Religion was introduced for the mass mind set, which was unable to grasp higher truth and bereft of the old creed. So for them new religion may be concocted to suit their temperament and capacity. Investigating into the nature of the mind and seeing the whole world in it, mentally and grasping and realizing the fact that, all the diversity is created and sustained by the consciousness and finally dissolves as the consciousness. Therefore, there is no second thing other than the consciousness in the experience of diversity. Thus the unity in diversity is possible only through perfect understanding. The physical journey such as yoga and religion, paths and theories are for those who are incapable of performing the mental journey. Individual happiness is sought by religion, whereas Truth seekers seek universal peace, which is the true nature of the true self. Religion is a means whereby one keeps society within a certain order. Those however who refuse to wait for the next world but want comfort here and now, are likely to follow the atheistism. In the past religion was encouraged by the rich and the rulers because of the fear atheism because it may lead the masses to attack them and to rebel against established order of property and cause unrest in society. The poor are promised better life in the next world. Yet religion is needed for the masses, without it they might arise and rebel and become cause of concern: there would be no settled order, no stable peaceful society. The Rulers of the past with the help of the sages had invented the religion and idea of god and injected and imposed it on people because they can give the people an opiate and keep them better under control. Science has been opening the eyes of the people and exposed many myths of religious claim; that is why religion, with its fables instead of fact, its myth of a next-world heaven instead of making a heaven of this practical world, the some religionists are making the world hell in order to reach the paradise by causing the terror attacks in the name of god and religion. West will gradually follow the path of the east, and imitate the east, and vice versa, which will result in the decay of all religion. The eastern religion like all religions cannot produce enduring good results; only the universal truth can do that. Therefore, universal truth is necessary to eradicate the unrest of the world caused in the name of religion and god. The word "I” used in the eastern scriptures is not the individual me as one imagines, but the soul, which is the true self. Since everyone thinks the ‘I’ is self only the body is not self and base their theory and understanding on base of ‘I’ as self. It is very difficult for them to accept the fact that the ‘I’ itself is not the self. If this is understood the truth pursuit becomes easier. The religion is based on the false self. Therefore there is need to understand realize the true self is not physical bit the true self is consciousness [soul]. The ritual worship of individualized gods and goddesses are only for mental children not for the seekers of truth. Religion renders ethical services to mankind. There is no need to criticize religion, yoga etc. They are helpful in some way for those who are not on the pursuit of truth, but one has to understand the fact that they are no the means to self-realization. "Know the Truth through deeper inquiry, analysis and reasoning, is the only means to acquire non dual wisdom.” The very fact that religions differ proves that each religion is a man made. Many in the West are giving up religion. That is inevitable owing to the decay of religious organizations. But their mistake is to rest satisfied with such negative inner life and not to aspire to something higher than religion after giving it up because their lean towards materialistic life. Religion is a matter which must be left to individual feelings, not to intelligence. Religions keep mass mind set within moral bounds; without their help there would have been no hope for mankind. That is, religions prevent the masses from becoming even more beastly than they already are. The people cannot give up religious ideas in one day. It will have to be a gradual process by making them aware of the universal truth.
The credulous and unintelligent masses must have a religion but those who bestow serious seekers of truth need none.
As per the religion of Hindus the three "Ashrams" or stages in life were originally intended for three grades of intelligence thus:-
Religion: low intellects had to do 'karmas' works, ritual actions, chanting of mantras and indulging in bajans and prayers etc.
Middle intellects: Yoga: taking yellow robes, going to caves, ashrams etc.
High intellects: Philosophy: who wanted truth are concerned with no external rites or sanyas but depend solely on intelligent inquiry for their path. In India, in the past the male birth is regarded as superior because a father of the male child can more easily renounce home and become a Sanyasin than a woman who is tied down by the care of her children.
Non dual wisdom can be attained by any house holder without disturbing his family life and that this path is easier; there is no need to renounce and take Sanyasa, which however is harder. Only it needs no distractions and more concentration. it is better to have been married status and lead the normal pleasures of life, and thus to have learn to evaluate sex at its proper worth instead of hankering always after sex so that the mind may pass on undisturbed and become more receptive to grasp and realize the non-dual truth.
