This is collection of quality Advaita Vedanta resources (PDF's, books, FAQ's, explanations, etc) – which can help you further in clarifying how to live, integrating and comprehending non-duality and vision of Oneness.
Most resources are bottom of homepage – with hundreds of videos arranged in categories of various Upanishad texts and scriptures by traditional Advaita teachers – who are proficient in unfolding non-duality in it's uncontaminated and original form.
Remember, Vedanta is supposed to be taught to you by a living human being (guru/ācāryaḥ). One only engages in self-study after fully assimilating the vision of Oneness as expounded by the teacher.
Reason is humans learn best (just as children do) from one whose already accomplished. Adults are no exception to this. Otherwise…
The risk of self-study without guru guidance is that Absolute TRUTH unsuspectingly takes on flavor of one's own subjectivity (likes/dislikes). Own blind-spots can't be seen by one carrying those blind-spots. Just like after forgetting the pen is on your ear, one needs help of another to say “The pen you've been looking for is on your ear”.
Hence understand this before self-study…
Vedanta requires high-precision delivery by the proponent through conscious use of words, no different then a heart-surgeon requires high precision instruments and sound knowledge to literally save someone's life.
In fact, patient has no choice but to surrender their life to the heart surgeon. The surgeon is an ordinary stranger sitting on the bus which patient brushes off as another “worldly person”. But in the operating room that same “stranger” suddenly becomes the most important refuge in patient's entire life.
The patient is unable to self-operate his-her heart, despite apparent LIFE-LONG ownership of the body. Similarly a spiritual aspirant (sādhaka) is unable to operate his-her ignorance, despite apparent LIFE-LONG ownership of Mind and Thoughts.
Once the surgeon has operated successfully, only THEN the patient receives a heart prescription to maintain one's health.
In the same way, once the guru/teacher has guided the sādhaka to remove false notions of reality – below are some recommended prescriptions given to maintain sādhaka's sanity, well-being and CLARITY…
Resources adhering to (1) Simplicity (2) Step-by-step structure:
- ExploreVedanta.com: Free practical step-by-step Vedānta course. How to live it! Start and finish it – before moving onto next recommended resource #2 below.
- ShiningWorld.com: Vedanta course, fun quiz and thousands of pages of invaluable satsang writings. Owned by James Swartz who's studied under Chinmaya, Dayananda and Paramarthananda.
- DiscoverVedanta.com: Lots of articles filled with knowledge of Oneness. And stellar knowledge in video format of various Upanishads. Complete education. It will compliment and add clarity to anything learned in #1/#2 above. Neema is a Swami Dayananda Saraswati disciple and contributed most to my clarity like no other teacher before.
- NeverNOTPresent.com: Dozens of explanations in plain English with seasoned Vedanta methodology.
- Advaita-Academy: Only videos of traditional teachers who strictly adhere to original method of expounding Self-Knowledge. Thus all are trustworthy teachers. No Neo-Advaita, half-truth-half-falsehood, Adi Da, Tony Parsons, Ken Wilber, Gangaji, Mooji, OSHO types.
- Give me something to do: 42 sādhanās by Chinmaya Mission.
Resources for Vedanta erudite pundits, Sanskrit scholars and serious Intellectuals:
- ArshaAvinash: Hundreds of books on non-dual Vedānta, technical manuals, Sanskrit grammar, etc. Devoted to Swami Dayananda Saraswati's lineage. And his most prominent disciple Swami Paramarthananda. In my experience, both teachers are closest to Adi Shankara's method of teaching.
- Arsha Drishti (Sanskrit Tools | Classes | Chanting | Texts) : Swami Advayatmananda is a Dayananda disciple with detailed knowledge of Vedānta intricacies.
- Arsha Vidya UK: Swamini Atmaprakashananda is a Dayananda disciple. Hundreds of talks on various Upaniṣads, and articles teaching Traditional Vedānta.
- VedantaStudents: Every major Vedanta text/Upanishad categorized, summarized, explained, visually sketched out and commented by Swami Paramarthananda (arguably the most sophisticated/insightful Advaita guru still alive), and his students. Some are from other schools. But all fit traditional Vedanta non-duality.
- Vendata literature / PDF book downloads (Brahma Sutras, Puranas, Upanishads, Atma Bodha, etc)
Qualified Vedanta teachers:
These teachers are qualified to remove seekers ignorance, which results in mokṣa (liberation). Assuming student is qualified.
- Dayananda.org: Look under “Teachers”.
- DiscoverVedanta.com: My teacher who is the support while teaching myself. Neema's clarity is impeccable. She embodies depth and precision.
- ShiningWorld.com: My first teacher, James. His way with words will appeal to certain Western minds. Excellent for beginners who've been poisoned by prior spiritual notions and various “non-dual” satsangs. However, to double your clarity and bring this knowledge down to earth, Neema shines.
- Chinfo.org: Their home study courses are systematic, with each lesson expanding your vision. The “Foundation Vedanta Course” is basally a crucial course in life, with utterly brilliant ideas!