Grace: Gift from Above or the Recognition of Reality?
The concept of grace exists in both Christian theology and in the nondual tradition, but the understanding and implications differ. While Christianity typically views grace as a personal gift bestowed by a distinct God, the nondual understanding sees grace as a sudden, spontaneous recognition of one’s true nature.
In traditional Christianity, grace is predominantly defined as unmerited divine favor. It is perceived as a gratuitous gift from God, a personal being who is understood to be both transcendent (existing beyond the created order) and immanent (present within it). The necessity of this grace stems from the Christian doctrine of sin, which posits a fundamental separation between a holy God and humanity. This gulf, according to Christian belief, cannot be bridged by human effort or merit alone. Therefore, God's grace, expressed through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, is the means by which salvation, forgiveness of sins, and the power to live a transformed life are made possible. It is a concept deeply intertwined with God's limitless love, His sovereign will, and the personal relationship He initiates with individuals. The dynamic is inherently relational, featuring a distinct Giver and a specific recipient.
According to the nondual understanding, grace is not a favor bestowed by a separate entity upon another. Instead, grace is the recognition of the essence of reality itself. Grace is less about receiving something from a transcendent being and more about the sudden, spontaneous realization of one's own true nature—the inseparable essence of the ultimate source. So grace occurs when the deeply ingrained illusion of being separate from external reality dissolves and the unified nature of awareness is known.*
Nondual grace, therefore, is not bestowed but realized. It is the inherent nature that is revealed when the dualities within perception are understood to arise within a single, indivisible reality. While spiritual practices might prepare the ground by quieting the mind or challenging the ego, the moment of realization itself is often a sudden, effortless recognition of what is already the case.
So in essence, Christian grace is deeply relational and operates within a dualistic understanding of reality, highlighting God's personal, unmerited action towards a separate humanity. Nondual grace, on the other hand, is experiential and inherent, a revelation of a non-dual reality where the Giver and the receiver not just share the same reality but are the same reality.