Till one knows What is this 'I AM in this physical existence it is difficult
to assimilate the Prabrhman[I AM THAT] ,which Sri Nisargadutta Maharaj referring
to. WHO AM 'I' or I AM THAT' are stages, Seeker has to go much beyond that. Only after deeper pounding with 'WHO AM 'I' AND ' I AM THAT seeker finds
the journey is incomplete and he has to pound still deeper in his
self-search. Sri, Ramana Maharshi, Sri,Nisargadutta Maharaj and Sri
Meher Baba are spiritual icons of seeking world. Thus seeker has to do his own homework, until he reaches the inner destination shown by
the great masters.
Sri Ramana Maharshi said:-"Jnana is given
neither from outside nor from another person. It can be realized by each
and every one in his own Heart. The jnana Guru of everyone is only the
Supreme Self that is always revealing its own truth in every Heart
through the being-consciousness 'I am, I am.' The granting of true
knowledge by him is initiation into jnana. The grace of the Guru is only
that Self-awareness that is one's own true nature. It is the inner
consciousness by which he is unceasingly revealing his existence. This
divine upadesa is always going on naturally in everyone."
The
‘I’ or ‘I AM’ is intoxication of illusion. Until and unless one comes
out of this intoxication the self-realization is impossible. It is not ‘I
AM THAT’ it is ‘SELF IS THAT’ because ‘I’ or ‘I AM’ is not the self.
“I
“or “I AM” is not the true self. “ I” or “I AM” is mere illusion. The
self is not “I” or “I AM” but the self is the formless witness or knower
of “I” or “I AM”. Clinging to “I” or “I AM” as self leads to
hallucination.
People are not ready to investigate and verify
deeply to know the facts. They sentimentally involve with the teacher
and teaching and get stuck. They think they are self-realized because
they know “I AM THAT”.
Mind is consciousness, and consciousness is mind . The three states are absorbed in the consciousness.
Even the Vedas indicate that the Self is consciousness:-
v Tat tvam asi: -Thou art That (Sam Veda). “Self is that”
v Prajnanam Brahma: - Consciousness is ultimate reality (Rig Veda).
v Ayam Aatma Brahma: -The Self is ultimate truth (Atharva Veda).
v Aham Brahma Asmi: -Self is ultimate reality (Yajur veda).
People
have the notion that more and more they gratify their senses for
attaining worldly pleasures, the happier they will be is not true at
all, because they think the physical self is real self, therefore they
are unaware of the fact that the self not physical but formless
consciousness. The consciousness can stay with or without the mind/’I’.
It is the illusory sense-pleasure that is responsible for the
forgetfulness of the Self, which is in the form of consciousness, which
result in one’s sorrows and sufferings.
Suffering is the reminder
to search for the remedy to overcome the suffering caused by the
ignorance of the true self. Pleasure is the cause of ignorance .but if
the real self is realized, and then, illusion will not prevails as
reality.
Why do mortals then become attached to worldly pleasures in the first place? It
is the illusion that allures one to enjoy the mundane objects in a
futile effort of satisfying the unceasing demands of his senses within
the waking or dream. A person within the illusion becomes intoxicated of
lust, greed, anger, attachment, false ego, enviousness, stubborn
mindedness, and their numerous variations within the illusion.
Consequently, the individual self gets caught in the illusory cycle of
birth, old age, disease, and death within the illusion. This is
illusion, by which the consciousness is forgotten; emotional attachment
and love of duality is born.
The ignorance of the true self is
cause of duality. The duality is cause of illusion. The illusion is the
cause of experiencing unreality as reality.
Because of this
pluralistic phenomena of illusory -vision, the material happiness
appears to be followed by sorrow. If there is laughter, there is a cry;
if there is a birth, there is a death; if there is a rich, there is a
poor; so on and so forth.
