Yoga is not the means to self-knowledge,

Pathanjali Yogasutras are meant for the lower web. Yoga is not the means to self-knowledge, because it is practiced on the base of the physical self/false self. Yoga is based on imagination .  One has to imagine that there are seven chakras and practice which leads only to hallucinated Samadhi experience.  And all the yogic recommended yogic  prescriptions are impossible to practice in this materialistic  world.     The deeper inquiry revels the fact that, the “Self” is not physical therefore  it  is no use of  yoga, because  the ultimate  truth lies beyond physicality. Thus, whatever is based on physical self is bound to be falsehood.  Yoga is only good for physical fitness and temporary peace. 

v  The idea of detaching oneself from the world of senses and sense impressions is deeply embedded in Yoga.

v  Patanjali’s yoga Sutras specifically mention the various steps in reaching Enlightenment including Pratyahara. Pratyahara means to withdraw the senses from the outer world.

v  The great yogis say that without detachment, one cannot make clear progress towards the goal of Self-Realization.

v  Practice of yoga, meditation, and detachment from the world is central to many traditional teachings on Moksha, NIrvana, and Liberation.

Radical nondual texts like Ashtavakra Gita also speak about dispassion. For example, after King Janaka asks the Sage Ashthavakra how to attain liberation (Chapter 1, verse 1), Ashthavakra immediately says, “If you are seeking liberation, my son, avoid the objects of the senses like poison and cultivate tolerance, sincerity, compassion, contentment, and truthfulness as the antidote.” (Chapter 1, verse 2).

However, later in Chapter 15 (verse 12), Asthavakra says, “My son, you consist of pure consciousness, and the world is not separate from you. So who is to accept or reject it, and how, and why?”

When we review the Advaitic texts, they seem to alternate between religious based Advitic  teachings and non-religious  teachings. It appears that different verses are meant to appeal to aspirants at different levels of understanding. The highest and the most subtle teaching of the Self typically comes after one rejects the religious based Advitic teaching and  bifurcates all religious add-ons  from them .

Indeed, if we inquire, analyze and reason  deeply into the nature of the mind , it becomes clear that, there is no need for physical based  practice of  detachment, because the self is not physical.  People  have the conviction that  they are individual separate from the world due to ignorance. This is ignorance is the cause for experiencing the birth, life and death as reality. When one becomes aware of the fact that the self is not physical but it is formless spirit, then he also becomes aware that in reality the “Self” is birthless and deathless. 

One has to mentally detach the illusion from the formless witness and become aware of the fact that, to realize that there is neither  witness nor witnessed on the ultimate standpoint.

 The  the whole notion of detachment is religious idea based on the physical self  . whatever is based on religion is mere  assumption that there is something to be detached from.  This has to be understood very clearly.

All religion based non-dualism is also is dualism, because their preaching is based on non-duality and practice is based on duality. If dualism is sought to be rejected as a philosophy or a world view, it only ends up reinforcing dualism. The very attempt to reject implies a holding on, an attachment to something perceived as real and important. This is not the way of Oneness.

Only  through wisdom  the ignorance  vanishes  and reality is realized . the reality  is the formless substance and witness of the three states ,which is illusion. What is required is awareness of that formless substance and witness.

One need to understand the body and the world together is illusion therefore, there is a need to mentally  negate them both together in order to grasp and realize the non-dual truth.  Yoga keeps one in the grip of individuality. Individuality makes one think he is an individual separate from the world. Until the world is not included in his realization, one will remain in the conviction that, the birth, life and death as reality.   Till birth, life and death is accepted as reality one cannot cross the threshold of duality/illusion/mind.

  

 Therefore, there is a need to know the “mind” and the substance of the “mind” in order to overcome the illusion in which I , you , others and the universe exists.   When one becomes mentally become aware of the formless substance and witness of the illusion, then  he will  be able to assimilate and realize the non-dual truth.

