What type of philosophy is Advaita Vedanta?

Advaita Vedānta is one of the most studied and most influential schools of classical Indian thought. Many scholars describe it as a form of monism, while others describe the Advaita philosophy as non-dualistic.

What is the concept of Advaita Vedanta?

Advaita Vedanta is one of the schools of Hindu Vedantic philosophy and is based on the concept that the higher or true Self is identical to Brahman, the Absolute Reality. In Advaita Vedanta, Jnana yoga is the path of knowledge to moksha, or liberation from the cycle of life, death and rebirth.

What is Advaita Vedānta?

Advaita Vedānta is one version of Vedānta. Vedānta is nominally a school of Indian philosophy, although in reality it is a label for any hermeneutics that attempts to provide a consistent interpretation of the philosophy of the Upaniṣads or, more formally, the canonical summary of the Upaniṣads, Bādarāyaņa’s Brahma Sūtra.

Is it possible to be an Advaithi and a Vaishnava?

Besides, Adi Shankaracharya himself was a Vaishnava, he composed many stotrams on the highest Lord as Vishnu. And confusingly enough he was also a Shaktha, Shaiva etc. Because one of the core philosophies of Advaitha is that the same ethereal Brahman underlies all existence and all forms. So yes, you can be an Advaithi and a Vaishnava.

How many monasteries were founded by Adi Shankaracharya?

Over the next years, Adi Shankara traveled widely within India. It is believed that ten monasteries were founded by him, each following the principles of Advaita Vedanta, which he actively propagated. Out of these, four still continue with this tradition. They include Bharati (Sringeri), Saraswati (Kanchi) and Tirtha and Asramin (Dwaraka).

Is there a biography of Adi Shankaracharya?

One can find several biographies charting out the life of Adi Shankara. Some were written many centuries to a thousand years after Shankara’s Samadhi. Available in both Sanskrit and non-Sanskrit languages, they are filled with legends and tales; many, which contradict each other.