Trev Light Bown:- Jnana or awareness without conceptual constructions is declared to be
Brahman. This awareness is unborn, without sleep or dream, without name and
form and is omniscient. When there are no thoughts about objects, awareness
rests in itself and attains equanimity. This is called contactless
concentration or asparsha yoga and even the yogis are afraid of it.[23]
“ That highest Bliss exists in one’s own Self. It is calm, identical with liberation, indescribable, and unborn. Since It is one with the unborn knowable (Brahman), the knowers of Brahman speak of It as the Omniscient. No Jiva (individual), whichever, is born. It has no cause (of birth). This is the highest Truth where nothing is born whatsoever. — Verse 3.47-48, Mandukya Karika.[21
SK:-
Dear Trev Light Bown, The non-dualistic truth is a
rational or scientific truth declared by Lord Buddha, Sage Sri, Gaudapada and Sri, Sankara centuries back but
unfortunately the original essence of the rational nonduality is lost mainly
because adulteration with orthodoxy with so many new add-Onns from different saints
and sages time to time. It is very
difficult bifurcate all the ad-onns. Thus it is better drop scriptures like Buddha
and follow the path of reason.
The seeker has first indulge in
deeper self-search without scriptures and understand assimilate the truth independently
to realize the real non-dualistic essence, which leads to self-awareness. Thus,
independent thinking, reasoning and judgment is very much necessary in pursuit
of truth.
As one goes deeper and
deeper in his self-search he realizes the Buddha was right in rejecting the
religion and its concepts of god and scriptures. Thus the wisdom will by following any
scriptures or instruction given in the scriptures. Scriptures are mere sign
posts. The seeker has to realize the truth without the scriptures.
Self- Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or
Atma Gnana is only is true knowledge and absence of duality is not Self-knowledge
or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. Self -Knowledge
or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana cannot destroy the world but it eliminates the ignorance and exposes the
unreal nature of the mind or the universe.
Sage Sri
Sankara, 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.
Thus it proves that religion is not the means to
self-knowledge.
Sage Sri, Sankara:- VC-56 - Neither by the practice of yoga nor philosophy, nor by good
works nor by learning, does liberation come, but only through the realization
that Atman and Brahman are one in no other way.
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.
VC- 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 utters the name of the medicine,
without taking it; (similarly) without direct realization one cannot be liberated
by the mere utterance of the word Brahman.
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.
All the accumulated
knowledge from religion and yoga and paths and theories are are obstacles in
unfolding the mystery of the mind.
Even Upanishad says:
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)
Mundaka Upanishad:- This Atman cannot be attained through the study of
the Vedas, nor through intelligence, nor through much learning. He who chooses
Ataman—by him alone is Ataman attained. It is Ataman that reveals to the seeker
Its true nature. (3
–page-70
Mundaka
Upanishad Upanishads by Nikilanada)
When the
Upanishads say:- It is attained by him alone whom It chooses. To such a one Ataman
reveals its own form. Then what is the
use of indulging through our intelligence or our accumulated knowledge, when
one is not chosen by the self, which is the soul, which is in the form of
consciousness.
The seeker has to verify and accept the truth and reject the untruth. When Buddha verified Vedic religion, god and
scriptures and found them they are not means for self-realization and rejected
them. Then he was on his own and found
the truth through deeper reasoning and got enlightenment. Without being judgmental
about your views, I am expressing my views derived from deeper self-search.
Even in
the Buddhism: - Buddhist teaching has
itself become a kind of interactive and self-evolving process, much like its
idea of pratityasamutpada. However, the end goal is still Nirvana, which is an
experience ultimately beyond all concepts and language, even beyond the
Buddhist teachings. In the end even the attachment to the Dharma, the Buddhist
teaching, must be dropped like all other attachments. The tradition compares
the teaching to a raft upon which one crosses a swift river to get to the other
side; once one is on the far shore; there is no longer
any need to carry the raft. The far shore is Nirvana, and it is also said that
when one arrives, one can see quite clearly that there was never any river at
all.
