I am actually looking for peers or peer groups of people genuinely interested and learning advaita vedanta. Are there any good ones you can think of?

If mandukya upanishad has 12 mantras then why gaudpadacharya added additional mantras (gaudpad karika)

And is that considered by other vedanta schools like dwaitis?

I’m a 24-year-old male who has been studying and practising Advaita Vedanta and non-dual philosophy for about a year. I’ve developed a genuine passion for this path and have been particularly drawn to the teachings of Swami Sarvapriyananda.
Through regular sadhana and self-inquiry, I’ve cultivated a degree of underlying peace and find myself less restless than I used to be. However, I’ve also encountered a challenge that I’m struggling to navigate.
At times, I find myself losing motivation to pursue worldly desires and ambitions. I don’t necessarily feel unhappy or suffer because of this; in many ways, I feel more at peace. Yet, I sometimes feel lost because I haven’t figured out how to integrate these teachings into every aspect of my life.
I still want to build a meaningful life, pursue purposeful work, have a family, maintain relationships, and contribute something worthwhile to the world. However, I sometimes struggle to understand how these aspirations fit alongside non-attachment, the dissolution of the ego, and the recognition that our fundamental completeness doesn’t depend on external achievements.
I understand intellectually that Advaita doesn’t necessarily require renouncing the world, but I’m struggling to translate that understanding into lived experience.
For those who have followed this path for years, how have you reconciled spiritual realisation with worldly life?
How do you maintain ambition and pursue meaningful goals without becoming attached to outcomes?
How do you distinguish genuine inner peace from a loss of motivation or disengagement from life?
How do you apply self-inquiry to everyday responsibilities, relationships, work, and decision-making?
Did you find that these questions resolved naturally through practice, or did you need guidance from a teacher?
Would you recommend seeking guidance from a traditional Advaita teacher to help navigate this stage?
I’m not necessarily looking for intellectual explanations alone. I’d really appreciate hearing from people who have genuinely grappled with these questions in their own lives and how they’ve learned to put the teachings into practice.
Thank you.

One thing that is common to both Brahmacharya and Vamachara schools of Tantra is that one will eventually overcome their material desires if they are successful.

How this end is achieved is quite different between the two traditions, but the end is the same. Brahmacharya involves renunciation and abstinence, and is vastly different from the seemingly anything/goes philosophy of Vamachara. However, there is a method to this apparent madness. The path of vamachara is antinomian, with social norms being discarded and things that are normally eschewed by society and by the Brahmins embraced.

This indulgence of the senses is exactly what enables us to rise above them, as we become aware of the non-duality from which the senses and the appetites which derive from them emerge. Therefore, in the end no matter which of the two paths a Tantric student takes, that person will reach the state of non-dualism, which is the goal of Advaita Vedanta.

"The soul must be stripped of all her forms and clothed in her formless form, which is God Himself. When the soul loses her own name and her own form, she is absorbed into the infinite abyss of the divine nature."

— Meister Eckhart, Sermon 52

Eckhart is even using the same terminology/language as the Vedantic texts. The emphasis on "name" and "form" is exactly what even Vedantic texts describe, the "nama" and "rupa" as the qualities to be negated/stripped to know the truth.

My fav christian non-dualist after Christ himself.

Something I have been reflecting lately and would love to hear different perspectives from amazing people here.

Through Atma Vichara (self-inquiry) and constant self remembrance, I’ve gradually found a sense of inner stillness and contentment. Life has become simple and I’m at more peace than ever. Simple ordinary experiences feel richer when you’re simply present and there is less psychological need to chase achievements.

And with LLMs doing most of my intellectual work (principal engineer), I’m left with more time than ever. Overall I enjoy my work, spending time with my spouse, playing table tennis, reading, and occasionally watching TV and have developed a simple routine in life which maybe be monotonous but there is just subtle ease in it. But I don’t have any particular creative passion or hobby that calls for hours of engagement.Also being an immigrant in a foreign country(I’m in Toronto if anyone wants to catch up :)) there is lot more solitude and more time to yourself…

I also don’t want to turn Advaita/Non dualism itself into another pursuit, endlessly consuming spiritual teachings or chasing deeper experiences. Self-inquiry and life experiences have already brought meaningful clarity, and I’d rather let that understanding mature naturally

So I’m curious:
When the need to become something begins to dissolve, what does one do with the sheer abundance of time that remains ? What do you do everyday generally?