Everything in the waking or dream
experience is in the state of constant flux; there can be found no
everlasting happiness. The ego is in the control of evil passions, evil
intent, and duality.
Everyone wishes for happiness, pleasures,
joy, peace, etc. and none asks for suffering, misery, etc. But in the
wake of pleasure, there comes suffering. The pleasure and pain co-exists
within the illusion. People do not understand this. Therefore, there
is necessary to realize the fact that mind, which appears as waking or
dream is mere illusion.
The individual self is not real, is not
accepted by many. The non dual wisdom is based not on the individual
self [ego]. Until people hold the ‘I’ [ego] as witness, they will not
reach the ultimate understanding.
When Upanishad itself
declares:- sarvam khalvidam brahma - all this (universe) is verily
Brahman. By following back all of the relative appearances in the world,
we eventually return to that from which it is all manifest – the
non-dual reality [ Chandogya Upanishad].
Then it is no use
going roundabout way, trace the Brahman which is the formless substance
and witness of the universe, which is in the form of mind. By tracing
the source of the mind or universe one will be able to realize the
Brahman.
The true Self is not perceptible to the senses. It is
perceived by Reason. It is not perceptible as a thing with form and
attributes. To those whose attention is fixed on the body and the world,
it is very difficult to attain Self-knowledge. It is also very
difficult for them to see the consciousness as self. The attention
towards the universe [mind] should be lessened by realizing the self is
not the body. The attention has to be focused on the formless substance
and witness of the universe [mind] should be increased. So long as the
attention is directed towards the universe, the experience of birth,
life and death will prevail as reality. But when the attention is
directed towards the formless witness, the ignorance vanishes and sense
of duality will disappear. Then there is unity in diversity.
What
is the state of the ego or physical self when it has realized that the
self is not the body? Such souls have attained their pristine condition.
“Self” is not visible to the physical eyes. “Self” is not to be found
in the world as a thing, entity or an object. Self is above these, has
neither beginning nor ending.
A visible object has a beginning
and an ending. Since Atman, which is in the form of consciousness is
invisible to the physical eye; Atman or consciousness is without
beginning and ending. Atman is always constant. Just as space is
homogeneous everywhere, so is the Atman the same everywhere.
By
becoming more and more intellectual one becomes more and more
intoxicated to individuality. The intellectuality is limited to duality.
In realm of truth the intellectuality is replaced by non-dual wisdom.
There is nothing exist other than formless non dual existence.
Therefore, there is no individual to become sane or insane. There is no
second thing exists, other than consciousness. Everything is one, that
is, unity in diversity. The curiosity, urge cannot be imposed on others.
it has to sprout within. One need not become holy Shepard because the
holy Shepard is within in to guide every seeker. Until one is aiming to
be a master, Guru or teacher, he will never reach his destination. One
has to share his knowledge with the fellow seeker not to make them his
followers but only direct them if they are interested to travel beyond
form, time and space. It is foolish to impose our idea on others
because everyone is not in same level of understanding. Every one's
inner work is on. When they are ripe enough they will understand,
assimilate and realize on their own. If they are ready and sharp enough
they will grasp it instantly and they will reach their destination with
lesser time and effort. Thus preaching, teaching is not wisdom, but by
very careful reasoning, seeker has to determine the nature of reality.
Thinking in right direction alone helps seeker determining the nature of
reality.
The sugar cannot know itself its sweetness. The true
self without ignorance is without the experience of duality or illusion.
Thus one has to base on the sugar not on its sweetness. Without the
sugar there is no sweetness. Similarly without the consciousness, the
three states cease to exist as reality.
Seeker of truth is in the
in the quest of the knowledge of ever being conscious of eternality
of one self , and understanding, assimilating and realizing it
inextricably linked to the what constitute bondage and liberation.
Non-attachment
for the three states is freedom or liberation from experiencing the
illusory birth, life, death and world as reality. Love for practical
life within the practical world is bondage.
