Understanding non-dualistic existentialism: Verses and meaning

 

An AI Overview informs 'Advaita Vedanta, a school of Hindu /vedic philosophy emphasizing non-duality, can be seen as a framework for understanding existential questions, offering a perspective on meaning, suffering, and the nature of reality that resonates with some existentialist themes, but also diverges in key areas. 

Both Advaita Vedanta and existentialism place importance on the individual's experience and the search for meaning and purpose... Advaita Vedanta emphasizes self-reliance and importance of individual experience over external authority or dogma.  

Overview adds that in essence, Advaita Vedanta offers a framework for understanding existential questions by providing a perspective on the nature of reality, the self, and the path to liberation, which can be seen as a response to non-dual existentialist concerns of meaninglessness and suffering, but with a different emphasis on the nature of reality and the role of the individual. 

Two verses that the basic assumptions about non-duality existentialism are as as follows

ब्रह्म सत्यं जगन्मिथ्येत्येवंरूपो विनिश्चयः ।

सोऽयं नित्यानित्यवस्तुविवेकः समुदाहृतः ॥ 

Meaning: A firm conviction of the mind, basic assumption or tenet to the effect that Brahman / Supreme Soul / Supreme Consciousness is real and the physical-material universe unreal, is designated by Vedanta as the discrimination or discernment (viveka) between the Real (Truth)and the Unreal.(Falsehood) 

Another  similar  verse aphorism of Advaita Vedanta is as follows

ब्रह्म सत्यं जगन्मिथ्या जीवो ब्रह्मैव नापरः।

अनेन वेद्यं सच्छास्त्रमिति वेदान्तडिण्डिमः॥

Meaning: Brahman is the Ultimate Truth, the universe is illusion or unreal. And, Brahman cannot be categorized as either real or unreal since it is absolute beyond real-unreal duality. The jiva is Brahman itself and not different – it is ultimate and absolute. This verse should be understood as the reality- tenet as proclaimed by Vedanta.

In other words, it can be said that Brahman is the Absolute Truth, the world is an illusion, and the individual self (jiva) is none other than Brahman itself.