Monday, September 5, 2011
Millions are in search of the ultimate truth, and only one in million will be able to grasp and realize it.
Nisagadutta
said:- Millions are in search of the ultimate truth, and only one in
million will be able to grasp and realize it. By focusing more attention
on Atman by talking, writing, discussing only of Atman, the conviction
grows and becomes firmer and the duality will fade away as reality.
Atman/consciousness, which is one’s true identity, will prevail as
birth-less and deathless, eternal substance and witness of the mirage
called duality.
Why go round and round, by various tortuous paths
When the Vedas and Upanishads declare that Consciousness or Atman
is actually nothing but Brahman, then why go round and round, by various
tortuous paths, like the blind led by the blind. One has to realize the fact
that, the mind is in form of universe. Trace
the source of mind and realize that source is consciousness. The mind rises
from consciousness as waking or dream and subsides as deep sleep.
In Mandukya Upanishad Brahman and Atman are defined as same:-
सर्वं ह्येतद् ब्रह्मायमात्मा ब्रह्म सोयमात्मा चतुष्पात् / sarvam hyetad brahmaayamaatmaa brahm soyamaatmaa chatushpaat –
Mandukya Upanishad, verse-2
All indeed is this Brahman; This Atman is Brahman; He, this
Atman has four steps/quarters.
While Brahman lies behind the sum total of the objective universe, some human minds boggle at any attempt to explain it with only the tools provided by reason. Brahman is beyond the senses, beyond the mind, beyond intelligence, beyond imagination. Indeed, the highest idea is that Brahman is beyond both existence and non-existence, transcending and including time, causation and space, and thus can never be known in the same material sense as one traditionally 'understands' a given concept or object.
Imagine a person who is blind from birth and has not seen anything. Is it possible for us to explain to him the meaning of the colour red. Is any amount of thinking or reasoning on his part ever going to make him understand the sensation of the colour red? In a similar fashion the idea of Brahman cannot be explained or understood through material reasoning or any form of human communication. Brahman is like the colour red; those who can sense it cannot explain or argue with those who have never sensed it.
Brahman is considered the all-pervading consciousness which is
the basis of all the animate and inanimate entities and material. (brahmano hi pratisthaham, Bhagavad Gita
14.27)
In Advaita Vedanta: - Brahman is without attributes
and strictly impersonal. It can be best described as infinite Being, infinite
Consciousness and infinite Bliss. It is pure knowledge itself, similar to a
source of infinite radiance. Since the Advaitins regard Brahman to be the
Ultimate Truth, so in comparison to Brahman, every other thing, including the
material world, its distinctness, the individuality of the living creatures and
even Ishvara (the Supreme Lord) itself are all untrue. Brahman is the effulgent
cause of everything that exists and can possibly exist. Since it is beyond
human comprehension, it is without any attributes, for assigning attributes to
it would be distorting the true nature of Brahman. Advaitins believe in the
existence of both Saguna Brahman and Nirguna Brahman; however they consider
Nirguna Brahman to be the absolute supreme truth.
Katha Upanishad says:
[Upanishads Nikhilananda]
Fools dwelling in darkness, but thinking
themselves wise and erudite, go round and round, by various tortuous paths,
like the blind led by the blind. (Ch II-5 P-14)
It indicates that the one who is ignorant
[darkness] of the true self (formless witness or soul) searches truth by
accumulating knowledge of every path and practice and uncertain about the
truth, and thinks every path leads towards reality. The ignorance of the true self
leads one towards unreality or hallucination.
This Ataman 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)
This Ataman cannot be attained through
study of the Vedas, nor through intelligence, nor through much learning. He who
chooses Ataman—by him alone is Ataman attained. It is Ataman that reveals to
the seeker Its true nature.( 3 –page-70 Mundaka Upanishad Upanishads by Nikilanada)
The above passages further proves that:
self-knowledge cannot be attained by study of the Vedas and intellectual
understanding or by bookish knowledge.
Therefore there is no use of studying the Vedas and other scriptures in
order to acquire the non-dual wisdom.
That is why Buddha rejected the scriptures, and even Sri, Sankara
indicated that, the truth lies beyond religion, concept of god and
scriptures.
