DHARMA is more than Religion

[Srinivas_K]

I took the screen shots and posted them because of limited time !!

Sorry for bad quality !!

 

[Srinivas_K]

Advaita will fall under the dharma category, whereas dvaita faiths will come under religion. I am using 'dvaita' broadly to include even non-Indic faiths. Dvaita draws a permanent distinction between God and man. Advaita sees the divine in everyone, everything. Advaita is for mature souls.

The duality between the divinity and the spirit associated with living beings is dvaita.

The extension of the same philosophy proposed by Shankaracharya is called Advaita, It appears that the Atman and Brahmaan are different, But both are same. So Vedas and Advaitha philosophy do not contradict each other.

you are correct about mature souls, one has to evolve to grasp these philosophies, But by todays education and the awareness people can understand these principles and can put them into practice.

To walk the path of the sages and to attain the Moksha/Nirvana requires hard work and dedication !!

 

[Srinivas_K]

Sorry, but how can you call it an extension? Shankara challenged orthodox schools that proposed such duality. But I agree there is no contradiction between veda and advaita - because Shankara himself quoted from vedas/upanishads. But it is not right to say it is an extension. Advaita philosophy is qualitatively different from dvaita thought. Duality is shown to be false (using concepts like maya etc.), so it couldn't possible have any connection with dualistic schools.

Also Ramana Maharishi has said that one can't get this knowledge from books - only self-inquiry can give us this knowledge. That's why despite the spread of knowledge, books, etc., we are still ignorant. Advaita is not book knowledge. it is much more.

Concept of Maya has to do with the absolute reality which is connected to the cosmic rule.

Shankaracharya never said Vedas are not valid, only said that the observations made by those Rishis are true But said that Atman and Brahman has the same identity.

It is Brahmaan himself divided into Atmans.