Advaita vedanta: Non-dual Philosophy

Let us begin by asking a basic question. Who am I? Am I this body? If yes, then I am constantly changing and will die one day. What is death then? What happens to me that I just stop living some day? I may not be this body then. There is something in the body that leaves it at the time of death and that is the real me. Am I the mind? But where does my mind go during deep sleep? In deep sleep, I do not have the constant chit chat of the waking mind nor the dreams of a sleeping mind. In deep sleep, the mind is simply not there! So I am not the mind either.

Am I thoughts? No they arise in the mind alone. Am I the intellect? No, intellect is just the function of the higher mind. Then what am I? The Upanishads say that I am the Atman - the innermost being. It is the pure consciousness which illumines the intellect, the mind and the body. Through the life-force (Prana), Atman animates and pervades the entire body. Upanishads say that the Atman in indivisible, indestructible, indescribable, unthinkable, infinite, eternal, immovable, invisible and without any qualities. It is pure truth, pure existence and pure bliss.

It is the subject of all the subject-object interactions. Let us call this Atman as the Purusha and the body-mind complex as the Prakriti. I am then a symbiosis of this Purusha and Prakriti. What about other living beings? They too must be a combination of Purusha and Prakriti. Externally, all beings appear different, so does that mean the Purushas are different too? But there cannot be individual Purushas. My Atman, cannot be different from your Atman because if it is so, then it becomes limited and by definition it is without any limit. That means all the Purushas in different beings are one and the same. Let us call this Brahman.

Thus, what Advaita Vedanta says is that individual Atman is Brahman alone. Every being derives their consciousness from the same source. The Mahavakyas (great sayings) of the Upanishads make this clear and direct;

Aham Brahma Asmi - I am Brahman

Tat tvam asi - You are that (Brahman)

Prajnanam Brahma - This consciousness is Brahman

Ayam Atma Brahma - This Atma is Brahman

The great Adi Shankara (first Shankaracharya) of the eighth century summarized the entirety of Advaita Vedanta (non-dualistic philosophy) in six stanzas. When a young boy of eight, while wandering in the Himalayas, seeking to find his guru, he encountered a sage who asked him, "Who are you?" The boy answered with these stanzas, which are known as "Nirvana Shatakam" or "Atma Shatakam." "Nirvana" is complete equanimity, peace, tranquility, freedom and joy. "Atma" is the True Self. The sage the boy was talking to was Swami Govindapada Acharya, who was, indeed, the teacher he was looking for.

Mano-budhy-ahankara cittani naham

na ca srotra-jihve na ca ghrana netre

Na ca vyoma bhumim na tejo na vayuh

Cidananda rupah sivoham sivoham

Translation : I am neither the mind, nor the intellect, nor the ego, nor the mind stuff. I am neither the body, nor the changes of the body. I am neither the senses of hearing, taste, smell or sight. Nor am I ether, the earth, the fire, the air. I am existence absolute, knowledge absolute bliss absolute. I am He, I am He.

Na ca prana samnjo na vai pancavayur

na va sapta-dhatur na va panca-kosah

Na vak-pani-padam na copastha-payu

Cidananda rupah sivoham sivoham

I am neither the Prana, nor the five vital airs.I am neither the materials of the body,nor the five sheaths.Neither am I the organs of action nor objects of the senses. I am existence absolute,knowledge absolute bliss absolute. I am He, I am He.

Na me dvesa ragau na me lobha mohau

mado naiva me naiva matsaryabhavah

Na dharmo na cartho na kamo na moksah

Cidananda rupah sivoham sivoham

I have neither aversion nor attachment, neither greed nor delusion, neither egotism nor envy. neither Dharma nor Moksha. I have neither desire nor object of desire. I am existence absolute, knowledge absolute,bliss absolute. I am He, I am He.

Na punyam na papam na saukhyam na dukham

na mantro na tirtham na veda na yajna

Aham bhojanam naiva bhojyam na bhokta

Cidananda rupah sivoham sivoham

I am neither sin nor virtue,neither pleasure nor pain,nor temple,nor worship,nor pilgrimage,nor scriptures.And I am neither the act of enjoying,the enjoyable nor the enjoyer. I am existence absolute,knowledge absolute,bliss absolute.I am He,I am He.

