The Six Systems of Hinduism include a school {Vedanta} that modifies Vaidika or Vedic philosophy and depends on Upanishads.
schools
Vedanta has many schools, with different monism-dualism positions. Samkara is largest school and is intellectual Hinduism, with no myths, just meditation.
cause and effect
Cause is real, but effect is illusion. Change is illusion.
creation story
Brahman split into male and female and procreated.
enlightenment
The final stage of finding union with Brahman is state of pure rest, with end to mind transformations. People can know Brahman only by intuition. Enlightenment ends need for knowledge or reasoning, which are both illusions. Enlightened people have serenity, dignity, and majesty. They do not act in world. Any lingering karma carries on acts until they complete. They have become like Brahman and continue playing without participating or feeling affected. They are like sleepwalkers, indifferent to all things and actions. They are beyond time and silent.
gods
In Vedanta myths, the god Vishnu dreams. First, Vishnu makes Brahman, creation-principle and all-one, from his world-womb at his navel. Lotus located at navel is dreamed world of Vishnu. Vishnu is the humane preserver.
Rama, Krishna, and Buddha are Vishnu incarnations. Rama married Sita.
Devaki is virgin mother of Vishnu.
Shiva is the destroyer, dissolver, and reproducer.
Gods are only symbols or visible signs of powers, not channels for them.
intuition
People cannot know Brahman by ordinary knowledge, only intuition.
self stages
People find Self and understand true reality by proceeding through stages, using several methods to remove layers that hide the Self. Before starting, people should have good morals: doing good works without thought of reward or punishment, practicing yoga for ability to concentrate intensely, and studying Vedas for preparation.
After getting ready to search for Self by good morals, first method is to study texts and teachings, to use method of refutations to disprove erroneous inferences and analogies. Erroneous inference is that world is dual or plural. Other erroneous inferences attribute qualities or attributes to things. This method teaches that fears and desires are also needless and unreal.
Second method is meditation on Brahman, reflecting on reading. People feel personally conscious of God and know God as omnipotent and omniscient.
Third method is concentration on one thing to end mind's restlessness and end thought. People lose ego and see the identity of all things, because God is in all and in self. This state is pure sattva, with all tamas and rajas eliminated from self.
Fourth method is state of no consciousness, in which subject and object become one, so consciousness merges with Self. People, realizing that even sattva is delusion, achieve state of anonymity, complete loss of Self, and pure being.
suffering
People can accept pain and suffering by knowing that they are temporary and illusory.
unity
Because Brahman is in everything, all things balance and have harmony. Brahman includes all pairs of opposites. Evolutionary or dialectic processes make pairs of opposites. As opposites interact, world emanates from Brahman.
history
Badarayana or Bhasyakara [-500 to -200] wrote the Brahmasutras of Vedanta. Sankara or Iamkara [788 to 820] founded Advaita School. Atreya, Asmarathya, Audulomi, Karsnajani, Kasakrtsna, Badari were early Advaita sages. Bhaskara [996 to 1061] founded Bhedabheda School. Yadava-prakasha or Bhedabheda taught Ramanuja [1000]. Ramanuja [1017 to 1127] founded Visist-advaita School. Madhva [1238 to 1317] founded an Advaita school. Nimbarka [1000 to 1100] founded an Advaita school. Srikantha [1270] founded Saiva-visist-advaita School. Sripati [1400] founded Bheda-bhedatmaka-visist-advaita School. Vallabha [1479 to 1544] founded Suddh-advaita School. Suka [1550] founded Bhedavada School. Vijnana-bhiksu [1650] founded Atma-brahm-aikya-bhedavada School. Baladeva [1725] founded Acintya-bhedabheda School.
The One can manifest as material things, known objectively {adhidaivam}.
The One can manifest as individual self, known subjectively {adhyatman}.
In Vedanta, the 'causal' body can be in silent, dreamless, unchanging, and painless state of bliss {bliss} {ananda}. The blissful state feels conscious.
In Vedanta, Self {atman, Vedanta} is people's inner principle.
veils
Self makes illusory sheaths or veils of consciousness from body, life, and mental processes. These consciousnesses are not the Self, and the Self cannot be object of consciousness.
