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 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.
In a dream one sees the whole variety of individual,. These entities, which are within the dream, do not exist apart from the witness of the dream. Likewise, the dream is an object to the formless witness ,which is consciousness,the innermost self.
Likewise the waking experience is also an object to the formless witness,which is consciousness .
The waking man, wandering about in all the ten directions in his waking experience, sees the whole the variety of individuals are within the dream. Similarly there is variety of individual in the waking world. The waking also disappears as dream. The witness of the three states is within but apart from the three states. It is within because it is the formless clay of the three states and it is apart as the formless witness of the three states, it is apart because it is not an entity or identity within the waking or dream.
The waking or dream cannot exist independently without the formless witness/true self. There is no evidence of the existence of the one without the other; they are cognized only through each other.
sunthosh-formlesspath.blogspot.com
FORMLESS PATH: People think visiting gurus, saints and sages and yogis and indulging in god and gurusunthosh-formlesspath.blogspot.com
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 self/Atman.
Gnani knows all and understands all and fully aware of the fact that, the experiences of the three states belongs to Atman alone. He assumes as the experiences of the three states [duality and non-duality]. Atman dwells in the three states as its formless clay. By the knowledge of that formless clay which shines as the blissful and immortal Atman, the Gnani behold Atman the true self fully in all things.
Gnani who is in tranquility of non-dual Atman, who lives as a householder or commoner and never poses himself as man of knowledge, but helps and guides the serious seeker as a fellow seeker by inspiring them until they reach their non-dual destination.
People, immersed in ignorance in various ways, flatter themselves, saying: We have accomplished life's mission. Because these performers of karma do not know the non-dual Truth owing to their attachment, they will never be able to cross the ocean of duality or cycle of birth, life and death.
People regarding religious rituals, god glorification and sacrifices and humanitarian works as the highest, do not know any higher good. By expecting reward for their good deeds they remain in the clutches of duality and fully ignorant about the true self or Atman.
Only through Higher Knowledge the Imperishable Atman is attained. By means of the Higher Knowledge the one beholds in everything and everywhere Atman, which otherwise cannot be seen or seized, which has no root or attributes, no eyes or ears, no hands or feet; which is eternal and omnipresent, all—pervading and extremely subtle; which is imperishable and the source of three states.
Ignorant, dwelling in ignorance, but wise in their own conceit and puffed up with vain scholarship, wander about, being afflicted by many ills, like blind led by the blind.
By the knowing of Atman the three states becomes known. Thus the formless knower of the three states is Atman. Until one becomes aware of the fact that the soul is the true self, he is bound to believe that the body is the knower and views and judges the worldview on the standpoint of body [I] as self, thus remain ignorant of the fact that the soul/Atman is the true self.
If one thinks: "I know Atman well," then surely he knows but little of its form; he knows only its form as conditioned by man or by the concept of gods. Therefore Atman has to be grasped through inquiry, analysis and reasoning on the true base.
Atman is not known by those who know it; it is known by those who do not know it. That is when one says he knows Atman; he is saying it as a person. The Atman cannot be applied only to the individuality but to the whole experience [three states]. But in reality the person and world created out of Atman, thus nothing exits other than Atman. Thus if one says he knows Atman as a person, he is making a wrong statement. One must know Atman as the formless clay of the three states [whole].
Atman is known when it is realized in every state of mind; for by such Knowledge one attains Immortality. By Atman one obtains strength; by Knowledge, Immortality
If a man knows Atman here, he then attains the non-dual goal of his mission. If he does not know it here, he remains ignorance experiencing the cycle of birth, life and death as reality. Having realized the Self in every being, the wise relinquish the world and become immortal.
That is why Sri Sankara, indicated 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 innermost self or consciousness or Atman, when identifies with the body and dwelling in it by experiencing the duality as reality. If it is mentally torn away from the body and its experience, is freed from it, what then remains? Whatever prevails is non-dual Atman.
The Atman or consciousness , which remains awake while the sense—organs are asleep, shaping one lovely form after another that indeed is the Pure, that is Atman and that alone is called the Immortal. All three states are contained in Atman and none can pass beyond.
He who knows the soul as true self, the formless experiencer of the three states, as Atman, free from experiencing the past ,present and the future as reality.
Atman is undistorted Consciousness. He who meditates on Atman is free from experiencing the pain and pleasure as reality, liberated from the bonds of ignorance; he becomes free from experiencing the diversity as reality.
Having realized Atman, which is soundless, intangible, formless, undecaying and likewise tasteless, eternal and odourless; having realized That which is without beginning and end, beyond the Great and unchanging—one is freed from experiencing the duality as reality.
It is through Atman that one perceives all objects in sleep or in the waking state. Having realized the vast, all—pervading Atman, one enters into non dual tranquility.
The serious seeker should merge his speech in his mind and his mind in his intellect by understanding the fact that all his experiences are created out of Atman/spirit.
Seeker has to arise! awake and learn to know the fact that the experience of duality [waking/dream] is created out of Atman, without understanding this fact , there is no unity in diversity. The path of truth is Like the sharp edge of a razor, so it is hard to tread and difficult to cross without perfect understanding.