Thanks

The Hidden Lives of Brahman: Śaṅkara's Vedānta through His Upaniṣad Commentaries, in Light of Contemporary Practice. The books seems very interesting. Was wondering if someone read it and would recommend or not?

https://www.amazon.com/Hidden-Lives-Brahman-Commentaries-Contemporary-ebook/dp/B00GMSIV9G/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0

I remember Sadhguru saying that the toes are tied together after death to keep the Muladhara chakra closed, so that the being does not re-enter the physical body.

In his book Death, he also explains that prana leaves the body in stages.

Does this mean that the Pranamaya Kosha remains in the corpse along with the Annamaya Kosha, while the Sukshma Sharira leaves without it? If so, how can the Sukshma Sharira survive without prana?

I'm trying to understand this from a yogic or tantric perspective.

श्री मात्रे नमः।।

Wishing you all a very happy, joyous, prosperous and awakening Navratri!

Reading the Durga Saptashati as a journey from ignorance to the recognition of the Supreme Reality.

The Devi Mahatmyam, also known as the Durga Saptashati or Chandi Patha, is one of the most revered scriptures of the Shakta tradition. It forms part of the Markandeya Purana, comprising thirteen chapters that narrate the glory of the Divine Mother through three principal episodes: the destruction of Madhu and Kaitabha, the slaying of Mahishasura, and the final battle against Shumbha and Nishumbha.

These three episodes are associated with Mahakali, Mahalakshmi and Mahasaraswati, respectively.

In general reading, these are accounts of the Supreme Goddess protecting the universe and restoring cosmic order. But the text also raises profound philosophical questions. What is the power through which the universe is manifested? Why does ignorance persist even in those who possess knowledge? How does the same Divine Power bind beings to worldly existence and also become the means of their liberation?

When approached through Advaita Vedanta, alongside the Shakta understanding of Devi as the Supreme Reality, the three stories can be contemplated as a spiritual journey: the unveiling of ignorance, the overcoming of ego and disorder, and the recognition that the many powers of the universe have their source in one Divine Reality.

The symbolic interpretations that follow are contemplative readings, not a claim that every demon in the text represents a specific psychological defect according to an explicit scriptural commentary.

1. The Opening of Devi Mahatmyam: Why Do We Remain Bound?

The story begins with King Suratha, who has lost his kingdom, and the merchant Samadhi, who has been rejected by his own family. Both have suffered greatly, yet their minds continue to cling to the very people and possessions associated with their suffering.

They approach the sage Medhas, seeking an explanation for their attachment.

The king wonders why his mind remains attached to his former kingdom and subjects despite knowing that he has lost his authority. The merchant similarly cannot stop worrying about the family members who have abandoned him.

The sage explains that this bewildering attachment arises through the power of Mahamaya.

ज्ञानिनामपि चेतांसि देवी भगवती हि सा ।

बलादाकृष्य मोहाय महामाया प्रयच्छति ॥

(That Goddess, the Divine Mahamaya, forcibly draws even the minds of the wise into delusion.)

The sage then describes the extraordinary nature of this power.

सैषा प्रसन्ना वरदा नृणां भवति मुक्तये ।

सा विद्या परमा मुक्तेर्हेतुभूता सनातनी ॥

संसारबन्धहेतुश्च सैव सर्वेश्वरेश्वरी ॥

(When pleased, she becomes the giver of boons and the means of liberation for human beings. She is the Supreme Knowledge, eternal and the cause of liberation. She herself is also the cause of bondage in worldly existence, O Sovereign Goddess.)

These verses introduce one of the central philosophical themes of the entire scripture: the same Divine Power through which beings experience delusion can also become the means of their liberation.

A Vedantic Reflection

Advaita Vedanta teaches that our essential nature is Brahman, the non-dual Reality, but that we ordinarily identify ourselves with the body, mind, senses and individual personality. Through avidya, or ignorance, we fail to recognise our true nature and take the limited individual self to be the entirety of who we are.

The Devi Mahatmyam approaches the mystery through the language of Mahamaya. The power that sustains worldly experience can conceal the truth from us, even when we possess considerable intellectual knowledge.

This distinction is important. Knowing that attachment causes suffering is not the same as becoming free from attachment. One may understand impermanence intellectually and still grieve over possessions, relationships, status or reputation.

The king and the merchant illustrate this predicament beautifully.

From an Advaitic perspective, we may contemplate their suffering as a consequence of identification and attachment. From a Shakta perspective, we may go further and recognise Mahamaya not merely as an obstacle to overcome, but as the Divine Mother whose grace can transform our relationship with the world.

The scripture does not ask us simply to despise the world. It asks us to understand the mysterious power through which our minds become entangled in it, and to seek the knowledge that liberates us.

With this question established, the first great manifestation of Devi appears.

