The look of an object will depend upon the medium through the observer
views it. In fact our mental and intellectual conditions will determine the
phenomenal world observed and experienced. The orthodox pundit seeing
Sage Sri, Sankara will see differently from the A Gnani seeing the same Sage
Sri, Sankara. Each one of them
interprets the world that they see in terms of their existing knowledge. The orthodox sees Sri, Sankara as founder of
their religion and also as a guru of Advaitic orthodox sect. A man of truth sees Sage Sri, Sankara not as a
guru but as a Gnani. The orthodoxy believes their experience of the birth,
life, death and rebirth and the world as reality. Whereas a Gnani sees the
world is mere illusion created out of consciousness. Thus Gnani sees no second thing other than
consciousness. The one who treads the path of wisdom gains the knowledge of the
reality beyond form, time and space. A
Gnani has delved into and he transcended consciously all identification
with the experience form, time and space.
Similarly orthodoxy has to be bifurcated from philosophy. To know
Advaitic philosophy of Sage Sri, Sankara one has to be free from all
superstitions and dogmas and orthodoxy and scriptural knowledge. The seeker has to be more rational and scientific
in his attitude.
Sage Sri,Sankara said:-
Talk as much philosophy as you like, worship as many gods as you please,
observe ceremonies and sing devotional hymns, but the liberation will never
come, even after a hundred aeons, without realizing the Oneness.
Philosophy does not begin with the ultimate truth. Ultimate truth has to
be proved, not assumed. Hence, so-called philosophers who take Brahman for
granted are not philosophers at all.
Lots of Advaitins scholars will teach that all is yourself, but none of
them can show that this is so, none has analyzed it scientifically, and none
can prove it. Rational proof is required, so that one arrive at knowing the
ultimate truth or Brahman i.e. Gnana. Theirs is mere dogma, parrotism,
repetition of what they read in scripture. Authoritarianism merely
assumes as true what another says, but what has yet to be proved.
Sage Sri Sankara’s whole teaching can be summed up into one sentence,
‘There is nothing else but Brahman. He says that the Absolute Existence,
Absolute Knowledge and Absolute Bliss is Real. The universe is not real. He
says that Brahma and Atman are one. The ultimate and the Absolute Truth is the
Self, which is one though appearing as many in different individuals. The
individual has no reality. Only the Self is real; the rest, mental and physical
are but passing appearances.
Sage Sri, Sankara: - "Though I wear these
robes of a Sanyasin, it is only for the sake of bread." (Select Works of Sage
Sri, Sankara" also his commentary on Brihad)
Sage Sri, Sankara: - The
Gnani "should pass through life", not run away from life and should
take a middle course between seeking worldly honor and worldly abasement. ( Chap.3.4.50;
Sankara's commentary to Brahma Sutras)
Genuine philosophy must be independent of religion,
that in Sage Sri, Sankara himself the Saguna Brahman or a personal God is only
a part of the phenomenal (if not illusory) world, and the Nirguna Brahman is
the only reality and has nothing to do with religion.
The main hurdle in his way of thinking is the fact that Sage Sri, Sankara did not claim to be an original thinker at all, and his philosophy took the form of commentaries on the generality of scriptures, particularly the Upanishads and the Gita. Sage Sri, Sankara was independent thinker. His philosophy has not been taken seriously by many in India because most of the followers of Sage Sri, Sankara are religious orthodox.
It is that philosophy in India was for centuries more an exposition of
the ancient classics than the independent thought of individual thinkers as in
ancient Greece or modern Europe and America.
Sage Sri, Sankara and his Parama Guru Sage
Sri, Gaudapada are
independent thinkers other schools of Indian philosophy are mere theologies.
Advaitic philosophy is real philosophy. The dualistic philosophy cannot escape
the charge of dogmatism.
Intelligence and thought, is not applicable to Advaitism, intelligence
and thought are based on false self (waking entity) within the false experience
(waking). The whole Advaitic philosophy is an attempt to transcend
the limitations of intelligence and thought.
The two points of view A
Gnani is not cut off from the experience of practical life within the practical
world because Advaitic truth is neither realism nor idealism; it is beyond both
these.
Sage Sri,Sankara said:-
Talk as much philosophy as you like, worship as many gods as you please,
observe ceremonies and sing devotional hymns, but the liberation will never
come, even after a hundred aeons, without realizing the Oneness.
Philosophy does not begin with the ultimate truth. Ultimate truth has to
be proved, not assumed. Hence, so-called philosophers who take Brahman for
granted are not philosophers at all.
Lots of Advaitin scholars will teach that all is yourself, but none of
them can show that this is so, none has analyzed it scientifically, and none
can prove it. Rational proof is required, so that one arrive at knowing the
ultimate truth or Brahman i.e. Gnana. Theirs is mere dogma, parrotism,
repetition of what they read in scripture. Authoritarianism merely
assumes as true what another says, but what has yet to be proved.
Sage
Sri Sankara endeavoured towards establishing Vedic religion overthrowing
Buddhism. But even he was not able to avoid the influence of Buddhism. The
influence of the revolutionary atmosphere of Buddhism has reappeared in the
Advaita of Sage Sri, Sankara. His inability to revive Vedic religion that
flourished before the Buddhist revolution in its pure form is discernible.
