Why Do Nondualists Say That Nothing Can Be Done to Achieve Enlightenment?
Most do not say that, and you should be skeptical of any who do. The claim can be valid if it means that enlightenment is already the case, and that all that’s needed is to rest in that understanding. However, if the statement means a complete inability to do anything to arrive at that understanding, not even by listening or reading, then ask yourself: if they really believe that, why do they bother to teach or write about enlightenment? The teachers who make such claims may be well-meaning, but they are teaching a false conclusion based on a valid discovery. The valid discovery is that there is no separate you, and it may be stated simply as: “actions occur, but no separate individual is doing them.” The false conclusion, however, may be stated as: “since no separate individual is there, nothing can be done.” That is contrary to common sense and everyday experience.