Atman is in the form of consciousness. Atman is the innermost self. Atman the true Self is hidden and pervades in everything and everywhere in the three states as their formless substance and witness; but it is seen by Gnanis through their one—pointed and subtle intellects.
Gnani, having realized Ataman as dwelling within impermanent states is bodiless, pervades all the three states as its formless substance and witness and permanent and eternal.
Self-knowledge cannot be acquired by the study of the scriptures, 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.
He who has not rectified his seeking base from the ‘I’[form] base to soul[formless] base , who does not have the intense urge to know the non dual truth and who is not tranquil and subdued and whose mind is not receptive , cannot acquire Self-Knowledge . It is realized only through inquiry, analysis and reasoning on the true base.
Gnani, by means of concentration on the true Self, realizes that ancient, effulgent hidden and which dwells and pervades in everything and everywhere in all the three states as its formless substance and witness.
The knowing the true Self is not born; It does not die. It has not sprung from anything; nothing has sprung from It. Birthless, eternal, everlasting and ancient, it is not killed when the body is killed or when the world disappears. If the murderer thinks he kills and if the killed man thinks he is killed, neither of these apprehends aright. The Self kills not, nor is it killed.
Atman exists in smaller than the small, greater than the great, and is hidden in the three states as its formless substance and witness. A man who is free from viewing and judging the worldview on the base of ‘I’ beholds the Self through tranquility and becomes free from experiencing the duality as reality.
Self- Knowledge cannot be attained by reasoning based on the ‘I’ [physical based]. Atman becomes easy of comprehension, when taught by another. One has to attain self- Knowledge right now in this very life not in next world or next life.
People are not aware of the fact that there is no God can exist, apart from Atman the innermost self. Ataman is in the form of consciousness. If there is no self or Atman or consciousness, then there is no body, world and their belief of god.
People think that there must be a creator of this universe. If one thinks body or ego as self, then there is a creator, but if one thinks the soul as the true Self, then there is nothing exists other than the consciousness or Atman.
If one objectifies and sees a universe, then he is bound to see many things beside himself and postulate a God, the creator. Body, God and world rise and set together from, and into, the consciousness or Atman. If God is apart from the Self or consciousness or Atman, then He would be Self-less, that is, outside existence, that is, non-existent.
Many people know that the pleasures of this world are useless and even painful, yet they long for them. The only way to end this longing is to become aware of the truth of their true existence, and realize the physical existence is mere illusion then only all attachments to the physical existence will gradually drop away.
If one waits till all desires disappear to start his pursuit of truth, he will remain ignorant and become one with the truth unconsciously when the duality melts way on its own [death].
__.As per Shri Ramana you can be the self in the midst of activity too. He says "When women walk with water pots on their heads and chat with their companions they remain very careful, their thoughts concentrated on the loads of their heads. Similarly when a sage engages in activities, these do not disturb him because his mind abides in Brahman."_,_._
Sankara was criticised for his views on maya [illusion] without understanding him. He said that (1) Brahman [the Self] is real (2) the universe is unreal, and (3) Brahman is the universe. He did not stop at the second because the third explains the other two. It signifies that the universe is real if perceived as the ‘Self’ and unreal if perceived as apart from the Self. Hence maya or illusion and reality are one and the same. because illusion has no value from ultimate standpoint because everything is consciousness
The realists criticize the concept of illusion without understanding it. He said that
(1) Consciousness [the Self] is real
(2) The universe or mind is unreal, and
(3) Consciousness is the mind or universe, because universe or mind is mere illusion created out of consciousness.
One need not stop at the second because the third explains the other two. It signifies that the universe is real if perceived as the Self [consciousness] and unreal if perceived as apart from the Self [consciousness]. Hence illusion and reality are one and the same because both are one in essence. Realizing the essence, which is consciousness as the innermost Self, is Self-Realization or Truth- Realization of GOD- Realization. Thus Sri, Sankara‘s declaration is rational truth, scientific truth and also ultimate truth.
It is now clear that there is neither real birth, nor real death. It is the illusion that creates the sense of reality in duality. The sense of reality of the duality will prevail till it is destroyed by Self-Realization.
Seeker of truth should work without taking himself to be the author of his action, that is he should work remembering the soul is the true self and true author of the whole experience of duality. The waking experience which consists of man and the world has appeared without previous planning.
No one can remain inactive in duality because even inaction is also an action, in the experience of duality. Whether one wills it or not the duality which consist of birth, life and death appears and disappears. It is therefore wise to learn to view and judge the worldview on the base of the soul, which is the innermost self to unfold the mystery of the mind. Seeker has to realize the fact that, duality is mere mirage on the standpoint of soul as self.
So long as there is the sense of doership, there is the sense of enjoyment and of individuality. But if this sense of doer ship is lost through the practice of inquiry, analysis and reasoning on the true base, one become aware of the fact that the soul is the true self and the authorship of all the action is on the soul not on the body. Duality is overcome by non-dual wisdom, Self-knowledge, which is the knowledge of beyond.
