Trev Light Bown: You say formless witness will never be experienced and that Guru/ disciple
as pointer to truth within is for ignorant. But Adi Shankara who you endlessly
quote from was indeed such a disciple. See quote below.............
" Sannyasa
At the age of 8, Shankara was inclined towards sannyasa, but it was only after
much persuasion that his mother finally gave her consent. He only received her
consent in a very interesting manner. While bathing in the river Poorna one
day, a crocodile caught hold of his leg. Shankara appealed to his mother, who
had arrived at Poorna, asking for permission to become a sanyasi. His mother
finally gave consent, only to have the crocodile let go of young Shankara. A
crocodile had never been found in Poorna ever since[21] Shankara then left
Kerala and travelled towards North India in search of a guru. On the banks of
the Narmada River, he met Govinda Bhagavatpada the disciple of Gaudapada at
Omkareshwar. When Govinda Bhagavatpada asked Shankara's identity, he replied
with an extempore verse that brought out the Advaita Vedanta philosophy.
Govinda Bhagavatapada was impressed and took Shankara as his
disciple.[22]"
SK: Dearest Trev, - Sage Sri, Sankara wisdom
(Advaita) —Without a Parallel Sage Sri Sankara's wisdom is lofty, sublime
and unique. It is highly interesting, inspiring and elevating. No other wisdom can
stand before it in boldness, depth and subtle thinking. Sage Sri, Sankara’s philosophy is complete and
perfect
Sage Sri Sankara was a mighty, marvellous genius. He was a profound
thinker of the first rank. He was a sage of the highest realization. His wisdom
has brought solace, peace and illumination to countless persons in the world.
The Western thinkers bow their heads at the lotus-feet of Sri Sankara. His wisdom
has soothed the sorrows and afflictions of the most forlorn persons, and
brought hope, joy, wisdom, perfection, freedom and calmness to many. His wisdom
commands the admiration of the whole world.
Biographical anecdotes about his
childhood about the crocodile story and the story in Sage Sri, Sankara's life of going to Benares and
occupying the body of another man and then having sex intercourse with his
wife, is a myth created by orthodoxy hiding the real fact the reason best-known
to the orthodoxy. Sage, Sri, Sankara had the scientific spirit and when told by
Saraswathi the woman that he was talking emptily about sex, being a Sanyasi, he
at once went to learn the truth by having actual intercourse himself and thus
learning by experiment and observation.
Thus all the myth
about Sage Sri, Sankara is nothing to do with the seeker of truth because the
seeker is concerned only with the wisdom of the Sage Sri, Sankara.
Sage Sri, Sankara: - "Though I wear these
robes of a Sanyasin, it is only for the sake of bread." (Select Works of Sage Sri, Sankara"
also his commentary on Brihad)
Sage Sri, Sankara: - The
Gnani "should pass through life", not run away from life and should
take a middle course between seeking worldly honor and worldly abasement. (Chap.3.4.50; Sankara's commentary to
Brahma Sutras)
Sage Sri, Sankara's work has got
two aspects: the practical and the spiritual. He gave religious, ritual or
dogmatic instruction to the populace but pure wisdom 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.
Sage Sri, Sankara varied his
practical advice and doctrinal teaching according to the people he was amongst.
He never told them to give 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. He was no fool in writing. Sage Sankara did more than write books or
initiate Sanyasin: He brought India into a unity as a nation. He told people to
Worship what they wish, remain in their particular religion, caste and creed,
but remember also you are part of a larger whole.
The look of an object
will depend upon the medium through the observer views it. In fact our mental
and intellectual conditions will determine the phenomenal world observed and experienced.
The orthodox pundit seeing
Sage Sri, Sankara will see differently from the A Gnani seeing the same Sage
Sri, Sankara. Each one of them
interprets the world that they see in terms of their existing knowledge. The orthodox sees Sri, Sankara as founder of
their religion and also as a guru of Advaitic orthodox sect. A man of truth sees Sage Sri, Sankara not as a
guru but as a Gnani. The orthodoxy believes their experience of the birth, life,
death and rebirth and the world as reality. Whereas a Gnani sees the world is
mere illusion created out of consciousness.
Thus Gnani sees no second thing other than consciousness. The one who
treads the path of wisdom gains the knowledge of the reality beyond form, time
and space. A Gnani has delved into and
he transcended consciously all identification with the experience form, time
and space.
