Vedanta
The Conclusion of the Vedic Revelation

In the introduction of this book it was explained that the
Upanisads are the subject of the fourth and final degree of Vedic
scholarship.  Therefore the Upanisads are known as Vedanta, `the
conclusion of the Veda.'  Karma-mimamsa philosophy arose from the
earlier study of the ritualistic portions of the Vedas, and so it
is also known as purva-mimamsa, `the prior deliberation.'
Vedanta is called uttara-mimamsa, `the higher deliberation', and
also as brahma-mimamsa, `deliberation on Brahman, the Absolute
Truth.'

The word upanisad means `that which is learned by sitting close to
the teacher.'  The texts of the Upanisads are extremely difficult
to fathom;  they are to be understood only under the close
guidance of a spiritual  master (guru).  Because the Upanisads
contain many apparently  contradictory statements, the great sage
Vyasadeva (also known as Vedavyasa, Badarayana and Dvaipayana)
systematized the Upanisadic teachings in the Vedanta-sutra or
Brahma-sutra.  The Vedanta-sutra is  divided into four chapters:
Samanvaya, which explains the unity of the philosophy of the
Upanisads; Avirodha, which dispels apparent contradictions;
Sadhana, which describes the means to attain the Supreme; and
Phala, which indicates the goal.  Vyasa's sutras are very terse.
Without a fuller explanation, their meaning is dificult to grasp.
In India there are five main schools of Vedanta, each established
by an acarya who explained the sutras in a bhasya (commentary).

Of the five schools or sampradayas, one, namely Sankara's, is
impersonalist.  This means that the Supreme Being is explained in
impersonal terms as being nameless, formless and without
characteristics.  The schools of Ramanuja, Madhva, Nimbarka and
Visnusvami explain God in personal terms; these acaryas and their
followers have very exactingly formulated a philosophy that
dispels the sense of mundane limitation associated with the word
`person' and establishes transcendental personalism in terms of
eternity, endless knowledge, complete bliss, absolute all-attrac-
tive form and all-encompassing love.  Each of the five Vedantist
sampradayas is known for its siddhanta or `essential conclusion'
about the relationships between God and the soul, the soul and
matter, matter and matter, matter and God, and the soul and
souls.  Sankara's siddhanta is Advaita, `nondifference' (i.e.
everything is one, therefore these five relationships are
unreal).  All the other siddhantas support the reality of these
relationships from various points of view.  Ramanuja's siddhanta
is Visistadvaita, `qualified nondifference.'  Madhva's siddhanta
is Dvaita, `difference.'  Visnusvami's siddhanta is Suddhadvaita,
`purified nondifference.'  And Nimbarka's siddhanta is Dvaita-ad-
vaita, `difference-and-identity.'

The Bengali branch of Madhva's sampradaya is known as the Brahma-
Madhva-Gaudiya Sampradaya, or the Caitanya Sampradaya.  In the
1700's this school presented Indian philosophers with a commentary
on Vedanta-sutra written by Baladeva Vidyabhusana that argued yet
another siddhanta.  It is known as Acintya-bedhabheda-tattva,
which means `simultaneous inconceivable oneness and difference.'
In recent years this siddhanta has become known to people from all
over the world due to the popularity of the books of Sri Srimad
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Svami Prabhupada.

Sankara and Buddhism

Sometimes Sankara's Advaita Vedanta commentary is presented in
books about Hinduism as if it is the original and only Vedanta
philosophy.  But a closer look at the advaita doctrine shows it to
be in opposition to many of the fundamental tenets of the Vedanta-
sutra.  In his landmark work `The Brahmasutras and Their Prin-
cipal Commentaries' the eminent Indian scholar B.N.K. Sharma
chronicles how Sankara and his followers go so far as to `openly
rebuff' Vyasadeva for his wording of the original text of the
Vedanta-sutra.  The Advaitists are not shy about overturning the
original sense of the text in order to push