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FAQ ON ADVAITA VEDANTA What is the gist of teaching of Advaita Vedanta?

Advaita Vedanta gives three very important teachings;

1. All that is seen as creation with a wide spectrum of living beings and inert substances are nothing but the manifestation of the only ultimate reality, the Brahman which is satyam and which exists in all the three periods of time. Brahman alone has real existence and everything exists in it. Everything that is created borrows its very existence from Brahman. They borrow their very existence from it. It is there as the all-pervading Consciousness, called the Atma or chit in every living being. Atma is identical with Brahman. Brahman is one without a second; that is why it is called Advaitam or adhvayam. Brahman is the Whole, the purna vastu and hence is free of all attributes, parts or divisions of any kind, free of all shortcomings and hence an entity which is the source of infinite Ananda. 2. Since Brahman is the only ultimate Reality, it automatically implies that everything else which is created like our body/mind and all objects of the world is not satyam. What is not satyam as mithya. Created objects did not exist before their creation and they get destroyed at some point of time in the future. That is why it is called mithya. Mithya does not mean total non-existence, but existence which has only a temporary and apparent reality. For example, a person in his dream creates his own world with a variety of objects and people and has their experience also. All these appear as very real as long as the person is in dream. Once he wakes up, all that he dreamt disappears and nothing which he saw in the dream is in his waking state. The existence of world also has to be understood in a similar way. Likewise, the world, the life therein also is a long dream and disappears once the person wakes up to his real inner nature which of pure Atma.

3. The essential nature of Jivatma is Consciousness; hence Jivatma is identical with Brahman and is in no way different from it. The consciousness that pervades the mind in the individual and makes the body/mind sentient is the same consciousness principle, which is all-pervading and eternal. This principle of awareness that lends its presence to the body/mind is known as sakshi chaitanyam and is all-pervading, self shining, limitless, beyond time and space and beyond all dukkha. It is called sakshi because it is merely a witness to all the thoughts and actions. It is the awareness itself and so is quite different from the awarer who is an entity with borrowed awareness and hence not an independent entity. It is thus clear that the inherent nature of every living being is this awareness Consciousness alone. It is there in every thought, every action that one does. It pervades the body/mind in all the states of existence be it the waking state or dream state or deep sleep. The component of consciousness in every individual is the very same all-pervading consciousness, the Atma. It is this which makes him to say that he is. Thus, it can never be different from Atma. This Atma component is never affected by what happens to the mind it illumines and therefore is never affected by samsara. This is how the identity of Jivatma with Brahman is established. All that is required is for the individual to drop the notion that he is not the suffering body/mind. Knowing this liberates a person from all samsara.

Please explain what is Brahman and Atma. Brahman is a word used by the Sastras to indicate something which is in the nature of Consciousness and so most subtle and hence formless, colourless, partless, attributeless. It is all-pervading and eternal. It is the Whole with nothing lacking in it and hence something which is of pure happiness and fulfillment. For these reasons, it cannot be understood the way we generally understand an object in the outside world. Since it is Consciousness, it has to be recognized within ones inner being. Sastras say it should be recognized as daharakasa in ones heart. Though Brahman cannot be defined as such and such, Sastras do give three lakshanas to indicate what it is . They are Satyam, jnanam, anantham; and sat chit ananda. To understand Brahman, we cannot use the usual pramanas the means of knowledge like pratyaksha, anumana etc. One has to understand it as he himself in the form of pure Consciousness which is all-pervading just like space, It is for these reasons that they say getting Brahman knowledge is very very difficult.Atma and Brahman represent the same Consciousness entity. It is called Brahman when it is understood as the Existence principle in every object that exists. It is Atma when it is understood as the Consciousness principle in every living entity.Does Brahman create all the human beings and this world?

Brahman being nirguna free of all attributes and actions cannot and does not create. But, he has a power called Maya saksthi with which he projects this creation and all its contents. Such an entity is called Iswara or sa-guna Brahman. There is therefore no actual creation of anything, but only its projection or manifestation. They are seen and experienced. But, they do not have any real existence. In other words, they only seem to exist. While its appearance and experience is accepted, its origination and existence is not because the world is not really created at all. This is why Vedanta calls the world as a mithya. What is the nature of the all pervading Consciousness?

Consciousness is the self illumined aspect of Brahman. It is called the Atma, an abstract all-pervading principle (like the space) which pervades the body/mind and makes it a sentient living individual. It is an independent entity and not a part or property or product of the body/mind, it is present even after the body/mind dies and continues to remain in an unmanifested condition. It is a permanent entity and illumines the entire creation all the time. Without Consciousness, there can be no Jivatma i.e. the individual self or the observed world. Swami Dayananda Saraswati defines Consciousness most succinctly thus: Consciousness is the vasthu because of which form consciousness is, sound consciousness is or any other thought consciousness is. There is no other way to describe it.There are certain other important aspects with regard to consciousness which need to be kept in mind. They are: Consciousness exists regardless of the presence or absence of any object. It is there always as awareness. There is no distance between the Consciousness and the object awared. We are aware of space; hence space is within Consciousness. That is why Consciousness is beyond space. Consciousness can have no form or boundaries since everything that is seen and observed, everything known and unknown is in Consciousness. This is how it is all-pervading.

Is the reflected consciousness different from the all-pervading consciousness?Essentially, both are one and the same. It is just like the outer space which is there inside a pot. The space within the pot is very much the same as the outer space. In the same way, the reflected consciousness is the same as the all-pervading consciousness. By identifying himself with the consciousness in his mind, the individual automatically identifies himself with the all-pervading, ever-shining, eternal Consciousness. In one stroke, he understands he is and had always been this Consciousness and so was and continues to be ever free, unaffected by samsara. This knowledge is given out by the Upanishads in the form of various Mahavakyas. In what way is consciousness present in the body/mind?

The presence of consciousness in the body/mind can be understood in two ways:

It is like space pervading all objects in the creation, the world.It is like reflection of a light on a mirror the all pervading consciousness which is there in the mind as well gets reflected in the mind and makes body/mind sentient. Both are always together. Even after the death of the physical body, the mind with the reflected consciousness travels out of the mind and enters another body to take the next janma. It should be understood there are no two consciousnesses, the original one and the reflected one. There is only one consciousness which is the Atma.