Ashtavakra Gita which says: "For the wise man there is nothing to be renounced." He knows that everything is unreal, hence cannot be given up. Yoga and meditation recommended as a temporary discipline to those who lack self-control. It will act as an antidote, counteract their inherent tendency, but the man who is already sufficiently level-headed and calm needs no such external discipline. In any case yoga/meditation is to be recommended only until the practitioner achieves some degree of self-control after which he may relinquish his old habits.
Yoga and meditation are a temporary discipline and for the training of the mind, for the mind to become achieve external peace, remaining unaffected amid troubles. It has no other purpose. Mystic/yogi who objects to adopt inquiry and reasoning into the quest has an attitude of not allowing anything other than his accepted truth.
The truth is easier without accumulated baggage. Nothing is needed other I than investigating what is mind? What is the substance of the mind? and what is the source of the mind? But people want to argue more than discussion. Arguments leads nowhere but discussion on the subject without mixing anything takes one to the ultimate end. Inner urge to know the truth and patience and humility are must in pursuit of truth. One must have the intense urge to know the truth and ready to drop all the accumulated baggage than only it is possible to assimilate and realize the nondual truth.
There are many schools of thought in Hinduism based on Vedas. These schools of thoughts are add-ons. Therefore, these add-ons have to be bifurcated from original Vedic Religion, to get the pure Vedic essence.
Sri, Sankara said: The world is unreal and Brahman alone is real. It means the birth, life and death, which happens within the world, also is unreal. If birth, life and death are unreal, then the rebirth and reincarnation and Avataric concept has to be unreal. Thus, it is for the seeker to find out, on what standpoint the world becomes unreal, to know the Brahman, which is ultimate truth.
Causality taught in the Upanishads is only to enable us to understand the supreme truth of no-origination. The world is not different from the self and the self is not different from Atman and Atman is not different from Brahman. That the non-dual absolute appears as the diverse world is only an illusion. If it really became diverse then the immortal would become mortal.
The dualists who seek to prove the origination of the unborn, by that very enterprise try to make the immortal, mortal. Ultimate nature can never change - the immortal can never become mortal and vice versa.
Gaudapada quotes from the Upanishads: "There's no plurality here"; "The Soul through its 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 what can produce it?”
Ultimate truth is oneness and the ways to ultimate truth is non-dual wisdom. It grants freedom to individuals and does not command it simply tries to lead them from darkness to light. It reveals that there is one Truth.
The truth is one. It is the eternal truth within the Self. Direct knowledge of Self can be acquired by one through the Self while realizing the Self. Self- realization is the essence of human existence. Where there is unity, one without a second; there is world of non-duality.
One has to seek it as it is the supreme goal of life. 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 nondual truth.
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.
Nothing is real other than consciousness. Noting matters other than realizing the real. The real is hidden within the unreal. The real is within the unreal but it is without the unreal.
The real cannot be argued about, it cannot be theorized, nor can it be discussed and understood. It can only be lived. Consciously Stilled mind is consciousness. When we talk to the religious minded people we should praise, uphold and encourage their belief in religion, but not when we are talking to those who seek truth, because only one person in thousands belongs to the latter group. Until one is ready we should talk the subject what inspires and suits them; but as doubts come to them, instruct we have to them further according to their mental capacity.
Non dual truth is intended only for the few who can understand it. Nevertheless as the common people cannot grasp it, since, they are conditioned to believe yoga or orthodox religion as means of Self-Realization. Only when they seek advice we have to inform them that the yoga and religion are not the highest and there is a higher path to the truth, and not to stop forever in the lower stage which is yoga and religion.
In our everyday life man uses his sense his senses to know about everything around him. Most of his physical knowledge is acquired through the sense of seeing i.e. through physical eyes. The reaming part is through the other sense. The modern science has understood well the limitation of the human senses hence the scientists have developed and are still developing many instruments which are far more capable then the human senses. However there is a side of nature, which is not perceptible to sensory to sensory organs or any scientific instrument. This is the hidden side of the nature. Many references can be found to this hidden side of the nature in almost every religious scripture.
