"What is Poorna Advaita ?" DeepSeek answered best my question

I recently came across Rajiv Malhotra's book "The Battle for Consciousness Theory" which critiques Ken Wilber's "Integral Theory" for misrepresenting and appropriating Sri Aurobindo's teachings on Integral Yoga.?

I was born and raised in Pondicherry, the Indian town where Sri Aurobindo, a legendary freedom fighter and pioneering Yogi, practiced and developed his Integral Yoga philosophy.

Since my childhood, I have had a special spiritual affinity with Sri Aurobindo.

I have read most of his books, including The Synthesis of Yoga, The Human Cycle, and his magnum opus The Life Divine.

Since 2015, inspired by Sri Aurobindo's work, I've been working on my own book on how to build enlightened societies that could accelerate the evolution of human consciousness and maximize human potential and well-being responsibly.

As I was working on my book, something kept nagging me: most Indians and Westerners use the term INTEGRAL YOGA to describe and sum up Sri Aurobindo's philosophy.

Knowing that Sri Aurobindo was a hardcore nationalist who loved Sanskrit, I was bothered by the fact that his philosophy was labeled in English: Integral Yoga.

That's why when I stumbled upon Rajiv Malhotra's book lamenting about Ken Wilber stealing Sri Aurobindo's Integral Yoga teachings, I felt that's a moot point.

This is akin to debating: "Who coined the term MADRAS ? The British or the Indians ?"

We Indians transcended that debate by renaming MADRAS (an English word) as CHENNAI (a Tamil name)

Similarly, it's time we Indians decolonize our minds and proudly call indigenous Bharatya philosophies like Sri Aurobindo's Integral Yoga by their Sanskrit names.

I was aware that Sri Aurobindo's philosophy is known by its Sanskrit name Poorna Advaita, which means "complete non-dualism".

As Sri Aurobindo Ashram explains:

"Advaita literally means ‘no second’. The Life Divine is spiritual philosophy rooted in the Upanishads and the Gita, and is therefore Vedanta. But the Vedantic tradition itself has two major divisions: advaita (absolute non-dualism) and vishishta advaita (qualified non-dualism). Sri Aurobindo has given in The Life Divine his version of Vedanta, but has given it no name. A fitting name has been given to it by David Frawley: integral non-dualism (poorna advaita), that is, the non-dualism that leaves nothing out.

I felt in love with this notion of Poorna Advaita and I consider myself as a Purnadvaitin

But I was challenged to explain succinctly to others what being a Purnadvaitin means: what is my perspective on Reality and how do I experience Existence ?

That's when I got an idea: Why not AI to define Poorna Advaita ?

So I put to test DeepSeek, ChatGPT, and Mistral by asking each "What is Poorna Advaita ?"

I was blown-away by the insightful and detailed answer provided by DeepSeek, which is the only AI tool that explicitly acknowledged Sri Aurobindo (and Mother) as the most impactful contributor to Poorna Advaita philosophy.

I reproduce below DeepSeek's "integral" answer (italicized):

Poorna Advaita*, also known as Pūr?a Advaita, is a philosophical concept rooted in the Indian spiritual tradition, particularly within the framework of Advaita Vedanta. The term "Poorna" means "complete" or "whole," and "Advaita" means "non-duality." Together, Poorna Advaita translates to "Complete Non-Duality.

Key Principles of Poorna Advaita:

1. Non-Duality (Advaita):

?? - Poorna Advaita emphasizes the absolute oneness of reality, where there is no distinction between the individual self (Atman) and the ultimate reality (Brahman). This is a core teaching of traditional Advaita Vedanta, as propagated by Adi Shankaracharya.

2. Wholeness (Poorna):

?? - Unlike some interpretations of Advaita that may focus on negation (neti-neti, "not this, not this"), Poorna Advaita emphasizes the positive aspect of non-duality. It asserts that Brahman is not just an abstract, formless reality but is also the fullness of existence, encompassing all forms, names, and manifestations.??????????? ???????????????????????

3. Unity in Diversity:

- Poorna Advaita acknowledges the apparent diversity of the world but sees it as an expression of the one, undivided reality (Brahman). The world is not an illusion (Maya) in the sense of being unreal, but rather a manifestation of the divine play (Lila) of Brahman.

4. Integration of Bhakti (Devotion):

?? - While traditional Advaita Vedanta focuses on knowledge (Jnana) as the path to liberation, Poorna Advaita often integrates devotion (Bhakti) as a means to realize the oneness of the self with the divine. This approach makes it more accessible to those who are inclined toward devotional practices.

