The orthodox non-dualistic scholars have not reached anywhere, because they also hold the ‘I’ itself as a witness or self , therefore they will never reach the ultimate end.
Scholastic
knowledge is not wisdom. Most of them write a big volume of books and indulge in self-glorification. It is a waste of time and effort to indulge
discussion with people who are conduct oriented and based on karma theory. It
is meant for those who are not seeking truth but for those who are born in
orthodox cult. There is no need to condemn them because they
are conditioned to accept whatever they inherited from one generation as
ultimate truth.
This
non-dualistic scholars or pundits like dualist
Sages could not distinguish between ‘I’ and ‘formless witness.’ The 'I' was the
witness. Their highest was the Jiva. One is so much attached to the 'I' that he
does not want to think that 'I' does not exist. Again one is unable to detach the
‘I’ from the Real witness.
Scholastic arguments and their orthodox attitude is out-dated and not
fit for the modern mind-sets who are capable of thinking using their own
reason. It is no use in arguing with
people who live in self-imposed orthodox prison and who impose their false
inherited baggage to the next generation.
It is high time for the orthodox cult to wake up and indulge is
self-search their belief to realize the non-dualistic truth expounded by the
great sage scientists, Sri, Sankara and Goudpada.
It becomes difficult for the
orthodox cult to accept anything else as truth other than their accepted
belief, which they hold as truth. Although all religious followers are
participants alike in the spiritual endeavor of the world, overzealous followers of each religion are not prepared
to accord equal status to other faiths and assert the superiority of their own.
Thus the universal brotherhood is a total impossibility because it is difficult to
accept anything other than their inherited belief system.
Most of the pundits are egoic and
they try to snub others who question them.
They think they are unquestionable authority. They quote the citation from the scriptures
as proof without verifying the validity.
All punditry is a great obstacle in realizing the Advaitic truth
expounded by the Sri, Sankara and Goudapada.
The foreign disciple comes to India
to study scriptures and write great books to feed the seeking crowd but all
this bookish knowledge of ornamental words can satisfy only the emotions and
feelings of an individual. The truth is beyond emotions and feelings because
the formless self is not an individual.
The religious path is emotional
path and it is for those who has the conviction that the practical life within
the practical world as reality. Considering the traditional path as path of
truth is a great mistake. There is no need
to condemn the traditional paths but seekers of truth have to realize the fact
that, they are not the means for Self-Realization. Thus it is necessary to
realize the fact that, traditional path which are based on the scriptural
authority cannot transport the seeker to their non-dual destination as declared
by the Upanishads.
Self-realization cannot be bought in
the spiritual supermarket because truth cannot be patented as individual property because
the ultimate truth or Brahman is declared by the sage scientists Sri, Sankara and Sage Sri, Goudpada 1400 years
back.
Only the orthodoxy which is meant for the lower stage of understanding, who are incapable of grasping the
non- dualistic truth, but to those who are capable must use their own reason.
Thus non-dual
truth can be attained by scientific or rational inquiry and reasoning without
guru, without scriptures by anyone who has urge to know the universal truth or
Brahman. Thus if one is seeking non-dual
or Advaitic truth he need not go
anywhere because it is within his mind and it is without his mind. Thus perfect
understanding is necessary to assimilate and realize it. The Seeker of truth has to avoid
getting involved with the guru or teaching if wants acquire Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana
because emotionally getting involved with a guru or teaching becomes great
hindrance and one will permanently remain in the prison of physicality or
duality.
One finds lots of differences between traditional Advaitic preaching
and practice. There is a need to bifurcate religion, the concept of god and
scriptures from Advaitic philosophy to assimilate the essence of Advaita.
Sri, Sankara says in Brahma Sutras: that Brahman is the cause of the world, whereas in Mandukya he
denies it. This is because he says that at the lower stage of understanding,
the former teaching must be given, for people will get frightened as they
cannot understand how the world can be without a cause, but to those in a
higher stage, the truth of non-causality can be revealed.
