Hinduism And Hindu Theology - What Is Advaita Vedanta?

Advaita Vedanta is a school of thought. One of the divisions of Vedanta, the philosophical school that claims to have discovered the ultimate (anta) message of the Vedas, the ancient holy scriptures. 

• The Advaita school adheres to the philosophical stance of monism, which argues that everything is governed by a single Ultimate Reality. 

• Advaita adherents believe that reality is nondual (advaita), meaning that everything in the universe, despite appearances of variety and diversity, is really the formless, unqualified Brahman. 

• To back up this assertion, the Advaitins provide a compelling explanation for why one sees the universe to be made up of many different and distinct entities. 

• Advaitans explain this seeming variety with the notion of adhyasa (superimposition), in which a false, erroneous knowledge is projected onto a genuine object—for example, seeing a rope in the twilight and mistaking it for a snake in the traditional Advaita example. 

• The Advaitins believe that the "snake" is not entirely unreal since it is dependent on the rope for its existence—the snake cannot be seen unless the rope is there. 

• At the same time, the "snake" is obviously not real, since one does not continue in this mistake, and once the snake's illusion is broken, one can no longer see it. 

• Similarly, Advaitins believe that our perception of the phenomenal daily world is projected onto the one really actual object in the universe—Brahman. 

• The universe, like the serpent, is unreal as it is seen yet real as it is dependent on Brahman. 

• The origins of adhyasa, according to Advaitins, are epistemological, that is, linked to how humans come to know things, while adhyasa's outcomes are both epistemological and ontological (related to how things actually are). 

On the one hand, adhyasa obscures the Ultimate Reality and makes it difficult to see it correctly, while on the other hand, its projective nature shapes our perceptions of the universe. 

• The cause of all this perplexity, according to Advaitins, is avidya, or primordial ignorance, under the influence of which one develops false beliefs about the universe. 

• Although it is stated that the operation of ignorance has no beginning, one of the factors that keeps it running is one's karma, which is based on the ongoing acts produced by this erroneous thinking. 

• The power of illusion (maya) possessed by God (Ishvara), which perplexes humans, is another cause of ignorance. 

God is identified as a qualified (saguna) form of Brahman, hence below the ultimate unqualified (nirguna) Brahman, and himself a result of superimposition, according to Advaita Vedantins. 

• Because the Advaita school thinks that incorrect thinking is the root of karma bonding, the only way to break free is to acquire the right knowledge. 

• Although the Advaitans believe that individuals are obligated to do religious acts (nitya karma) as a matter of duty, actions can never bring about the insight that is required for salvation, though they may help by eliminating karmic barriers. 

• The Advaitins begin their study by appealing to the knowing subject as the one thing that can never be questioned, claiming that this self-consciousness is proof of the presence of the inner Self, or atman. 

Apart from this appeal to experience, they rely heavily on the sacred texts' authority, particularly the Upanishads, to uphold their key doctrines: 

1. That Brahman is the source of all things; 
2. That the human soul is ultimately identical to Brahman, albeit hampered by obstacles based on past karma; and that true knowledge is the basis of liberation. 

The philosopher Shankaracharya was the first and greatest Advaita thinker; other notable individuals were his two students, Sureshvara and Padmapada, as well as Mandana Mishra and Vachaspati Mishra. Karl H. Potter (ed. ), Advaita Vedanta up to Samkara and His Pupils, 1981; and Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan and Charles A. Moore (eds. ), A Sourcebook in Indian Philosophy, 1957, for further details.

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Hinduism - What Is Vivartavada In Hindu Philosophy?

 

What is the Hindu philosophy of Vivartavada?

The world is described as an illusory transformation of the Ultimate Reality or Realities, according to this philosophical model.

The Advaita Vedanta philosophical school is known for its vivartavada model.

The Advaitins believe in a causal model known as satkaryavada, which assumes that effects already exist in their causes and that when they appear, they are simply transformations (parinama) of those causes.

