DVI" means two. DVI" connotes dual existence and the non-dual. Which of these two is non-existence? People think that there is God and that the jivas--Souls-like them form, the second, other than them. There is no such duality at all.
"Soul”, is present in the form of consciousness, is the only reality and there is no second thing other than this Soul, the Self, which s present in the form of consciousness.
The whole universe in, which we all exist, is created out of consciousness. Hence it is nondual (non-duality). The Soul or consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God.
The garbage of the religious beliefs dogmas superstition is confounded with the human imagination. The great reality of the glory of the religious Gods hyped and obscured by so much tinsel and commercialism.
The spirituality is not theology. Advaita is not a philosophy but Advaita is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God. Advaita is Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana or knowledge of the Spirit or GOD.
The word “Advaita” is one without the second. Advaita essentially refers to the Atman and the whole existence. Advaita is the fullness of consciousness without the illusory division of the form, time and space.
The theology is nothing to do with spirituality. Advaita is pure spirituality. The theological Advaita is nothing to do with the Advaitic wisdom, which is based on the Spirit the Atman.
Theological Advaita is conceptual having its own doctrine is nothing to do with the Gnanic Advaita because Gnanic Advaita is Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.
Both approaches are not workable together because the theological Advaita is based on the birth entity (ego) Gnanic Advaita is based on the Atman (Soul).
Thus, the theological Advaita has to be discarded without mercy to get Advaitic Gnana.
“Advaita” is a term used variously to express the unity of the reality. Advaita is unity in diversity.
The seeker has to begin by defining "What is real?" "What is unreal? to establish in Advaitic reality by sheer reasoning alone. The reasoning is the right way to realize the truth, which is beyond the form, time and space. People must first know what is truth? and what is untruth’.
Sage Sankara’s wisdom is not a teaching or a philosophy but Advaita is the universal wisdom. Advaitic wisdom is neither a teaching nor a theory but it is merely guidance to those who are seriously seeking the ultimate truth or Brahman. Grasp the ultimate truth anytime, any age, if seeker has the spiritual maturity and capacity to grasp to grasp it.
Sage Sankara says: ~ VC-47 All the effects of ignorance, root, and branch, are burnt down by the fire of knowledge, which arises from discrimination between these two—the Self and the not-Self.
It really depends on his inborn natural capacity to understand and assimilate it. Sage Sri, Sankara’s wisdom is a Self-examiner, to test oneself to discover how near to Gnana he has approached and what progress has already been made on the path and what still remains to be done. It sets up criterion for Self-judgement. There are millions in search of truth but one in million will be able to grasp it.
Without Sage Sankara there is no Advaita (nonduality). Since it was mixed up with orthodoxy there is lots of confusion. I am highlighting all the obstacles, which is blocking one from realizing the ultimate truth or Brahman. 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.
One has to one has to know and realize the t Self is Soul and identify it as his true identity to find liberation from the bondage of the illusion of birth, life, death and the world(duality). The goal of our life is to find and realize our identity with our Soul, which is our innermost Self.
Sage Sankara said: ~ Neither by the practice of yoga nor philosophy, nor by good works nor by learning, does liberation come, but only through the realization that Atman and Brahman are one in no other way. (1) Vivekachoodamani v 56, pg. 25
To come to a more precise understanding of what non-duality is or might mean, we must return to the original linguistic and philosophic backgrounds from which the words has been translated into English.
If we limit a probe of the meaning of non-duality to Hindu Sanskrit literature, we find that the most frequently used term is “Advaita.
Advaita” is not a religious concept. Advaita is the nature of the existence hidden by the form, time and space. The seeker has to attempt to rule out from the beginning a false understanding of the reality by perfect understanding of ‘what is what’.
The Advaita is hidden by the Dvaita. Advaita is the Soul, which is present in the form of the consciousness. Dvaita is the universe.
Advaita is basically a denial; it is literally the negation of the Dvaita. That means whatever remains by negating the universe by realizing the universe is created out of single clay and that clay is the Soul, which is present in the form of the consciousness, the hidden truth by Dvaita uncovered. The consciousness is the cause of the universe and it itself is uncaused.
Swami Vivekananda: ~Jnana Yoga is divided into three parts. First: hearing the truth--that the Atman is the only reality and that everything else is Maya. Second: reasoning upon this philosophy from all points of view. Third: giving up all further argumentation and realizing the truth. This realization comes from being certain that Brahman is real and everything else is unreal.
Sage Sankara: ~ VC In the dream state, even though there is no contact with the outside world, the Soul alone projects the entire dream universe of enjoyer, enjoyment etc. Similarly, the waking state is no different. All this world of pluralistic phenomena is illusory projection.
Chandogya Upanishad: ~ One who meditates upon and realizes the Self discovers that everything in the cosmos-- energy and space, fire and water, name and form, birth and death, mind and will, word and deed, mantrams and meditation--all come from the Self.
Sage Goudpada: ~ “To establish the truth of Non-duality by sheer reasoning alone. He begins by defining "What is real?" "What is unreal?" etc., because that is the right way to discuss or teach. People must first know what they are talking about. (Manduka Karika)
Sage Sankara founded his Advaita Vedanta either on reason independent of Sruti or on Sruti confirmed by reason.
Sage Sankara's commentary on the Manduka Upanishad, II, 1: This [the unreality of duality] is borne out by the Shrutis ... But it is possible also to show the unreality of the object world even from pure reasoning, and this second chapter is undertaken for that purpose.
Sage Sankara himself had often said that his philosophy was based on Sruti, or revealed scripture. This may be because, Sri, Sankara addressed the ordinary man, who finds security in the idea of causality and thus in the idea of God—and Revelation is indispensable to prove the latter.
Sage Sankara believed that those of superior intelligence, have no need of this idea of divine causality, and can, therefore, dispense with Sruti and arrive at the truth of Non-Dualism by pure reason.
Religious path and yogic path are nothing to do with ultimate truth or Brahman. The scriptures are nothing to do with ultimate truth or Brahman. Gurus, swamis, and yogis are nothing to do with the ultimate truth or Brahman.
Sage Sankara said: ~Talk as much philosophy as you like, worship as many Gods as you please, observe ceremonies and sing devotional hymns, but liberation will never come, even after a hundred aeons, without realizing the Oneness.
Swami Vivekananda: ~ “Advaita encompasses everything. Since Advaita requires heavy-duty intellectualism, it had to be progressively simplified. (From 'The Complete works of Swami Vivekananda)
The goal of the truth seeker is to acquire Self- knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. Self- knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana is inherent in every seeker of truth. Self- knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana does not come from outside, it is hidden within the world in which we exist.
Sage Sankara strongly advocated the study of Upanishads, and at the same time cautioned that study of Upanishad alone would not lead to moksha. In matters of such as spiritual attainment, one’s own realization was the sole authority and it cannot be disputed
Self-knowledge cannot be attained by the study of the scriptures and intellectual understanding or by bookish knowledge. Therefore, there is no use of studying the scriptures and other scriptures in order to acquire non-dual wisdom. That is why Bhagavan Buddha rejected the scriptures, and even Sage Sankara indicated that the ultimate truth lies beyond religion, concept of God and scriptures.
Sage Sankara gave out what was of most use to the greatest number of people. Therefore, in the commentaries on the Upanishads, such as the famous Manduka Upanishads, he gave the highest nondual message of the identity of Atman and Brahman, revitalizing the philosophy and the practice of Advaita, while in the commentaries on the Brahmasutra he gave a lesser teaching, positing both higher and lower Maya and higher and lower Brahman (Ishvara) to explain creation for those of lesser intellects until they were ready for the highest truth. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar
