Thank you for your very elaborate story about division and non-duality. Few questions remain.
How can the seeker get rid of doubts of the mind through deeper inquiry, analysis and reasoning, which happens from the same frame of reference from where these doubts were created in the first place. Why should the seeker think deeply to seek a non-dual destination when what he thinks is illusion? Is there a non-dual destination? If consciousness is one why should we worry with mind, thinking, the separation between the real and unreal, et cetera? Why not choose to look 'from' consciousness and realize that all of the aforementioned is just a play within consciousness? Then if you realize this why reject that which is unreal?
How can the seeker get rid of doubts of the mind through deeper inquiry, analysis and reasoning, which happens from the same frame of reference from where these doubts were created in the first place. Why should the seeker think deeply to seek a non-dual destination when what he thinks is illusion? Is there a non-dual destination? If consciousness is one why should we worry with mind, thinking, the separation between the real and unreal, et cetera? Why not choose to look 'from' consciousness and realize that all of the aforementioned is just a play within consciousness? Then if you realize this why reject that which is unreal?
Dear C
Namaste,
Thank you.
As per my conviction derived from deeper self-search:-
There is no need to name and create division and try to understand and assimilate the ultimate truth. On the ultimate standpoint everything is one. All divisions, which are named, are also consciousness [soul or Atman]. So, there is no second thing exists other than consciousness [soul or Atman]. Consciousness is ultimate truth or Brahman.
Many believe spirituality and religion are considered inter connected but it is not so. Religion is based on the false self-[ego or body] and it is limited to the false experience [universe], while spirituality transcends race, religion, gender, language and nationality and universe. Spirituality is pursuit of truth.
There are many paths have come into existence in the name of Self-Realization. Every belief system believes that each human being embodies a spark of the divine, and that fanning into the shining fire spiritual realization is the meaning and purpose of human life. But spirituality is not based on the belief but discovering the truth of the whole universe and man’s existence.
Religious and Yogic truth and scientific truth are individual truth based on the false self-[ego] within the false experience. Individuality has no value in the realm of ultimate point of view. Therefore, realization of true self is necessary in order to realize the ultimate truth, which is free from all the diversity, which is present in the form of universe. The universe ceases to be real from the ultimate point of view. The ignorance is the cause of experiencing the unreality as reality. Therefore truth realization is necessary to unfold the mystery of the universe, which appears to be real from the physical point of view.
Universe is reality on the base of ego, which is the false self. It is unreal on the stand point of the consciousness, which is the true self. Universe is mere mirage from the ultimate point of view. Man perceives the world within the universe; therefore his existence is limited to the universe, which is in the form of mind. Consciousness is real because it is permanent, but universe, which is in the form of mind, appears as waking or dream [duality] and disappears as deep sleep is impermanent [non-duality]. Thus mind is not absolute and eternal like consciousness itself. People stuck with the reality of the world, so they take it as real. Once they take their physical existence to be real then they have accepted the false self as real self and false universe as reality. Thus their judgement is based in the false self, will keep them within the threshold of duality. Thus the ultimate truth lies beyond duality.
People take the universe confronting them as real, the experience of birth, life and death, which happens within the universe, which they experienced as reality. When the self is not physical but self is formless, then whatever seen, known, believed, experienced as person within the universe is falsehood, on the base of the formless self [witness].
The gross universe is merged into the mental universe in the sense that when it is analysed, it is found to exist inseparably in and as the mind alone. All "spiritual" planes are really mental: those who regard them as different or higher will remain ignorant.
A Gnani is free from experiencing the illusion [body + universe] as reality, he is fully aware of the fact that, his body and his experience of the world as consciousness, which is ultimate truth.
People who are incapable to inquire and reason are tending to follow some philosophy without verification. Therefore the more ignorant they are the easier to get them into a religious fold. Religion is so strong and popular because it makes no demand on the intelligent, It simply requires belief in guru and his teachings.
It never strikes believer to doubt whether his inherited belief system is true. They never use their reason because they start and conclude that their belief system alone is true, because they never question the validity of their inherited belief.
For religion one can interpret texts as he likes, in whatever way that pleases him, he simply imagine away. The idea of god injected in the past and inherited by people and they refuse to verify the facts, because they think it blasphemy even to question their inherited belief system.
In pursuit of truth the ultimate truth has to be proved, not assumed. Pundits who take scriptures for granted are not Gnanis.
Pundits teach that all is your-self, but none of them can show that this is so, none has analyzed it scientifically, and none can prove it. Rational proof is needed, so that one arrive at knowing truth i.e. wisdom; punditry is mere dogma, parrotism, repetition of what they read in scripture. Scriptures are not yardstick and scriptural truth is not proof. Pundits take scriptures as authority. Authoritarianism merely assumes as true what another says, but what has yet to be proved.
Pundits have to test truth in this world not in the next world. There is no proof other than blind belief based on the scriptures, belief is not truth. So, doctrines are not the means to realize the ultimate truth. There is no need to follow them.
