Nothing has to be accepted as truth without verification

As one goes deeper in self-search he will becomes aware all the material in religious annals are mere assumption and imagination based on the false self.   Even if one takes them as reality one has to realize the fact that, the waking experience itself is falsehood. Therefore whatever one sees, knows, believes and experiences as person within the falsehood is bound to be falsehood.   Thus all these religious fables has no value on the ultimate stand point.   As one verifies one becomes aware of the fact that:-

The Puranas

Acharya Dharamkriti has enumerated five characteristics of ennui and stupefaction. One of them is to consider a scripture on authority. The tendency to consider a book on authority is widely prevalent in India, though most of the contents of these scriptures have been proven fallacious on the basis of reason and reality. When scientists have proved that the moon is 24,000 miles away from the earth and the sun is 9.30 crore miles away, what is the sense in asserting that according to the Vishnu Puran, the sun is near the earth and the moon is far off. Nothing is true The writers of the Puranas say that there are seven seas on the earth. One is full of saltish water; the other contains pure water; the third is full of milk; the fourth is full of ghee and so on. Today everybody knows that all the seas are full of brine. No sea contains milk or ghee. Inspite of this, if somebody cites the puranas as authority and advances the view that the seas are full of sugarcane juice, he will be considered as a fool. The scriptures cannot be taken as authority because man's knowledge increases and changes day by day. Truths of yesterday may not be truths of today, and todays opinion and views may be proved wrong tomorrow. Books only reflect the knowledge of contemporary people. Everybody knows that the knowledge of the Puraniks about the astronomy and science was very limited, and that of geography almost ridiculous. According to the Markandeya Puran, the area of earth is 50 crore 'yojanas'. There are seven continents on the earth - Jambu, Plaksh, Shalmal, Kush, Kronch, Shak and Pushkar. One of these continents is double the size of others. The continents are surrounded by seas of salt, sugarcane juice, wine, ghee, curd milk and pure water respectively. One sea is double the size of others. A 'yojana' is equivalent to 8 miles. According to the Puranas, the area of the earth is 50 crore'yojanas' or 4000 million miles. Scientists and geographers have proved that the diameter of the earth is 8000 miles and its circumfrence is 25,000 miles. The Puraniks say that the 'extent' of earth is 4,000 million miles, whereas it is actually only 25,000 miles. In case they meant area by the word 'extent', even then it comes out to be 62 crore square miles, after multiplying its length (25,000) and breadth (25,000) miles. Ocean of cane juice Students of geography know it too well that there are only six continents on this earth - Asia,Europe, North America, South America, Africa and Australia. According to the Puraniks, the Jambu continent or Asia extends to one lakh 'yojanas'. According to them the Plaksh continent (presumably Europe) extends to two lakh 'yojanas' or 16 lakh miles and the sea surrounding it extends eight lakh miles and is full of cane juice. It is known fact that no sea seperates Asia and Europe, and when there is no sea it is sheer imagination to say that it extends 16 lakh miles and is full of cane juice. In case the sea surrounding Europe was full of cane juice, the European would have exported sugar to Asia, America, Africa and Australia. According to the Markandeya Puran, the Shalmal continent (perhaps Africa) extends to 32 lakh miles. It is surrounded by a sea which extends to 32 lakh miles and is full of wine. Readers know that Maditerranien Sea and the Red sea seperate Africa from Europe and they extend only a few hundred miles. They are full of brine like the Indian Ocean. The Puraniks say that Africa is four times bigger than Asia, whereas it is almost equal to latter. The Puraniks say that the Kush continent (perhaps North America) extends to 64 lakh miles and is surrounded by a sea which extends to 64 lakhs miles and is full of ghee. Similarly the Kronch continent (perhaps South America) extends to 128 lakh miles and is surrounded by sea of equal area and is full of curd. In fact no sea seperates North and South America. On one side there is the Atlantic Ocean and on the other there is the Pacific Ocean and both are full of Brine. These continents are smaller than Asia. Imaginary geographical knowledge It is surprising that the Puraniks imagined only 'rivers' of ghee and milk in India and 'seas' of ghee and and milk preety far off. The Shak continent(presumably Australia) is said to be 32 times bigger than the Jambu continent(Asia).What to talk of 32 times, it is not even one fourth. The imaginary geographical knowledge of the Puraniks does not end here. Their observations about the Jambu Continent (Asia) and India are rather strange. In the middle of the Jambu continent, there is a golden Meru mountain which is 84,000 'yojanas' high. It is rooted in the deep earth and its depth is 16,000 'yojanas' the width of its top is 32,000 'yojanas' and that of base is 16,000 'yojanas'. The Himalayas are situated in the middle of Asia and are covered with snow. It is fantastic to say that its height is 84,000 'yojanas' when it is actually 29,000 feet high. According to the Puraniks, it is 256,000 miles wide, whereas the width of asia from Kanyakumari to North pole is hardly 7,000 miles. The length of himalayas is not 128,000 miles, it is about 1500 miles. According to the Puraniks, the depth of Sumeru mountain inside the earth is 128,000 miles. When the diameter of the earth is hardly 8,000 miles what about the rest of the milage, which comes to 120,000 miles ? According to the Devi Bhagwat puran, there are four mountains in the four directions of the Sumeru mountain - Mandar in the east, Merumandar in the South, Suparshv in the west and Kumund in the north. All these mountains are like the legs of the main mountain. The area of each is described as 80,000 miles. Each of them has a tree on the top - mango, rose-apple, neulea orientalis and banyan. They serve as their flags are 1,100 yojanas' high. All four trees extend like the mountain on which they are growing. These four mountains are further beutifies by their four tanks which contain milk honey, sugarcane juice and so on. All these prove the fact that, religion is based on the physical self and physical existence itself is falsehood.  Therefore, Self-knowledge is necessary to realize the fact that, the birth, life death and the world are part of the falsehood. Therefore until one bifurcate the religion from spirituality he will not be able to grasp and realize the nondual truth.   The people who are stuck with religious based nondual teachings will find it difficult to realize the nondual truth because they have accepted something else as truth.

