Rebutting Differences: A Non-dual Endeavour

Abstract: The non-dualists of the Vedāntic tradition of Indian Philosophy put forward an infrangible abheda or non-difference between brahman, the absolute consciousness and jīva, the individual consciousness. But this goes against one’s mundane experience. The individual sentient beings necessarily do not experience themselves as the absolute. Moreover, other schools of the Vedānta do not subscribe to this view and for them, the relation between jīva and brahman happens to be that of part and whole. Some also opine brahman to be the controller and the jīva to be the controlled. Whatever be their individual standpoint, they unanimously refuse and refute the non-dualistic notion of non-difference between the brahman and the jīva. At the root of this, lies various apparently contradicting śrutivākyas. At some places, the śruti denotes identity of jīva and brahman and at other places, it directly speaks of their difference. This discourse aims at an analysis and logical establishment of the Advaitin’s viewpoint that just as an object and its reflection are not different from each other, so are brahman and jīva.