In his introduction to the collection of essays entitled Vedanta for Modern Man, writer Christopher Isherwood provides the following excellent recap of Vedanta philosophy:
"Vedanta is a nondualistic philosophy. It teaches that Brahman (the ultimate Reality behind the phenomenal universe) is 'one without a second.' Brahman is beyond all attributes. Brahman is not conscious; Brahman is consciousness. Brahman does not exist; Brahman is existence. Brahman is the Atman (the Eternal Nature) of every human being, creature, and object. Vedanta teaches us that Life has no other purpose than this: that we shall learn to know ourselves for what we really are; that we shall reject the superficial ego-personality which claims that 'I am Mr. Smith; I am other than Mr. Brown,' and know, instead, that 'I am the Atman; Mr. Brown is the Atman; the Atman is Brahman; there is nothing anywhere but Brahman; all else is appearance, transience, and unreality."
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