Tag: Advaita Vedanta

Giving Myself Carte Blanche


What does it mean to give oneself carte blanche without becoming irresponsible? In this reflective piece, I explore a deeply personal decision: to spend most of the day in deliberate solitude. Not as withdrawal. Not as rebellion. But as a conscious turning inward.

Rooted in the wisdom of Nisargadatta Maharaj, this practice centers on abiding in the simple yet profound sense of “I am.” Beyond roles, beyond relationships, beyond achievements—what remains when one rests in bare awareness?

This inward freedom does not violate the moral boundary articulated by Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.: “The right to swing my fist ends where the other man’s nose begins.” Instead, it is an experiment in inner sovereignty—an attempt to discover whether sustained attention to the “I am” can transform not only solitude, but relationship, responsibility, and presence itself.

Is solitude an escape, or the highest form of engagement with truth?

Beyond Awakening: Desire, Ego‑Death, and the Non‑Dual Mechanics of Liberation


In this dialogue we explore the deeper layers beyond yesterday’s discussion on desire and stillness. We look closely at why the ego fears awakening, why glimpses of awakening fade, and how true liberation differs from temporary witnessing. We examine the mechanics of ego‑death, the jnani’s relationship to emotions and the world, and what it really means to abide as the Self. The conversation unfolds into a clear non‑dual understanding of karma, grace, destiny, and the illusion of free will. Ultimately, what dissolves is the seeker; what remains is the effortless radiance of Being.

Be Still and Know: The “I Am” Path of Self-Realization


The “I Am” meditation taught by Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj is fundamentally the same path revealed by Sri Ramana Maharshi and echoed by Papaji: the direct return to inner stillness. Ramana Maharshi repeatedly emphasized that the true meaning of “I am” is not a thought but pure Being—God-consciousness itself. “Be still and know that I am God,” he reminds us, pointing to silence as the essence of realization. Nisargadatta’s instruction to abide in the sense of “I Am” and Papaji’s call to “Keep Quiet” converge in one truth: Self-realization blossoms only in silence, stillness, and egoless awareness.

Spiritual Path Simplified: A Guided Journey Through Advaita and Self-Realization


This post presents a distilled guide to understanding the spiritual journey through the lens of Advaita Vedanta. It brings together 12 essential writings that explain the nature of reality as name-and-form, the illusory role of the ego, and the discovery of inner happiness. Readers are encouraged to explore each linked article while keeping in mind three key insights: the world is an appearance, the ego is not the thinker-doer, and true happiness lies within. For deeper study, the book “Happiness & Consciousness” is recommended as a concise yet comprehensive companion.

Advaita for Dummies


Is happiness really hiding in the next achievement, possession, or relationship—or is it already within you, waiting for the restless mind to pause? In this article, we explore 16 timeless questions through the lens of Advaita Vedānta and other wisdom traditions—questions like: Is desire poison or medicine? Is the waking world any more real than a dream? What does it mean to be in bondage, or free? Drawing from the insights of Vedānta, Buddhism, Taoism, and Stoicism, this guide simplifies profound truths and shows why “you” are not the doer at all—Consciousness alone is.

Why the Knower Cannot Be “Known”: Advaita Vedanta and the Hard Problem of Consciousness


The Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad asks, “By what can one know the Knower?” Modern neuroscience and philosophy of mind echo the same puzzle in the “hard problem of consciousness.” Instruments and theories can track brain states and behavior, but never Awareness itself—the very light by which all knowing occurs. Advaita Vedānta makes the radical move: the Knower is not an object of study but the Self, svayam-prakāśa, self-luminous. To seek it as an object is like the eye trying to see itself. Liberation lies in abiding as That, not in endless inquiry.

What Has Shakespeare/Socrates to Do With Shankaracharya?


What has Shakespeare or Socrates to do with Shankaracharya? Nothing. Shakespeare glorifies the theater of Maya, making us weep and laugh at dream-characters. Socrates spins webs of thought, trapping us in endless dialogue. Both literature and philosophy grant solidity to illusion, deepening our bondage to samsara. Shankaracharya is not another voice in their marketplace; he is the firebrand who torches the whole bazaar. Brahma Satyam, Jagat Mithya—the world is false, Brahman alone is real. Advaita is not here to polish the dream but to shatter it. Wake up. The play is over.

Para Vidya (Higher Learning) Vs. Apara Vidya (Lower Learning)


The Mundaka Upanishad divides knowledge into two streams. Apara Vidya embraces all sciences and arts—the brilliance of mathematics, the sweep of history, the beauty of literature and philosophy. These disciplines teach us about the world of names and forms, yet remain within the realm of duality. Para Vidya, by contrast, points only to the essence—Brahman, Consciousness, the clay beneath all pots. The first refines the intellect, the second liberates the self. To honor both is wisdom: to study the many with care, and to seek the One with devotion.

“Responsibility” Towards This World: Is the “awakened one” accountable to the world, or is it all God’s play?


When awakening strikes, the question often arises: does greater consciousness demand greater responsibility? A friend suggested that finding God is not freedom but a burden—an obligation to guide others. My response, echoing Ramana Maharshi and Nisargadatta Maharaj, is that the world itself is God’s doing, and the roles of both Jnani and Ajnani are part of that play. No “integration” is needed between ego and the Absolute—they were never separate. What remains is simple: God alone acts, through every form.