Adi Shankara

Adi Shankara sometimes called Adi Shankarâchârya (788 - towards 820, discussed dates) (Sanskrit आदिशङ्कर, of will shankara , that which creates the happiness, one of the epithets of Shiva) is regarded as one of the largest spiritual Masters of the Hindouisme, formulator of the doctrines Métaphysique of the Advaïta Vêdânta. Born in the Kerala at the 8th century, this Brahmane undertook, without leaving a life of ascetic, “to reform” the Hindouisme, i.e. to return with what in is, according to him, the source, that is to say the Eternal Source, main cause of any tradition.

The childhood of Shankara and the origin of its vocation

Adi Shankara was born in the small village from Kaladî, in the Kerala, in the south of India. It is told that Shiva appeared with his/her parents, leaving them the choice between a many but not very brilliant offspring, and only one child whose life would be short but admirable. The couple having chosen the second proposal, it is Shankara which came in the world. In spite of the early death of his/her father, Shankara is initiated with the Brahmanism, and one reports many miracles carried out by the Master as of this time. Naturally thorough towards asceticism, Shankara gives up any family life when a Crocodile lack to tear off the leg to him, which he interprets as a sign of the brevity of his life that he then decides to devote to the research of the truth.

Initiation

Shankara was put then in the search of a Guru ready to guide it in this research. It left for the center India at the edge of the river Narmada, where it met a disciple of large the Gaudapâda, author of a famous comment of the Mandukya Upanishad, the Mandukya Karikas . This disciple, named Govinda, initiated it with the most ascetic order which can be then in India. Consequently, Shankara travelled through the country, component of the comments of the crowned texts of the hindouism. At the time of its meetings with many authorities of various schools, Shankara proves to be an excellent speaker able to counter the speculators hétérodoxes and any contradictor in general.

Not-duality

The doctrines taught by Shankara are known under the expression of “not-duality”, i.e. the consideration of the divinity in her totality, beyond any duality, including between Être and Non-being. The principle is that Brahman, the main cause, is beyond any determination, even of the unit which is the first of them. These doctrines, taught from time immemorial by the Vêdânta, are found in the comments of Shankara of this crowned text. Shankara, which was followed by many disciples, went to the Cachemire, where a throne dedicated to Sarasvati was, and on which only that who will gain all the debates between the Brahmans present will be able to sit down, thing which had never arrived. Shankara did not have evil to counter its adversaries and could take seat in this place crowned under the auspices of the goddess.

In 32 years, Shankarâchârya dies in Kerdanâth in the the Himalayas.

Posterity

Shankara is the founder of ten monastic orders, known as Dashanâmî and whose monks generally carry after their proper name, that of the order: Bhâratî, Sarasvatî, Sâgara, Tîrtha, Purî, Âshrama, Giri, Parvata, Aranya and Vana.

It established four large monasteries called Amnâya matha (the Maths ) at the four cardinal points of India: Shrîngeri (with the Karnataka - southern), Purî (in Orissa - is), Dvaraka (with the Goujerat - western) and Jyotirmath (in Uttar Pradesh - northern). The Brahmane S which claim its tradition are called Smârtava and practice a nonsectarian ritual which integrates the domestic ritual vedic and of the aspects of devotion Hindu woman. The pancâyatana pûjâ (quintuple worship), characteristic of Smârtava, is a worship dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu, Shakti, Ganesha and Sûrya, as aspects of the saguna brahman , the Divine personnel or endowed with qualities, in opposition to the nirguna brahman , the Divine one without attribute, impersonal of philosophy.

Shankara is still looked today like one of the largest Masters by many hindouists, probably owing to the fact that as of his time, in addition to its purely philosophical activity and " théologique" , he would have been also the reformer of the six systems of Indian philosophy and of which some were, according to him, canted; for this reason it is known under the title of " shanmatasthâpanacharya" ( shan =six, subdued =croyances, sthâpana =qui preserves, which restores, âchârya =le main, that which knows the rules).

Europeans started to know it by the work of Rene Guénon, which regarded it as one of the largest Masters of the pure metaphysics, and which explained in French part of its commentaries of Vêdânta in several of its works and articles ( the Man and its to become according to Vêdânta , general Introduction to the Study of the Hindu doctrines , multiple states To be it , the articles joined together in volumes Mélanges , Etudes on the hindouism etc).

At the 20th century, the experiment, the life and the doctrines of Ramana Maharishi (1879 - 1950) are regarded by much as the best contemporary examples of the vitality of the thought of Shankarâchârya and the Advaita vedanta

Principal works

Viveka Cuda Mani (or the most beautiful floret of discrimination ) Libriraire of America and the East

See too

the Grammar of the Sanskrit, (for including/understanding well the direction of the words sanscrits quoted in this article, and their correct pronunciation) .

Source

External bond

http://www.advaita-vedanta.org/avhp
free audio Book " Knowledge of Soi" of Shri Shankaracharya.

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