Sage Sri Sankara: ~ VC~"All this universe which through ignorance appears as of diverse forms, is nothing else but Brahman which is absolutely free from all the limitations of human thought.
Sage Sri, Sankara says you must first know what is before you. If you cannot know that, what else can you know or understand? If you give up the external world in your inquiry, you cannot get the whole truth.
Sage Sri, Sankara: ~VC~ if the universe be true, let it then be perceived in the state of deep sleep also. As it is not at all perceived, it must be unreal and false like dreams.
Sage Sri, Sankara says:~ V C:~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.
In reality, three is no scope for two. Advaita means one without the second. Advaita means the Soul. The Soul, which is present in the form of the consciousness, is one without the second.
The consciousness is one without the second because the world in which you exist is created out of the consciousness. Thus, everything is consciousness. No second thing exist other than the consciousness. The consciousness alone is real and eternal.
Advaitic truth has to be grasped mentally by realizing the form, time and space are one, in essence.
Sage Sankara says: ~ there is no need to study the Scriptures, in order to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman
~ then why you indulge in studying the scriptures.
Sage Sankara says: ~ there is no need to study philosophy, in order to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman
~then why you indulge in studying the philosophy.
Sage Sankara says: ~ there is no need to indulge rituals, in order to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman
~then why you indulge in rituals.
Sage Sankara says: ~ there is no need to indulge yoga, in order to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman
~then why you indulge in yoga.
Sage Sri, Sankara says the transparent Truth of the Self, which is hidden by the illusion, is to be attained through the instructions of a knower of Brahman, (Gnani)
~ then why you are sticking a Guru who is not a Gnani.
Sage Sri, Sankara says: ~ “The exercise in discrimination between real and unreal and renunciation of the false is real meditation, then why yo are indulging in other types of meditation.
The most valuable contribution of Sage Sri, Sankara 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 Vedas and Upanishads in his commentary on Gita. He stated that the Karma Kanda of the Vedas deal with the injunctions relating to the performance of duties and actions. These are for ordinary householders.
The path of religion, 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 wisdom 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 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.
In fact Sage Sri, Sankara 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 Brahma, 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, Sage Sri, Sankara’s Mayavada 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/Spirit/Witness). Therefore, only Atman is real because there is no second thing other than Atman.
He also clearly mentions that: ~
The path of religion, 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.
