[Advaita-l] How to begin studying Advaita Vedanta : post 1 of 3

[Kuntimaddi Sadananda]

On Mon, Jan 18, 2010 at 1:26 PM, Kalyan Raman <k.raman at da-desk.com> wrote:

> Dear Yajvan,
>
> Please excuse me for sounding stupid but I  have a question (perhaps
> discussed umpteen times on this list)
>
> advaita = not + dvaita
>
> This sounds more of a negation than an assertion.  Also this implies
> chronologically dvaita philosophy is earlier to advaita vedanta.  Is this
> correct?   Also if advaita is taken as not two, it could also mean 3 or 45
> or 100.
>


PraNAms

Dvaita or duality represents plurality that we perceive. Dviata philosophy
rests on the premise that the plurality that is perceived is real hence
dvaita is real. VishiShTaadvaita rests on premise that from the point of
Brahman there is adviata (one without a second) but that Brahmna has
internal divisions consisting of jiivas and jagat in addition to paramaatma
that pervades the both. Adviata philosophy says although we perceive the
duality or dvaita,  the truth is advaita - one only. One appears to be many
- just as standing in between two parallel mirrors there are infinite images
but the reality is only one. The reason it is says advaita and not ekam is
the fact we experience duality and take that experiential duality as
reality. On the other hand scripture says it is one without a second which
became many like gold becoming many ornaments. Ornaments are plurality but
there essence is one. 3 to infinity are included in the representative
dvaita.



For those who are interested in the introduction to Vedanta - series of
articles are written and stored in www.advaitaforum.org - these are edited
by Shree Dennis Waite and the website takes to his site.



Video of SaddarShaNam of Bhagavan Ramana are also available.


Hari Om!
Sadananda