Showing posts with label Vedanta. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vedanta. Show all posts

2024/03/17

Advaita: Non-Dual Spirituality - from Ancient India to our Global Age




0:01 / 1:12:15

Introduction
Advaita: Non-Dual Spirituality - from Ancient India to our Global Age


ArshaBodha - Swami Tadatmananda

750,622 views Apr 14, 2019

This documentary traces the evolution of Advaita - from the ancient rishis to saints like Shankara and modern teachers like Ramana Maharshi and Swami Vivekananda - and examines whether or not modern teachings have maintained the power and clarity of the ancient traditions from which they evolved. The rishis, the sages of ancient India, discovered the underlying reality - brahman - because of which everything exists. The taught this in the Vedic scriptures (shastra), particularly in the Upanishads, which were expanded upon by later generations of teachers, gurus, acharyas, sadhus, and saints. In more recent times, a lack of understanding of the Sanskrit language of the scriptures opened the door to various re-interpretations of those scripture and two modern schools of thought neo-Vedanta and neo-advaita. 

0:00 Introduction 
6:28 The Age of the Rishis 
21:56 The Age of Teachers 
46:38 The Global Age 

Swami Tadatmananda is a traditionally-trained teacher of Advaita Vedanta, meditation, and Sanskrit. For more information, please see: https://www.arshabodha.org/