Milk is transformed into curds, butter, and clarified butter as a classic example.

Each of these effects was already present in the cause, according to proponents of asatkarya, and emerges from it through a natural transformation of the cause.

The Advaita school adheres to the philosophical position of monism, which holds that everything is merely different manifestations of a single Ultimate Reality.

Despite the appearance of difference and diversity in the world, Advaita proponents claim that reality is nondual (advaita), that is, that all things are "actually" nothing but the formless, unqualified Brahman.

The Advaitins' belief that an effect already exists in its cause is based on the principle that all things in the universe ultimately rely on Brahman as the first cause.

Simultaneously, the Advaitins refuse to acknowledge that Brahman ever changes because this would negate its eternal and unchanging nature.

As a result, they talk about a fictitious transmission (vivartavada).

The Advaitins believe that Brahman never truly changes because it is eternal and thus unchanging; the apparent changes are only illusory, based on human ignorance through shifting superimposition patterns (adhyasa).

Advaitins are able to maintain Brahman's transcendence while also accounting for (apparent) changes in the phenomenal world in this way.

Proponents of a different approach, which portrays the perceivable world as an actual trans creation of this unified reality, argue against this stance.

Proponents of the Samkhya, Vishishthadvaita Vedanta, and Bhedabhada philosophical traditions, who, like Advaitins, believe in satkaryavada, hold this position.

Each of these three schools thinks that the world as we see it is real, that it is rooted in a single ultimate source, and that this fundamental principle undergoes a genuine metamorphosis through which the universe is born.

This parinama connection permits these schools to explain the phenomenal world, but in a manner that undermines the transcendence of these initial principles by incorporating them within it.

Philosophically, they struggle to explain how the sublime might become commonplace, then transcendent again.

What is the vivartavada view of Advaita Vedanta?

According to the post-Shankara Advaita advaitins' vivartavada view of Advaita Vedanta, the cosmos is only a "illusory mutation" of Brahman.

What does Vivarta mean?

The Sanskrit term vivarta denotes a change in form, a modification, or a changed circumstance. 

The word vivarta is the root of the phrase vivartavada.

The Satkaryavada thesis, which states that the cause precedes the consequence, is accepted by all Vedanta schools. 

However, there are several points of view about how Brahman gave rise to the material universe. 

The concept of parinamavada holds that the universe is a genuine (parinama) metamorphosis of Brahman. 

• The concept of vivartavada holds that the universe is only a fictitious (vivarta) representation of Brahman. 

• According to Vivartavada, despite the fact that Brahman seems to alter, nothing really changes. 

• The multitude of creatures are false manifestations because Brahman, the ultimate truth that is unborn, unchanging, and utterly devoid of any parts, is the only true being.

The Brahma Sutras, early Vedantins, the majority of Vedanta schools, and Samkhya all support parinamavada. 

According to Nicholson, the Advaitins, who are devotees of Shankara, are the "most conspicuous champions of Vivartavada." 

The Advaitins say that before the individual ego may be freed, all of Brahman's consequences must eventually be accepted as unreal, despite the fact that the universe can be represented as conventionally real, continues Nicholson.

However, academics are divided on whether Adi Shankara and his Advaita theory used vivartavada or parinamavada to explain causation. 

Adi Shankara did not support Vivartavada, according to scholars like Paul Hacker and Hajime Nakamura, and his justifications are "far from any connotation of illusion." They claim that the concept of Vivarta was given by the scholar Prakasatman, and it is Prakasatman's thesis that is sometimes mistaken for Adi Shankara's perspective. 

According to Andrew Nicholson, who agrees with Hacker and other academics, Shankara's thoughts are more closely related to parinama-vada than the vivarta-vada, and the vivarta explanation most likely developed gradually in the Advaita sub-school later.

Casual connection is depicted by Vijnanabhiksu as having three terms: effect, variable locus cause, and immutable locus cause. 

