Learn Advaita Vedanta

[Faith]

 

 

If you want to learn the basics of Advaita Vedanta this is a very good source as it's taught in simple language by a westerner, for westerners. The Sanskrit language he uses is explained as he goes, so no requirements necessary prior to watching this 16 part series. 

 

Enjoy!

 

 

[Joseph Maynor]

[Aware Wolf]

Thank you. Advaita Vedanta is legit. 

 

Here are some other links I like:

 

Arsha Bodha Center with Swami Tadatmananda has a YouTube playlist Introduction to Vedanta. 

*****

Introduction to Vedanta

 

Also see Arsha Boda's Atma Boda's series,

 

 

 

 

Advaita -Vedanta - Samaneri Jayasari YouTube

 

 

The Mandukya Upanisad is short, profound, and they say if you grok it, you're really cooking with gas. 

See Swami Sarvapriyananda's 4-part video Playlist on the Mandukya, 

 

 

 

 

[Faith]

13 minutes ago, Aware Wolf said:

Thank you. Advaita Vedanta is legit. 

Yes, it is, your welcome. 

 

I haven't watched your links yet, but wanted to say I also absolutely love Swami Sarvapriyananda I've been listening to him for a few years on and off also. He's very clear and easy to understand for westerners. 

 

@Joseph Maynor Nice pic of Krishna 🕉

[Forza21]

1 hour ago, Faith said:

Yes, it is, your welcome. 

 

I haven't watched your links yet, but wanted to say I also absolutely love Swami Sarvapriyananda I've been listening to him for a few years on and off also. He's very clear and easy to understand for westerners. 

 

@Joseph Maynor Nice pic of Krishna 🕉

i believe i saw most of his videos. On most of them he explains perfectly,  how one consciousness become many, why we can't see through other minds, he accepts the concept of multiple souls/minds/knowers etc. Generally basic Vedata stuff.

But this video really hit me hard, as i still struggle with that solipsism terror.   

Do you have any idea why would he suggest the concept of solipsism in Vedanta? I have never seen it in any other lectures, and i'm not sure what to thinking about it.


@Aware Wolf @Faith @Joseph Maynor
 

Edited April 9, 2022 by Forza21

[Baller]

He uses the word, but he doesn't smuggle in all the implications that Leo does.  

 

In other words, whether he uses the word or not, his teaching is inline with traditional understanding of nonduality.

 

When you are talking to people who still have an ego/empirical self, it is difficult to explain the paradoxical nature of the egoless state (both at once dual and nondual.)  So the focus is on the "nondual" part, as that is what the ego-bound person is "lacking."

Edited April 9, 2022 by Baller

[Forza21]

42 minutes ago, Baller said:

He uses the word, but he doesn't smuggle in all the implications that Leo does.  

 

In other words, whether he uses the word or not, his teaching is inline with traditional understanding of nonduality.

 

When you are talking to people who still have an ego/empirical self, it is difficult to explain the paradoxical nature of the egoless state (both at once dual and nondual.)  So the focus is on the "nondual" part, as that is what the ego-bound person is "lacking."

I wonder, if in some parts of Vedanta, solipsism might be used to reach  Self-realization. Of course, it lacks that "no - self " part, but maybe it might be useful?

I started to think that way, when the suffering was unbearable, all i could do, was surrender and give up that sense of  "I', and focuse of my direct experienece. It was moments of pure relax, and joy. 

Anyway, every other video of him is classic Vedanta stuff:

Those 2 videos are pure gold

How one appears as many?:
 

 

Edited April 9, 2022 by Forza21

[Aware Wolf]

@Forza21 @Baller

 

Baller is correct. 

 

I have tremendous respect for Advaita Vedanta. It's some powerful stuff. I love the care they take with trying to explain deep issues with good teaching and logic and examples. I've joked that Zen may teach you to drive by throwing you behind the wheel. Advaita Vedanta would put you in a Driver's Ed class. 

I appreciate both. 

 

I don't feel comfortable at all trying to explain Advaita Vedanta. 

But I feel comfortable saying that in no way is Sarvapriyananda saying anything at all like Leo is. Watch more Sarvapriyananda and Arsha Bodha videos and it will become clear that this is so. They explain it all wayyy better than I ever could. 

 

 

[Forza21]

46 minutes ago, Baller said:

He uses the word, but he doesn't smuggle in all the implications that Leo does.  

 

In other words, whether he uses the word or not, his teaching is inline with traditional understanding of nonduality.

 

When you are talking to people who still have an ego/empirical self, it is difficult to explain the paradoxical nature of the egoless state (both at once dual and nondual.)  So the focus is on the "nondual" part, as that is what the ego-bound person is "lacking."

 

1 minute ago, Aware Wolf said:

@Forza21 @Baller

 

Baller is correct. 

 

I have tremendous respect for Advaita Vedanta. It's some powerful stuff. I love the care they take with trying to explain deep issues with good teaching and logic and examples. I've joked that Zen may teach you to drive by throwing you behind the wheel. Advaita Vedanta would put you in a Driver's Ed class. 

I appreciate both. 

 

I don't feel comfortable at all trying to explain Advaita Vedanta. 

But I feel comfortable saying that in no way is Sarvapriyananda saying anything at all like Leo is. Watch more Sarvapriyananda and Arsha Bodha videos and it will become clear that this is so. They explain it all wayyy better than I ever could. 

