ajAti vAda

do other schools of Indian philosophy. For further details, consult
http://www.advaita-vedanta.org/avhp/gaudapada.html.
5. Why is advaita sometimes referred to as mAyAvAda?
The word mAyAvAda serves many purposes. Since advaita upholds the identity
of the individual Atman with brahman, a doubt naturally arises about the origin of
the variegated universe. The appearance of difference in the universe is attributed
to mAyA. In popular parlance, mAyA means illusion, and a magician or a juggler
is called a mAyAvI. Within advaita, mAyA has a technical significance as the
creative power (Sakti) of brahman, which also serves to occlude, due to which the
universe is perceived to be full of difference, and the unity of brahman is not
known. See fuller details in response to Q. 3 above. Some vaishNava schools use
the word mAyAvAda in a derogatory sense. However, this criticism interprets
mAyA solely as illusion and criticizes advaita for dismissing the world as an
illusion that is nothing more than a dream. Such a criticism neglects the
philosophical subtlety of the concept of mAyA in advaita.
6. Isn't advaita falsified by everyday experience?
No. In fact, advaita acknowledges that everyday experience leads one to infer
plurality, but it maintains emphatically that the transcendental experience of
brahmAnubhava sublates the ordinary everyday experience that is based on
perception through one's senses. The tradition holds that it is not correct to make
one's conclusions on issues of metaphysics based only on normal everyday
experience. All schools of vedAnta rely on scripture, i.e. the Vedas, as a valid
source of knowledge. As advaita vedAnta is learnt only from the upanishads, it is
not falsified by everyday experience. On the other hand, the knowledge of
brahman's identity sublates normal perception. It is also pointed out there would
be no need for scripture if one's conclusions were based only on everyday
experience. Read more at http://www.advaita-vedanta.org/avhp/creation.html. An
account of the post-Sankaran development in thinking about the One brahman visa-vis
the manifold universe can be found at http://www.advaitavedanta.org/avhp/one-many.html.
7. What is the concept of scripture, according to advaita?
advaita's concept of scripture is very similar to that of the pUrva mImAm.sA
school, but with two important exceptions. Thus,
1. The vedas, arranged into the Rk, yajus, sAma and atharva vedas are valid
scripture. The vedas are considered apaurusheya (unauthored), and
eternally valid texts. They constitute Sruti, i.e. the "heard" revelation. A
number of other texts, admittedly of human authorship, are also given
scriptural status, but they are subordinate to the vedas in their authority,