Subject and Reality: Self, Plenitude, and Ultimate Truth in Advaita Vedānta, Zen Buddhism, and Sufism

Abstract

This article presents two interconnected arguments. Firstly, it compares three distinct religious traditions—Advaita Vedānta, Zen Buddhism, and Sufism—in order to argue that each posits the same nondual Reality (here called Subject) as the ultimate ontological Truth and the true Self of individuals. It is erroneous to identify with the body-mind and apprehend multiplicity. Secondly, it argues that the practices of these different religions lead to the same end: realization of the true Self or Subject. The purpose of this study is to highlight the essential unity of global religions and the Oneness of Being.