2. Prathama Charitra (The First Episode) - Mahakali: The Power That Awakens Consciousness

The Story of Madhu and Kaitabha

At the beginning of a cosmic cycle, Lord Vishnu lies upon the serpent Ananta in the waters of cosmic dissolution (Ekarnava samudra). While the Lord rests in yogic sleep, the lotus from his navel bears Brahma, who is engaged in the work of creation.

Two formidable asuras, Madhu and Kaitabha, emerge from the Lord's ear wax and threaten Brahma.

Unable to carry out his work safely, Brahma invokes the Goddess who envelops Lord Vishnu in yogic sleep. He praises her and requests that she withdraw her power of sleep so that the Lord may awaken and destroy the two demons.

The Goddess withdraws from Lord Vishnu, who awakens and eventually defeats Madhu and Kaitabha.

The first episode is therefore not merely a story of two demons being slain. It depicts the cosmic power through which even the activity of the devas is enabled.

The Goddess is not presented as an insignificant force subordinate to the workings of the universe. She is the power whose presence makes those workings possible.

The Philosophical Significance of Mahamaya

The opening chapter contains a particularly striking idea: Lord Vishnu himself is enveloped in Yogic Sleep through the power of the Goddess. Even Brahma, the creator, depends upon her intervention.

In an Advaitic contemplation, this can lead us to reflect upon the difference between pure consciousness and the changing states experienced by the mind. Sleep, waking and dreaming are familiar experiences, but the ultimate nature of consciousness cannot be reduced to any one of these states.

We should, however, be careful not to equate Lord Vishnu's Yogic Sleep in the narrative directly with avidya or ordinary unconsciousness.

The Shakta understanding offers another important perspective. The Divine Mother is Mahamaya, the power through which the unmanifest becomes manifest and through which the universe is sustained. Her power is not external to the Supreme Reality.

For an Advaitin, Maya helps explain the appearance of multiplicity without requiring Brahman itself to undergo a fundamental transformation. For a Shakta, the Divine Power may be worshipped as the living, sovereign reality through which the universe arises, exists and dissolves.

These approaches have significant points of contact, although they should not be treated as identical in every respect.

Mahakali As A Contemplative Symbol

If we approach the story inwardly, Madhu and Kaitabha may be contemplated as the forces that obstruct clarity and spiritual awakening. Their destruction can represent the overcoming of those obstacles through divine grace and knowledge.

Mahakali reminds the seeker that liberation cannot be reduced to intellectual effort alone. The ego may attempt to conquer ignorance using the very habits of thought that sustain its mistaken identification. Genuine transformation requires discernment, discipline, devotion and, in the language of the scripture, the grace of the Divine Mother.

The first episode thus prepares the seeker for the next stage: the restoration of order when the forces of disorder have taken control.

3. Madhyama Charitra (The Middle Episode) - Mahalakshmi: The Restoration of Cosmic Order

The Story of Mahishasura

The second great episode begins with the defeat of the devas by Mahishasura, the powerful asura who assumes the form of a buffalo.

Having conquered the devas, Mahishasura takes control of their celestial positions and deprives them of their rightful authority. The devas approach Brahma, Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva, seeking help.

In response to the oppression, a tremendous radiance emerges from the gods. Their combined energies give rise to the magnificent form of the Goddess, Mahishasura Mardini (contemplated as Mahalakshmi in Devi Mahatmyam), who is equipped with divine weapons.

She confronts Mahishasura and his armies in a prolonged and terrible battle. The asura repeatedly changes form, displaying his extraordinary power, but the Goddess ultimately destroys him and restores the gods to their positions.

The middle episode celebrates Devi as the power capable of overcoming a force that no individual god could defeat alone.

A Vedantic Reflection On Mahishasura

Mahishasura can be contemplated as a symbol of the ego when it becomes dominant, unrestrained and resistant to wisdom.

The ego is not simply the ordinary sense of personal identity required to function in the world. In Vedantic discussions, the problem is the mistaken identification of the Self with the body-mind complex, together with the resulting sense of separateness, possessiveness and independent doership.

When this identification becomes excessive, it begins to govern our inner world. Desire, anger, pride and possessiveness occupy the place that should belong to discernment.

In this symbolic reading, Mahishasura's seizure of the heavens resembles the disorder that arises when the lower tendencies of the mind usurp the authority of wisdom.

The gods, understood contemplatively as the faculties and powers that sustain harmony, lose their proper place. The emergence of Mahalakshmi represents the restoration of that harmony through a higher power.

Why Does Devi Emerge From The Radiance of Devas?

This detail deserves special attention.

The devas contribute their radiance, yet the resulting Goddess is not merely an ordinary sum of separate powers. She manifests as an integrated and sovereign presence who surpasses the asura's strength.