The locus cause cannot be separated from the changing cause and effect and does not originate in them.

By proposing the theory of Svatantryavada (the "Universal voluntarism"), which maintains that Effect develops from Cause due to the sovereignty of God's Will, the Pratyabhijna philosophy of Somananda disproves the Arambhvada (the "Realistic view" of the Nyaya-Vaisesika), the Parinamavada (the theory of Transformation of the Sankhya-Yoga), and the Vivart.

Ramanuja recognizes Prakrti as the material cause, but Madhava disputes this claim since a material cause does not necessarily imply control or supervision. 

Madhava also disagrees with the Vivartavada because it does not acknowledge the need to account for any effects. 

In his pure non-dualism (Shuddhadvaita) philosophy, Vallabhacharya also opposes "vivartavada" and asserts that Maya (or the "Jagat") is real and is only a power of Brahman who manifests as Jiva and the world of his own volition. 

In doing so, there is no transformation of Brahman; it still remains only gold. 

As a result, Shuddhadvaita is also called as "Avikta Parimavda" (Unmodified transformation).

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Vivartavada mean?

The concept of vivartavada holds that the universe is only a fictitious representation of Brahman. 

According to Vivartavada, despite the fact that Brahman seems to alter, nothing really changes. The multitude of creatures are false manifestations because Brahman, the ultimate truth that is unborn, unchanging, and utterly devoid of any parts, is the only true being.

What distinguishes Parinamavada from Vivartavada?

The non-advaitin doctrine of real change is referred to as parinama-vada.

Vivartavada, the advaita theory of seeming change, is distinct from this. The idea is that the cause really changes into the consequence.

References And Further Reading:

• Majumder, B. and Ray, S., 2022. Rajju Sarpa Bhranti-A Metaphysical Analysis of Visual Illusions in Light of Doctrine of Vivarta Vada. Journal of Ayurveda and Integrated Medical Sciences, 7(5), pp.80-90.

• Sayanolibavan, M., 2022. The importance attributed to Mandukya Karika in the tradition of Advaida Vedanta.

• Roodurmum, P.S., 2002. Bhåamatåi and Vivaraòna Schools of Advaita Vedåanta a Critical Approach.

• Chari, S., 2011. Indian Philosophical Systems: A Critical Review Based on Vedānta Deśika's Paramata-Bhaṅga.

• Majumder, B. and Ray, S., 2022. Doctrines of Different Philosophical Schools Regarding the Theory of Cause & Effect and Their Validation in Light of Charaka Samhita. Journal of Ayurvedic and Herbal Medicine, 8(2), pp.94-100.

• Bhattacharyya, S.P., 2000. Sarvajñātmamuni's contribution to Advaita Vedānta.

• Brooks, R.W., 1963. Śaṁkara: A Psychological Study.

• Isaeva, N.V., 2009. Vivartavada.

• Duquette, J., 2015. Is Sivadvaita Vedanta a Saiddhantika School? Parinamavada in the Brahmamimarrisabhasya. Journal of Hindu Studies, 8(1), pp.16-43.

• Chaliha, A., 2017. ON SRIBHASYA-THE BASIC BOOK ON THE THEISTIC VEDANTA. The Philosophical Journal of JB College (Autonomous), Jorhat Assam, India, p.10.

• Goswami, N., The concept of aventa philosophy of Sankaracharya.

• Singh, P., 2021. The Problem of Causation: Nagarjuna Vs Hume. Journal Of International Buddhist Studies College (JIBSC), 7(1), pp.66-75.

• Gupta, A.S., 1958. Ramanuja on causality. Philosophy East and West, 8(3/4), pp.137-148.

~Kiran Atma

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Hinduism - What Is Bhamati Advaita?

The Advaita Vedanta philosophical school's latter branch. 

The Advaita school believes in monism, or the idea that there is a single Ultimate Reality that lays underlying everything and that everything is only a different manifestation of that reality. 

