Sage Sri Sankara
–VC--"All this universe which through ignorance appears as of diverse
forms, is nothing else but Brahman which is absolutely free from all the
limitations of human thought
It is this Supreme Oneness which alone is real, since there is
nothing else but the Self. Verily, there remains no other independent entity in
the state of realization of the highest Truth."
People believe that teacher or
mystic or priest has got so many followers and therefore there must be some
truth in their teaching, is a common fallacy accepted by the mass due to their
inherited conditioning. It proves only an ignorant can find a number of greater
ignorant to follow him.
The Mind
appears due to ignorance. Without ignorance the mind ceases to exist. Thus mind is in the form of universe and
appears as waking or dream. The waking
or dream is state of duality. Thus seeker has to hold wherever there is duality
there is ignorance. If duality is
considered as reality than the experience of birth, life, death and the world
is considered as reality. If experience
birth, life, death and the world is considered as reality than the form, time
and space is becomes a reality. If form, time and space is becomes reality as
reality than there is diversity in unity.
To bring back the unity in diversity, one has to put the ego in to
reverse gear until it reaches the ultimate end or source from where mind rises
and subsides.
The Seeker has to grow from the
inside out by soul-centric reasoning. None can teach him none can make him to
reach the ultimate end. There is no other guru but the formless consciousness,
which the innermost self.
Mind
is in the form of universe. Man is with
in the world. Man is the physical entity within the universe. Universe appears
as waking or dream. Dream is parallel waking and waking is parallel dream. The formless witness of the mind or universe
or waking is real and eternal. The formless witness itself is the formless substance
of the three states.
The scriptures are for ignorant masses, who wholly accept the
material world as it presents itself. Wisdom is for those who have begun to
realize that things are not what they seem.
Each sect concocts a God to suit its own purposes. Such concocted Gods have no value in pursuit
of truth. Man himself suggests that
there must be a God. It is an auto-suggestion.
Prayers and sacrifices belong to a premature stage of
development. However when no answers come to prayers, struggle for existence
presses man, and doubt arises again.
Faith in religion weakens as man pays more attention to facts of life
and this world.
People
take their gurus as their model. Many think that wisdom to be the matter of
theorizing. But it is not so.Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana is nothing to do with practical life, which is limited to form, time and
space. Everyone has to experience
birth, life, death and the world within the waking experience. The dream becomes unreal when waking takes
place. And waking becomes unreal when the self, wakes up in its formless non-dual true nature in the midst of waking experience (duality).
Egocentric theorizing does not lead to self-awareness. Water is
the root of the element of the snow and cloud, similarly, consciousness is root
of the element of the universe. From consciousness the universe comes into
existence. In consciousness the universe resides. And into the consciousness
the universe is dissolved. Consciousness is parent of all that is there.
All attribute based knowledge, which are inferior, have to be
bifurcated and excluded to know the ultimate truth. The seeker of truth has to drop all the
inferior knowledge based on the attributes and go beyond Vedas to understand
assimilate and realize the ultimate truth or Brahman.
Reason is the common ground for whole humanity in modern age,
whereas the appeal to scriptural relations reaches only the sects. Those who argue that truth is only in their
religion are vain logicians, depending on mere ideas, speculations and
imaginations.
Truth is bitter pill. It becomes very difficult for the seeker
to accept it at first; because of his inherited conditioning. Gradually he will
be able to grasp it as he moves on.
One has to go beyond Vedas means go beyond religion. Go beyond
religion means, go beyond concept of god.
Thus, going beyond Veda, religion and conceptual god means going beyond
illusion. That is end of Vedas (Veda
–antha)
Upanishad says:- the human goal is
to acquire Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana and they indicate the personal gods, scriptures,
worship and rituals are not the means to Self –Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana, then why anyone
should indulge in it. The religion, concept of individualized god and
scriptures are greatest obstacle to realize non-dual truth or self-realization,
because they are based on false self.
The seeker of truth has to search the ultimate truth without losing
himself in the labyrinths of philosophy, through deeper, inquiry, analysis and
reasoning and assimilate and realize it.
That
is why Sage Sri Sankara, indicated in Bhaja Govindam says: - [Jnana Viheena Sarva Mathena Bajathi na Muktim janma Shatena]
- one without knowledge does not obtain liberation
even in a hundred births, no matter which religious faith he follows.
Then it is no use
going roundabout way, trace the Brahman which is the formless substance and
witness of the universe, which is in the form of mind. By tracing the source of the mind or universe
one will be able to realize the Brahman.
Thus, self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana is meant only for those who have intense urge, and
courage to accept the truth with humility and reject the untruth. Since people
start comparing with their scriptural knowledge, it becomes impossible to
assimilate and realize the non-dual truth. Therefore, there is no
need to convince anyone other than our own-selves to get the firm
conviction.
So they clearly
indicate rituals and theories are not meant for those who are searching for the
higher knowledge or wisdom. The path of
wisdom is the only means.
