Reconciling Differences

This world is full of differences.

There are many different views that are divergent or opposing to each other.

Advaita and Dvaita is one typical example.

In Advaita the individual non-dual self alone is real and the world is unreal.

In Dvaita the individual selves are many and have gradations. The world

of duality and differences and the controlling God are all real.

There is Vishishtadvaita that appears to be reconciling both. May be in a

way, as it accepts inseparable oneness. But essentially it accepts infinite

individual selves that are equal but different from the supreme Self.

V.Advaita is like Dvaita without taratamya or gradations

All the three schools are different and there are many internal varieties

or differences among them also.

Should sincere truth seekers evaluate them to determine which is valid Or

reconcile them all? Or is it good to stay in one's own tradition and just

passively ignore or accept all others as true.

Who is the Brahman of vedanta? Vishnu or Shiva?

Actually the reconciliation is in the Veda itself. It is clearly stated that

Shiva, Indra, and every blessed thing/being in the universe is Narayana only.

The entire universe is that Narayana, the supreme being. Vishwam Narayanam

devam aksharam paramam padam. One needs to look at the whole universe as

that supreme being. He is Brahma, He is Shiva, He is Indra and so on....

All identification of particular name/form culminates in the universe only

as everything is in THAT. There cannot be any opposition to this view as there

is no entity that is external to this non-dual being.

Whenever anything is identified we actually identify the self of that thing.

So when the universe is identified we identify the Self of the universe

Narayana who is the Purusha manifesting as the universe is thus the Self of

all and is the source / abode / destination of all name/forms. He is the root

of all differences and All differences gets reconciled in Him.

Advaita is based on this final non-dual Truth of Narayana who is the supreme

spirit Self of all. All good and bad or dos and don'ts are with respect

to the universal Self which is there in all the many individual selves.

The individual right and wrong may differ from each other. But when it

is looked upon from the point of view of the universal Self it gets

aligned. That which is good for the universe is good for all.

This provides the philosophical basis for the Vedic morality and philosophy.

Advaita states that this Self which is in all has no name/form/attributes.

This is the aprasiddha or unknown aspect of Brahman described in the Veda as

Nishkalo Niranjano and so on...But Advaita also has to accept that this
unknowable unthinkable Self IS the source/abode/destination of all 
name/form/attributes which is the prasiddha aspect of Brahman. This prasiddha 
aspect is also supported by Veda and is brought out more vividly in Dvaita.

Dvaita identifies this Narayana as the Self who is different from every

particular name/form and every such name/form in the universe is different

from each other also and is absolutely dependent on this Narayana who is

independent.

Vishishtadvaita identifies the relationship of Self-body that obtains between

Narayana and the world. So the family, society, Nation and the world as a

whole is the body of Narayana who pervades supports and controls from within.

The Vedic ideal of Varnashrama gets credibility only when the society/world

is looked upon as the body of God. Each part of the body like head, hands,

thighs and feet have their respective duty all culminating as a service to

the Self/Narayana residing in the body.

So Brahman as Narayana or the Self of the universe - Vishwatma is accepted
in all the three traditions of Advaita-Dvaita and Vishishtadvaita.

All the 33 devatas correspond to the 33 alphabets in Sanskrit and they also
denote the 33 tattvas in the human body. So identifying the Vedantic Brahman 
as Narayana who is the inner Self of all supporting the 33 devatas who are 
the presiding deities of 33 different aspects of body/world should reconcile 
and integrate all differences.

The vedic ideal of Yagya as the basis of all Morality makes sense only when

the relationship of Self-body is recognized between God and the world comprising

of jiva/jada. All personal human activities like eating/drinking and so on will

be a yagya or worship of God within and all non-personal activities like service

to the world culminates as a service to the God without. The ideal of dharma as

a limiting adjunct within which one has to restrict his activities also makes

sense as every action involves himsa. One jiva has to depend on another for

existence. The degree of himsa depends on the nature of work/service or
dharma or duty.

Thus there are differences everywhere in the world and one's duty or sva-dharma

also will be different accordingly. But all of that gets reconciled when they all

culminate as the service to Brahman in the form of the universe.

God as the supreme Self indwelling in all is very intriguing. He is One and

many/infinite at the same time. The entire world of differences arises, remains

and returns back to Him. Identifying this Self in all and all in the Self

thus reconciles all kinds of particular views.

Namaste, 

Suresh