Core Teachings
Atman Is Brahman
The mahavakya — the great saying — of the Upanishads is Tat Tvam Asi: “Thou art That.” The innermost self is not a small spark distinct from the divine fire; it is the fire itself, temporarily imagining itself as a spark. Every teaching of this order is a commentary on this recognition. Enlightenment is not becoming something new but ceasing to misidentify with what you never were.
Maya: The Measure of the Unreal
The world of separate things is maya — not “illusion” in the sense of nonexistence, but appearance mistaken for ultimate reality, like mistaking a rope for a snake in dim light. The teaching does not ask you to deny the world but to stop demanding from it what it cannot give: permanence, complete satisfaction, an identity that will not dissolve. See the rope as rope, and fear ends without the rope disappearing.
The Four Yogas: Paths for Every Temperament
The tradition honors that seekers differ. Jnana yoga is the path of knowledge — rigorous self-inquiry (“Who am I?”) that dismantles false identification. Bhakti yoga is the path of devotion — love of the divine in form, melting the ego in surrender. Karma yoga is the path of selfless action — working without clutching at results. Raja yoga is the path of meditation — the systematic stilling of the mind’s waves. All four arrive at the same shore.
Dharma and Moksha
While liberation (moksha) is the ultimate aim, the order teaches dharma — right living in one’s actual circumstances — as its indispensable foundation. A scattered, dishonest life cannot sustain the inquiry. Ethics here is not moralism but pragmatism: truthfulness, non-harming, and simplicity clear the inner weather so recognition can dawn.
The truth you seek is the truth of the seeker. Turn the light around.