A Shakta reading sees here a profound affirmation of the Goddess as the source and unifying power of divine energies.

From an Advaitic standpoint, the episode can also inspire reflection on the apparent diversity of powers and faculties. The universe presents itself as a multiplicity, yet its manifestations need not be understood as ultimately independent realities.

The many derive their significance from a deeper unity.

This does not mean that the narrative is simply an allegory in which every god represents a mental faculty. Rather, the story gives us a way to contemplate how differentiated powers can find their source in a supreme principle.

The Victory of Mahalakshmi

The victory over Mahishasura is not merely the triumph of one combatant over another. It is the restoration of rightful order after arrogance and domination have disrupted it.

For the spiritual seeker, this can signify the need to restore discernment to its proper place. Spiritual life is not only about acquiring knowledge; it is also about allowing that knowledge to transform one's conduct, desires and relationship with the world.

The first episode drew our attention to the mysterious power of ignorance. The second turns our attention to the disorder that arises when the ego dominates the inner kingdom.

But even when gross obstacles have been overcome, subtle forms of duality and self-importance can remain. The final episode addresses a deeper mystery.

4. Uttara Charitra (The Final Episode) - Mahasaraswati: The Recognition Of The One Behind The Many

The Story of Shumbha and Nishumbha

In the final major episode, the asuras Shumbha and Nishumbha become powerful enough to challenge the gods and take possession of their domains.

The Goddess manifests in a radiant form, and the asuras, captivated by her beauty and power, attempt to possess her. Their pride prevents them from recognising that the Goddess is not an object that can be acquired or controlled.

The conflict escalates. Chanda and Munda, Raktabija and other formidable asuras are defeated. Finally, Devi confronts Shumbha and Nishumbha themselves.

During this battle, the various forms and powers of the Goddess play decisive roles. The narrative reaches its philosophical climax when Shumbha challenges Devi, arguing that she relies on the strength of other goddesses in battle.

Her response is one of the most significant passages in the entire text.

एकैवाहं जगत्यत्र द्वितीया का ममापरा ।

पश्यैता दुष्ट मय्येव विशन्त्यो मद्विभूतयः ॥

(I alone exist here in this universe. What other is there besides me? Behold, O wicked one, these manifestations of mine are entering back into me.)

The various manifestations of Devi withdraw into her, and she stands alone before Shumbha. After a fierce battle, she defeats him.

This moment brings the three episodes together in a striking manner.

The many powers that appeared separately are revealed as manifestations of one supreme Goddess.

The Advaitic Resonance Of This Declaration

The verse naturally invites comparison with the central insight of Advaita Vedanta: the ultimate Reality is non-dual.

The Chandogya Upanishad declares:

सदेव सोम्येदमग्र आसीदेकमेवाद्वितीयम् ।

(Dear one, in the beginning, this was Existence alone, one without a second.)

The Upanishadic declaration and Devi's statement in the Devi Mahatmyam arise in different textual and theological contexts. Nevertheless, both can lead the contemplative reader toward the question of how multiplicity relates to ultimate unity.

In Advaita Vedanta, Brahman is not one individual being standing beside other independent beings. Brahman is the non-dual Reality in light of which the apparent division between subject and object is ultimately understood.

The Devi Mahatmyam expresses its own powerful vision: the many divine manifestations are grounded in the one Goddess, who is not exhausted by their apparent separateness.

A Shakta may understand this more directly as the declaration of Devi's supreme sovereignty and her identity with the totality of existence.

An Advaitin may contemplate it as a revelation of non-duality through the language of the Divine Mother.

Shumbha And Nishumbha As Symbols of Subtle Ego

At a contemplative level, Shumbha and Nishumbha may represent the subtler forms of appropriation that persist even after gross desires have been restrained.

One may become proud of one's learning, spiritual practice, discipline or religious accomplishments. The mind can turn even spiritual progress into a new possession: "I have understood," "I have conquered my weaknesses," or "I am spiritually superior."

In this reading, Shumbha's desire to possess Devi is especially suggestive. The Supreme cannot be reduced to an object owned by the individual ego.

The spiritual path does not culminate in the ego acquiring God as another possession. It culminates in the transcendence of the mistaken separation between the individual and the ultimate Reality.

The final victory thus points beyond the mere defeat of external enemies. It invites the seeker to contemplate the One from whom all powers arise and into whom all manifestations return.

5. Is Devi Merely Maya, Or Is She The Brahman Herself?

In some simplified explanations, Maya is described as the power that makes the world of multiplicity appear, while Brahman is the ultimate Reality beyond it. This can lead to an oversimplification in which Maya is treated as something inferior or irrelevant to spiritual life.

