Welcome to the essential treasury of Non-duality. This glossary is designed to clarify the core terminology of Advaita Vedanta.
Fundamental Definitions
Vedanta: Meaning "End of the Vedas" (Veda + Anta). It refers to the philosophy found in the concluding portions of the Vedas, specifically the Upanishads.
Advaita: Literally "Not-two" (Non-duality). It is the school of thought asserting that the individual Self (Atman) and the Ultimate Reality (Brahman) are one and the same.
Upanishad: Spiritual texts composed in ancient India receiving higher knowledge about the nature of reality.
The Nature of Reality
Brahman: The Ultimate Reality. Infinite, eternal, changeless substrate of all existence. Sat-Chit-Ananda.
Atman (The Self): The true, innermost core of every living being, identical to Brahman.
Maya: The creative power of Brahman that makes the manifold universe appear real; the "illusion" that hides Truth.
The Human Condition
The Three Gunas: Sattva (Purity), Rajas (Passion), and Tamas (Inertia).
The Three States (Avasthas): Jagrat (Waking), Svapna (Dream), and Sushupti (Deep Sleep). Turiya is the background pure consciousness.
The Path to Realization
Moksha: Liberation from the cycle of birth and death through Self-realization.
The 4 Yogas: Jnana (Knowledge), Bhakti (Devotion), Karma (Selfless Action), and Raja (Meditation).