Sankara Adva It a Vedanta

7/25/2019 Sankara Adva It a Vedanta

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Vedanta

The Development of Hindu Theism in theMedieval Period:

8 th to 13 th century CE


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Vedanta veda ! "no#led$e% anta ! end&:

'End of the Vedas(

Vedanta refers to various schools ofHindu philosophy that ori$inated in the

medieval period )e$innin$ in the 8 th century CE& that aimed at

systemati*in$ the ideas of thescriptures of the Upanishads,

Bhagavad Gita ! and Brahma Sutras +


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Each school of Vedanta aims to systematicallye,plain the nature of reality and the $oal of

human life in accordance #ith the teachin$s ofthe -panishads+

.ll schools of Vedanta maintain that the $oal of

human life is to reali*e /rahman the ultimatereality&! to )e united #ith the transcendental

$round of the universe+

0chools of Vedanta differ #ith respect to ho#they conceive of /rahman! #hat reali*ation of

and union #ith /rahman involves! and ho#

this is achieved+


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Vedanta:.dvaita vs+ /ha"ti

The main division )et#een schools of Vedanta is )et#een

the Advaita Vedanta schooldeveloped )y 0an"ara& in the th century

and

the various dissentin$ schools of Bhakti Vedanta )e$innin$ in the 12 th century+


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Sankaras Advaita Vedanta 1&/rahman construed as the impersonal .)solute alone is real+2&The true self of each person atman& is the same reality and it is

identical #ith /rahman3&Mo"sha involves the a)sorption of individual consciousness into

/rahman )y #ay of the path of "no#led$e 4nana yo$a&+


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Bhakti Vedanta 1&/rahman is a real personal )ein$ endo#ed #ith auspicious

attri)utes+2&The true self of each person is distinct from the true self of

others! and each is distinct from /rahman+3&/ha"ti love of 5od& )rin$s a)out union of the individual soul

#ith the personal 0upreme 5od+ Mo"sha+


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The representatives of /ha"ti Vedanta areVaishnavas in their reli$ious orientation+

Vaishnavas #orship Vishnu or any of the avatarsassociated #ith Vishnu such as 6ama or 7rishna&

as the 0upreme )ein$+


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0i, 0chools of VedantaSri

Sampradaya

Ramanuja12 th

Century

Hamsa

Sampradaya

Nimbarka13 th

century

BrahmaSamprad

aya

Madhva13 th

Century

RudhaSamprad

aya

Vallabha15 th and

16 th

Century

Caitanya

Sampradaya

Caitanya16 th

Century

AdvaitaVedanta

Sankara9 th Century


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0an"ara s .dvaita Vedanta

.di 0an"aracarya th Century&


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Philosophy of 9on Duality

5audapadacirca ; th Century&

.dvaita Vedanta may )e tracedto the teachin$s of 5audapada!the le$endary $uru of .di

0an"ara s $uru+

Advaita : not t#o! non duality+Vedanta : End of the Vedas+

The culmination of theteachin$s of the -panishads inthe philosophy of non duality+


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'/rahman thea)solute e,istence!

"no#led$e! and )liss

is real+ The universe isnot real+ /rahman and

atman are one+(

< .di 0an"ara


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/rahman! satchitananda )ein$consciousness )liss& is the impersonal

a)solute! not a personal )ein$+

The '$ods( are allfinite! provisional

manifestations of theimpersonal /rahman in

the realm of maya+/rahman in itself

nirguna Brahman & hasno =ualities that could

ma"e it a personal )ein$+


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0an"ara denies the reality of maya! the physical universe! and the individual 4iva

soul! for if reality is non dual /rahman&! thennothin$ other than /rahman can )e real+

The 0tatus of the -niverse


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>n a sense the universe is illusory! in that itis somethin$ superimposed on /rahman+


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Maya the universe& is the result of a superimposition onthe /rahman reality )y the human mind+ 6eality is one

/rahman&! )ut #e e,perience it as many+

?ust as the mind superimposes a sna"e on a coil of ropeavidya&! so it superimposes maya on /rahman avidya&+

@hen the superimposition is dissolved! /rahman is "no#n

and the identity )et#een the self and /rahman is "no#n+


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Clarifyin$ 0an"ara s Vie#

/y 'reality( sat & 0an"ara means 'that #hichis unchan$in$( or 'permanent+(

This stands in contrast to )oth #hat does note,ist at all asat & and #hat e,ists in a relative!

temporary #ay mithya &+


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0.T-nchan$in$! Eternal! >ndependent /ein$&

/rahman

.0.T The 9on E,istent&


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.ll individual states of consciousnessare su)4ect to modification and therefore

cannot )e real+

In avidya the univer!e i!

e"#erienced$ %here&'re the univer!e e"i!t!$

In the !tate '& enli(htenment the

univer!e i! n't e"#erienced$ %here&'re the univer!e d'e! n't e"i!t$


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6elation )et#een .tman thetrue! inner self& and /rahman

Tat tvam asi: 'That Thou .rt(statement of the Chando$ya

-panishad+

0an"ara s >nterpretation:

'Aou .tman& are identical #ith that/rahman+(


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Ho to dissolve the superimposition o! theapparent orld on Brahman

2+ Practice detachment from sense o)4ects and#orldly pleasures renunciation& and

discrimination )et#een the eternal and noneternal+ Discrimination re=uires meditation onteachin$s of the -panishads and their

application to e,perience+

1+ .c=uire a $uru to $uide one intoenli$htenment+


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3+ Cultivate the 0i, Virtues:Tran=uility

0eein$ imperfection in sense o)4ects&0elf Control

detachin$ and non reactive stance&

Bor)earancefreedom from complaint or lament&

Baithfirm conviction )ased on understandin$ the teachin$s of

the scriptures and one s $uru&

0elf 0urrenderconcentration on /rahman& on$in$ for i)eration

see"in$ to )e free from avidya&


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The 5oal: /rahman 6eali*ation

The e$o effacin$ practices aim at uncoverin$the divinity #ithin )y means of 4nana $yana&!

"no#led$e:seein$ the identity of one s inner self and

/rahman+


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Mo"sha is li)eration from samsara cycleof death and re)irth& and thus release fromsufferin$! #hich is rooted in the false e$o+

.ccordin$ to 0an"ara! in mo"sha theindividual consciousness! seein$ its

identity #ith /rahman! mer$es into theuniversal consciousness of /rahman+

9o individual consciousness remains+

Mo"sha The 0tate of i)eration&


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'9o#! finally and clearly! > "no# that > am .tman!#hose nature is eternal 4oy+ > see nothin$! > hear

nothin$! > "no# nothin$ that is separate from me+(

'The spiritual see"er #ho is possessed of tran=uility!self control! mental poise! for)earance! devotes himselfto the practice of contemplation! and meditates upon the

.tman #ithin himself as the .tman #ithin all )ein$s+

Thus he completely destroys the sense of separateness#hich arises from the dar"ness of i$norance! and d#ellsin 4oy! identifyin$ himself #ith /rahman! free from

distractin$ thou$hts and selfish occupations+(

0an"ara

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Sankara Adva It a Vedanta