Vedanta
Upanishadic philosophical tradition
Vedanta is a major school of Hindu philosophy based on the Upanishads, the Brahma Sutras, and the Bhagavad Gita.
The name means "end of the Vedas," referring both to the texts that conclude the Vedic scriptures and to their ultimate teaching.
Vedanta addresses the nature of reality, the self (atman), and its relationship to the universal consciousness (Brahman).
Different branches—Advaita, Vishishtadvaita, Dvaita—offer competing interpretations, from strict nondualism to qualified dualism.
In Western contexts, Vedanta often refers to the teachings popularized by Swami Vivekananda and subsequent spiritual movements.
Hindu philosophy denying separation
- BrahmanSupreme cosmic reality
- AtmanHindu eternal essence
- MayaAncient Mesoamerican people
- UpanishadsVedic philosophical scriptures
monism · non-duality · metaphysics · ontology · epistemology · Vedas · Sutras · idealism
Supreme cosmic reality
- MayaAncient Mesoamerican people
- creationMaking something exist
- illusionMisleading sensory impression
- consciousnessState of sentient awareness
reality · unreality · superimposition · cosmic · absolute · universal · relative · empirical
Release from rebirth cycle
- self-realizationAchieving personal potential
- liberationRelease from constraint
- enlightenmentProfound spiritual awakening
- nirvanaRelease from cyclical existence
awakening · freedom · release · transcendence · salvation · deliverance · emancipation · self-knowledge
Vedic philosophical scriptures
- Bhagavad GitaHindu philosophical dialogue
- shrutiIndian microtonal pitch interval
- commentaryExplanatory remarks on events
- scriptureSacred religious writings
Revered authority figure
Focused attention practice
- self-inquiryExamining one's own mind
- contemplationSustained reflective attention
- studyDeliberate learning effort
- mananaTomorrow in Spanish
devotion · renunciation · discrimination · detachment · mindfulness · reflection
Advaita
Hindu philosophy denying separation
Upanishads · monism · non-duality · metaphysics · ontology · epistemology · Vedas · Sutras · idealism · pantheism
Brahman
Supreme cosmic reality
consciousness · reality · unreality · superimposition · cosmic · absolute · universal · relative · empirical · appearance
moksha
Release from rebirth cycle
- self-realizationAchieving personal potential
- liberationRelease from constraint
- enlightenmentProfound spiritual awakening
nirvana · awakening · freedom · release · transcendence · salvation · deliverance · emancipation · self-knowledge · gnosis
Upanishads
Vedic philosophical scriptures
- Bhagavad GitaHindu philosophical dialogue
- shrutiIndian microtonal pitch interval
- commentaryExplanatory remarks on events
guru
Revered authority figure
meditation
Focused attention practice
- self-inquiryExamining one's own mind
- contemplationSustained reflective attention
- studyDeliberate learning effort
manana · devotion · renunciation · discrimination · detachment · mindfulness · reflection
- religionChristianity, Islam, beliefs, Judaism, Hinduism
- religionsChristianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism
- Dharmic Traditionsdharma, karma, moksha, samsara, atman
- Hindu HeritageVedas, Upanishads, Mahabharata, Ramayana, Bhagavad Gita
- Hindu spiritualityatman, moksha, karma, dharma, yoga
- HinduismVishnu, Shiva, Krishna, Ganesh, Ganesha
Vedantamaterialism
Prioritizing goods over spirit
physicalism · naturalism · atomism · reductionism · empiricism
Vedantaempiricism
Knowledge through observation
positivism · scientific method · rationalism · skepticism · pragmatism