People say Aham Brahmasmi -- I am God, I am Brahman. But when Brahman is, how can "I"
remain? Only Brahman remains, not I. But there is no other way to express it.
We all mistake the
self to be the ‘I’ and only the physical body is not the self. However, in
reality ‘I’ is not the self. Therefore, whatever is seen, known, believed and
experienced and accumulated on the base of ‘I’ is falsehood. Therefore, it is
time to realize the fact that ‘I’ is not the Self but the formless soul, which
witnesses the coming and going of the ‘I’ is the real self. Till we think ‘I’ is the self we are playing hide and seek game with the
truth.
The
Ataman or soul is the innermost self.
The formless soul or consciousness is the innermost self,
is birth- less, deathless and world -less eternal identity. The ‘Self’ is totally
dual (waking or dream) and non-dual (deep sleep) experiences that is both
conscious and unconscious, and something that is always aware of coming and
going of these dual and nondual experiences (three states).
The ego (waking entity) is not the self. Limiting the Self to the ego (waking entity) and
practicing meditation or any other path on the base of ego (waking entity) is like trying to drain the ocean drop by
drop. The soul, which is in the form of consciousness, is the innermost self.
Consciousness transcends our ego and the mind which is in the form of the
universe. The universe appears as waking and dream. Thus limiting the self to’ ego
or waking entity’ is the cause of the ignorance.
Ignorance is the cause of
experiencing the duality (universe or waking) as reality. Waking is cause of
experiencing the birth, life, death and the world as reality. If experience of birth, life, death and the
world (waking) is accepted as reality, than ignorance will prevail and if
ignorance prevails wisdom will not dawn.
"It is this Supreme Oneness which alone is real, since there is
nothing else but the Self. Verily, there remains no other independent entity in
the state of realization of the highest Truth."
People believe that a teacher or
mystic or priest has got so many followers and therefore there must be some
truth in their teaching, is a common fallacy accepted by the mass due to their inherited
samskara or conditioning. It proves only an ignorant can find a number of
greater ignorant to follow him.
When religion has become
merely a matter of external rituals and ceremonies, it has become a prison for
the soul.
Sage Sri, Sankara varied his practical
advice and doctrinal teaching according to the people he was amongst. He never
advised them to give up their particular religion or beliefs or metaphysics
completely; he only told them to give up the worst features of abuse: at the
same time he showed just one step forward towards the truth. Sage Sri, Sankara
was extremely precise and careful in his choice of words.
Scriptures
are being added to from time to time. This process will go on. There is the
final authority among them? One contradicts the other: duality reigns supreme.
The
Upanishads are self-contradictory. Every pundit even gives conflicting
interpretations of them. The final authority therefore is using one’s own own
reason. One should apply his reason to them.
The
scriptures are for the ignorant masses, who wholly accept the material world as it
presents itself. Gnana is for those who have begun to realize that things are
not what they seem.
The
Scriptures are of value only when dealing with persons who are incapable of
understanding truth. They have no value as authority for those who use reason.
It is impossible to find and realize the truth via religion and
scriptural study. Even Upanishads conform this.
That
is why Sage Sri, Sankara indicates in (VC):- 56. Neither by Yoga, nor by
Sankhya, nor by work, nor by learning, but by the realization of one's identity
with Brahman is Liberation possible, and by no other means.
58. Loud speech consisting of a
shower of words, the skill in expounding the Scriptures, and likewise erudition
- these merely bring on a little personal enjoyment to the scholar, but are no
good for Liberation.
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.
63.
Without causing the objective universe to vanish and without knowing the truth
of the Self, how is one to achieve Liberation by the mere utterance of the word
Brahman? — It would result merely in an effort of speech.
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.
Thus Sage Sri Sankara clearly indicated that - yoga, intellectualism, scriptural mastery
is not the means to self-knowledge or Bramha Gnana or Atma Gnana. But by the realization of one's identity with
the formless soul , which is present in the form of consciousness is ultimate truth or Brahman,
freedom from experiencing the illusion as reality is possible, and by no other
means.
When the Upanishad says: the
human goal is to acquire Self-Knowledge and they indicate the personal gods,
scriptures, worship and rituals are not the means to Self –Knowledge, then why
anyone should indulge in it. The religion, concept of individualized god and
scriptures are greatest obstacle to realize non-dual truth or self-realization,
because they are based on false self.
The seeker of truth has to search the ultimate truth without losing
himself in the labyrinths of philosophy, through deeper, inquiry, analysis and
reasoning and assimilate and realize it.
That
is why Sage Sri Sankara, indicated in Bhaja Govindam says: - [Jnana Viheena Sarva Mathena Bajathi na Muktim janma Shatena]
- one without knowledge does not obtain liberation
even in a hundred births, no matter which religious faith he follows.
Then it is no use
going roundabout way, trace the Brahman which is the formless substance and
witness of the universe, which is in the form of mind. By tracing the source of the mind or universe
one will be able to realize the Brahman.
Thus, Self-knowledge or Bramha Gnana or Atma Gnana is meant only for those who have intense urge, and
courage to accept the truth with humility and reject the untruth. Since people
start comparing with their scriptural knowledge, it becomes impossible to
assimilate and realize the non-dual truth. Therefore, there is no
need to convince anyone other than our own-selves to get the firm
conviction.
So they clearly
indicate that the rituals and theories are not meant for those who are searching for the
higher knowledge or wisdom. The path of
wisdom is the only means to acquire Self-knowledge or Bramha Gnana or Atma Gnana.
