What is the Buddhist concept of Non-Duality?
Non-Duality, or non-dualism, is one of the most well known Buddhist concepts and a root of all Buddhist beliefs. In the simplest terms, non-duality means there is no distinct separation between subject and object. The self and the world around the self are one in the same. Non-duality states that any perception or belief that the self and everything outside the self are separate or independent is nothing more than a delusion.
Emptiness, dependent arising, the ‘two truths'(also known as conventional vs ultimate truth) and many other core Buddhist beliefs are all based on non-duality. The Heart Sutra is one of the most famous, well-known and often recited sutras in all of Mahayana Buddhist literature. It delves deeply into the concept of non-duality and how it relates to the interconnectedness and emptiness of all selves and things. You might be familiar with the excerpt “Form is emptiness, emptiness is form”. Which is the sutra’s first reference to non-duality. This brief section of the Sutra is well-know to the average layman.
While it does provide a surprisingly concise summation of the sutra and non-duality, some scholars and practitioners have read and studied the sutra for years on end to understand non-duality on a much deeper level. The text is digestible for more experienced students of the Dharma. But the almost 2000 year old text can be difficult to understand for modern readers due to it’s antiquated wording and the challenges of capturing and retaining the essence of the passage through translation.
Thankfully, modern audiences have an unlikely guide to usher them towards understanding non-duality. Through a mix of clean eating, mental fortitude and bicep curls Arnold Schwarzenegger turns the big lift of understanding the Heart Sutra and non-duality into a walk in the park.
What Does Non-Duality Have to do with Arnold Schwarzenegger?
Arnold Schwarzenegger was the youngest body builder to ever win the Mr. Universe title at the ripe age of 20 years old. He spent the next several decades of his life breaking the stereotype of the dumb “meathead”. He dominated the silver screen in the 80’s and 90’s in roles such as “Predator”, where he shouted the iconic phrase “GET TO THE CHOPPA!”. By the time he was 25 he became a self-made millionaire through savvy business moves like starting Arnold and Franco bricklaying and investing in various businesses like the famous ‘Planet Hollywood‘. He eventually set his sights on public service, becoming the 38th governor of “Cal-EE-fornia”.
His resume is as impressive as it is well known. Although many people don’t realize it, the iconic actor discovered the Buddhist concept of non-duality by accident early in life and went on to share that wisdom with millions of young men through his approach to bodybuilding. Arnold was a huge proponent of the “Mind-Muscle Connection”. Even coining the term “meathead mindfulness”. Schwarzenegger beautifully intersected Buddhist wisdom and his own philosophy on physiology and exercise.
What is Arnold Schwarzeneggers Mind-Muscle Connection?
Who better to tell us other than the man himself?
To put it shortly, for Schwarzenegger, the mind-muscle connection is about being fully present in every movement of every exercise. He compared it to meditation practice. Just like ancient bodhisattvas that claimed sitting practice could blend into other daily activities, Schwarzenegger believed mind-muscle connection could change your perspective on working out so that it would become second nature.
“The first and most important muscle-mind connection is making it automatic that you go and do your training every day,” he said. “It should require no thinking. It should become an instinct that you train no matter what. You do this by training every day and creating a real routine.”
Dogen Zenji famously said: “Practice and realization are one”. Meaning sitting meditation practice permeates every aspect and activity in one’s life. Thich Nhat Hanh rephrased this point when he stated: “We practice sitting so that we can carry that peace into walking, eating, speaking, working”. These three men lived in very different times and very different lifestyles, yet we see common theme shared in their beliefs. That one’s sitting practice, or workout in the gym, can shape their lives outside of that time. The time spent in the gym is not separate or distinct from time outside of practice or the gym. Instead, they are one. An activity that unifies the body and mind into a single entity with a shared goal. This is the mind-muscle connection.
Arnold expanded on the mind-muscle connection by noting how aligning your mind with your muscles can build physical strength and mental fortitude not just outside of the gym, but also, more obviously in the gym:
“Have you ever tried to workout when you are distracted, and you pace around for too long between sets, and then when you lift the weight it feels heavier than usual? This is because your mind is not connected to your muscles, In order to get the perfect pump, your mind has to be the body’s guide, thinking about every part of the movement, every contraction, every squeeze. If your mind is involved in your workout, there is no way you can lose. I look at it as a form of meditation! The more I focus on the lift that I’m doing, the more present I am in the moment, meaning I can feel exactly how my body reacts to the lift. Get to know your body, and get your mind working in sync with it.”
Schwarzenegger believed that concentrating on each lift and engaging the muscle through the entire range of motion could lead to increased muscle growth and stamina. Much like a buddhist practitioner concentrating on the breath through the entire inhale and exhale while meditating, he urged body builders to focus on engaging every fiber of the muscle from the bottom of the lift to the top.
Schwarzenegger’s philosophy on bodybuilding is once again strikingly similar to ancient Zen master’s views on meditation and mindfulness. First, you must maintain intense concentration. For Zen masters that meant fierce concentration on the breath during sitting meditation practice. For Schwarzenegger, that meant supreme concentration on each lift.
Once again, we see Schwarzenegger unwittingly channeling ancient Buddhist wisdom. This time, from the most famous Buddhist of all. No, not Lisa Simpson, but Siddhartha Gautama himself. In the Ānāpānasati Sutta the Buddha states that strengthening attention on the breath leads to progressively deeper states of mind. As concentration becomes more intense and continuous, the meditator moves deeper through various stages or deepening awareness; tranquility ultimately, liberation, concentration, emotional balance and clarity. We don’t need to dive deeply into each stage outlined by the Buddha, but recognize that both men noted that the more acute your concentration on the activity, the more progress you will make.
“Meathead Mindfulness” and the “Mind-Muscle Connection” are modern day philosophies steeped in ancient wisdom. Each lift develops not only your muscles but a mental fortitude. Where you not only see bigger gains from your workouts, but also see a change in mind where working out isn’t just a daily chore. Your exercise routine becomes an unbreakable devotion to keeping fit and unifying your physical body with your mind. As Arnold puts it: “Your mind is inside the muscle” meaning your muscle is also inside the mind. Both Zen masters and Schwarzenegger saw the mind and body not as separate entities, but as a single presence that could strengthen each other and depended on each other. Perfectly encapsulating the Buddhist concept of non-duality.