Chapters

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Introduction
0:00




The Age of the Rishis
6:28



The Age of Teachers
21:56



The Global Age
46:38


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Transcript


Introduction
0:40
According to the rishis, the sages of ancient India, the world that appears before us has
0:47
a mysterious hidden dimension, a dimension that’s not visible to our eyes, yet it’s
0:55
immediately present in every experience.
1:03
The physical world is said to have an underlying foundation or substratum, a fundamental reality
1:12
that’s the very fabric of existence out of which the universe is woven, like the threads
1:21
out of which embroidery is woven.
1:32
The rishis said, everything in the world, including you and me, derives its existence
1:39
from an underlying fundamental reality, a reality they called brahman.
1:47
The rishis taught that the world we experience is a mere appearance or form of brahman, like
1:56
this cloth is just a form of threads or this pot is a just a form of clay.
2:04
And, if everything in the world is merely a form or manifestation of brahman, then there’s
2:14
only brahman; nothing else truly exists.
2:19
That’s why these teachings are called advaita, which means not two or non-dual.
2:29
The word advaita negates the existence of anything else other than brahman.
2:35
The ultimate goal of Advaita’s teachings is to lead you to personally realize non-dual
2:44
brahman as the essence of your being, as your own true self.
2:52
Gaining this magnificent wisdom can radically transform your life.
2:58
When you discover your essential nature to be unborn, limitless, complete, and utterly
3:06
untouched by all the afflictions of daily life, then you’ll enjoy inner peace and
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contentment that never wavers, even at times of crisis or loss.
3:20
This is called enlightenment. Advaita is considered to be the epitome of Indian spirituality, the most profound of
3:31
all the teachings to come forth from a land so famous for its great saints and sages.
3:40
Over a span of 2500 years, the teachings of Advaita evolved on the Indian subcontinent
3:48
as generations of deeply contemplative thinkers explored the truth of non-duality.
3:57
In our own times, the teachings of Advaita have undergone further evolution due to the
4:04
historic encounter between Indian spiritual wisdom and modern scientific thought.
4:13
In this presentation, we’ll explore Advaita and trace its journey through the ages and
4:20
across the oceans. Our exploration will delve into three periods of time; first, the Age of Rishis, the great
4:31
mystics and seers who first realized the truth of non-dual brahman and expressed their extraordinary
4:40
revelations in Sanskrit texts. Then, in part two, the Age of Teachers, we’ll discuss how great scholars like Shankara brought
4:53
the lofty vision of the rishis down from the misty heights to create a comprehensive and
5:01
systematic body of teachings, the teachings that we now call Advaita Vedanta.
5:09
Finally, in the third part, the Global Age, we’ll reflect on how contemporary teachers
5:16
have adapted Advaita to our present-day values and attitudes.
5:22
We’ll evaluate these adaptations to find out whether or not they managed to retain
5:30
the power and clarity of the ancient traditions they’re based on.
5:36
It’s impossible for a short presentation like this to fully convey the radical, life-changing
5:45
truth of Advaita. Generally, such wisdom is gained only with personal guidance from a competent guru.
5:55
Instead, our purpose here is to understand how the teachings of Advaita have evolved
6:03
over the centuries, and how those changes have enhanced or impaired Advaita’s unique
6:12
ability to lead us to realize the highest truth.
The Age of the Rishis
6:35
The earliest expressions of Advaita are found in the ancient Vedas, the scriptures that
6:43
are the basis for all the religious practices, beliefs, and teachings that we now call Hinduism.
6:52
Most Vedic teachings are clearly dualistic in nature, but a small section of each Veda,
7:01
called upanishad, is dedicated to the non-dual wisdom of the rishis.
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Among the upanishads, the Chandogya is one of the oldest; scholars think it’s about
7:15
2800 years old. The famous saying, tat tvam asi, that thou art, comes from its sixth chapter.
7:27
In that same chapter, there’s a wonderful story about Uddalaka, who was a pious and
7:34
wise rishi with a 12-year-old son named Shvetaketu.
7:39
Uddalaka sent his son off to school to learn the Vedic scriptures.
7:46
In those days, students lived with their teachers for 12 years to learn the Vedas properly.
7:54
They memorized the texts through a rigorous process of chanting and repetition.
7:59
At the age of 24, Shvetaketu returned home to his father.
8:06
By then, he had grown to become an arrogant young man. He was full of pride owing to his elite Vedic education.
8:17
Uddalaka noticed his son’s smugness and wanted to instill some humility in him, so
8:25
he asked, “During your studies, did you learn that by which everything that’s unknown
8:32
becomes known?” Uddalaka was referring to the non-dual, fundamental reality, brahman.
8:43
Shvetaketu dismissed his father’s question flippantly, saying, “How could there be
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such a thing?” Uddalaka answered with a metaphor, “Dear son, by knowing clay, all that’s made of
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clay is known. By knowing gold, all that’s made of gold is known.”
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What did Uddalaka mean by that? Well, consider this pot.
9:17
We say that this pot is made of clay, but really speaking, pot and clay are not two
9:24
different things. This pot is simply a form of clay.
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It’s just clay, in the shape of a pot. If it weighs a few ounces, how much of that weight is due to clay, and how much is due
9:39
to the pot? The pot adds nothing.
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Pot is merely a name and a form; it’s not an independent thing like clay.
9:53
Clay can exist without this pot, but this pot can’t exist without clay.
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That which exists independently, like clay, is said to be satyam, real.
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And something like this pot, that has no independent existence, is said to be mithya.
10:18
The same is true for this gold chain. This chain is a just form of gold.
10:23
Gold can exist without this chain, but this chain can’t exist without gold.
10:30
So, we say that gold is satyam, real, and this chain is mithya; it’s existence depends
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on gold. Uddalaka was using clay and gold as metaphors to represent brahman.
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By knowing clay, all these pots are known. By knowing gold, all this jewelry is known.
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And by knowing brahman, the non-dual substratum of all that exists, the entire universe becomes
11:10
known.
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Brahman is satyam and the world is mithya because its existence is entirely dependent
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on its underlying reality, brahman.
11:33
To help his son understand this, Uddalaka explained, vac-arambhanam vikarah namadheyam.
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Vikara, any form or shape, like a pot or chain, is vac-arambhanam, it’s based merely on
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words, on ideas or concepts. Similarly, namadheyam, any name, like the name pot, is also based merely on words or
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ideas. Therefore, mrittika, clay, ityeva, alone, is satyam, is real.
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Names and forms, that we refer to as nama-rupa, are not tangible things.
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They’re ideas or concepts rooted in thoughts and words, not in physical reality.
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To say that this pot is merely nama-rupa means that it has no physical existence whatsoever
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unless it’s associated with a substance like clay.
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When this metaphor is extended to the entire world, its implication is astonishing.