By deeper thinking
and realizing the self is not the form but self is formless
consciousness and mentally shifting the attention from the objectified
subject to the formless subject ,which is consciousness the inner most
self. By realizing the formless consciousness as the inner most self,
one realizes the consciousness alone exists the three states are mere
mirage created out of consciousness. Thus the three states are unreal
created out of consciousness, which alone is real.
The one
who discriminates between the Real and the unreal, whose focus of
attention is turned away from the illusory physical existence, who
possesses calmness and who is longing for freedom from experiencing the
illusion as reality, is alone considered qualified to take path of
reason.
People who are yearning for spiritual truth will not find it
through intellectual speculation and assumption. Intellectual truth is
individual truth. Love implies duality and love is individual feelings
within the falsehood. Love is necessary and valuable in the stated of
ignorance but it is not the means to acquire wisdom. Love is religious
tool to lead life in practical world. And Religious truth is individual
truth and it is not universal truth because the religion is based on
individuality.
It becomes difficult for the orthodox cult to
accept anything else as truth other than their accepted belief, which
they hold as truth. Although all religious followers are participants
alike in the spiritual endeavour of the world, overzealous followers
of each religion are not prepared to accord equal status to other faiths
and assert the superiority of their own. Thus universal brother hood is
total impossibility because it is difficult to accept anything other
than their inherited belief system.
Most of the pundits
are egoic and they try to snub others who question them. They think
they are unquestionable authority. They quote the citation from the
scripters as proof without verifying the validity. All punditry is a
great obstacle in realizing the Advaitic truth expounded by the Sri,
Sankara and Goudapada.
One finds lots of differences between
Adavita preaching and practice. There is need to bifurcate religion,
concept of god and scriptures from Adavitic philosophy to assimilate the
essence of Adavita.
Sri, Sankara says in Brahma Sutras: that
Brahman is the cause of the world, whereas in Mandukya he denies it.
This is because he says that at the lower stage of understanding, the
former teaching must be given, for people will get frightened as they
cannot understand how the world can be without a cause, but to those in a
higher stage, the truth of non-causality can be revealed.
Sri,
Sankara himself has warned us not to use ambiguous words, and to
practice semantic analysis in his book "Definition of one's own Self. ["
Page 199, v.24 of "Sankara's Selected Works]
Sri, Sankara
founded his Advaita Vedanta either on reason independent of sruti or on
sruti confirmed by reason." Sri, Sankara's commentary on the Mandukya
Upanishad, II, 1: This [the unreality of duality] is borne out by the
Srutis ... But it is possible also to show the unreality of the object
world even from pure reasoning, and this second chapter is undertaken
for that purpose.
Sri, Sankara himself had often said that his
philosophy was based on Sruti, or revealed scripture. This may be
because Sri, Sankara addressed the ordinary man, who finds security in
the idea of causality and thus in the idea of God—and Revelation is
indispensable to prove the latter. He believed that those of superior
intelligence, have no need of this idea of divine causality, and can
therefore dispense with Sruti and arrive at the truth of Non-Dualism by
pure reason.
Nonduality does not need the support of any
Scripture or Revelation like the Veda. For it is based, not upon the
varying theological fancies, which are as numerous as the sands of the
sea, but upon reason, the common heritage of all mankind, irrespective
of colour or creed or clime.
When Upanishad itself declares:-
sarvam khalvidam brahma - all this (universe) is verily Brahman. By
following back all of the relative appearances in the world, we
eventually return to that from which it is all manifest – the non-dual
reality [ Chandogya Upanishad].
Then it is no use going
roundabout way, trace the Brahman which is the formless substance and
witness of the universe, which is in the form of mind. By tracing the
source of the mind or universe one will be able to realize the Brahman.
Thus,
self-knowledge is meant only for those who have intense urge, and
courage to accept the truth with humility and reject the untruth. Since
people start comparing with their scriptural knowledge, it becomes
impossible to assimilate and realize the non-dual truth. Therefore,
there is no need to convince anyone other than our own-selves to get the
firm conviction.
