I woke up this morning, still coughing. I am running on half power. I didn’t feel like joining Satsang, but I was in the Ashram this morning. After I had a chai, I bought some bread and other things in the supermarket. I don’t have the energy these days to do much, so I drove back home to rest. For lunch, I just had some bread with cheese.
In the afternoon, I was again in the Ashram, sitting in the hall with the shrines. Then I was sitting outside when an Indian guy asked me where I came from. The standard question to get in contact. He was an Advaita teacher, passing Tiruvannamalai to Pondicherry. His name was Satya.
Advaita (Sanskrit: अद्वैत) literally translates to “not-two” or “non-duality.” It is one of the most influential schools of Hindu philosophy, primarily based on the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, and the Brahma Sutras.
At its heart, Advaita teaches that there is no fundamental difference between your individual soul and the ultimate reality of the universe.
1. The Core Principles
The philosophy can be summarized by a famous quote from the scholar Adi Shankara: “Brahma Satyam Jagan Mithya, Jivo Brahmaiva Naparah.”
- Brahman Satyam (Brahman is the Only Truth): There is one ultimate, infinite, and unchanging reality called Brahman. It is pure consciousness, existence, and bliss (Sat-Chit-Ananda).
- Jagat Mithya (The World is an Illusion): The physical world we see and experience is not “real” in the absolute sense. It is often described as Maya (illusion)—like a dream that seems real while you are in it, but vanishes when you wake up.
- Jivo Brahmaiva Naparah (The Soul is Brahman): Your individual self (Atman) is not separate from the universal self (Brahman). You aren’t just a part of God; in your truest essence, you are that reality.
2. Key Concepts to Understand
- Maya: This is the power that hides the true nature of reality. A classic analogy is the “rope and the snake”: In the dark, you might see a rope and mistake it for a snake. The “snake” causes real fear, but it doesn’t actually exist; only the “rope” is real. Once you bring a light (knowledge), the snake disappears.
- Avidya (Ignorance): We suffer because we don’t know who we truly are. We identify with our bodies, names, and egos instead of our eternal nature.
- Moksha (Liberation): In Advaita, liberation isn’t something you “get” after death or a place you go. It is a realization that happens here and now. When the “I” (ego) dissolves, you realize you were never separate from the whole.
3. The Great Proponent: Adi Shankara
While the roots of Advaita are ancient, it was consolidated in the 8th century by Adi Shankaracharya. He traveled across India, debating other scholars and establishing monasteries (Mathas) to revive this non-dualistic understanding of the Vedas.
I had a strong desire for something sweet. So I went to the German Bakery and bought a coconut and a chocolate ball. I had the chocolate ball at home, it was delicious after a long time without chocolate.
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