Why there was so much evil in the world, and why should evil-doers be more successful than gooddoers? If it were due to Karma, who made that Karma, and why should it be so arbitrarily dispensed – various karma to various individuals, which become the cause of so much misery and turmoil?
Soul or true self has no karma because it is formless. Man and the world are creation within the mirage [waking or dream]. Thus the theories created by within the mirage have no value. The soul or consciousness the innermost self is free from karma. The karma is reality only for those who think the ‘I’ as self and waking as reality. If one becomes free from the ignorance of the true self, there will be no varied individuals and no varied karmas; misery will thus disappear. He who kills man’s creation se...See More
Love, happiness and misery are part of the illusory reality. From ultimate standpoint . Good and evil, God and devil created of the same stuff. Creation is neither good nor bad; it is as it is because it is illusory reality. Until we think duality as reality we bound to experience the burden and bondage as reality.
It is the human mind which puts all sorts of constructions on it, as it sees things from its own angle and as it suits its own interests within the illusion. Not becoming aware of the fact that experience of diversity which consists of man and universe is mere illusion is the causes of all the misery in the world.
Within the experience of duality one feels there the world is creation. And world existed prior to him and he is born in the world afterwards. But in reality there is neither creation, nor creator because the experience of diversity is created out of single formless clay. Illusion is like cloud and it continues to move and when it is enlightened with coolness it vanishes and realizes it is mere water.
It is the human mind that created all difficulties in realizing the truth of its true existence, by imagining all sorts of theories based on the form to realize the formless reality. One has to realize the fact that the formless is prior to the form, how can one realize the truth, by theories based on the form [body], which cease to exit without the world and world ceases to exist without waking or dream . And waking dream cease to exit without the formless witness. Thus the waking or dream consists of the man and world are dependent on the formless for its existence.
The idea of god is creation of man. Man worship god in duality or illusion. Man and the world do not exist in reality, because they are the part of the mirage created out of spirit or soul or consciousness. Therefore whatever man sees, knows, believes and experiences of the world is part of the mirage. Thus the godly business is reality due to inherited ignorance. For the truth seeker the truth itself is god. That is the soul or self or spirit or consciousness or Atman itself is god.
If one thinks ‘I’ as self, he remains with thoughts and experience of the world, but when one holds the soul as self , the ‘I’ or mind is mere illusion on the standpoint of soul as self.
Soul is the witness of the appearance and disappearance of the ‘I’ or mind or duality. Duality is like a cinema-show the soul which is the true self. But when there is no duality only the Atman or consciousness prevails as ultimate truth. The ignorance disappears in the light of the Atman or consciousness, which is the innermost self.
Atman is permanent, am ever present and only the three states changes. There are no two self. The permanent ‘self is Atman. And the ego is the false self within the false experience of duality [waking or dream]. The way to the Real self is through inquiry and reasoning.
Atman is ever-present, like the screen on which all three states moves like cinematographic pictures e. While the pictures appear on it, it remains invisible. Stop the pictures, and the screen, which has all along been present, in fact the only object that has existed throughout, will become clear.
All these universes, humans, objects, thoughts and events are merely part of the waking /dream. Waking/dream moving like pictures on the screen of Atman or Consciousness, which alone is real.
Waking and dream pass away, but Atman or Consciousness remains ever. Seeker must distinguish between the ‘true self, and the ‘I’ or ego. ‘I’ am merely an object to Atman. Atman is the subject, which witnesses the ‘I’ or waking or dream or duality.
One is born, lives sleeps, wakes up, eats and thinks, dies within the waking or dream. But the Atman the true self is eternal existence, free from ignorance and illusion.
The cause and origin of the three states is Ataman. Atman is in the form of consciousness. Atman is the innermost self. Atman appears as waking or dream and disappears as deep sleep. Thus it is for the seeker to know what appears as duality [waking or dream] and what disappears as non duality [deep sleep].
The body and the world are exists only in duality [waking or dream]. They are non-existent in non duality [deep sleep]. To unfold this mystery one has to know what is mind and what is the substance of the mind.
Only in duality [waking or dream] one knows that he exists, in deep sleep the objective existence is absent.
One is aware of his body and sees his body moving and thinking. But he is unaware of the fact that he and his experience of the world are within the experience of duality [waking or dream].
One has to realize the fact that body also moving and thinking and being in all sorts of places in the dream while it is actually lying fast asleep. The dream is reality until waking takes place. The waking also is reality until the wisdom dawns.
When wisdom dawns in the midst of duality, one becomes aware of the fact that, the whole experience of diversity [universe or waking or illusion] is created out of consciousness, and sustained by consciousness, and finally dissolves as consciousness. Thus, the true nature of the true self [Atman, the innermost self] is formless and nondual.
Gaudapada’s rational exposition of Advaita: - that whatever is seen, whether external or internal, whether by the ordinary persons or yogis, is unreal.
You have no caste or duties. You are invisible, unattached, formless. You are the Witness of all things. Be happy. AshtaVakra ~NM~