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.
So they clearly indicate rituals and theories are not meant for those who are searching for the higher knowledge or wisdom.
All
the orthodox Advaitins indulge and immersed themselves in ritualistic
oriented life style and preach theoretical philosophies which are
obstacle in realizing the Advaitic truth. Many chose these orthodox
scholars as their gurus. But these gurus are good to learn the
conceptual Advaita meant for those orthodox who believe their conduct
oriented life style leads to liberation. But those who are seeking
truth have to do their own homework in order to acquire self-knowledge.
That is why in Ish Upanishads declares :-
Vidya
and Avidya both are hindrances to Self-knowledge, but Vidya is even
worse than Avidya. The word Vidya is used here in a special sense; here
it means worshipping gods and goddesses. By worshipping gods and
goddesses you will go after death to the world of gods and goddesses.
But will that help you? The time you spend there is wasted, because if
you were not there you could have spent that time moving forward towards
Self-knowledge, which is your goal. In the world of gods and goddesses
you cannot do that, and thus you go deeper and deeper into darkness.
Avidya
is Karma and therefore a hindrance. You perform Avidya - i.e., you
perform Agnihotra and other sacrifices. This is a roundabout way of
purifying the mind, and it is also groping in the dark. But it may not
have as heavy a toll on your time and energy as the other.
Therefore,
self-realization is necessary in order to realize the ultimate truth or
god. Self-realization is real God realization.
People are
ignorant and they are unaware of the reality of their true existence.
Man and his experience of universe is simply a mirage created out of
the consciousness, Consciousness is the real Self, the real Atman, is
the reality.
That is why in Mundaka Upanishad indicates: - The
rituals and the sacrifices described in the Vedas deal with lower
knowledge. The sages ignored these rituals and went in search of higher
knowledge. ... Such rituals are unsafe rafts for crossing The sea of
samsara, of birth and death. Doomed to shipwreck are those who try to
cross The sea of samsara on these poor rafts. Ignorant of their own
ignorance, yet wise In their own esteem, these deluded men Proud of
their vain learning go round and round Like the blind led by the blind.
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.
Ramana Maharishi indicated the direct path to the truth,
is the source from which the false arises. Thus the source is the soul or Atman, which is the true 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.
One has to bifurcate the
physicalized Adavaita [religious add-ons] which is meant for the mass
mind set, who are incapable inquire to verifying their inherited
beliefs. But for the seekers truth, to get the pure essence of
non-duality which is based on the formless soul. The path of inquiry,
analysis and reasoning on the true base, leads one towards the non-dual
destination. Therefore, there is need to rectify the seeking base from
ego base to soul base to understand, assimilate and realize the nondual
truth.
Even Ramana Maharishi also says: this self –inquiry is not
the critical study of the scriptures. When the source is reached the
ego gets merged into it. The result of self-inquiry is the cure for all
the sorrows. It is the highest of all the results. There is nothing
greater then it. It only indicates there is no necessity to study the
scriptures to acquire self-knowledge. [Page-66-practicle guide to know
yourself c/e by A.R.N].
Ramana Maharishi says:-
Q by D:- Is
not necessary to study the Vedas or at least the Prasthanatraya [the
Bhagavad Gita,Dasopanishad and Brahma Sutras, all with commentaries]to
ensure firm realization?
Ramana Maharishi:-No. Do you need all
that to see yourself? All that is intellectual wealth, useful in explain
doubts and difficulties if others rise them or if you yourself
encounter them in the course of thinking. But to attain realization, all
that is not necessary. You want fresh water to drink, but you do not
require all the water of the river Ganges to quench your thirst. [Page
111/112 of Practical guide to know yourself c/e by A.R.N].
