Prior to Sage Sankara in the 8th century, there was no Advaita in Santana Dharma. Without Sage Sankara, there is no Advaita (nonduality). Since it was mixed up with orthodoxy there is a lot of confusion.
As one goes deeper into the annals of history he becomes aware of the fact that the so-called present Hinduism has adopted many things from Buddhism, the religion of Abraham, Jainism, and Islam. If one goes deeper enough he will become aware everything is mixed up and messed up in time.
Sage Sankara endeavored towards establishing the Vedic religion overthrowing Buddhism. But even he was not able to avoid the influence of Buddhism. The influence of the revolutionary atmosphere of Buddhism has reappeared in the Advaita of Sage, Sankara. His inability to revive the Vedic religion that flourished before the Buddhist revolution in its pure form is discernible.
No one is taken pains to rectify it because; because people have been inherited them, from their ancestors and they think it is blasphemy even to hear anything against their inherited religion and belief. Once one gets involved with the religious class it is the end of the pursuit of truth.
Santana Dharma or Vedic religion has no founders whereas Advaita and qualified Advaita and Dwaita are identified with their founders. All of them have introduced non-Vedic rituals barred by the Vedas.
The dualism came only in the 12th century. The orthodox Advaita and Dwaita area adulterated add-ons. Both Advaita and Dvaita schools claim that they are based on the Vedas and they condemn each other with the Upanishads and Puranic citations and try to prove they are right and others are wrong.
The religion, including orthodox Advaita, is nothing to do with the ultimate truth or Brahman because they worship idols, human worship, and symbol worship and indulge in non-Vedic rituals barred by the Vedas.
Remember:~
I am highlighting all the obstacles, which are blocking one from realizing the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth.
There are so many non-dualistic masters of the east and also from the west who expound Advaitic or non-dualistic knowledge but none of them are helpful to reach the ultimate end.
There is a need to bifurcate religion from spirituality. People think religion is the stepping stone for Self-realization but it is not so. Religion is based on ignorance and it keeps the seeker permanently in ignorance by hiding the truth with its mythical beliefs and dogmas and superstition.
According to Vedas and Upanishads, all religious propagated beliefs are a myth. Spirituality or Adyatma is based on the Spirit, which is the cause of the world in which we exist.
The theistic (orthodoxy) Advaita is based on the dualistic perspective but Advaita philosophy is based on the nondualistic perspective.
The orthodoxy Advaita bifurcated from Advaitic wisdom. The orthodox Advaita is dualistic and it is meant for the ignorant populace.
Sage Sankara and Sage Goudpada are independent thinkers other schools of Indian philosophy are mere theologies. Advaitic philosophy is real philosophy. The dualistic philosophy cannot escape the charge of dogmatism.
Advaitic wisdom propagated by Sage Sankara is on the non-dualistic perspective.
There is no need to study neither Advaita Vedanta nor Vedas nor Buddhism to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman. It is no use going roundabout way; trace the Brahman.
Philosophy does not begin with the ultimate truth. The ultimate truth has to be proved, not assumed. Hence, so-called philosophers who take Brahman for granted are not philosophers at all.
Lots of Advaitin scholars will teach that all is yourself but none of them can show that this is so, none has analyzed it scientifically, and none can prove it. Rational proof is required so that one arrives at knowing the ultimate truth or Brahman i.e. Gnana. Theirs is mere dogma, parrotism, repetition of what they read in scripture. Authoritarianism merely assumes as true what another says, but what has yet to be proved.
Sage Sankara said:~ Talk as much philosophy as you like, worship as many gods as you please, observe ceremonies, and sing devotional hymns, but the liberation will never come, even after a hundred aeons, without realizing the Oneness.
Sage Sankara ’says:~ Gnana is common to all religions.
There is nothing like One Gnana for a Hindu and another for a Christian.
The entire philosophy of Sage Sankara can be summed up in the following statement:-
Brahma satyam, jaganmithya, jivobrahmaivanaparah: - Brahman alone is real; the world is non-real, and the individual ‘Self’ is essential, not different from Brahman.
This is the quintessence of Sage Sankara’s Advaitic wisdom. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar
