Advaita literally means "not-two", or "non-dual", in Sanskrit. It's about engaging in practices and study which awaken us to the reality of our interconnectedness with all-that-is by consciously experiencing the openness of natural awareness as a single field.
This is the way it is anyway --- but this is usually obscured by the cloud-cover of conceptual thought, including the "thought called 'Me'".
Every major religion has one or more non-dual facets to it, and it seemed like a list of these might be useful:
Christianity
Mystical Christianity
Gnostic Christian Kabbalah
Gnosticism
Judaism
Kabbalah
Hinduism
Tantric Yoga
Advaita Vedanta
Islam
Sufism
Buddhism
Dzogchen
Vajrayana
Zen
Western Mystery Traditions
Hermetic Alchemy
Celtic Druidism (certain schools)
Golden Dawn (or derivative paths)
Rosicrucianism (or derivative paths)
Freemasonry
Taoism
Largely or completely non-dual
That's just a quick list off the top of my head .... but there's a lot more non-duality out there (and "in here") than meets the eye, so to speak.
And, by the way, I do know I've omitted a couple of well-known religions (Sikhism and Jainism, specifically) - which is simply due to the fact that I don't know if they have a non-dual facet within that religion, or not. "Ditto" with respect to any others (Native American spirituality, for instance) from around the world, as well.
I think I'm familiar with all major religions and spiritual groups - I'm just not familiar with whether or not they all have a non-dual facet within them. My sense of it is: they do ... but I'm still researching this.
Non-Duality seems to have been original (as a teaching), in every religion - with all the symbolism and mythology of religion being a map back home to the reality of non-duality -- and all the sense of glaring difference between religions being due to comparison between various misunderstandings, not comparison between the original, non-dual teachings.
There is no inherent conflict between various religions and various religious teachings; there is only conflict between misunderstandings of various religions and various religious teachings.
The same is true regarding science and religion: there is no inherent conflict between science and religion; there is only conflict between mistaken understanding of science and mistaken understanding of religion.
Non-Duality is simply one term for fulfilled human consciousness, along, usually, with various practices and philosophical views which can help anyone to experience non-duality for themselves.
And please understand: I'm not referring to thinking about non-duality; I'm referring to experiencing non-duality -- which is always cited as the ultimate state, within every spiritual tradition. It has been called everything from enlightenment and self-realization, to God-realization and nirvana, to samadhi, to the ground of being, to the supreme state, to salvation, to heaven ... and by many other names, as well.
The rewards are unimagineable -- and they are available, for all of us.
And per this post, if you're interested -- and you're religious -- you don't even have to change religions, to fulfill your consciousness and fulfill the deepest promises of your religion, at the same time.
Despite many ridiculous statements to the contrary, over the course of history -- enlightenment, or salvation ("Salvation" comes from a Greek root, which comes from the Sanskrit root for the word "Sarve", meaning Whole or Entire; the same Greek root for "Salve" - which helps to Heal; to make Whole) -- is available for all, and contrary to so many statements that are even more ridiculous -- you don't have to accept anyone else's crazy ideas about anything.
Engage in the right practices (sitting silently for a little while every day, in efficacious ways -- we'll be discussing specifics, and/or pointing to them, as this blog proceeds), and experiencing applicable perspective shifts -- and before long, not only will you "win the ultimate prize" ... you'll realize (that you've already ... One).
And so, if anyone knows of any other non-dual paths I may not have included in my list above, please let me know.
Thanks!
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