Na mrtyur na sanka na me jati bhedah

pita naiva me naiva mata na janma

Na bandhur na mitram gurur naiva sisya

Cidananda rupah sivoham sivoham

I have neither death, nor fear of death,nor caste nor was I ever born, nor had I parents, friends and relations. I have neither Guru nor disciple. I am existence absolute, knowledge absolute, bliss absolute.I am He, I am He.

Aham nirvikalpo nirakara rupo

vibhutvacca sarvatra sarvendriyanam

Na ca sangatam naiva muktir na meya

Cidananda rupah sivoham sivoham

I am untouched by the senses. I am neither Mukti nor knowable, I am without form,without limit,beyond space,beyond time. I am in everything, I am the basis of the universe, everywhere am I. I am existence absolute,knowledge absolute,bliss absolute.I am He, I am He.

Advaita Vedanta is one of the schools of Vedanta . The most famous philospher of this school was Adi Shankaracharya . Hence Advaita Vedanta is also known as Shankara’s philosphy/Vedanta or Theory of Monism . Briefly speaking he(Shankara) held that matter or the created universe is a mere illusion , as it has no existence apart from the creative Mind (Atman or Brahmā), who is the sole Reality. This Universal Soul dwells in every individual man, other creatures 'and materials objects; hence the recognition of one's own separate personality or individual existence, feelings and intrests ( in Sanskrit, aham-kar) is folly, and the highest sage or saint is the man who, by constant meditation and righteous conduct, has attained to the truth that he is now a supreme different from other created beings, but stands as the personation of the Universal Soul which dwells within all of us ( Aham Brahma, Aham-Shiva ).

Shankaracharya’s doctrine was not a dreamy pantheism, Here are some quotations from his own writings which will show that he insisted on as high a standard of right conduct or holy living as any revealed religion of the world: "Who is thy ,wife and who thy son ? This world is a very strange place. Brother, just ponder on the question, "Whose thou art and ,whence hast thou come ?' Boast not of your ,wealth,. followers, or youth; in a twinkle of the eye . Time snatches them all away.'" Cast off this unreal universe and quickly enter into the Supreme Brahma through knowledge. Tremulous as a drop of nectar on a lotus-leaf is hunman life; it is only the society of good men, however momentary, that can enable us to be ferried over the ocean of existence.

Day follows night, evening follows morning, autumn and spring seasons follows each other in regular succession. Time plays , Life oozes out :and yet man will not abandon his windy hopes. His limbs are falling off, his head is grey, his mouth is toothless, the stick in his hand is shaking and yet he will not give up his bag of vain ,desires. Dost thou wish to attain to Vishnuhood promptly ? Then be the same to all; make no distinction, as of love and hate, in thy attitude to friend and foe, sons and friends; Vishnu is present in three, in me and in all other men. Why then do you vainly lose patience with me in anger ? Behold the Soul of all others as present within thee ; everywhere give up the notion of the difference of individval personality. Recognise the soul within you, realise ,who thou art, by conquering lust and anger, greed and delusion. Fools who have not attained to self-knowledge ,will not deep down in hell. ( Moha-mudgar ).

Who is a captive? He ,who is devoted to earthly things.

What is liberation ? The conquest of desire for earthly things.

What is the darkest hell ? Your own body.

What is heaven? The total removal of passions.

Who is the happy man? He who is absorbed in religious meditation.

Who is wakeful ? The man ,whose conscience can distinguish between good and evil .

Who are your enemies? ‘Our five organs of the senses; but conquer your passions, and your very senses will be your friends.

What is highest of ornaments ? A moral character.

What is the holiest place of all pilgrimage ? Your own mind when pure.

What should we constantly hear? The counsel of our religious preceptors and the teachings of the scriptures.

How can ,we attain to God ? Through association with the good, charity, right judgement and contentment.

Verily, blessed are the monks with loin-bands (kaupin) for all their clothing. Blessed indeed are the (kaupin ) cladded whose bed is the root of trees, whose hands are not employed in gathering food, and ,who fling away fortune like a tattered old quilt. They, they along are blessed, who find enternal solace in the natural delight of their hearts, all of ,whose passions are controlled and pacified, and ,who reveal day and night in divine communion. Truly they alone can be called blessed who constantly chant the name of Brahma (The Universal soul), who reflect, "I am Brahma", and ,who wander in the four quarter, living on food given as alms (Kaupina-panchak) .