• Despite the appearance of variety, Advaita adherents believe that reality is nondual (advaita), that is, that all things are nothing but the formless, unqualified Brahman. 

• This presupposition of variety, according to Advaitins, is a basic misunderstanding of the ultimate essence of things, or avidya. 

• Although frequently translated as "ignorance," avidya is more accurately described as a lack of true knowledge, which leads to karmic bonding, rebirth (samsara), and misery. 

• Although the school gets its name from a commentary published by Mandana's student Vachaspati Mishra, Bhamati Advaita is founded on Mandana Mishra's teachings. 

Mandana was a contemporary of Advaita Vedanta's greatest exponent, philosopher Shankaracharya, and took firm positions on many philosophical issues on which Shankaracharya had kept quiet. 

• One of them was the location of avidya, which Mandana argued had to be each individual Self since it was ridiculous to think of Brahman as being subject to ignorance. 

• Mandana had many, distinct identities, since one person's freedom did not bring release to others. 

• Mandana's remarks implied the presence of a shared, though illusory, reality, which his followers interpreted as the result of a single primordial ignorance; nevertheless, they had to explain how a single basic ignorance could impact many souls at the same time. 

• This was accomplished via the use of philosophical frameworks such as limitationism and reflectionism, albeit the latter is more usually connected with the Bhamati school. 

• Limitationism argues that certain objects (such as the color red) are not split in our minds, despite the fact that various red hues exist in different locations. 

Similarly, according to the Bhamati school, avidya may exist in many souls at the same time but is entire and undivided in each. 

• Reflectionism is founded on the concept of a mirror image that differs from the original yet is created from it. 

• As a result, every avidya discovered in a soul is a "reflection" of the original avidya. 

Karl H. Potter (ed. ), Presuppositions of India's Philosophies, 1972, has further information.

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Hinduism - What Is Vivarana Advaita?

 

Vivarana Advaita  is a Sanskrit phrase that means "to live in the present moment."

Shankaracharya was the greatest figure in one of the later Advaita Vedanta schools, a philosophical school.

The Advaita school adheres to the philosophical position of monism, which is the belief in a single impersonal Ultimate Reality, which they refer to as Brahman.

Despite the appearance of difference and diversity in the perceptible world, Advaita proponents believe that reality is "nondual" (advaita), that is, all things are nothing but the formless Brahman.

This assumption of diversity is a manifestation of avidya for Advaitins, who believe it is a fundamental mental misunderstanding of the ultimate nature of things.

Although frequently translated as "ignorance," avidya refers to a lack of genuine understanding that leads to karmic bonds, reincarnation (samsara), and suffering.

Because the Advaitins' real problem is this erroneous understanding, realization (jnana) was the most effective spiritual path for achieving ultimate liberation (moksha).

The Vivarana Advaita school is based on the ideas of Padmapada (9th century), one of Shankaracharya's disciples, but takes its name from a commentary written by Prakashatman in the thirteenth century.

Traditionally, the latter was a Padmapada disciple, but this appears to be problematic.

The Vivarana school, like the Bhamati school, took firm positions on a number of issues where Shankaracharya had been silent.

One of these was on the locus of ignorance, described by the Vivarana school as being in Brahman.

The Vivarana Advaitins use the theory of reflectionism to explain the apparent difference between Brahman and the Self, despite the fact that the Selves are identical with Brahman, because it appears to compromise the integrity of Brahman.

Their position appears to be based on an unwavering affirmation of Brahman as the sole "reality," to which everything that exists must belong.

~ Kiran Atma

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Hinduism - Who Was Sureshvara In Hindu Philosophy?

 

 

Advaita Vedanta philosopher, one of two documented pupils of Shankaracharya (788–820? ), the other being Padmapada.

The Advaita school believes in monism, which is the concept that there is a single Ultimate Reality that lies underlying all things, and that all things are only different expressions of that reality.