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Everything we experience is merely name and form, nama-rupa.
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The world is only an appearance or form of the underlying fabric of existence, non-dual
13:15
brahman. Consider this table. It’s made of wood, so we can say, this table is just a form and wood is the substance.
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But, the wood in this table is made of cellulose fibers, so we can say, wood is merely a form,
13:39
and fibers are the substance. But then, those fibers are made of microscopic cells, so fibers are only forms, and cells
13:52
are the substance. But then again, cells are made of various kinds of molecules, so cells are simply forms,
14:04
and molecules are the substance. But those molecules are made of individual atoms, so molecules are merely forms, and
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atoms are the substance. And, those atoms are themselves made of subatomic particles - protons, neutrons, and electrons.
14:27
So, atoms are only forms, and subatomic particles are the substance.
14:35
But then, subatomic particles are made of six kinds of quarks.
14:41
So subatomic particles are simply forms, and quarks are the substance.
14:49
But then, what are those quarks made of?
14:56
Eventually, scientists will tell us that quarks are made of something else.
15:06
And they won’t stop there. They’ll continue to probe deeper and deeper, searching for the fundamental substance from
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which everything is made. Will they ever find it?
15:21
Many researchers think this scientific inquiry will continue indefinitely because whatever
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is discovered can be further subdivided.
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If science can never find a truly indivisible, fundamental substance, then, can we conclude
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that there’s really no underlying reality because of which the world of names and forms
15:50
exists? Well, no form can exist without some kind of substance.
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A pot can’t be made of nothing. And if that’s true for a particular form, then it must also be true for the entire series
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of forms that we saw when we examined this table.
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Without some kind of underlying reality, this table could not exist.
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If it’s just a bunch of forms, which are ideas and not physical things, then how could
16:27
I rest my hands here? In this way, we can infer the existence of an underlying substance or reality because
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of which all these forms exist. And that underlying reality is what the rishis called brahman.
17:13
After listening to his father, Shvetaketu revealed his arrogance once again, saying,
17:20
“My teachers never taught this to me. They probably didn’t know anything about it.”
17:27
Hmm. The fact is, knowledge of brahman was taught only to specially qualified students, not
17:37
to those like Shvetaketu. Yet, he was afraid that his father might send him back to school to learn what he missed,
17:48
so, he swallowed his pride and asked his father to teach him the truth of non-dual brahman.
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Uddalaka began, sad eva somya idam agre asit.
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Somya, dear son, agre, in the beginning, idam asit, all this, this entire universe was,
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sad eva, existence alone.
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Everything in the world emerged from an underlying reality called brahman, which is ekam eva,
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one alone, and advitiyam, non-dual. When Uddalaka said, agre, in the beginning, he was describing brahman as the primordial
18:46
first cause, the uncaused cause, the fundamental reality because of which the world exists.
18:56
Finally, Uddalaka expressed the ultimate truth. tat satyam, that reality, non-dual brahman, the fabric of existence, sa atma, that is
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the true self, the self of all, the essence of all that exists.
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O Shvetaketu, tat, that, that reality, non-dual brahman, tvam asi, thou art.
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You are utterly non-separate from brahman, the substratum of the universe.
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Tat tvam asi, that thou art, is called a mahavakya, a declaration of the highest truth taught
19:48
by the rishis. This mahavakya can lead you to recognize your true non-dual nature, thereby freeing you
19:59
from suffering and establishing you in a state of perfect contentment.
20:06
But this kind of radical transformation can occur only when you’re able to fully grasp
20:14
and assimilate the mahavakya’s profound implications.
20:21
Not surprisingly, Shvetaketu couldn’t grasp its meaning, so he asked his father, “Sir, please teach
20:30
me again.” Then, after Uddalaka explained it a second time, his now-humbled son asked once more,
20:40
“Sir, please teach me again.” Only after Shvetaketu was taught nine times did he finally become enlightened.
20:54
The last part of this story suggests that personal realization of non-dual brahman can’t
21:01
be gained quickly or easily. Usually, aspirants must first become thoroughly prepared and gain the capacity to grasp the
21:13
highest truth. Bear in mind that the rishis were spiritual geniuses.
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They were extremely adept at contemplating these subtle truths.
21:27
But for us, their lofty revelations are often difficult to understand.
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That’s why so many commentaries and independent texts were later composed by great scholars
21:42
like Shankara, to whom we turn in the next part, the Age of Teachers.
The Age of Teachers
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Long before Shankara and others composed their brilliant works on Advaita, the ancient rishis
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had already revealed the highest truth, the truth of brahman.
22:17
Nothing greater can be taught. Then, what could later teachers possibly add to this?
22:25
If you add something to a well-established formula like e = mc2, your addition won’t
22:34
be an improvement; it’ll be a corruption. Well, the revelations of the rishis couldn’t be improved upon, but later generations of
22:46
teachers could certainly explain those revelations more clearly and thoroughly.
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They could bring the lofty vision of the sages down to our level.
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Among the very first to do so, were Gaudapada and Shankara, who was the grand-disciple of Gaudapada.
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Other teachers of Advaita had come before, but unfortunately, none of their works survived
23:15
the passage of time. On the other hand, the exceptional works of Gaudapada and Shankara are widely available
23:24
today. Gaudapada composed a profound exposition on the Mandukya Upanishad.
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Shankara wrote important commentaries, filled with crucial insights, on ten Upanishads and
23:39
Bhagavad Gita, in addition to the many independent texts he composed.
23:46
Their works thoroughly unfolded the non-dual wisdom of the rishis gathered in the upanishads.
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Since the upanishads are found at the end or anta of each Veda, the entire body of non-dual
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teachings developed by Gaudapada, Shankara, and later teachers is known as Advaita Vedanta.
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Now, since all this is based on the revelations of rishis, who were ancient seers and mystics
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about whom we know very little, one could argue that Advaita Vedanta has a weak foundation.
24:31
How do we know whether or not we can trust what the rishis taught?
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How are their revelations any different from those of prophets like Moses, Isaiah, and
