Advaita

Hindu monist philosophy

Advaita is a school of Hindu philosophy centered on non-dualism—the doctrine that individual consciousness and ultimate reality are one and the same.

Associated especially with the 8th-century philosopher Shankara, Advaita Vedanta remains influential in Indian spirituality and has attracted Western followers: Advaita teachings emphasize direct experience over intellectual understanding. (Lowercase advaita is the same word used more generically.)

philosophy

Brahman

Supreme cosmic reality

AtmanHindu eternal essence
MayaAncient Mesoamerican people
UpanishadsVedic philosophical scriptures

superimposition · moksha

practice

meditation

Focused attention practice

inquiryRequest for information
self-inquiryExamining one's own mind
contemplationSustained reflective attention

discernment · renunciation · guru · ashram · awakening · liberation

concepts

illusion

Misleading sensory impression

dualityTwofold nature
ignoranceAbsence of knowledge
knowledgeUnderstood facts and skills

reality · appearance · dream · waking · deep sleep · substrate · projection · dissolution · mirage · relative

Categories

meditationbreathing meditation, breath, breath meditation, mantra, breathing
HinduismVishnu, Shiva, Krishna, Ganesh, Ganesha
Indian faithsHinduism, Sikhism, Jainism, Buddhism, Hindus
Indian religionsHinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism
Indian Philosophyyoga philosophy, Buddhist philosophy, Upanishads, karma yoga, Vedas
Advaita VedantaBrahman, Atman, maya, non-duality, moksha

Opposites

metaphysical unity vs. multiplicity

Advaitadualism

Philosophy of opposed pairs

pluralism · duality · multiplicity · plurality · separateness

non-dual vs. theistic realism

AdvaitaGaudiya Vaishnavism

Family

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