The one which wakes up, dreams and sleeps is not the soul/self. The one which is aware of the waking/dream and deep sleep is the true self, which is in the form of consciousness. Thus the waking/dream and deep sleep is mere mirage on the standpoint of the soul, which is aware. The soul/Christ is ever aware and is aware of the three states [illusion] which comes and goes in succession.
The waking or dreams are unreal on the base the soul. The reality wills not the reveal until one becomes aware mentally of the formless witness and substance of the three states. Therefore, the practices and theories based on the physical self/ego are not the means to self-knowledge. If the meditater thinks he is the doer of the meditation and takes the authorship of meditation it is not meditation. The body is not the doer. The body is mere an experience within the experience. The one which knows itself as body and perceives the world is not the body, but the soul. Without the soul the experience of diversity [waking/dream] is non existent. The soul, which is the true self can exist with or without the experience of diversity [waking/dream], the illustration is deep sleep. [In deep sleep the soul witnesses its formless nondual true nature.] Thus consciously being aware of the self is soul in the midst of experience of diversity/waking will lead to nondual/ meditative awareness of the soul in the midst of duality. Thus all meditation practiced on the false self /ego is preparatory practices to reach the ultimate state, which is frees one from experiencing the duality [birth, life and death] as reality. The formless substance and witness of the three states is not physical but the Spirit/Christ/Brahman.
Thus seeker of the truth has to verify the fact that whether his practice of meditation is based on the physical self/ego through deeper inquiry, analysis and reasoning. This is possible only when one feels, his present practice of meditation is inadequate and useless. This feeling comes only after years and years of meditation practice.
No one can prove the existence of god because whatever knowledge one has of GOD comes from our old scriptures which were written by great spiritual saints, who are no longer present to testify their writings.
The scriptures it self declare that: This Ataman 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 Ataman reveals Its own form. [Katha Upanishad Ch-II -23-P-20]
In Isa Upanishad says:
MANTRA 10
Scholars say that the path of Avidya [performing Aganihotra and other sacrifices] and the path of vidya [worshipping gods and goddesses] produce different results. Wise men confirm this. [X]
Vidya and Avidya both are hindrances to Self-knowledge, but Vidya is even worse than Avidya. The word Vidya is used here in a special sense; here it means worshipping gods and goddesses. By worshipping gods and goddesses you will go after death to the world of gods and goddesses. But will that help you?The time you spend there is wasted, because if you were not there you could have spent that time moving forward towards Self-knowledge, which is your goal. In the world of gods and goddesses you cannot do that, and thus you go deeper and deeper into darkness.
Avidya is Karama and therefore a hindrance. You perform Avidya - i.e., you perform Agnihotra and other sacrifices. This is a roundabout way of purifying the mind, and it is also groping in the dark. But it may not have as heavy a toll on your time and energy as the other.
If the self –knowledge is the goal, then it means belief in conceptual gods and worshiping the belief leads to deeper ignorance. Religion and its prescription of believing and worshiping gods are recommended for those who are not receptive and ready to receive the self-knowledge.
It proves that the concept of god, karma, heaven and hell are ideas created by religion, to help for those who are incapable of grasping. The concept of god and goddesses and karma are part of the ignorance. By worshiping god and goddesses one accepts the false self as true self, thus he is unfit for self-knowledge. Therefore concept of god is not the means to acquire the self knowledge. That is why Buddha rejected concept of God, religion and scriptures.
Therefore, it is necessary to make sure why the religion, concept of god and scriptures are not the means to self-realization before indulging in pursuit of truth.
People think god is somewhere, up there, monitoring every act of the people, guiding the lost and uplifting the poor. God is the one who punishes the evil and rewards the benevolent. Some people even claim of seeing them in stone idols or some conceptual belief, in inanimate or living things. Is it our faith that makes us believe that there is some supreme power above us or is it a reality, can never be answered. Until this conviction is there one is in the grip of physicality. The physicality keeps one in the ignorance of our true identity, which is not physical. Therefore, there is a need to verify the fact that the self is not physical but it is the formless spirit. When one becomes aware of the fact that the spirit is the true self, then one realizes the fact that whatever known, seen, believed and experienced on the base of the false self is falsehood. The false self is reality within the false experience. Thus man and his experience of the world and his belief and his accumulated knowledge is falsehood because the waking experience is mere mirage on the standpoint of the true self, which is the soul/spirit.
The ego is not the Self. The ego is limited to waking or dream. Self is everywhere and in everything in the three states, as their formless substance and witness. Self is omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent. There must not be any controversy regarding the existence of self, which is soul/spirit. If there is no self in this world how does world exist.
Whatever is happening within the waking/dream is due to the formless Self. Self is not the flesh, but it is the formless substance and witness of the three states
The theory that propagates: - It depends on how we look at things. If there is a creation there is a creator is based on the false self/ego. The existence of God is wholly based on man’s existence. For god to exist man has to exist first. The truth will not reveal only when one investigates the truth about his own existence. When man himself is dependent on soul for existence, how the physical based theories based on man as self can can be true.
Self is present. But there are so many physical selves based on oneself. Self is one, and it is the supreme eternity. Self is a reality.
It's common to develop an attitude about authority figures, usually because of bad experiences with them. The seekers easily intimidated by authority figures, including teachers in the beginning.
Things have identity only in relation to each other within the illusion .There is no teacher, teaching and student in the realm of truth because there is no second thing exists other then the self, which is the spirit. Students create teachers. Followers create leaders. Children create parents. And vice versa.
Religious authorization is no guarantee of ultimate truth. All teachers expound what they have inherited form their gurus. Seekers of truth have to be very cautious about working with anyone who calls himself a "guru or teacher. The one who speaks of individual god, scriptures and religion is not a spiritual but religious. Religious knowledge will not yield wisdom. Gnani is the one who knows the soul is the true self and bases his-self on the soul. People pretending to be Gnanis and claiming themselves to God are certainly frauds.
Only the frauds claim to be "fully enlightened." Seekers of truth have to be beware of those people who ooze charisma and are worshiped by their disciples. The best teachers never call themselves as teachers are the most ordinary ones. The true teachers are those who say they are not teacher or guru and say there is no teacher, there is no disciple and there is no teaching, and inspire and share their knowledge and guide them as fellow seeker.
People fail settle into new pattern of thinking, because they are used to think on the base of inherited conditioning, based on the physical self. Deeper inquiry, analysis and reasoning revels the fact that, the self is not physical, but the self is the spirit. Therefore, it is erroneous to base our understanding on the physical self, which is part of the falsehood. Thus, it is necessary to know the formless knower of the falsehood, in order to assimilate the nondual truth.
The understanding based on the physical self leads one to intellectuality based on the logic. Intellectual understanding is not truth, because it is based on the false self. The true self has to be grasped mentally then learn to view the worldview mentally on the base of the true self, which is the spirit.
If one understands is not verified he can spend years fooling himself. Many think they know the truth by reading books or hearing someone. They never bother to verify the validity of the claims made by authors. People are lazy to inquire, because it is hard to inquire and it is easy to imagine.
Doubts and confusions make one to inquire. Doubts and all confusion vanish like smoke in the breeze when one becomes aware of the fact that, the self is not physical, but the self is the spirit. Thus, it is necessary to learn to view and judge the truth, on the base of formless self, which is the soul. On the other hand, when realization is genuine, the inner guidance leads one to deeper realization.
Seeker of truth has to remember the fact that, he is not likely to see through the illusion of ego by protecting his ego.
The illusion is none other than soul/self, soul/self is none other than illusion. The illusion is created out of the soul, which is in the form of spirit, therefore the illusion and the soul is one in essence. Thus it is necessary to view the illusion on the standpoint of the essence from which it has erupted to understand and assimilate the self-knowledge.
