Advaita Vedānta is that school of Vedānta which affirms that Reality, or Brahman, is non-dual (a-dvaita) , that the world is false (mithyā) , the product of a creative illusion (māyā) , and that the human being (jīva) is essentially not-different from Brahman. Advaita has occupied the dominant position in Indian philosophy from the time of Śamkara (ninth century) to the present day. Its prestige, in fact, has been such that the very term “Vedānta” is often made synonymous with it. Many of the finest minds in India contributed to its rich and complex development and brought to the articulation of its basic principles their own special concerns. Further, more than any other school in Indian philosophy Advaita strives to incorporate within itself what it takes to be valid and significant in other systems and to integrate these materials according to its own distinctive metaphysical values.