Fundamentals of Advaitha - Request from a newbie

[Vipranarayanan]

Dear Patrons,

I am a newbie and I would like to have an idea on basics or fundamentals of Advaitha and If any of honorable members can help me by suggesting link or book or ebook, it would be very nice.

Thanks again,

Namaskarams,
Vipranarayanan

[devotee]

Namaste Vipra,

Please go through these threads in Advaita forum which may clarify a lot of things on Advaita :

http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=4824
http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=4941
http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/sho...?t=846&page=16
(please read posts 156 to 161)
http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=5082

http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=5798

http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=5369

OM

[wundermonk]

Hi,

Unlike user devotee, I would suggest that you do NOT jump into any threads online.

To understand the intricacies of our various darshanas, it is a much better idea to become familiar with the basics using a physical book. Get a hold of a good translation of the Samkhyakarika to understand the intricacies of Samkhya. Once you understand Samkhya, you will be well prepared on the basis Advaita builds its metaphysics on.

Also, get a hold of Shankara's commentary on the Bhagavad Gita and his Brahmasutrabhasya.

All of the books mentioned above are available at a very reasonable price here.

[Sriram257]

Namaste Vipranarayanan,

Please go through the blog I have written below

http://hindudharmaforums.com/entry.p...within-Advaita.

Also for a better understanding of Advaita Vedanta please read the book Introduction to Vedanta by Dayananda Saraswati.

He introduces the subject in a beautiful way. There are many videos of his as well on youtube.

Just know that terms with in Sankhya and Yoga philosophy is used in all Darshanas of Hindu Dharma.

[Vipranarayanan]

Thanks to patrons "devotee", "wundermonk" and "Sriram257" for valuable and woderful replies. I will religiously go through the suggestions by them .

Thanks again,
Vipranarayanan

[CedarTree]

I would say the basis as far as my exposure with people practicing in that path is non-duality. But I can't say I have spent a lot of time exploring it and going indepth. I am sure it is multi-dimensioned and a lot of content is drawn out about the non-dual experience.

[yajvan]

hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~
namasté
If one were looking for the fundamentals of advaita ( non-dual) vedānta, then that 1st brick that forms this house must be ( IMHO) be that offered by gauḍapādacharya's commentary of the māṇḍūkya upaniṣad (māṇḍūkyopaniṣat).

The 1st brick
We go to gauḍapādacharya’s¹ commentary (kārikā) on the 2nd chapter , 32nd verse. Let me offer several translations of the same verse:
न निरोधो न चोत्पत्तिर्न बद्धो न च साधकः ।
न मुमुक्षुर्न वै मुक्त इत्येषा परमार्थता ॥ ३२ ॥
na nirodho na cotpattirna baddho na ca sādhakaḥ |
na mumukṣurna vai mukta ityeṣā paramārthatā || 32 ||

version 1
There is no dissolution, no birth, none in bondage, none aspiring for wisdom, no seeker of liberation and none liberated. This is the absolute truth.

version 2
There is no cessation, no coming-to-be, none in bondage, no seeker after liberation and no-one liberated. This is paramārthā ( or the highest/whole truth)

version 3
Neither destruction nor again origination, neither one bound down (to this saṁsāra^​2) nor again an aspirant (or one working) for salvation; neither one desirous of salvation nor one emancipated; thus (is) the highest truth (paramārthā ).

version 4 - by rāmaṇa mahaṛṣi
There is no creation, no destruction, no bondage, no longing to be freed from bondage, no striving to be free (from bondage), nor anyone who has attained (freedom from bondage). Know that this is the ultimate truth (paramārtha).

The 2nd brick
Others would then suggest the 2nd brick to be the following:
सर्वं ह्येतद् ब्रह्मायमात्मा ब्रह्म सोऽयमात्मा चतुष्पात् ॥ २ ॥
sarvaṁ hyetad brahmāyamātmā brahma so 'yamātmā catuṣpāt || 2 ||
All this is verily Brahman. This ātman is Brahman. This ātman has four quarters.

This then begins the development of a full view ( the school) of the 'reality' we come to experience and is known as advaita ( non-dual) vedānta. Said differently, the philosophy and direct experience of 'not two' is then filled in by the wisdom of this school.

इतिशिवं
iti śivaṁ

1.Gauḍapāda-ji was the guru of govinda bhagavatpāda who, in turn was the guru of ādi śaṅkara (śaṅkara bhagavatpāda); hence gauḍapāda-ji is the teacher’s teacher of ādi śaṅkara, sometimes referred to as one’s grand-master. It is these masters that formed and shaped the knowledge of advaita ( non-dual) vedānta.
2. saṁsāra - passing through a succession of states , circuit of mundane existence; going from birth-to-birth

[yajvan]

hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~
namasté

The 3rd brick
If someone were to ask me what the 3^rd brick would be ( see post 7 above for brick 1&2) I would offer the following: the sādhaka & sādhya are non-different. The worshiper (sādhaka) is non-different that the worshiped (sādhya).

This notion is called out in the tantrāloka offered by abhinavagupta-ji¹ in the 132^nd verse. We are told it is not fractionalized (vaicitrya²) in verse 136. What is ‘it’ ? It is svayam prathaysa devasya, or unlimited ( unbounded) Self-awareness. If it is unlimited, then there is no edge, no seam, no crack between this awareness that is from the worshiper to that which is worshiped ( the Supreme). Yet to us as ~individuals~ it feels it as such and that is what makes the human condition.

This view, or this jñāna ( knowledge) of worshiped and worshiper is supported by none other than kṛṣṇaḥ -jī within śrīmad bhāgavad gītā ( chapter 9.24); it says the following:

ahaṃ hi sarvayajñānāṃ bhoktā ca prabhur eva ca |
na tu mām abhijānanti tattvenātaś cyavanti te || 9.24

this says in short,
I am the enjoyer (bhoktā) and (ca) prabhuḥ ( the Lord) of all yajñā-s ...

This is saying , per svāmī lakṣman-jū , I am the bestower of fruit and the enjoyer of that same fruit. It is saying they ( the worshipper and worshipped ) are non-different ; the consciousness of the yājamānī ( the worshiper) is non-different and resides in the field of the worshiped. That field of the worshiped is none other than the Supreme. How else can kṛṣṇaḥ-jī say that he is both bhoktā and prabhuḥ if this is not true?

From a practice point of view, it is saying that the contemplator is non-different that the contemplated. This takes a little getting use to but holds a vital key to the notion of this string, advaita ( non-duality).

It clearly suggests the wholeness of this system. No matter what ~cut~ you take out of wholeness , it remains whole, as does the piece that that was removed. It is like the master gold-smith looking at all the diverse types of jewelry. He only sees the commonality of the gold between all the pieces. The unaided eye sees vaicitrya² .


इतिशिवं
iti śivaṁ

1. abhinavagupta-ji is also known as mahāmaheśvarācharya śrīmad abhinavaguptanatha
2. vaicitrya = variety, manifoldness, diversity.