Questions tagged [advaita]
Literally non-duality; a school of the Vedanta philosophy that declares the oneness of God, soul, and the universe.
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In Advaita, is jiva the same as subtle body?
Followers of advaita like Pradip or Milind would say that when the universal Atman is being encapsulated or embodied, it is known as jiva. Or when Atman is limited by upadhis like mind, ego etc. its ...
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Why Shri Krishna did karma when He spoke against it in 2.21?
In BG 2.21, Shri Krishna says
वेदाविनाशिनं नित्यं य एनमजमव्ययम्।
कथं स पुरुषः पार्थ कं घातयति हन्ति कम्।।2.21।।
English translation
O Partha, he who knows this One as indestructible, ...
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Ethics of Advaita Vedanta
How is the problem of metaphysical, natural and moral evil resolved within traditional Advaita Vedanta?
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How do non-advaitins interpret these passages of bhagavatam?
Here are advaitic verses which I found from bhagavatam
SB 12.13.12 sarva-vedānta-sāraṁ yad brahmātmaikatva-lakṣaṇam vastv
advitīyaṁ tan-niṣṭhaṁ kaivalyaika-prayojanam
12.5.11-12 ahaṁ ...
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Did Adi Shankaracharya accept equality of 5 major gods in his works?
I want to know if Adi Shankaracharya said that the five Panchatayana deities (Shiva, Surya, Vishnu, Durga, Ganesh) are Saguna Brahman from his works.
Did he differentiate between them or said all ...
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Are there advaitic verses in bhagavatam? [closed]
Bhagavatam is a Vaishnava text. Are there any advaitic verses in it? If yes, what are they? Verse and translation please.
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What are the philosophical differences between the Vivarana and Bhamati schools of Advaita Vedanta?
It seems that from this question that the Advaita Vedantic school of Adi Shankaracharya has two divisions- the Vivarana school of Prakasatman and the Bhamati school of Vachaspati Misra. What are the ...
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What is the outcome of Kaivalya (and Sayujya) according to Gaudiya Vaishnavas?
As discussed here, the Upanishads describe the state of Kaivalya as the detachment/seperation of the Self from Prakriti.
According to Advaitins, Kaivalya is said to be the ultimate state/moksha ...
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How do non-Advaitin defend Advaitin argument that difference need not be taught in scripture?
It is daily experience that we all are different beings , therefore scriptures will be purposeless if they taught that is very obvious. Hence, the actual meaning of scripture must be some unknown ...
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What does the term embodied mean?
I know some of you will say that embodied one is the jiva or sookshma sharira, but that's not the answer i'm looking for. I want to know the definition of the term embodied when applied to gita verse ...
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Are name and form sat or asat?
Bhagavad gita 2.16 says
नासतो विद्यते भावो नाभावो विद्यते सतः।
उभयोरपि दृष्टोऽन्तस्त्वनयोस्तत्त्वदर्शिभिः।।2.16।।
Following is Bhagavadpad Adi Shankracharya's commentary:
न हि शीतोष्णादि ...
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Shankaracharya said that ultimately even law of Karma is not right. Is there a scriptural reference where he says this?
Just watched a lecture from Swami Sarvapriyananda on Mandukya upanishad in which he states that Shankaracharya even cuts down the Law of Karma saying that ultimately that also is not true.
In what ...
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How does Brahman or Atman witness?
When Krishna says in Gita that Atman, the universal consciousness only witnesses but performs no action, what exactly did he mean by it?
Does Atman needs to have a mind/body to witness everything or ...
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How do Vishishtadvaitins interpret this passage from the Vishnu Purana?
"Having thus spoken to Nidāgha, the
Brāhmaṇa Ṛbhu went away, leaving his
disciple profoundly impressed, by his
instructions, with belief in unity. He beheld all
beings thenceforth as the same ...
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To whom does the illusion belong?
According to the great Adi Shankaracharya, the waking world is an illusion (or as unreal as dream if not an illusion).
My question is, who imagines this waking world? Is it result of your desires or ...
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Is Advaita Vedanta the teaching of Advait Mat?
I want to know what are the teachings of Shri Swarupanand Ji Maharaj who is second Guru of Advaita Mat lineage. Is it the same as Advaita Vedanta taught by Shri Shankracharya or different?
