I see Advaita philosophy always concluding with the slogan "All is One" ---yet its proponents hardly ever speak of the rudimentary study of Vedic metaphysics.
What use can metaphysical knowledge have? I am interested in the experience itself, not gaining knowledge about others experience. Why do you value so much the words of another, do you fear the encounter itself?
But leading up to the CONCLUSION of Advaita philosophy ---"All is One"--- there is the study of old school preliminary courses to study.
Yes, this is the main complaint the traditionalists have with what is being called Neo-Advaita. Advaita and Zen are merging today, and some of the main components of Zen being brought in is that enlightenment is always sudden, does not require scripture, and is not something that can be worked towards.
Do not misunderstand, you must understand much before anything can happen, else what will you be looking for? Now though, it is more about directly encountering, rather than studying for a long time and gradually awakening.
It is far better to awaken and then understand what has happened, too much knowledge makes it impossible to actually encounter truth - you think you know too much, you become too closed.
By "courses to study" I am not referring to Rituals. But I am referring to Advaita's elementary stepping stones.
Awakening is always unique and individual, there cannot be stepping stones that are valid for all people. No true Guru will try to apply general rules to every disciple, they will speak only for that individual, nurturing their personal growth. Relying on scripture and the like is a sure sign they are not truly a Guru, for it shows their own lack of real insight, they show themselves to be merely learned.
1] metaphysics of karma (and thus "karmic interactions") and its affects upon the living "soul" [soul is also called illusory by Buddhists and adavaitists]
For whom does karma apply?
The mind is the sole "entity" in which desires arise, and it is desire which moves the mind. You are correct, Buddha teaches anatta and Advaitins merely say Atman and Brahman are the same. Buddha speaks much about departing the wheel of life and death, it is simply to detach from the mind stream, it is to see for whom the mind arises.
Remaining only as the witness, nothing of this world touches you, you are no more of this place. How then can Karma apply? The karmic vehicle simply dies and we live on as God by any name, love.
2] metaphysics of "Jnana"(pron gyana), aka "Sankhaya", aka "Dhayana" The study of the physical metaphysical construct and expansion of existence.
Zen is a attempt by the Japanese to say the Chinese Ch'an, which in turn is the Chinese attempt to say Dhyana - it means absorption. This is the very method of realizing the oneness of all things, constantly the opposites are discussed, the mind lives on the divisions, dropping all the opposites results in direct insight.
This does not need to be studied, it only needs to be utilized and encountered directly. Studying how all is one does not give you the experience of oneness, and it is the experience that all true Guru's teach.
3] metaphysics of bhakti the devote "service" of one's faculties outwardly.
For Advaita and Zen, Bhakti stems directly from the understanding of oneness, there is a deep compassion and love felt for all living things because they are not other than you. There is also a deep love for all of the gods, and all who have taught this truth, for they have all played their part in this moment happening.
You know perfectly well though that Bhakti is not something about service, it is the love for existence or god, usually expressed through devotion. Service is of Karma Yoga, which is as you describe.
The topic of the "SOUL" --its existence and its nature and its destiny and purpose would make great conversation too. For my school of orthodox philosophy has the most to say about the physics of the "Soul".
The soul is the nature of separateness, it is the aspect which returns again and again to this place. Enlightenment is the merging of the soul back to spirit, it is the re-merging back into Brahman, its source.
I do not know how useful it is to study something which is the basic nature of our ignorance, except to understand how to overcome this. If you wish to discuss this matter further, I would be more than willing, but something tells me you are not interested in this, I think you desire reincarnation.
May I correct you here:
The whole mechanism is Real---
whilst the ZERO Vacuum (the space that the mechanism occupies) also is real.
IOW the whole entire Illusion of transient "Rising and Falling of the ten thousand things" is a beginning-less and endless dynamic.
The world of Illusion and Illusioned beings exists to facilitate Illusion ---this is real.
I am not sure how this corrects anything I have said.
I would insist it is only relatively real, but you are speaking on that level so I have no argument.