Doubts and Confusions arise when seeker finds the scriptures and yoga are inadequate or useless to quench his spiritual thirst. Disappointments in religion or yoga or even science imply error or ignorance.
When serious seeker reaches a stage with all his baggage of accumulate knowledge, then uncertainty haunts him. Whether he is right?" Where is the certainty that he is proceeding on right lines?" Thus doubts arise and the inquiring spirit comes and impels to search elsewhere for truth where it will not be possible even to have doubt. The test is therefore in experience. And only in non-duality, where there are no two to argue about views or to have difference of opinion can such doubtlessness be possible. Belief depends upon unstable bases whereas certainty depends on proof.
Seeker of truth has to get rid of his doubts through deeper inquiry, analysis and reasoning on his own, to realize the fact that, the self is not the form but self is formless. Thus his analysis and reasoning has to be based on the formless not on the form. By simply go on believing and accepting whatever said by the punditry will not lead one towards path of wisdom. All the doubt has to be got rid of "by the sword of Self - Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. The scriptures, yoga are not necessary if one follows the inner (formless) path. Religion and yoga are not the means to path of wisdom.
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]
This passage indicates the fact that everything is Atman or consciousness. The one who views and judges the worldview on the base of his birth or body will not realize the fact that, the man including the world is created sustained and finally dissolves as Atman or consciousness. Thus Atman or consciousness alone is, and all else is mirage.
Thus self-knowledge is the aim of every human being. Since everyone thinks the physical body is the self, their aim is misdirected and they focus their attention on materiality which makes one feel the duality [waking] as reality.
Nisagadutta said: Millions are in search of the ultimate truth, and only one in million will be able to grasp and realize it.
By mentally focusing more attention on formless witness of the three states by talking, writing, discussing only of soul or consciousness , the conviction grows and becomes firmer and the duality will fade away as reality. Soul or consciousness, which is the innermost self will prevail as birth-less and deathless, eternal substance and witness of the mirage called duality.
By mentally focusing more attention on formless witness of the three states by talking, writing, discussing only of soul or consciousness , the conviction grows and becomes firmer and the duality will fade away as reality. Soul or consciousness, which is the innermost self will prevail as birth-less and deathless, eternal substance and witness of the mirage called duality.
Therefore there is no need to study scriptures, or indulge in god and guru glorification or performing religious rituals. Since, they are not the means to acquire non-dual wisdom. It is only waste of time and effort to indulge in those things.
The individual self is not real, is not accepted by many. The nondual wisdom is based not on the individual self [ego]. Until people hold the ‘I’ [ego] as witness, they will not reach the ultimate understanding.
When Upanishad itself declares:- sarvam khalvidam brahma - all this (universe) is verily Brahman. By following back all of the relative appearances in the world, we eventually return to that from which it is all manifest – the non-dual reality (Chandogya Upanishad).
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.
The ultimate truth has nothing to do with Scriptures and it is independent of scriptures. The point is: though it is taught by the Vedas, it does not require any belief in the infallibility of Vedas; in other words even if an individual or some other religion were to propose the same thing, a person with an open mind would come to the same conclusion that there is a formless witness (soul or consciousness), that it is Brahman - and that it is the same as the self ,which is not an individual but it pervades in everything and everywhere in three states as their formless substance and witness.
When Sri,Sankara says: world is unreal . He never said body is unreal. He would have said only birth and death is unreal but he did not say that, he said the world is unreal. He meant the world including the body, because the body and world appear together and disappear together (waking or dream). Then we have to think, what remain without the body and the world as reality. How can the birth, life, death, rebirth, and reincarnation, which take place in unreal world (waking or dream), can be true. The one, which is aware of the birth, life death, rebirth and reincarnation (illusion or unreal), is formless reality, which is the innermost self or true identity. The formless soul, the innermost self , is your true identity, which is birthless and deathless but it is the witness of the birth, life and death and rebirth(illusion or unreal).
On the standpoint of identity the birth, life, death, rebirth and reincarnation theory is part of the illusion/unreal. The body cannot reincarnate, the body and the world are created out of the same formless stuff. Until one views and judges on the base of flesh, bone and blood [five elements], he will not be able to grasp the non-dual truth. Thus, one must know on what standpoint we are not born and we do not die thoroughly, just by hearsay views, it will not lead anyone to the non-dual destination.
Seeker has to learn to view and judge on the standpoint of formless witness(soul or consciousness) . Then he will be never having any confusion. When one thinks deeply then only the inner revelation starts and start burning the dross (confusion or doubts). A well-directed inquiry and sound reasoning will lead one towards non-dual destination and it will start yielding fruits and start revealing, when he starts thinking very deeply. This is the inner process every serious seeker experiences. The inner dialogue will start and one will start getting answers from inner core of his existence, and he becomes aware of the fact of what is real and what is unreal and he will be able to mentally reject the unreal nature of the self in the midst of duality.
