What is advaita?.... What is vishista advaita?.. what is dvaita?
How to we understand this?
Look at ocean..
Now,
Ask below question..
"Do you see that, ocean and wave looks 'little different'?
Yes. Ocean is still,silent, permanent and blue..
But waves appears white, jumps, and appear temporarily and vanish suddenly and reappear again and again.
Ask another question..
Do ocean created waves? or Waves created ocean?
Ocean creates waves.
Ask another question..
May be the waves looks different and behave different.. But, in reality, is waves actually ocean?
Yes.
Now ask same question, replacing "waves with jeeva Atma (we)".
And replace "Ocean with Param Atma (Supreme god)".
Now,
Ask below question..
"Do you see paramathma (ocean) and jeevatma (wave) are little different?
Yes.
paramathma (Ocean) is still and permanent. Also Wow Vishnu is blue as well :)
But, we so called jeevatma (waves) appear temporarily by birth and die and reborn again just continuously.
Ask another question..
Do paramatma (ocean) created jeevatma (waves)? or jeevatma (Waves) created paramatma (ocean)?
paramatma (Ocean) created jeevatma (waves).
Ask another question..
May be jeevatma (waves) looks different and behave different.. but, in reality, is jeevatma (waves) actually paramatma (ocean)?
yes.
There ends the "Advaita theory".
Knowing that jeevatma and paramatma actually same is advaita..
All One. Paramathma (Ocean) himself is showing himself as Jeevatma (millions of waves) as well. But all are one only. That's Advaita
It's not just about one god like people understand Advaita principle.
Some thinks "Advaita" means people who worship Shiva.
This is Absolutely foolish understanding of Advaita that it talks about Shiva worship.
Prahaladha was in this "advaita status". He is a devotee of Narayana.
When he saw his father, he saw narayana.
When he saw the sword, he saw narayana.
When he saw himself, he saw narayana.
He could not see anything outside narayana.
Hence,
when his father tried to kill him, he didn't cried that he will get killed..Or even asked narayana to help him..
Because he could not even feel that, narayana is somewhere residing but exist everywhere.
He saw everything as "Narayana". Hence he did not ask any help...
So many attempts were made to kill him..
He didn't call "Narayana" but saw everything as narayana.
Finally when hiranyakasipu got frustrated, he himself asked "is he inside this stone pillar?".
Prahaladha "saw pillar also as narayana".
He didn't meant narayana inside the pillar.
He said "yes. I can see narayana".
hiranyakasipu thought Narayana is hiding inside the pillar and shouted at him.. "Prahalad, if I don't see narayana in this pillar which I had built with stone and sand, i will kill you with my own hands.."
Narayana appeared as narasimha and killed hiranyakasipu.
Everyone got frightened to see this avatar of Vishnu.
Because no one had even imagined that narayana (vishnu) will come out with such anger and come as half men and half lion.
Even mahalakshmi had little hesitation to go near narasimha.
But little bhakt prahaladha had no fear, Because he even saw narasimha himself as narayana.
He never came out of advaita status.
This same advaita principle was handled and spreaded again by adi sankara in kaliyuga around 300BCE.
During that time, every hindu used vedic mantra to mesmerize, get wealth thru yagya, black magic, yogic powers etc.
Vedic Brahmins also used vedic mantra to reach heaven after life.
Most people forgot that we are all paramathma behaving as jeevathma and continuing this life style and falling again and again in life birth-death cycle.
He showed the other version of veda which talks about gyana marg by teaching advaita principle.
Adi sankara revived hinduism by invoking people's interest to achieve moksha and be in dharma and hate this wordly desires.
Adi Sankara sang Bhaja govindham and asked everyone to worship krishna who can give moksha.
Advaita worship is done by Prahaladha himself.
So assuming Advaita worship as Shiva worship is foolishness.
Advaita worship means.."Anyone who sees one paramathma everywhere including him".
So if a shiva devotee see everyone as shiva including a vaishnava person, including him, then he is considered to be in advaitic status.
'Prahaladha' is the prime example of advaita.
After Adi Sankara, came Ramanuja around 1017AD..
Ramanuja is an incarnation of adi sesha himself of lord narayana.
At his time, he had to revive hindus (Vedic Dharma), who could not follow advaita which is the toughest, ultimate, truth to reach moksha.
Also
He had to show advaita path which is easy and applicable for everyone to follow.
Pure advaitic mahatma like prahaladha, adi sankara appear once in a yuga.
So it's highly impossible to be in advaitic status by common people.
Hence, ramanuja reviewed the vedic sastra and found some missing pieces left in advaita and added some additional Features in advaita principle and present it as "vishishta advaita".