Consciousness is self luminous swayam prakasa and it is not revealed by anything. Illumination is its very nature and is not an action on its part. The self is not merely Consciousness but is also Existence. For anything to be known, it has to exist first. Everything is existent because it is evident.Is Jivatma actually born or does it exist only seemingly?

When the all-pervading Consciousness is reflected in the mind of jiva, this total entity is called Jivatma. Though it is dominated by the rajo guna of the prakrit, its essential nature is Consciousness. Hence there can be no birth for Jivatma. It is just like creation of a pot space when a pot is created. Pot space seems to be there in the pot, but really, it is not created. Similarly, when there is consciousness in a body/mind, Jivatma seems to be created. In reality, there is no such creation. Only the body/mind of the Jivatma is created. Also, the Jivatma being a non-created entity can never be impure, since its nature is that of Consciousness which is ever pure. All impurity can belong only to the body/mind. There can be many Jivas with body/mind, but the Jivatma is only one in the form of Consciousness. There can be no plurality for Jivatma since it is identical with Brahman.Why is not consciousness equally manifest in all objects of the world?The level of manifestation depends upon the type and quality of the reflecting medium. The mind which is the reflecting medium in the body is made of very fine matter and so, the quality of the reflection of the consciousness will depend upon the quality of the mind. In a gross mind which is filled with all types of emotions, the reflection will naturally be very dull. For the reflection to perfect, the mind will have to be kept as pure as possible.is manifest in to a greater degree in the mind. In what way is the Consciousness different from the body/mind complex?

Both have exactly the opposite characteristics. Exactly like Brahman, Atma is Eternal, imperishable, not subject to limitations of time and space, all-pervading, self-effulgent, changeless, partless and is the only Sat that exists and not dependent on anything else for its existence. On the other hand, the body/mind, the world, and indeed all creation is anatma. They are temporary, perishable, subject to time/space, limited in all respects, changing all the time, has identifiable parts and dependent on Atma for its existence and sentience. But, both are there as two components inside the body/mind very close to each other. Consciousness being an all-pervading pure entity remains unaffected by the body/mind in any manner.Is prana same as consciousness or different from it?

There are five pranas operating within the body. All of them, by themselves are insentient. They can operate only in the presence of consciousness.Vedanta says that Paramatma and Jivatma are identical. If so, why call them by different names? Maya is comprised of three qualities: sattva, rajas and tamas. In Paramatma or Iswara, the sattva aspect of Maya is minimum and there is very little of rajas and tamas. That is why Paramatma/Iswara has the three attributes of Omnipotence, Omniscience and Omnipresence. Another important aspect is that Paramatma is not affected by the avarana the veiling power which conceals the true identity of the entity. That is why it is sarvajna all knowing. It is the vikshepa sakthi of Maya which helps Paramatma to do the actions of srishti, stithi and laya. But, in the case of Jivatma, rajas is highly predominant. This is the cause for all its limitations in terms of karma, enjoyment of karma phala, birth/death cycle etc. However, between Paramatma and Jivatma, there is a common factor which is Consciousness. In this aspect, both are identical. Their identity is established through Mahavakya vichara through which the attributes in terms of the three qualities qualifying both Paramatma and Jivatma are dropped altogether. So, what remains is pure Consciousness alone, which is Atma or Brahman. Doing this exercise is called Mahavakya Vichara whereby the adjectives in both, viz. para and jiva are dropped and Atma alone remains. Can Brahman know Brahman?

No. This is not possible since Brahman is totally actionless. Knowing is an action. Hence, there is no question of Brahman knowing itself or anything outside. But, our mind can know itself. The ego, an idea of the mind knows the rest of the mind. Brahman does not have such division within itself.Why is it that everyone understands himself as the body/mind only and not as Consciousness, which is the real I?

All living beings including all of us are born with a sentient body/mind. Thus, automatically, we believe that Consciousness also is a part of the body/mind. This is a wrong understanding of the self. Vedanta tells us a completely different fact. It says the body/mind is merely a medium through which the Consciousness principle manifests. Without this principle, there can be no life. Hence, essentially, each the real nature of each of us is Consciousness only. But, an ignorant person thinks that there is consciousness in his body/mind; whilst the truth is that it is the body/mind which is in consciousness. What is the effect of this wrong knowledge on the individual? As pointed out above, everyone commits the mistake of taking the body/mind to be the real self, the real I and not the consciousness. Consequently, he associates all the happenings in his life to Atma, whereas they really belong to the body/mind only. It is just like concluding that a colorless crystal is red when a red flower is placed by its side. The crystal was never red. The red color is merely a superimposition on the colorless crystal. This superimposition called adhyasa is the main cause for all our misgivings.

Why is a person unaware of his real nature which is Atma? This arises due to sheer ignorance about himself. This ignorance (called as moola ajnanam) is caused by the power of Maya sakthi. Maya has two powers: avarana sakthi which conceals the real nature of the person, the Atma (which is generally referred to as real I) and thus makes him to be ignorant of his superior status. It should be noted the ignorance of the individual is partial in the sense he knows there is a consciousness principle within him, but does not know it is his real nature. The moolavidya is there in everyone right from his birth and gets wiped out only when the person gets Self knowledge through study of Vedanta. What exactly is Maya tattva?

Maya tattva is a very important aspect in the Advaita sastra. It is through Maya that the triad of Iswara, jiva and jagat are explained. It is the creative power given to it by Brahman for the sake of manifestation of this creation. It is anadi in the sense it has no beginning as such, just like Brahman. Even time and space are the creation of Maya. But, it has an end when jnanam takes place. It is like darkness disappearing when the light is switched on. So, it has an anta. One cannot say it exists nor can one say it does not exist. As long as ignorance is there, it exists. It disappears with the rise of knowledge in the mind. That is why it is called inexplicable anirvachaniyam. Though the ten Upanishads do not refer to Maya as such, there is a reference in Swetasvatara Upanishad which says Mayam to prakritim viddhi, mayinam tu Maheswaram - understand Maya as the prakriti and Iswara as its cause. Maya tattva, at the individual level is called ajnanam, individual ignorance of the real Self.Brahman in association with Maya is the Iswara who manifests the creation. The three gunas in Maya, viz. sattva, rajas and tamas are there in various proportions in the creation also. How does the knowledge I am Brahman take place?