In pursuit of truth one has to go beyond the Advaita

A Gnani is free from all hopes and desires, but outwardly he does what needs to be done. Gnani lives without as if he were full of hopes. He lives contended cool and warm, just like everyone else. Inwardly give up the idea "I am the doer," yet outwardly engage in all activities. He lives in the world; completely conscious of what is truth and what is untruth and what is real and what is unreal in the midst of experience of duality.

These discussions of the ultimate truth on the base of the intellectuality/physicality really don't achieve much in the end. Maybe little shifts in understanding from time to time, but noting really changes until the base of discussion is rectified from form to formless.

The value of discussion based on the true self will help the seekers of truth to dismantle mentally the dualistic and fixed concepts and that is a true benefit like clearing all the accumulated dross.

The sense of self dissolves when one becomes aware of the true self is not physical but the spirit.  And the shifts to be cantered from form to formless and rest in non-dual Awareness.

In over many years of practice and study, people struggle to find stability in non-dual Awareness because their understanding assimilation is based on intellectuality/physicality.

One need to realize the fact that, the intellectuality is physical based whereas the ultimate truth is based on the spirit.  Thus understanding and assimilation has to be based on the spirit, which is the true self. The understanding and grasping the truth on the base of the soul as self will lead to profound insight to all seekers of truth.

In traditional Advaita, the main thing is the mind's deep understanding of truths concerning what one is. Therefore, listening to talks by advanced teachers, analyzing what they say, and dwelling on it are the ways awakening occurs in that system but in pursuit of truth one has to go beyond the Advaita concerning to whole physical existence which contains man and world together and unfolding its mystery.

It is impossible to make the, to make the mind more subtle with any other means other then the deeper inquiry, analysis and reasoning to be able to assimilate the Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. 

Yogic practice with correct posture to open the channels that allows the “Kundalini “rise into the sahasrara chakra is not the means to self-knowledge ***

Many think finding the source of the thoughts one becomes aware of the truth and they are not sure what thoughts are and where do they come from. Thoughts are part of the illusion and thoughts will rise until the illusion  remains as reality.  Therefore, seeking truth on the thought oriented   theories will not lead the seeker to know the ultimate truth.

Until and unless one becomes aware of the fact, how or in what way the physical existence is an illusion, one will remain in the grip of duality, and base himself on physicality or intellectuality.  The intellectuality is a great hindrance in the pursuit of truth because it is based on  the waking entity(physical self  or ego).

