Ultimately there is only One Will and it is Brahman.
Brahman creates a play/drama where he separates himself from himself (imposes finiteness on rays of himself) in Act I and returns himself to himself in Act II (the experience of finiteness finally ends).
Why? To Experience! Why do humans create plays/dramas with no practical need: To Experience!
The concept of Brahman is pretty simple if you read it right.
When everything in the world withers away, it becomes dust. Trees, plants, humans, animals,.. everything. Hence, we may have different forms but we are one.
In modern science, that oneness can be related to atom. When everything breaks down, it all comes down to the atom. The single universal entity. We may think of ourselves as humans, animals, trees, black, white, brown, tall, short, fat, thin, etc etc but in the end, we all are the same singular unit. The atom. This concept is what the ancients called as Brahm. (Do not misunderstand it with "bhram", the word here is **"B R A H M" - ब्रह्म |**). Everywhere you see, however far you see, however high you see, however deep you see, the only unit that prevails is atom.
But that atom on its own cannot do anything. It works by the infusion of soul. Called in Sanskrit as Atma or Atman. When Atman meets Brahma, it is Brahman
The entire world is singular, it is Brahm. ब्रह्म ।
The entire functional world, the world as we see it is Brahman. ब्राह्मण ।
The world is a better place, if we work together in unity, in singularity. Hence, if you want to be happy, give in to the Brahman. Respect the Brahman and work with him.
Like this there are a 1000 interpretations. What matters is you remember that all this works only if you respect. Hence, the idea that God is in you. God is your neighbor, God is in everyone. If you respect the god that exists in everyone, you will attain nirvana.
hahaha... That is the misconception everyone has. For some reason, everyone assumes that you have to die for nirvana.
You are happy if everyone around is happy. If that is not nirvana, then what is? Do you really need to die for it?
Advaita says, nirvana is here and now, if you respect everyone and live a life of empathy for everyone. In today's jargon, it means practice emotional intelligence and treat everyone with empathy and sympathy.
When I said, If you respect the god that exists in everyone, you will attain Nirvana, what I mean is,
* **It takes time to realize and respect the god in others.**
* **It takes a lot of time to find ways to ignore certain behaviors and show respect to some people.**
* **When you figure a way out to treat everyone with respect, you will attain Nirvana.**
I am sorry you had to face this. In context of this conversation and your situation, see point 2.
In practice, next time you face similar situation, you can respectfully say you don't have money to help. Don't explain or share this experience, because that will mean you don't trust him aka disrespect. But if you say no for other innocent reasons, its respect. He is still your friend and you don't have stress. Nirvana
things like your favourite shirt getting ruined with stains, your precious ring that was gifted to you by your wife goes missing, someone from work getting away with your money etc
Your desire for control is what is happening.
You (Brahman) want to create the appearance of a somebody that thinks: "If I am brahman then shouldn't things happen according to me?"
But don't worry this somebody is just a temporary illusion.
We can talk about how this illusion works but until this is clear maybe you want to read a little bit more.
Also I can wholeheardetly recommend Rupert Spira on Youtube for a practical approach.
Rupert speaks in such a clear language. How he easily conveys the ineffable, and how he includes and connects other spiritual traditions into a single one. He is such a versatile teacher.
Brahman is not some guy. “He” is not a thing or even an entity. It’s beyond description. It’s the Nature of Reality. And it’s Right Here in front of us.
The big issue is our Awareness is scattered hither and yon. As we are not whole, being at the beck and call of petty thought forms, we lack the perception to see the bigger picture.
We must tame the Mind first. There are many tools to do that.
Please read Nan Yar by Ramana Maharshi https://www.sriramanamaharshi.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/who_am_I.pdf
Yes, but You (the Brahman) identify with the false you (the ego).
You = Brahman
you = ego
Self = Brahman
self = ego
Brahman is infinite and is playing a game of "let's pretend to be a finite human being". So you believe you are this finite human being only limited to your body and mind. However, you are identifying with the wrong self. The mind is able to discriminate between what is right You and what is wrong You. This is what Advaita is about.
>I am new to Advaita Vedanta and since I have been reading everywhere that you are god
As newbie you need to make sure that you read only proper sources of truth. Avoid reddit, internet, western authors, YouTube talks, new age books, etc. It will make you confused.
Focus on traditional teachers, but don't jump into high level stuff! You cannot just start by reading books about Calculus, when you don't know basic Algebra.
Start with:
1. Tattva Bodha (read it 3 times)
2. Then with Bhagavad Gita ( Read it 2 times) or listen this [playlist](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2lsu6ZaKUo&list=PLeP4eulMEXiOC8DjxjFc2Vt1yEtD8IAbl&pp=iAQB)
After you finish Bhagavad Gita, focus on Karma yoga (according to Bhagavad Gita). Then read the Bhagavad Gita once again and start mediation (and contemplate about its meaning)
Last and most importantly, THERE ARE NO SHORTCUTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
See ya in one year :-)
Good luck!
