not with shame. Thank you Jeff for speaking out. ❤

[frankyang]

You are correct. Many people who get into non duality get stuck by identifying with awareness and using it as a new identity to suppress and bypass their human “stuff”.

There’s a tendency for the mind to reify (make things solid, grasp onto phenomenons as if they have an essence), whether that’s reifying “awareness” or “human” it’s actually just 2 sides of the same view in extremity/duality.

By clinging onto “awareness” you are identifying with Being and Eternity. By clinging onto “no self” or “emptiness” you are craving for Non-Being and you skew your view to Nihilism, likewise, clinging onto “the human” is just another version of the same process of reification.

You are neither awareness nor human, nor anything in between.

The Middle Way transcends but integrates all of these views, is beyond but includes both existence and non existence, as you see clearly how all phenomenons from the most divine to the most mundane are co dependently arisen, thus empty of essence.
This does not mean things don’t exist, but they don’t exist INDEPENDENTLY, and INHERENTLY.

Im not trying to establish another view here on the intellectual level. This is merely a reminder to let go of grasping at the most subtle level experientially and sensorially.