Vishishtaadvaita means "Advaita principle with additional features which was not included"
Let's understand the same by continuing same ocean example..
Be PROUD to be part of HINDU DHARMA, which teaches beyond manmade fake religions..
Advaita principle ask so many questions..Like
Ask another question..
Do paramatma (ocean) created jeevatma (waves)? or Waves created ocean?
Ocean creates waves.
"Advaita" stops here....
But, "Vishista Advaita" goes further to help even common people to achieve moksha.
"Vishista Advaita" continues with further more questions....
"Who created jeevatma (waves)?".
Paramatma (Ocean) created waves.
"Who is dependent? Is ocean is dependent to waves? Or waves is dependent to ocean?".
Waves are dependent to ocean. Reverse is not true.
"Can wave can stop themselves?"
No. Waves are created by ocean.
Can ocean can stop waves?.
If ocean decides, it can stop waves.
Some part of oceans like in rameswaram, you won't see waves just to give us a clue.. It looks like a Pond !! Wow.. Lord Rama threatened Lord of Ocean to give him the path to cross the ocean to reach lanka. He got anger. Ocean Lord (Samudhra Deva) appeared and apologized him and asked him to build a path over him and said the stones will not sink but float.
That fear that Samudhra Deva had still not left..
Even today, You don't see waves there in Rameswaram !!
Replace ocean with paramatma, and waves with jeevatma. You will be enlighten to know this concept of advaita and vishista advaita.
Based on these additional questions merged with advaita principle came 'vishista advaita'.
"Vishista advaita" gives answer to everything and everyone..
It opens the gate of moksha to everyone, not just people like prahaladha or adi sankara alone.
Waves are dependent to ocean clarifies that, "you are dependent to supreme god".
Waves are created by ocean clarifies that, "you are created by supreme god".
"If ocean decides, it can stop waves" clarifies that, "if supreme god decides, you birth and death life cycle can be stopped".
How paramatma (supreme god) can stop our birth-death life cycle and can gives us moksha?
Based on our "devotion" to merge with him.
What is the quality required?
Hate to live as waves (worldy desire) and unlimited interest to merge with ocean.
"Devotion to supreme god" gives moksha (liberation from birth-death cycle) to anyone.
Just keep chant "om namo narayana", "hare Krishna" "rama" with an interest to get mercy from supreme god to give us moksha.
Devotion to Supreme God (Paramatma), creates mercy.
Supreme God gives moksha to those, who love to merge with him and hate to live like waves.
Adi sankara worshipped shiva, krishna, sakthi, skanda, ganesha.
Because he saw everything as One, including him.
Ramanuja clarifies that even sakthi, brahma, rudra, all 33 crore devas, rishi, mahatma, gyaani, u and me all are different waves.
Only ocean is supreme god is Narayana (Vishnu).
Narayana is the only God, and One and Only existed..
He created brahma. He gave veda to brahma.
He ordered Brahma to create rishis and worlds.
Brahma created "sanath kumara, 11 rudra, deva, rishi, human, birds, animals, plants, and worlds made of air, water, sand, fire and space".
Who is sitting at top of creation? It is narayana.
He is the supreme god, even demi gods will love to get merged with him.
Hence instead of saying worship any gods to get moksha,
ramanuja specifically guided all of us, to say "om namo narayana", "hare Krishna" which is enough to get you moksha directly from Supreme God himself than getting his blessing thru' other demi gods above you.
Vishista advaita is "the complete view of Veda".
Vishista advaita is "an advaita with additional features based on vedic truth".
This complete "Vishista advaita" theory.
"Dvaita" stays at devotion part alone.
It says "Till you stay as Waves (Jeevathma), you will never achieve Paramatma Status and have to appear, disappear and reappear again and again".
So Dvaita insist that Bhakti is the key (just like Vishisa Advaita) to get grace from Paramatma to give moksha.
Yes Once you reach moksha, you (wave) also become ocean - which is vishista advaita.
But Dvaida don't even allows Waves (Jeevatma) to think themselves as Paramatma till he reaches moksha.
So it says "You are different now. Paramatma is different.
Till you dont reach moksha, you need to accept this fact.
Only way to reach moksha is to do bhakti (devotion)".
When you are showing your devotion, dvaida says "Dont even think that you are also paramatma.. this will create a arrogance. So even though it is the ultimate truth when you reach moksha, as of now, don't ever think that you are also paramatma and also do Bhakti."
This Dwaita principle is spreaded by Madhava Charya.
Thus, concludes all 3 principles - concept of Veda.
Veda talks about Dwaita and also Advaita.
