ESSAYS

An in-depth exploration of Vedanta’s teaching method (adhyaropa–apavada), explaining how the tradition leads the seeker from duality to nonduality through a structured process of superimposition and negation. Includes an appendix outlining the progressive curriculum of Vedanta — from Tattva Bodha to Panchadashi — within the shastra–guru–shishya model.

Vedanta often seems to say one thing in one place and the opposite elsewhere. The secret lies in adhyāropa–apavāda—a teaching method that first grants provisional truths, then withdraws them, revealing the Self as the sole reality.

This article explores the meaning of guru in Vedanta, drawing from classical texts like the Guru Gītā and Vivekachudamani. It defines a true guru as one who dispels ignorance of the Self through scriptural knowledge, personal realization, and compassionate guidance.