Dialog between Maitreyi and Yajnavalkya
The Dialog between Maitreyi and Yajnavalkya exploring the nature of Bhrahman as non-dual, all-inclusive and absolute, is an inspiring episode from Brihadaranyaka Upanishad.
One day Yajnavalkya, when he wished to embrace another mode of life, said: “Maitreyi, my dear, I am going to renounce this life to become a monk. Let me [...]
The Dialog between Maitreyi and Yajnavalkya exploring the nature of Bhrahman as non-dual, all-inclusive and absolute, is an inspiring episode from Brihadaranyaka Upanishad.
The sage Yajnavalkya had two wives: Maitreyi and Katyayani. Of these, Maitreyi was conversant with the Knowledge of Brahman, while Katyayani had an essentially feminine outlook.
One day Yajnavalkya, when he wished to embrace [...]
According to Adi Shankara, God, the Supreme Cosmic Spirit or Brahman is the One, the whole and the only reality. Other than Brahman, everything else, including the universe, material objects and individuals, are mithya (i.e aspects that are superimposed on Brahman). Brahman is at best described as that infinite, omnipresent, omnipotent, incorporeal, impersonal, transcendent reality [...]
1. There are various Upanishad passages which talk of Brahman, the all pervading
consciousness as being available for recognition within the intellect or the mind. The
Upanishads also expressly state that Brahman is not only nondual (“advayam”) but
divisionless (“nirvikalpam”). Therefore Advaita Vedanta says that the atma in you, in
me, in other human beings, in the animals, the [...]
The central theme of the Upanishads is Brahman, called also Paramatma. It is a
conscious principle. The word for conscious principle in Sanskrit is “caitanyam” The
seminal sentence defining Brahman which occurs in Taittiriya Upanishad (II.1.ii) is
“satyam jnanam anantam Brahma.” In English, this is translated as “ existenceconsciousness-
infinity. ( Existence, consciousness and infinity are not three separate
entities; [...]
1. Let us start with finding answers to the questions raised in Party I. It is not difficult to understand that I am not the physical body . I can see the body. So, no thinking man will deny the fact, “ I am not the body.” “Am I the ‘prana’ (divided into prana, apana, [...]
In Advaita Vedanta philosophy, maya is the limited, purely physical and mental reality in which our everyday consciousness has become entangled. Maya is believed to be an illusion, a veiling of the true, unitary Self—the Cosmic Spirit also known as Brahman. Maya originated in the Hindu scriptures known as the Upanishads. Many philosphies or religions [...]
At the highest level, Advaita teaches that the creation never occured in reality. This is called Ajati-Vada.
The notion that mAyA has no reality in itself, and that Brahman is the only real, allows the sRshTi-dRshTi vAdin to “graduate”, so to speak, to ajAti vAda, the view that no creation really occured ever. Although one initially [...]
According to Ramanuja, whatever is, is Brahman; but Brahman is not of a homogeneous nature. It contains within Itself elements of plurality on account of which It truly manifests Itself in a diversified world. Ramanuja’s Brahman is essentially a Personal God, the all-powerful Ruler of a real world, permeated and animated by His spirit . [...]