The words create division in the wholeness. In the realm of the truth there is division because all the words lose their meaning. All words point out to something in duality, which is experienced as reality. When one discovers the fact that the self is not physical then the thoughts and words become meaningless. The words are tools used for communication within the duality. When the truth is beyond physicality, then it has no value in the realm of reality which is non-duality, because in reality there is no second thing other then the spirit, which is the true self.
The fear exists in the realm of the falsehood. Fear is based on which wither and decays. Self is not the form, it has no age; self does not die when the body dies. The Self is free from old age, from death and grief, hunger and thirst.
People never been able to understand “form is formlessness" and never get it without knowing and realizing the fact that form is not the self.
To understand what it meant crystal clearly one has to know how the form is formless and formless is form one has to indulge in deeper inquiry, analysis and reasoning on his own and realize the fact that the self is not physical but formless spirit. Therefore, to know the form is formless one has to know the formless knower, which is the soul. Without this knower of the form [body], it is impossible to know the form and its experience of the world. Thus, the form and its experience of the world is dependent on the formless knower/witness.
The formless Self pervades the three states in its unmanifested form. Waking or dream finds their existence in it, but it is not limited by them.
People are most interested in themselves before they gets interested in the world therefore, the "Who am I?" inquiry leads only to reveal half truth. The “Who am I? – inquiry is useful as a first stage to show the illusoriness of ego and it helps the seeker to prepare him to consider the higher question: What is the world, what is mind, what is “Self” the truth about which cannot be learnt by those attached to their ego, with its prejudices against idealism, etc.
If one has doubts about why there are so many different animals and natural objects in the world he may regard them as teachers, there are lessons to be learnt from them by using reason. Why did Brahman produce all these varied forms? It is so that the ignorant man may study them and get wisdom. One has to study the all the three states and realize the fact that, so many different animals and natural objects and the world exists only in waking and dream.
The people who are on the path of “Self-Inquiry” "Who am I?" may succeed in finding the common factor in all ‘I’s, the I-ness but they have to come back to the world. Their task is incomplete. They do not know the world is mere mirage created out of the Ataman and Ataman is ultimate truth.
"What Am l?" revels only illusory nature of the ego/physical self.
“What is mind?” and “What is the substance of the mind?” revels the truth of the whole. In pursuit of truth deeper understanding and sharpness to grasp the truth is necessary.
The three states have to be analyzed and examined separately; and realize the fact that the witness of the three states is formless and apart. The three states are mere mirages is arisen from the soul and witnessed by the soul and finally it dissolves as the sou. So the experience of diversity is mere mirage created out of the soul, which is the true self and it dissolves as the soul. Therefore there is no second thing other then the soul exits, which is in the form of spirit or consciousness.
The deeper inquiry, analysis and reasoning revels the truth that the self is not physical and on the standpoint of formless self the diversity is mere mirage. Therefore, the mirage cannot be considered as reality but the formless substance and witness of the mirage is real and eternal.
Meditation on the formless witness is the best meditation: meditation on the parts is only steps towards that. Man becomes aware of himself and the world only in waking experience. With what one becomes aware of the waking and dream and deep sleep, when the waking entity is limited to waking experience. What witnesses the dream as a whole without the physical eyes because the dream does not arise until the waking entity and waking world disappears. The, one which is aware of the three states, which comes and goes in succession is apart and eternal.
The mystic and religionist disregard this in order to think of self. Yogis, who jump at once to Atman disregarding to include the world in their inquiry will not be able to get wisdom. Mystics or religionists are based on their belief not truth. If one does not see the objects or one gets thoughtlessness, it does not mean he has wisdom.
Whoever looks at objects alone, at the external world, he is wholly ignorant. But he, who looks at both the outside and inside, inquires, analyzes and reasons; he is led towards knowledge.