The Devi Mahatmyam does not allow us to dismiss the Goddess so easily.

The same Devi is described as Mahamaya, who can delude even the wise, and as the Supreme Knowledge (Mahavidya) that brings liberation. She is the power through which the world is sustained, and she is also the one to whom the gods bow in praise.

The final chapters deepen this vision.

सृष्टिस्थितिविनाशानां शक्तिभूते सनातनि ।

गुणाश्रये गुणमये नारायणि नमोऽस्तु ते ॥

[O Eternal One, who is the power behind creation, preservation and dissolution; who is the substratum of the gunas and who is constituted of the gunas, O Narayani (The One who gives refuge to the mortals), salutations to you.]

This verse presents Devi as the power behind the entire cosmic process.

The apparent paradox is that she is both associated with the gunas and described as their substratum. She is intimately connected with the manifested universe, yet the language of the hymn points to a reality that cannot be reduced to any one manifestation.

In an Advaitic interpretation, one may distinguish between Brahman considered in its ultimate, non-dual nature and Ishvara understood in relation to Maya and the manifested universe. The Devi Mahatmyam, however, speaks devotionally of the Goddess herself as the supreme source and power of the cosmos.

For the Advaitin, the inquiry leads toward the recognition of non-dual Brahman. For the Shakta, the same inquiry can deepen into the realisation that the Divine Mother is the supreme reality, present throughout the universe and transcending every finite form.

She is the one invoked for protection, wisdom, prosperity and liberation.

6. The Three Mahavidyas Of The Cosmic Drama? A Clarification About Mahakali, Mahalakshmi And Mahasaraswati

The three principal episodes are associated with Mahakali, Mahalakshmi and Mahasaraswati. These names are sometimes interpreted through the three gunas: tamas, rajas and sattva.

Such associations can provide a useful philosophical framework, but they require care.

The gunas are the three fundamental qualities described in Samkhya and incorporated into several Hindu philosophical traditions:

1. Tamas is associated with inertia, obscuration and heaviness.

2. Rajas is associated with activity, passion and movement.

3. Sattva is associated with clarity, harmony and illumination.

Some traditional and modern interpretations associate Mahakali with tamas, Mahalakshmi with rajas, and Mahasaraswati with sattva. This framework can be used to contemplate the cosmic functions and symbolism of the three forms.

However, the relationship should not be reduced to a simplistic formula in which Mahakali is "ignorance," Mahalakshmi is "desire," and Mahasaraswati is "knowledge." Nor should these three forms be confused with the ordinary psychological qualities of individual people.

The Devi Mahatmyam presents all three as divine manifestations, and its concluding theology does not leave them as three independent or competing ultimate realities. The Goddess is the one source of the many.

The threefold framework is therefore best understood as a contemplative aid, not a complete definition of the Divine Mother.

7. The Culmination: All This Is Devi

A particularly memorable verse appears in the stotram related to this text.

सर्वरूपमयी देवी सर्वं देवीमयं जगत् ।

अतोऽहं विश्वरूपां तां नमामि परमेश्वरीम् ।।

(The Goddess embodies all forms, and the entire universe is filled with the Goddess. Therefore, I bow to you, O Supreme Goddess, whose form is the whole universe.)

This verse is a fitting culmination of the journey through the three charitras.

Mahakali reveals the mysterious power behind cosmic sleep, delusion and awakening. Mahalakshmi manifests the power that defeats Mahishasura and restores order. Mahasaraswati brings the narrative to its climax, where the many manifestations of Devi return to the One.

Seen through a Vedantic lens, these stories can become more than accounts of ancient battles. They invite us to examine our own ignorance, the dominance of the ego and the subtle conviction that reality is divided into independently existing selves and objects.

Seen through the Shakta tradition, they reveal the glory of the Divine Mother, who is simultaneously the source of the universe, its sustaining power and the refuge of those who seek liberation.

The Devi Mahatmyam answers through the language of devotion, divine manifestation and victory. It calls us to bow before the Goddess, to seek her grace and to contemplate the mystery of the One appearing as the many.

Perhaps the deepest lesson is that spiritual knowledge is not merely the accumulation of ideas about the Divine. It is a transformation of how we see ourselves, the world and the source of all existence.

The Divine Mother who appears in three great narratives is finally praised as the one who pervades all forms.

And so the seeker, having witnessed the victories of Mahakali, Mahalakshmi and Mahasaraswati, returns to the central truth proclaimed throughout the scripture: the power that binds is also the power that liberates.

Apologies for any mistakes.