Actual human body has waking consciousness. Waking state has terror, illusion, pain, and change.
The 'subtle' body has dreaming consciousness and includes the life-force or life-breath {prana, Vedanta}, corresponding to air or breath. It also includes sense qualities or perception. It also includes reason or understanding. Dreaming state has terror, illusion, pain, and change.
The 'causal' body can be in a state of bliss {ananda, Vedanta} or ignorance {avidya, atman}. Both are silent, dreamless, unchanging, and painless. Ignorant state is like death and unconsciousness. Blissful state feels conscious.
Self
Self must remove these veils to reveal itself and go beyond consciousness. Self feels merged with Brahman.
Universal Self {atman-brahman} is inactive, rather than participating in and animating world. It encourages asceticism and monasticism, replacing the life affirming, joyful feeling in Hindu religion. It is the only reality. The rest is pure illusion.
In Vedanta, the 'causal' body can be in a state of silent, dreamless, unchanging, and painless non-consciousness {avidya, Vedanta}.
Ignorant state is like death and unconsciousness. Ignorance is physical-world instances, or universal pervading influence in physical world. In second sense, avidya is Brahman in personal role as Shiva-Vishnu, making life, evolving, maintaining, creating, destroying universe, and pervading all things. Brahman is like the Self, which makes its veils. As soon as people realize either Brahman or ignorance, they lose the realization, as Self merges with Brahman. Ordinary knowledge cannot know ignorance.
Impersonal spirit, essence, power, or energy is in everything and is unified Self {Brahman}. It is form and is formless. It has no properties {neti neti, Vedanta}. It is Holy Power, true reality, the One, or Essence. It is infinite, is all things, is identical in all things, is immanent in all things, and animates all things. It is creation principle. Primal force makes all temporal objects, events, and phenomena. Vishnu created it in dream. It retains consciousness of itself. It is omniscient and omnipotent. It is the Universal or highest God. All things are Brahman manifestations. Brahman has different degrees or spheres of power. It is rhythmic, cyclic gestures, game, play, dance, or illusion and is of no importance.
mind and world
Physical-world manifestations, including mind and thoughts, and spiritual world, of gods in their realms, will always continue, just as the One itself will continue. People ordinarily perceive the illusions as many separate things, not as the whole. Brahman can transform into any manifestation, and human minds continually transform. All manifestations and transformations are illusions, not true reality.
Self
Underlying both world and mind is higher Brahman or Self, unmoving, unchanging, and serene. The true Brahman remains separate, aloof, impersonal, and inactive. Brahman perceives the illusion as whole, with clarity and serenity {sattva, Vedanta}, unmoved by tamas or rajas. Brahman is cause of the world. Knowledge of Brahman leads to final emancipation. Sages differ about nature of Brahman, relation between individual and Brahman, nature of release, and method to attain liberation.
Previous actions have residues {karma, Vedanta}. Sages can become free from rebirth cycle, but karma causes all others to have endless reincarnation.
People can have consciousness {samadhi, Vedanta} of duality of Self and mind.
In first samadhi, mind sees Brahman, has cosmic consciousness, and feels the power of the One in oneself, but it comes from outside.
In second samadhi, one feels no duality, only complete silence.
Falling into an unconscious state as one begins to lose vision of Brahman can block second state. Distraction by other sense impressions can block second state. Desires, needs, likes, dislikes, or memories from unconscious mind can block second state. Pure enjoyment of first state can block second state, showing that mind still does not have enough discipline.
Books {Upanishads} concentrate on Self and interior world.
Souls transmigrate from one body to another, seeking union with Brahman {Vishnuism}. Brahman dies to give birth to the world, the one becomes many, and then all things die to return to Brahman, the many become one.
People should live ascetic life {yama, Hinduism}. General rules for ascetic life include non-violence {ahimsa}; word, thought, and deed truth and identity {satya, Vedanta}; no stealing {asteya}; celibacy; and possession rejection. Special practices {niyama} can achieve ascetic life: cleanliness, contentment, equanimity, austerity, indifference to desire, study, meditation, and devotion to personal god. Correct yoga body postures {asana} help, as does yoga breathing control {pranayama, Vedanta}.
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Date Modified: 2022.0225