Sage Sri, Sankara himself has warned us not to use ambiguous words,
and to practice semantic analysis in his book "Definition of one's own
Self. (" Page
199, v.24 of "Sankara's Selected Works)
Sage Sri, Sankara founded his Advaita
Vedanta either on reason independent of sruti or on sruti confirmed by
reason." Sri, Sankara's commentary on the Mandukya Upanishad,
II, 1: This [the unreality of duality] is borne out by the Srutis
... But it is possible also to show the unreality of the object world even from
pure reasoning, and this second chapter is undertaken for that purpose.
Sage Sri, Sankara himself had often said that his philosophy was based on Sruti,
or revealed scripture. This may be because Sage Sri, Sankara addressed the
ordinary man, who finds security in the idea of causality and thus in the idea
of God—and Revelation is indispensable to prove the latter. He believed
that those of superior intelligence, have no need of this idea of divine
causality, and can therefore dispense with Sruti and arrive at the
truth of Non-Dualism by pure reason.
Sage Sri, Sankara, in debates with
Buddhists and others who did not recognize the authority of the Vedas, had been
obliged to prove the truth of the Advaita by means of reason alone. Mandukya
Upanishad, a scripture which appealed to reason to the exclusion of
Revelation.
Non-duality does not need the support
of any Scripture or Revelation like the Veda. Since it is based, not upon the
varying theological fancies, which are as numerous as the sands of the sea, but
upon reason, the common heritage of all mankind, irrespective of colour or
creed or clime.
Thus, self-knowledge 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.
In pursuit of truth seeker has to use
his reason in order to have knowledge and understanding. First one must become aware of the fact that,
‘I’ is not the self and realize the fact that holding ‘I’ or ‘I AM’ as self is
obstruction his realization. This is
possible only when one becomes aware of the fact that ‘I’ is not limited to
the body but to the whole world confronting him.
The Seekers only goal is to remove all the obstacles which his
blocking his realization. Thus whatever
blocks his realization has to be mentally discarded to realize the ultimate
truth or Brahman. Orthodox
or theist non-duality is no means to self-realization.
That
is why Sage Sri, Sankara says in Viveka Chudamani: - 61. For one who has been bitten by the serpent of Ignorance, the
only remedy is the knowledge of Brahman. Of what avail are the Vedas and
(other) Scriptures, Mantras (sacred formulae) and medicines to such a one?
62. A disease does not leave off if one simply utters the name of
the medicine, without taking it; (similarly) without direct realization one
cannot be liberated by the mere utterance of the word Brahman.
64. Without killing one’s enemies, and possessing oneself of the splendor of the entire surrounding region, one cannot claim to be an emperor
by merely saying, ‘I am an emperor’.
Thus Sage Sri, Sankara
clearly suggests a direct realization of truth is not possible through punditry
or orthodoxy. Why to follow the
traditional path, which does not yield any fruit. Therefore, Seeker of truth has to take the
direct path and avoid losing precious time and effort loosing himself in
philosophical studies and traditional path.
When Sri, Sankara declares: - the world is a myth and Brahman alone is real
then why worships the guru and gods of
this unreal world . That is why Veda bars such worships and
people who indulge in such activities will suffer and sink into darkness. And Upanishads says self-realization is the
human goal. Therefore, one has to strive only for self-realization or truth
realization.
When the
self is formless there is no need for pada pooja (feet worship) of Advaitin
gurus to get freedom. A guru, who preaches conduct as the means to freedom,
believes in birth, life death and the world as reality, whereas the Advaitic Sage Sri, Sankara declares the world as unreal. Therefore, how actions
performed in unreal world can get moksha or freedom. Therefore there is need to
know the fact that, the self is not physical in order to understand and
assimilate and realize the truth beyond physicality.
That is why Sage Sri, Gaudapada says : - The merciful
Veda teaches karma and Upaasana to people of lower and middling intellect,
while Jnana is taught to those of higher intellect.