Advaita proponents exhibit this idea by claiming that reality is nondual (advaita), that is, that all things are nothing but the formless, unqualified Brahman, despite the appearance of diversity and variety.

The idea that the universe is actual as seen is a basic misunderstanding of the ultimate essence of things, according to Advaita proponents, and an evidence of avidya.

Although typically interpreted as "ignorance," avidya refers to a lack of genuine insight that leads to karmic bonds, rebirth (samsara), and pain.

Sureshvara is the sole explicit proponent of jump philosophy in Hindu thinking, however aspects of it may be seen in other Advaita Vedanta thinkers, notably in his instructor.

The leap philosophy asserts that complete freedom from bondage, which is defined in the Indian context as the end of rebirth and full release of the soul (moksha), may be attained, but that such freedom cannot be attained by a perfectly determined sequence of causes and consequences.

Since the ultimate issue arises from one's erroneous understanding, the only solution, according to Sureshvara, is pure, accurate knowledge.

Sureshvara's approach, such as it is, is to utilize a negative dialectic to clearly define what the Self is not, and then to obtain a flash of mystic insight by hearing one of the mahavakyas ("great utterances") that connect the Self with Brahman once one's mind has been pre pared.

Sureshvara asserts that actions have no place in this process since action is inextricably linked to the world and is tainted by ignorance.

For further detail, see A. J. Alston's translation of Sri Suresvara's Naiskarmya Siddhi, published in 1959, and Karl H. Potter's ed. of Advaita Vedanta up to Samkara and His Pupils, published in 1981.

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Hinduism - What Is Vedanta School Of Hindu Philosophy?

 

The sixth and most recent of traditional Hindu philosophy's six schools.

Vedanta literally translates to "the end of the Vedas," reflecting their belief that they were unveiling the final meaning of these ancient books.

The Upanishads, which were also the final layer of Vedic books, and therefore their "end" in a different sense, were given special attention by Vedanta proponents.

Several prominent schools with significantly differing philosophical perspectives have used these works as authoritative sources.

The Advaita Vedanta school, founded by the philosopher Shankaracharya and his disciples, is the most well-known and influential of them.

The Advaita school adheres to the philosophical viewpoint of monism, or the belief in a single impersonal Ultimate Reality known as Brahman.

Despite the appearance of distinction and diversity, Advaita proponents believe that reality is "nondual" (advaita), that is, all things are nothing but the formless, unqualified Brahman.

This assumption of variety, according to Advaitins, is a basic misunderstanding of the ultimate essence of things, as well as a sign of avidya.

Although frequently translated as "ignorance," avidya is more accurately defined as a lack of genuine understanding that traps humans in karmic bonds, reincarnation (samsara), and suffering.

Unlike the Advaita school, which views the Ultimate Reality in abstract, impersonal terms, the other Vedanta schools are theistic, in that they regard the Ultimate Reality as a personal God, namely Vishnu.

The two other major schools are the Vishishthadvaita vedanta (“qualified nondualism”) pro pounded by Ramanuja and the Dvaita Vedanta (“dualist”) propounded by Madhva.

The major differences between these two schools stem from assumptions about connections between God, human souls, and the world.

Ramanuja tends to see these in a continuum, with the world and human souls sharing in the divine nature, whereas Madhva stresses the great gulf between God and all other things.

Another minor school is the dvaitadvaita vedanta (“dualism and nondualism”) of Nimbarka, which strives to find some middle ground between Advaita Vedanta’s monism, and Dvaita Vedanta’s dualism.

Nimbarka stressed that the world and souls were dependent on God, in whom they exist, and with whom they had a subtle connection.

Even from their names, it is obvious that there are significant differences between these positions.

~Kiran Atma

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Hinduism - ADVAITA

What Is Advaita?

Non-duality or 'not two-ness' is the literal translation.

One of the primary schools of Vedanta, Advaita, advocates a philosophical perspective. 

It is the concept that multiplicity is, in the end, the manifestation of a non-dual reality.