Veda actually talks Vishista Advaita by accepting the both facts.
Based on situation, mahatmas did avatar and highlighted the principle which required to be spreaded to the human community to saveguard Hindhu Dharma (Vedic Dharma)
How to we understand this?
Look at ocean..
Now,
Ask below question..
"Do you see that, ocean and wave looks 'little different'?
Yes. Ocean is still,silent, permanent and blue..
But waves appears white, jumps, and appear temporarily and vanish suddenly and reappear again and again.
Ask another question..
Do ocean created waves? or Waves created ocean?
Ocean creates waves.
Ask another question..
May be the waves looks different and behave different.. But, in reality, is waves actually ocean?
Yes.
Now ask same question, replacing "waves with jeeva Atma (we)".
And replace "Ocean with Param Atma (Supreme god)".
Now,
Ask below question..
"Do you see paramathma (ocean) and jeevatma (wave) are little different?
Yes.
paramathma (Ocean) is still and permanent. Also Wow Vishnu is blue as well :)
But, we so called jeevatma (waves) appear temporarily by birth and die and reborn again just continuously.
Ask another question..
Do paramatma (ocean) created jeevatma (waves)? or jeevatma (Waves) created paramatma (ocean)?
paramatma (Ocean) created jeevatma (waves).
Ask another question..
May be jeevatma (waves) looks different and behave different.. but, in reality, is jeevatma (waves) actually paramatma (ocean)?
yes.
There ends the "Advaita theory".
Knowing that jeevatma and paramatma actually same is advaita..
All One. Paramathma (Ocean) himself is showing himself as Jeevatma (millions of waves) as well. But all are one only. That's Advaita
It's not just about one god like people understand Advaita principle.
Some thinks "Advaita" means people who worship Shiva.
This is Absolutely foolish understanding of Advaita that it talks about Shiva worship.
Prahaladha was in this "advaita status". He is a devotee of Narayana.
When he saw his father, he saw narayana.
When he saw the sword, he saw narayana.
When he saw himself, he saw narayana.
He could not see anything outside narayana.
Hence,
when his father tried to kill him, he didn't cried that he will get killed..Or even asked narayana to help him..
Because he could not even feel that, narayana is somewhere residing but exist everywhere.
He saw everything as "Narayana". Hence he did not ask any help...
So many attempts were made to kill him..
He didn't call "Narayana" but saw everything as narayana.
Finally when hiranyakasipu got frustrated, he himself asked "is he inside this stone pillar?".
Prahaladha "saw pillar also as narayana".
He didn't meant narayana inside the pillar.
He said "yes. I can see narayana".
hiranyakasipu thought Narayana is hiding inside the pillar and shouted at him.. "Prahalad, if I don't see narayana in this pillar which I had built with stone and sand, i will kill you with my own hands.."
Narayana appeared as narasimha and killed hiranyakasipu.
Everyone got frightened to see this avatar of Vishnu.
Because no one had even imagined that narayana (vishnu) will come out with such anger and come as half men and half lion.
Even mahalakshmi had little hesitation to go near narasimha.
But little bhakt prahaladha had no fear, Because he even saw narasimha himself as narayana.
He never came out of advaita status.
This same advaita principle was handled and spreaded again by adi sankara in kaliyuga around 300BCE.
During that time, every hindu used vedic mantra to mesmerize, get wealth thru yagya, black magic, yogic powers etc.
Vedic Brahmins also used vedic mantra to reach heaven after life.
Most people forgot that we are all paramathma behaving as jeevathma and continuing this life style and falling again and again in life birth-death cycle.
He showed the other version of veda which talks about gyana marg by teaching advaita principle.
Adi sankara revived hinduism by invoking people's interest to achieve moksha and be in dharma and hate this wordly desires.
Adi Sankara sang Bhaja govindham and asked everyone to worship krishna who can give moksha.
Advaita worship is done by Prahaladha himself.
So assuming Advaita worship as Shiva worship is foolishness.
Advaita worship means.."Anyone who sees one paramathma everywhere including him".
So if a shiva devotee see everyone as shiva including a vaishnava person, including him, then he is considered to be in advaitic status.
'Prahaladha' is the prime example of advaita.
After Adi Sankara, came Ramanuja around 1017AD..
Ramanuja is an incarnation of adi sesha himself of lord narayana.
At his time, he had to revive hindus (Vedic Dharma), who could not follow advaita which is the toughest, ultimate, truth to reach moksha.
Also
He had to show advaita path which is easy and applicable for everyone to follow.
Pure advaitic mahatma like prahaladha, adi sankara appear once in a yuga.
So it's highly impossible to be in advaitic status by common people.
