Dear Elizabeth108,
Search for truth in Advaita starts from a belief. A belief that everything is Brahman, which is obtained from three canonical texts of vedantha together called Prasthana Thraya(includes 10 principal Upanishads, Brahmasutra and the Bhagavad gita) .
Or in other words the search for truth in Advaita proceeds from an
a priori induction, that 'All is Brahman'. (Sarvam Khalvidam Brahma).
So the first point to be postulated is that Advaita it not mere
skepticism as many people think.
The Dicta(Sarvam Khalvidam Brahma) gives a generalized form of what this world is all about, and the seeker comes to a final conclusion that ‘This world’ (idam) is Brahman alone.
This conclusion doesn’t give any kind realization to the seeker student; hence he needs to hear how this Brahman relates to oneself or to himself. That he hears from a realized teacher.
The Guru instructs the disciple that ‘he himself is That’ or ‘He himself is Brahman’ (this is derived from the Great Dicta called Tattvamasi).
Then the seeker himself needs to find out ‘who he actually is’ or ‘who am I’ (koham)
In order to find who we are we cannot omit the existence of this world saying all is
Maya.
The second point to be noted is that Advaita is not mere
Maya Vada.
There starts an
a posteriori induction, in which the world is scientifically scrutinized. For the purpose of scrutinizing the world we may even resort to the methodology of modern science (metaphysics) rather than sticking ourselves to the traditional methods as mentioned in the Upanishads.
Towards the end of the search the seeker combines both these knowledge or results of the previously noted inductions (both
a priori and
a posteriori) and comes to a conclusion using a methodology called dialectics (or science of union which is called yoga buddhi in Sanskrit) in order to trodden the ‘vision’ of the absolute as ‘I’ is Brahman itself’ or ‘I am Brahman’ (Ahman Brahmasmi).
Further stages of contemplation drive the seeker towards Ayam atma Brahma, Prajanam Brahman etc... towards the full vision of the Absolute or being One with it .
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A Kind Note: In our age, to know about a single fraction of organism such as the eye, a person should have twelve years of preparatory study for the familiarization of the language used as the medium of instruction at the university level, then five years to know of the body in which eyes are placed, then another two years or so to have a thorough examination of the eye. Even after that effortful career an ophthalmologist does not claim that s/he knows(so is with the present writer).
If factual knowledge of an eye is so elusive, the vision of truth, that is ‘I’ can sound like a far cry…. No wonder the rishis, the seers, say That is far(tad doore, Isa vasya). Love
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