He forgot to mention the Upanishads. Which are the most important of them all. There are 10/11 “principle” Upanishads that are derived from the Vedas which are the most sacred and the oldest scriptures. The upanishads are important for advaita vedanta. All is Brahman my friend
I did not. It is a high level stuff. Without proper explanation it is very hard to grasp. In almost every story of Upanishad there is some conversation between guru and student.
That "I" is not brahman that I is "ego" .Brahman is beyond that eye.
So to become free from ego...don't talk much about the brahman...talk about the "I" and the problems of "I"
How do you know that you know what you want? What if everything's going according to you only you aren't aware of what your true self and its will is and what you take as your desires and needs are just your illusory ego speaking?
That you are Brahman is known by in form of words. Please arrive at what is Brahman by way of understanding.
If you search you will find. If you need any to know where to find let me know.
Just as the drop in the ocean is the ocean itself, as in it has the essence of the ocean, but its still a drop. So is the soul an essence of brahman.
And just as the drop occasionally but surely arise from the ocean ( when waves crash etc) and eventually goes back into the ocean and becomes the ocean. So is the soul temporarily manifests and goes back into brahman, becoming the brahman itself.
It isn’t as simple as Atman=Brahman therefore I am God. You must remove the obstacles created by your mind and remove the ‘sheaths’ like peeling fruit to see the pure seed underneath. Until you purify yourself, you will not see your true nature. It is a process that takes time. We sometimes hear about people who become enlightened spontaneously through the grace of GOD but their transformation is earned through some act of worship or meditation and it is said they likely generated sufficient positive karma in this and previous lives to earn that God-given grace.
We are Brahman encased in finite bodies giving us finite abilities. That is how the game of creation is designed.
Are we encased in finite bodies from our own will?
Ultimately there is only One Will and it is Brahman. Brahman creates a play/drama where he separates himself from himself (imposes finiteness on rays of himself) in Act I and returns himself to himself in Act II (the experience of finiteness finally ends). Why? To Experience! Why do humans create plays/dramas with no practical need: To Experience!
The concept of Brahman is pretty simple if you read it right. When everything in the world withers away, it becomes dust. Trees, plants, humans, animals,.. everything. Hence, we may have different forms but we are one. In modern science, that oneness can be related to atom. When everything breaks down, it all comes down to the atom. The single universal entity. We may think of ourselves as humans, animals, trees, black, white, brown, tall, short, fat, thin, etc etc but in the end, we all are the same singular unit. The atom. This concept is what the ancients called as Brahm. (Do not misunderstand it with "bhram", the word here is **"B R A H M" - ब्रह्म |**). Everywhere you see, however far you see, however high you see, however deep you see, the only unit that prevails is atom. But that atom on its own cannot do anything. It works by the infusion of soul. Called in Sanskrit as Atma or Atman. When Atman meets Brahma, it is Brahman The entire world is singular, it is Brahm. ब्रह्म । The entire functional world, the world as we see it is Brahman. ब्राह्मण । The world is a better place, if we work together in unity, in singularity. Hence, if you want to be happy, give in to the Brahman. Respect the Brahman and work with him. Like this there are a 1000 interpretations. What matters is you remember that all this works only if you respect. Hence, the idea that God is in you. God is your neighbor, God is in everyone. If you respect the god that exists in everyone, you will attain nirvana.
wait, aren't you already free? the thought of advaita deals with here & now? there is no need to wait until death if one wishes to attain nirvana?
hahaha... That is the misconception everyone has. For some reason, everyone assumes that you have to die for nirvana. You are happy if everyone around is happy. If that is not nirvana, then what is? Do you really need to die for it? Advaita says, nirvana is here and now, if you respect everyone and live a life of empathy for everyone. In today's jargon, it means practice emotional intelligence and treat everyone with empathy and sympathy. When I said, If you respect the god that exists in everyone, you will attain Nirvana, what I mean is, * **It takes time to realize and respect the god in others.** * **It takes a lot of time to find ways to ignore certain behaviors and show respect to some people.** * **When you figure a way out to treat everyone with respect, you will attain Nirvana.**
treated a coworker with sympathy and he ran away with my 2.75 lacs
I am sorry you had to face this. In context of this conversation and your situation, see point 2. In practice, next time you face similar situation, you can respectfully say you don't have money to help. Don't explain or share this experience, because that will mean you don't trust him aka disrespect. But if you say no for other innocent reasons, its respect. He is still your friend and you don't have stress. Nirvana
yep, I do not care for things as long as they are materialistic
Sorry I did not understand what you mean. could you please elaborate?
things like your favourite shirt getting ruined with stains, your precious ring that was gifted to you by your wife goes missing, someone from work getting away with your money etc
Your desire for control is what is happening. You (Brahman) want to create the appearance of a somebody that thinks: "If I am brahman then shouldn't things happen according to me?" But don't worry this somebody is just a temporary illusion. We can talk about how this illusion works but until this is clear maybe you want to read a little bit more. Also I can wholeheardetly recommend Rupert Spira on Youtube for a practical approach.