Thus Sage Sri, Goudapada suggest that the religious paths and worship of the guru and
conceptual god are lower and middling intellect. But in this modern world people are sharp
enough to understand and assimilate the ultimate truth or Brahman or God. Thus
people who want higher truth then it is high time to discard the lower
knowledge and move ahead to realize the ultimate truth, which is Brahman or
God.
They alone in
this world are endowed with the highest wisdom who are firm in their conviction
of the sameness and birthlessness of Atman. The ordinary man does not
understand their way. (Chapter IV — Alatasanti
Prakarana 95-P-188 in Upanishads by Nikilanada)
Therefore, if one
is seeking truth he has to know his true self is not physical but it is the Atman, which is in the form of consciousness.
That
is why Sri, Sankara says in Viveka Chudamani:- 65. As a treasure hidden underground requires (for its extraction)
competent instruction, excavation, the removal of stones and other such things
lying above it and (finally) grasping, but never comes out by being (merely)
called out by name, so the transparent Truth of the self, which is hidden by
Maya and its effects, is to be attained through the instructions of a knower of
Brahman, followed by reflection, meditation and so forth, but not through
perverted arguments.
66. Therefore the
wise should, as in the case of disease and the like, personally strive by all the
means in their power to be free from the bondage of repeated births and deaths.
Most people who write books on non-duality are borrowing ideas from
punditry have commercial interest to sell their books or ideas. They have not
expounded anything new other than presenting the eastern concepts to suit the western
seekers in ornamental words.
Such arguments and orthodox attitude is out-dated and not fit
for the modern mind-sets who are capable of thinking using their own reason. It is no use of arguing with people who live
in self-imposed orthodox prison and who impose their false inherited baggage to
the next generation. It is high time
for the orthodox cult to wake up and indulge is self-search their belief to
realize the non-dualistic truth expounded by the great sage scientists, Sri,
Sankara and Goudpada.
Mundaka Upanishad
says:- The rituals and the
sacrifices described in the Vedas deal with lower knowledge. The sages ignored
these rituals and went in search of higher knowledge. ... Such rituals are
unsafe rafts for crossing The sea of Samsara, of birth and death. Doomed to
shipwreck are those who try to cross The sea of samsara on these poor rafts.
Ignorant of their own ignorance, yet wise In their own esteem, these deluded
men Proud of their vain learning go round and round Like the blind led by the
blind.
When sages themselves found rituals are
unsafe rafts for crossing The sea of samsara, of birth and death and ignored
them and they the Mundaka Upanishad further suggest that, such rituals are
unsafe rafts for crossing the realm of duality those who try to cross The realm
of duality on these poor rafts are
Doomed to shipwreck are. Ignorant of their own ignorance, yet wise in
their own esteem, these deluded people [pundits] proud of their vain learning
go round and round like the blind led by the blind.
Therefore, if one wants to acquire Atma Jnana
or Brahma Jnana or Self- Knowledge or
knowledge of consciousness one has to drop all ritualistic and the orthodox baggage
to move forward in their pursuit of truth.
Until and unless one overcomes
physical shackle it is impossible to understand and assimilate the non-dualistic or Advaitic
truth, which is beyond the physical existence or the universe. Consciousness itself is lord of itself though
not of the universe. And having nothing it has all.
When the Sri, Sankara says in Viveka Chudamani: 63- Without causing the objective universe to vanish and without
knowing the truth of the Self, how is one to achieve Liberation by the mere
utterance of the word Brahman? — It would result merely in an effort of speech.
Pundits do not even bother to go deeper in self-search what
really Sri, Sankara declared because there can be no correct exposition
in the Upanishads unless the guru has had realized of the truth. Otherwise it
is merely adding words to words.
That is why Sage Sri, Sankara says in VivekaChudamani :- 58. Loud speech
consisting of a shower of words, the skill in expounding the Scriptures, and
likewise erudition - these merely bring on a little personal enjoyment to the
scholar, but are no good for Liberation.