This surely indicates Sri, Ramana Maharishi’s path is independent path nothing to with the religion and scriptures.
Even Upanishad say:-
This Atman cannot be attained by the study of the Vedas, or by
intelligence, or by much hearing of sacred books. It is attained by him
alone whom It chooses. To such a one Ataman reveals Its own form. [Katha
Upanishad Ch-II -23-P-20]
Mundaka Upanishad :-
This Atman
cannot be attained through study of the Vedas, nor through intelligence,
nor through much learning. He who chooses Atman—by him alone is Atman
attained. It is Atman that reveals to the seeker Its true nature. [
3 –page-70]
The scriptures indicate that Atman is Brahman, and
Brahman is ultimate truth. Therefore the soul, which is in the form of
consciousness, is ultimate truth. Thus to realize the ultimate truth is
the prime goal. A well-directed inquiry, analysis and reasoning will
lead one to his non-dual destination.
Self-Realization is direct
realization of the ultimate truth or real god, in contrast with
traditional paths, which are indirect. And the other paths cannot lead
to the ultimate destination because they are based on the false self,
which they hold as real self and false experience as reality.
Until
and unless one overcomes physical shackle it is impossible to
understand and assimilate the nondual truth, which is beyond the
physical existence or the universe. Consciousness itself is lord of
itself though not of the universe. And having nothing it has all.
Gaudapada
quotes from the Upanishads:- "There's no plurality here"; "The Lord
[Atman] through his powers appears to be many"; "those who are attached
to creation or production or origination go to utter darkness"; "the
unborn is never reborn, for who can produce him [Atman]?”
It is
only who base on ‘I’ or ‘I AM’ as self, argue and quarrel amongst
themselves. The people who are fully aware of the fact that, the form,
time and space are mere mirage created out of consciousness have no
reason to quarrel, because for them everything is consciousness and no
second thing exist other than consciousness.
2
The one who
discriminates between the Real and the unreal, whose focus of attention
is turned away from the illusory physical existence, who possesses
calmness and who is longing for freedom from experiencing the illusion
as reality, is alone considered qualified to take path of reason.
Enumerated
discrimination between the Real and the unreal yearning for freedom . A
firm conviction to the effect that the soul, which is in the form of
consciousness, is real and the mind, which is in the form of universe is
unreal, is designated as discrimination between the Real and the
unreal.
The ‘I’ or ‘I Am’ are mere words. The reality is beyond
thoughts and words. The words have meaning in duality. Duality exists
until mind exists. Mind exists where there is division of form, time and
space. If there is no division of form, time and space, than there is
no mind. Words are used as a tool to name individual objects and
feelings within the duality. The words become meaningless when one
becomes aware of the formless substance of the mind, which is
consciousness. Consciousness is our inner most self. From the standpoint
of our inner most self, the mind is mere mirage.
If mind is mere
mirage then the form, time and space are mere mirage. If form, time and
space are mere mirage than the thoughts and words which rises within
the scope of form, time and space are also part and parcel of that
mirage. Thus body, ego, words, thoughts, and whatever the contents of
the universe are within the mirage created out of single stuff that is
consciousness. Thus it is necessary to know 'What is mind?' and 'What is
the substance of the mind?' and 'What is the source of the mind?', in
order to realize the words are meaningless in the realm of truth.
Deeper
self-search revels the fact that, the ‘I’ is not the self. ‘I’ is in
the form of mind. Mind is in the form of universe. And universe appears
as waking or dream and disappears as deep sleep. The formless substance
and witness of the three states which is formless consciousness is the
true self.
If the self is form [I or waking or dream] than the
evolution theory holds water. If the self is formless [soul] than all
the theories based on the form is of no value. Until one thinks 'I' or I
AM' as self all these theories cannot transport anyone beyond form,
time and space. The theory of evolution is based on individuality,
whereas the self, pervades in everything and everywhere in the universe.
