The knower of the matter is not the matter but the formless consciousness.

The witness is changeless. However formless witness does not have to know that it is changeless since it is pure consciousness and it is in awareness of itself.  And therefore it need not have to know that it is changeless since it is ever pure.  The mind or universe being matter, by itself cannot know, since it is matter. The knower of the matter is not the matter but the formless consciousness.

The one who has to realize self is not the matter but the self   the witness, which is in the form of consciousness. This knowledge can be got deeper investigation   through reason based on the true self, which is consciousness.  One has to keep churning again and again until one become firm in his conviction.  

  Those who say one can become like Brahman, or one with Brahman, or approach Brahman, , realize Brahman--all these are dualistic errors.

When scriptures say: - "That thou art" the meaning is that one must make an effort to know that Atman itself is Brahman or ultimate truth. Atman is in the form of consciousness is there always. One has got it, there is nothing new to be acquired, only have the sharpness to grasp and understand it, when told about it. But there is a difference between understanding and realization. Effort is required for this understanding only, whereas once understood no special effort is needed to remember his understanding: until then he only has an idea of Atman, he only partially understands it. But once he  thoroughly grasp what it is and that all these things are Atman or consciousness, he  will then constantly find it present everywhere without further effort, because he  will perceive ultimate truth by understanding, even in the midst of worldly existence.

For when there is only one thing (consciousness) known, there is nothing to change, nothing to appear or disappear; when one speaks of remembering or forgetting consciousness that implies he  believe in the existence of something else, i.e. a second thing, which is to be remembered. That would show he has not known that all is one. But knowing it, there is no second, consequently no intermittent perception of consciousness, but a permanent effortless understanding that it alone is.

  The non-duality is the highest truth because it is impossible to contradict it. So long as there are two, one seeing another, man seeing something other than his-self, there is duality and not finality.

 No one has seen anyone else impose the limitations and illusions of the world on his mind. Therefore one must conclude that they are self-imposed. Self is infinite but in dream it impose the limitation on itself in the form of an animal which it sees there but which is only created out of consciousness. Similarly in waking it impose other limitations in the form of other objects and persons, everything is really consciousness the true self. Therefore constantly reflect and practice this exercise: viz. "Self is not limited by the body, but   the self, which is in the form of consciousness, pervades all the three states therefore it is   unlimited."  Thus it is erroneous to confine self to the physical entity alone.

The ultimate truth can be realized without Buddhism or Advitic or any other teaching, if one is ready to inquire analyse and reason on the base of the true self.

Q:-

spirituallyhappy said...

Hi Santthosh,
If I have understood correctly, this post says that the self is not the physical self but is the formless spirit, the soul. Isn't this the most prominent point where Buddhism differred from Hinduism, positing that there is no self to be found in either name (i.e. the mind) or form? Further, Buddhism posits that there is no soul to be found 'residing' within the body. No one has won this argument till date and there have been numerous liberated saints in both groups expounding their respective philosophies and paths. Now, my question to you is, why should one favour one approach over the other? Experience tells us that these approaches are mutually incompatible and any serious seeker considering these two needs to choose one over the other.

RE:

Dear Spiritually happy 

Thank you,

Buddha was a Gnani, but his interpreters are not. Buddha did not enter into scriptural interpretation. So the Vedic religionists threw him out of their religion.

 Advitia sages agreed in nearly all points with Buddha. Buddhism has failed through misunderstanding Gotama and believing that nothing is left to exist after Nirvana. What is it that sees the illusory nature of the finite ego? This is what the Buddhism need to answer and cannot on their theories. 

Advitic sages say: - it is the, the Seer. The Buddhists are in error in regarding the finite ego as illusory, and as having nothing more behind it: but they would have been perfectly correct in such outlook had they added the notion of the Seer or Witness. How is it that Skandas come together and compose the ego? Who sees them come and go? It is the Witness or the seer, the Atman, which is in the form of consciousness and through by amazing the formless witness and witnessed (universe) one becomes aware of the existence of the formless witness mentally.

When they say that mind comes and goes they are forgetting that there must be another part of the mind as consciousness which notices it and which tells them of this disappearance and appearance. All their misunderstandings arise from the fact that Buddhism does not penetrate to find answer to the ultimate questions. The truth of a single reality within or underlying the illusory universe or mind is all-important and without it Buddhism becomes fallacious. 

The ultimate truth can be realized without Buddhism or Advaitic or any other teaching, if one is ready to inquire analyze and reason on the base of the true self. Therefore, it is necessary to make sure of the fact that, the self is not form but self is formless, then rectify the reasoning base, from form to formless to understand, and assimilate and realize the non-dual truth.  

Mundaka Upanishad  :-

This Atman cannot be attained through study of the Vedas, nor through intelligence, nor through much learning. He who chooses Ataman—by him alone is Atman attained. It is Atman that reveals to the seeker Its true nature.(3 –page-70 Mundaka Upanishad  Upanishads by Nikilanada]

When the Upanishads 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.