Non-Duality means not the
non-existence of a second thing, but its nonexistence as other than
consciousness. One must know it is of the same substance as the objects.
Non dual Truth is possible only in
duality when the knower and a known both are present. Hence truth is one’s idea
of a thing. Reality is the fact, the thing itself. Words are used for
communication about the reality. Ultimate truth is beyond all doubt and
contradiction. It is not assumption or idea but the Reality itself. Hence
ultimate truth and ultimate reality are one and the same.
The scriptures and
theories and teaching based on the ego are not the yardstick. Using them as
yardstick to understand and assimilate the truth will lead one to all doubts and
confusion. The seeker of truth has to discover the truth on his own by
inquiring “what is mind?” and “what is the substance of the mind?” and move
forward.
The ultimate truth is
one without the second, the one is not in the sense half or two, but the one
that remains forever One, without the second.
The consciousness is all pervading. Everything is Consciousness and consciousness
is everything.
There is no man but the mind. There
is no universe but mind. There is no god but mind. There is no waking but
mind. The man and his universe and his
individual god and waking experience exist only when the mind exists. The mind
exists because of ignorance. The ignorance is there until the illusion is
experienced as reality. The
mind is a myth. The world is a myth the waking experience is a myth. Deeper self-search reveals the fact that. The whole
universe exists because of mind. Thus mind is universe. Mind is duality. Mind is
waking. Therefore mind is not limited to man but mind is the whole universe. The
formless substance and witness of the mind is consciousness.
Consciousness is that which knows
everything, that which sees. Consciousness alone remains after one gets rid of
all thoughts and ideas by identification with self. Consciousness is only the
seer; it is not Brahman that is an error. It becomes Brahman only after an
inquiry and reasoning.
Consciousness is in
everyone, consciousness is in everything .Consciousness is one behind many.
Consciousness alone is. It means the universe is the illusory form of
consciousness.
Since not all people
are aware of the fact that, they are an experience within another experience (waking
or dream). The mind is an experience, which contains everyone and everything
and the universe. Since one limits the mind to the physical entity, he forgets
the fact that, his body and the universe are an experience, within waking or
dream experience. It is impossible to unfold the mystery of his true existence
without realizing the fact that, the self is not physical but the self is
consciousness. If the self is not
physical then it is erroneous to judge and conclude the truth on the base of
the physical self or ego. Thus the truth has to be judged on the base of the
true self, which is consciousness.
Until and unless one rectifies the seeking
base from form to formless the truth will not be revealed.
As one gets convinced, certain, of
the truth that the world is nothing but consciousness, and there is no second
thing, then he gets firm conviction
that, all the three states to be consciousness in the midst of duality. Realizing the truth in the midst of duality is
wisdom.
The seeker has to practice thinking
that he is neither the doer nor the enjoyer and his existence as a person is
limited to the waking experience. Thus
neither the waking entity nor the dream entity is the self. The true self is that which witnesses the
three states as a whole. When he realizes
the waking entity is not the self, then he will gradually realize the fact
that, whatever is seen as waking or dream is only mirage created out of
consciousness. Therefore when he realizes the waking experience is the mirage then he realizes the stuff from
the mirage is made, which is consciousness to be real.
Nonduality does not need the support of any
Scripture or Revelation like the Veda and Upanishads. Since it is based, not
upon the varying theological fancies, which are as numerous as the sands of the
sea, but upon reason, the common heritage of all mankind, irrespective of Colour
or creed or clime.
Thus, self-knowledge 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.
All my conviction derived from inner revelation.
I am quoting scriptures to highlight they are also saying the same thing. I am not trying to prove my conviction , but
it is for every seeker who is in the path of truth to prove himself to know
“What is truth, “and “What is untruth?” to assimilate the Self –knowledge or Brahma
Gnana or Atma Gnana.