For the same reason Raman Maharshi 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 him self 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)
Raman Mahrshi
further explains (in page 111/112- practical guide to know your self):-
Q: D: Is it not necessary to study the Vedas or at
least Prastnatraya[Bagvad gita.Dasoponishad and Brahma Sutra all with
commentaries] to ensure firm reazation?
A: Bhagvan: - No. Do you need all that to see
yourself? All that is intellectual wealth, useful in explain doubts and
difficulties if others rise them if you yourself encounter them in 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 quest.
They alone in this world are endowed with the highest
wisdom who are firm in their conviction of the sameness and birthlessness of Ataman.
The ordinary man does not understand their way. (Chapter
IV — Alatasanti Prakarana 95-P-188 in Upanishads by Nikilanada)
This passage indicates the fact that
everything is Atman (consciousness or spirit). The one who views and judges the worldview on the
base of his birth /body will not realize the fact that, the man including the
world is created sustained and finally dissolves as Atman. Thus Atman alone
is, and all else is mirage.
Thus self-knowledge is the aim of every
human being. Since everyone thinks the physical body is the self their aim is
misdirected and they focus their attention on materiality which makes one feel
the duality [waking] as reality.
Nisagadutta said: Millions are in search of the ultimate truth,
and only one in million will be able to grasp and realize it. By focusing more
attention on Ataman by talking, writing, discussing only of Ataman, the
conviction grows and becomes firmer and the duality will fade away as reality.
Ataman/sprit which is one’s true
identity will prevail as birth-less and deathless, eternal substance and
witness of the mirage called duality.
Therefore there is no need to study
scriptures, or indulge in god and guru glorification or performing religious
rituals in pursuit of truth. Since, they
are not the means to acquire non-dual wisdom. It is only waste of time and
effort to indulge in those things.
Gaudapada’s
rational exposition of Advaita: -
that whatever is
seen, whether external or internal, whether by the ordinary persons or yogis,
is unreal.
The essence of Mandukya's is: Do not
be satisfied with rituals, yoga etc. which are good in their own way, but
Inquire in to the nature of the mind. ? Brahman and Atman are things one can
never see. So seeker should not inquire into them. He has to inquire into
the world around him, which he can see. Analysis tells him it is
passing away every second. Everything is dying repeatedly. Where is it going?
Thus he follows up his investigation into what he can lay hands on. How can he
inquire into Atman which he cannot see? So first he must deal with the known
and seen, this inquiry leads up to the unknown in the end.
Thus it is necessary for the seeker of truth to know the fact
that, the body which is born, lives and dies is not the self. Since he is
taking the body to be the self, he is experiencing the duality as reality.
As Sage Sri,
Sankara says: When the
whole universe, movable and immovable, is known to be Atman, and thus the
existence of everything else is negated, where is then any room to say that the
body is Atman.
If body is not the Atman/self, then the karma theory has no meaning on the standpoint of the
truth. Thus no second thing exists other than Atman, therefore why to view the
worldview on the standpoint of the body as self when the body is the
false self, and the soul/Atman is the true self.
If body is not the self, then the birth, life, death and the universe are bound to be illusion. If birth, life and death are illusion then all conducts actions and their fruits are mere illusion. If body is not the self, then the existence of god, heaven and hell is mere illusion. If body is not the self then all religious beliefs of god is mere illusion. If body is not the self but the Atman [soul] which is in the form of consciousness is the true self, then there is no scope for second thing other than consciousness, therefore consciousness, which is Atman is Brahman or ultimate truth. The Brahman alone is real and eternal. Thus whatever is real eternal has to be identified as god. To identify the real and eternal, one has to overcome the ignorance caused by the illusion. To overcome the ignorance one has to acquire the Self-Knowledge.
The
individual life within the dream is reality with in the dream. Therefore waking
reality is also is reality within the waking. This waking is parallel dream and
dream is parallel waking. Only when self-wakes up in waking the dream becomes
unreal. When the self-consciously wakes up in its formless nondual true nature
in the midst of waking experience then
all the three states are mere mirage
created out of its formless nondual true nature.
The
form time and space within the dream are falsehood when waking takes place.
Similarly the form, time and space of the waking are also falsehood when wisdom
dawns. The wisdom dawns only when one realize the self is neither the waking
entity nor the dream entity. Thus it is erroneous to judge and reason and
conclude the ultimate truth on the base of waking entity and waking world
because waking experience itself is illusion.
