Advaita Vedanta is probably the best known of all Vedanta schools of Hinduism, the others being Dvaita and Vishishtadvaita. Nondual Vedanta is considered the pearl of Indian philosophy and it has influenced virtually all schools of Indian thought. The key texts from which all Vedanta texts draw are the Upanishads (especially 12 or 13 in particular), which are commentaries on the Vedas, and the Brahma Sutras (also known as Vedanta Sutras), which is in turn constitute a work discussing the essence of the Upanishads. ......read more

The word âtman has been used to denote the transcendental Self since the time of the ancient Upanishads. Even the etymology of the word predisposes toward this significance since “â” in this word is a negative particle and “tma” means “darkness.” Therefore “âtma” or “âtman” means “opposite to darkness,” “shining.” As such it is a key concept of Hindu metaphysics ......read more

A glossary of terms related to Hridaya Yoga ......read more

The open attention is the natural expression of a consciousness which is not preoccupied with achieving a thing or another. It is an impersonal attention, free of attachments, the attention of the witness consciousness. Therefore, it does not lose itself in the knowing of the object, but it maintains an awareness of the Spiritual Heart, of the source of attention itself. The traditional texts about yoga include numerous references to the open attention. ......read more

At the young age of sixteen, when He was not even aware of the fact 'This is the spiritual practice of Self-inquiry that directly bestows the experience of the Self', it so happened one day that, without any prior intention, Sri Ramana embarked upon this rare spiritual practice! ......read more

Q : Surrender is impossible.
A : Yes, complete surrender is impossible in the beginning. Partial surrender is certainly possible for all. In course of time that will lead to complete surrender. ......read more

The witness consciousness goes on a number of layers of various depths. When we speak about a conscious action, we usually refer to the attitude of being conscious of that particular action. However, according to the Advaita tradition, an action is truly conscious when the mind is transcended and when, at the same time, the individual consciousness is transcended as well along with all its filters. ......read more

Ramana Maharshi (1879-1950) is considered by his devotees as the Greatest Sage that has been born, as an act of Divine grace, on this planet for a millennium. ......read more

Heart is the seat of knowledge and the knot of ignorance. It is represented in the physical body by a hole smaller than the smallest pin-point, which is always shut. When the mind drops down in 'Kevala Nirvikalpa', it opens but shuts again after it. When sahaja is attained it opens for good. ......read more

Shankaracharya, Adi - A genius and the main representative of Advaita Vedanta , Adi Shankaracharya (788-820) was a great Hindu mystic and scholar who made the greatest revival of Indian philosophy and spirituality in his short lifespan, being alone responsible for a country almost entirely Buddhist becoming again almost entirely Hindu. ......read more

The term ‘Sahaja’ has been translated by "spontaneous", "natural". Etymologically, it derives from "saha" – which means ‘together’ and "ja" – which means “to be born”. Therefore, the direct translation is "born together" or "emerged together." ......read more

The origin of the term Spanda ("tremor" or “vibration”) is found in the spiritual tradition of the Kashmir Shaivism The Spanda is the primordial vibration of the Universe and of our being. ......read more

When an emotion is embraced and welcome with an attention free of mind patterns or personal reactivity, the energy gets transformed, in a natural way. The sublimation is fueled by the alchemic athanor (the alchemic furnace) of the Heart. ......read more

“Some theoretical knowledge is needed for Yoga and may be found in books, but practical application is what is needed. ... As for intuitive understanding, a person may laboriously convince himself of the truth to be grasped by intuition, of its function and nature, but actual intuition is more like feeling and requires practical and personal contact." ......read more