India is the Land of Dvandvas where Opposites get Harmonized

As a follower of ADVAITA (non-duality) philosophy, I knew the word DVAITA, which means duality.

ADVAITA literally means “Not-Two” (Reality is only One: Brahman)

But yesterday, I discovered the Sanskrit word DVANDVA which means “pair of opposites”.

A dvandva has no negative or moralistic connotation as in “Good vs. Evil”

A dvandva just denotes the *relationship* (interaction) between TWO elements that are very *different* from each other by their inherent nature.

How you PERCEIVE that relationship and how to NURTURE (or not) that relationship depends on your level of consciousness.

If you operate with a dualistic consciousness, the dvandva may appear to you like a Zero-Sum Game: 1 + 1 = 0

If you operate with a non-dualistic consciousness, the dvandva will embody the synergistic Ek aur Ek Gyarah: 1 + 1 = 11

The cover of my new book The Frugal Economy depicts a Dvandva : a pair of Plus (+) and Minus ( — )

A Frugal Economy aims to create greater economic and social value (+) for all in a society, while minimizing negative ( — ) environmental impact.

A Frugal Economy aims to do Better (+) with Less ( — )

A Frugal Economy reconciles a pair of opposites: Growth (+) and Sustainability ( — )

Only India — the birthplace of Advaita philosophy — can show the world how to harness the creative tension between Growth (+) and Sustainability ( — ) to build a Frugal Economy that turns the Dvandva into Ananta (Infinity).

Let’s showcase to the world India’s syncretic spiritual genius that perfectly embodies the following quote:

“The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function.” — F. Scott Fitzgerald

After all, India is the Land of Dvandvas, which has always confounded foreigners:

“Whatever you can rightly say about India, the opposite is also true.” — British economist Joan Robinson.