There is a need to know the facts about the thought is that; they are arising in duality or illusion. They are absent without the duality.  There is no need to be   curious about what are they and where they come from continues to arise instead find the source of the illusion and the substance of the illusion to unfold the mystery of the mind/physical existence.

As intellectually elegant and edifying all of these discussions of non-duality may be, they don't bring about true liberation because they are based on physicality. One has to mentally grasp the nondual truth to cross the threshold of duality.

Since people mix yoga and karma theory which is based on physicality it becomes difficult for them to understand assimilates the self-knowledge.  If the body is not the self, and the true self is formless, then how the “Kundalini” will work when the self is not the physical body. 

If the body is not the self, then where one has to trace those chakras in formless self.  If the body is not the self   then the karma theory becomes meaningless because the action is part of the illusion.  Therefore, there is a need for a deeper understanding the fact to assimilate the nondual truth.

Until one has the conviction that the Self is the body he will remain experiencing the duality as reality. This duality is too powerful to be displaced by simple conversations. It needs deeper thinking and understanding and assimilation to overcome the duality.

One cannot bring the mind to total stillness without understanding “What is mind?”and “What is substance of mind?”.

Yogic practice with correct posture to open the channels that allows the “Kundalini “rise into the Sahasrara chakra is not the means to self-knowledge because it is based on the physicality.  When the self is not the physical body, then the yogic practice is not the tool to acquire non-dual wisdom. It is mere imagining the non-dual nature of the self/soul and gain the time bound blankness of the mind. 

Vedantism vs Advitha.+

Vedantism vs Advitha When the report was being assiduously spread by the enemies of reform that Maharishi Dayanand had refused to hold a shastrarth, some Sadhus elated by the report hastened to the Swami’s quarters, and coming into his presence, said that they had sought him out with the view of holding a discussion with him. “Vedantism,” was the reply of the leader of the band, a man of learning. Swami ~ “To begin with, please explain what do you mean by Vedantism?” Sadhu - ”Vedantism is that which teaches that the world is false and that God is the only true existence.” Swami ~ “What do you understand by the ‘world’ (Jagata)? What things are included in your ‘world’ and what do you mean by the term ‘false’ (Mithya)?” Sadhu - ”Whatever there is from atoms up to the sun, is called the ‘world’ and all that is in it, is false and unreal.” Swami ~ ”Are or are not your body, speech, moving about, updesha, guru, and books included in this world also? Sadhu - Yes they are.” Swami ~ “And is your religion also included in this or is it outside of it?” Sadhu - “Verily, that too is included in this.” Swami ~ “When you yourself admit that you and your guru, your faith and your books, your speech, and your updesha are false, what can I say to you? The case, according to the statement of the claimant himself, deserves to be dismissed. There is no need for witnesses here. -Swami Dayananda] The above dialogue of Maharishi Dayananda proves that the Advaita is nothing to do with Vedas. Sage Sankara, introduced Advaita modified it on the base of Vedas to uplift the Sanatan Dharma, which was in ruins in the hands of Buddhism and Jainism.    The Advaita is an extension of Buddhism. Looking at the preaching and books written of   Sankarachryas of the four pietas, who themselves base on Vedas are indulging in rituals, worships, and glorifying individual Gods and themselves, whereas the Yajur Veda declares one should not indulge in such things.   Because of the same reason, Bhagavan Buddha and J.Krishnamurty rejected the religion, concept of god, and scriptures.  They must have studied deeply and found them inadequate and useless in the pursuit of truth before rejecting them. When Sage Sankara’s great Advaitic declaration: - The world is unreal and Brahman alone is real and everything is Brahman cannot be realized through action, rituals, and conduct oriented religious Advaita. Religious Advaita is merely priestcraft meant for the mass.  Thus the religious Advaita is based on the birth entity whereas,  Sage Sankara declares the whole world is unreal that means, the birth, life, and death, which takes place within the unreal world is bound to be unreal.

As declared by Vedas and Upanishads: - the main aim of human life is to acquire Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. The time one spends in religious rituals, glorifying gods and gurus is wasted. One should utilize that same time to acquire Self-knowledge, which is his prime goal.