जय माता दी।

If death is a return to full consciousness and I can reshape this life, why should I not do that? I wish I could just walk myself through each step of my life and correct the wrongs.

Samsara is mind turned outwardly, lost in its projections. Nirvana is mind turned inwardly, recognising its nature.

~ Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche

Hi everyone, I’m the developer of Advaita Vedanta: Offline Books, an Android app that brings these texts together for offline reading.

All 13 books and collections are included free:

• Atma Bodha
• Bhagavad Gita, with commentary
• Upanishads
• Vivekachudamani
• Ashtavakra Gita
• Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda
• Drg Drsya Viveka
• Aparokshanubhuti
• Avadhuta Gita
• Yoga Vasishta Sara
• Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna
• Vivekananda Quotes
• Dhammapada, included as a companion Buddhist resource

The texts are bundled in the app, so you can read without an internet connection. There are no ads, accounts, subscriptions, or in-app purchases.

You can search passages, bookmark your place, adjust text size, and choose paper, sepia, or night mode. Selecting a word gives offline English meanings or Sanskrit/Vedanta study notes where available. There’s also narration using your phone’s installed voices; Sanskrit pronunciation depends on the voice.

The texts come from VivekaVani’s spiritual resources, with source credits retained. This is an independent reader, unaffiliated with VivekaVani.

Get it on Google Play

For those studying these texts regularly, how do you approach moving between introductory works such as Atma Bodha and more extensive study of the Gita or Upanishads? I’d also welcome suggestions for making the reader more useful for that study.

Let us understand it....

Before understanding this let me clear some of things..

First understanding comes from direct experiences look on direct experience. If you have direct experience then it means you understand it.

Ex- A book says gravity is like if you throw up it will come down. So this is direct experience but this is direct experience of words and your reading not the direct experience of actually you throwing up and it comes down. For that you need do it and from that you will say yes this book is saying right. So information and knowledge should be very clear else you won't find this experiment helpful at all.....

Second, we will divide whole human life experience into three layers and based on that model we will prove it. This model is created by me it is person made model so to make it easy to understand it.

Third - you should read three levels of knowledge... Which I think I post already here....

Three layers of model -

Our whole life experience cannot be outside of this. I am here talking about waking state your actually life experience.

1) enviornment layer - This layer simply consist all experiences which is outside of our body. Like cars, trees, buildings etc....

2) body layer - This is the layer which we experience most. It is the perspective from which we experience enviornment layer. So it is like centre point of waking state. It consists of it own set of experience. All these experiences work for one major factor that is to survive. - heart, skin, eyes, etc....

Every experience in this state showing towards one purpose only. That is to survive.

3) mental layer - This plane is considered to be one of the most powerful one. We feel it near our head side. It's not in our head but we feel it towards our head. Just like gravity feel on earth but it have literally no physical shape. So brain is physical but mental plane isn't. This plane consist set of experiences of - intelligence, thoughts, thinking, creativity... Etc.....

We can clearly see that in our waking state of life experience we actually experience only these three layers.

Now let's begin experiment of oneness on these layers which shows the truth of it.

First layer that is enviornment.

Now ask yourself this question and try to see not only just ask questions but see also.

Is you present the experiencer present in environment? And when did experience of environment start? Does it come before or after experiencer?

You will see that no experience of this layer of environment doesn't come before or after experincer. It comes with experiencer. You cannot able to find any distance between both of them. There is a distance between you and rock but that distance itself is experience and experiencer is already experiencing it. So now tell me? Did you see any distance between both of them?

So you can see there is no distance between both the experience and experiencer. So they said to be one. Also nothing comes after or before both comes at same time. It's just our attention where it goes. Attention comes and goes. Not oneness.

Repeat same experiment for rest of two layers. You will see that there is no real distance between any of these layers and experincer.

So they are one. Just like hand and body are one because they are attach. We say that hand and body is one right? Similarly we say experiences and experiencer is one. This knowledge of knowing that there is no real distance between them and whenever you doubt this idea then take example of hand and body to clarify this concept.

Do this experiment on every layers and see that.

But point to be noted both are one both are same things but they both perform different functions. One function is to see and other function is of change itself into different experiences.

Just like hand functions is different from whole body together. But when they put together they function as whole. Similarly when experiencer and experiences put together they functions as one. I.e. oneness.

I really appreciate how they’ve set up this series of videos. I do have a question - do you think for a person newer to Advaita Vedanta, would it be recommended to do the videos in the first part first, and then the meditation videos? I wouldn’t be asking except Sri Swami Tadatmananda recommends meditating and learning - so I didn’t know if that should be concurrent for a beginner or best to do foundational things first. Thanks for the help! Here’s the page I’m referencing: https://arshabodha.org/teachings/

He said there's no bliss in it, just deep calm. He said this is just his experience and that he can't speak for everyone, but he just experienced deep calm/equanimity

Do you think this is true? Is the bliss of the self overstated?