This philosophical stance is sometimes referred to as monism in the West (the belief that reality is one), but the meaning of 'non-duality' in a Hindu context is more nuanced, because it does not involve the postulation of even a single entity, because 'Being' (sat) is said to be beyond all signification, including the postulation of a One.

The non-dual principle of reality underpins the cosmos, yet it is not an entity in the same way that the many objects and entities do.

It is the foundation of their existence.

Furthermore, labeling such schools as monistic is difficult since they often preserve a multi-leveled definition of truth that does not necessitate rejecting the existence of plurality.

The idea is that the ontological substratum that permits such creatures to appear is fundamentally a non-dual principle of being.

The Upanisads include the oldest explicit exposition of non dualist notions, with Brahman as the basic substrate of existence from which the cosmos is believed to originate.

Early Upanisads, such as the Chandogya, compare the connection between Brahman and each individual being's basic self (Atman) to the mixing of salt and water in salty water.

The water tastes like salt that can't be seen, and the difference between the two is undetectable, just as Brahman can't be seen yet permeates the whole cosmos.

'You are That,' the sage concludes (tat-tvam-asi, Chandogya Upanis.ad 6.10.3).

Numerous schools evolved in response to the primary topic of the link between the individual ego and Brahman, the substance of the cosmos, as a result of various efforts to construct a systematic philosophical interpretation of such passages in the Upanisads (veda-anta or 'end of the vedas').

The difference-non-difference school, dualists (who claimed a clear ontological split between the two), qualified non dualists, and non-dualist interpretation were among them.

The Mandukya Karika (also known as the Agamasastra or the Gaudapada Karika) is the earliest unambiguous explanation of Advaitaphilosophy.

It was presumably written about the sixth century of the Common Era.

Sankara, however, is the most well-known Advaita proponent (eighth century CE).

The universe of plurality, according to believers of the Sankarite view, is ultimately nothing more than a magical illusion (Maya).

The specific nature of this illusion was the topic of much debate (and opposing schools' contention), but the general consensus was that maya is unexplainable, being neither completely existing nor non-existent.

The key to grasping this concept is to recognize that there are two degrees of truth for Sankara: ultimate truth (where the non-dual Brahman is the solitary reality) and daily, practical truth (where a variety of diverse things exist).

Maya is a cosmic illusion, but it is not a mental delusion (as in a hallucination or a dream), not least because the concept of an individual self (jivatman) is ultimately illusory from the standpoint of ultimate truth.

The world of waking awareness is not a subjective deception, according to Sankara; it exists and acts on a practical plane of reality.

This universe is unreal in and of itself, but real in the sense that it is identical to Brahman, the source of all existence.

According to Sankara, avidya - metaphysical ignorance – is the root of the universe's seeming manifestation, which is basically our ignorance of the reality that everything is Brahman.

At the individual level, this entails projecting categories or 'adjuncts' derived from previously acquired experiences (including those from prior incarnations) onto the non-dual reality, causing it to look as something it is not.

Sankara utilizes the well-known example of the rope and the snake to convey his point.

In low light, a rope might resemble a snake.

We think we're looking at a snake, but it's only a rope.

We can realize the error that was committed in daylight (that is, with the benefit of knowledge) and no longer project the image of a snake onto the rope.

Similarly, Brahman is the source of all things, but we misinterpret it as distinct objects due to our inability to transcend our ignorance of reality's actual nature.

Sankara's interpretation of Advaita, on the other hand, is far from the sole kind of nondualism found in Hindu traditions.

The Bhagavata Purana (c. eleventh century CE) is centered on the playful figure of Krishna and mixes non-dualistic notions with Vaisnava devotionalism (bhakti).

Non-dualistic philosophies may also be found within the many Saivite movements.

The Pratyabhijna or Recognition School, which is commonly connected with Kashmir but also exists elsewhere, is notable for its clear rejection of Sankara's notion of maya's illumination.

