Advaita Vedanta

==Relationship with other forms of Vedānta==
The Advaita Vedānta ideas, particularly of 8th century Adi Shankara, were challenged by theistic Vedānta philosophies that emerged centuries later, such as the 11th-century [[Vishishtadvaita]] (qualified [[Nonduality (spirituality)|nondualism]]) of [[Ramanuja]], and the 14th-century [[Dvaita]] (theistic dualism) of [[Madhvacharya]].{{sfn|Fowler|2002|pp=238–243, 288–294, 340–342}} Their application of Vedanta philosophy to ground their faith turned Vedanta into a major factor in India's religious landscape.{{sfn|Nakamura|2004|pp=691-693}}

===Vishishtadvaita===
{{main|Vishishtadvaita}}

[[Ramanuja|Ramanuja's]] Vishishtadvaita school and [[Adi Shankara|Shankara]]'s Advaita school are both nondualism Vedānta schools,<ref name=jabvanbuirhtp>J.A.B. van Buitenen (2008), [https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ramanuja Ramanuja – Hindu theologian and Philosopher] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220621165517/https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ramanuja |date=21 June 2022 }}, Encyclopædia Britannica</ref><ref name=cetternonplu/> both are premised on the assumption that all Selfs can hope for and achieve the state of blissful liberation; in contrast, Madhvacharya and his Dvaita subschool of Vedānta believed that some Selfs are eternally doomed and damned.{{sfn|Sarma|1994|pp=374–375}}<ref>{{Cite book|first=Edwin |last= Bryant| title=Krishna : A Sourcebook (Chapter 15 by Deepak Sarma)| publisher= Oxford University Press| year= 2007| isbn= 978-0195148923|pages=361–362}}</ref> Shankara's theory posits that only Brahman and causes are metaphysical unchanging reality, while the empirical world ([[Maya (illusion)|Maya]]) and observed effects are changing, illusive and of relative existence.<ref name="Sydnor2012p87">{{cite book|author=Jon Paul Sydnor|title=Ramanuja and Schleiermacher: Toward a Constructive Comparative Theology|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ae4FBAAAQBAJ|year=2012|publisher=Casemate|isbn=978-0227680247|pages=84–87|access-date=21 September 2016|archive-date=16 January 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240116175559/https://books.google.com/books?id=Ae4FBAAAQBAJ|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=joeschultz81>{{cite book|author=Joseph P. Schultz|title=Judaism and the Gentile Faiths: Comparative Studies in Religion|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dchpiP-9YQAC|year=1981|publisher=Fairleigh Dickinson University Press|isbn=978-0-8386-1707-6|pages=81–84|access-date=21 September 2016|archive-date=16 January 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240116175615/https://books.google.com/books?id=dchpiP-9YQAC|url-status=live}}</ref> Spiritual liberation to Shankara is the full comprehension and realization of oneness of one's unchanging Atman (Self) as the same as Atman in everyone else as well as being identical to the ''nirguna'' Brahman.<ref name=cetternonplu>{{cite book|author=Christopher Etter|title=A Study of Qualitative Non-Pluralism| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jW2pcWpXY8wC| year=2006| publisher=iUniverse|isbn=978-0-595-39312-1|pages=57–60, 63–65}}</ref>{{sfn|Indich|2000|pp=1–2, 97–102}}{{sfn|Deutsch|2013|p=247–248}} In contrast, Ramanuja's theory posits both Brahman and the world of matter are two different absolutes, both metaphysically real, neither should be called false or illusive, and ''saguna'' Brahman with attributes is also real.<ref name=joeschultz81/> God, like man, states Ramanuja, has both soul and body, and all of the world of matter is the glory of God's body.<ref name=jabvanbuirhtp/> The path to Brahman (Vishnu), asserted Ramanuja, is devotion to godliness and constant remembrance of the beauty and love of personal god (''saguna'' Brahman, Vishnu), one which ultimately leads one to the oneness with ''nirguna'' Brahman.<ref name=jabvanbuirhtp/><ref name="Sydnor2012p87"/><ref name=joeschultz81/>

===Shuddhadvaita===
{{main|Shuddhadvaita}}

[[Vallabhacharya]] (1479–1531 CE), the proponent of the philosophy of [[Shuddhadvaita]] Brahmvad enunciates that Ishvara has created the world without connection with any external agency such as Maya (which itself is his power) and manifests Himself through the world.<ref>Devarshi Ramanath Shastri, "Shuddhadvaita Darshan (Vol.2)", Published by Mota Mandir, Bhoiwada, Mumbai, India, 1917.</ref> That is why shuddhadvaita is known as 'Unmodified transformation' or 'Avikṛta Pariṇāmavāda'. Brahman or Ishvara desired to become many, and he became the multitude of individual Selfs and the world. Vallabha recognises Brahman as the whole and the individual as a 'part' (but devoid of bliss).<ref>"Brahmavād Saṅgraha", Pub. Vaishnava Mitra Mandal Sarvajanik Nyasa, Indore, India, 2014.</ref>

