A popular approach to spiritual emancipation (liberation) stems from the teachings of the Indian saint Sri Shankaracharya, who was born about three hundred years earlier than Lord Gautama Buddha. The teachings of Shankara are known as Non-Dualistic Advaita or Vishishtadvaita (in Sankrit). Within these teachings, the ultimate state of liberation is that of merging one's original pure consciousness with (becoming one with) the non-dual metaphysical substance known as Brahman.
One may renounce worldly variety and pleasure in exchange for a formless existence of permanent bliss and knowledge. Although Brahman is a spiritual substance, for lack of a better description, it is albeit a formless one. According to the intensity and sincerity of practice, one may achieve these states of being while embodied, however the forms are completely negated after one quits the world. The system of non-duality professed by Shankara is commonly known as Impersonalism.
In most of the world today, Voidism and non-dual Impersonalism seem to have a very strong foothold, even within Christianity and Judiasm. This has been reinforced by contemporary philosophers such as Eckhart Tolle, Adyashanti and others, who have very large followings. These apparently enlightened beings serve to wake people up from their deep spiritual slumber, even if for a short while. They usually appeal to materialistic individuals who have become dissatisfied or unhappy with their own lives and seek an alternative to mainstream religion or mundane earthly consciousness. This type of mentality encompasses a huge percentage of the population, so we can see why they attract so many followers.
One may renounce worldly variety and pleasure in exchange for a formless existence of permanent bliss and knowledge. Although Brahman is a spiritual substance, for lack of a better description, it is albeit a formless one. According to the intensity and sincerity of practice, one may achieve these states of being while embodied, however the forms are completely negated after one quits the world. The system of non-duality professed by Shankara is commonly known as Impersonalism.
In most of the world today, Voidism and non-dual Impersonalism seem to have a very strong foothold, even within Christianity and Judiasm. This has been reinforced by contemporary philosophers such as Eckhart Tolle, Adyashanti and others, who have very large followings. These apparently enlightened beings serve to wake people up from their deep spiritual slumber, even if for a short while. They usually appeal to materialistic individuals who have become dissatisfied or unhappy with their own lives and seek an alternative to mainstream religion or mundane earthly consciousness. This type of mentality encompasses a huge percentage of the population, so we can see why they attract so many followers.
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