59. The study of
the Scriptures is useless so long as the highest Truth is unknown, and it is
equally useless when the highest Truth has already been known.
60. The Scriptures
consisting of many words are a dense forest which merely causes the mind to
ramble. Hence men of wisdom should earnestly set about knowing the true nature
of the Self.
61. For one who
has been bitten by the serpent of Ignorance, the only remedy is the knowledge
of Brahman. Of what avail are the Vedas and (other) Scriptures, Mantras (sacred
formulae) and medicines to such a one?
62. A disease does
not leave off if one simply utter the name of the medicine, without taking it;
(similarly) without direct realization one cannot be liberated by the mere
utterance of the word Brahman.
Thus what is the use of holding the scriptures as proof or
pramaaNa or source of knowledge? When Sri, Sankara instructed clear cut message
it is foolish to hold scriptures as authenticated authority.
Thus Sage Sri, Sankara
clearly suggests direct realization of truth is not possible through punditry
or orthodoxy. Why to follow the
traditional path, which does not yield any fruit. Therefore, Seeker of truth has to take the
direct path and avoid losing precious time and effort loosing himself in
philosophical studies and traditional path.
All the religionists believe in god and goddesses (vidya) and performing rituals and other sacrifices(Avidya) both are hindrance to self-knowledge
according to Ish Upanishds, then why the seeker of truth needs worshiping of god and
goddesses, when essence of Advaita is Atman is Brahman (soul or self as ultimate reality).
Therefore, if one
is seeking truth he has to know his true self is not physical but it is the Atman, which is in the form of consciousness.
Isa Upanishads indicates that: By worshiping gods and goddesses and
going to the world of gods after death is of no use. The time one spends
in ritualistic practices is wasted; one can spend same time moving forward
towards Self-knowledge, which is the main goal. One cannot reach the non-dual
destination by glorifying god and goddesses and by doing that, one goes deeper
and deeper into darkness. It surely indicates the fact that, the seeker of
truth has to drop the worshiping god and goddess in order to get Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana pr Atma Gnana.
It also indicates that, Religious
Rituals (Avidya) is Karma (action) and therefore a hindrance. By
performing Agnihotra and other sacrifices (Avidya) is a roundabout way of purifying the mind, and it is also groping in the
dark.
In addition, it indicates the karma
is limited only to the religious rituals, not on the whole human life. This
karma theory based on the human conduct must have been adopted from Buddhism
and other theories based on human conducts.
When it says: Perform the obligatory
karmas without any attachment to the fruits, and at the same time worship gods
and goddesses, again without any desire to go to heaven - then you can get the
benefit of both, liberation and bliss. For those who are not yet ready to
renounce, this path is recommended, it mean that the religion and its
idea of god and goddesses and code of conducts, and its rituals are meant for
the mass who are incapable of thinking of the beyond.
In addition, it also speaks of heaven
the abode of gods, where one goes after death, and it speaks of rebirth, this
contradiction, seeker has to conclude that religion, rituals god and its code
of conducts are meant for the mass that is not receptive to
self-knowledge.
When the self is not the form but
self is formless soul, which is in the form of consciousness than how the
physical conduct oriented orthodoxy can get self-knowledge.
Sri, Sankara declares: - the world
is myth and Brahman alone is real then why to worship the guru and gods based
on the ego, which is false self of this false world.
All the karmas performed by the orthodoxy are
non-Vedic and barred by Vedas. That is why Veda bars such worships
and people who indulge in such activities will suffer and sink into
darkness. And Upanishads says
self-realization is the human goal. Therefore, one has to strive only for
self-realization or truth realization.