Individuality is reality within the falsehood. Thus all the theory
based on individuality is bound to be falsehood. Thus our judgment and
reason and conclusion has to be based on formless self not on the
form[I] as self to realize Illusion is where one is bound to:
Freedom
is becoming free from experiencing the illusion or duality as reality
by realizing the fact that, the self is not the form but self is
formless. It is possible to realize this without realizing the fact
that, the individual self or ego is reality within the false experience.
Thus all the knowledge accumulated by judging on the base of false
self, is false knowledge.
The ‘I’ or ‘I AM’ is physical prison.
If ‘I’ is not the physical body, what is it?
Since
the sense of ‘I’ is present only when the mind is present and it
disappears along with mind. The seeker will come to conclusion after
thoroughly verifying this fact through inquiry, analysis and reasoning
and then come to firm conviction that ‘I’ is mind.
If ‘I’ is mind and mind is universe and universe appears as waking or dream are one and the same thing.
It
is wrong to identify the self as he or she because it refers to
physicality. The self is genderless because it is formless. Identifying
“Self” as he or she, leads to all sorts’ of doubts and confusion. When
the self is identified as he or she it becomes physical self /ego.
When
the ego is not the self, it is erroneous to judge the truth on the base
of ego/physical self and come to some conclusion of finality on the
physical base is erroneous because the truth is prior appearance of the
physical existence. Thus, the truth has to be judged on the ultimate
point of view, not on the base of what appeared later on.
Man has
been conditioned to think and be and behave and believe and live as an
individual separate from the world. Therefore, the self has been
identified with physical body with the name within the waking
experience.
The ‘mind’ is the Waking or dream experience. The
Waking or dream is not the experience of the physical body but of the
Soul/Self. The man and his world are within the mind; therefore mind is
not within the brain. This has to be understood to assimilate the
self-knowledge. Without understanding this fact the assimilation is
impossibility.
The nature of the Self is formless non-dual.
The nature of the mind is duality or diversity. The self is the formless
substance of the mind /duality /diversity. Therefore, the whole
experience of the diversity created out of single stuff. Therefore,
there is no division in ultimate standpoint is the self, which in the
form of consciousness. Viewing the worldview on the base of the physical
self is the cause of division and separation.
When the
seekers become aware of the fact that the true self is not physical but
the soul, he becomes aware of the fact that the mind is mere illusion.
The one who is ignorant of the true self experiences the duality as
reality.
A person perceives the world within the mind. Absent of mind is absent of waking or dream. Thus waking or dream is mind.
One
thinks he is an individual separate from the world within the mind. He
is unaware of the fact that the mind is not within his brain, but he and
his experience of the world are within the mind. Thus, he thinks he is
born in this world and world existed prior to him. Thus this conviction
makes him believe the birth, life and death as reality. Until this
conviction is thee he will views and judges the worldview on the
physical base, which is the cause of ignorance of the fact that, the
true self is the soul.
This ignorance of the true self is the
main hurdle in pursuit of truth. Therefore, it is very much necessary to
rectify the seeking base from physical [form] to spirit [formless]
before proceeding further in pursuit of truth.
If the seeking
base is not rectified it will lead one towards hallucination. When the
mind itself is myth then the man and his experience of the world is
bound to be myth. Therefore perfect understanding of the mind will help
one to unfold the mystery of the mind. It is impossible to unfold the
truth on the base of false self within the false experience, because the
truth is prior to the appearance of the falsehood. And falsehood
creates ignorance.
Seeker has to burn down the ignorance by
rectifying the base of reasoning by realizing the fact that self is not
physical but it is the formless consciousness.
THE ‘I’ OR ‘I AM’
IS CAUSE OF THE IN IGNORANCE. Thus one has to get rid of the ignorance
by overcoming the intoxication of ‘I’ or I AM which intoxication stuff
in pursuit of truth is.
That is why Sri, Sankara says in VivekaChudamani :-
