sankara adva it a vedanta
TRANSCRIPT
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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