Non-dualistic Vedanta
Vedanta presents an ancient world-view that accords with contemporary quantum physics and cosmology. Furthermore, Vedanta offers plausible extensions to these sciences and provides means for advancing their current frontiers! Vedanta is based on the Upanishads which form the final parts or conclusions of the Vedas - a set of Indian scriptures written 2500-500 B.C. The teachings of the Upanishads are rather indefinite and have led to several interpretations. Two main approaches have evolved - one dualistic (dvaita) and the other non-dualistic (advaita). Only the latter will be considered at this site.
- The Ultimate Reality alone is real.
- The universe is unreal.
- The individual Self is not other than the Ultimate Reality.
These three statements of Shankara (8th century A.D.) express the essence of advaita Vedanta. The Ultimate Reality (Brahman) is the source and cause of the universe but is not an intrinsic part of it. The relationship between the Ultimate Reality and the universe resembles the relationship between the Sun and its reflexion on a lake. The Sun is the source of the reflexion but is not contained in it. In the same sense that the Sun is the only reality behind the reflexion, the Ultimate Reality is the only reality behind the universe. - The second of Shankara's sentences does not state that the universe does not exist, it just states that the universe only exists in the same sense that the Suns reflexion on the lake exists. If not for the Sun there would be no reflexion and if not for the Ultimate Reality there would be no universe. On the other hand, as the Sun is independent of whatever happens to its reflexion, the Ultimate Reality is independent of whatever happens to the universe - and is always present behind the scenes.
The third of Shankara's sentences states that our individual Selves are actual manifestations of the Ultimate Reality. The Self is related to the mind and body much in the same way as the Ultimate Reality is related to the whole universe - i.e. the Self is the source and cause of the mind and body but is not an intrinsic part of these. Nevertheless, the Self is always present behind the scenes and is just veiled by the various mental activities of the mind. These activities can be stilled by means of certain techniques, whereby the veil vanishes so that the Self is experienced directly. Since the Self is an actual manifestation of the Ultimate Reality, a direct experience of the Self equals a direct experience of the Ultimate Reality
This tour will introduce the essentials of the Vedantic wisdom and knowledge. After a brief exposition of how Vedanta explains the origin and intrinsic nature of the universe - and everything in it, the techniques by means of which this wisdom and knowledge can be verified will be introduced.