 

 

Maybe i overreact, i have very sensitive radar for that solipsism stuff after all those Leo-stuff 🙂 maybe you are right.  All his other teachings are very nice 🙂 

[Aware Wolf]

6 minutes ago, Forza21 said:

 

Maybe i overreact, i have very sensitive radar for that solipsism stuff after all those Leo-stuff 🙂 maybe you are right.  All his other teachings are very nice 🙂 

 

I feared that saying "Go watch more videos" sounded pedantic and like "Educate yourself more, noob!" -- and really it wasn't meant that way at all. It should all become clear. If you come back after you watch I dunno, ten videos (you might require less than I do to get something) -- I very much doubt there will be an issue. Advaita Vedanta is not Solipisism. 

 

[Faith]

1 hour ago, Forza21 said:

he accepts the concept of multiple souls/minds 

In the relative sense, yes, but different minds does not mean different consciousness.

Vedanta is saying the appearance of the many appears in one consciousness. Not in one (human) mind, which is what solipsism is saying. 

 

Maybe, if you want, try watching  James Swartz series I posted. Start at the beginning. Basically, start over!

 

Swami Sarvapriyananda may not be clear enough for you. He does have a tendency to say several philosophical points of view along with Advaita Vedanta's at times and if you don't have a firm grip of Vedanta I can see how it could cause confusion. 

[Faith]

16 minutes ago, Aware Wolf said:

Advaita Vedanta is not Solipisism. 

That's right! It is NOT solipsism.

[Baller]

49 minutes ago, Forza21 said:

I started to think that way, when the suffering was unbearable, all i could do, was surrender and give up that sense of  "I', and focuse of my direct experienece. It was moments of pure relax, and joy. 

 

That's exactly correct.  That's the name of the game - surrender.  And it usually comes not when you're all fat and happy, but when you're suffering and feel like you're stuck.  Spiritual practice isn't some linear process, when you gradually and consistently advance.  It's practicing until you're about to give up because you feel like you're not getting anywhere.  And then you surrender and the leap happens.

[Baller]

48 minutes ago, Forza21 said:

 

Maybe i overreact, i have very sensitive radar for that solipsism stuff after all those Leo-stuff 🙂 maybe you are right.  All his other teachings are very nice 🙂 

You have to remember the context.  He is talking to Westerners and he knows the kind of cultural and philosophical baggage they are bringing to the table.  But it doesn't alter the essence of the teaching.

[Aware Wolf]

I'm following my guidelines that if I talk on Advaita Vedanta I'll sound like a fool... :-)  

 

BTW, this is something some people (Leo Gura) have no problem doing videos on subjects that are outside their expertise. 
 

I like this next video. It's by a zen guy and he puts in "True Self" for "Brahman" . Whatever. Words! 

 

The world is illusory, Only Brahman is real. You are Brahman. 

 

 

Edited April 9, 2022 by Aware Wolf

[Faith]

25 minutes ago, Aware Wolf said:

I'm following my guidelines that if I talk on Advaita Vedanta I'll sound like a fool... 🙂

Haha! I'm not great at discussing it either.

[Joseph Maynor]

@Forza21 I think what Leo misses is he thinks his finite consciousness is Brahman.  So when he hears Atman = Brahman he takes it that way.  But what that really means is the underlying consciousness behind all finite consciousness/finite beings is God or the Self.  The human's mind is not the Self.  And someone please correct me here if I'm wrong.  Basically Advaita Vedanta makes room for all consciousness containing beings because all of them share in God or the Self.  This is not solipsism.  Solipsism would be assuming that your finite consciousness is God and then assuming everything else is a part of you.  That's not what Advaita Vedanta is saying.  Advaita Vedanta makes space for other conscious beings to exist.  I'm glad so many of you are into Advaita Vedanta.  Isn't it wonderful!  The art too.

Edited April 10, 2022 by Joseph Maynor

[Faith]

14 minutes ago, Joseph Maynor said:

The human's mind is not the Self.  And someone please correct me here if I'm wrong. 

 

Hi! The human mind is an "appearance" in the Self, therefore it's made up of and imbued with awareness, because every-thing is awareness, but there's a difference in Vedanta between pure awareness and reflected awareness, which is what you seem to be pointing to. Maya is the "appearance" (illusion) of the material world "within" consciousness (and that includes the mind). 

[Faith]

22 minutes ago, Joseph Maynor said:

Solipsism would be assuming that your finite consciousness is God and then assuming everything else is a part of you.  That's not what Advaita Vedanta is saying

I just saw you added this and yep, you are correct, imo! This is not what Vedanta says, not at all.

 

22 minutes ago, Joseph Maynor said:

I'm glad so many of you are into Advaita Vedanta.  Isn't it wonderful!  The art too.

 

I'm glad too! I usually don't get into it with ppl or get technical. because many ppl don't give a shit, lol. 😂

 

[Baller]

1 hour ago, Joseph Maynor said:

I think what Leo misses is he thinks his finite consciousness is Brahman.  So when he hears Atman = Brahman he takes it that way.  But what that really means is the underlying consciousness behind all finite consciousness/finite beings is God or the Self.  The human's mind is not the Self. 

 

I agree in principle, but I don't think he came to that purely via logic but rather he did have psychedelic experiences of the infinite and then when he came down his ego "snapped back" with a vengeance as would be true for any strong narcissist and then he channeled the experience through the filter of the ego and its conceptual maps.

 

This is pretty much what e.g. Ram Dass warns against in "Be Here Now" on pp.98-99.  Psychic inflation in Jungian terms.

Edited April 10, 2022 by Baller