Without knowing the basis of how the universe is unreal, it is difficult to realize the Advaitic truth.

People who have gained an intellectual understanding of non-duality  have  the wrong notion that they  is already self-realized and there is nothing more there to be done than simply talk Advaita and enjoy the  world   around.  The practice life is nothing to do with the self from the ultimate standpoint. The practical life has meaning only on the base of false self within the false experience. Until one thinks the birth entity as self, he is bound to believe the universe as reality.  Without knowing the basis of how the universe is unreal, it is difficult to realize the Advaitic truth.  

All the overstretched theories and analogies, which are meant to serve only to the people who are incapable of thinking deeply.  Since people are more concerned with their daily life, the pursuit of truth doesn’t serve them any purpose, because they are immersed in solving the day to day problems. People have no time to think of truth, when they are so very much immersed in their daily worries, woes. So, they are themselves, too confined to their cocooned lives to have any free time to know their worldly life is mere illusion. Thus they experience the illusory experience of birth, life, death and the universe as reality.  All the myth of the organized religion becomes easier for them to follow.   

For serious seeker, mirages are as good as non-existent.  He experiences the universe fully aware of the fact that his body and the universe are mere illusion and the true self is without his body and the experience of the universe.  Thus, one which is aware of the illusion is not the form but the formless.   

The mind and the soul are one in essence.

The mind, which is in the form universe  does not   disappear when wisdom dawns but only the ignorance disappears. The unreal nature of the mind or universe is exposed through wisdom. 

A  Gnani is fully aware of the fact that, his body and his experience of the universe( waking experience) is mere mirage created out of consciousness.  Realizing the  ultimate truth or Brahman  in the midst of illusion is wisdom.  Thus Gnani is   free from experiencing the illusion as reality.

This is the reason why the seeker  has to realize the fact that, self is not ‘I’   but ‘I’ is the mind. And mind is present in the form of universe. The universe appears as waking or dream(duality) and disappears as deep sleep(non-duality). Thus it is very much necessary to realize the the fact that, mind is not limited to the physical entity(ego)  but mind is the whole universe that appears as the whole waking or dream experience.

 When the self is not the body the body based inquiry is not of any use.  Therefore one has to inquire and reason on the base of the formless soul, the innermost  self in order to unfold the mystery of the mind or universe, which appears as waking or dream experience and disappears as deep sleep.

Once total abidance takes place, and then there are no more any externalities, for all of them would have subsided in the very bosom of the one who was enquiring and he becomes aware of the fact that, The mind and the soul are one in essence.  That  essence is consciousness. And there is no second thing other than the consciousness that is the  true realization of non-dualistic  or Adavitic truth.   

Arguing on the base of false self[ego] and speculating about the Adavitic truth is useless pursuit.

 

Self-realization is to recognize that, self is consciousness and universe is illusion. The universe is in the form of mind.  Thinking the mind is within the physical body and limiting the Self  to the physical entity is cause of the ignorance.  due to this  ignorance one will not be able to think beyond physicality or duality.  

formless soul or Consciousness is the innermost  self. The consciousness is the source from where the mind or universe rises and subsides.  The mind, which is in the form of Universe, can never affect the consciousness, because the consciousness is the formless substance and witness of the universe, which appears as waking or dream experience and disappears as deep sleep.  The consciousness exits in its true nature prior to the appearance of the mind.

Only on the base of the ego or waking entity , which is the false self within the false experience(waking)  , the universe seems to be reality but when one becomes aware of the fact that, the self is neither the waking entity nor the dream entity but the self is the formless witness of the three states as a whole, then he realizes the fact that, the three states are mere mirage created out of consciousness. And there is no second thing exist other then consciousness. Hence it is non-dual.  Thus, the diversity  is myth.  Thus arguing on the base of false self[ego] and speculating about the Adavaitic or non-dualistc  truth is useless pursuit. 

True Self is not the form but the true self is formless consciousness.  True Self is   ever free - not that it will be free after some time in future. The immortality is the nature of the true self. Hence practicality is – the birth, life death and universe are cause of the ignorance.  But the true self has no ups and down because it is formless.  The birth, life, death and universe are experienced as reality on the false self [ego] but on the base of the formless true self, they are mere illusion. All problems belong to false self [ego] within the false experience [universe]. The consciousness is the formless substance and witness of the universe, which appears as mind.  The consciousness is the deep ocean unperturbed by all the waves [mind or universe] that rise in it sustained by it and goes back into it.

 That which is the ground of all proof is the consciousness, which is the witness. All the other means of knowledge such as words, doubts are only meant to remove the obstruction to the consciousness which is always present within the three states as their formless substance. When these obstructions are removed through wisdom, one becomes awakened to the non-dual reality and he begins to see the meanings of scriptural effortlessly. The rise of wisdom is the same as the attainment of self-knowledge. 

