According to Upanishads the Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana is the main aim of human being. All the physical based
theories of creation and creator, Avatar, karma, individualized God, rituals,
code of conducts are meant for the people who
are unable to think and reason deeply.
Since, there are diverse schools of thoughts,
which claim themselves as Vedic based are propagating non- Vedic practices as Vedic practices , everything is adulterated with new add-ons time to time. thus it is very difficult come out from cobweb of confession because confusion each seems to be correct on their won standpoint.
Many teachings theories introduced in the past by many sages and gurus in the past , which are
accepted by the mass. all these teaching and theories are not the means to acquire Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.
Buddha was right in saying :-
Do not
believe a spiritual teaching just because:-
1. It is repeatedly recited,
2. It is written in a scripture,
3. It was handed from guru to disciple,
4. everyone around you believes it,
5. It has supernatural qualities,
6. It fits my beliefs anyway,
7. It sounds rational to me,
8. It is taught by a respectable person,
9. It was said to be the truth by the teacher,
10. One must defend it or fight for it.
However,
only when it agrees with your experience and reason, and when it is conducive
to the good and gain of oneself and all others, then one should accept the
teachings, and live up to them."
The truth does not require any tag of some guru or teaching, the serious seekers who are tired of all the theories, paths and practices and find them inadequate and useless, will turn towards the perennial springs of spiritual truth, to quench their spiritual thirst. For those who are advanced in the spiritual pursuit, will find the entire spiritual tags and branded paths and practices are inadequate and useless, in pursuit of truth.
Deeper self-search revels the fact that, the Atman ,body and world are one in essence therefore no second thing exists other than Atman, which is in the form of consciousness. Thus realizing all the three states as consciousness leads to Self-Awareness.
That is why Sri, Sankara indicated in (VC): -
65. As a treasure hidden underground requires (for
its extraction) competent instruction, excavation, the removal of stones and
other such things lying above it and (finally) grasping, but never comes out by
being (merely) called out by name, so the transparent Truth of the self, which
is hidden by Maya and its effects, is to be attained through the instructions
of a knower of Brahman, followed by reflection, meditation and so forth, but
not through perverted arguments.
66. Therefore the wise should, as in
the case of disease and the like, personally strive by all the means in their
power to be free from the bondage of repeated births and deaths.
Seeker of truth has to direct realization of the true self, through deeper
self-search and avoid losing precious time and effort loosing himself in
philosophical studies.
The path of religion, theory of karma, path of yoga and the path of
wisdom were intended for different classes of people. The wisdom is for the
advanced seekers of truth. It deals with the nature of the ultimate Truth and
Reality. It is meant for superior aspirants who have inner urge to know the truth
and it is not for those who are immersed in earthly desires.
Thus we have to know the fact that Buddha, Goudpada and Sri,Sankara are
not only reformers but also the greatest scientists. Since there
original thesis have been lost in the labyrinths of philosophy and
mutilated by pundits and orthodoxy, it becomes very difficult understand and
assimilate the wisdom expounded by the great masters. In addition, the
conservativeness of the orthodox scholars will not allow any research other
than playing with the words, which suits the mass mind sets, because of their
egocentric outlook.
All the add-ons have to be deleted, in order to understand and
assimilate the real fragrance of the wisdom expounded by the great masters of
Advith, but it is hurricane task. Thus, it is no use going through all
the scriptures, when there is direct path to non-dual truth. The same time
and effort can be used to reach the non-dual destination, in lesser time and
effort.
Non-duality 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.
Seeker of truth has to know that something is inadequate in Buddhist or
orthodox Advaitic teachings to reach the nondual destination because of the
add-ons and adulteration. Thus it becomes difficult to reach destination
directed by the Buddha, Sri, Sankara and Sri,Goudapada. It is for the seeker to go on his own and
remove the obstacle. The greatest hindrance is mixing religion, god,
scriptures, and yogic theories. Moreover, attachment to scriptures, personal
god and religious code of conduct keeps one permanently in the grip of duality.
Religion, belief in God, is an
escape from realizing ultimate reality.
Belief in god and belief system blocks one's realization of ultimate
truth or Brahman.
People of various walks of life
believe in their inherited belief system and its idea of God. People indulge in
God and guru glorification to symbolize that they are religious people.
Religion makes one believe that, the
practical life within the practical world as reality. By believing the practical life within the
practical world as reality one is bound to believe, the experience of the
birth, life, death and the world as reality. By believing in the experience of birth, life, death and the world as reality
one is accepting the false self (waking entity or ego) as true self and the illusory
world(waking) as reality). By accepting the false self as real self and
illusory world as reality, one is accepting the experience of the form, time
and space as reality. By accepting the experience of the form, time and space
as reality one is accepting illusion or
mind or universe or waking as reality.
Religion and its idea of God make
one, more and more egocentric.
Egocentricity makes one feel he is an individual separate from the world
and world existed prior to him and he is born in this world afterwards. Thus this conviction or condition or samskara
is so deep rooted therefore it is impossible acquire Self-Knowledge or brahma
Gnana or Atma Gnana.
Religion is tool for giving
samskara or conditioning to be, to behave, to believe, to live according
to its code of conduct, in family and society to live peacefully honestly
loving the humanity with the fear of GOD.
Thus region is belief centric not truth centric.
Religion makes one getting stuck with the reality of
the practical life within the practical world. Religion is nothing to do with
the Self-knowledge or brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana because it is based on the
formless soul, which is the innermost self, whereas religion is based on the
form or waking entity (ego). Therefore mixing religion with spirituality or
Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana and trying to realize the truth is like trying to
find snow in the desert.
