Self-Knowledge or Atma Gnana or Brahma Gnana cannot be attained by one
who is without strength or earnestness or without the receptiveness and courage
to accept the truth and reject the untruth. But if a serious seeker strives by
means of inquiry, analysis and reasoning on the true base, he will be able to
realize it.
By realizing Atman, the one
become satisfied with that Knowledge. He establishes in the true self, and he
is free from experiencing the duality as reality and he is in non dual
tranquility. Such seeker ever devoted to the Self, behold everywhere the Atman.
Having well ascertained the Self,
the goal of the Self- Knowledge or Atma Gnana or Brahma Gnana and having perfect understudying, the seekers,
never relaxing their efforts, enjoy here supreme Immortality and at the time of
the great end attain complete freedom in Atman.
When one
realizes the fact that the causes of all the causes is uncaused; and views and
judges the worldview on the base of the uncaused, then everything of the experience of duality, becomes one with the highest
imperishable Atman, which is the Self of all.
As flowing rivers disappear in the sea, losing their names and forms, so
one is freed from name and form, attains the Atman, which is greater than the
Great.
He who knows the Atman as self verily becomes Atman. He overcomes the
experience of duality; becomes one with the immortal Atman the innermost self.
Sri Sankara, in Bhaja Govindam says: - [Jnana Viheena Sarva Mathena Bajathi na Muktim janma Shatena]
- one without knowledge does not obtain liberation
even in a hundred births, no matter which religious faith he follows.
The mind is in the form of Universe. Universe appears as waking
or dream. Waking as it presents itself is unreal, same way as the dream. Thus
waking or dream is simply illusion created out of consciousness. To the man within the universe it is not an
illusion because he has the conviction that he is an individual separate form
the universe and he is born in this universe and universe existed prior to
him. Until this conviction is there he
is bound to believe the birth, life, death and universe as reality. Only in deeper self-search he becomes aware of
the fact that, the mind is not within the body but body and the universe are
within the mind. And he also becomes aware of the fact that
mind itself is the whole universe ,which appears as waking or dream and
disappears as deep sleep.
To think once own body and his
experience of the world is an illusion is difficult matter, unless one realizes
the self is not physical but it is formless soul it is difficult to have
glimpse of truth.
When one realizes the fact that, the
self is not physical but the formless soul, naturally the body and universe
becomes illusion.
The mind or universe emanating from
soul or consciousness means the mind is being effect from consciousness is not
different from it. Deeper analysis shows it. Analysis needs deeper thinking and
reasoning. Mind is whole universe thus it has a form. But where is the form in
consciousness (soul) because consciousness is like an ocean and mind is like
wave. The universe is same
consciousness, as the ocean produces the wave, so the consciousness produces
the mind (universe).
The moment one knows the mind or universe is consciousness, and then there is no ignorance. If one knows
consciousness as self then everything is consciousness, the consciousness is
second to none. The mind is consciousness
but due to ignorance one mistakes it for something else. One thinks the self is
within the body; but the self is without the body and the world.
Mind ceases to exist without the
matter. Without the matter mind ceases to exist as mind but it exists as
matter- less awareness or consciousness. Without the mind neither the world nor
its perceiver can exist.
Without the matter there is no
duality. Without duality there is no experience. Without experience it is
non-dual reality. Therefore, whatever prevails without the mind is ultimate
reality.