One has to analyze both mind and matter to get at truth. Two things are necessary to get the non-dual truth: -
(1) Knowledge of the mind
(2) Knowledge of the substance of the mind which is the true self or the subject.
When one starts inquiry he does it to please himself, not for truth; hence he asks "Who am I?" It is an elementary stage of discipline because it is based on ego/physical self, but aiming at eliminate the ego. It is impossible to eliminate the ego, because ego is false self within the false experience. Therefore, there is need to understand “What is mind” in order to assimilate the true self-knowledge.
When one goes deeper research in the annals of history then he becomes aware of the fact that: Sri, Sankara started the revival process of Sanatan Dharma/Vedic Religion, when he saw people turning towards other religions like Christianity and Islam which came to India after the death of the Christ and also after St. Thomas came to India which is obviously in A.D. and we are in A.D.2010. Therefore, the Advaith Math and Advaith philosophy came into existence in and around 8th century A.D.
Sri,Sankara is regarded as the greatest sage in India's history because he sought to unify the country by placing his institutions and teaching from every corner of the Indian continent , impressing oneness as a nation on all the people. This oneness is not to be restricted to religion for it includes its practical application to life such as politics and sociology; and he accepted and encouraged all the prevailing religions but merely purified them of their immoralities. It is false to say he attacked or persecuted Buddhism. This was an interpretation by pundit-followers who came afterwards and never understood his message. He has never said that a certain caste or community or that Sanyas only could attain Brahman; he always taught universality.
Sri, Sankara was not combating Buddhism and Jainism. The entire subcontinent was at that time almost fully Buddhist. Sri, Sankara walked the length and breadth of the country and revived Sanatan Dharma in a new form by introducing Adavita on the base of Vedas and Brahma sutras to suit the mass mind set of that time.
As one goes in deeper research one finds the fact that, the Adavitic philosophy is extension of Buddhism. The Adavita came into existence by Sri, Sankara in 8th century and Dwaita by Madvacharya in 12th century. And qualified Adavita came after 12th century; it means they were not in existence prior to 8TH century.
The new form of Sanatan Dharma which consists of Advitha, Dwitha and Vishita -Advitha all are based on Vedas are called present day Hinduism. The Sanatan Dharma or Vedic religion prior to Sri,Sankara was different. Most of the rituals and ideas are adopted from Buddhism, Jainism and Abrahamic religion to suit the mindset of those days.
As one goes deeply in annals of history he finds: Beef eating Brahmins. All yagnas required beef and cow sacrifice. It was the Jainist influence that made most of vegetarian, especially the Brahmins.
Whatever came into existence after Sri, Sankara is a new religion based on Vedas not old Sanatan Dharma, which was rejected by Buddha. Thus the present day Hinduism is mixer of all ideologies of different sages of different regions accepted by people of India.
One finds lots of differences between Adavita preaching and practice. There is need to bifurcate religion, concept of god and scriptures from Adavitic philosophy to assimilate the essence of Adavita.
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.
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]
Buddha found religion in such a worthless state, with so many vile animal sacrifices, that he attacked religion. Sri, Sankara did not seek to destroy religion like Buddha but he advocated reforming it for better. He did this because he saw that the masses had to have some form of religion as they were not ripe intellectually for truth.
Sankara's sex experience in Benares and occupying the body of another man and then having sex intercourse with his wife, is a story created by pundits hiding the real fact. Sri, Sankara had the scientific spirit and when told by Saraswathi the woman that he was talking freely about sex, being a Sanyasi, he wanted to know the truth by having actual intercourse himself and thus learning by experiment and observation. Thus, this has to be viewed by the seeker on the rational standpoint, because the sex is part of the illusion on the ultimate standpoint. Sri, Sankara stressed the great importance of freeing our use of words from all ambiguity.
Buddhists and Jains did not believe in the Vedic positions, did not accept the scriptures. Hence, Sri, Sankara had to meet their objections also. Biographical anecdotes about his persecution of Jains and Buddhists or of his challenges to self-immolation for the loser of a debate are all foolish tales fabricated after his lifetime either by his own followers who took him to be a religious propagator but not as a philosopher or by the dualistic cult.