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What does scriptures say about dealing with family conflicts from an Advaitic point of view?
We do not have control over the family that we are born in.
But by gods grace, past Karma, etc. if an individual is somehow able to develop deeper understanding about his true self.
Then how would ...
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Will the scriptural statements about continuous creation be falsified upon liberation of all as per Advaita?
According to Advaita Vedanta, this world is just an illusory perception because of avidya of jiva. When jiva realizes that he is brahman, then nothing else exists for him. If all the jivas in the ...
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What is Vishnu's body made of according to Vaishnavism and Advaita?
What is Vishnu's body made up of? What are the bodies made of when he incarnates as Rama, Krishna, Narasimha? Is Vishnu soul or the body? When he incarnates does he enter other avatars bodies? I want ...
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Shankara's Gita Bhasya says that the Self transmigrates. Is this true?
Advaitins mostly believe that the Self doesn't transmigrate and that it's the subtle body (known as jiva/jivatma) that actually does. But then in Shankara's Gita bhasya it is mentioned that the self ...
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Is there a process of initiation in the sampradaya of Adi Sankaracharya for common people who are not or don't intend to become sanyaasis?
Most, if not all, of the sampradayas of Vaishnavism, Saivism, Shaktism etc. have an initiation or diksha process for even common folks to be part of the particular sampradaya they are attracted to/...
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61 views
Do Advaitins believe in two types of Purushas?
There are two things that i would like to discuss here, that are related and so there's no need to open two separate topics.
(1)
In the Gita, under ch.15 v16, Swami Chidbhavananda has mentioned the ...
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Is Brahman androgynous?
If Nirguna Brahman is really genderless, then why it's shakti (maya) is considered feminine, while the non-shakti part is considered masculine? Doesn't that make IT an androgynous being?
It is ...
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Do Shaktas and Shaivas have independent sects or they think themselves to be under Advaita?
I have seen that Vaishnavas are opposed to Advaita siddhanta.
Are there Advaita Vaishnava sampradayas also?
Also I want to know whether Shaivas and Shaktas think themselves as part of Advaita's ...
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151 views
Does the person become Krishna once he attains moksha?
According to Advaita, does the person become Krishna once he attains moksha?
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What exactly is dehi according to advaita and vaishnava school?
People of Advaita sect believe that Atman never remains locked or trapped IN the body. The same thing has been said by many hindoos in quora as well. (They are followers of advaita).
If what the ...
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What are the exact interpretations of four Mahavakyas by Dvaita, Vishishtadvaita and Advaita?
Note: You can write an answer from the perspective of one or more schools, whichever you know best and also I read somewhere that some schools consider Mahavakyas as quoted out of the context, if you ...
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Is Brahman sentient in Advaita Vedanta?
If Brahman is Consciousness and Omniscient, then he should be sentient also since both are indiscernible.
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How does Vedanta (Uttara Mimamsa) school prove their Astikya (Existence of God) using Shabda pramana?
How does Vedanta(Uttara Mimamsa) school of Indian philosophy prove their Astikya (Theism) using Shabda(or Agama) pramana, and also how is Shabda pramana established as a valid pramana.
It would be ...
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Does the fragmental Atman travels?
Shankara in one of his verses gives the definition of jiva -""When the omnipresent Atman is limited or embodied by the mind,ego of subtle body, it is called jiva"".
I think what he means is, once the ...
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What is the story of Rishi Shakti?
Shakti is the father of Parashara and son of Vashishtha. Vashistha is well-known sage, Guru of Sri Rama, seer (द्रष्टा) of Vedic hymns and is among one of Shaptarshi. Parasara is also well-known sage ...
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Are there any references to Niralambopanishat and SukaRahasyopanishat prior to Adi Shankaracharya?
Among Vedantins; Advait is a widely followed philosophy.
The famous quote of Shree Adi Shankaracharya goes:
Brahma Satya, Jagat Mithya.
Now many Advaitins have mentioned that the verse was not ...
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How does Nirguna Brahman manifests into Saguna Brahman?
We all know that it's Saguna Brahman that does the job of creation but I would like to know, how Nirguna Brahman becomes Saguna Brahman in the first place. I know you guys would probably say that when ...
