This is a quote from the great ancient philosopher Adi Shankaracharya, the one who established the philosophy of Theistic Non-duality … He was a great mystic, yogi, tantric and held to have descended as an incarnation of Shiva himself… He lived only thirty-two years and single-handedly resurrected non-dualism and brought about a rejuvenation of devotional and philosophical fervor in the Indian subcontinent… He may be credited as the reason Vedic philosophy survived through various attacks and invasions… Right from ancient seers, to Ramana Maharshi to new-age non-dualists rehash/base their non-dual philosophy on Shankara’s experiential truths.
- For those that are of active/energy-oriented nature, he taught Yogic techniques
- For those that were of devotional bent, he taught purification through devotion and service to godhead
- For those inclined at esoterica, he taught advanced Tantric techniques
- And for those who had refined their mind and intellect through one or more of the above, he taught non-duality by contemplation on the true nature of Self (based on Upanishads) propelling one to a state of Enlightenment …
His work Nirvana Shatkam (the six verses of liberation) captures his philosophy succinctly. It is not a stretch to regard it as a commentary on the experience of OM…