The world is real, according to this school, since it is a vibration (spanda) of Siva's dynamic and creative awareness.

Later works, such as Vasistha's highly poetic Yoga Teachings (Yogavasistha), synthesize themes and concepts from a variety of non-dualist schools (including Buddhist ones), but with a clear orientation towards Vedantic interpretations.

Interest in Sankara's philosophy by various Western Orientalists and Hindu reformers in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries helped to establish non-dualist ideas as important sources. 

Many of the key intellectual figures and gurus of Hinduism in the modern period, including Ramakrishna, his disciple Swami Vivekananda, SarvepalliRadhakrishnan, Ramana Maharshi, Nisargadatta Raj, Sri Aurobindo, and, to a lesser extent, Mahatma Gandhi, advocate non-dualism as a central aspect of their teaching.

Swami Vivekananda, perhaps more than anyone else, was responsible for catching the imagination of Hindus and Westerners alike with his promotion of non-dual ism as Hinduism's basic doctrine and 'spirituality' as the distinguishing quality of Hindu devotion.

~Kiran Atma

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See also: 

Atman, Bhakti, Brahman, Buddhism's relationship with Hinduism, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi,Aurobindo Ghose, Modern and contemporary Hinduism, Kashmiri Saivism, Krishna, Maya, Puranas, Sir Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan,Sri Ramakrishna, Ramana Maharshi,Saivism, Sankara, Siva, Upanisads, Vaisnavism, Vedanta, Swami Vivekananda,Yogavasistha

References And Further reading:

King, Richard. 1999. Indian Philosophy: An Introduction to Hindu and Buddhist Thought. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

Ram-Prasad, C. 1991. An Outline of Indian Non-realism: Some Central Arguments of Advaita Metaphysics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Sharma, A. 1993. The Experimental Dimension of Advaita Vedanta. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass.

Hinduism - What Is The Concept Of Jivanmukti In Hindu Philosophy?

 

 ("freedom in the act of living") The idea that one may achieve ultimate soul liberation while still alive and then dwell in a liberated condition for the rest of one's life in later Indian philosophy.

Many of the subschools of Advaita Vedanta, one of the six schools of traditional Indian philosophy, make the claim of jivanmukta (one who is freed while still alive).

The Advaita school adheres to a philosophical viewpoint known as monism, which believes that all things are essentially different manifestations of a single Ultimate Reality known as Brahman.

The difficulty with human bonding, according to Advaita proponents, is that humans, blinded by avidya or misunderstanding, fail to comprehend this ultimate connection.

Liberation is achieved by comprehending what has always been the case, and therefore swapping a faulty idea for a true one, rather than by "doing" anything or becoming someone one is not.

Although this understanding permanently alters how a person perceives the universe, it has no ontological implications, implying that on a physical level, one continues to exist as before until the karma that generated one's current body has been spent.

For further detail, read Karl H. Potter's Advaita Vedanta up to Samkara and His Pupils, Advaita Vedanta up to Samkara and His Pupils, 1981.

 

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Hinduism - Who Was Vishakhadatta?

 

 Vishakhadatta(6th c.), was a Sanskrit playwright, Mudrarakshasa ("Rakshasa's Ring") is his sole extant work.

The play is historically significant since its central narrative is the ascent of Chandragupta Maurya (r. 321–297 B.C.E. ), the founder of the Maurya dynasty, despite the fact that the play attributes his victory to his crafty brahmin minister, Chanakya.

Although, in respect to the actual monarch, this picture is wrong, the play portrays the king as a weak character, with the minister as the true power behind the throne.

The narrative of the drama is convoluted, as is the case with many Sanskrit plays, but the drama's climax occurs when the main protagonists are dramatically saved from execution at the last minute.

Michael Coulson translated the play into English and released it in the collection Three Sanskrit Plays in 1981.