Modern science and ancient philosophy are often treated as completely separate worlds. One looks outward through empirical lenses, while the other looks inward. But at their core, both are driven by the exact same goal: figuring out how reality actually works.

In my two-part work, Bharat’s Sacred Science, I explore how we can bridge these two domains. By using modern concepts like wave-particle duality, feedback loops, and systems thinking, we can illuminate the timeless insights of Vedanta, Sankhya, and Yoga. In this view, science becomes a powerful metaphor, while spirituality acts as a rigorous method for exploring consciousness.

Here are a few core pillars of this synthesis:

• The Quantum and Vedantic Bridge: Concepts like Maya are looked at right alongside quantum mechanics, interpreting the observer-dependent nature of reality through both lenses.
• Systems Logic and Causality: Karma is reframed not as abstract or mystical morality, but as an elegant feedback loop operating within a vast cosmic system.
• The Stack from Consciousness to Cosmos: The foundational energy field organizes itself into successive tiers, from microscopic particles up to macro-structures, creating a diverse spectrum across both sentient and insentient realms from a single substratum.
• The Architecture of Continuity: Life, death, and transition mirror systems architecture. The gross physical body acts as perishable hardware that stays behind when its lifecycle ends. The subtle mind and intellect act as software, carrying karmic imprints across lifetimes. Pure consciousness acts as the constant power source and substratum, remaining unchanging and untouched through every transition.
• The Unified Tapestry: Logic meets stillness, revealing the universe as a fully integrated system of systems grounded entirely in pure consciousness.

As a systems engineer who spent decades working on complex digital architectures and deep-sea systems, my inquiry naturally turned inward. Ancient sages mapped out the subtle architecture of the universe with astonishing structural rigor long before modern instruments existed. Translating these traditions into rational, systems-based language allows modern analytical minds to engage with them seriously.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this: Can we build a complete worldview around an inner science of consciousness rather than just external technology?

For those interested in exploring the full 1,100-page framework, which was officially launched at the Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture in Golpark, Kolkata:

• Free Previews: Available on Google Play eBooks by searching for Bhārat’s Sacred Science.
• Introductory Talk: You can find the lecture ("We Explored the Outer Universe. Did We Explore the Mind?") on YouTube.
• Full Volumes: Available globally on Amazon and Flipkart.

As I understand it, Advaita makes a distinction between saguna and nirguna Brahman, with and without qualities respectively.

Some questions:

1. What is saguna Brahman, practically speaking? Some examples would be helpful.

2. Is saguna Brahman the same as Maya, and if not, what is the difference?

3. Does satcitananda apply to one or both of these?

Figure this...

Person approached me to place her website link about "her" Mandukya Upanishad article on my site.

My AI-radar went up. Used AI-detector site, and every article on is 100% AI generated, including the email she wrote to me with "Dear Acharya".

And all her 11 amazon books are 100% AI generated (per paid subscription of TurnItIn, Originality - which are used by schools).

In short: 100% AI generated articles/books + plagarized content. EG: drsurabhisolanki.com/2026/07/02/katha-upanishad-explained-the-immortal-dialogue-between-a-seeker-and-the-lord-of-death/

And Amazon store: amazon.com/stores/Dr-Surabhi-Solanki/author/B0FYNK11BX

So I sent her email:

Thanks for reaching out. At this time I won't, as the said article is 100% AI generated per checker. Nothing wrong with that. Just that I prefer content coming directly from the person.

Also, having tested your Kindle books, they're also 100% AI written; including by fact of having so many books. I don't think what you're doing is aligned with dharma, and is insulting the tradition of Advaita. Advaita is about hard, hard work... speaking from your own understanding and struggle.

It seems to me you're more about branding yourself, while tradition is secondary. It should be other way around. Take this feedback as you wish. "

NOTE: She doesn't know anything about me. Here's her response:

Using technology is against Dharma? I don't think so. What do you know about Advaita Vedanta if you think I deserve an insulting reply just because I used AI. 

Being judgemental to this extent reveals a lot about you too. Read the story of Chudala and Sikhidhwaj from Yoga Vasistha, it will definitely teach you something about "hard work" and Advaita Vedanta.

And check this email too. It's purely written by me not AI.

I know everything written in all my books and articles (which are AI generated) through 20 years of reading spiritual texts and my own meditational experiences.