Prominent Proponents:

- Sri Aurobindo and The Mother (Mirra Alfassa) are often associated with the concept of Poorna Advaita. Sri Aurobindo's philosophy of Integral Advaita aligns closely with Poorna Advaita, as it emphasizes the realization of the divine not only in the transcendent but also in the immanent world.

- Swami Vivekananda also spoke of a holistic approach to Advaita, where the realization of oneness includes the acceptance of the world as a divine manifestation.

Difference from Traditional Advaita:

- Traditional Advaita Vedanta, as taught by Adi Shankaracharya, often emphasizes the negation of the world as unreal (Maya) and focuses on the formless, attributeless (Nirguna) aspect of Brahman.

- Poorna Advaita, on the other hand, embraces both the formless (Nirguna) and the manifest (Saguna) aspects of Brahman, seeing the world as a real expression of the divine.?

Practical Implications:

- Poorna Advaita encourages individuals to see the divine in everything and everyone, fostering a sense of unity and harmony with the universe.

- It promotes a balanced approach to spirituality, integrating both knowledge (Jnana) and devotion (Bhakti) as paths to self-realization.?

In summary, Poorna Advaita is a holistic and inclusive interpretation of non-duality that celebrates the completeness and fullness of existence, seeing the divine in both the transcendent and the immanent. It is a philosophy that bridges the gap between the absolute and the relative, offering a path to spiritual realization that embraces all aspects of life.??????? ???????????

Here is my DeepSeek query: https://chat.deepseek.com/a/chat/s/d344b58b-5c48-4a99-ac7f-d7cb25aea749 (the answer may have evolved since I queried it last week)

Now, here is how chatGPT answered my question "What is Poorna Advaita ?" (I found the answer below less satisfying):

Poorna Advaita (????? ??????) translates to "Complete Non-Dualism" in Sanskrit. It is an advanced concept within the Advaita Vedanta tradition of Hindu philosophy, emphasizing the absolute oneness of reality. While traditional Advaita Vedanta, as systematized by Adi Shankaracharya, teaches that Brahman (the ultimate reality) alone is real and the world is an illusion (Maya), Poorna Advaita takes this understanding even further.

Key Aspects of Poorna Advaita:

1. Absolute Non-Dualism – There is no distinction between Brahman, the world, and the individual soul (Jiva). Everything is an undivided whole, without even an illusory separation.
2. No Room for Maya – Unlike classical Advaita, which considers Maya as a power that creates the illusion of duality, Poorna Advaita asserts that there is no illusion at all—only Brahman exists.
3. Beyond Real and Unreal – It does not categorize the world as either real or unreal. Instead, it suggests that everything is already divine and perfect as it is.
4. No Need for Liberation (Moksha) – Since everything is already Brahman, there is no separate goal of liberation. The realization that one is already free is itself liberation.

Similarities and Differences with Other Philosophies:

• Similar to Ajata Vada (the doctrine of "no creation"), where nothing is ever created or destroyed—only Brahman exists.
• Differs from Traditional Advaita in that it does not accept the concept of Maya as an illusion-making force.
• Has parallels with some aspects of Kashmir Shaivism, where the world is not seen as an illusion but as a real manifestation of the divine.

Would you like to explore this concept in relation to any specific texts or teachers?

Here is my ChatGPT query: https://chatgpt.com/c/67b42c04-0bf0-8012-9b67-fbf0f3161890

Finally, here is how Mistral AI answered very evasively my question: "What is Poorna Advaita ?"

Poorna Advaita is not a widely recognized term in the context of Advaita Vedanta or other major philosophical traditions. However, I can provide some insights based on the related concepts and terms found in the search results.

Advaita Vedanta is a school of Hindu philosophy that emphasizes non-duality, meaning that the individual self (Atman) is not different from the ultimate reality (Brahman). It posits that the phenomenal world is an illusion (Maya) and that the true nature of reality is pure consciousness1.

The term "Poorna" in Sanskrit means "complete" or "full." In the context of Advaita, it could be interpreted as the completeness or fullness of the non-dual reality. However, without a specific definition or context for "Poorna Advaita," it is challenging to provide a precise explanation.

If you are referring to a specific text, teacher, or tradition that uses the term "Poorna Advaita," please provide more details so I can assist you better.

Here is my Mistral query: https://chat.mistral.ai/chat?q=what%20is%20poorna%20advaita%20%3F

Bottom line: I bow to DeepSeek for giving me the most satisfying answer to my existential question: "What is Poorna Advaita ?"