This hidden side of the nature is the soul/Atman which is the true self. Many seers from ancient time have been mentioning that, the knowledge of this true self [truth] set the man free from experiencing the duality as reality. Thus it is necessary to know the knowledge of the true self in order to realize the fact that the entire sensory instrument and the experience are dependent on the soul for their existence. Thus the non-dual truth can be unfolded only when one learns to view and judge the worldview on the base of the soul which is the formless substance and witness of the three states.
The seeker who learns to view and judge the worldview on the base of the soul as self will be able to grasp and realize the non-dual truth. If every human being is able to view and judge the worldview on the base of the soul as self it will certainly revolutionize the life on the earth and free man kind from the wars and terror activities which is going on in the name of god and religion. Therefore, there is need to know the truth of our true existence, to know what is truth and what is untruth, in order to judge himself of what is right and what is wrong.
Man’s understanding is through organs confined to phenomenal world. The physical body and the world are created out of the soul. Thus all the diversity in experience is within the mind which appears and disappears as waking/dream. When the mind remains in its formless non dual true nature it is called soul and we ignorantly identify it as deep sleep state on the base of the ego/physical self. Never talk of non-duality to anyone unless he seeks and wants it, or unless he is bothered with doubts. If one does, he will be looked on as a madman or fool and do no good at all.
Men are divided into three classes of intelligence. Those with lowest are follow religion, those in the intermediate practice yoga, those in the highest are seek truth. Religion and yoga are not bad; but they are not means to acquire non dual wisdom.
For common people religion and yoga it is enough." This is the highest they can practice. But the non-dual truth is for the few who could grasp it.
One must realize and note the different distinctions among men. There are religionists who practice rituals/ rites, the Pundits who interpret scriptures, and mysticisms, and yogis who practice meditations/Samadhi, lastly seekers of truth inquire and reason on the true base to acquire the highest truth.
There are different grades of intelligence among people as they rise in the scale. Different mind-sets attracted to different past and practice. People are divided into three grades of intelligence, high, middling and low. Religion is prescribed for the lowest; they are there and not to be condemned, but people with wisdom must respect because they are like children, not knowing better.
The man of truth is the one who can think for himself, he has the right to think; whereas the lowest regards questioning as blasphemous and dangerous to religion.
The non-dual truth can’t be grasped people, because they cannot understand it, even though they are intellectuals, and they will only misunderstand it because of their grooming. They cannot rise higher because they are trying to assimilate with their misinterpretation, but they have the conceit that they know better because they have well read. To study non duality is impossible if one is unready. It cannot be studied like other subject because it is knowledge of the beyond has to be grasped mentally.
As long as there is ‘I’ or mind there is duality. But the ‘I’ or mind won’t go away. Until one investigates what is ‘I’ or mind and realize what it is and what it is not, it is impossible to unfold the mystery of the mind/duality.
The duality exits only in waking or dream and there is non-duality in deep sleep. The three states will not cease whether one realizes the truth but one becomes conscious of the fact that, the duality mere illusion and non-duality is reality. All the three states are one in essence. The essence is consciousness. By becoming aware of the fact that, the consciousness is everything the duality ceases.
The men and world which is part and parcel of the waking or dream is not created by man do not belong to him and conversely he do not belong to them either, because everything belongs to the soul/self, since all the three states are erupted from the soul, which is in the form of consciousness and they consciousness itself. Thus the form, time and space are mere illusory division within the consciousness.
All divisions are mere illusory. Freedom is realizing the fact that that the substantive of all is the consciousness is the true self. The unreal nature of the mind, which appears as waking or dream disappears as deep sleep can be understood and assimilated only when one realizes the fact that, the consciousness is the true self.
People are in different levels of understanding. For those who are able to grasp highest reality. Have to encourage the less evolved by saying they will grasp it in due course as their understanding matures, until then they have to constantly reflect on F.P Blogs repetitively.''
