This is a profound comparison — Buddhism and Advaita Vedānta both operate within non-dualist metaphysical frames, yet they make opposite moves regarding the status of self, reality, and being.
Let us map their ontologies with care — not to synthesize prematurely, but to highlight the radical difference between emptiness and unity, between non-being and Being-as-Self.
◉ I. Core Ontological Claim
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Buddhism (esp. Madhyamaka)
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Advaita Vednta
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Ultimate Reality
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贖nyat (emptiness): All dharmas are empty of svabhva (inherent existence)
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Brahman: pure, infinite Being-Consciousness-Bliss (sat-cit-nanda)
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Nature of World
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Dependent co-arising (prat蘋tya-samutpda) world arises in mutual conditionality, with no essence
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My illusory appearance superimposed on Brahman
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View of Being
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There is no independent being; everything is relational and empty
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There is only one Being unchanging, eternal, the Self
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▶ Buddhism: Being is empty.
▶ Advaita: Being is Self.
◉ II. The Self (Ātman vs. Anātman)
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Buddhism
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Advaita Vednta
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Self
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Antman no permanent, independent self exists
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tman the true Self, which is Brahman itself
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What is denied?
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The illusion of a lasting subject; ego is a construct
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The identification with body-mind is denied; Self is beyond
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Liberation
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Comes through realization of non-self
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Comes through Self-realization
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▶ For Buddhists, the self is an error to be deconstructed.
▶ For Advaitins, the self is Truth to be remembered.
◉ III. Ontology of Appearance
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Buddhism
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Advaita Vednta
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Phenomena (dharmas)
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Not ultimately real; exist only conventionally
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Appear because of ignorance; ultimately unreal (my)
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Change
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Constitutive of reality
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Seen as apparent, not touching Brahman
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Time & Causality
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Dynamic, interdependent processes no first cause
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Apparent sequence in my; Brahman is beyond time
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▶ Buddhism: Everything flows, nothing abides.
▶ Advaita: Everything flows on the surface, but the ocean is still.
◉ IV. Liberation as Ontological Shift
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Buddhism
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Advaita Vednta
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Liberation (nirv廜𡩣 / mok廜ζ)
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Realizing emptiness of all constructs and identities
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Realizing identity with Brahman, the only real existence
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What ends?
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Rebirth, suffering, delusion by letting go of clinging
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Rebirth, suffering, delusion by dis-identifying with my
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Who is liberated?
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No-one: even liberation is empty
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The Self, which was always free but forgot itself
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▶ In Buddhism, no one is liberated, and that’s liberation.
▶ In Advaita, you were always free, and that’s liberation.
◉ V. The Status of Ontology Itself
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Buddhism
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Advaita Vednta
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Ontology
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A conventional map to be transcended
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A pointer to ultimate unity
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Use of negation
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Radical deconstruction (neti neti in its Buddhist form)
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Apophatic logic (also neti neti), to arrive at Brahman
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Final word
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Silence, compassion, non-abiding
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Non-dual awareness, blissful identity
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Buddhism: there is no ultimate ontology — only the freedom of emptiness.
Advaita: there is one ultimate ontology — pure consciousness, non-dual and eternal.
◉ Summary Table
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Category
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Buddhism (Madhyamaka)
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Advaita Vednta
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Ultimate Reality
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贖nyat (emptiness)
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Brahman (Being-Consciousness-Bliss)
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Self
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Antman (no-self)
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tman = Brahman
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World
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Dependent arising, empty
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My (illusion)
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Ontological stance
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Anti-essentialist, anti-substantialist
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Non-dualist essentialism
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Liberation
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Seeing through all constructs
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Realizing Self䏭 unity with Brahman
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Method
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Deconstruction, meditation, ethics
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Self-inquiry (j簽na yoga), scripture
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Final realization
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There is no ultimate essence
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All is One and You are That (Tat Tvam Asi)
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◉ Poetic Contrast
Buddhism whispers:
“There is nothing to cling to.
Not even Being. Not even liberation.”
Advaita whispers:
“There is only Being.
And You are That.”
Would you like a visual metaphysical map of these two, or a synthesis from a post-structuralist or psychoanalytic lens?
