The Five Fundamentals

The teachings at the Center are drawn from the nondual teachings in all the major religious traditions (Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and Taoism). To help guide our own practice, we have distilled these nondual teachings of the mystics Five Fundamentals which are a modern expression of the basic principles taught by the mystics of all the great religious traditions of the world. Although the mystics have expressed this Truth in various symbolic terms appropriate to their time and place, the fundamental principles expressed by all these teachings are the same. These Five Fundamentals are a modern expression of these same principles, appropriate to our time and place. Because the Truth they point to is ineffable, these fundamentals are merely fingers pointing to that Truth, and are not the Truth itself. 

For a sample of additional teachings at the Center, based upon these Five Fundamentals, we suggest viewing our videos, audios, books and articles available online. 

The Five Fundamentals

1. CONSCIOUSNESS ALONE IS ABSOLUTELY REAL
   The appearance of an objective world distinguishable from a subjective self is but the imaginary form in which Consciousness Perfectly Realizes Itself.
2. IGNORANCE OF THE REAL IS THE ROOT OF SUFFERING
   From ignorance is born the delusion of self; from the delusion of self, desire for the world; from desire for the world, attachment to worldly forms; from attachment to worldly forms, all forms of suffering.
3. THE END OF SUFFERING COMES BY THE WAY OF GNOSIS
   or the Sacrifice of ignorance through the Grace of a Perfect Realization that Consciousness alone is Absolutely Real.
4. THE WAY OF GNOSIS IS THE WAY OF SELFLESSNESS
   cultivated on the basis of Love (boundless compassion) and Truth (profound insight). It may be seen as a path unfolding in Seven Stages:
   1. Awakening of faith
   2. Investigation of teachings
   3. Unification of self
   4. Purification of mind
   5. Illumination of heart
   6. Exhaustion of will (Kenosis)
   7. Sacrifice of Ignorance (Gnosis)
   
   governed by Four Principles:
   1. Attention
   2. Committment
   3. Detachment
   4. Surrender
   
   reflecting Seven Virtues:
   1. Courage
   2. Humility
   3. Justice
   4. Patience
   5. Gratitude
   6. Mercy
   7. Joy
   
   and embodied in Four Disciplines:
   1. Inquiry
   2. Meditation
   3. Morality
   4. Devotion
5. THE WAY OF SELFLESSNESS IS THE VERY WAY IN WHICH CONSCIOUSNESS PERFECTLY REALIZES ITSELF
   Thus, the Way of Selflessness constitutes not only the Perfection of human life, but of the entire world as well.

These Five Fundamentals are also available in printer-friendly PDF format.