In non-dual self-awareness there is only
unicity and wholeness. There is no second thing exists other than consciousness.
The
experience of birth, life, death and the world are mere mirage created out of
single clay. That clay is the soul, which is present in the form of the
consciousness. Due to ignorance the experience of birth, life, death and the world
are experienced as reality. Thus Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma
Gnana is necessary in order to get freedom from experiencing illusory duality
as reality.
All the scriptures indicate that
Ataman is Brahman, and Brahman is ultimate truth. Therefore the soul, which is
in the form of consciousness, is ultimate truth. Thus to realize the
ultimate truth is the prime goal. A well-directed inquiry, analysis
and reasoning will lead one to his nondual destination.
Sage Sri, Sankara said: - VC-56. Neither by Yoga, nor by
Sankhya, nor by work, nor by learning, but by the realisation of one's identity
with Brahman is Liberation possible, and by no other means.
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 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.
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.
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’.
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.
67. The question that thou hast
asked today is excellent, approved by those versed in the Scriptures,
aphoristic, pregnant with meaning and fit to be known by the seekers after
Liberation.
Sage Sri, Sankara goes on to say:- A sickness of not cured by saying the word “medicine.” You must take the
medicine. Liberation does not come by merely saying the word “Brahman.” Brahman
must be experienced. Until you allow this apparent universe to dissolve from
your consciousness, until you have experienced Brahman, how can you find
liberation just by saying the word Brahman? The result is merely a noise. Until
a man has destroyed his enemies and taken possession of the splendor and wealth
of the kingdom, he cannot become a king by simply saying “I am a king.”
A buried treasure is not uncovered by merely uttering the words: “Come
forth.” You must follow the right directions, dig, remove the stones and earth
from above it, and then make it your own. In the same way, the pure truth of
the Atman, which is buried under Maya and the effects of Maya, can be reached
by meditation, contemplation, and other spiritual disciplines but never by
subtle arguments.
Isa Upanishads indicates that: By
worshipping 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 or Brahma Gnana or Atma
Gnana, 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
or Atma Gnana