This knowledge has obviously to be in the nature of thought called swarupa jnana vritti the knowledge of ones inherent nature. This knowledge is totally different from the worldly knowledge, which is the knowledge of things, persons and situations outside. This knowledge involves three constituents the knower (pramata), the object known (prameya) and the means of knowledge which are the sense organs (pramana), All three have to work in co-ordination with each other. When the mind sees the object and the reflected consciousness pervades the object, the object is perceived by the mind and its impression is created in the mind in the form of a thought. In the case of knowing the self, there is no question of seeing anything outside by using ones sense organs. It is merely a question of understanding ones real nature by himself. This knowledge has to arise out of the sravanam of the Mahavakyas which are taught to the student by his guru. So, the Mahavakyas become the pramana for this knowledge. The student has to assimilate the teachings of the guru through constant contemplation and removal of all doubts about the teachings. You say that ones higher nature remains unaffected by sukha or dukkha. If so, where is the question of dukkha nivritti at all?

Your question is quite valid. It it a fact that Atma is free of all sukha or dukka. So for a person who has understood and realized his higher nature, there cannot be a question of dukkha nivritti at all. As Atma, how can he ever have any dukkha? This is how the above statement has to be understood. Is it that only vedantic knowledge can give this wisdom and make a person free of samsara? Will not doing actions (karmas) leading to a contented dharmic pious life give the same result?

Samsara arises because of ignorance ajnanam. Ignorance can be wiped out only by knowledge and by no other means. Leading a dharmic life is no doubt very important. But, it has its limitations. Actions are limited in their nature. Its results will also be limited. Leading a pious life will no doubt generate punyam which will give their beneficial results in course of time. But, that will also get extinguished once their results are enjoyed by the performer of the actions. To get a permanent and everlasting result, there is no other way except to learn the lessons taught by the Upanishads and get jnanam. All the worldly texts deal with the issues of the material world. It should be understood that the experience of samsara is born out of a wrong understanding of ones real nature and only jnanam, the right understanding can remove the wrong knowledge born out of ignorance. No amount of karma can remove the wrong knowledge.

How can one make the thought that I am Brahman to arise in the mind?

The Upanishad gives several examples through which this thought can be made to arise in the mind. It is very similar to a person in a dream waking up to the reality of life. Here, it is a case of a higher level of awakening. Let us take the example of the 10th man. In this example, there are 10 people crossing a rivulet. After reaching the other side, one of them started to check whether all the ten have reached the other side safely. He started to take a count of them and counted all but forgot to count himself. He concluded that one person is missing and started wailing and crying, hitting his head against a stone resulting in a bump in his head. He did not know he is the tenth man till another person counted all the ten and pointed out that the person who did the count himself is the tenth man. Immediately, the tenth man realized the truth that the tenth man is he himself. The 10th man was always there and was never lost. This truth could be understood by him only when an outsider pointed out the reality to him. In the same way, the Guru, through his upadesa of Mahavakyas points out to his student that our real inner nature is Atma and it was never lost. All that one has to do is to get this right understanding and shed the wrong impression that he is a suffering Jiva.Vedanta says Atma is beyond the access of the mind. If so, how is one to know it?

A simple answer would be: Atma is not an object which can be known through the sense organs. It is Atma which enables us to know everything. In terms of understanding, it should be understood as the Self the consciousness within. One does not have to know it. He is already that tvam. So, what is required is the conviction that he is that and nothing else. How to be that can perhaps be explained by the example of a music lover who gets totally identified with the music at some point of time during the concert. We have seen so many cases where people who either sing or recite bhajans get lost in them and forget themselves totally. In that state, they totally forget they are a person with a sarira performing the recital. In a similar manner, one has to be totally absorbed in the Atman thought completely within himself. This is how one has to understand himself as Atma. Atma is not something which can be categorized and pointed out as this since it is an absolute entity. How can anyone explain what is absolute in relative terms? This is precisely the reason why the Upanishads say Atma is beyond the comprehension by the human intellect. Yet, it does give some indications by declaring Atma is not this, this this etc (called nethi, nethi) and also by indicating three lakshanas- viz. satyam, jnanam and anantham. Even these lakshanas belong to the empirical world and so cannot reveal Atma directly. At best, they are only indirect indicators.

You say Brahman is the adhistanam for all creation. Are you not creating a duality here in terms of adhishtanam and the objects of creation?

Yes. Such a description is indeed a duality only. At the highest paramarthika level, there can be no duality. Even the description of Brahman as adhishtanam is only to indicate that it is Absolute.Does mere knowning that I am Brahman give total knowledge?

There are two stages in the process of knowing:

Knowing that I am Brahman by the study of Sastras - this knowledge is called paroksha jnanam indirect knowledge.

Being Brahman is the final knowledge, called aparoksha jnanam. Sastras say that one has to be a Brahma nishsta a state where one understands with full conviction that he never anything other than Brahman. All that is required is giving up the sarira bhavana in the mind, since it can never be ones real nature. This, of course, is not as easy as it looks. It calls for a sustained study of Sasstras under a competent Guru, doing lot of sravanam, mananam and nidhidyasanam. Is Existence principle (Sat) the same as Consciousness principle (Chit) or are they different?

They are one and the same lakshanas by which Brahman is understood. For anything to be known they have to exist first and their existence can be evident only when there is a Consciousness principle which enables the jnanendriyas to see and know things as well as the mind. So, Sat is Chit and Chit is Sat since the characteristics of both (enumerated above) are the same for both. Both the world and all the living beings including us depend on consciousness for their existence; similarly, the consciousness being an abstract principle requires a medium in the relative medium of the body/mind to manifest itself. Hence, there is mutual dependence of both on each other. A relative world in terms of Sastas, Iswara/ saguna Brahman, sishya, teachings are all required for this knowledge. Without these, no knowledge is possible. Use the relative world to know the truth and then dismiss the relative world as inconsequential. Is it righ to specify Sat, Chit and Ananda as the laksanas for an attributeless Atma?

