Advaita Vedanta

[Guest guest]

Hello Everyone,

 

The teaching that all sense of individuality is maya or illusion

in Advaita Vedtanta is somewhat unsettling to me. I can logically agree with

its concepts and theories but the thought of eventually giving up one's

individuality is somewhat scary as the sense of " I " as a distinct and

seperate personality from " you " is all I have ever known. Is it for this

reason that the teachings of Advaita are usually extremely difficult to

grasp for the neophyte Vedantist?

 

If God is both personal (in the form of Kali for example) and

impersonal (as brahman or the absolute) does this mean that the impersonal

manifests itself in the personal (as Kali)? But according to the teachings

of Advaita wouldn't the notion of Kali herself as seperate from our true

self be merely an illusion or trick of maya?

 

Why did Ramakrishna choose to see Kali as " Mother " when he was

certainly aware that on the Advaita Vedantic level he and the Divine Mother

were one and the same? Did he remain at the level between these 2 modes of

thought so he could act as a bridge between them in order to better help his

disciples during their spiritual journeys?

 

Does all of Vedanta eventually come to the level of Advaita,

where one realizes the distinction between the Atman and Brahman is false?

 

Take care everyone,

Jeremy