A classic text on the path to God through knowledge. The basic teaching is that God alone is the all-pervading reality; the individual soul is none other than the universal soul. Shankara was under no illusions about this world. For this reason, he is able to describe so powerfully the complete transformation of the universe that takes place before the eyes of the illumined seer, when the world indeed becomes a paradise.
In the Crest-Jewel of Wisdom Sankara summarizes the traditional path of knowledge that leads to the bliss of eternal freedom and Self-Realization. Charles Johnston's translation is a classic which has withstood the test of time.
Advaita Vedanta is one of the most important and widely studied schools of throught in Hindu philosophy and the Vivekacudamani is one of the most important texts in the Advaita tradition and the most popular philosophical work ascribed to the great Indian philosopher, Sankara.Sankara is considered to be a giant among giants and probably the most venerated philosopher in India`s long history.
In today’s India, the scene that presents itself before any impartial observer is a welter of conflicting ideologies amidst drift and restlessness. In such a situation, the youth of the country are restive. They seek an answer. Swami Vivekananda’s words, touching upon every facet of our national life, provide answers to questions that agitate both the individual and society. Vivekananda's words are as pertinent today as when they were uttered more than a hundred years ago and his words carry an appeal not just to the people of India, but to the nation of humankind. The book published by Advaita Ashrama, a publication house of Ramakrishna Math, Belur Math, is a compilation of short excerpts taken from the Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda arranged under the following headings: Faith and Strength Powers of the mind Man: The Maker of his Destiny Education and Society Serve Man as God Religion and Ethics India: Our Motherland Other Exhortations The first third of the book presents a brief life of Swami Vivekananda.
What is Advaita Vedanta? What means or instruments does it utilize in its attempt to comprehend Reality? What is the nature of its aim? If we begin by answering these questions, we will be ready to follow with the right intelligence the message given by the great SANKARA in Vivekacudamani. The path which is outlined here is not for the majority, quite the contrary. It is for those who, having attained "maturity," tend towards full Awakening. It is for those who want to bring about a profound revolution within themselves; and this requires an act of courage, of steadfastness and, at the same time, of great humility. Advaita Vedanta is for those who, tired of a long pilgrimage, have finally stopped and in the silence of their own hearts have decided to launch a powerful attack on that terrible and treacherous enemy who lives not outside of us but right within us, and thus realize full liberation from all psycho-physical conflict and bondage. As darkness and its effects vanish when the sun rises, so, when realization of non-dual beatitude dawns, do bondage and suffering vanish without a trace (Vivekacudamani, sutra 319) SANKARA has been one of the greatest philosophers of India. He dedicated his brief and intense life (788-820) to re-establish the authority of the ruti, to codify the Advaita Vedanta, the doctrine of Non-duality, and to anchor the Metaphysical Tradition of the Veda through the foundation of monasteries (ma]ha) and monastic orders. With his bhasya (commentary) to the Upanisad, the Brahmasutra, and the Bhagavadgita, and with his own writings, Sankara has profoundly influenced not only India's philosophical development, but that of the entire world. RAPHAEL is author and Master in the Western Metaphysical Tradition as well as the Vedanta. For over 35 years, he has written a series of books on the pathway of Non-duality (Advaita). He has translated directly from the original Sanskrit and Edited a number of key Vedanta texts. His entire work is a conscious reunification of both Western and Eastern Traditions into Unity of Tradition.
This Book is based on Vivekachudamani, the classic of Vedanta philosophy. Consolidating the highest flights of Vedic thoughts this work discusses the unity of the individual Self and the Supreme-Self through lucid, poetical language.
A highly esteemed Buddhist treatise on realizing your divine nature. This concise treatise by the eleventh-century Tibetan Buddhist philosopher Rongzom Chökyi Zangpo sets out to prove the provocative point that everything that appears is actually deity manifest. Many books on Tibetan Buddhism address the important themes of mind training, compassion, and proper conduct, but this book goes beyond that in its aim to bring the reader face to face with his or her divine and pure nature. Transformation not only of one's identity but also of one's environment is an important principle in Tantric Buddhist philosophy. In Tantric scriptures one is instructed to visualize oneself as a deity, a divine identity who resides in a perfect sphere. By repeatedly training in this visualization, one perfects the transformation and ultimately becomes the deity itself. Establishing Appearances as Divine seeks to unravel the interplay between rationality, truth, and divinity, bringing to light the view that underlies Tantric Buddhist practices.