 The Sruti itself says: "This Atma is NOT to be attained by a study of the Vedas. - Katha Upanishad I, 2, 23.

               

Why study of scriptures when Shruti itself declares,” This Atman is NOT to be attained by a study of the Vedas.” Thus the people who are after Vedic moksha will not attain it through Hindu orthodoxy. As Vedas declare it is beyond Vedas.   Where Veda ends (VEDA- ANTH) then only there is moksha.   Thus the present Hinduism, which is the mother of all hotchpotch ideology, is not the means to the prime goal to acquire Self-Knowledge as declared by Vedas.      

 

Self-knowledge cannot be attained by the study of the Vedas and intellectual understanding or by bookish knowledge.  Therefore there is no use in studying the Vedas and other scriptures in order to acquire non-dual wisdom.  That is why Bhagavan Buddha rejected the scriptures, and even Sage Sankara indicated that the ultimate truth lies beyond religion, the concept of god and scriptures.

Brahmin is the one who has realized the Brahman or ultimate truth of God in truth and helps fellow seekers towards the inner path. The one who knows Brahman knows his body and his experience of the world are mere illusion and also he knows his body and his experience of the world are also as Atman [consciousness], which is Brahman.  Thus, the priestcraft which is crafted on the body-based theories will lead one to hallucinated moksha. But real moksha or freedom is possible only through non-dual wisdom. 

Thus it is necessary to follow the path of Brahman not the path of the priestcraft. Only by dropping all the accumulated priest-crafted baggage, one has to move forward to reach the nondual destination in lesser time and effort. 

 

Sage Gaudapada says:~The merciful Veda teaches karma and Upaasana to people of lower and middling intellect, while Jnana is taught to those of higher intellect.

This clearly indicates that religion, which is based on individual conduct, prescribes karma and Upaasana to people of lower and middling intellect, therefore religion is for the lower intellect. And wisdom is for those who are capable of inquiring into their own existence to know and realize the ultimate truth, which is Brahman.

Bhagavad Gita:~ brahmano hi pratisthaham- Brahman is considered the all-pervading consciousness, which is the basis of all the animate and inanimate entities and material. (14.27)

Sage Sankara’s notion of Maya, the cosmic illusion must be transcended in order to realize the truth of Brahman, which means ultimate truth.  

If Brahman is considered the all-pervading consciousness then, it is necessary to realize, the consciousness as self, which pervades all the three states, to realize the fact that there is no second thing that exists other the consciousness. Thus, consciousness [Ataman] is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth. 

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]

Therefore, if one is seeking truth he has to know his true self is not physical but it is the Ataman, which is in the form of consciousness. 

There is no scope for debate and argument in pursuit of truth. Seeker has to verify the facts of any claim, if find them to be true then only accept them.  It is not correct to impose ideas on others when they are not ready to accept anything other than their accepted truth. There is no need to prove whether Bhagavan Buddha is right or Sage Sankara is wrong. But the seeker's only mission is to know, how to realize the nondual truth, which is propounded by the Buddha and Sage Sankara and Sage Goudpada? Since present practices are based on conduct and action, and they are based on the false physical self [ego].  What are the fatter and obstacle in realize the nondual truth? How to overcome the obstacle on the path of nondual truth?  

The entire Hindu tradition, including of course Vedantic orthodoxy, rested on sexual, social, national, and religious discrimination—women, the sudra or lower caste, outcasts, and foreigners were excluded from Vedantic teaching.  All the discriminations are obstacles in pursuit of truth.

In fact, Sage Sankara himself had gone beyond the barriers and taboos of caste: in performing funeral rites for his mother, he broke the rules of the Brahmin caste.

The ordinary people, who find security in the idea of causality and thus in the idea of God—and Revelation is indispensable to prove the latter.  Those of superior intelligence, have no need of this idea of divine causality, and can therefore dispense with scriptures and arrive at the truth of Non-Dualism by pure reason.

There is only one Reality to be known, the same for all seekers, but the ways to it, are hidden by the religion.  Self-discovery is the only way, towards non-dual Absolute without any religious doctrines, which will help the seekers to unfold the mystery of the illusion in which we all are searching for the truth of our true existence.:~Santthosh Kumaar