Advaita Vedanta is one of the most influential schools of Hindu philosophy, known for its non-dualistic approach to understanding the nature of reality. This article explores the core concepts of Advaita Vedanta, including the meaning of non-duality, the relationship between Brahman and Atman, and the path to spiritual enlightenment.
Definition and Meaning of Advaita Vedanta
The word Advaita is a Sanskrit term. “Dvaita” means “Duality,” and the prefix “a” in Sanskrit negates the word, so Advaita means “Non-duality”. Vedanta, on the other hand, means “end of the Vedas.” The Vedas are the sacred Indian scriptures, and the end of the Vedas includes the Upanishads, from which Advaita draws most of its teachings.
The main idea of Advaita Vedanta is that life is the manifestation of one single consciousness. Advaita Vedanta differs from other philosophies born from the Vedas because it considers existence to be non-dual.
Brahman and Atman
In Advaita philosophy, universal consciousness, known as Brahman, encompasses all existence. Individual consciousness, termed Atman, is not separate from this cosmic awareness but identical to it. This relationship can be understood through the metaphor of an ocean and its waves—while waves appear distinct, they are inseparable from and essentially identical to the ocean itself.
“As rivers flowing east and west merge in the sea and become one with it, forgetting they were ever separate rivers, so all creatures lose their separateness when they merge at last into pure Being.”
– Chandogya Upanishad
Adi Shankara’s Explanation of Advaita Vedanta and Non-Duality
Adi Shankara, the most important philosopher of Advaita Vedanta, explains this idea with a phrase that seems like a riddle: “Brahman is real, the universe is unreal, and the universe is Brahman.” This apparent paradox reveals a deeper truth: Brahman alone exists; the perceived diversity of the universe is an appearance arising from our limited perspective; and ultimately, all manifestation is nothing but Brahman itself.
Moksha and Spiritual Enlightenment
We all know how our desires, once materialized, do not satisfy us for long. Our life seems to be a continuous succession of actions that do not lead to real fulfillment. We behave in this way because we believe we are limited and hope that the object of our desires will complete us. However, there is only one desire that, once realized, will extinguish all other desires: recognizing yourself as Brahman. This realization is called “Moksha.”
Everything we perceive is Brahman, but we are unable to understand it because we attribute mental boundaries to reality. The universe is made up of a single entity, Brahman, which takes on infinite forms.
The Nature of Reality
For example, a car is composed of various parts, which themselves consist of smaller components. This reveals that a car has only relative truth, as it lacks independent existence. It is transient—eventually it will break down and transform into other forms—yet its fundamental essence, that which constitutes its true nature, is real: it is Brahman.
This principle applies to everything perceivable in the universe. The Sanskrit term “Mithya” refers to that which has no independent reality—the names and categories we assign to phenomena that have no inherent existence. The act of naming itself creates artificial boundaries, dividing what is fundamentally indivisible. At its core, this teaching points to an unchanging, fundamental reality that pervades and unifies the entire universe: Brahman, pure consciousness.
The Illusion of Separation
According to Advaita Vedanta, the core human predicament is our failure to recognize our true nature as Brahman. We perceive ourselves as finite beings when we are, in truth, boundless. The fundamental purpose of human existence, therefore, is to break free from these self-imposed limitations and realize our infinite nature.
In Advaita Vedanta, this fundamental confusion—mistaking the apparent reality (Mithya) for the absolute truth of non-dual existence—is termed “Adhyasa,” a concept central to understanding the human condition.
The Non-Existence of Others
While our everyday experience suggests the existence of separate, individual consciousnesses, Advaita Vedanta reveals this as an illusion. There exists only one universal “I” expressing itself through infinite forms. We are not, as commonly believed, the body or mind, but rather the pure awareness that witnesses both body and thought.
This consciousness—identical in all beings—is our true nature. When we say “I am young” or “I am old,” we are merely describing bodily attributes; consciousness itself, the Atman, is attributeless and can only be expressed as the simple truth “I am.”
The Fundamental Teaching of Advaita Vedanta: You Are That
Our body and mind are obviously destined to die, but the Atman is immortal and eternal. Every fear is, in reality, fear of death that arises from the inability to recognize our true nature as absolute consciousness.
According to Advaita Vedanta, the universe was not created; it has always existed because there is not really a universe, but only names and forms of Brahman. The term Maya can be translated as “illusion,” “unreality,” or “magic,” and it is the name given to the “force” or “principle” that makes us perceive the world in a dual way, when reality is non-dual.
One of the most well-known phrases from the Upanishads is “Tat Tvam Asi,” which means “You are That.” Your essential nature is identical to Brahman; this is the fundamental teaching of Advaita Vedanta.
By recognizing the non-dual nature of existence and realizing our true identity as Brahman, we can transcend the limitations of the ego and experience a deep sense of unity and fulfillment. While the concepts of Advaita Vedanta may initially seem complex and abstract, they hold the potential to transform our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.