| Summary: | The French Benedictine monk Henri Le Saux (Abhishikt.ananda) sought to establish an
Indian Christian monasticism, emphasizing Hindu ad1•aitic experience. He understood advaita
as both nondual and non-monistic. Using phenomenology and comparative philosophy. this
thesis explores his understanding and experience of advaita, comparing it to both traditional
Hinduism and neo-Vedanta, as well as to Christianity and Zen Buddhism. Abhishiktananda's
description of his experience is examined in relation to perception, thinking, action. ontology and
theology. Special attention is given Lo comparing the views of the Hindu sages RamaQa
Maharshi and Gnanananda, both of whom influenced Abbishiktananda.
Abhishiktananda believed that advaita must be directly experienced; this experience is
beyond all words and concepts. He compares Christian apophatic mysticism and Hindu
sannyiisa. This thesis examines his distinction between experience and thought in relation to
recent philosophical discussions.
Abhishiktananda radically reinterprets Christianity. His affirmation of both nonduality
and non-monism was influenced by Christian Trinitarianism, interpreted as an emanation of the
Many from the One. Jesus' experience of Sonship with the Father is an advaitic experience that
is equally available to everyone. Abhishiktananda believes that the early Upanishads report a
similar experience. A monistic interpretation of advaita only developed later with the
"dialectics" of Shankara's disciples. In non-monistic advaita, the world is not an illusion. Using
ideas derived from tantra and Kashmir Saivism, Abhishiktananda interprets mayii as the .fakti or
power of Shiva. He compares .fakti to the Holy Spirit.
Abhishiktananda distinguishes between a pure consciousness experience (nirvikalpa or
kel•ala samudhi) and a return to the world of diversity in sahaja samiidhi. Ramar:ta and
Gnanananda make a similar distinction. Sahaja samadhi is the state of the jf11anmukti, the one
who is liberated while still in the body; it is an experience that is referred to in tantra and in
Kashmir Saivi.\'m . Abhishiktananda never experienced nin•ikalpa samiidhi, but he did experience
sahaja sam&lhi.
The appendix provides one possible synthesis of Abhishiktananda's understanding of
advaita using the ideas of C. G. Jung. === Religious Studies === Thesis (D.Litt. et Phil.)
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