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Mohammad? Fortunately, Advaita Vedanta isn’t based on revelation alone.
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It’s built on a rock-solid foundation that has three sturdy pillars: shruti - scripture,
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which contains the revelations of the rishis, yukti - reasoning, rational inquiry and logical
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analysis, and finally, anubhava - experience, the experience of enlightened masters, as
25:19
well as your own personal experience. According to Advaita Vedanta, a teaching can be accepted as true only when it’s supported
25:31
by all three pillars - scripture, reason, and experience.
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The revelations of the rishis are necessary because non-dual brahman lies completely outside
25:47
the scope of conventional human knowledge. The rishis were uniquely blessed to perceive truths that others could not.
25:58
But, if we mindlessly accept these revelations as being true, or if we dogmatically insist
26:08
on their acceptance, then we’d be following the narrow and rigid path that’s usually
26:15
associated with religious fundamentalism. The fundamentalist’s approach to scripture is to stress the importance of blind faith,
26:28
and to shun any kind of independent thinking or reasoning.
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Yet, the rishis themselves made extensive use of reason and logical analysis.
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They employed reason as a powerful tool for spiritual inquiry.
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They also used reason as a touchstone to test the validity of any teaching.
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For example, the rishis rejected the idea that heaven and hell are eternal because anything
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that begins must eventually come to an end. Only that which has no beginning can truly be timeless and eternal.
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So, based on this reasoning, the rishis taught that heaven and hell are finite lifetimes
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of pleasure and suffering. But, even though their teaching about finite heaven and hell might be reasonable, Advaita
27:35
Vedanta still doesn’t accept it as being absolutely real or true.
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Why? Because it’s impossible to experientially confirm the existence of heaven and hell.
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For any teaching to be unconditionally accepted, it must not only be consistent with reason,
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but it also has to be experientially confirmed or validated.
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Scriptural revelations can never contradict or overrule our experiences.
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Shankara himself said, Even if hundreds of scriptures say that fire is cold or dark, they cannot be accepted.
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So, only when a scriptural revelation is both consistent with reason and confirmed by experience
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can it be accepted as true. These three pillars form an unshakable foundation.
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If any of them were missing, the teachings of Advaita Vedanta would come crashing down
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to the ground, so to speak, and crumble into the dust.
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Fortunately, everything taught by Gaudapada, Shankara and later generations of teachers
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was solidly based on this three-fold foundation.
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As a result, their teachings have been able to withstand challenge after challenge by
29:20
opposing schools of thought. Over the centuries, Buddhists, dualists, materialists, scientists, and others have all tried to reject
29:32
the truth of Advaita, but these non-dual teachings continued to stand firm, unscathed by those
29:42
attacks.
29:49
Advaita Vedanta makes extensive use of scripture, reasoning, and experience to address a crucial
30:04
issue, which is, “How could this world of duality in which we live possibly emerge from
30:12
a non-dual substratum, brahman? How can duality arise from the non-dual?”
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The rishis didn’t say too much about this, except for a few tantalizing references to
30:29
a mysterious power they called maya. We saw how the Chandogya Upanishad suggests that the world’s creation is like many pots
30:42
being made from one lump of clay. But, this metaphor doesn’t explain how the world emerged from a non-dual substratum.
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To make a pot, a skilful potter is required in addition to clay.
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But to create the world, there was no separate maker and material; there was only brahman,
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which is ekam eva advitiyam, one alone, without a second.
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It was left to later teachers to explain in detail how the world of duality arose from
31:24
non-dual brahman. Their explanations provided powerful insights, including this amazing declaration of Gaudapada:
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“The world never really emerged, nor will it undergo dissolution.
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There’s really no one who’s bound, no one seeking enlightenment, and no one who
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becomes enlightened. This is the highest truth.”
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That’s a remarkable assertion, but how could Gaudapada so blatantly deny the reality of
32:05
our everyday experience? There seems to be a huge gap between the lofty truth of Advaita and our everyday experience
32:15
of duality. To resolve this apparent discrepancy, we’ll have to dive deep into the teachings of Advaita
32:24
Vedanta. What we’re about to explore might seem a bit complex at first, but it’ll soon become
32:33
clear. Advaita Vedanta distinguishes three independent levels or orders of reality.
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The lowest order is projected reality, the level of imagination and illusion that you
32:52
experience in your dreams each night. The middle order is empirical reality, the level of your everyday experience of the world
33:04
when you’re awake, like right now. And the highest order is the level of non-dual brahman, which corresponds to the state of
33:15
dreamless sleep. In deep sleep, your consciousness, your capacity to be know whatever’s happening in your
33:26
mind, continues to be fully present. In deep sleep, you’re actually fully aware, but there’s nothing to be aware of -- because
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your mind is perfectly silent. It’s like being in a perfectly dark room with your eyes wide open; your eyes can still
33:50
see, but there’s nothing at all to be seen.
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When you’re awake, you experience the duality of the empirical world.
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When you’re dreaming, you experience the duality of the dream world that your mind
34:08
projects. But in deep sleep, your experience of duality comes to an end.
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Each night when you dream, your mind creates a world full of people, buildings, trees,
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and streets. Then, when you wake up, you leave that projected dream world behind and return to the empirically
34:36
real waking world. As long as you’re deeply immersed in your dreams, the world projected by your mind seems
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very real. But as soon as you wake up, you realize that everything in the dream was merely a projection.
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Nothing in the dream world truly existed.
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Waking up out of a dream is a metaphor often used to describe enlightenment.
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Due to the sleep of ignorance, you become deeply immersed in the empirical reality of