As pointed out above, the three laksanas are given only from the vyavaharika stand-point. At the paramarthika level, Atma can have no attributes whatever. From the standpoint of this prapancha alone, it is existence, consciousness and ananda. Ananda also is only in a vyavaharika level.Do Upanishads prescribe any methodology to gain self-knowledge?. Vedanta prescribes various methods called prakriyas through which this understanding can take place. The most important ones are: Atma/anathma viveka,Nithya/anithya vastu viveka, pancha kosa viveka etc. Some of the important steps are outlined below: I am not my body, since my body is an object of my knowledge. I am different from it.

I am not my energy, the capacity to do my work. Although it is invisible, I know its presence and its functions. Being the object of my knowledge, it is different from Me. I am not my senses since I know their presence and their functions.

I am not the mind since I know its presence and the various thoughts that rise in it. I am not the intellect, since it is also an object of my knowledge.

I am not the ego since I know it dwells in my mind and I know it and its functions.

I am not the doer of actions since I am none of the above. Since I am not the doer, I am not the enjoyer of my actions also.The above steps will help to convince oneself that he is not the body/mind or ego.The world also needs to be negated as inconsequential through a similar analysis. It is common knowledge that the world is made up of matter which is inert. It is always subject to change and subject to a beginning and an end. It has plurality. Hence, the world also has to be mithya.

In addition to the above prakriyas, Upanishads also prescribe various Upasanas which can be practiced by the vedantic student. Chandogya and Britaranyaka Upanishads give a number of upasanas such as Panchagni vidya, Bhuma vidya, Vaisvanara vidya, Madhu vidya etc. Practising these vidyas will help to reinforce the thought that the self is nothing but Brahman. Katopanishad specifically instructs the student to look within his mind for the angushta matra purusha that is the Atma who resides as antaratma in everyones mind as the consciousness principle. Upasanas become necessary since we are incapable of understanding Brahman straightaway. In the beginning, we have to bring down the Nirguna Brahman to the saguna level with its various attributes, worship them through various upasanas, purify the mind and grasp the ultimate Truth and then shed the sarira abhimana. Why is it said that Atma is most difficult to grasp? We have to remember we are in a state of total duality now and the mind is attuned to understand only duality in terms of various objects, their attributes etc. We are constantly exposed to the attractions of the world and we are firmly entrenched in the affairs of the world. To mentally disassociate from all these all of a sudden is very difficult. Sastras prescribe sadhana chathushtayya sampatthi to attain this. The mind should constantly analyze the merits and demerits of the world and come to the firm conclusion that it is totally independable, insecure and fragile. The seeker of freedom from samsara should be ready to give up his samsaritva even while carrying on with the world. This calls for lot of viveka and vairagya. All these come through constant practice and effort. Bhagavat Gita gives a wonderful example of how a person should deal with samsara. He should remain in it totally untouched and unaffected by it just like a lotus leaf floats merrily on the surface of a muddy water without an atom of water wetting it. This is how one should conduct himself in samsara if he wants to be free from it. Does self knowledge destroy all the miseries of the jnani individual?

All the worldly experiences will continue as before and there will be no change as such. But, there is a complete transformation of the mind of the jnani in that he fully realizes that the world is totally mithya and all the events of the world affect his mithya body/mind only. For him, the body/mind is merely an object, an instrument for transaction. All sufferings belong only to the body/mind. As Atma, he remains totally unaffected in spite of being in the midst of all sufferings. The example of lotus leaf floating lightly on the surface of muddy waters is given to explain this point.Many of us do undergo the vedantic study, yet we feel bound to samsara and do not feel liberated. Why?

This situation may arise where the mind of the vedantic student is not fully prepared for receiving the teachings or where the process of sravanam etc. are not properly done. Upanishads themselves declare that this truth is very difficult to grasp. So a fully devoted concentrated attention to sravanam is required. A casual listening to Vedanta will not help. A mere theoretical study of Vedanta and knowing the meaning of Mahavakyas will not be enough. It will only be academic knowledge. Before resorting to vedantic study, one must ensure that his mind has acquired sadhana chathustayya sampatthi and is made ready to hear and understand the vedantic truth. A fully prepared mind can absorb this truth instantly, the moment guru does the upadesa of Mahavakya to the student: Tat tvam asi. How much of vedantic knowledge is absorbed will depend upon the preparation and purity of the mind. Further, the listener should have total and unwavering faith in the Guru, the vedantic teachings. Grace of the Lord also is required for the success in his efforts. What is the proof that Atma pervades the entire creation? The very existence of the creation, its isness does not belong to the creation; it is lent by Atma alone. Atma is therefore present in all insentient things as well. It is the Atma which is there in all sentient beings also. Can moolajnanam be removed, if so, how?Moolajnanam means ignorance. Ignorance can be removed only by appropriate knowledge. This knowledge about ones self is called Atma vidya. This is available only in Sastras the Upanishads. Hence, these have to be studied under a competent guru. This is called vedanta vichara which cover the following steps: The student has to first develop a keen desire to know his real identity. This is called jignasa, a burning desire to know about his real self. He then has to prepare his mind suitably through various disciplines like sadhana chathustayya sampatthi, go to a guru and seek to learn vedantic teachings through him. He has to continuously reflect upon the teachings and try to imbibe the jnanam that his real nature is none other than the Consciousness principle of the nature of Sat-Chit-Ananda. Once he gets this jnanam, he will no longer suffer from samsara. Does the consciousness principle also suffer effects of samsara?

Not at all. No doubt, both consciousness and body/mind coexist in the same locus. The inherent nature of Consciousness is one of total purity; it is complete in all respects and hence free from all wants, and one of complete ananda. It can never be tainted by the sufferings of the body. Just as the rays of the sun which fall on all types of objects and yet remains totally unaffected by them, Consciousness illumines the mind, but remains unaffected by all that happens outside. Vedanta wants the student to understand and make him to claim this Consciousness is his higher nature. By getting Atma jnana, will all the worldly problems disappear?

No. At the transactional level, all experiences continue by as they are. The only difference is, in the case of the knower of Atma, he does not undergo the effects of samsara, since he knows he is the pure Consciousness principle and it is body/mind alone which undergoes the effects of samsara. All worldly problems may continue, but he will remain unaffected. Every jnani knows he has to compulsorily go through effects of samsara till his end; and yet he remains totally unaffected by them.

