- Question:
Why does advaita vedanta feel like an incomplete philosophy? How am I the supreme self if the upanishads describe the supreme brahman as devoid of ego, above maya and free from avidya? Surely, we are just a separated spark of the supreme self?
Sri Prabhuji :
At the outset “spark of Supreme Self” appears to be good observation. Supreme SELF is non dual (advaita) and has no parts (akhanda) and hence we have to investigate in to our observation to find reality. We are attracted by forms of “me”, “world” etc. Brahman and me are like water and wave. Wave is in essence water and water has no parts called wave. Brahman is consciousness having no parts.
First of all Advaita Vedanta is not a philosophy – mental speculation. It is a body of knowledge for realizing the Supreme Truth about SELF. Advaita is not about a set of new belief systems. Teaching of Advaita is to investigate into the nature of self and world with an open mind and recognize the true nature of SELF. We see the world through the glasses of social, religious, political and spiritual conditioning we have accumulated during the process of upbringing. How to look at the self and world without the preconceived conditioning and notions is the teaching of advaita.
Advaita Vedanta or for that matter any subject be it Physics, chemistry or engineering has to be studied under the guidance of competent teacher before making any judgment about the subject.
Follow-up Question:
Thanks for kind response. Let me ask my question in another way. If we consider example of the house Prime Minister lives in, I do not control that house so I can’t say that building is “mine or self or I am”. But In the same way, if I can ask you about awareness, do we control awareness? If we could really control awareness, it would be possible to say turn my awareness off, turn my awareness on etc. Since you do not control awareness, is it logical to call it self or I am?
Sri Prabhuji:
SELF atman is not individual. It is universal like space. SELF is like space – all pervading. It is awareness. One who wants to control awareness is the ego. Ego derives its power from awareness. Ego has no independent existence. Awareness cannot be switched on or off. It is the eternal reality . Everything depends on awareness but awareness does not depend on anything. It is like saying wave (ego) depends on water (awareness) not the other way. Wave cannot control water.