A Gnani is one who attains the
nondual tranquillity in the midst of duality. A Gnani is in self –awareness and
he is fully aware of the fact that the form, time and space are mere mirage
created out of consciousness.
Empty
and calm and devoid of self is the nature of all things. No individual being in
reality exists. There is no end or beginning, nor any middle course. All is an
illusion, as in a vision or a dream. All beings in the world are beyond the
realm of words. Their ultimate nature, pure and true, is like the infinity of
space.- Prajnaparamita
This Empty and calm and
devoid of ‘I’ is the nature of the Self. The individual being or non being
exists in reality. There is no end or beginning, nor any middle course. The
diversity is an illusion or a dream. The formless substance and witness of the
diversity, which is the Consciousness /Christ /Self /Brahman/Buddha is beyond
the realm of words. The ultimate nature of the experience of diversity is, pure
and true, is like the infinity of space, which is God, Christ, Brahman.
The nature of true self is
oneness is incomprehensible and so any communication about it can only be an
interpretation of the ideas based on the false self/ego. Ignorance generates
doubts and confusion. Ignorance makes one experience the duality as
reality. Ignorance makes one view and
judge on the standpoint of false physical self/ego. Whatever is based on false
physical self/ego is bound to be falsehood because everything is viewed and
judged believing the duality as reality. Thus, one is unable to think beyond
duality.
Deeper understanding and
assimilation is required for self-realization.
It becomes difficult to understand and communicate about the oneness on
the base of false self. Thus rectifying
the true base is necessary from form base to formless base to understand and
assimilate and realize the non-duality.
There is nothing exits other than the soul or consciousness
The soul/self is beyond the three states altogether lies
the unmanifested, and pervading all the three states and witnesses all the
three states which appear and disappear in succession.
It
is the instinct of exploration, the intense urge to know the unknown, which
brings one into existence. The true existence is beyond the experience of duality.
Once the seeker realizes that the non-duality is the
goal and that he is on the right path to reach his goal, then he will be able
to acquire non dual wisdom. In the realm of non-dual reality, life ceases to be
a task and becomes natural and simple and burden- less.
After all, what does the soul, the true self really
wants? Not perfection; it is already perfect. What it seeks is to express in
action what it is in the midst of the illusion. For this it has the ignorance.
By overcoming the ignorance it is back to its formless non dual true nature.
Soul, the innermost self
cannot be given name and form, for it is without quality and beyond the duality. Like water in the snow or cloud yet not of water, so is the soul/self is the
formless substance of whatever that exits in objective experience.
Soul/self by itself the light can only be compared to a
solid, dense, rock like, homogeneous and changeless mass of pure awareness, free
from the mental patterns of name and shape. The supreme gives existence to the
objective experience.
There can be no experience of the soul , the innermost self as it is
beyond all objective experience. On the other hand, the soul/ self is the
experiencing factor in every experience and thus, in a way, validates the
multiplicity of experiences.
The waking may be full of things of great value, but if
There is nobody to buy them, they have no price. The soul contains everything
experienceable (waking or dream), but without the formless experiencer they are as nothing. That which
makes the experience possible is the soul. That which makes it actual is the
soul, the innermost self.
When the non-dual wisdom dawns the one becomes aware of
the formless witness of the three states, which is the soul, the innermost self. The witness
also is the formless substance of the three states, therefore the witness
(soul) and witnessed (three states) both are one in essence. Thus, form is formless in essence.
Soul, the innermost self
is both the source and the manifestation. When the soul turns upon
its own awareness, it is the state of non-duality. The reality is beyond the objective
awareness, beyond the three states of becoming, being and not-being.
The
body and world are within the waking or dream, which appears as mind or ’I’. The Soul is the motionless witness of the
Mind or ’I’.
Mind or ’I’
cannot be without the soul, the innermost self. Man and the world exist in waking or dream. The
The whole Waking or dream is mind.
Waking or dream arises from the soul or consciousness.
Nobody can claim as I am the self or “I am the
witness". The "I am" is always witnessed. The state of detached
objective awareness is the witness-consciousness, the "mirror-mind".
Universe (waking or mind or ’I’) rise and set thus it is not the real. The soul the witness of the
waking or dream remains the same, hence it is real. Soul partakes of both the real
and the unreal, because it is not only formless witness but also the formless
Substance of the three states.