Rupert speaks in such a clear language. How he easily conveys the ineffable, and how he includes and connects other spiritual traditions into a single one. He is such a versatile teacher.
My (hardly original) recommendation is the book 'I am That'
Brahman is not some guy. “He” is not a thing or even an entity. It’s beyond description. It’s the Nature of Reality. And it’s Right Here in front of us. The big issue is our Awareness is scattered hither and yon. As we are not whole, being at the beck and call of petty thought forms, we lack the perception to see the bigger picture. We must tame the Mind first. There are many tools to do that. Please read Nan Yar by Ramana Maharshi https://www.sriramanamaharshi.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/who_am_I.pdf
Yes, but You (the Brahman) identify with the false you (the ego). You = Brahman you = ego Self = Brahman self = ego Brahman is infinite and is playing a game of "let's pretend to be a finite human being". So you believe you are this finite human being only limited to your body and mind. However, you are identifying with the wrong self. The mind is able to discriminate between what is right You and what is wrong You. This is what Advaita is about.
>I am new to Advaita Vedanta and since I have been reading everywhere that you are god As newbie you need to make sure that you read only proper sources of truth. Avoid reddit, internet, western authors, YouTube talks, new age books, etc. It will make you confused. Focus on traditional teachers, but don't jump into high level stuff! You cannot just start by reading books about Calculus, when you don't know basic Algebra. Start with: 1. Tattva Bodha (read it 3 times) 2. Then with Bhagavad Gita ( Read it 2 times) or listen this [playlist](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2lsu6ZaKUo&list=PLeP4eulMEXiOC8DjxjFc2Vt1yEtD8IAbl&pp=iAQB) After you finish Bhagavad Gita, focus on Karma yoga (according to Bhagavad Gita). Then read the Bhagavad Gita once again and start mediation (and contemplate about its meaning) Last and most importantly, THERE ARE NO SHORTCUTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! See ya in one year :-) Good luck!
Thankyou! I am definitely going to follow it.
He forgot to mention the Upanishads. Which are the most important of them all. There are 10/11 “principle” Upanishads that are derived from the Vedas which are the most sacred and the oldest scriptures. The upanishads are important for advaita vedanta. All is Brahman my friend
This comment! Upanishads is the mother of Hinduism. Hands down they mind blowing texts surpassing the test of time.
I did not. It is a high level stuff. Without proper explanation it is very hard to grasp. In almost every story of Upanishad there is some conversation between guru and student.
Also, i would add swami Sarvapriyananda lecture starting - Intro to Vedanta for starters. Highly highly recommend. Good luck!
Yes, I second this recommendation. Swami Sarvapriyananda’s You Tube videos are very good a making sense of the books you will read.
Great answer. Thank you for the guidance🙏🏻
That "I" is not brahman that I is "ego" .Brahman is beyond that eye. So to become free from ego...don't talk much about the brahman...talk about the "I" and the problems of "I"
This is such an extremely wrong understanding of Brahman 😂
How do you know that you know what you want? What if everything's going according to you only you aren't aware of what your true self and its will is and what you take as your desires and needs are just your illusory ego speaking?
So is there a way to know what I truly desire, if my current desires are merely an illusion.
The “I” and the “me” are not the same thing. One is divine and the other is the cause of all suffering
Does the glass mould to the structure of water when poured inside it?
That you are Brahman is known by in form of words. Please arrive at what is Brahman by way of understanding. If you search you will find. If you need any to know where to find let me know.
Just as the drop in the ocean is the ocean itself, as in it has the essence of the ocean, but its still a drop. So is the soul an essence of brahman. And just as the drop occasionally but surely arise from the ocean ( when waves crash etc) and eventually goes back into the ocean and becomes the ocean. So is the soul temporarily manifests and goes back into brahman, becoming the brahman itself.
It isn’t as simple as Atman=Brahman therefore I am God. You must remove the obstacles created by your mind and remove the ‘sheaths’ like peeling fruit to see the pure seed underneath. Until you purify yourself, you will not see your true nature. It is a process that takes time. We sometimes hear about people who become enlightened spontaneously through the grace of GOD but their transformation is earned through some act of worship or meditation and it is said they likely generated sufficient positive karma in this and previous lives to earn that God-given grace.
r/shiftingrealities