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Are there any popular works attributed to Govinda Bhagvatpada?
Govind Bhagvatpada was Guru (teacher) of Adi Shankaracharya who has preached Advaita (one of the most popular philosophy/doctrine of Vedanta). According to Advaita Guruparampara, he was Shisya (...
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Everything is a thought then why does this present moment feel so real?
I was listening to one of the YouTube lectures on Advaita(forget which one it was).
It states that “past, present and future - all is just a thought in your brain. The only reason this very moment ...
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What is the Vishishtadvaitin equivalent to “Brahma Satyam Jagat Mithya Jeevo Brahmaiva Naparah”?
The philosophy of Advaita Vedanta was summed up by Adi-Shankara in a single verse:
Brahma Satyam Jagat Mithya, Jivo Brahmaiva Naparah
English Translation: Brahman is the only Truth, the world ...
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How to establish myself in the knowledge of the true self (Advaita)?
There are times when I feel that I have got it whereas there are days when I feel that I don’t understand anything.
Now I know I am always the unchanging self and it’s my mind that keeps going in and ...
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In Pratibimba Vada, which is the jivatman? The original or the reflected?
Here's an youtube video on the analogy of Two Birds, by Swami Sarvapriyananda (an advaitin monk).
Two birds by Swami Sarvapriyananda
Here, he compares the tree with our physical body, and the two ...
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Did Vedanta Desikan perform Samashrayanam for Vidyaranya?
The famous 13th century Sri Vaishnava Acharya Vedanta Desikan was childhood friends with the Advaita philosopher Vidyaranya, who served as the Shankaracharya of Sringeri and chief advisor of the ...
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How can the formless assume a form(incarnation)? [duplicate]
God is formless and he assumes a form, say.
Then that body is bound by time, space and causation. And anything bound has to change. But god is constant. Then are incarnations true? Then where are all ...
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In non-dualism does Atman reincarnate or transmigrate?
I've read that a small portion of the infinite spirit Brahman, becomes embodied. This embodied portion is called Atman. So does Atman reincarnate or goes from one body to another?
Again, if Brahman ...
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100 views
What is the belief behind god attaining human form?
If God is omnipresent and formless, then how did he attain human form in Puranas? What is the belief behind that?
how did Brahman become God in human form?
Are Puranas just for understanding the ...
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Phrases like “Reflection of the real self” and “Space inside the pot”, are they simply theories?
Are they simply theories or are they actually mentioned in the upanishads? ... When it comes to the example of the two birds sitting on a tree, is it mentioned anywhere in the mundaka & ...
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How does Dhyaneshwar's nondualism differ from Adi Shankaracharya's philosophy?
It is often said Adi Shankaracharya and Dhyaneshwar advocated the same philosophy: Advaita Vedanta.
However, after some research, I found out that there are some sharp contrasting differences in the ...
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Does each of us have a causal body within us? [duplicate]
Causal Body is ignorance as per Advaita.
Here's an article i came across that was posted on an advaita website. Here's the link- Article no. 1. There it's mentioned that causal body does not reside ...
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Please help me understand the below passage from Rig veda
I found the passage on Wikipedia page of Samkhya(sankhya) Philosophy.
Seven to the one-wheeled chariot yoke the Courser; bearing seven names the single Courser draws it.
Three-naved the ...
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Do any Vaishnav sect believe in Jivan Mukti?
I used to believe that JivanMukti; a state of liberation while still in this body was something that was specific to advaita Vedant sect only.
But I recently came across a quote by Gaudiya Vaishnav ...
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What do we mean by pure consciousness when we address Brahman?
After going through so many online articles i'm still not sure what exactly is Brahman as per advaita. Yes it can't be grasped by our limited senses but those who did describe "IT" has said the ...
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Need clarification on the analogy of dream in Advaita
My background is in Vishistadvaita and I have always had a few challenges in understanding some of the concepts from Advaita and have wondered if later acharyas in the Advaita sampradaya have provided ...
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What was samkhya's criticism on vedanta?
From a site I read the following passage of strong criticism on Sankara's Vedanta.
Later philosophers also declared Mayavada to be crypto-Buddhism. The Sankhya philosopher Vijnana-bhiksu (1550–1600 ...