There is nothing exits other than the soul or consciousness. The soul or consciousness is
the illusion, and the soul or consciousness is the reality, because the illusion is created out
of the soul or consciousness. Therefore, there is no second thing exists other than the soul or consciousness.
All the
three states are temporal. The waking experience, which contains the man and
his experience of the world, cannot exist eternally. So why concentrate so much attention on
something temporal?
Inherited
Religious bigotry existing in the so-called modern age of Reason, has affected
the mental growth and people are not ready to think beyond their physical
existence, to discover the truth of their true existence. Only when one is able to think beyond his
physical existence then he will be able to discover and realize the fact that,
the physical existence is a mere mirage created out of consciousness. The body and the world are made out of
consciousness. Therefore, the ultimate truth is consciousness and there is
nothing beyond the consciousness. The
consciousness is the ultimate truth. God is not creator; man created God though
his imagination.
When one inquires “Who am I?” or “What am I ?” he will never be able to reach the ultimate end.
When one inquires
“Who am I?” or “What am I ?” he will
never be able to reach the ultimate
end. Who or Am represents
physicality. To understand ‘I’ in a
broader prospect, we have to verify the very existence of the ‘I’. Since people
think ‘I’ as self, they will never be able to go deeper in inquiry. The “Who am
‘I’? or “What am ‘I’? Inquiry is helpful
for the beginners, but they are inadequate penetrate to Ultimate end. Therefore, instead of who, or am, we have to
investigate the very existence of the ‘I’ which appears and disappears. When ‘I’ appears the ego, body and the world
appears together, and when ‘I’, disappears then the ego, body and world disappears
together. So the ‘I’ is not limited to
the physical entity alone, but ‘I’ is the mind, which contains the whole
universe in you and me and other exists. So we all appear together and we
disappear together. Thus we all exists within the ‘I’/mind.
The mind appears as waking or dream. But the witness of the mind is within the three states but it is formless and apart from the three states. It is nothing to do with the individual experiences within the waking or dream. It remains with or without the waking or dream. If it remains consciously without the waking or dream then is true nature of the soul/self. If it is unconsciously remains without the waking or dream it is deep sleep or yogic Samadhi.
The mind appears as waking or dream. But the witness of the mind is within the three states but it is formless and apart from the three states. It is nothing to do with the individual experiences within the waking or dream. It remains with or without the waking or dream. If it remains consciously without the waking or dream then is true nature of the soul/self. If it is unconsciously remains without the waking or dream it is deep sleep or yogic Samadhi.
The states are
identified due to ignorance cause by considering the ‘I’ as self. When one becomes aware of the fact that the
‘I’ is not the self, then one realize all the states are illusory.
The one which
understands does not exist as person perceiving the world, but it exists as the
soul eternally, which is called Brahman, Buddha’s nature, Christ in the
past.
We are unconscious of the consciousness, which
is aware of both conscious and unconscious experiences. The Unconsciousness can only be a
consciousness without objects; otherwise it has no meaning. Therefore it is really
and somehow consciousness. Through study
of the mind one gradually becomes aware that it is what intellectuals’ calls "The Unconscious" which is
at the back of it all, and what is called the soul/self, which is in the form
of consciousness.
Non dual Truth is possible only in duality when there is both a knower and a known.
Till one knows the truth of his true existence,
whatever he knows about God is mere belief. Belief is individual whereas the ultimate truth is
universal every belief system has its own idea of God thus there is no
universality in the belief system.
Non-Duality means not the non-existence of a second
thing, but its nonexistence as other than consciousness. One must know it is of
the same substance as the objects.
Non dual Truth is possible only in duality when there is
both a knower and a known. Hence truth is one’s idea of a thing. Reality is the
fact, the thing itself. Truth is used for communication about the reality.
Ultimate truth is beyond all doubt and contradiction. It is not assumption or
idea but the Reality itself. Hence ultimate truth and ultimate reality are one
and the same.
It is impossible to know that God is everywhere. What is
God? God cannot exist without duality.
In non-dual reality there is no man, no world, and no belief of god. God has no
meaning in realm of truth. It is a mere imagination or assumption. Soul, which
is in the form of consciousness, is the formless substance and witness of the
mind, which appears as waking or dream. The dream is parallel waking experience
and waking experience is parallel dream. One cannot prove the existence of any
God which is everywhere apart from consciousness. Thus for seeker of truth consciousness, which
is ultimate truth itself is God. In
nondual reality neither the universe is reality nor the man nor the idea of
god, because there is no second thing exist other than the consciousness
because everything is consciousness.
