Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Sage Sri Ramana Maharishi said: - Is it not necessary to study the Vedas or Bagvad Gita. Dasoponishad and Brahma Sutra



The thinker and the thought are present only in duality. There is neither thinker, not the thought in reality.  Thus the nature of the thinker and thought is formless and non-dual, because both are created out of the same stuff, which is formless and non-dual. 

The duality (waking or dream) becomes non-duality (deep sleep). We are unconscious about it, because we view and judge on the base of physical entity which present only in duality.   The dream entity is not the waking entity, because we call the whole dream as false hood when the waking takes place.  

The dream and waking experience has to be considered as duality, because the duality is present only in waking or dream and  duality is absent in deep sleep.   Since we limit the mind or ’I’ to the physical entity, we become ignorant of the true self and we experience duality as reality. 

 The mind or ’I’ is not limited to the physical entity alone but to the whole experience of waking or dream. If mind or ’I’ is present then the waking or dream (duality) is present. Absent of mind  or ’I’ absent of duality.  Thus mind or ’I’, which appears as waking and dream is unreal. And the formless knower of the appearance and disappearance of the mind is real, permanent and eternal.  This has to be grasped mentally. 

The religious thinker cannot think beyond their belief system. Therefore, the Hindu or any other religious thinkers cannot cross the threshold of duality. Advaita[non-duality] and Dwaita or duality  is the nature of the self/soul. When the soul, the innermost  self is in waking/dream it is Dwaita or duality and when the soul the innermost self is in its formless non-dual  true nature it is Advaita or non-duality.  

The Advaita philosophy is based on the scriptures and religion and god is not the means to Self knowledge  or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana because the scriptures it self declare that:-

 Katha Upanishad:
  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)

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)

Second-hand knowledge of the self gathered from books or gurus can never emancipate a man until its truth is rightly investigated and applied; only direct realisation will do that. Realise yourself, turning the mind inward.Tripura Rahasya, 18: 89
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 Sage Sri 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 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)

Sage Sri, Ramana Maharishi 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 realization?

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.

Therefore, the seekers of truth need not lose themselves in the labyrinths of philosophy, but go straight to the source from which they all arise. Truth pursuit is an inner journey without the physical baggage. 

Sage Sri,  Sankara himself says (VC) 59. The study of the Scriptures is useless so long as the highest Truth is unknown, and it is equally useless when the highest Truth has already been known.

60. The Scriptures consisting of many words are a dense forest which merely causes the mind to ramble. Hence men of wisdom should earnestly set about knowing the true nature of the Self.

61. For one who has been bitten by the serpent of Ignorance, the only remedy is the knowledge of Brahman. Of what avail are the Vedas and (other) Scriptures, Mantras (sacred formulae) and medicines to such a one?

62. A disease does not leave off if one simply utter the name of the medicine, without taking it; (similarly) without direct realization one cannot be liberated by the mere utterance of the word Brahman.

Mundaka Upanishad :- The study of the Vedas, linguistics, Rituals, astronomy and all the arts Can be called lower knowledge. The higher Is that which leads to Self-realization. The eye cannot see it; mind cannot grasp it. The deathless Self has neither caste nor race, Neither eyes not ears nor hands nor feet. Sages say this Self is infinite in the great And in the small, everlasting and changeless, The source of life.

 
They alone in this world are endowed with the highest wisdom who are firm in their conviction of the sameness and birthlessness of Atman. The ordinary man does not understand their way. (Chapter IV — Alatasanti Prakarana 95-P-188 in Upanishads by Nikilanada)

Therefore, if one is seeking truth he has to know his true self is not physical but it is the Atman, which is in the form of consciousness.  

Self-knowledge  or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana 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 ultimate truth lies beyond religion, concept of god and scriptures. 

There is only one Reality to be known, the same for all seekers, but the ways to it, are hidden by the religion.  Self-discovery is the only way, towards non-dual Absolute without any religious doctrines, which will help the seekers to unfold the mystery of the illusion in which we all are searching the truth of our true existence.

The beliefs of god, religion, yoga are based on the false self, is nothing to do with the mental [inner] journey.   The religious, rituals, worships, prayers god and guru glorification may be useful in the worldly life, for those  who believes in the birth, life, death and the world as reality, but they are not useful tools in realizing the ultimate truth. On the base of consciousness (soul) as self, everything other than the consciousness is mere mirage.  Thus, man and his experience of the world and his belief of god and religion are part and parcel of the mirage created out of consciousness.