Is Enlightenment an Experience or Knowledge?
“Who am I?” Though we rarely, if ever, give it deep consideration – each situation, encounter, and experience calls upon us to articulate a satisfactory response to this fundamental…
The Vedic Teachings of Truth
Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva Veda are the everygreen teachings of Truth and yoga. The source of all wisdom. These articles cover aspects of their knowledge… 
Vedantic Analogies for Contemplation on the Non-Dual Reality
Based on the chapter “Illustrations in Vedanta” from Swami Sivananda’s book, “Vedanta for Beginners” (The Divine Life Society, 1941) Because its abstract truths cannot be easily understood by the…
Analysis of Quotes by Ramana Maharshi and Nisargadatta Maharaj
Most Westerners first learn of non-duality through exposure to the “teachings” of Ramana Maharshi and/or Nisargadatta Maharaj — either directly through reading various books that contain collections of their…
Self-Knowledge is Not Intellectual
A common criticism leveled at Vedanta is that its appeal is purely intellectual; that it stresses analysis yet neglects experience, emphasizes ideas but ignores emotions, appeals to the head…
Who Is the ‘Me’ Who Knows Myself? (A Technical Analysis)
Regarding the prospect of self-realization or enlightenment — many, if not all seekers find themselves, at least initially, in an ironic quandary. On the one hand, one seeks freedom…
Selected Quotes by Ramana Maharshi & Nisargadatta
These are hand picked quotes I use for occasional self-inquiry into the true essence of reality. Quotes are meant for learned scholars and students of Advaita Vedanta who are…
What is Limitlessness (ananda)? How am I THAT?
Neema Majmudar, a brilliant Vedanta exponent, elucidates how one’s nature is Limitless right now. For context how how this applies to you, below gives further elucidation how one can…
Four Classes of People (Entangled & Liberated) – by Sri Ramakrishna
Purpose of this evergreen article by Sri Ramakrishna is to help us discover how to get out of our own created samsara. People may be divided into four classes:…
Rope-Snake Analogy Using Logic: How Falsehood Becomes Truth
– Article inspired by Onudhyan Blog. You’ve arrived on an anticipated retreat in a luscious tropical forest. Thrilled to be here, mosquito spray handy, what else to do then…
Brahman is Beyond All Means-of-Knowledge, Or Is It?
Brahman (Consciousness) is beyond all means of knowledge. No scientific instrument can detect it. Because every instrument IS made out of Brahman — being the content of everything, including…
Karma Yoga Prayer (The Essence of Karma Yoga Spirit In Action)
Still unsure what is Karma Yoga and how is it applied? This prayer will help… “ With gratitude for all I have been given, I offer my every action…
If You Enjoy What You Do, Life Is Very Simple
Living does not simply mean dragging oneself around from day to day, from bed to work, back home and to bed again. The whole process repeats itself until the…
12 Spiritual Practices (Sadhanas or Yagyas) from Bhagavad Gita
Lord Krishna in Bhagavad Gita Chapter 4, mentions 12 types of powerful spiritual sadhana’s (spiritual practices or yajnas) one can choose to purify one’s mind and strengthen one’s relationship…
That I attempt to be different, Is samsara.
“That I attempt to be different, is saṃsāra”. To see how this is true, let’s first ask… What is saṃsāra?… It is mistakenly seeing one’s own thoughts and emotions…
Objectivity vs Subjectivity
What is the difference between objectivity and subjectivity? A statement is said to be objective when it is based on facts and it can be proven via either direct perception…
Inquiry Into Various Vedanta Definitions
THE MATERIAL UNIVERSE Something cannot come from nothing. This material universe evolved out of consciousness. Consciousness is both the substance of which the creation is made and the intelligence…
Brief Introduction to 3 Gunas
The creation comes into existence with the emergence of the 3 gunas or qualities — Sattva, Tamas and Rajas. Sattva is intelligence or knowledge. Tamas is matter, the substance of…
Original Purpose of Vegetarianism According to Vedic Culture
Vegetarianism is an example of the application of the value for ahimsa (non-injury). Many arguments in favour of a vegetarian diet can be made, but the basic argument supporting…
What’s It Like to Live the Vision of Non-Dual ONENESS?
When one realizes oneself to be unborn-ordinary-actionless-non-dual Awareness… and that Awareness (Ātman/Brahman) is everything that is… it does not mean that the world (jagat) suddenly goes “poof” into a…
Beauty and Logic of Living Life as Karma Yogi
“Now listen to the wisdom of yoga which will free you from bondage to action. In this yoga, no effort is wasted, nor are any unsuitable results produced. Even very little karma yoga protects one…
Enlightenment is Not an Event Because It’s Not Subject to Time
According to Upanishads (the original source of non-dual texts), Brahman/Atman/Self is an ever true fact. Thus that which was true before, true now and true in the future —…
Why a Wise Person Won’t Argue Against an Ignorant Person
What a wise person (jnani) knows directly – can be summarized in below Adi Shankaracharya’s words. Which is why there is NO GAIN for a jnani to argue or…
‘I’ – The Subtlest of the Subtlest
Bhagavad-Gītā says that we have five sense organs of knowledge (seeing, hearing, smelling, feeling, tasting); these are very subtle. Example: Organ of seeing is a lot more subtle then…
Moving from Jiva-Srishti to Isvara-Srishti
Persons false notion about reality is called jiva srishti (Jīva-Sṛṣṭi). It is seeing what is NOT. It is subjective notions born of Ignorance. It is misapprehension/projection onto Ishvara (God)….
Shankaracharya’s Song to Fool Caught in Samsara (Bhaja Govindaṃ)
Bhaja Govindaṃ was written by Jagadguru Adi Shankaracharya. Bhaja govindaṃ is one of the minor compositions of the spiritual giant, Ādi Shankarācharya. It is classified as a prakaraṇa grantha,…
Advaita Vedanta in a Nutshell (Aparokshanubhuti by Adi Sankara)
Our ancient teachers have left behind a treasury of useful and convenient means of understanding Vedānta, the science of life, contained in the prasthana traya. Mainly in the Bhagavad Gīṭa,…
7 Stages of Enlightenment (Panchadasi by Swami Vidyaranya)
Following seven stages present an order every human being, including you, goes through or is going through — until one recognizes the Absolute Truth — otherwise called enlightenment. Ignorance…
Purpose of Studying the Scriptures (Śruti)
Śruti (Scriptures), the Vedas is the only means of knowledge to understand nondual Brahman – I am the limitless reality I seek. Above statement doesn’t exclude Scriptures from other…
Real vs. Unreal: How to ‘Get Out’ of Maya’s Crocodile Jaws
Here’s an example how Māyā works and how innocently one gives absolute reality to mere appearance… What is this?… Got it? If said “Table”, that’s correct. Suppose you…
10 Basic Qualifications for Liberation
This is not a popular topic because most of us are wanting shortcuts. Unfortunately like all valuable things in life, freedom is earned by diligent work. To make the changes necessary for…