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Advaita and Neo-Advaita

Advaita Vedanta is a branch of Hinduism which concerns itself with unity or non-dualism. In this context non-dualism refers to the concept that all things in the world are dual. For example, the idea 'good' cannot exist without the idea 'bad', 'love' needs 'hate', 'hope' needs 'despair', and 'teacup' cannot exist without the idea of 'not-a-teacup'. This school of Hinduism postulates that beyond non-dual there is something else, which may be termed enlightenment, awakening, or even unity.

Adi Shankara was an Indian philosopher around 800 CE. He consolidated several ancient traditions and writings concerning Advaita Vedanta. He founded several  monasteries which over many years helped revive the ancient Vedanta teachings. Shankara is perhaps best remembered for his Sanskrit work Vivekachudamani, in which he indicated amongst other things, that it is bloody hard work to become enlightened . To even begin the quest he said, a person must:

  • develop true intelligence and discernment, using them with wisdom
  • be able to recognize what will help, and what will not
  • be able to discriminate the real from the unreal
  • not form attachments to any thing or any concept
  • have an intense yearning for awakening, more than for any other thing, person, deed, or thought
  • practice self-control
  • place her attention and interest upon Truth above all things
  • never be distracted from her quest for Truth

Without these said Shankara, the aspirant will never achieve the goal of awakening or enlightenment.

He also believed that svānubhava (the deep personal effort needed to do this) must persist over many years or decades. In this he believed that while an apple may fall spontaneously from a tree, it must first have had a long period of ripening.

How different all of this is from the neo-Advaita particular to the United States and parts of Europe. Neo-Advaita is the antithesis of the many thousands of years of Advaita teaching, Shankara's writings, and the teachings of Ramana Maharshi, Nisagardatta Maharaj, Rabia, Rumi, or others of similar stature throughout history. For neo-Advaita teaches not about non-dualism, but rather narcist nihilism.

Why? Because most (all?) neo-Avaitist teachers persist in stating that nothing, no work, no effort is needed. "You are already That" they say, "Just rest in what you already are" they say, "Be still and know that you are already free" they say... meaning that nothing more, no further effort, is necessary. Just go about your day content in the knowledge that "you are already perfect". But what they do not say, is that this is true only in retrospect .

I very much like what Ramana Maharshi said so clearly in response to this type of narcissism:  The effort required to truly and permanently awaken must be as strong as that of a drowning man struggling for air, and may go on with that intensity for decades. Nisargardatta said it beautifully too - one must diligently place one's attention upon Truth and make constant effort to keep it there regardless of the cost, never deviating for a moment, for years.

Yet sadly neo-Advaita teachers blithely proclaim that the ego, the 'imaginary self' does not exist. And moreover nothing really exists. Everything and everywhere they say, is mere illusion. Hence no effort, no intelligence, no practice, no undivided attention is needed. Shankara was wrong. Ramana Maharshi, Rab'ia, Rumi, etc... all wrong. But what is IMHO really going on, is that the neo-Advaitists are involved in a philosophy which equates freedom with societal or personal success.

"Freedom to do what one likes is really bondage,
while being free to do what one must,
what is right, is real freedom." - Nisagardatta Maharaj

Here's a fun exercise:  Look around you. Notice the chair you are sitting on. Now say to yourself, "This chair does not really exist". See that person across the street? Try it again - say "That person does not really exist". See that donut sitting there? Take it and say "I do not really exist. I am just a dream.  I am free. So I can take this donut knowing that it is all a game and illusion". Do this for a while, and voila - you too can convince yourself you are enlightened, that you "see through the illusion of the world" to the "reality" that "nothing exists". That you are the infinite 'Self'. Then you too can enjoy the bliss of feeling you have "attained"... Okay, time for the second part of the exercise: Take off your shoes and socks. Now, as hard as you can, kick a rock or a solid wall. Do your toes hurt? Yes? Then perhaps the illusion you supposed, is more real than you had anticipated. (For the academically inclined, this is not argumentum ad lapidem despite Herbert Marcuse's excuses .)

But the neo-Advaitists would have you believe otherwise - that it is all illusion, a dream - that there can be no right or wrong because nothing is real. Including the illusion of pain when your bare toes kick a rock. That was not real - you just imagined the pain. What a wonderfully lovely way to present a belief system - for it is impossible to refute such concepts. Some call this impossibility a tautology while others less charitable perhaps, call it psychosis .There is no-one to be right or wrong, no-one to say you are not awake because you are already awake. Tautological, nihilistic, narcist. Note too the inevitable result - an arrogance guised as humility as in "I do not exist therefore there is no one in here to be wrong, only the deluded fail to grasp this". The nihilism of negation coupled with the cognitive dissonance so necessary to believe a tautology.

Of course saying "all is illusion" can for some be a handy way for the priests of neo-Advaita to garner wealth (fiduciary, power, prestige, etc.) for themselves. For the world - particularly the west - loves an easy answer, and will pay for it. Hence the world tours for many of these neo-Advaita teachers some of whom stay in five-star hotels, luxuriate at fancy 'retreats', purchase homes, etc.... all paid for by those little donation boxes at the door. And by a few wealthy private sponsors, who in return for their tax-free large donations get to spend much more quality time with the 'teacher' than those unable to fund the corporate enterprises they form.

To cement home their message of 'do nothing, you are already enlightened' any number of tricks and techniques are used. One popular 'teacher' uses NLP hypnosis techniques, others use verbal pacing, considerable peer pressure, stories ad nauseam, relationship therapies, and so on. But rarely is there anything requiring discrimination, attention, and discernment such as Shankara recommended. And certainly nothing even close to the effort which Ramana Maharshi said was essential. No, that would frighten off the customers. As would intelligent discussion.  For the one thing sadly common to most of the neo-Advaita crowd is a strong subcurrent of anti-intellectualism. As though nothing of merit could ever come of using the intellect and learning. Rather thay abandon it for a blissed out absolutism. "Listen only to the heart" they say. An instruction which you may have noticed, is utterly tautological. The difference between neo-Advaita in this regard and rigid fundamentalism ("God tells me what to do"), is picayune.

Neo-Advaita packages an idea for mass consumption - the idea that enlightenment, awakening, Truth with a capital 'T' is easily within the one's reach. Aspirants gladly pay for the show, for the idea, that they are on the right path, that it is easy, and that they cannot fail if only they keep coming to satsang, buy the books, and parrot back the mantra "I am already awake", "I am That", "All is illusion", "Who am I", and similar such meaningless phrases. Please note: Those who truly awoke such as Ramana Maharshi, ibn el'Arabi, Rab'ia, and such also used these phrases - but only in specific contexts and only in instructing specific individuals. There is a universe of difference between Nisagardatta saying "I am That" and someone setting themselves up as an "enlightened teacher" then saying the same thing. True Awakening is very rare. It is not available at some corner store satsang. Regardless of the immense propaganda to the contrary. Thinking you are awake does not make it so.

“There is a false sense of liberation that aspirants reach that very few ever go beyond.”
– Ramana Maharshi, when asked about spiritual teachers

Again - true awakening is not for sale at the corner store. Ramana Maharshi sat in caves alone for twenty years after the initial instant of awakening, whilst the truth ripened and fully took hold. True awakening is not cheap and easy - it requires diligence and attention the like of which few ever are willing to truly do. Otherwise the false sense of attainment, of bliss, of ease, of understanding can be mesmerizing. And this is the very thing that prevents one from continuing to the end.