A child cannot appear for the university examination without passing required school and college education. Similarly a novice first has to be aware of the fact that, what he is seeking. He must study carefully F.P Blogs until their understanding is right enough and he has become receptive and able to grasp the non-dual truth.
Pursuit of truth is only for those people are mentally suited for it, and serious seekers have to make sure of the fact that, religion or yoga is not the means to acquire non dual wisdom.
If a person wants merely to get on in life, then religion is good for him; if he wants peace then yoga is good for him; if he wants non dual truth then he is fit for pursuit of truth.
Seeker of truth should not argue with the critics because they will only injure them through hatred. They must remain in silent mode in the company of such mind-sets. It is not possible change the attitude of people suddenly; it is very difficult mystically inclined people to accept anything else then their accepted truth.
The novice has to be made to read F.P Blogs. They will be able to grasp it depending on the stages of their maturity. If they lack to grasp the truth, and not receptive to Self-Knowledge, then nothing, can be done for them, as they are unfit to indulge in pursuit of truth.
One must ascend to Truth by stages, through which the physical mind must pass. To stop at the stage of meditation and yoga is to end in mysticism, not in truth. It is often useless to reveal truth to religious mystics. Often they will not listen, but often because they cannot understand. Only the ripening of the understanding will fit them to appreciate the final viewpoint which is that unless one studies and interprets the whole one cannot enter into the fullness of truth. One has to progress beyond religion and beyond science; by using reason then only achieves non-dual wisdom.
Millions of people still in a primitive stage of mentality, they talk of a soul leaving the body at death, when a civilized man knows that nobody has ever seen this soul.
All the three states have to be resolutely weighed, and accurately, observed in pursuit of truth. One must inquire:-
What is this world?
What is “I”?
Hence inquiry, analysis and reasoning are a necessary foundation. Hence too, the Yogi who looks only inside and ignores the world throws away part of the materials needed to find truth.
Without knowing the nature of the world, it is impossible to know truth. What is the use of trying to find one’s inner self before he understands the world, which confronts him also is consciousness.
If one does not make his induction from facts from the world before him, the mental world, he is only drawing on his imaginations. Then he speculates “The Atman is like this, or like that." but it will be only his mental construction.
First one must inquire into the nature of the body i.e. matter. Second he must inquire into the nature of the mind, which is in the form of the universe. One has to realize by looking at everything in nature because in everything there is consciousness. One should not avoid them, he should not shut his eyes to Nature; he should not shut himself away from the world which is as much consciousness, as anything else.
But those who are ignorant tell one to be non-observant and to withdraw: keen powers of observation are desirable and will help, not hinder one’s pursuit of truth. One has to take experiences as they come to him and he should not run away from the world in ascetic fear or shyness of them.
To say they are illusion without first examining them and inquiring into them thoroughly is to delude oneself. This world is common to everyone; therefore one must begin his inquiry with it and not avoid. It is only after he has inquired into the nature of the objective universe, that he should inquire into who is the knower. If, however he inquiries into the knower before the inquiry into the universe, then it is mere mysticism. “What is this universe?” must precede “What is’ I”?” in pursuit of truth.
In the witness state the consciousness is aware of both conscious and unconscious. But in waking or dream it is unconscious of its true nature and conscious of the individuality which perceives the world. In deep sleep it is without the individuality and the world. There is no burden and bondage in deep sleep. There is gravity in deep sleep. It is unconsciously complete un- connectedness to the world. Becoming consciously un-connectedness to the world in the midst of waking experience is the witness state. To achieve this one has to drop all accumulate dross based on the ego as self.
This witness states is the state of Brahman/Buddha/Christ which is free from all the burden and bondage of the world or illusion. It is free from the illusory birth, life, death and the world. It is free from the illusory pain and pleasure. It is free from illusory duality because a Gnani is fully aware all the three states are one in essence in the midst of experience of diversity. the non duality is not an individual experience because formless self is not an individual and it is prior to any experience and it is the cause of any experience and it itself is uncaused.
