Advaita

The doctrine of non-duality • Unity beyond all separation • The Self as the Absolute

Advaita (Sanskrit: अद्वैत) literally means:

"Not-two" or "Non-duality"

It is one of the most profound philosophical and spiritual teachings in India and forms the core of the Advaita Vedanta, whose best-known representative Adi Shankara was.

Advaita teaches that the apparent separation between:

• Man and God
• Subject and object
• Self and world
• Inside and outside

ultimately is an illusion.

Basic idea

According to Advaita, there is only one absolute reality:

Brahman

Brahman is:

• limitless
• timeless
• informal
• indivisible
• pure consciousness

The individual self (Ātman) is not different from Brahman in its deepest essence.

The famous formula of the Upanishads is:

"Tat Tvam Asi"

"This is you."

The illusion of separation

Advaita explains that man usually lives in Māyā:

• the world of appearances
• identification with body and mind
• the idea of a separate self

This separation is viewed as apparent, not ultimately real.

Esoteric meaning

Advaita is not a doctrine of faith, but a way of knowledge:

Who am I really?

Through self-exploration the seeker recognizes:

• I am not the body.
• I am not the thoughts.
• I am not the changing feelings.

Behind all experiences is this:

pure awareness

which remains unchanged.

Spiritual practice

Classic paths of Advaita include:

• Self-inquiry (Atma Vichara)
• Meditation
• Contemplation
• Study of the Upanishads
• direct knowledge of one's own nature

The question of the wise man Ramana Maharshi:

"Who am I?"

Symbolism

Element: Aether

Symbols:

• Mirror
• Ocean and wave
• Room
• Sun

Ocean and wave

The wave appears as an independent being.

In reality she is:

Water.

Human beings appear separate, but in their essence they are one consciousness.

Spiritual Essence

"You seek the truth as if it were far away.
But the seeker himself is what is sought."

Advaita teaches that enlightenment is not the achievement of something new, but the recognition of what has always been present.

Keywords

Advaita • Advaita Vedanta • Non-Duality • Brahman • Ātman • Māyā • Self-enquiry • Ramana Maharshi • Tat Tvam Asi • Pure Consciousness