Closer To Truth Eastern Traditions: What are Ultimate Existence and Essence?
May 14, 2025
Swami Medhananda, a Monk from the Ramakrishna Order, enlightens listeners on the interplay of Western philosophy and Vedanta. He dives into the metaphysical nuances of existence and essence within Eastern traditions, revealing the complexities of ultimate reality as viewed through the lenses of Buddhism, Hinduism, and Taoism. Topics like transcendence, oneness, and interconnectedness spark fascinating discussions, while comparisons of concepts such as Wu and Emptiness provoke thought about the divine and our place in the cosmos.
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Advaita Vedanta's Non-Dual Ontology
- Advaita Vedanta teaches a radical non-dualism where only one reality, Brahman, truly exists.
- The world and its multiplicity are mere appearances on Brahman, like images on a movie screen.
Maya and Causality in Advaita Vedanta
- In Advaita Vedanta, causality does not link ultimate Brahman to the universe.
- The universe is explained as Maya, an appearance without causal reality behind it.
Buddhist Emptiness Explained
- Buddhist emptiness means things lack intrinsic existence and exist dependently.
- Emptiness does not mean non-existence, but relational existence without independent essence.