Many believe spirituality and religion are considered
inter connected but it is not so. Religion is based on the false self-[ego or
body] and it is limited to the false experience [universe], while spirituality transcends
race, religion, gender, language and nationality and universe. Spirituality is pursuit of truth.
There are many paths have come into existence in the
name of Self-Realization. Every belief
system believes that each human being embodies a spark of the divine, and that
fanning into the shining fire spiritual realization is the meaning and purpose
of human life. But spirituality is not based on the belief but discovering the
truth of the whole universe and man’s existence. Religious
and Yogic truth and scientific truth are individual truth based on the false self-[ego]
within the false experience. Individuality has no value in the realm of
ultimate point of view. Therefore,
realization of true self is necessary in order to realize the ultimate truth,
which is free from all the diversity, which is present in the form of
universe. The universe ceases to be real
from the ultimate point of view. The ignorance is the cause of experiencing the
unreality as reality. Therefore truth realization is necessary to unfold the
mystery of the universe, which appears to be real from the physical point of
view.
Universe is
reality on the base of ego, which is the false self. Universe is unreal on the stand point of the
consciousness, which is the true self. Universe is mere mirage from the
ultimate point of view. Man perceives
the world within the universe; therefore his existence is limited to the
universe, which is in the form of mind. Consciousness
is real because it is permanent, but universe, which is in the form of mind,
appears as waking or dream [duality] and disappears as deep sleep is
impermanent [non-duality]. Thus mind is not absolute and eternal like
consciousness itself. People stuck with the reality of the world, so they take
it as real. Once they take their physical existence to be real then they have
accepted the false self as real self and false universe as reality. Thus their judgment is based in the false
self, will keep them within the threshold of duality. Thus the ultimate truth
lies beyond duality.
People take the
universe confronting them as real, the experience of birth, life and death,
which happens within the universe, which they experienced as reality. When the self is not physical but self is
formless, then whatever seen, known, believed, experienced as person within the
universe is falsehood, on the base of the formless self [witness].
The gross
universe is merged into the mental universe in the sense that when it is analyzed,
it is found to exist inseparably in and as the mind alone. All
"spiritual" planes are really mental: those who regard them as
different or higher will remain ignorant.
A Gnani is free
from experiencing the illusion [body + universe] as reality, he is fully aware
of the fact that, his body and his experience of the world as consciousness,
which is ultimate truth.
People who are
incapable to inquire and reason are tending to follow some philosophy without
verification. Therefore the more ignorant they are the easier to get them into
a religious fold. Religion is so strong and popular because it makes no demand
on the intelligent, It simply requires belief in guru and his teachings.
It never strikes
believer to doubt whether his inherited belief system is true. They never use
their reason because they start and conclude that their belief system alone is true, because they never question
the validity of their inherited belief.
For religion one
can interpret texts as he likes, in whatever way that pleases him, he simply
imagine away. The idea of god injected
in the past and inherited by people and they refuse to verify the facts,
because they think it blasphemy even to question their inherited belief
system.
In pursuit of
truth the ultimate truth has to be proved, not assumed. Pundits who take
scriptures for granted are not Gnanis.
Pundits teach
that all is your-self, but none of them can show that this is so, none has analyzed it scientifically, and none can prove it. Rational proof is needed, so
that one arrive at knowing truth i.e. wisdom; punditry is mere dogma,
parrotism, repetition of what they read in scripture. Scriptures are not
yardstick and scriptural truth is not proof.
Pundits take scriptures as authority.
Authoritarianism merely assumes as true what another says, but what has
yet to be proved.
Pundits have to
test truth in this world not in the next world.
There is no proof other than blind belief based on the scriptures,
belief is not truth. So, doctrines are
not the means to realize the ultimate truth. There is no need to follow them.
Doubts and
Confusions arise when seeker finds the scriptures and yoga are inadequate or
useless to quench his spiritual thirst.
Disappointments in religion or yoga or even science imply error or
ignorance.
When serious
seeker reaches a stage with all his baggage of accumulate knowledge, then
uncertainty haunts him. Whether he is
right?" Where is the certainty that he is proceeding on right lines?"
Thus doubts arise and the inquiring spirit comes and impels to search elsewhere
for truth where it will not be possible even to have doubt. The test is
therefore in experience. And only in non-duality, where there are no two to
argue about views or to have difference of opinion can such doubtlessness be
possible. Belief depends upon unstable
bases whereas certainty depends on proof.
Seeker of truth
has to get rid of his doubts through deeper inquiry, analysis and reasoning on
his own, to realize the fact that, the self is not the form but self is
formless. Thus his analysis and reasoning has to be based on the formless not
on the form. By simply go on believing
and accepting whatever said by the punditry will not lead one towards path of
wisdom. All the doubt has to be got rid of "by the sword of Self -
Knowledge." The scriptures, yoga
are not necessary if one follows the inner [formless] path. Religion and yoga are not the means to path
of wisdom.
