If one knows the ultimate truth OR Brahman, then
he will know there is neither cause nor effect. Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana is to know, what is it, that
is real, and base the reasoning on that real.
Even the Advaita Sage, Sri, Sankara' gave religious, ritual
or dogmatic instruction to the mass but pure philosophy only to the few who
could rise to it. Hence the interpretation of his writings by commentators is
often confusing because they mix up the two viewpoints. Thus they may assert
that ritual is a means of realizing Brahman, which is absurd.
In commentary to "Brahma Sutras Sage Sri, Sankara writes:-"
"The
highest beatitude is not to be attained by Yoga." [Sacred Books of East
Series page 298 Vol.1.] And he also says Samadhi is the same as
sleep [p.312].
---this indicates that yoga is not the means to self realization. And
yogic Samadhi is not non dual wisdom.
Viveka Chudamani 165-166 :-The vital-
air-Sheath cannot be the self because it is the modification of air (Vayu).
Like air it enters the body and goes out of it never knowing the joy and sorrow
like others. It is ever dependent on the self.
Breath, body and the world are one in essence.
That essence is formless consciousness.
Consciousness (soul) is the innermost self. Breath, body and the world are part and parcel
of the illusion. By holding the breath (vital force) as self, one cannot get
rid of the ignorance. Without getting rid of the ignorance wisdom will not
dawn. Wisdom dawns only when one realizes the form, time and space are one in
essence.
When reasoning is done on true base,
then one has the yardstick to know what is truth, and what is untruth, and he
will be able to reject the unreal or untruth mentally. Therefore, one has to make sure the self is
not the body or ego or waking entity but the self is Atman or soul, which is in
the form of consciousness.
If one accepts the self as body, then the
karma becomes universal principal. If one accepts the soul or consciousness as
self, then the physical body, ego, world and whatever one has seen known and
believed and experienced as a person becomes unreal (illusion) on the standpoint
of the formless soul , the innermost self.
By accepting karma theory, one is accepting
the unreal as real, and permanently remains in the clutches of duality thinking
the cycle of birth, life and death as reality.
Therefore, to overcome the illusory cycle of birth, life and death, one
has to know the fact that, the waking entity is not the self, but the formless soul is the
true self. Thus the self is within the mind (universe) but it is without the mind
(universe). Thus the self is within the ‘I’ but it is
without the ‘I’.
Thus karma theory is a hindrance in
the path of truth because one accepts the false self as real self and false
experience as real experience and he thinks all his action will yield fruits.
Thus he will remain permanently in the realm of unreality or ignorance. Without getting rid of ignorance truth
realization or Self-realization is impossibility.
When the self is genderless then it is impossible to get
enlightenment through sexual intercourse or tantric sex. It is impossible to get freedom by taking sanyasa
or renouncing the worldly life which is mere body based theories. When the self
is not physical then what value is there to take sanyasa or renouncing the
worldly life? One has to renounce the ignorance, which is the cause of
experiencing the illusion (body+ universe) as reality.
If one thinks nondual truth is the ultimate truth, then one
has to drop all theories based on the physical body (I) as self, because
nondual truth is based on the consciousness (soul), which is the true
self.
