God and the Unity of Being in the School of Vedanta

This paper seeks to study the idea of God and explain His ontological existence in Vedanta school. This school is the most important and most profound mystical- philosophical school in Hinduism and it is based on the last sections of "Vedas", which is considered as the most sacred Hindu scriptures. Although the hymns of Vedas begin with praising gods, in the final hymns, the One God is presented and the other gods represent a manifestation of the One God. Also, the Vedanta school is based on the last sections of the Vedas that display clear tendency to monotheism. The scholars of this school have presented a number of interpretations on God and the unity of Being, the most important of which is those presented by Sankara and Ramanuja. Sankara who established "Adavita Vedanta" school, rejects absolute dualism, denies any dichotomy between man and God, and believes in the unity of the Absolute. On the other hand, Ramanuja has modified non-dualism and his view is referred to a modified non-dualism or “Vishishtadvaita”. Ramanuja accepts the distinction between man and God and rejects the unity of absolute Being. Ramanuja’s theory is known as the theory of "Mokayef “.