Vedanta says Atma is all-pervading. It means that it is there even in the minds of the worst criminals. Is such a co-existence possible?

Atma does pervade all the minds irrespective of the quality of the mind. It is the sentiency principle which pervades the body/mind and is not affected in any manner by the quality of the mind. The quality of the mind is dependent upon the individual traits of the person in terms of the three qualities, satva, rajas and tamas.Is liberation an event which takes place in ones life?

No. Liberation is not an event. Events take place only in the material world. Here, liberation is only a shift in understanding of ones inner nature, that his real identity is not the body/mind, but the Consciousness principle within him. Consciousness principle ever exists and as that very principle, no-one is ever bound. Vedanta clearly declares that every individual is ever a muktha, and was never bound by anything nor will be bound in future. But the jiva samsari is unaware of this truth. He thinks that he has to look for peace/security and happiness from the outside world and people. Vedanta calls this as moola ajnana basic ignorance. Because of past karmas, everyone is born with this ignorance. But, Vedanta also provides an escape route for him in the form of Vedantic knowledge which reveals to him his real higher inner nature. It tells him not to search for it outside, but to look within himself and identify his own Atma swarupa through Vedantic study and discover he was always free and will continue to be so.

What does immortality actually mean in Vedanta?

Immortality means freedom from birth/death cycle. Ones actions, both past and current are responsible for the birth/death cycle. Self knowledge wipes out all the past actions and prevents his future action. Thus, he is required to undergo only his prarabda karma. Even the effect of prarabda karma does not affect him since it is his body/mind alone which undergoes its effects. As Atma, he is not in any way affected. Thus, Self knowledge automatically results in a person to claim that he is a muktha. What happens to a jnani at the time of his death?

At the time of his death, all the sukshma indriyas in the body/mind merge with their cosmic entities and the reflected consciousness merges with the all pervading consciousness. and thus there is nothing left. Thus, he is never reborn. In the case of an ajnani, the sukshma sarira along with the reflected consciousness moves out of the body and enters another body/mind according to the fructification of his karmas at that time. There is a vidya called panchagni vidya which details the route the sukshma sarira takes along five different stages before entering the next physical body.Is moksha imply that one should get away from all relationships and the world totally and become a sanyasi?

No. Vedanta does not stipulate that everyone who desires moksha should become a sanyasi, giving up all worldly life. Though sanyasa asrama is best suited for pursuit of moksha, one can still attain this goal even while being in the worldly life. All that is required is that he should get mental sanyasa and mentally detach himself as much as he can from the worldly attractions without getting attached to the relationships and the world. He has to develop a mental attitude to understand the unreality of the body/mind and the world and not to get attracted by them. It is a sort of mental renunciation, an internal sanyasa, an attitude whereby one neighbourises all relationships and does not allow them to occupy his mind all the time. Every student who undergoes through the vedantic studies called sravanam, mananam and nidhidyasanam gradually develops this attitude internally. He will gradually understand that he need no longer go in search of peace/contentment/happiness from these. He understands that he himself is purna, complete in all respects and is the repository of all peace and happiness. He has nothing to seek from outside. Some say that a person will get liberated if he surrenders himself to God totally. Is this correct?

This is the view of the vishishtadvaitins. They say that one can attain swarga loka only through rigorous Vishnu bhakti and totally surrendering to him. Here, Lord Vishnu is identified as the very ultimate and all bhaktas are supposed to surrender unto him totally. Dwaitins also hold the same view and they consider both Iswara and Jiva to be real. According to Advaita, swarga is also another loka, where one enjoys all the comforts of the higher world, which are granted to him because of his past good deeds and bhakthi towards the Lord. Once this stock of punya is exhausted, he has to revert back to the lower worlds, like bhuloka etc. This is amply clarified in Bhagavat Gita also. Vedanta says any form of worship will be saguna-Brahma upasana, a dwaita bhakthi where there is a God separate from the worshipper. According to Advaita, there is no separate God other than Brahman, which is the form of Sat-Chit-Ananda and this Brahman is nothing but the worshipper himself, his own higher inner nature. Does this mean that God does not exist at all?

According to Advaitam, a God exists both in form of Saguna Iswara, i.e., an Iswara who is given a name and form like Maha Vishnu, Lord Shiva, Lord Ganesa etc. and nirguna Iswara which is Brahman. Various names and forms are given to Saguna Iswara so that a bhaktha can meditate on that Iswara and his glorious attributes as a stepping stone to nirguna Iswara Upasana. It is looked upon as an object which is dependent on the subject, the worshipper. Hence, a duality is created. That is why a worshipped God is regarded as mithya and a step lower than Brahman. Brahman is totally nirvikara and attributeless whereas Iswara is Maya-sahita, though all powerful. Brahman associated with maya sakthi is necessary since no creation is possible without it. Further, God becomes necessary as the karma-phala dhata. Because a God with a name, form and attributes is mithya from the highest standpoint of paramarthika satyam, it is does not mean that God becomes irrelevant and its worship is unnecessary. In the initial stages of Vedantic study, it is very relevant. Worship of God is very important, and without its grace, nothing is possible. Worship is necessary for cleansing the mind also. But, this is only an intermediary step. At a later stage, when the mind gets sufficiently purified of all its blemishes, the worshipper automatically grasps his own higher nature when he listens to Vedantic teachings and does Mahavakya vichara. Once he is able to claim his higher nature, there will no longer be any need for him to resort to regular puja and worship. Many say that doing sincere nama-sankirtana, doing continuous japa, sitting in meditation for long automatically leads to moksha. Is this view correct?

No, doubt all these are very useful steps in the spiritual advancement of a person. But, they can only help to cleanse his mind and make it more satvik. Mere nama sankirthana etc. cannot directly lead one to moksha. It is aham Brahmasmi knowledge alone got through sravana, manana, nidhidyasana and Mahavakya vichara done under the guidance of a Guru can lead him to moksha. Upanishads clearly declare this through the words: jnanad eva tu kaivalyam. Some think everything is decided by God only and one does not have the freewill. Rather, he should simply surrender to God and pray for his blessings. Is this correct ?