"Who art thou, child ? and whose son ? with her art thou going ? What's thy name, and ,whence hast thou come ? Tell me clearly". "I am not man or deity or aerial spirit ; I am neither Brahman, Kshatriya, Vaishya or Sudra by caste; I am not a celebate student, householder, forest-dweller nor homeless mendicant by my stage of life. I am the self-conscious soul. I am the eternally perceptive soul , boundless and free from all distinctive attributes such as the sky is, and the cause of the activity of the mind and the senses"

“ I am that eternally-intelligent soul which is inherent in all objects, though no object can touch him; I am ever pure and clear as the sky. As pure crystals take the colour of the object in which they are set, so different minds imagine the diversity of personality ( instead of preceiving the unchangeable oneness of all, who are inspired by the same Atma).

I am not body nor any organ of the senses ; I am not consciousness of individuality, nor life, nor intellect. Away from ,wife and son, land and wealth, I am the Eternal Witness merged in the individual soul , I am Shiva.

As a fool mistakes a rope for a snake, so do mankind mistake the All-pervasive Soul for a creature He who is truely enlightened in God knowledge gets rid of this illusion; he realises "I am not a creature, I am Shiva ( the Universal Soul )".

This world is no other than my own self. The countless things we see outside ourselves are a mere illusion of the mine ( and posessed of no real existence ) like the images which a mirror produce by reflection. All things manifest themselves in me, the one ( Advaita ). Therefore I am Shiva.

I am not a body; how then can I have birth or death ? I am not life; how then can I have hunger or thirst ? I am not heart; how then can I feel grief or stupor? I am not active; how then can I be subject to bondage or liberation ?

I am companion-less, beyond doubt; I manifest myself as Sat, chit and Ananda. I am that changeless I ( i.e. Brahma ).

I am eternally pure and detached. I am formless, imperishable ; I manifest myself as the Perfect Bliss . I am that absolute I ( i.e. Brahma).

I am pure Consciousness, I am the self-revelling Soul, I am the one indivisible bliss, I reveal myself by myself alone, I am made up solely of consciousness ( chit ), I am the Supreme Soul (atma), the ever-constant I.

No name have I, nor form ; in Consciousness ( chit) am I known, I am the changeless imperishable I, manifested in bliss.

I am beyond growth, beyond action, I am the soul of all and eternal, the deathless I. The pitcher is made out of clay; therefore a pitcher has no existence independent of clay, the term 'pitcher' being merely a technical name. Brahma is the soul Existence ( Sat ) , therefore all that is created by Brahma is existent ( Sat ), because creation has no real existence apart from the Creator ( Brahma).

Study the Vedas constantly, practise the rites laid down therein, and thus realise within your soul the Divine Presence. Cast of all desires for pleasure, wash off your sins, trace out the transitoriness of earthly joys, pursue self-knowledge, and quickly issue forth from your own 'house' (House' here is interpreted to mean the body, and 'to quit the house' means to realise the difference between the body and the indwelling soul ) .

Live in the society of holy men; direct your undeviating devotion (bhakti) to God; set your-self to cultivate peace of mind, the spirit of self-sacrifice, self control, abstinence. Venerate the truly learned, daily pray that you may attain to Brahma in one syllable (Om), and enter into the spirit of Vedantic teaching. Live blissfully in a lonely place, set your heart finally on the Supreme Brahma. So look at the world that you can realise the truth that the subtle all-pervasive Supreme Soul is diffused through the universe,-and dwell in the essence, of Brahma.

Shankaracharya taught that there was one soul and Supreme God, distinct both from any member of the old Brahma Trinity and from the modern Hindu pantheon. The ruler of the the Universe is to be worshipped not by sacrifices, but by meditation and in sprit and in truth. But Shankara realized that such a faith is for the few. To those, who could not rise to so high a conception of the Godhead, he allowed the practice of any rites prescribed by the Veda, or by later orthodox Hindu teachers, to what so ever form of the Godhead they might he addressed. Aham Brahmasmi.