Hence, ramanuja reviewed the vedic sastra and found some missing pieces left in advaita and added some additional Features in advaita principle and present it as "vishishta advaita".
Vishishtaadvaita means "Advaita principle with additional features which was not included"
Let's understand the same by continuing same ocean example..
Be PROUD to be part of HINDU DHARMA, which teaches beyond manmade fake religions..
Advaita principle ask so many questions..Like
Ask another question..
Do paramatma (ocean) created jeevatma (waves)? or Waves created ocean?
Ocean creates waves.
"Advaita" stops here....
But, "Vishista Advaita" goes further to help even common people to achieve moksha.
"Vishista Advaita" continues with further more questions....
"Who created jeevatma (waves)?".
Paramatma (Ocean) created waves.
"Who is dependent? Is ocean is dependent to waves? Or waves is dependent to ocean?".
Waves are dependent to ocean. Reverse is not true.
"Can wave can stop themselves?"
No. Waves are created by ocean.
Can ocean can stop waves?.
If ocean decides, it can stop waves.
That fear that Samudhra Deva had still not left..
Even today, You don't see waves there in Rameswaram !!
Replace ocean with paramatma, and waves with jeevatma. You will be enlighten to know this concept of advaita and vishista advaita.
Based on these additional questions merged with advaita principle came 'vishista advaita'.
"Vishista advaita" gives answer to everything and everyone..
It opens the gate of moksha to everyone, not just people like prahaladha or adi sankara alone.
Waves are dependent to ocean clarifies that, "you are dependent to supreme god".
Waves are created by ocean clarifies that, "you are created by supreme god".
"If ocean decides, it can stop waves" clarifies that, "if supreme god decides, you birth and death life cycle can be stopped".
How paramatma (supreme god) can stop our birth-death life cycle and can gives us moksha?
Based on our "devotion" to merge with him.
What is the quality required?
Hate to live as waves (worldy desire) and unlimited interest to merge with ocean.
"Devotion to supreme god" gives moksha (liberation from birth-death cycle) to anyone.
Just keep chant "om namo narayana", "hare Krishna" "rama" with an interest to get mercy from supreme god to give us moksha.
Devotion to Supreme God (Paramatma), creates mercy.
Supreme God gives moksha to those, who love to merge with him and hate to live like waves.
Adi sankara worshipped shiva, krishna, sakthi, skanda, ganesha.
Because he saw everything as One, including him.
Ramanuja clarifies that even sakthi, brahma, rudra, all 33 crore devas, rishi, mahatma, gyaani, u and me all are different waves.
Only ocean is supreme god is Narayana (Vishnu).
Narayana is the only God, and One and Only existed..
He created brahma. He gave veda to brahma.
He ordered Brahma to create rishis and worlds.
Brahma created "sanath kumara, 11 rudra, deva, rishi, human, birds, animals, plants, and worlds made of air, water, sand, fire and space".
Who is sitting at top of creation? It is narayana.
He is the supreme god, even demi gods will love to get merged with him.
Hence instead of saying worship any gods to get moksha,
ramanuja specifically guided all of us, to say "om namo narayana", "hare Krishna" which is enough to get you moksha directly from Supreme God himself than getting his blessing thru' other demi gods above you.
Vishista advaita is "the complete view of Veda".
Vishista advaita is "an advaita with additional features based on vedic truth".
This complete "Vishista advaita" theory.
"Dvaita" stays at devotion part alone.
It says "Till you stay as Waves (Jeevathma), you will never achieve Paramatma Status and have to appear, disappear and reappear again and again".
So Dvaita insist that Bhakti is the key (just like Vishisa Advaita) to get grace from Paramatma to give moksha.
Yes Once you reach moksha, you (wave) also become ocean - which is vishista advaita.
But Dvaida don't even allows Waves (Jeevatma) to think themselves as Paramatma till he reaches moksha.
So it says "You are different now. Paramatma is different.
Till you dont reach moksha, you need to accept this fact.
Only way to reach moksha is to do bhakti (devotion)".
When you are showing your devotion, dvaida says "Dont even think that you are also paramatma.. this will create a arrogance. So even though it is the ultimate truth when you reach moksha, as of now, don't ever think that you are also paramatma and also do Bhakti."
This Dwaita principle is spreaded by Madhava Charya.
Thus, concludes all 3 principles - concept of Veda.
Veda talks about Dwaita and also Advaita.
Veda actually talks Vishista Advaita by accepting the both facts.
Based on situation, mahatmas did avatar and highlighted the principle which required to be spreaded to the human community to saveguard Hindhu Dharma (Vedic Dharma)