The Advaita School of Vedanta

Adi Shankara, an 8th-century philosopher, is revered as the founder of the Advaita School of Vedanta.

Advaita Vedanta posits that the soul (Atman) is identical to the ultimate reality, Brahman, and that the world is an illusion.

Brahmananda refers to the state of supreme bliss and oneness with Brahman, which is the ultimate goal in Advaita Vedanta.

The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad is regarded as the foundational text for Advaita Vedanta, containing key teachings on the nature of reality and the soul.

Maya refers to the illusory nature of the world as perceived by the senses, which veils the true reality of Brahman.

Karma, the concept of action and its consequences, is not a central tenet in Advaita Vedanta, which emphasizes the non-dual nature of reality.

Advaita Vedanta emphasizes the importance of meditation and self-inquiry (Jnana Yoga) as the primary means of realizing the true nature of reality and attaining liberation.

Adi Shankara's commentary on the Brahma Sutra, known as the 'Brahma Sutra Bhashya,' is a seminal work in Advaita Vedanta, providing a comprehensive interpretation of the text.

Avidya refers to the state of ignorance or delusion that obscures the true nature of reality and leads to the experience of duality and suffering.

Dvaita, the philosophy of dualism, is not a sub-school of Advaita Vedanta, which emphasizes the non-dual nature of reality.

Moksha refers to the state of liberation, freedom from suffering, and the realization of the true nature of reality, which is the ultimate goal in Advaita Vedanta.

Ramanuja, a 11th-century philosopher, was a prominent critic of Advaita Vedanta and developed the Vishishtadvaita school, which emphasizes the reality of the world and the distinction between Brahman and the individual soul.

Atman refers to the individual soul or self, which is considered to be identical to Brahman, the ultimate reality, in Advaita Vedanta.

While the Brahma Sutra, Bhagavad Gita, and Upanishads are central texts in Advaita Vedanta, the Yoga Sutras are primarily associated with the Yoga school of philosophy.

'Neti neti' means 'not this, not this' and is used to negate all positive attributes in an attempt to describe the indescribable nature of Brahman.