When the
self is formless there is no need for pada pooja (feet worship)of Advaitin
gurus to get freedom. A guru, who preaches conduct as the means to freedom,
believes in birth, life death and the world as reality, whereas the Advaitic sage
Sri, Sankara declares the world as unreal. Therefore, how actions
performed in unreal world can get moksha or freedom. Therefore there is need to
know the fact that, the self is not physical in order to understand and
assimilate and realize the truth beyond physicality.
That is why Gaudapada says that: - The
merciful Veda teaches karma and Upaasana to people of lower and middling
intellect, while Jnana is taught to those of higher intellect.
Thus Sage Sri, Goudapada
suggest that the religious paths and worship of guru and conceptual god are
lower and middling intellect. But in
this modern world people are sharp enough to understand and assimilate ultimate
truth or Brahman or god. Thus people who wants higher truth then it is high
time to discard the lower knowledge and move ahead to realize the ultimate
truth, which is Brahman or God.
They alone in
this world are endowed with the highest wisdom who are firm in their conviction
of the sameness and birthlessness of Ataman. The ordinary man does not
understand their way. (Chapter IV — Alatasanti
Prakarana 95-P-188 in Upanishads by Nikilanada)
Therefore, if one
is seeking truth he has to know his true self is not physical but it is the Atman, which is in the form of consciousness.
The Upanishads declares:-
Katha Upanishad declares:
This Atman cannot be attained by the study of the
Vedas, or by intelligence, or
by much hearing of sacred books. It is attained by him alone whom It chooses. To such a one Atman
reveals Its own form. (Katha Upanishad Ch-II -23-P-20)
Mundaka Upanishad :- This Atman cannot be attained through study of the
Vedas, nor through intelligence, nor through much learning. He who chooses
Atman—by him alone is Atman attained. It is Atman that reveals to the seeker
Its true nature. (3 page70upanhsds by Nikilananda)
When the Upanishad
says: the human goal is to acquire Self-Knowledge and they indicate
the personal gods, scriptures, worship and rituals are not the means to Self
–Knowledge, 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 ego, which is the false
self. Therefore, one has to search the ultimate truth without losing
himself in the labyrinths of philosophy, he should indulge in deeper, inquiry,
analysis and reasoning and assimilate and realize it.
Non-duality does not need the support of any Scripture or Revelation like
the Veda. For it is based, not upon the varying theological fancies, which are
as numerous as the sands of the sea, but upon reason, the common heritage of
all mankind, irrespective of colour or creed or clime.
The Seeker of truth has to know that something is inadequate in Buddhist or
Advaitic teachings to reach the non-dual destination because of the add-ons and
adulteration. Thus it becomes difficult to reach destination directed by the
Buddha, Sri, Sankara and Sri,Goudapada.
It is for the seeker to go on his own and remove the obstacle. The
greatest hindrance is mixing religion, god, scriptures, and yogic theories.
Moreover, attachment to scriptures, personal god and religious code of conduct
keeps one permanently in the grip of duality.
For the same reason Raman Maharishi said: fortunate are the one who
do not lose themselves in the labyrinths of philosophy. Bhagwan says: Take
Vedanta, for instance: it speaks of 15 pranas the names and functions of
it which the student is asked to commit memory. Will it not be
sufficient if he thought, only one prana does the whole work of maintaining the
body? Again the antakaran is said to think, to desire, to will, to reason etc.
Why all these details? Has anyone seen antakarana, or all these pranas? Do they
really exist? They are conceptual divisions invented by teachers of philosophy
by their excessive analysis. Where do all these concepts end? Why should
confusion created and then explained away? Fortunate is the man who does not
lose himself in the labyrinths of philosophy, but goes straight to the source
from which they all arise. (GURU RAMANA .By S.S Cohen -vii Danger
of philosophy-Page -58-59)
The duality is reality on the standpoint of the false self [ego or body
as self]. The duality is mere mirage on the base of the true self, which
is formless consciousness. This understanding comes only to the serious seeker,
who has real urge to know the ultimate truth, which is beyond the all the
teachings and teachers. There is neither teaching, nor teacher, nor student in
the realm of truth.
