Saturday, November 5, 2011

Scriptural scholars are not Gnanis



Scriptural scholars are not Gnanis. Scriptural scholars  strongly believe  scriptures are proof  to decide what is  ultimate truth but it is not so. Orthodox people strongly believe their rituals and code of conduct are the means to  Moksha.
 
Kabir lived in Kashi, a place abounding in scholars. They believed it was enough to read, to accumulate knowledge from books. They were well versed in the Vedas, in the Upanishads and the other scriptures, and  they looked upon Kabir as ignorant, as an  illiterate man. In one sense, you can say Kabir was illiterate. If you consider a scholar as literate, as a well-educated man, then Kabir was definitely illiterate. But of what value is the scholar’s knowledge? A scholar will go on and on about the immortality of the soul, but when death approaches you will find him trembling  and weeping and wailing. All this talk of immortality will crumble into nothingness because he has not known it.. --Osho -The Great Secret, ch. 2.

It is no use to discuss with scriptural scholars  and orthodox who are stuck up with their own framework. by discussing and arguing with them the truth will not reveal.    

 Upanishads  declares:-
  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 Atman 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 Mundaka Upanishad  Upanishads by Nikilanada)

When the Upanishads declares:-

It is attained by him alone whom It chooses. To such a one Atman reveals its own form.  Then what is the use of indulging through our intelligence or our accumulated knowledge, when one is not chosen by the self, which is the soul, which is in the form of consciousness.

There is no need for any philosophy in pursuit of truth because they take the seeker nearer to truth but they create more doubts and confusions.
 
The scriptures and theories and teaching based on the ego are not the yardstick. Using them as yardstick to understand and assimilate the truth will lead one towards pursuit of arguments. Seeker of truth has to discover on his own, the truth of his true existence by inquiring “what is mind?” and “what is substance of the mind?” and move forward.  

The ultimate truth is one without the second, the one is not in the sense half or two, but the one that remain forever One, without the second.  The consciousness is all pervading. There is no place where consciousness is not.

Consciousness is in everyone, consciousness is in everything,  consciousness is one behind many. Consciousness alone is. It means the universe and its contents are the visible form of consciousness. And consciousness in turn is invisible form of the universe, which appears as mind.  

The scriptures are  not the yardstick to judge the ultimate truth. The ultimate  truth has to be  judged without scriptures.  There is scope  for  religion, scriptures, belief of god and yoga  in path of truth or wisdom. seeker has to strive for direct realization without the Aid of scriptures. 

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 page70upanhsds--by Nikilananda)

It means the truth is beyond scriptures and egocentric intelligence.  Thus in order to grasp, assimilate and realize the non-dualistic truth the seeker to employ soulcentric reasoning faculty. 

That is why Sri, Sankara says in commentary in Vedanta sutra that what is accepted without proper enquiry will not lead a person to the final goal. On the contrary, such acceptance will result only in evil, in something which is detrimental to our spiritual progress.

Thus    Seeker of truth should not believe blindly in traditional orthodox non-duality without verifying all the facts from every angle. One has to reflect through reasoning over and over again without getting tired of the process.


For the same reason Ramana Maharishi said:  fortunate are the one who do not lose themselves in the labyrinths of philosophy. Bhagwan says: Take Vedanta, for instance: it speaks of 15 pranas the names and functions of it   which the student is asked to commit memory. Will it not be sufficient if he thought, only one prana does the whole work of maintaining the body? Again the antakaran is said to think, to desire, to will, to reason etc. Why all these details? Has anyone seen antakarana, or all these pranas? Do they really exist? They are 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. (GURU RAMANA .By S.S Cohen -vii Danger of philosophy-Page -58-59)

Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana is based on the formless soul(spirit), the innermost self.  The religion and yoga are based on the form(matter).  thus whatever is based on the matter is not spirituality. Hence there is need to bifurcate spirituality from religion and yoga.

Advaita  refers to non- duality. Dvaita refers to duality.  Non -duality and duality  is not a theory or concept but it is the nurture of the formless  soul, the innermost  self.   the duality is the illusory nature of the soul whereas the non-duality is real nature of the soul or spirit.

 Whatever is based on ego or waking entity is falsehood and  whatever is based on the  formless soul, the innermost self  is ultimate truth or Brahma. The formless  soul is eternal identity which has no birth, life and death, but it is the formless substance and witness of the illusory  experience  of birth, life,death and the world.

The religion is based on the form. Without the form there is no question of religion. The religion accepts the concept of god, and believes the body itself as self, and injects theoretical code of conduct to live in the world, whereas in pursuit of truth, the soul is the true self and body, ego, world, conceptual Gods and scriptures are part of the illusion. 

Orthodoxy is trying to prove the truth on the base of scriptural authorities, whereas in  the truth has to be proved on through soul-centric  reasoning without the help of any scriptures.

 Orthodoxy  holds the caste, religious rites, god and guru glorification, scriptural studies, virtues, good deeds and physical conducts as the means to acquire the Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.  Self-Knowledge  or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana is acquired by the seekers who have  intense urge to know the truth, receptive mind, sharpness to grasp, courage to accept the truth and reject the untruth.