This is a view taken by those who are saranagathi-centric and do not accept the existence of free-will. Free-will does exist for everyone which he is supposed to employ to the best of his ability, while at the same time, reposing faith in God for the success of his efforts. The verse in Bhagavat Gita uddareth athmanathmanam emphasizes this point.Vedanta says Iswara is all-pervading. So, he must be there in the deity one worships. Why is it that such a deity worship does not give permanent results?

In such a kind o worship, the person worshipping sees himself as different from the deity worshipped. Hence, duality dwaitam is created. Where there is dwaitam there cannot be lasting peace and happiness. For lasting peace and happiness, the worshipper has to completely identity himself with the deity and conduct all worship as nishkama worship. If this is done, the duality is removed and the worshipper will get relieved from samsara. In practical life, we see those who do utterly wrong and adharmic actions thrive very well and those who lead a very dharmic life suffer. Why this disparity?The type of life one is blessed with depends purely upon his past karmas which have fructified at the time of his birth. If some of the past bad actions in his previous lives fructify in this life, the result of such bad actions will affect his type of life in his present birth. It should however be noted that the present good karmas which he does will not go waste and will bear fruit in his future birth. Similarly, a person who does bad karmas will have to pay for it sometime or the other. He cannot escape it. The karmas get extinguished only when the results of the karmas are gone through. So, their results cannot be avoided. But, if a person does lot of punya karmas, they will certainly help him to develop a very balanced mind, thus reducing the impact of any of his past papa karmas. God does not determine the life of an individual. He is only a karma-phala data. He just ensures that everyone gets reward as per the quality of his own actions. He shows no discrimination, as is generally thought of. At present, the mind of the student is loaded with all types of emotions and vasanas many of which are negative in nature. With such a mind, will the study of Vedanta give the desired results?This is a question which is often raised by those who come to Vedantic study without any formal gurukula-vasa. They undertake the study in the form of hearing vedantic lectures and studying the Upanishadic Bhashyams for some time. They do so even before preparing their minds for a regular Vedantic study. A certain level of purity of the mind is very much required for assimilation of the Vedantic teaching and claiming aham Brahmasmi.Vedanta prescribes several techniques by which the average mind can be cleansed. For instance, before undertaking the study, the student can take positive steps to enhance the quality of his mind though various steps like doing karma and upasana yogas, leading a dharmic and moderate life style, shed his egoism, refrain from thoughts and actions which will cause him harm and tend to disturb his mind, such as anger, jealousy, hatred, aversion, strong like and dislikes, constant craving for pleasures and replace them with unconditional love towards all, selfless service to the society, generosity, forgiveness, sense of tolerance etc. All these noble qualities are described in detail in Bhagavat Gita. These steps help immensely to cleanse the impure mind, called removal of kashayam. He can watch all his thoughts frequently so that he can exercise control over his mind, so that bad and evil thoughts are gradually reduced to nil. These steps help even a non-vedantic person to remain peaceful and calm. For a Vedantic student, Sastras have also provided several methods in the form of prakriyas such as nithya-anithya vastu viveka, sarira thraya viveka, pancha kosa viveka, drik/drisya viveka, Athma/anathma viveka and so on for the purpose of cleansing the mind and preparing it for Vedantic study. He should reason out within himself and understand his/body mind and the world are impermanent entities and they can never give him lasting joy and peace. Developing such a sense of discrimination is viveka.Does this mean that a student can take up vedantic study only after his mind is fully cleansed of all its impurities?

No. Since the student has to claim his real inner nature which is totally pure and most subtle, only a mind which is rid of its vasanas and impurities and made very subtle can assimilate this truth quickly. It should be clearly understood, that whatever be the state of the mind, pure or impure, the inner nature of the individual has always been Brahman only at all times, since that is his intrinsic nature. With a relatively pure mind, it is easier to grasp the teaching and claim the Brahman status.

How can one lighten the mind?

Understand that the world of objects and people are there in the mind in the form of thoughts called vritti. Presently, the entire set of vrittis is born out of the I thought, that I am doing this, that; I am satisfied or dissatisfied, etc. This is what is known as ahankara, the feeling of I with an emphasized self-importance. Ahankara is the cause of all problems relating to the time. No doubt, ahankara is required to transact in this world. This is positive ahankara. It should not be allowed to become negative and dominate him. Vedanta tells the student to use the same vritti to reduce the impact of the negative ahankara and substitute it with the knowledge about his real higher nature, which is one of Atma swarupa, free of all miseries at all times. Essentially, everyone starts with a relatively pure mind except for the continuance of some of the vasanas acquired during his previous births. It is during his journey in this world that he saddles it with all types of add-ons like unsatiated desires, anger, greed, jealousy etc. These are called upadhis. One should endeavour to reduce the intensity of these upadhis one by one and finally get rid of them one by one to the maximum extent possible. Delete the past bad acquisitions and put a stop to its present additions.Does Vedanta instruct the student to make the mind silent and still?

Vedantas teaching is clear. It wants cleansing of the minds kashaya and replace it with Brahma jnana. If the mind were to be made stony or still, how can he ever hear Vedantic teachings and absorb the knowledge?

How does one understand the real I?This question has already been answered earlier in this write-up. The consciousness principle which pervades the body/mind of all living beings is the real I which you are referring to. This consciousness principle (which we call Atma) is there in every living being and it is this which makes the body/mind sentient. Body/mind by itself is inert in nature and cannot act without the help of consciousness principle. Whenever anyone says I, I, it is this inner I which prompts him to say he is. It is there as consciousness within him and is proclaiming its presence all the time in the form of ones existence, his thoughts, his actions, etc. If this real I was not there, he would be as good as dead. Everything else can be negated, but no one will negate himself. One has to claim aham Brahmasmi using his anathma mind only. Is there not a contradiction here?

To claim aham Brahmasmi, mind is very much required. Without it, how there be any thought at all? It should be noted that neither the Consciousness Atma or the mind can function on their own. They are mutually dependent. Hence, there is no contradiction. What is the difference between Samadhi as per yoga philosophy and Samadhi as per Advaitam?