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your day to day life, and you assume that everything there is absolutely real.
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But, when you wake up from the sleep of ignorance, when you realize that the empirical world
35:37
is nothing but nama-rupa, name and form, then, you’ll no longer consider it absolutely
35:45
real. You’ll know that nothing in the empirical world truly existed because it’s merely
35:54
a form of the underlying reality, brahman.
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Gaudapada wrote from this lofty perspective, the level of absolute reality, when he so
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boldly dismissed the reality of our everyday experiences.
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This dream metaphor also leads to a brilliant answer to the question, “How can the world
36:31
of duality arise from a non-dual substratum?”
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Consider this: in dreamless sleep, your consciousness is completely free from nama-rupa, name and
36:46
form. There’s only consciousness, and nothing else.
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That happens to be a non-dual state. And your consciousness remains in that non-dual state until you either wake up or you begin
37:04
to dream. When you dream, a dream world arises from your non-dual state of consciousness and you
37:15
experience a multitude of things; you experience duality.
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But in fact, everything you experience in a dream is actually nothing but your own consciousness.
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After all, the trees and buildings in your dreams aren’t made of wood; they’re made
37:38
of consciousness. Just like a dream world arises from non-dual consciousness, so too, the empirically real
37:49
world emerges from non-dual brahman.
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And just like everything you experience in a dream is actually nothing but consciousness,
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so too, everything you experience in the world is actually nothing but brahman.
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Your dreams arise from non-dual consciousness due to the creative power of your mind.
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In a similar way, the world emerges from non-dual brahman due to a creative power or capacity
38:31
that the rishis called maya. To translate maya as illusion in this context isn’t very helpful.
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Here, maya refers to the immensely powerful, intelligent force that gave rise to the infinitely
38:49
complex universe in which we live. Simply put, maya is the power of creation.
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But, there’s a logical problem here.
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If maya is an independent creative power that’s separate from brahman, then how can brahman
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be non-dual, one alone, without a second?
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The non-duality of brahman excludes the possibility of an additional entity like maya.
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But, for Shankara and other teachers of Advaita Vedanta, maya is like the eighteenth elephant.
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Elephant? There’s a delightful story about a king who retired to live in the forest, after leaving
39:45
his entire kingdom to his three sons. To his eldest son, he left half the kingdom.
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To his second son, he left one-third. And to his youngest, he left one-ninth.
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The kingdom’s territory and everything in the treasury was divided into three parts,
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according to this formula. The king happened to own 17 elephants.
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When his sons tried to distribute the elephants, they fell into a huge argument because the
40:24
number 17 can’t be evenly divided according the king’s formula.
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The king’s minister stepped in to resolve the dispute.
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He arrived with his own splendid elephant and unexpectedly gave it to the three sons.
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They now had 18 elephants. The minster told them to divide up the elephants and take their rightful share.
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The eldest took half, nine elephants. The middle son took one-third, 6 elephants.
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And the youngest took one-ninth, two elephants.
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The distribution was complete, but one elephant remained, the minister’s elephant, which
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he led away as he returned home.
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Maya is like the eighteenth elephant; it’s the answer to an otherwise unsolvable problem.
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To use a mathematical metaphor, maya is like a numerical constant or fudge factor needed
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to balance both sides of an equation. “A fudge factor?”
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I can almost hear you object to this. Yes. Let me explain.
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Non-dual brahman alone is absolutely real. The world, on the other hand, belongs to the empirical order of reality, the level of your
42:02
waking experience. So, the world is not as real as brahman.
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The teachings of Advaita belong to the empirically real world, like everything else here, so
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they’re not absolutely real like brahman.
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That means, Advaita is not the ultimate truth; brahman alone is the ultimate truth.
42:35
The teachings of Advaita are an empirically real solution for an empirically real problem.
42:44
The problem of human suffering is actually located in the mind.
42:51
As we saw in the first part, you suffer when you fail to recognize your essential nature
42:58
to be unborn, limitless, complete, and utterly untouched by all the afflictions of daily
43:07
life. Ultimately, suffering is the result of ignorance which is in your mind.
43:17
The teachings of Advaita Vedanta are meant to remove the ignorance that causes suffering.
43:26
Properly understood, Advaita Vedanta is a collection of teaching methods or modes of
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instruction called prakriyas.
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These prakriyas are carefully designed to lead qualified aspirants to realize the truth
43:46
of non-dual brahman like the rishis did.
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There are hundreds of these prakriyas. They’re like an assortment of tools you might find in a tool box.
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Each tool serves a particular purpose, and each prakriya serves a particular role in
44:10
leading you to realize brahman. But, if Advaita Vedanta is not the ultimate truth, if it’s just a collection of prakriyas,
44:24
teaching methods, then how can we trust it? How do we know it’s prakriyas aren’t defective?
44:33
Well, you can verify that a particular tool works by using it.
44:41
And in the same way, you can verify the effectiveness of these prakriyas by using them in your personal
44:49
spiritual practice. The teachings of Advaita Vedanta are like a finger pointing to the moon.
44:59
Even though the moon shines brightly, you might not spot it in the vast expanse of sky
45:06
above you. A finger can point your attention to the moon, which is already present, but not yet seen
45:15
by you. So too, Advaita Vedanta can lead you to recognize non-dual brahman, which is already present,
45:26
but not yet fully realized as being your true nature.
45:38
One last observation: a finger doesn’t need to physically touch the moon to point it out.
45:46
It only has to direct your attention to the right place. Similarly, the teachings of Advaita don’t have to somehow grasp or reach non-dual brahman.
46:01
They only have to correctly direct your mind towards brahman.
46:07

