Spinoza and Shankara: When God Became the Universe and the Self Became God

What if the philosopher Spinoza and the sage Shankara had met?
Both, separated by continents and centuries, spoke of one ultimate Reality—an infinite, self-existent essence that manifests as all things. Spinoza called it God or Nature; Shankara called it Brahman. One reasoned his way to unity, the other realized it through inner awakening. In both visions, the world is not separate from the Divine—it is the Divine, appearing in countless forms. To see this is to be free, to live it is to be blissful. The rest—names, forms, selves—are but waves on the same ocean.

The Real Problem: “Who am I?”

The author reflects on being labeled a “psychopath” and feeling ridiculed, emphasizing that self-identity can lead to suffering. Regardless of misunderstanding, they advocate for seeking one’s true identity through contemplation to escape crises linked to perceived separateness. They suggest mental renunciation and introspection as paths to understanding nondual truth.