Advaita Vedānta

Vedānta is the family of interpretations of the Upaniṣads and of Bādarāyaṇa’s Brahma Sūtra, and advaita, often translated “non-dualism”, literally means “non-secondness”. For Advaita, brahman appears as the world through its creative power (māyā), and the world has no existence apart from it. The individual self and the self of the universe are in reality identical, though they seem different, as space in a jar seems different from space as such.

Plurality is experienced because of error and ignorance (avidyā), and knowledge of brahman removes them and brings liberation from the cycle of rebirth. Śaṅkara is credited with establishing Advaita as a school of its own, but it began earlier; of the teachers before him, Gauḍapāda is one of the few who can be dated with some confidence.