The religious pundiths of Adavitic sect relate boastfully pseudo-historic stories of how Sri, Sankara's school put down, persecuted end exterminated the Buddhists, as though this was something to be proud of. However these stories are either exaggerations or false stories fabricated by pundits or priest craft. The religious pundits are mere followers of religion, never having understood the depth of Advitic philosophy. Sri, Sankara gave religion and scholasticism and yoga no less than philosophy, to the world.
His commentary on Mandukya is pure philosophy, but many of his other books are presented from a religious standpoint to help those who cannot rise up to philosophy. North India is the home of mysticism and deification and South India of keen rational truth.
Sri, Sankara had only four fully trained disciples, although he advised some kings. His doctrines spread after his lifetime. His books were dictated to secretaries as he travelled. So, only few were capable of understanding his philosophy.
Sri, Sankara always travelled and he never lived in a monastery. He simply instructed his disciples to build one here and there " and then left because he was busy spreading his doctrines.
Some who followed Sri, Sankara are mere followers of religion, never having understood the Advaitic philosophy are religious scholars not Gnanis, and they are unable to grasp the non-dual -truth.
Sri, Sankara says seeker must first know what is before him. If he cannot know that, what else can he know or understand? If he gives up the external world in his inquiry, he cannot get the whole truth.
Some thinkers hold views of Maya which are entirely incorrect and untenable. They do not know Sankara's Upanishad Bashyas, but only the Brahma Sutra Bashya. The followers of Sri Sankara have constituted a religious sect. Thus all movements ultimately degenerate.
In commentary to "Brahma Sutras Sri, Sankara writes." "The highest beatitude is not to be attained by Yoga." [Sacred Books of East Series page 298 Vol.1.] And he also says Samadhi is the same as sleep [p.312]. ---this indicates that yoga is not the means to self realization. And yogic Samadhi is not non dual wisdom
Sri, Sankara's commentary to Brahma Sutras [Chap.3.4.50] shows that the Gnani "should pass through life", not run away from life and should take a middle course between seeking worldly honor and worldly abasement.
Sri, Sankara varied his practical advice and doctrinal teaching according to the people he was amongst. He never advised them to give up their particular religion or beliefs or metaphysics completely; he only told them to give up the worst features of abuse: at the same time he showed just one step forward towards the truth. Sri, Sankara was extremely precise and careful in his choice of words.
Sri, Sankara did more than write books or initiate Sanyasins: He brought India into a unity as a nation. He advised the mass: Worship what they wish, remain in their particular religion, but remember also they are part of a larger whole.
Few Pundits have caught the spirit; they are merely fond of his words. Sri, Sankara’s spirit is that of an appeal to reason, with scripture dragged in as a second and lesser support afterwards.
Sri, Sankara' gave religious, ritual or dogmatic instruction to the mass but pure philosophy only to the few who could rise to it. Hence the interpretation of his writings by commentators is often confusing because they mix up the two viewpoints. Thus they may assert that ritual is a means of realizing Brahman, which is absurd.
Centuries have passed since Sri, Sankara appeared; yet it is very hard to find his true teachings understood anywhere in the world today. It is because so few could rise to his level. Hence dualistic cults and devotional sects came in existence prospered.
It may not have been possible for him to have written so many books during such a short term of existence of 32 years. The truth is that he wrote very few books. Those actually written by him were Commentaries on Brahma Sutras and the Upanishads and on the Gita. All other books ascribed to him were not written down by his own hand. They are merely collections of notes recorded by his disciples from his sayings, talk and discussions.
Sri, Sankara wrote his commentaries on Mandukya commentary first, and then as this revealed that he thoroughly understood the subject, his gurus requested him to write the commentary on Badarayana's Brahma Sutras, which was a popular theological work universally studied by Advaitins. That is why his commentary is written from a lower dualistic point, for those who cannot rise higher, save that here and there Sri, Sankara occasionally has strewn a few truly Advaitic sentences.