===Dvaita===
{{main|Dvaita}}

Madhvacharya was also a critic of [[Advaita]] Vedānta. Advaita's nondualism asserted that Atman (Self) and Brahman are identical (both in bondage and liberation<ref name=":1">Tapasyananda, Swami. ''Bhakti Schools of Vedanta'' pg. 180-181</ref>), there is interconnected oneness of all Selfs and Brahman, and there are no pluralities.<ref name=stoker2011mc/><ref name=staffordbetty215/> Madhva in contrast asserted that Atman (Self) and Brahman are different (both in bondage and liberation<ref name=":1" />), only [[Vishnu]] is the Lord (Brahman), individual Selfs are also different and depend on Vishnu, and there are pluralities.<ref name=stoker2011mc>{{cite encyclopedia |title=Madhva (1238–1317) |first=Valerie |last=Stoker |encyclopedia=Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy |year=2011 |access-date=2 February 2016 |url=http://www.iep.utm.edu/madhva/ |archive-date=12 October 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161012131604/http://www.iep.utm.edu/madhva/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=staffordbetty215>Stafford Betty (2010), Dvaita, Advaita, and Viśiṣṭādvaita: Contrasting Views of Mokṣa, Asian Philosophy: An International Journal of the Philosophical Traditions of the East, Volume 20, Issue 2, pp. 215–224</ref> Madhvacharya stated that both Advaita Vedānta and [[Mahayana Buddhism]] were a [[nihilism|nihilistic]] school of thought.<ref name=smschari6/> Madhvacharya wrote four major texts, including ''Upadhikhandana'' and ''Tattvadyota'', primarily dedicated to criticizing Advaita.<ref name=smschari6>SMS Chari (1999), Advaita and Visistadvaita, Motilal Banarsidass, {{ISBN|978-8120815353}}, pp. 5–7</ref>

Followers of [[ISKCON]] are highly critical of Advaita Vedānta, regarding it as ''māyāvāda'', identical to Mahayana Buddhism.<ref group=web>Gaura Gopala Dasa, [https://gosai.com/writings/the-self-defeating-philosophy-of-mayavada ''The Self-Defeating Philosophy of Mayavada''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709183434/https://gosai.com/writings/the-self-defeating-philosophy-of-mayavada |date=9 July 2021 }}</ref><ref group=web>{{Cite web |url=http://www.harekrishnatemple.com/chapter21.html |title=''Mayavada Philosophy'' |access-date=3 January 2019 |archive-date=14 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170214115618/http://www.harekrishnatemple.com/chapter21.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Influence on other traditions===
Within the ancient and medieval texts of Hindu traditions, such as [[Vaishnavism]], [[Shaivism]] and [[Shaktism]], the ideas of Advaita Vedānta have had a major influence.{{refn|group=note|name=Influence}} Advaita Vedānta influenced Krishna Vaishnavism in the different parts of India.{{sfn|Neog|1980|pp=243–244}} One of its most popular text, the ''[[Bhagavata Purana]]'', adopts and integrates in Advaita Vedānta philosophy.{{sfn|Kumar Das|2006|pp=172–173}}{{sfn|Brown|1983|pp=553–557}}{{sfn|Sheridan|1986|pp=1–2, 17–25}} The ''Bhagavata Purana'' is generally accepted by scholars to have been composed in the second half of 1st millennium CE.{{sfn|Sheridan|1986|p=6}}<ref name="Archaism">{{Cite book | year=1966 | last=van Buitenen | first=J. A. B | chapter=The Archaism of the Bhagavata Purana| editor=Milton Singer | title=Krishna: Myths, Rites, and Attitudes | pages=23–40}}</ref>

In the ancient and medieval literature of [[Shaivism]], called the ''[[Āgama (Hinduism)|Āgamas]]'', the influence of Advaita Vedānta is once again prominent.{{sfn|Smith|2003|pp=126–128}}{{sfn|Flood|1996|pp=162–167}}{{sfn|Klostermaier|1984|pp=177–178}} Of the 92 ''Āgamas'', ten are ''[[Dvaita]]'' texts, eighteen are ''[[Bhedabheda]]'', and sixty-four are ''[[Advaita]]'' texts.{{sfn|Davis|2014|p=167 note 21}}{{sfn|Dyczkowski|1989|pp=43–44}} According to Natalia Isaeva, there is an evident and natural link between 6th-century Gaudapada's Advaita Vedānta ideas and [[Kashmir Shaivism]].{{sfn|Isaeva|1995|pp=134–135}}

[[Shaktism]], the Hindu tradition where a goddess is considered identical to Brahman, has similarly flowered from a syncretism of the monist premises of Advaita Vedānta and dualism premises of Samkhya–Yoga school of Hindu philosophy, sometimes referred to as ''Shaktadavaitavada'' (literally, the path of nondualistic ''Shakti'').{{sfn|McDaniel|2004|pp=89–91}}{{sfn|Brooks|1990|pp=35–39}}{{sfn|Mahony|1997|p=274 with note 73}}

Other influential ancient and medieval classical texts of Hinduism such as the ''[[Yoga Yajnavalkya]]'', ''[[Yoga Vashishta]]'', ''[[Avadhuta Gita|Avadhuta Gitā]]'', ''[[Markandeya Purana]]'' and ''[[Sannyasa Upanishads]]'' predominantly incorporate premises and ideas of Advaita Vedānta.<ref>{{Harvnb|Chapple|1984|pp=ix–x with footnote 3}};<br/>{{harvnb|Rosen|2001|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=AeoDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA149 149]}}.</ref><ref>{{cite book |last= White |first=David Gordon |title=The "Yoga Sutra of Patanjali": A Biography| year=2014 |publisher=Princeton University Press |isbn=978-0691143774|pages=xvi–xvii, 50–52}}</ref><ref>{{Harvnb|Rigopoulos|1998|pp=37, 57, 62–63, 195–207}};<br/>{{Harvnb|Sahasrabudhe|1968|pp=113–114}};<br/>{{Harvnb|Olivelle|1992|pp=17–18}}</ref>