The philosophical traditions of Yoga and Advaita Vedanta have long been seen as distinct—one affirming duality between mind and self, the other asserting non-duality between self and absolute consciousness. But from a practical standpoint, particularly in the experience of Samadhi, this distinction begins to blur. In Patanjali’s system, Samadhi is the stilling of the mind to such a degree that the object alone shines, and the egoic self appears absent. In Advaita, this same absence is seen not as duality resolved, but as duality revealed to be an illusion.
What’s most striking is how both traditions lead to a similar inner reality—one that transcends thought, time, and individual identity. For the serious practitioner, it may not be necessary to choose between these views. Yoga provides the methodology; Vedanta offers the lens. Together, they guide the seeker to a point where the mind dissolves, not into blankness, but into the radiant field of consciousness itself.
