Advaita-vedanta

Advaita-vedanta

Advaita-vedanta is the most popular type of Vedanta. Its appearance is associated with the name of the sage Gaudapada (5th c.) and Shankaracharya (8-9 c.), who developed and systematized the doctrine.

This philosophic school is based on the "prasthana trayi" – the triple canon of vedanta (Upanishads, "Bhagavad Gita", "Brahma Sutra"), texts of Gaudapada, such as "Mandukya-karika" (comment on "Mandukya upanishada") and the texts of the Shankaracharya, who wrote his comments on the triple canon, as well as many philosophical treatises and God-inspiring hymns.

The main thesis of Advaita-vedanta – "jagan mithya, brahma satyam jivo brahmaiva naparah" that means: "the world is false, Brahman is truth, jiva is not different from Brahman".

In its basic position Advaita-vedanta confronts other Vedantic schools – the dualism of Madhva and the limited dualism of Ramanuja, proclaiming the principle of non-duality, the sameness of Atman and Brahman. Favorite sayings from upanishads, proclaiming the sameness and identity, in the tradition of Advaita Vedanta known as "Mahavakyas" (great sayings), for example such as "Tat tvam asi" – "You are That", "Aham Brahmasmi" – "I am Brahman" and others.

From the point of view of Advaita-vedanta, the Atman – the supreme "I" and the deepest of the states – is identical to Brahman, as the air in a closed jag is same as the air outside of it.

Advaita-vedanta affirms the one and indivisible Brahman as the acting and material cause of the world. Brahman creates the world of himself. The material for creation comes from Brahman and Brahman is the creator, like a spider, making a web of saliva emanating from itself.

Brahman – nirguna, the one devoid of any attributes, qualities and properties, unborn, infinite and eternal. His true nature is treated as Sat-Chit-Ananda, where Sat is eternal being, Chit is originally pure consciousness, Ananda is infinite bliss. He is one and only one, but Brahman has his hidden power, known as Maya or Shakti. Shakti does not exist apart from Brahman, as moisture does not exist without water, but it can cause the illusion of an independent phenomenon not connected with Brahman.

Advaita-vedanta says that duality and plurality are illusory, it is the result of avidya, ignorance arising from the influence of Maya imprisoned in Brahman itself.

The universe never arose and was not created by anyone. There is only the boundless and formless Brahman, visible as different names-forms due to wrong perception. When the illusion of a snake disappears when looking at a rope, the rope is seen in its true form. Similarly, when the wrong perception of the world disappears, the one who looks understands his original identity with Brahman.

This is how in this school the final liberation is understood, to which the adept gradually brings the practice of jnana-yoga. Jnana-yoga generally implied acceptance of sannyasa, and consisted of three main stages:

Shravana – study of texts under the guidance of the Guru and the following Guru`s instructions

Manana – reflections on the truth of the instructions until the complete elimination of any doubts

Nididhyasana – meditation. Concentration of consciousness over "Aham Brahmasmi" and other mahavakyas

Jnana-yoga was practiced by a sannyasi of ten orders (Dashanami) and Math-monasteries, founded by Shankaracharya and his disciples. Those were the ascetic monks directions. Later differences appeared as each group of monks preferred to certain conditions for the practice: in the mountains (Giri), near the holy sites (Tirthas) in the forest (Aranya) and so on. All these monastic orders used the practice of yoga and asceticism, but later, when these orders have become popular throughout India, they were joined by everyone who adhered to the Vedanta, many of Dashanami ceased to focus on asceticism , they mixed with different Shivaite, Vaishnava and other religious directions.

Modern Dashanami at the moment is also mixed with a variety of schools. It was inevitable due to the popularity of this tradition, when smaller religious groups joined them, for example, in the school of Kriya Yoga, coming from Babaji, we find names ending Giri and others.

For centuries, jnana-yoga was only available to brahman-sannyasis, and only in the 19th century the situation changed with the efforts of such teachers as Ramakrishna, Vivekananda and their followers.