Vishishthadvaita ("Qualified Non-Dualism") is a Sanskrit word that means "qualified non-dualism." Vedanta One of the branches of Vedanta, the philosophical school that claims to reveal the Vedas' ultimate meaning and purpose (anta), the Hindu religious texts' oldest and most authoritative texts.

The greatest figure in Vishishthadvaita is Ramanuja, an eleventh-century philosopher who was central to its formulation, despite the fact that he was building on earlier work.

Ramanuja believed that Brahman, or Supreme Reality, was a personal god rather than an impersonal abstract concept, and that the most significant kind of religious activity was devotion (bhakti).

His philosophical viewpoint, Vishishthadvaita Vedanta, emphasized both of these ideas, and so contrasted with the Advaita Vedanta school, created by the philosopher Shankaracharya.

The Advaita school adheres to the philosophical position of monism, or the belief in a single impersonal Ultimate Reality, which they refer to as Brahman.

Despite the appearance of difference and variety in the perceivable world, Advaita adherents believe that reality is "nondual" (advaita), meaning that all things are nothing but the formless Brahman.

This assumption of diversity, according to Advaitins, is a fundamental misunderstanding of the ultimate nature of things, as well as a manifestation of avidya.

Although avidya is often translated as "ignorance," it is better understood as a lack of genuine understanding that leads to karmic bonding, rein carnation (samsara), and suffering.

Because the real issue for Advaitins is a misunderstanding, realization (jnana) was the best spiritual path to achieve ultimate liberation (moksha).

The material universe and self have genuine and autonomous existence, according to Ramanuja's formulation, while their existence is ultimately anchored in God, whom he names as Vishnu.

The world emerges from God through an evolutionary process based on the Samkhya model, but because matter is unconscious, it is both similar to and dissimilar to God.

Human beings are similar to God in that they have God as their source, but they differ from him in that they are subject to ignorance and suffering.

God, according to Ramanuja and his followers, is not the same as ourselves or the world, which are all thought to have real and independent existence.

In a way that the Advaita proponents will never concede, this notion of identity and difference makes the perceptible world real.

Ramanuja's stance differs from that of a later thinker, Madhva, whose Dvaita Vedanta emphasized the enormous chasm between God and all else.

Because of the disparity in capacities between the god and the devotee (bhakta), Ramanuja and his followers have emphasized bhakti as the most effective route of redemption.

Even after freedom, souls maintain enough separation from God to allow devotion; liberation is seen as a perpetual relationship with God rather than a loss of individuality.

For further detail, read John Braisted Carman's The Theology of Ramanuja, published in 1974, and Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan and Charles A. Moore's A Sourcebook in Indian Philosophy, published in 1957.

~ Kiran Atma

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Hinduism - Who Is Padmapada?

 

Padmapada is the founder of the Vivarana school of Advaita Vedanta, and one of Shankaracharya's two confirmed pupils (the other being Sureshvara).

The Advaita school adheres to a philo sophical stance known as monism, which believes that all things are essentially different manifestations of a single Ultimate Reality, Brahman.

Advaita adherents believe that reality is nondual (advaita), meaning that, despite appearances of distinction and diversity, everything is nothing more than the formless, unqualified Brahman.

The assumption of variety, according to Advaitins, is a fundamental misunderstanding of the ultimate essence of things, as well as a sign of avidya (lack of genuine understanding).

Padmapada's Vivarana school is distinguished by the fact that he puts the location of ignorance in Brahman, as opposed to the Bhamati school, which finds it in the person.

The Vivarana Advaitins use Reflectionism to explain how Brahman might be the source of ignorance: Human selves are equal to Brahman, yet seem to be distinct, just as an image in a mirror is based on the original but different from it.

Padmapada's perspective is based on a deep belief in Brahman as the one "reality" to which all that exists must belong.

Karl H. Potter (ed. ), Advaita Vedanta up to Samkara and His Pupils, 1981; and Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan and Charles A. Moore (eds. ), A Sourcebook in Indian Philosophy, 1957, for further details.

~Kiran Atma

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