To explain to Youngsters who want to know Ancient Indian wisdom, I will say , "What Einstein is to Science, Adi Shankara is to Religion and Spirituality.
How many of us know and understand :"The theory of relativity " to know the contribution of Einstein to Science ? In short, E= m C2 explained the relation between Energy and matter hither too thought to be different are related by Einstein. So also Relative theory puts whole universe into comparison to other which includes time also. Again this is a new concept which changed world science beyond recognition.
Coming to shri Adi Shankara, He is the proponent of "Advaita" philosophy declared unity of Humanity and Divinity, which were hither too thought to be separate entities. Vedas proclaimed it earlier but the proof and convincing is required as it is not followed , applied and realized. Not only that, two most tested paths to Divinity ie., Devotion and Jnana( knowledge) are unified by Adi Shankara which gave him a unique distinction of unifying 6 different religions and establishing " Brhma Satyam and Jagan Mithya ( means Universe is illusion and God is Truth) . In Indian philosophy, there is no final thing. Like in Science, one has to prove all past experiments with the theory while proclaim a new theory and prove it. As a result, Indian wisdom is always questioned and always Truth prevails with new findings and old experiments with Truth are respected. Hence Ancient Indian wisdom never condemns old theories , but refines and re-defines the Truth. This is a very complex process and masses can not understand this like we all can nto prove or disprove "Theory of relativity " though we know Einstein is a colossal figure in modern science. Unfortunately, in modern times, people who never experimented with Truth nor experienced Truth argue for known or unknown reasons. Adi Shakara explained" Advaita theory" which is in essence Unity of creation. on similar lines, Einstein proposed "Unfed theory, but could not prove it. it remained Utopia for him till his end.
Where as sri Adi Shankara not only proved , but also lived his theory and remained as one of the most profound figures in Spiritual history.
The intellectual level of Adi Shankara is so high that even to-day, what he postulated is NOT fully understood by common man and require high evolved spiritual saints to ponder, debate and get explanation for it. There is only one intellectual in spiritual India who is Buddha who has explained Jnana yoga and touch the heights of explanation in the last 2000 years. Other spiritual leaders relied on devotion and faith which saved the intellectual labor for the people to understand their theory.
The Advaita theory of Adi Shankara is explained in two ways. one is Maya Theory which negates all the visual world as we have to prove unseen Divinity. In other words, If I car head lights have to see the road, they can nto see inside of the car. If we have top see in side of the car, we can use the head lights. Our senses are designed to see outside universe and God is not seen by as Allah is also not seen for the same reason. So Adi Shankar used logic and proved the substance used for universe is not new as God existed before universe is created. hence God is universe and universe is God. the reason we are not able to see it is explicitly same as those who click photos will not be in the picture. But greatness of Adi Shankara is in living and proving the unity of world. and His super natural powers which are un paralleled though he never used them to convince others for the logic of Advaita.
Other way of explanation of "Advaita(Unity) theory is unity of all human beings, unity of universe which explains how one substance is seen as different substances by the vision rather than existence.
Adi Shankara re-proclaimed 4 Maha vakyas from Vedas to sum up Advaita tehory.
"Prajananam Brhma" means knower, known and Knowledge is one and same.
Ayam Atma Brhma " means I am the Divinity as "I " alone is the seer for all. if "I " does not exist, see'er does not exist and universe is nto existing for "i".
Tatvam Asi " You are that Divinity. as what ever we see is Divinity. "Sarvam Khalvidham Brhma"
Aham Brhmasmi , I am Divinity , as who proclaims "I" is Divinity.
if I am not able to explain these 4 sentences, it is because the author is not a self realized soul.Not realizing self is by ignorance. Knowing is not getting rid of ignorance, living or seeing in real life is self realizing.
Adi Shankara has a title of " Jagat Guru( Teacher for the whole Universe) which does not limit him to any particular religion . His principles are applicable to all religions and all human beings and whole universe.
How many of us know and understand :"The theory of relativity " to know the contribution of Einstein to Science ? In short, E= m C2 explained the relation between Energy and matter hither too thought to be different are related by Einstein. So also Relative theory puts whole universe into comparison to other which includes time also. Again this is a new concept which changed world science beyond recognition.
Coming to shri Adi Shankara, He is the proponent of "Advaita" philosophy declared unity of Humanity and Divinity, which were hither too thought to be separate entities. Vedas proclaimed it earlier but the proof and convincing is required as it is not followed , applied and realized. Not only that, two most tested paths to Divinity ie., Devotion and Jnana( knowledge) are unified by Adi Shankara which gave him a unique distinction of unifying 6 different religions and establishing " Brhma Satyam and Jagan Mithya ( means Universe is illusion and God is Truth) . In Indian philosophy, there is no final thing. Like in Science, one has to prove all past experiments with the theory while proclaim a new theory and prove it. As a result, Indian wisdom is always questioned and always Truth prevails with new findings and old experiments with Truth are respected. Hence Ancient Indian wisdom never condemns old theories , but refines and re-defines the Truth. This is a very complex process and masses can not understand this like we all can nto prove or disprove "Theory of relativity " though we know Einstein is a colossal figure in modern science. Unfortunately, in modern times, people who never experimented with Truth nor experienced Truth argue for known or unknown reasons. Adi Shakara explained" Advaita theory" which is in essence Unity of creation. on similar lines, Einstein proposed "Unfed theory, but could not prove it. it remained Utopia for him till his end.
Where as sri Adi Shankara not only proved , but also lived his theory and remained as one of the most profound figures in Spiritual history.
The intellectual level of Adi Shankara is so high that even to-day, what he postulated is NOT fully understood by common man and require high evolved spiritual saints to ponder, debate and get explanation for it. There is only one intellectual in spiritual India who is Buddha who has explained Jnana yoga and touch the heights of explanation in the last 2000 years. Other spiritual leaders relied on devotion and faith which saved the intellectual labor for the people to understand their theory.
The Advaita theory of Adi Shankara is explained in two ways. one is Maya Theory which negates all the visual world as we have to prove unseen Divinity. In other words, If I car head lights have to see the road, they can nto see inside of the car. If we have top see in side of the car, we can use the head lights. Our senses are designed to see outside universe and God is not seen by as Allah is also not seen for the same reason. So Adi Shankar used logic and proved the substance used for universe is not new as God existed before universe is created. hence God is universe and universe is God. the reason we are not able to see it is explicitly same as those who click photos will not be in the picture. But greatness of Adi Shankara is in living and proving the unity of world. and His super natural powers which are un paralleled though he never used them to convince others for the logic of Advaita.
Other way of explanation of "Advaita(Unity) theory is unity of all human beings, unity of universe which explains how one substance is seen as different substances by the vision rather than existence.
Adi Shankara re-proclaimed 4 Maha vakyas from Vedas to sum up Advaita tehory.
"Prajananam Brhma" means knower, known and Knowledge is one and same.
Ayam Atma Brhma " means I am the Divinity as "I " alone is the seer for all. if "I " does not exist, see'er does not exist and universe is nto existing for "i".
Tatvam Asi " You are that Divinity. as what ever we see is Divinity. "Sarvam Khalvidham Brhma"
Aham Brhmasmi , I am Divinity , as who proclaims "I" is Divinity.
if I am not able to explain these 4 sentences, it is because the author is not a self realized soul.Not realizing self is by ignorance. Knowing is not getting rid of ignorance, living or seeing in real life is self realizing.
Adi Shankara has a title of " Jagat Guru( Teacher for the whole Universe) which does not limit him to any particular religion . His principles are applicable to all religions and all human beings and whole universe.
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