Since, the Hinduism is mixer of many ideologies one gets confused which is true philosophy, because the dual, non-dual and qualified non-dual philosophies are based on Vedas. And many believe their inherited beliefs of their forefathers are pure and sacred without verifying the facts. All rituals and individualized gods are added time to time. Only when one tries to go deeper in alls of history one will be able to find that all the present days’ beliefs and rituals are not part of the Santana Dharma /Vedic religion.
Yajurved says:
Translation 1. They enter darkness, those who worship natural things (for example air, water, sun, moon, animals, fire, stone, etc).
They sink deeper in darkness those who worship sambhuti. (Sambhuti means created things, for example table, chair, idol etc.) [Yajurved 40:9] Translation 2. "Deep into shade of blinding gloom fall asambhuti's worshippers. They sink to darkness deeper yet who on sambhuti are intent." [Yajurveda Samhita by Ralph T. H. Giffith pg 538] Translation 3. "They are enveloped in darkness, in other words, are steeped in ignorance and sunk in the greatest depths of misery who worship the uncreated, eternal prakrti -- the material cause of the world -- in place of the All-pervading God, But those who worship visible things born of the prakrti, such as the earth, trees, bodies (human and the like) in place of God are enveloped in still greater darkness, in other words, they are extremely foolish, fall into an awful hell of pain and sorrow, and suffer terribly for a long time." [Yajur Veda 40:9.]
So, YajurVedaindicates that:-
They sink deeper in darkness those who worship sambhuti. (Sambhuti means created things, for example table, chair, idol etc[Yajurved 40:9]
Those who worship visible things born of the prakrti, such as the earth, trees, bodies (human and the like) in place of God are enveloped in still greater darkness, in other words, they are extremely foolish, fall into an awful hell of pain and sorrow, and suffer terribly for a long time."[Yajur Veda 40:9.]
The religion of the Veda knows no idols
Max Müller says:- "The religion of the Veda knows no idols; the worship of idols in India is a secondary formation, a degradation of the more primitive worship of ideal gods."
Therefore, there was no individual god or temples and worships in Vedic religion, which exited prior to Buddhism. Thus the individualized gods and temples must have been built later on, when the worships of idol were introduced. Thus the Vedic religion which existed in the past was free from idol and nature worship and idol worshiping rituals.
Thus, the present days worship of individual gods, created things, nature and human are against Vedic teachings, and it looks like it has been fabricated and introduced by priest craft. Since it, has passed on from one generation to the next it is hard for the people to believe the truth of their own religion, because they have sentimentally and emotionally involved in it and they refuse to accept anything else other then their inherited beliefs.
Looking at the increasing number of fake god men and gurus and their scandals, it is high time for the truth seekers, who are capable of thinking must do deeper research and know the fact that, their inherited religious belief is mixed and messed up in the past and people are made to believe that it is their duty to protect their religion and their belief and tradition, which is the hotchpotch ideology and not the real non- dual philosophy. The ultimate truth lies beyond all religion, scriptures beliefs and philosophies.
It is impossible to find and realize the truth via religion and scriptural study. Even Upanishads conform this.
Katha Upanishad:
This Ataman 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 Ataman reveals Its own form. [Katha Upanishad Ch-II -23-P-20]
Mundaka Upanishad :-
This Ataman cannot be attained through study of the Vedas, nor through intelligence, nor through much learning. He who chooses Ataman—by him alone is Ataman attained. It is Ataman that reveals to the seeker Its true nature. [ 3 –page-70Mundaka Upanishad Upanishads by Nikilanada]
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 false self. The seeker of truth has to search the ultimate truth without losing himself in the labyrinths of philosophy, through deeper, inquiry, analysis and reasoning and assimilate and realize it.