Samadhi as per Advaitam is called nirvikalpaka Samadhi. The word nirvikalpaka is a name of the divisionless Brahman and Samadhi is undistrated nidhidyasanam. Here, no importance is given to the physical posture, closing of eyes etc. The Yoga philosopher says that divisionlessness state (which he refers to as Samadhi) is one in which subject/object/instrument triputi is absent and the effort is to reach a thoughtless, mindless state. Even though a person may reach the thoughtless state through Samadhi, he cannot remain in that state all the time and he has to come out of it sometime and revert to the activities of the world. This means that Samadhi is can only be a temporary phenomenon and the peace and tranquility enjoyed is there only for a short time. Totally dismissing the mind is not possible. Mind is very much required to do the meditation, whether yogic or vedantic. In the Samadhi which is prescribed by Advaitam, mind is not dismissed at all. There is no state of thoughtlessness. On the other hand, the effort is to fill the mind with one thought: I am Brahman. Once this thought is permanently embedded in the inner mind of the person through Mahavakya vichara, he continues to be in that state for all time. It is permanent since it is the result of a change in the vision of the person about his real identity. Once a person knows his real identity, there is no scope for losing this identity at a late date. So, Brahman thought remains permanently all the time. That is why he is called a muktha.

Will going into deep Samadhi result in moksha?

Any person going into Samadhi cannot be in that state for ever; he has to come out of it at some point of time. This itself is the proof that Samadhi is a state relating to the anatma body/mind. So, going into Samadhi, by itself cannot lead to Moksha. Sastras repeatedly stress the fact that moksha is possible only though self knowledge got by the study of scriptures, listening to gurus teachings and to comtemplate on the teachings and claim aham Brahmasmi. However, going into Samadhi will help the person to enhance his sadhana chathustayya sampatti.What happens to a person who does not undergo any vedantic study at all and leads only a material life and feels it is o.k. for him?

Such a person will continue to undergo the birth/death cycle depending upon the quality of his karmas. This will go on endlessly. Naturally, a person will be what he wants to be. Many vedantic students complain that even after doing vedantic study and doing sravanam for a considerable time, they are are unable to categorically assert and claim aham Brahmasmi? This is indeed a problem faced by many students. They fail to understand that Brahma jnanam and abhimana for the body/mind/ world can never go together. In spite of considerable sravanam and mananam, they are unable to remain detached from the worldly events and hence cannot assert aham Brahmasmi. The main reason for this situation is that they have not fully given up ahankara in the form of aham/mama vasanas. Ahankara and Brahma jnanam cannot coexist. Unless negative ahankara is neutralised, any amount of vedantic study will not give the result the peace/security and happiness which they expect. The solution is do more of sravanam, mananam and nidhidyasanam, Even while carrying on in the world, they should think that they are not the real doers of the actions, but mere agents performing their roles which they have assumed and whatever is taking place is part of the role which they have put on in this janma. In the deep recess of the mind, the thought aham Brahmasmi should run concurrently and should become part of his inner self. This is the only way by which this problem can be overcome. Just as with the rise of the sun, the brightness of the stars fade out, with the rise of self knowledge within the person, all the effects of prarabda will become insignificant.Please explain more about nidhidyasanam. The purpose of nidhidyasanam is to overcome ones jiva bhava, the ahankara and the mama kara which is deep rooted in the mind and substitute it with Brahma bhava that the real identity of the individual is Brahman only in the form of Consciousness, which remain unaffected at all times of the ups and downs in ones life and which is nithya ananda. This is a continuous Vedantic meditation that one should undertake. Presently, the mind is loaded with a strong sense of ahankara/mamakara the attachment to oneself, his family, his possessions, position etc. Using the mind, the person has to overcome these vasanas in the mind and substitute it with the thought that he is none other than the Atma the aham Brahmasmi thought. This can be achieved only when the person is totally committed to the thought of liberation from samsara called sraddha and resorts to Vedantic sravanam and mananam under the guidance of his Guru. His wrong conclusion about himself needs to be corrected. There has to be a shift in identity from the anathma body/mind and the world to his own higher nature which is Atma swarupa. All that is required is only a shift in the thinking. This is a drastic shift which is not easily attained. One has to do sufficient nidhidyasanam to achieve this goal. One should dwell on his Brahma bhava all the time in replacement of the jiva bhava which he is having at present. The purpose of nidhidyasanam is to remove the experience-based wrong conclusion about oneself. The understanding should be that there is nothing else other than Me, there is no second thing at all and everything that I experience is merely name and form of that Brahman alone. Names and forms are as unreal as the shadow of a person. Other than Me, the Brahman, nothing else exists. This world, the entire creation that is experienced by us does not have an independent existence of its own. Brahman is its material as well as its intelligent cause. Everything that is seen and experienced rests on Brahman alone. This is what Advaitam means. If one understands this, he will no longer look for any God outside or inside, he will realize that Brahman alone exists; and that he is that Brahman in the form of the consciousness principle which operates within him. One has to meditate on this aspect during nidhidyasanam.The benefit of nidhidyasanam is that the meditator no longer feels he is a helpless, miserable, suffering jiva, but Brahman itself. The goal is to root out jiva bhava in the mind and replace it by Brahma bhava. This is the final stage in the cleasing of the mind and enable it to claim aham Brahmasmi. Is nidhidyasanam a sort of imagining that one is Brahman?

No. It is a positive thought (that you are Brahman) which replaces your jiva bhava. It is not just imagining that you are Brahman. It is claiming that you are Brahman. Constant dwelling on ones Brahma bhava will automatically transform the mind into that bhava. As you think, so you become. Invoke Brahman repeatedly in your mind to reinforce the Brahma bhava thought in the mind. It is eka nishta single pointed meditation. It is needless to mention that a gross mind cannot do this exercise. The mind has to be made extremely subtle through various upasanas already mentioned. How can one meditate on a formless Brahman?

Yes. It is very difficult to visualize something which has no form. Brahman is Consciousness which is all pervading like the space. We feel space and understand it very well. We know it is there even though we cannot see it. We also know everything is in it. While akasa is inert, Brahman is sentient. One can try to understand Brahman just as he understands akasa. Like space, Brahman is all pervading and yet not affected by anything which is in it. Sensitise your mind sufficiently to do this upasana. Understand that all that you see is within you only and drop the idea that you are there in a world as a physical entity. Brahman is the same as the Consciousness principle within every living being. It is there as Atma, the sakshi to all ones actions and is evidenced in every thought/action of the person. So, all one has to do is to look inwards and identify himself with his Atma swarupam.Some say liberation is a sudden event and is something like a mystical experience which transforms ones thinking and attitudes. Is this correct?

