Advaita or 'not two'

[yajvan]

hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~

Namasté

In another post I mentioned the following:


...hence advaita vedānta therefore means - Non-duality (a-dvaita) is the end (anta) of knowledge/wisdom (veda).

That is, the sum total of all wisdom and practices one may engage in, should deliver that person to the end (anta) state of non-duality (a-dvaita), of Brahman, of the Supreme ( anuttara). For what else is the veda engaged in, other then Totality ( Brahman).

If one wished to pursue a conversation on this subject in a nutshell , what then would be some of the key points of an advaita vedānta discussion (vāda वाद = speech , discourse , talk , utterance) ?

Advaita or ' not two' - but 'not two' of what? The non-differernce of the individual ( and frankly all that we see and experince) is non-different then Brahman. That implies ekaṁ sva advitīyam ¹ .
Reality - a view of saguṇa and nirguṇa ( form and formess) Brahman ; a key item for discussion
The notion of avidya and māyā- this is the 'linguistic' device used to explain how this Unity or ekaṁ sva advitīyam, is seen as multiplicity or all that we see and experince.
The notion of ignorance (avidya) and that of māyā are the concepts that are used. This ignorance is that of not being aware of one's genuine nature or ātman. Māyā is the notion of illusion.
I yield to this concept from the standpoint that one does not truly see Reality as it is, hence māyā; that said we have talked for pages and pages regarding this matter ¹.
Now some would add the concept of adhyāsa ¹(imposition) and vivarta-vāda (illusory appearance discussion) to the mix of avidya. This helps explain one's exeriences in the world of appearent duality
Liberation while living - jīvanmukti. This is the core of advaita vedānta i.e. That is, the sum total of all wisdom and practices one may engage in, should deliver that person to the end (anta) state of non-duality (a-dvaita), of Brahman, of the Supreme ( anuttara). For what else is the veda engaged in, other then Totality ( Brahman).Within this most robust darśana (vision) of Reality, there are some that are critial of this approach and tend to call advaita vedānta māyāvāda; hence Advaitin-s ( those practicing this darśana ) are considered māyā-vādins. Their notion for this - explaining (vāda) why one experiences diversity (māyā) is high on the discussion list i.e. how Reality is experienced ( initially) as multiplicity. I am not in this camp of thinking. I would suggest another complimentary name would be Brahma-vāda and Brahma-vādin-s as Fullness (bhūman), sattā, are always on the Advaitin-s lips.

My teacher would always talk of living the wholeness of life. For the listener still anchored in avidya, he would say experience 200% of life…the fullness of nirguṇa and saguṇa Brahman.

I'd hope others will add (positive) additions and extentions to this conversation as one sees fit.


praṇām


words

advaita is composed of a + dvaita; a अ= not ( like 'un' in English) + dvaita द्वैत= duality , duplicity , dualism = not (a) dual (dvaita).
ekaṁ or eka एक- one and the same , solitary , single + sva स्व- one's own + advitiya अद्वितीय- without a second
Māyā discussion http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1768 (http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1768)
adhyāsa अध्यास- imposing; the in vogue term is considered super-imposition
vivarta विवर्त- 'the revolving one'
darśana दर्शन- view , doctrine , philosophical system

[yajvan]

hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~

Namasté


If one wishes to consider this advaita vedānta - Non-duality (a-dvaita), bhūman, wholeness must be considered. That is pūrṇatā पूर्णता-fullness; based on pūrṇa पूर्ण abundant, fulfilled , finished , accomplished - This is the nature of Brahman, of this non-dual quality of life.

This suggests that I too (as you) are part and parcel of this fullness. This fullness suggests if I perceive an object it should be seen as a continuation of myself, and that object too ( viewing me) a continuation of it. If there is 'not two', it applies to all things surrounding me. A word has been used to describe this:
The word is satatoditam. Svāmī Lakṣman-jū's offers this word from the Tantrāloka. It is that which has no pause, no break. This for me really captures the essence of this totality, the fullness. Svāmi-ji says ' It is break-less and unitary. In samādhi it is there and when samādhi is absent it is there. And in sleep it is there; in each and every state of the subjective body it is there.
If I look at this word I see it as sat + a-tu + dita. Which says to me, that which really is (sat) + not (a) +to have authority (tu) + bound or divided (dita). Or that Reality that cannot be bound or divided


The Isāvāsya Upaniṣad helps us with this;

oṁ pūrṇamadaḥ pūrṇamidaṁ pūrṇāt pūrṇamudacyate |
pūrṇasya pūrṇamādāya pūrṇamīvāvashiṣyate ||

That is whole; this is whole;
From that whole this whole came;
From that whole, this whole removed,
What remains is whole.

For those that wish to better understand this, consider
http://www.advaitin.net/Discussion%20Topics/purnamadah%2520shanti-patha.pdf (http://www.advaitin.net/Discussion%20Topics/purnamadah%2520shanti-patha.pdf) . A discussion by Svāmī Dayānanda Sarasvatī

praṇām

[brahman]

...hence advaita vedānta therefore means - Non-duality (a-dvaita) is the end (anta) of knowledge/wisdom (veda).

In fact 'The end of Veda itself is Vedanta'.
It doesn't mean that it is the end of veda( knowledge) but the end of the use of four vedas

Because the Vedas are being mishandled by man. Vedas are meant to create 'diety' forms in the minds of man, to be considered holy and sacred and be used as objects to meditate upon. One can renounce Veda when he has perceived the sthula or sukshma sarira of his deity in mind. He can further attain the state of advaita by continuously meditating upon this form.
But, Kama, krotha, and bhaya that constitute the primordial properties of the three gunas don’t abandon the prosperities of Veda.

Likewise, man creates in mind various deities through Vedasasthra inorder to accomplish his specific needs by performing rituals, offerings . He is caught in the endless cycle of births. This is the state of dvaita "the you and the god(or many demigods) policy. Vedas has to be handled to empower yourself in the path of brahmavidya not for prosperity.

Vedanta personifies the objects to attain Brahman, and once the deities are perceived, the Veda remains useless. This explains why it’s called Vedanta. One who meditates upon this form attains spiritual progress. Worship on many deities only brings pleasures or worldly progress, and gets attached with karma (Rajo guna) thereby to descend to lower births in his last days.

Life is sustained by the properties of the three gunas. There’s nothing to fear in that. There is nothing to desire in that, and nothing to be feeling angry about. No man can ever accomplish what he has in mind. In reality, whatever that happens or doesn’t happen are not things that have appeared to us. Numerous other actions happen in its way. The purpose of man’s life here is his intellectual growth. Everything happens justly. There’s nothing to be sorrowful about There’s nothing to be happy about. Whatever happens is Lord’s ordain alone.

Satwa, rajo, tamo guna happens in everybody’s life, one after the other. At the stage of satwa guna, one offers prayer at temples, wears beard, appears pleasant, and through prayerful offerings come about immense energy( blessings, prosperity) and later gets trapped in Karma at Rajo guna and one's mind then embraces pomp and luxury, (adorns himself in colorful dress, applies perfumes and gets fascinated towards women.) ,receives respect and recognition. Slowly he gets deprived of energy in karma. Then one collapses into grief in Tamoguna and then receives God only to receive Satwa guna.

Only the intelligent realize this cycle.

Hence it is disclosed that out of the 3 gunas, the primary cause for all troubles is the way spiritual progress is mishandled in Rajoguna. It’s undoubtedly Rajoguna that stands as a hindrance to the spiritual progress. Identify the Rajo guna in you.
May meditation teach one everything…


Brahman