Advaita Primer ...

[yajvan]

hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~

Namasté

There are many conversations and debates that are occurring in the advaita folder on HDF. I thought, for one that is new to this knowledge, how will they follow along, how will they know of the fundamentals of advaita? For this I offer this simple brief.

advaita
When we say advaita as the philosophical subject at hand, it is more complete if we say advaita vedānta.

• advaita अद्वैत means the following: a=not + dvaita = duality , duplicity , dualism
• vedānta is veda + anta. Veda is from vid, knowing/knowledge + anta
• anta means end.

Hence vedānta means end of the veda, or end of knowledge. But what does this really imply? 'anta' means end as mentioned but also means 'limit , boundary , term'.
Some read then that vedānta is the final chapter, as we come to the end of a book. A mildly interesting notion, yet there is more to this. 'End' can also mean final, but in the sense it cannot be surpassed.

So if we say advaita vedānta, it says a+dvaita or non-duality is the final ( anta) knowledge (veda). There is nothing beyond this (anta) knowing ( veda or vid).

But what knowledge? Surely not book knowledge as it is fleeting . There is nothing beyond the knowledge of the Self, or brahman. This implies that knowledge is beyond just words, but direct experience. The most comprehensive knowledge is that of the written or heard word + the personal, direct experience of that knowledge. One reads about an banana then tastes it; the knowledge is now complete in the action of taste ( and sight, smell, etc).

prāsthana
So, now one must ask , what is considered vedānta, the end of the ved? What are the source books? Another way of saying this is what is the prāsthana? This word is defined as starting-point , place of origin , source. For vedānta, it is considered prāsthana-traya , or the 3 sources or foundations. They are the upaniṣads¹ , the bhagavad-gītā ( part of the mahābhārata) and the brahmasūtra-s. But where are the veda-s? The upaniṣads are the ved, the end of or culmination of the ved. They sit or are derived/manifest from the ved.

Some will say there are more then this... sure , no doubt, but I am talking prāsthana.

catúr-liṅga ( 4 marks) of advaita vedānta
Since we are talking core ideas - we then can say what then are the marks ( liṅga ) of advaita vedānta ?
They are:
1. the non-difference of the individual ātman with the universal brahman or individual being is part and parcel of Universal Being - there is no difference hence a+dvaiya: a=not + dvaita = duality , duplicity , dualism.

2. A view or concept or point of view that helps one understand the qualities of pāramārthika (the Absolute, perfectness, stillness of Being) and vyāvahārika (the relative field of creation that has boundaries - size, shape, beginnings and endings i.e. the world of the senses and measures).
Well that is a bit advanced do you think for this folder as a topic ? Perhaps, but let me offer a simple example. If we are viewing the world from the perspective of the sun , Where is the rising and setting of the sun?. From the Sun's point of view there is none. Yet if we are on this earth, this rising and setting produces day-and-night and this occurs every 24 hours, it is real and occurs and can be measured. Yet from the sun's view there is none of this. Like that, The Sun is the point of view of pāramārthika, the earth vyāvahārika - Absolute and relative views of reality, Yet there is just one reality.

3. Avidyā - or ignorance. If all this is indeed brahman, from where can this ignorance be explained? Why is there not the instant view of Reality as being One without a second or advitīya (without a second , sole , unique, matchless) ? The idea of avidyā now comes to the forefront.
This word is a+vid+yā, a=not + vid = knowledge + ya here means joining; hence avidyā = the joining of 'not' + ' knowledge' or ignorance.

So, in advaita vedānta this ignorance needs to be addressed or understood. Hence we arrive at māyā-vāda. That is, the discourse ( vāda) on māyā¹. Many here have heard of this māyā and there is a tendency to get A bit too involved in proving or disproving this notion of māyā.
What does an exponent of Reality have to say about this? Lets look to ādi śaṅkara-ji's offer in his Vivekacūḍāmaṇi ( 111th śloka) regarding this. He says, It (māyā) is neither real nor unreal nor both. It is neither undifferentiated nor different, nor both. It neither has parts nor is it partless nor both. It is supremely wonderful and of an inexpressible form.

4. Liberation, some call jīvanmukti, liberated, free, while living ( in the body). If advaita vedānta is the inquiry into the Self ( Universal Being, brahman), and this is the core of every being, then the notion is how to make this a living reality here and now.

Beyond academics
So while many argue (jalpa&#185 these points, they miss the focus of advaita vedānta - the experience of brahman all the time ( 7x24x365) and the appreciation of this experience via the knowledge offered in vedānta.
Net-net, advaita vedānta encompasses brahma-vāda , the discourse, understanding and experience of brahman. From these 4 points above much wisdom unfolds - yet is predicated on the direct personal experience of silence, of the Being within ( atman, Self, brahman).

The above is offered as a snippet, a brief introduction , a pada ( a step or just a ray of light ). The full sun needs to blossom on this subject that brings the depth and breath of this profound wisdom.

More can be said in future posts.

praṇām

words and references

• upaniṣads - how many, what are some of the core upanisads? See this post: http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?p=33491#post33491
• māyā माया is illusion one is familiar with; it also means two meters; mā is measure
  • māya माय- is measuring; rooted in mā is measure, to measure accoss, etc.
  • maya मय- is rooted in mī and mā; mī to lose one's way , go astray ; to lessen , diminish , destroy ; mā is measure , binding ; ma is time

For me, I keep this māyā simple - it is the notion that the infinite is measured out, is metered out. As if one can divide Infinity into parts. This is the illusion... that the Infinite (brahman) becomes finite in things; as if the Infinite can be constrained to parts.

• jalpa - disputed banter; a kind of disputation (overbearing reply and disputed rejoinder)