No. This is a totally wrong impression. No mystic event takes place nor is it a sudden event. Nor is there a formation of a halo of luster etc as claimed by some. The outward appearance of a jnani will just the same as he was before he became a jnani. However, there will be a remarkable difference in his state of mind and in his actions, in the sense that they will reflect total calmness, serenity, love towards all, peaceful attitude etc.

Where an uttama adhikari who has sufficiently refined his mind and made it pure listens to the Mahavakyas, he gets the Atma jnana straightaway. Such cases are very very rare. In most of the cases, the adhikaris are either madhyama or adhama adhikaris. They will require a prolonged sravana, manana and nidhidyasana for removing the ahankara and mamakara from their minds. If, in spite of listening to the Gurus teachings in the form of Mahavakyas, he still feels the impact of samsara, it only means that he has to continue to do more sravanam, mananam and nidhidyasanam. It should be understood that sravanam alone gives knowledge, mananam helps to remove possible doubts that may rise in the mind. Nidhidyasanam does not give any new knowledge but helps to remove his basic misconception that he is a suffering jiva in his body/mind complex. Removing this misconception alone will make the knowledge to be effective and enable him to claim aham Brahmasmi.

Vedanta says the world is mithya, unreal. But, the mind refuses to accept this statement since one has a concrete experience of the world and their objects all the time

Vedanta does not dismiss the experience part of the world. It only says: Dont believe that whatever is experienced is totally true. Everyone experiences a dream, but no one says dreams are real. Everyone experiences a blue sky, but he knows there is really no sky at all. Similarly, the rising and setting of the sun. Sun never rises or sets. The experienced world also comes under the same category. Therefore, it cannot be said that it exists or does not exist. It comes under sat/asat category. From the transactional level, it very much exists but from the highest standpoint, it does not have an independent existence. This apparent contradiction will be there initially, but gets removed with a proper understanding of the vedantic teachings.

Even when one experiences the world with all its variety and divisions, a wise man will know that what is experienced as the world has no reality of its own, and its entire reality is given to it by he himself as the Atma, the Consciousness. When he sees a pot and handles it as well, he will see it as clay only, the real substance behind the pot. Pot is only a word to a particular shape of clay. There is no independent substance called pot. The pot-experience is not dismissed, its reality is. Understand that world is also a mere name and form and Brahman alone is the substance behind it. Similarly, all the creation. A wise person will therefore see the world and all its contents as a mere name and form of Brahman. It is Brahman which is lending existence to the world and its contents. Where there is an all-pervading entity, how can anything else exist? If it does, it only appears to be so and cannot be real. When Vedanta talks of both Brahman the Satyam and the mithya world/body/mind, does it not mean there is duality?

No. The question itself contains the answer also. When everything other than Brahman is mithya, where is the question of any duality? What is the significance of the negation of the world? The negation of the world is an important part of Vedantic teaching. It is true that Upanishads declare Brahman to be jagat-karanam. This implies that Brahman is the karanam the cause and jagat is karyam, the effect. What is experienced cannot be real. Brahman alone appears as the creation, just as a waker takes the role of a dreamer, when he is in a dream. There is no dreamer separate from the waker. Similarly, there is no world or jiva separate from Paramatma. What is existent cannot be negated since it already exists as Sat and what is non-existent asat need not be negated. What is negatable has therefore to be different from both. Applying this rule, the world can neither be said to be sat or asat, that is, seemingly existent. Dream appears real in dream but disappears in toto on waking up. Mandukya Karika calls it vaithatyam - derived from the word vithathya which means false. It says that I the Consciousness principle alone exists and everything that is seen and observed is mithya falling under the seemingly existent category. The world that all of us see comes under this category and so does not have absolute Reality like the Consciousness, but only empirical reality like the various characters in a dream.

Yet, the world is physically experienced by all and is so tangible besides being useful. Upanishads say neither their usefulness nor their tangibility can be the basis for claiming them to be real. All the dream objects are very much useful and tangible in a dream, but all this disappears on waking up. From the standpoint of dream alone, they are real. If this standpoint is shifted, their so-called reality is gone. Similarly, the world. From the standpoint of the world, it is apparently real. But from the standpoint of Consciousness with which the world is observed, it becomes relatively real, called vyavaharika satyam. Consciousness alone is the Ultimate Reality, paramarthika satyam.

Since we constantly interact with the world, the people and objects in them, we tend to firmly believe that the whole thing is real. The purpose of Vedanta is to dispel this wrong impression by proving that what is seen and perceived is unreal and the perceiver which is the Consciousness I alone is real, the Sat. There are very many statements in various Upanishads which say that the world is mithya only statements such as nanyath kinchana mishat; vacharambhanam vikaro namadheyam mrithikethyeva satyam; athonyadhartham na thu thatdwiteeyamasthi; naathra kaachanabhidhasthi; neiva thathra kaachana bhidasthi; sarvam vikara jatham maya maathram; sarvathra nahyasthi dwaithasiddhi; nasthi dwaitham kutho marthyam; prapancho yadi vidyetha nivarthetha na samsayah; maya mathramidham dwaitmadwaitham paramarthathah etc. Understanding the mithyatvam of the world is therefore very important for Self realization. What applies to the world applies to the jiva also. See the world and jivas as manifestation of Brahman. This is the viswarupa darsana referred to in Bhagawat Gita.Modern science is so advanced that scientists now claim they have found out the God particle. Cannot scientific knowledge reveal the Vedantic truth?

Not at all. Science can deal only with material objects in the material world. It cannot access the spiritual world which deals with the knowledge of the self. Even the scientific findings are always subject to change. What is held to be the final say on one subject is disproved and replaced by another theory by another scientistAll knowledge revealed by science is worldly knowledge only and it has nothing to do with Atma vidya. Vedantic truths can be known only from Vedantic texts and not by any other means.