If one takes the universe as real then it becomes difficult in grasping the Advaitic reality

If one takes the universe as real then it becomes difficult in grasping the Advaitic  reality because one takes the false entity as self, which is within the illusory universe. Apparent universe, which is in the form of mind, can only   cause ignorance.

Taking the universe as a 'separate' reality and thinking he is and individual separate from the world and world existed prior to him and he is born in it, until this conviction is there it is impossible to grasp the reality, which is beyond the mind or universe.   But when one knows there is nothing apart from consciousness, which is the true self then  for him there is no 'individual   reality because he is sees  his body and universe as mere mirage created out of consciousness. Thus, for his consciousness alone is real and the form, name and experiences are unreal.  

The universe exists for the Gnani as long as he is alive. The Gnani has the vision of plurality as long as he lives but he is fully aware of the fact that his body along with the universe is mere mirage created out of the consciousness.   Thus he is fully aware what is real and what is unreal and he acts as a commoner and deals with worldly life consciously aware of its unreal nature.

The cause and effect is based on the false self. In reality there is no cause because the self, which is consciousness, is uncaused.  Consciousness will not continue to exist for there is no cause. The cause is the continuance of experiencing the duality [universe] as reality due to ignorance. Duality [universe] becomes unreal with the Self-Knowledge. Gnani is free from experiencing the duality as reality. If there is ignorance then the duality is experienced as reality.  If there is wisdom then duality (universe) is mere mirage created out of consciousness. Realization the truth is necessary to realize the birth, life and death are mere illusion created out of consciousness and live in Self-awareness, which frees one from experiencing the pain and pleasure as reality.

The Gnani will know that the duality existing in universe is myth.  All confusion will be set at rest if one learns reason on the base of the true self, which is formless consciousness.

 There is no delusion and there is no sorrow can be there for that witness of oneness, because the mind, which is in the form of universe, is mere mirage for the witness. And the witness and witnessed are one in the essence in the realm of truth. Thus no second thing exist other than the consciousness. The consciousness alone is real and all else is illusion created out of consciousness. Therefore, the consciousness is ultimate truth or Brahman or Christ or Buddha.  

 It is ignorance to take the visible difference to be true, real. It is necessary to realize the visible difference to be unreal.  Just as it is ignorance to think/know that the sun's setting and rising is real and it is knowledge that the visible setting and rising of the sun is only an appearance. A Gnani is perfectly tuned with Self-Knowledge and he is fully conscious of the fact that,   his body and the universe is mere illusion and the one which sees his body, ego and his experience of the universe together, without the physical apparatus is real and eternal.  Thus, he is fully conscious of the fact that,   the formless eternal seer or witness is his true identity or self and he bases himself on the formless self.   Thus he knows what is real and what is unreal in the midst of duality, hence he is called Gnani.  

The Adavitic truth is beyond the mind, which is in the form of universe.

The Advaitic truth is beyond the mind, which is in the form of universe.   The universe contains man and his individual experiences appear as waking or dream(duality) and disappears as deep sleep(non-duality). 

Every man has an initial urge to know the truth about his own self but because he is inborn samskara or conditioning and also conditioned by parental grooming and religious restrictions he follows the inherited path, which keeps him in the prison of ignorance permanently. Ignorance which makes him to experience the birth, life,death and world  as reality.    

The one who has intense urge will discard his inborn and  inherited samskaras  conditioning of looking for truth within the religious fold and tries to venture  to find  his avenues beyond religion, yoga and theories. 

The deeper investigation reveals the fact that, all the three states, which comes and goes, are illusory in their nature and the formless witness of the three states is real and eternal.  The three states are mere mirage created out of the consciousness ( formless witness).  Thus, the witness and witnessed are one in essence.  Therefore, the consciousness alone is real and all else is illusion. There is no duality in reality hence it is non-dual.    The one who realized this truth is a Gnani. 

A Gnani is one who knows he, his body, his ego  and his experience of the universe are mere mirage created out of consciousness. Therefore, he is fully aware of the fact that, everything is consciousness and the forms, names and words create division within the consciousness.  From the ultimate point of view, the forms, names and words lose their meaning and whatever exits without the forms, name and words is real and eternal. 

Noting is real but consciousness. Noting matters but search for the truth. Consciousness pervades everywhere and in everything in the universe, which is in the form of the mind. Mind appears as waking or dream and disappears as deep sleep.  That is consciousness appears as mind and disappears back as consciousness.  Consciousness is beyond the mind and is everything. Consciousness alone is. 

The mind, which is in the form of universe is mere mirage created out of consciousness.  Thus the individual experience of birth, life and death, which happens within the universe, is unreal because the universe itself is mere mirage.  The consciousness, which is aware of the coming and going of the universe, is real and eternal. Thus the consciousness alone is ultimate truth, which is identified as Brahman /Christ Consciousness/Buddha’s nature by the religious scriptures. 

The ultimate truth cannot be explained, it cannot be argued, it cannot be theorized, nor it can be discussed and understood through intellectuality nor it can be experienced. It can only be realized.