Similarly orthodoxy
has to be bifurcated from philosophy. To know Nondualistic wisdom of Sage Sri,
Sankara one has to be free from all superstitions and dogmas and orthodoxy and
scriptural knowledge. The seeker has to
be more rational and scientific in his attitude.
According to Advaita
Vedanta, the Veda addresses itself to two kinds of audiences - the ordinary
ones who desire the transitory heaven and other pleasures obtained as a result
of ritual sacrifices, and the more advanced seeker who seeks to know Brahman.
Thus, the purva mimam.sa, with its emphasis on the karma kanda of the Vedas, is
meant for the first audience, to help lead its followers along the way.
However, the Vedanta, with its emphasis on the Jnana Kanda, is meant for those
who wish to go beyond such transient pleasures.
Sage Sri, Sankara said: - Talk as much
philosophy as you like, worship as many gods as you please, observe ceremonies
and sing devotional hymns, but the liberation will never come, even after a
hundred aeons, without realizing the Oneness.
Philosophy does not begin with the ultimate truth. Ultimate truth has to
be proved, not assumed. Hence, so-called philosophers who take Brahman for
granted are not philosophers at all.
Lots of Advaitin scholars will teach that all is yourself, but none of
them can show that this is so, none has analyzed it scientifically, and none
can prove it. Rational proof is required, so that one arrive at knowing the
ultimate truth or Brahman i.e. Gnana. Theirs is mere dogma, parrotism, a repetition
of what they read in scripture. Authoritarianism merely assumes as true
what another says, but what has yet to be proved.
Sage Sri Sankara’s whole teaching can be summed up into one sentence,
‘There is nothing else but Brahman. He says that the Absolute Existence,
Absolute Knowledge and Absolute Bliss are 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 different individuals. The
individual has no reality. Only the Self is real; the rest, mental and physical
are but passing appearances.
Genuine philosophy must be
independent of religion, that in Sage Sri, Sankara himself the Saguna Brahman
or a personal God is only a part of the phenomenal (if not illusory) world, and
the Nirguna Brahman is the only reality and has nothing to do with
religion.
Sage Sri Sankara pokes fun at ascetics
and points out that all their austerities do not cause desires to go (Altar Flowers" Page 205, v.2 P.207
v.4)
The Brahma Sutras together with Sri
Sankara's commentary thereon do not contain the higher wisdom. They are
intended for those who are incapable of thinking rationally.
Sage Sri, Sankara's commentary on the
Brahma Sutras is not on a philosophical basis, but on an orthodox and mystic basis,
with appeal to the Vedas as final authority.
In Brahma Sutra Sage Sri, Sankara
takes the position that there is another entity outside us, i.e. the wall
really exists separately from the mind. This was because Sage Sri, Sankara
explains in Mandukya that those who study the Sutras are orthodox minds,
intellectual children, hence his popular view point to assist them. These
people are afraid to go deeper because it means being heroic enough to refuse
to accept Sruti, and God's authority, in case they mean punishment by God. A Gnani says the scriptures for children, but
wise seekers will think rationally.
In Brahma Sutras Sage Sri, Sankara
takes for granted, assumes that a world was created: He there mixes dogmatic
theology with philosophy.
That God created the world is an
absolute lie, nevertheless one will find Sage Sri, Sankara (in his commentary
on Vedanta Sutras) clearly says this! He has to adapt his teachings to his
audience, reserving the highest for philosophical minds.
The text of Brahma Sutras is based
on religion, dogmatism but in the commentary Sage Sri, Sankara cleverly
introduced some philosophy. If it is objected that a number of Upanishads are
equally dogmatic because they also begin by assuming Brahman, only a few
Upanishads do not, but prove Brahman at the end of a train of proof.
Scholars
translation of Brahma Sutras in Sacred Books of East must be read cautiously as
he has not understood its highest sense, e.g. for Advaita they wrongly puts
"Unity" instead of “Non-duality."
Sage
Sri Sankara gave religion and scholasticism and yoga no less than philosophy,
to the seeking world. He was great enough to be able to do so. His commentary
on Mandukya is pure philosophy, but many of his other books are presented from
a religious standpoint to help those who cannot rise up to philosophy.
Orthodoxy
is the home of mysticism and deification that is why they are not keen rational
truth. Thus Sage Sankara is guru to the religious followers and he is a great Gnani
to the seeking world.
