Dennis Waite sees Advaita as the philosophy underlying most religions, including Christianity, though it is more usually associated with Hinduism. Its essence is summed up in its Sanscrit name, which essentially means there are not two things. The full title of the philosophy is Advaita Vedanta. Vedanta, derived from the scriptures which form the last part of the Vedas, means the end of knowledge, in the sense of being the highest knowledge one can attain. It is not in itself an organized religion, however - there are no churches or priests.

Gaudapada was one of the world s greatest philosophers in seventh-century India. He invokes the mystical symbol AUM (pronounced as ohm ) pointing to the three states of consciousness (waking, dreaming and deep sleep) and the nature of reality itself. In the text on which this book is based, he writes that the waker, dreamer and deep-sleeper are like the roles that an actor plays at various times. All three states are the result of ignorance and error. Who we really are is the fourth aspect the actor himself. If you see or feel a thing, then that thing is not real. So the waking world is no...