Advaita

The technical name for non-dualism within Vedanta, asserting that self and ultimate reality are, at the deepest level, not two.

interpretation. Interpretation — one way of reading the material among several.
Tradition: hinduism Tradition: vedanta Theme: metaphysics Theme: non-dualism Theme: self

Advaita is the technical name for one specific philosophical position within Vedanta: the claim that self, atman, and ultimate reality, brahman, are, at the deepest level of analysis, not two separate things. This archive gives the term its own page precisely because it is often used loosely, as a stand-in for Hindu philosophy generally, when it actually names one specific and contested position among several.

Not a general label

🔒

Keep reading — unlock the full archive

You’ve read your 3 free articles in this section. Sign in to keep reading — it’s free.

Sources & further reading

Related in the archive

Concept

Brahman

A term for ultimate reality developed in the Upanishads and central to later Vedanta — understood very differently across schools.

Concept

Atman

A term for the innermost self explored in the Upanishads — its nature, and its relation to ultimate reality, are debated across traditions.

Concept

Maya

A term for appearance, illusion, or the world's deceptive surface — central to Vedanta and interpreted very differently across schools.

Concept

Dvaita

The technical name for strict dualism within Vedanta, asserting permanent and irreducible difference between the self and ultimate reality.

Concept

Vishishtadvaita

The technical name for qualified non-dualism, asserting that self and ultimate reality form a real unity that nonetheless preserves genuine internal distinction.

Person

Adi Shankara

An influential philosopher associated with a non-dualist reading of Vedanta and with extensive commentarial work — with much of his biography known through later tradition.

Tradition

Vedanta

A family of interpretive schools centered on the Upanishads, the Brahma Sutras, and the Bhagavad Gita.

← Back to Concepts

Next → Dvaita The technical name for strict dualism within Vedanta, asserting permanent and irreducible difference between the self and ultimate reality.