The Basics of The Three Philosophies-1

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Dear Members,

 

Contd…

 

ADVAITA

 

Happiness is the only state of mind that is sought by

every being that is born on this earth. Misery is most

unwelcome to all creatures. Every living creature is

engaged in some activity or the other only in search

of eternal happiness. But have they attained this

happiness – eternal happiness? The answer is a big

“No”! Instead they have gotten themselves entangled in

only in miseries. They have not been able to get this

happiness because they seek external happiness from

external objects, while the truth is that eternal

bliss is within oneself and the search must be made

within to attain this supreme bliss.

 

All the pleasures that are derived from the external

objects are trifles compared that to that eternal

bliss which is the Supreme. Hence, it would the

greatest help if one could show the way to this

eternal bliss. The Vidya(knowledge) of Advaita

philosophy does this supreme help to all, by showing

the way to eternal bliss. Let us briefly get

introduced to the concept of Advaita philosophy and

the manner in which it helps to attain liberation, the

nature of which is eternal bliss.

 

Advaita is that state of non-duality where there is

complete cessation of thoughts such as “I am an

individual”, “the objects that are seen/perceived are

different from me”, so on and so forth. In this state,

there is no misery or delusion. “ Tatra ko moha: ka:

shoka:” says the Ishavasya Upanishad which means

“Where is delusion or misery for the one who has

realized this non-dual state”

 

The mixture of joy and misery is inevitable to all

beings that are born. The cause for birth is the Karma

load (stock of the results of actions performed) of

the individual soul. As long as action is there, Karma

is accumulated and that will lead to birth, which in

turn will result in death. The cycle goes on. So the

only way to completely avoid misery is to get out of

this cycle of births and deaths. Hence if one wishes

never to be born again, one must attain a state of

inactivity. This inaction is possible for the

individual soul only if the root cause for the

actions, namely desire, is completely destroyed.

Desire arises in one’s mind only if he sees the

objects of the world as external to him. If there is

no second object (non-dual state), then there is no

room for any desire at all! Absence of desire leads to

inaction on the part of the individual soul which

ultimately helps him come out of the cycle of birth

and death. Once a soul is out of this cycle, there is

no scope for misery and hence this state of supreme

bliss is known as “Liberation”.

 

Notion of diversity -> Desires -> action in search

of happiness ->acquisition of Karma ->leads to cycle

of births and deaths ->miseries

 

Hence, to get freed from miseries, following the same

track, one must get rid of the ‘Notion of diversity”

which is the root cause of desire. This is the road to

eternal bliss.

 

How does Advaita say that there is no diversity at

all, when we have the cognition of this entire

universe with all varieties in its creation? Advaita

proclaims that the truth which is Brahman is the only

reality and that the apparent notion of diversity (the

root cause of all miseries) is only due to ignorance

(technically called Avidya). This avidta is destroyed

once the knowledge of Brahman arises. Once this

knowledge arises, the individual soul realises its

identity with the Supreme Brahman.

 

!!! Will continue !!!

 

Regards

 

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

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