THE VIVEKACHUDAMANI

The Crest Jewel of Discrimination, or Vivekachudamani, is a famous work by India’s Adi Shankara (variously 6th century to 8th century) that expounds Advaita Vedanta philosophy.  It describes viveka,  the human faculty of discrimination, which it calls the “crown jewel” among the essentials for moksha (liberation).

By discrimination, Shankara means the ability to differentiate between what is real and what is not real.  Something is real that neither changes nor ceases to exist, i.e. is eternal.  Something is not real, non-eternal, if it is subject to modification.  Brahman is real.  The world of form is not real.

When Shankara says that the world of form is not real, he does not mean that it is nonexistent.  In the state of ignorance (our everyday consciousness) the world is experienced, and it exists as it appears.  In the state of illumination it is not experienced, and it ceases to exist.

The supreme goal of life is to know Brahman, what is real.