Simply put, Advaita means Non Dualism or Monism. But, when people speak about Advaita in India,they mean it in the context of Advaita Vedanta. Dualism is there in lot of contexts and some examples are cause/effect,man/woman,part/whole and so on. So, the term Advaita can be confused with resolution of cause/effect dualism to monist "effect is embedded in the cause,and is one and the same" or treating man and women as single entity etc.
Next time,when some one uses Advaita, he or she should specify whether it is in the context of Vedanta or not. As per Advaita Vedanta, "Jeev Atman and Param Atman is the same". The dominant form of Vedanta school is "Kevala Advaita" or Absolute Monism of Sri Sanakaracharya.
Adi Sankaracharya's teaching can be summed up as "Brahma Satya,Jagan Mithya; Jeevo Brahmaiva na para ha ". Simply put,"Brahma (Absolute) is truth,Jagat (Earth) is Mithya,Jeev Atma and Param Atma is not different"
As per Upanishads, What ever be the ultimate reality of cause, it is called "Brahm" and it is regard as pure consciousness (or energy), also called Atman. As per Sankara,Atman in life forms and inanimate things ( Jeev Atman ) is the same Brahm. Any material things (including humans) which you see around are the result of Maya (some kind of illusion) which prevents you from seeing Brahm.
As per Advaita Vedanta, reality is mostly a mental construct ( idealism) and so called matter you see around is nothing but energy (concsiousness) fields coming together to form matter. By Jnana,Bhakti,Karma or Raja Yoga, one can reach Brahm or the absolute.
Thus Advaita Vedanta, only recognizes the reality of Brahm ( at least in the Ultimate Reality sense [ Paramarthika world]). In Transactional world (Vyavaharika loka), we are deluded in believing that there is pluralism and it is the result of the Maya.
Next time,when some one uses Advaita, he or she should specify whether it is in the context of Vedanta or not. As per Advaita Vedanta, "Jeev Atman and Param Atman is the same". The dominant form of Vedanta school is "Kevala Advaita" or Absolute Monism of Sri Sanakaracharya.
Adi Sankaracharya's teaching can be summed up as "Brahma Satya,Jagan Mithya; Jeevo Brahmaiva na para ha ". Simply put,"Brahma (Absolute) is truth,Jagat (Earth) is Mithya,Jeev Atma and Param Atma is not different"
As per Upanishads, What ever be the ultimate reality of cause, it is called "Brahm" and it is regard as pure consciousness (or energy), also called Atman. As per Sankara,Atman in life forms and inanimate things ( Jeev Atman ) is the same Brahm. Any material things (including humans) which you see around are the result of Maya (some kind of illusion) which prevents you from seeing Brahm.
As per Advaita Vedanta, reality is mostly a mental construct ( idealism) and so called matter you see around is nothing but energy (concsiousness) fields coming together to form matter. By Jnana,Bhakti,Karma or Raja Yoga, one can reach Brahm or the absolute.
Thus Advaita Vedanta, only recognizes the reality of Brahm ( at least in the Ultimate Reality sense [ Paramarthika world]). In Transactional world (Vyavaharika loka), we are deluded in believing that there is pluralism and it is the result of the Maya.