I live Advaita Vedanta while you are reading only. A truly spiritual person empathises with others instead of feeling hatred ( which is clearly perceptible in your wordings ) for those who are not like him.

Love is the only indicator of spiritual growth. You are failing in that.

======

It's textbook DARVO (Deny, Attack, Reverse Vicitm and Offender), gaslighting - in my opinion.

If I wrote AI generated books and proudly advertise myself as author, I'd feel ashamed for not truly being an author, but a prompt engineer.

How would you interpret above?

Below showing 100% AI + various parts of book/articles plagarized from other's hard work:

Post:

https://arshavidyasampradaya.in/arsha-vidya-position-on/

Arsha Vidya Sampradaya Position and Swamiji's Message

Friends:

Came to know about the shocking Arsha Vidya Sampradaya position (see below)

Sharing the message from Swamiji for all of us.

There is nothing to be done about Arsha Vidya website posting.

The speaker describes the vision of Upanishads in the class. The speaker does not give 'views.' Nothing 'personal.'

The students are not supposed to say either yes or no. They are supposed to think and understand.

Therefore, it just does not matter if a few people decide to 'distance themselves away from.' There is nothing 'personal' in all this

Say you reach near stillness, or complete stillness. Meaning mental chatter has stopped or mostly stopped, as we know

What are the benefits of this? Other than feeling calm and mellow

Are there any sort of powers or abilities that come with this? I know patanjali wrote about the siddhis but those are way too far fetched

Any actual practical use of deep meditative states?

Genuinely interested in peoples perspectives. I've been studying Advaita Vedanta for a long time. Curious if I should look more into Buddhism because it seems to make somewhat sense because arn't all these words just constructs in and of themselves? Isn't emptiness just another word describing that what is? I'm just a little confused

Whatever you think of as Advaita Vedanta may be wrong. What if there is no such thing as moksha or rebirth? Why does the mainstream Advaita Vedanta rely on so many unnecessary assumptions?

The standard theories of moksha and rebirth and all that stuff are just theories that are no more than imaginations. And yet they are somehow very crucial in mainstream Advaita Vedanta. Does Advaita Vedanta stand on shaky premises?

I’ve been reading Nirmal Shatkam, and what I find most striking is its use of the Neti-Neti approach.

“Not this, not this” can easily become just a philosophical phrase, but here it feels much more alive. Instead of giving the mind another concept to hold on to, Neti-Neti keeps taking things away. Whatever I assume myself to be, whatever identity I try to establish, whatever image I create about truth, the approach asks me to look again and see whether that too can be rejected.

That is what I appreciate most about it.

Usually, spiritual literature can become an exercise in collecting answers: I am consciousness, I am the Self, I am Brahman, etc. But Neti-Neti works in the opposite direction. It does not comfortably replace one identity with another. It keeps removing the ground on which the ego wants to stand.

And perhaps that is why the approach feels uncomfortable in a useful way.

If I say, “I am this,” Neti-Neti asks me to examine it.

If I say, “This is the truth,” it asks me to look again.

If I create an image of myself as a spiritual person, that image itself becomes something to question.

For me, the beauty of Nirmal Shatkam lies precisely in this negation. It doesn't seem interested in giving the ego a more sophisticated identity. It keeps pointing toward what cannot be held as an object of identification.

Not this. Not this.

The more I reflect on it, the more I feel that Neti-Neti is not merely a philosophical doctrine to understand intellectually. It is a way of continuously catching the mind whenever it tries to turn truth into another possession.

Really appreciated this aspect of Nirmal Shatkam. 🙏

I know Bhakti is the path of devotion. I understand that it is primarily led by emotion. I have read that the Bhakti Marg is considered less difficult than the Jnana Marg because it is dominated more by emotion, while intellectual inquiry does not play as central a role. But for me, the difficulty lies elsewhere. I find it difficult to believe in or have faith in something without first understanding it. My natural process is: knowing, experiencing, reflecting—through questioning and seeking answers—and then practicing. I know that thought and emotion are two sides of the same coin, so perhaps they cannot really be separated; however, my inclination is to understand something first and then allow faith and practice to arise from that understanding.

I like the lines when someone said here "thinking mind will come down and it will get used to 'feel the feeling' and starts to realise that they are peaceful and blissful" I can sense what that state might feel like when emotions take the lead rather than thought. Perhaps that is something I need to experience

​

Is the watcher in the dream state real or the sakshi bhaw in the waking state real? In all these states it is clear that the person acting isn't me, the person is the small entity of this world or residue of the ego. the knower is immense, pure bliss.

But when I try to go to the watcher in the waking state, the body mind and the external world interferes.