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.
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Date Modified: 2022.0224