2024/03/16

Meditation, A Journey of Exploration: Based on the Teachings of Vedanta, Bhagavad Gita & Yoga Sutras eBook : Tadatmananda, Swami: Amazon.com.au: Books

Meditation, A Journey of Exploration: Based on the Teachings of Vedanta, Bhagavad Gita & Yoga Sutras eBook : Tadatmananda, Swami: Amazon.com.au: Books

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Meditation, A Journey of Exploration: Based on the Teachings of Vedanta, Bhagavad Gita & Yoga Sutras [Print Replica] Kindle Edition
by Swami Tadatmananda (Author) Format: Kindle Edition


4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 44 ratings

Practical, methodical instruction for developing a powerful and rewarding practice of meditation. This user-friendly guidebook begins with basic principles and proceeds step by step to more advanced topics and techniques. A wide range of meditation techniques are explored, arranged in four categories: Concentration, Observation, Contemplation, Devotion. This book is based on the teachings of Vedanta, the Bhagavad Gita and the Yoga Sutras - the primary sources of meditation instruction given by the sages of ancient India.

2018

December 26


Product description

About the Author
Swami Tadatmananda is a disciple of the world-renowned teacher of Vedanta, Swami Dayananda Saraswati. He was ordained as a Hindu monk in 1993 and now teaches Vedanta, meditation, and Sanskrit at Arsha Bodha Center, an ashram he founded in Somerset, New Jersey.

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ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07MDGZDHP
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 8634 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Not enabled
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
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Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ Not enabledBest Sellers Rank: 671,825 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)209 in Bhagavad Gita
337 in Spiritual Meditations (Kindle Store)
842 in Spiritual Meditations (Books)Customer Reviews:
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 44 ratings




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Swami Tadatmananda



Swami Tadatmananda is a disciple of the world-renowned teacher of Vedanta, Swami Dayananda Saraswati. He was ordained as a Hindu monk in 1993 and now teaches Vedanta, meditation, and Sanskrit at Arsha Bodha Center in Somerset, New Jersey (http://www.arshabodha.org). Swami Tadatmananda is also a Sanskrit scholar and former computer engineer. His background allows him to draw upon contemporary scientific and psychological insights while unfolding sacred Sanskrit scriptures. He thus endows the spiritual teachings of ancient India with a new relevance. Swami Tadatmananda is the author of many books that are testimonial to the clarity of his spiritual teachings. Three "must have" books are available in www.Amazon.com.

* Roar of the Ganges

* Meditation, a journey of Exploration: Based on the Teachings of Vedanta, Bhagavad Gita & Yoga Sutras

* Bhagavad Gita, a lyrical translation for singing, chanting and recitation


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4.5 out of 5 stars

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RSR
5.0 out of 5 stars ExcellentReviewed in the United States on 17 August 2023
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Invaluable book on meditation for Vedantins.
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Braulio Oliveira Silva
5.0 out of 5 stars Meditation, A Journey of Exploration: Based on the Teachings of VedantaReviewed in Brazil on 26 August 2021
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A very well written book, in usual English, well organized, allowing fluid reading, considering it is a practice manual. It was the best text on meditation I have read so far. In addition to suggesting techniques, he clarifies the objectives of each one, their benefits and their connections with Vedanta knowledge.

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M.K.
3.0 out of 5 stars Great spiritual text, unfortunately I cannot read it on my Kindle-DeviceReviewed in Italy on 22 October 2020
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The book is very well written, simple, but profound, great teacher!
Unfortunately it cannot be read on my Kindle-Device, but only on the PC or Tablet. It's a strange "kindle"- format, similar to a PDF, with a fixed layout, not a text-based Format. Very annoying...
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Robin B
3.0 out of 5 stars Not formatted properly for an ebookReviewed in the United States on 1 January 2024
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The book reads like a pdf but you cannot save any notes that have Sanskrit words, no Devanagari or the transliterations. Nor can you search any of those words. If you search for prānāyāma, 0 matches are found. However, the content is excellent and very much worth reading. Videos by Swami Tadatmananda of the same content are on YouTube.

One person found this helpfulReport

Vetal Mushkin
4.0 out of 5 stars Book itself is good, Kindle version lacks basic functionalityReviewed in the United States on 1 October 2023
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People have done a great job of reviewing the book itself. I'm only reviewing to let people know the kindle version is seriously lacking. You can't change the font, there's no shortcuts to jump to whatever chapter. I haven't read a lot of Kindle books but I had just assumed these were basic features all kindle books had. Apparently not. I dunno if this is the fault of the author/publisher or Amazon. I wonder about the Kindle publishing process and how that works. Anyway, if you're debating then go with the physical book.

2 people found this helpfulReport

Profile Image for Rama Rao.
Rama Rao
769 reviews
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December 17, 2020
Practicing mindfulness

Meditation calm the waves of mind and experience peace from divine source within the body (Prakriti) and soul (Atma). In the first chapter, Swami Tadatmananda describes meditation as a skill to learn and practice. He emphasizes on developing these skills and build a structured practice. He frequently refers to Bhagavad-Gita, especially the sixth chapter where Lord Krishna teaches Arjuna about the posture, concentration, and mental discipline that prescribes a particular object of meditation to concentrate upon. Where necessary Swamiji also quotes extensively from the Principal Upanishads about consciousness, Yoga Philosophy, and mediation. He describes meditation is an exploration of the inner terrain and its depth. By his method, over time, you can learn to lead your mind to a place of profound silence and develop the capacity for laser-like concentration and to remain deeply absorbed for extended periods of time. Bliss is an inner-most experience and the essential nature of the experiencer.

