There is no need to condemn scriptural authorities, and argue I am right or you are wrong. There is no need to challenging anyone’s scriptural mastery. But one has to realize the fact that the scriptural mastery is not wisdom. Non-dual truth cannot be proved and realized on the base of scriptures.
Ashtvakara says: scriptural knowledge and yoga are not the means to acquire self-knowledge. Ramana Maharishi was realized the truth without any scriptures. Buddha rejected religion, scriptures and concept of god after he found them useless to acquire the truth after thoroughly verifying their validity. And as one goes into deeper research on Advaita he finds the fact that, Advaita is nothing to do with Vedas.
The present orthodox Advaita which is claimed to be based on the Vedas is modified and introduced by Sri, Sankara to uplift the Santana Dharma, which was in ruins in the clutches of Buddhism and Jainism. Thus all the preaching of the orthodox based Advaita is based on the non-duality and practice is based on the duality. The spiritual based (which was not based on Vedas)the pure Advaita teaching of Sri, Sankara and Goudpada may have been distorted or lost or destroyed.
As one goes deeper in research one becomes aware of the fact that Advaita is extension of Buddhism. There was no Advaita in the Vedic religion/Santana Dharma prior to Sri, Sankara that is prior to 8th Century. As one goes deeper in research one finds even the original non-dual teaching of Buddha has been lost in time and present teaching is mixed and messed with the local and regional religions wherever it existed. But still we find the traces of Sri, Sankara’s and Buddha’s spiritual insights in some of the scriptures.
Therefore, it is necessary to for the seeker of truth to inquire on his own and realize the non-dual truth without any scriptures in this very life time, and make sure of Sri.Sankara‘s declaration world is myth and Brahman alone is real.
Thus by quoting one authority from one scripture, and another authority from another scripture, and trying to prove and realize the truth is like, trying to drain the ocean drop by drop.
As Sri, Ramana Maharishi said: scriptural knowledge is conceptual divisions invented by teachers of philosophy by their excessive analysis. Where do all these concepts end? Why should confusion created and then explained away? Fortunate is the man who does not lose himself in the labyrinths of philosophy, but goes straight to the source from which they all arise.
When Ramana Maharishi indicated the direct path to the truth, is the source from which the false arises. Thus the source is the soul or consciousness or Atman, which is the innermost self. Atman itself is Brahman. Thus it is necessary to view the worldview on the base of the source, which the true self, and formless substance and witness of the experience of diversity. Thus deeper inquiry, analysis and reasoning on the true base, one can acquire the self –knowledge in lesser time and effort. The unity in diversity is possible only through self-knowledge not by mastering the scriptural knowledge.
Orthodox and pundits have “I know” attitude, therefore, they think others know nothing. They pretend to be listening but they think others are in a primitive people who could not possibly have anything to share with them.” This type of outlook is great obstacle in pursuit of truth. The orthodoxy is greatest hindrance in realizing the non-dual truth.
Sri, Sankara in Viveka Chudamani indicated that:-
56. Neither by Yoga, nor by Sankhya, nor by work, nor by
learning, but by the realisation of one's identity with Brahman is Liberation
possible, and by no other means.
58. Loud speech consisting of a shower of words, the skill in
expounding the Scriptures, and likewise erudition - these merely bring on a
little personal enjoyment to the scholar, but are no good for Liberation.
59. The study of the Scriptures is useless so long as the
highest Truth is unknown, and it is equally useless when the highest Truth has
already been known.
60. The Scriptures consisting of many words are a dense forest
which merely causes the mind to ramble. Hence men of wisdom should earnestly
set about knowing the true nature of the Self.
61. For one who has been bitten by the serpent of Ignorance, the
only remedy is the knowledge of Brahman. Of what avail are the Vedas and
(other) Scriptures, Mantras (sacred formulae) and medicines to such a one?
62. A disease does not leave off if one simply utter the name of
the medicine, without taking it; (similarly) without direct realisation one
cannot be liberated by the mere utterance of the word Brahman.
63. Without causing the objective universe to vanish and without
knowing the truth of the Self, how is one to achieve Liberation by the mere
utterance of the word Brahman? — It would result merely in an effort of speech.
64. Without killing one’s enemies, and possessing oneself of the
splendour of the entire surrounding region, one cannot claim to be an emperor
by merely saying, ‘I am an emperor’.
65. As a treasure hidden underground requires (for its
extraction) competent instruction, excavation, the removal of stones and other
such things lying above it and (finally) grasping, but never comes out by being
(merely) called out by name, so the transparent Truth of the self, which is
hidden by Maya and its effects, is to be attained through the instructions of a
knower of Brahman, followed by reflection, meditation and so forth, but not
through perverted arguments.
66. Therefore the wise should, as in the case of disease and the
like, personally strive by all the means in their power to be free from the
bondage of repeated births and deaths.
Sri Sankara clearly indicated that: - yoga, intellectualism,
scriptural mastery is not the means to self-knowledge. But by the realisation of one's identity with
consciousness, which is ultimate truth or Brahman, freedom from experiencing
the illusion as reality is possible, and by no other means.
This witness position cannot be taken in the midst of work or activity, because work and activity is part of the mirage.
Adopting the neutral, impersonal point of view of the Witness also helps us transcend form, time and space. In fact, memory of the past, knowledge of the present, and projection into the future require the existence of a consciousness which is in itself outside form, time and space. By learning to view and judge the three states on Witness position can transcend sense of form, time and space, which helps to reduces its grip of duality.
To reduce all the three states as mind. The first effect of this practice is a lessening of the impact of individual experience. In the next stage, one has to train himself to ask where the mind dwell. The answer one arrives at is: in the Self, the consciousness! The three states come and go; what remains after they vanish is the consciousness which contains them. It alone is real.
Meditation remains necessary only in preliminary stages, but meditation is not the means to acquire Self-Knowledge. The highest state attainable by yoga is no better than deep sleep. Only path of reason can by itself lead to Realization of ultimate truth.
Liberation from experiencing duality or illusion cannot to be
attained except through penance, scriptural studies and yogic practice or
indulging religious rituals or god or guru glorification.
Inner longing to know the truth, sharpness to grasp and courage
to accept the truth leads one to self-awareness. People are immersed in
ignorance and remain experiencing the illusion as reality and they do not to
exert themselves to know the reality of their true existence. By clinging to things unreal they think their
experience of birth, life, death and the world as reality.
By quoting the Scriptures
and sacrifice to the gods, by performing rituals and worship the deities, but
there is no freedom without the realization of one’s identity with the soul or
consciousness, which is the true self.
There is no hope of immortality by means of riches. Action or inaction cannot be the cause of freedom
because inaction also is action and action and inaction are part of the
duality. People think by using lesser words or by keeping silence the truth
emerge on its own but they keep hoping and remain in the prison of duality.
Seeker of truth has to strive his best for freedom from
experiencing the illusion as reality, and fixing his attention on the formless
substance and witness of the three states. The formless substance and witness
are one in essence. That essence is consciousness. The consciousness alone is
real and eternal and it is the source of the mind, which rises as universe and
subsides back as consciousness.
Having grasped, understood the ultimate truth intellectually,
one should recover oneself, immersed in the illusory experience of ocean of birth,
life, death and the world by means of devotion to right discrimination.
