As per
my conviction derived from deeper self-search:-
Gate gate
para gate parasamgate Bodhi svaha.
Heart Sutra is a great Sutra. Yes it takes us to the inner realm but all
the Buddhist sutras limited to physicality, we have to go beyond physicality by
perfect understanding. Since the self is
not the form self is formless. All the skandas are in physical realm [Form,
feeling, perception, mental formation and consciousness]. The self is not limited the physicality but
it pervades in everything and everywhere in all the three states. Thus the heart sutra yields only half-truth.
The Buddhist scriptures were completely distorted by the
time of Sage Sri, Sankara. sage Sri, Sankara had to criticize the Buddhist
literature prevailing then as the Buddhists themselves were confused as to what
Shunyata is. Vasubandhu and his disciple Dignaga (the latter lived about a
couple of centuries before Adi Sankaracharya) could not retain the original
teachings of Lord Buddha. At first Vasubandhu did not agree with his half-brother
Asanga and wrote one book on Abhidharma and later on he went to the side of
Asanga and wrote a second book, where? he opposed his own earlier views on
Abhidharma. Adi Sankaracharya? had to criticise the Buddhist knowledge? and
literature of his time as he wanted to bring to us back the Pure Vedantic
knowledge through his work on the Prasthanatraya.. That is why there is
reference to the writing of Dharmakirti in Sutrabashya.
There is another aspect also The? Vishnu Purana also says that Lord Buddha created confusion. In Sarnath he first taught about the Moral code which is basic. He talked about Anatma. Then? two decades later he taught the concept of Shunyata and? the tenets of the Mahayana Buddhism.? In spite of Nagrjuna's telling that Shunyata is not Nihilism and that Parajanaparamita also mentioning about the Shunyata after one leaves? the five? skandhas, there are and there will always be people who will go on calling Buddha's philosophy as Nihilism. About the origin of the? Tantric Buddhism also? there are controversies.
The most valuable contribution of Sage Sri, Sankar is
that he gained general consciousness on the issue that the authoritative
explanation of Upanishads, Gita and Brahma Sutra was the final say in the matter of
religion. Anything that goes contrary to the trio is not authentic. He also
made a clear distinction between the Vedas and Upanishads in his commentary on Gita.
He stated that the Karma Kand of the Vedas deal with the injunctions relating
to the performance of duties and actions. These are for ordinary householders.
The path of religion, the 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 an inner urge to know the
truth and it is not for those who are immersed in earthly desires.
Sage Sri Sankara’s whole teaching can be summed up into
one sentence, ‘There is nothing else but Brahma. He says that the Absolute
Existence, Absolute Knowledge and Absolute Bliss is Real. The universe is not
real. He says that Brahma and Atmana are one. The ultimate and the Absolute
Truth is the Self, which is one though appearing as many in different
individuals. The individual has no reality. Only the Self is real; the rest,
mental and physical are but passing appearances.
In fact Sage Sri, Sankar states a paradox- the
world is and is not. It is neither real nor unreal. It leads us to recognize
the existence of Maya. He thinks that the world is illusory from one
perspective and from the second it is nothing but Brhma, Itself in
manifestation. This apparent world is Maya and has its basis in Brahman, the
Eternal. It looks as real. It has names and forms and actually, it is not real
In the light of true knowledge, it disappears and Self-alone shines as real.
However Sri, Sankar’s Mayavad has not been accepted by many preachers and
philosophers.
When Sage Sri, Sankara says clearly, the universe is not
real. He says that Brahman and Atman are one. The ultimate and the Absolute
Truth is the Self, which is one though appearing as many in different
individuals. The individual has no reality. Only the Self is Real; the rest,
mental and physical are but passing appearances, then it indicates the form [waking/duality/mind] is unreal the formless is real (soul or consciousness). Therefore, only Atman
is real because there is no second thing other than Atman.
He also clearly mentions that:
The path of religion, theory of karma, the 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 an 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 the Buddha, Goudpada
and Sage Sri,Sankara are not only reformers but also the greatest
scientists. From there original thesis has been lost in the labyrinths
of philosophy and mutilated by pundits and priest craft, 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 a direct path to nondual truth.
The same time and effort can be used to reach the nondual destination, in
lesser time and effort.
Nonduality 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 Advaitic teachings to reach the nondual destination because of
the add-ons and adulteration. Thus it becomes difficult to reach the 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.
For the same reason Raman Maharshi said:
fortunate are the one who does 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)
The duality is reality on the
standpoint of the false self [ego or body as self]. The duality is a mere mirage on the base of the true self, which is formless consciousness. This
understanding comes only to the serious seeker, who has a real urge to know the
ultimate truth, which is beyond the all the teachings and teachers. There is
neither teaching, nor teacher, nor student in the realm of truth.
Different
paths will not converge to the same Ultimate Reality because they are based on
the false self. They are not the different stages in the same path. People
fight about the differences and the greatness of their chosen paths but only
through wisdom one can realize the Ultimate Reality.
One has to
have perfect understanding and march ahead, surely and steadily, towards that
Ultimate Reality, which is consciousness or Brahman or Christ or Buddha. One
becomes limited to the concepts, names and forms within the waking or dream.
Waking/dream originates from the soul.
The
soul is the true self. The soul is in the form of consciousness.
Realizing the consciousness as the true self is truth realization.
Consciousness is formless, limitless, permanent and unchanging, and by its
nature non-dual and universal. The consciousness is the formless knower of the
mirage (universe) which comes and goes. The knower(soul, which is in the form
of consciousness0 and the known(three
states) are one in essence, therefore there is no second thing exists other
than consciousness.
Realize Brahman or ultimate truth here and now, in
this very life, not in next life and in the next world by realizing the fact
that, this life within the waking
experience itself is illusion because the waking experience is itself is
an illusion.
