Anyone who has an intense urge to know the
ultimate truth or Brahman can realize the ultimate truth or Brahman while
lives householders’ life.
This world is common
to every living creature; therefore one must begin his inquiry with the world
that confronts him. It is only after one has inquired into the nature of the
objective world, that he should inquire into who is the knower or witness. If,
however one inquires into the knower before the inquiry into the universe,
then it is mere mysticism. What is the world? must precede Who is this
ego or physical entity ? in in pursuit
of truth.
In olden times, religious and Yogic and
mystic discipline, which were not an end in itself, considered to be a means for Self-Realization
or truth realization. But such discipline is almost impossible task for the
modern man to adopt. Day by day modern man is becoming aware of the fact that,
religion and yoga are nothing to do with the ultimate truth.
The religious truth is individual truth. Every
religion has its own idea of god, heaven, hell paradise, sin karma, code of
conduct thus they are not universal truth. Religion is based on the false self
and false experience thus religious truth cannot be accepted as ultimate truth
or Brahman. Thus religion oriented Self-Realization is not the means to
acquire Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. The religion is the greatest obstacle in the
path of wisdom or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.
The modern mindset is pre-eminently
scientific owing to the great progress that science has made. And the best
method of freeing the mind from its inaccurate ways of thinking is to imbue it
as fully as possible with the scientific spirit. It is therefore only one who
possesses a clear knowledge of its methods and results i.e., who is able to
make reason the highest means of inquiry that would be fit for Self-Knowledge or
Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.
Vedanta itself admits its highest
Truth that is, Atman or Brahman cannot be reached by any path other than that
of reason and unless the reason is sharper than the ‘Edge of a razor'.
That is
why Sri Sankara, 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.
Thus
it proves that wisdom is universal irrespective of any religion of faith one
belongs. Thus religion is not the means
to self-knowledge. Thus Sri, Sankara’s
Advaita minus orthodoxy is true Advaita.
Reason on the true base is the
highest means of attaining Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. Religion, theology, mystic practice and yoga
are not the means to acquire Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. Absence of reason is absence of wisdom.
