The Védanta (/ve delivery: da: ntɐ/, meaning word fine Sanskrit “, or result, of the Veda”) is a philosophical branch resulting from the old tradition of India which devotes itself to the " finality of the existence".

One heard in the beginning the upanishadic literature which constituted the exegetic part of Veda; the term, which ends up indicating the whole of the doctrinal systems founded on the writings vedic (Upanishad S, Bhagavad-Gita, Brahma-sutra S primarily) gave its name to most important Hindu philosophical currents.

Doctrines

Védanta is most widespread of the six Indian philosophical schools.

It defines the nature of the existence. This philosophy enjoint its students to realize that them Oneself, the Atmân, is the Brahman, ultimate reality. The conscience of this reality would be however darkened in the existence of the man by confused or erroneous comprehensions which would prohibit to live plenitude. In Upanishads, the pure Conscience (it Oneself) is presented like the substrate of the universe, from which appears the individualized conscience, ego. But this last, according to Védanta, is only one illusion because only Brahman actually exists.

It is on the latter aspect that the oldest school of Védanta, the Advaïta védanta, insists particularly (founder Shankara (800 a. J. - C.) It is it which is at the origin of the school of the Not-Duality such as it was spread throughout the world. One says of Shankara that it influenced many Indian thinkers like Sri Aurobindo, Tagore, Osho, Ramana Maharshi and much of foreign scientists like Schrödinger and Einstein.

Other schools of Védanta: Vishistadvaita of Ramanuja, Dvaitadvaita of Nimbarka, Dvaita of Madhva, Suddhadvaita of Vallabha, Bhedabheda of Bhaskara.

One can summarize this way of the absolute knowledge taught in the Upanishad S by:

• the Atmân is Brahman
• So' Ham: I am that one
• Tat Twa Asi: That, you are to it yourself

For Advaïta, the universe is a single entity, and the distinctions between objects result from the ignorance of the true nature of reality, identical to the Brahman, which transcends time and space. In this state of ignorance, the individual is prisoner of the illusions of the world and does not escape the successive Réincarnation S, fruit of sound Karma.

Vedanta associated with its later development other philosophical elements borrowed from another system Indien, the Samkhya, which defines for example three principles (Gunas) governing Nature, three " qualités" demonstration:

• Tamas, which is associated with the weight, heaviness, the darkness.
• Rajahs, which is associated with passion, the activity, ambition.
• Sattva, which is associated with the light, lightness, purity.

Advaïta literally means “not two”. It is the doctrines of the monism advanced by Adi Shankara. Reality is classified in three levels: Transcendental, Pragmatic and Apparent. As compared to Brahman, which is Supreme Reality, all others -- including the universe, individuals and even Ishvara (the Supreme Lord) -- are not real. The universe, the individuals and Ishvara is true only in the Pragmatique level. For Advaitistes (not-dualistic), Ultimate Reality is expressed like Nirguna Brahman , or " God without attributs". Brahman is infinite Vérité, infinite Conscience and infinite Happiness (Sat Chit Ananda). In fact, when a man tries to know the Supreme Spirit (Brahman) by its psychée, Brahman becomes the Supreme Lord (Ishvara), under the effect of an illusory capacity of Brahman, called the Mâyâ . Material universe, and the appearance of Atman only being seen like the innumerable individual hearts, are also because of the Maya. The true knowledge of Brahman (Jñana) is the means of the release - when the individual heart realizes that it is anything else only Brahman; however, good Karma and Bhakti (devotion) are also recognized like supports in the way towards true knowledge.

See also: Advaïta védanta

Gaudapada and the Védanta

The most former commentator of the Védanta is Gaudapada (v. 600 a. J. - C.), inspirer of Shankara and author of the Gaudapadiya Karika , a comment of the Mandukya-upanishad