Advaita is a separate philosophy from Shaiva path?

[adevotee108]

So far I have identified Advaita with the Shaiva path. But today, I have just read a "Shaiva criticism of Advaita". This has just raised these questions to me:

Is advaita a separate path/philosophy from the shaiva path? So can I have Vishnu (Instead of Shiva) as my istha devata (so I would be a vaishnava) and still follow the advaita path?
Furtheremore has the Bhagavad-Gita got an advaita commentary or that work is a dvaitic and has nothing to do with advaita views?

Can I as one who follows the advaita path regard Shiva and Vishnu as two facets of the One? So I am neither exclusively shaiva or vaishnava but simply following the advaita path and regard them (Vishnu and Shiva) as One, reading both shaiva and vaishnava literature?

Could you help me make these paths of Shaiva and Vaishnava/Advaita philosophy clear?
What is the relation of Advaita Philosophy to the Shaiva Path and the Vaishnava Path?

I am really confused now.

[saidevo]

namaste adevotee108.

If you choose the sampradAya--tradition of Shankara-smArta-advaita, you can worship all the six major gods of Hinduism as one and brahman: shiva, viShNu, shaktI, gaNapati, sUrya and shaNmukha (murugan). This is the most flexible path that lets a devotee steer clear of the exclusivities of individual traditions.

You might have a clear view of what is advaita and how it relates to other Hindu sampradAyas in this Website from these and other links therein:
http://www.advaita-vedanta.org/avhp/ad_faq.html
http://www.advaita-vedanta.org/avhp/ad-today.html

[Eastern Mind]

I am really confused now.

Vannakkam. Me, too, regarding confusion. I've always regarded advaita as a philosophical goal at the end of a path. Within Saivism and Vaishnavism, advaita may or not be the goad, depending on the path, or sect within Saiva or Vaishnava.

From my sampradaya's viewpoint, advaita is a goal, but we focus more on the path, because realistically, that is where most of us are at.

So advaita is like the light at the end of the tunnel.

Aum Namasivaya

[sm78]

There are many schools of advaita, the one's within shaiva sampradaya's who follow advaita don't really jell to well with Shankara's philosophy, so yes shaivas are not following kevaladvaita of shankara. Most shaiva siddhanta is dualism (in line with vaishnava qualified monism, not perfect duality) and is not advaitic at all. However, some like shivaya subramanuniya swami ascribe to adviata, but doesn't really make it clear what this advaita is all about. What he teaches is very much like this qualified monism and not advaita in his books.

[adevotee108]

Namaste,

Thank you all for your helpful answers so far.

I follow the teachings of Ramana Maharishi, which is pure advaita as far as I could understand it. Ramana himself is shaiva but he accepted anyone regardless of cultural and religious background. As for me, I love Shiva and He is really dear to me, but yet I am unable to exclude Vishnu for example. But as for viashnava schools, I don't intend to follow the dvaita path.

That's why I am confused especially after reading that specific article mentioned in my original post.

[Ananda]

Hello adevotee108,

Furtheremore has the Bhagavad-Gita got an advaita commentary or that work is a dvaitic and has nothing to do with advaita views?

Yes, there is a commentary written By Shankaracharya; the Gita Bhashya, which identifies Ishwara with Vishnu..

[adevotee108]

Hello adevotee108,






Yes, there is a commentary written By Shankaracharya; the Gita Bhashya, which identifies Ishwara with Vishnu..

Namaste Ananda,

Is this: http://www.sankaracharya.org/gita_bhashya.php the same writing you are referring to? Because I have been reading the Bhagavad Gita, too, but that version's commentary is dvaita.

[Ananda]

Hello adevotee108,


Yes that's the link for the Shankara (Advaita) commentary on the Gita. It seems there are only the first 10 chapters, though, so you might want to look around elsewhere for a complete copy.

[adevotee108]

Hello adevotee108,


Yes that's the link for the Shankara (Advaita) commentary on the Gita. It seems there are only the first 10 chapters, though, so you might want to look around elsewhere for a complete copy.

Yeah, you are right. I have just found the full version too. Thanks!
This helps me a lot because this way I can read about Vishnu (Krsna) with an advaita commentary!

[rku]

Dear,

Re:Can I as one who follows the advaita path regard Shiva and Vishnu as two facets of the One? So I am neither exclusively shaiva or vaishnava but simply following the advaita path and regard them (Vishnu and Shiva) as One, reading both shaiva and vaishnava literature?


This is better view.

Shiva and Vishnu help us so long as we are on the paths to liberation. Once we identify ourselves with the Advaita we just need to prescribe Shiva and Vishnu to others depending on their patrata and tradition and you yourself being one with Vishnu and Shiva we become synonymous with the welfare for the rest. This is how I identify relationship between Shiva, Vishnu etc and Advaita. Am I right?