Self- Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana is only is true knowledge not the
absence of duality. Self -Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana
cannot destroy the world but it eliminates the ignorance and exposes the unreal
nature of the mind or universe.
Non dual wisdom
requires investigate in to the mind, analyzing the mind, which appears as universe,
realizing the fact that, the mind rises and subsides from formless source,
which is consciousness. The
consciousness is the true self. Therefore, one has to learn to judge the truth
from the standpoint of the source from where the mind rises and subsides, not
from the standpoint of the waking entity, which is the false self.
As one gets convinced, certain, of the truth that the
world is nothing but consciousness, and there is no second thing, then he get
conviction that, all the three states to be consciousness in the midst of
duality. Realizing the truth in the
midst of duality is wisdom.
Seeker has to practice thinking that he is neither the
doer nor the enjoyer and his existence as a person is limited to the waking
experience. Thus neither the waking
entity nor the dream entity is the self.
The true self is that which witnesses the three states as a whole. When he realizes the waking entity is not the
self then he will gradually realize the fact that, whatever is seen as waking or dream is only mirage created out of consciousness. Therefore when he realizes
the waking experience is the mirage
then he realizes the stuff from the mirage is made, which is consciousness to
be real.
Teaching children to view and judge everything on religious point of view by their parents, which warps the minds and destroys the capacity to think beyond the belief system of their grooming.
People are making unlimited sacrifices and enduring unlimited
suffering in the name of protecting their religion and god. They are therefore
ignorant about the truth and incapable of understanding the ultimate truth,
which is universal god. All organized religions have unequivocally claimed man
for the life in the truth; thus it is sheer folly to fight in the name of
religion and god.
It is time that humanity had a fresh vision of truth that the
mind, which is in the form of universe, is myth and consciousness is the only
thing that is real and that matters. On
the base of consciousness as self, the physical life is a vain and empty
pursuit of illusory values.
Parental grooming is the main cause of religious influence upon the
mass mind-set and it cannot be wiped out without knowing the truth of one’s own
existence. Thus,teaching children to view and judge everything on religious
point of view by their parents, which warps the minds and destroys the capacity
to think beyond the belief system of their grooming.
People who are yearning for spiritual truth will not find it
what they are seeking for. Religious truth is individual truth and it is not
universal truth because the religion is based on individuality.
As one goes in deeper investigation find nothing satisfying in any
religion. The more he learns of any
religious doctrine they become aware of the fact that, the religion is not the
means for self-realization because the true ‘Self” is not the form but the true
self is formless. The religion is based
on the false self [ego] and false experience [universe]. Religion takes the
false self as real self and false experience as reality. Thus whatever is based
on the false self and false experience is bound to be falsehood.
The obsession with "our sins" having been "washed
away by water of river would be regarded
as evidence of a serious mental illness in an individual within any sane
society, but when this is an obsession of millions of people it becomes
"religious faith", held by many others to be something that should
never be criticized.
It was desperately important for the believers of their belief
system for some reason that others shared their beliefs because they assume that
their religious doctrine is literally true, and then justify their beliefs
because "God says so in their doctrine ".
It is no use of arguing with someone who has faith in his belief
system because for him there can be no possible refutation of what he believes,
so rational argument is entirely useless. He clings to his belief so strongly
that he makes no distinction between the truth and his belief. One has to know
the fact that god cannot exist without his existence. The truth does not depend
on gods’ existence but it entirely depends on man’s existence. Thus it is foolish to venture in knowing the
truth of gods existence without verifying the facts about his own existence.
Deeper inquiry revel the fact that, the self is neither the body, nor the ego. If the self is not the body nor the ego then
it proves the fact that, whatever is seen, known, believed and
experienced on the base of the self as
body or ego is bound to be false hood.
Thus arguing on the standpoint of the body or ego, which is not the “self”,
is erroneous. Thus the whole argument has
to be based on the true self, which is not the body or ego. Thus it is necessary to realize the fact
that, the “self” is not the form but the “self” is formless in order to realize
the Advaitic truth.
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