Swami Tadatmananda’s profound exploration of yogic practice is based ancient Hindu scriptures that masterfully articulates meditation and the needed exercises. I very much enjoyed reading this book that is built upon the concepts of Patanjali’s yoga sutra.
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Roar of the Ganges 2010 by Swami Tadatmananda

Amazon.com.au:Customer reviews: Roar of the Ganges


Kindle
$11.99
Available instantly

Paperback
$30.98




Follow the author

Swami Tadatmananda

About the author
Swami Tadatmananda is a disciple of the world-renowned teacher of Vedanta, Swami Dayananda Saraswati. He was ordained as a Hindu monk in 1993 and now teaches Vedanta, meditation, and Sanskrit at Arsha Bodha Center in Somerset, New Jersey (http://www.arshabodha.org). 

Swami Tadatmananda is also a Sanskrit scholar and former computer engineer. His background allows him to draw upon contemporary scientific and psychological insights while unfolding sacred Sanskrit scriptures. He thus endows the spiritual teachings of ancient India with a new relevance. Swami Tadatmananda is the author of many books that are testimonial to the clarity of his spiritual teachings. Three "must have" books are available in www.Amazon.com.

* Roar of the Ganges

* Meditation, a journey of Exploration: Based on the Teachings of Vedanta, Bhagavad Gita & Yoga Sutras 

* Bhagavad Gita, a lyrical translation for singing, chanting and recitation


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Roar of the Ganges Paperback – 1 January 2010
by Swami Tadatmananda (Author)
4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 77 ratings

A fascinating story of the transformation of a young, successful American computer engineer into a Hindu sannyasi and teacher of Vedanta. This book provides a real flavor of ashram life in the Himalayas along with interesting character sketches of seekers and sadhus. 

Skillfully woven into this tale are some of the most important teachings of Vedanta. The clarity of the author's vision and his personal writing style easily lead to penetrating insights into a subject usually considered mystifying and inaccessible. A valuable introduction to Vedanta that unfolds the wisdom of ancient sages in a contemporary manner without compromising its profound, traditional contents.

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Roar of the Ganges
bySwami Tadatmananda
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77 total ratings, 15 with reviews
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There are 0 reviews and 3 ratings from Australia
From other countries
SHS
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 11 July 2021
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I live in the UK and I am in the process of following Swami Tadatmananda's teachings using YouTube. This book gives an excellent background to Swami's life and the journey into Vedanta.
One person found this helpful
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Seegert
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful book with a refreshing perspective
Reviewed in the United States on 20 May 2020
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I absolutely enjoyed Swami Tadatmananda's book Roar of the Ganges. It's refreshing to be given such a down-to-earth perspective on the author's spiritual journey to becoming a monk and teacher of Vedanta. It's illuminating and as unpretentious as it gets.

Among other things, I'm especially grateful for Swami Tadatmananda's helpful descriptions of temples, ceremonies, and initiations, and of the enormous significance of the Ganges river itself. As with his Arsha Bodha Center videos, he demonstrates marvelous gifts as a teacher -- this book is a fantastic introduction to Vedanta itself, not least because of the accessible and entertaining stories he shares to illustrate its essence. Thank you for this book!
2 people found this helpful
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Kiran Kumar
5.0 out of 5 stars Unputdownable!
Reviewed in India on 15 October 2023
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It is more likely that you've come to know about this book after watching Swami Tadatmananda's erudite and well produced video's on Vedanta on YouTube.

There will be a natural curiosity to know more about this genial, witty, and highly scholarly American Swami.
This small book doesn't disappoint.

"Naked, I stood in the Ganges' frigid waters as dark clouds shrouding the Himalayas unleashed their fury. Gusts of wind ripped the pre-dawn sky and stung my skin with needles of rain. But I was oblivious to the elements. I could only sense the tremendous consequence of this moment."

starts the Swami about his journey to monk hood in a style of a career best-selling author.

