Tapasvi Yogashram

Duality (Samkhya School)

Let’s first talk about Duality, as this is the philosophy which is most shared in Yoga Teacher Training programs. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali has become the go-to study text in mostly all Yoga Teacher Trainings. In fact, Patanjali is often called “The Father of Yoga”, although there’s no clear evidence to suggest that the Sutras were in fact written by one person, but more likely a collection of people.

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali is built on the same dualist foundation as the Samkhya school. In the Samkhya traditions the Universe is conceptualized as two separate realities: Puruṣa (consciousness) and prakriti (mind, cognition, emotions, and matter). In this tradition consciousness and the material World are two different realities. But both of these realities are real.

Moksha (liberation) in this tradition is seen as the freedom from Saṃsāra, or the cycle of death and rebirth. Meaning one will merge into the absolute, Ishvara, and will no longer have to be born into this World, which is classed as being separate, and not part of divinity. Due to the material World being a separate reality to God/Pure-Consciousness, followers of this tradition often follow the path of renunciation in order to gain Moksha. Renunciation of all material belongings and even relationships. As all of these are what binds us to this material reality.

A depiction of Sage Patanjali

Advaita Vedānta

Advaita (literally, non-duality, or non-secondness), is one version of Vedānta. In Advaita Vedānta we have Brahman as the absolute Pure-Consciousness, which is completely still and spacious.

In this tradition the rest of reality is, well, not in fact reality at all, but is caused by Maya (illusion), the only reality is that of Brahman. Plurality is experienced because of error in judgments (mithya) and ignorance (avidya). As we can see, this is a World denying system, as the World itself is all but an illusion, caused by our own ignorance.

Liberation in this system is a recognition of this illusion, and so we also have renunciation in this system. As why would one on the spiritual path continue to associate with a World which is not only not divine (like in Samkhya), but is in fact not even real?

This absolute Brahman is known as nirguņa Brahman, or Brahman “without qualities,” but is usually simply called “Brahman.” What is meant by this, is Brahman is a formless reality, beyond time, space and form of any kind. Anything outside of this formless reality, is said to be purely illusionary.

Adi Shankara, the most prominent

exponent of Advaita Vedānta

Non-Dual Shaiva Tantra

Finally, we will take a look at another tradition. Non-Dual Shaiva Tantra, often called Kashmiri Shaivism, due to the place from which it emerged.

Even though this is also Non-Dualistic, like Advaita Vedānta, we mustn’t assume that the two are at all related or similar. In fact, they are both vastly different in their views on Ultimate Reality.

In this school of thought, we have Śiva and Śakti which underly the reality of the Universe. You might wonder, how can there be 2 in a Non-Dualistic philosophy? Well, we are taught that the 2 are in fact not really separate at all, but rather different aspects of the same reality.

Śiva represents pure-consciousness, that lies behind, around and through everything, much like Brahman in Advaita Vedānta. But here, Śiva also possesses an underlying potential and dynamism from which all life is created. This underlying potentiality is called Śakti, the creative power of the Universe.

This means that in this tradition, everything we perceive and is tangible (which includes our own body, anything material and also our emotions and thoughts), are brought in to existence through Śakti’s creative energy, and as Śakti is not separate from Śiva, then all of these perceivable things are in fact manifestations of the divine.

In this tradition, we are in fact pure-consciousness, becoming aware of itself. The body is not presented as an obstacle here, neither is the body impure or associated with sin, but rather serves as an instrument to experience the sacredness that is in everything, including the body itself. We are already perfect. We are simply a microcosm of the macrocosm of the Universe.

Ardhanarishvara

The Union of Śiva and Parvati(who is an embodiment of Śakti).