The Fundamentals of Vedanta

I am happy to start the Fundamentals of Vedanta series on this blog. As the name suggests, the idea of this series is to introduce the basics of Vedanta from the ground up, assuming no prior knowledge. The topics in this series will discuss key Vedantic terms and concepts right from scratch, one by one until the different pieces of the jigsaw puzzle gradually come together and develop into a bird’s eye view of the vision of Advaita Vedanta. The content here will also address some common misconceptions and confusions that may arise in the mind of the student as well as key insights from the teachings that help clear such misconceptions. There will be a continuity of ideas between successive topics. Hence, a sequential study of the topics is suggested.

Topic 1: Puruṣārthas: The Four Human Goals

1. Introduction
2. Artha
3. Kāma
4. Dharma
5. The Limitations of the First Three Puruṣārthas
   1. Discovering the Problem of Saṃsāra
   2. Why do I Pursue the First Three Puruṣārthas?
   3. Why do I Want More of the Same Pursuits?
   4. The Issues with this Approach
   5. Samsāra: The Never-ending Struggle
   6. The Great Disillusionment
   7. The Search for the Solution
6. The Final Pursuit: Mokṣa

Topic 2: Conversion of a Mumukṣu (Seeker of Mokṣa) to a Jijñāsu (Seeker of Knowledge)

1. Introduction
2. The Problem, as Presented by Vedānta  
   1. Questioning the Conclusion that I am a Limited Being
   2. What I want is Freedom from Lack
   3. The Search For Freedom from Lack is a Natural Urge
   4. All Natural Desires Have a Solution
   5. How Do I Gain Freedom from Lack? 
3. The Awakening of the Tenth Man
4. The Jīva’s Search for Mokṣa Compared to the Tenth Man’s Search
5. Accomplishing the Accomplished
6. Correct Diagnosis: When Ignorance is the Problem, Knowledge Alone is the Solution
7. Seven Stages of Progress in the Case of the Tenth Man (and the Jīva)
8. The Problem is not the Lack of Experience but the Lack of Knowledge
9. The Mumukṣu (Seeker of Mokṣa) Needs to be Converted to a Jijñāsu (Seeker of Knowledge)

Topic 3: The Nature of Knowledge and its Means

1. Introduction
2. What is Knowledge?
3. The Means of Knowledge
   1. The First Knowledge Principle
   2. The Second Knowledge Principle
   3. The Third Knowledge Principle
4. The Means of Knowledge: The Six pramāṇas Accepted by Vedānta
   1. Perception (pratyakṣa)
   2. Inference (anumāna)
   3. Postulation (arthāpatti)
   4. Non-cognition (anupalabdhi)
   5. Comparison (upamāna)
   6. Words (śabda)
5. Direct versus Indirect Knowledge
6. Relevance of these Six pramāṇas for Self-Knowledge
7. Enter Vedic Words (śabdas of the Vedas)
   1. Veda Pūrva
   2. Vedānta
8. Conclusion

Topic 4: Indirect Versus Direct Knowledge

1. Introduction
2. Three Misconceptions
   1. The Unnecessary Adjective “Intellectual” Prefixed to Knowledge
   2. On Becoming Liberated
   3. The Experience of Brahman
3. Indirect Versus Direct Knowledge
4. Descriptive Versus Introductory Words
5. Examples of Introductory Words Producing Direct Knowledge
6. Words of Vedanta are Introductory Words that Produce Direct Knowledge of the Self