The book is not just his personal story but a concise introduction to Vedanta.
I've read a lot of books on Vedanta, and I have no hesitation in saying that this book is among the finest.
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Ashok
5.0 out of 5 stars Vedanta made very easy to understand
Reviewed in India on 29 July 2023
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Fantastic work by Swami Tadatmananda
He has explained Vedanta in simple terms
Easy to understand. It gives strong foundation for further studies
Anybody trying to understand Vedanta or Advaita please 🙏 read this book
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Joseph Boroven
5.0 out of 5 stars Unique autobiography with an introduction to Advaita Vedanta
Reviewed in the United States on 12 November 2019
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I found the background of the author very unique: he's an American computer engineer turned into a hindu Swami. I found it interesting since I am from the same computer field. Swami Tadatmananda is one of the best teachers in his field. He is the leader of Arsha Bodha Center in New Jersey. Also the author of many excellent YouTube videos on the subject.
I am personally struggling to accept the uncompromising monism of Advaita. I consider myself closer to Qualified Nondualism (Vishistadvaita). Still I learned a lot from this book and his other book on meditation techniques (Meditation: A Journey of Exploration). And I continue watching his excellent YouTube videos.
Highly recommended.
8 people found this helpful
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Kishore Subramanian
5.0 out of 5 stars Very insightful
Reviewed in the United States on 6 September 2021
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Immensely insightful book that blends Swamiji's life, ashram life, and teachings of Vedanta. Swamiji also talks candidly about what goes through one's mind as they take the most important decision of their lives - to renounce everything and take up sannyasa. Highly recommend it. Thank you, Swamiji.
2 people found this helpful
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Vidhya
5.0 out of 5 stars Must read.
Reviewed in India on 9 September 2020
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This book is a rare gem. It simultaneously documents a spiritual seeker's trials and tribulations, serves as a travel guide to Rishikesh, and also draws on the teachings of Vedanta to guide the reader to answers. The author is an excellent narrator. That's icing to this already delicious cake.

I was not even born when our Swami T started his spiritual explorations (as documented in the book). And yet when I started my spiritual exploration I faced similar challenges and questions as he did. I find this very uncanny. In the 30 odd years of difference between our explorations, viruses have evolved but the spiritual questions have not. If the spiritual questions have not evolved how can their answers have evolved? How can our answers be found in new age books/techniques?

Hundreds (if not thousands) of seekers each month throng to India looking for answers and find themselves inundated with options. And yet when they leave India when their visa expires or have contracted a tropical disease they rarely have found their answers. I wish this book reaches their hands and minds before the fliers for umpteen number of courses. Yet sadly I know that will not happen because there is no one to 'market' this book.

This rare gem will remain hidden for the years to come.

I am not blessed to have direct proximity to Swami Tadatmanada and yet through this book and his teachings available on his website my brain cells have found something that I cannot express in words. All you need to know is that I have read over 30 non-fiction books in 2020 and I rarely feel the urge to leave a review.
3 people found this helpful
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SuGar
5.0 out of 5 stars Extremely well written book about the Swamiji's experiences
Reviewed in the United States on 27 September 2021
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Having been following Swami Tadatamananda's talks on Youtube - he is a fantastic teacher of Vedanta. Reading about his journey towards Vedanta added a whole new dimension to learning from him. Thoroughly enjoyed the book.
2 people found this helpful
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Lotus3710
5.0 out of 5 stars Vedic wisdom demystified
Reviewed in India on 28 November 2021
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Swami Tadatmananda has demystified Vedic wisdom with clarity and easy to understand style. This book is packed with gems of Vedic wisdom and and it would be of great help to anyone on the path of spirituality.
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Neela S.
5.0 out of 5 stars Easy flow
Reviewed in India on 12 June 2019
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The whole narrative felt authentic. I enjoyed the book even though I had to read it from my phone. This is not kindle compatible.
I bought the ebook after watching a few videos of swami Tadatmananda on vedanta.
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Nikhil Gulati
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January 19, 2023
This is a nice gentle introduction to Vedanta, and to the people and teaching traditions that have passed it down the ages. I was always curious about the Upanishads and their philosophy but found texts on them too heavy and inaccessible. This book was quite different. In fact, at some points, I felt it was too light. But then this is not meant to be a deep dive into Vedanta. It did a great job of capturing my interest and igniting my curiosity and has set me on the path to exploring this philosophy and tradition further.

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Kishore
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September 7, 2021
Very insightful

Immensely insightful book that blends Swamiji's life, ashram life, and teachings of Vedanta. Swamiji also talks candidly about what goes through one's mind as they take the most important decision of their lives - to renounce everything and take up sannyasa. Highly recommend it. Thank you, Swamiji.

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ADVAITA VEDANTA - Awake - Remember your SELF | Facebook

ADVAITA VEDANTA - Awake - Remember your SELF | Facebook

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This group is dedicated to all the seekers of TRUTH, Ishwara (God), the SELF. To AWAKE, to become AWARE of and to REMEMBER one's own SELF.
Advaita ( literally, non-duality ) is a system of thought where "ADVAITA" refers to the identity of the self ( Atman ) and the Whole ( Brahman ).
The key source texts for all schools of Vedanta are the Prasthanatrayi- the canonical texts consisting of the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita and the Brahma Sutras. The first person to explictly consolidate the principles of Advaita Vedanta was Adi Shankara, while the first historical proponent was Gaudapada, the guru of Shankara's guru Govinda Bhagavatpada.
The purpose of Advaita Vedanta is to teach aspirants the existential problems of life and help them transcend the “illusion” and limitations of the physical world. The ultimate aim is to overcome suffering and find inner peace. In this respect, Vedanta is focused on the Universe, the Individual and relinquishing the ignorance of that keeps is bound to the material world.
Adi Shankara's system (ie, Advaita ) is unmatched (with other schools ) for its metaphysical depth and logical power. 
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