Advait-Vedanta is a philosophy that was first articulated based on the Upanishads by Adi Shankaracharya in the 8th century CE.
Gurmat is the word for the philosophy and theology introduced by Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji.
There are key, significant differences between how Gurmat articulates the nature of “God” vs Advait.
| Advait | Gurmat |
|---|---|
| God as a "Being" does not exist. | God exists and is a Being (Akal "Purakh"). |
| We cannot have a relationship with God, because that implies the existence of two beings. | We can have a relationship with God, because we have been created as unique and separate beings. |
| God did not create us. Maya is the one who caused us to believe we have self-identity. | God created us each with deliberate, purposeful intention. We exist; we have identity, and purpose. |
| Our existence as individuals is actually an illusion crafted by Maya, and we must strive to shed all sense of individuality. | Our existence is due to a Creator God who has designed us as imperishable, individual, and unique souls. |
| Liberation means the individual sheds all identity and selfhood; therefore, their potential to have external connection with an Other ceases. They dissolve into consciousness, with none of the personal attributes that allow relationships to exist. | When someone is liberated, they unite with God symbiotically, never losing independent selfness, and retaining the ability to connect with an Other. They are never alone, as they exist in an interconnectedness with God as well as other souls. |