There is no place for a personal God in pursuit of truth

There is no place for a personal God in pursuit of truth, because personal  God  is also is part of the illusion. Illusion appears as real because of the curtain of ignorance. Just as the dream world  is reality until waking takes place, similarly, waking world  is also reality until ignorance prevails.

The difference between the  the  soul  and the mind  decreases and upon true knowledge, liberation occurs.

 That is why swami Vivekananda said :- 

 

THE MASSES IN INDIA CRY TO SIXTY MILLION GODS, AND STILL DIE LIKE DOGS. WHERE ARE THESE GODS?

Knowing this, stand up and fight! Not one step back that is the idea. ... Fight it out, whatever comes. Let the stars move from the sphere! Let the whole world stand against us! Death means only a change of garment. What of it? Thus fight! You gain nothing by becoming cowards. ... Taking a step backward, you do not avoid any misfortune. You have cried to all the gods in the world. Has misery ceased? The masses in India cry to sixty million gods, and still die like dogs. Where are these gods? ... The gods come to help you when you have succeeded. So what is the use? Die game. ... This bending the knee to superstitions, this selling yourself to your own mind does not befit you, my soul. You are infinite, deathless, birthless. Because you are infinite spirit, it does not befit you to be a slave. ... Arise! Awake! Stand up and fight! Die if you must. There is none to help you. You are the entire world. Who can help you?

- Swami Vivekananda
(Delivered In San Francisco, on May 28, 1900)
The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda/Volume 1/Lectures And Discourses/The Gita II

 

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, which is a part of Vedas, Declares that:-Brahman is the form of the Athma, and it is indeed Athma itself. 

Thus the soul or Atman is ultimate truth or Brahman. ultimate truth or Brahman is God. 

The Soul is self-evident

 

The Soul  is self-evident. It is not established by extraneous proofs. It is not possible to deny the soul, because it is the very essence of the one who denies it. The soul  is the basis of all kinds of knowledge, presuppositions and proofs. The soul is the innermost self.  The innermost  Self is within, the innermost  Self is without; the innermost self is present  in the form of consciousness. Consciousness is before, consciousness is behind; consciousness  is on the right, consciousness  is on the left; consciousness is above and consciousness  is below. Thus everything is consciousness. Thus no second thing exists other than consciousness.

Soul is not an object, as it  is invisible , beyond the reach of the eyes. It is not another. It is all-full, infinite, changeless, self-existent, self-delight, self-knowledge. It is essence. It is the essence of the knower. It is the formless substance and  Witness of the illusion or universe or physical existence. 

Soul is  impersonal, and without attributes, formless, without special characteristics, immutable, eternal and non-agent. It is above all needs and desires. It is always the Witnessing Subject. It can never become an object as it is beyond the reach of the physicality. soul is in the form of consciousness or spirit. Soul is the subject and illusion is an object to the the soul. The soul is permanent and illusion is impermanent.  Soul pervades in everything and everywhere in illusion. 

 Soul, the innermost Self  is non-dual, one without a second. It has no other beside It. It is destitute of difference, either external or internal. Soul  cannot be described, because description implies distinction. Soul cannot be distinguished from any other than it. In the soul , there is not the distinction of substance and attribute. Non dual awareness constitute the very essence of the soul , and not just its attributes.  The soul  is impersonal. It becomes a personal only through its association with the three states or illusion.

The the truth has to be searched not between the man and his experience of the world ,but between the the illusion and its formless witness.

Words! the Way to ultimate reality is beyond language. From ultimate standpoint There is no life, no birth, and no death no world.

We need very less words to understand  and assimilate the ultimate truth but because of inborn conditioning using of more  words are inevitable in order to grasp the reality beyond form,time and space.   There is no each of us but all of us   including  the world[illusion]  is not different from the consciousness . Consciousness is the formless substance and witness of the three states.    Because   inborn conditioning and    conviction one is ignorant of the reality,which is beyond form,time and space. Because of the inborn conditioning   one thinks he is and individual separate from the world, therefore,  he is unable to cross the threshold of duality. The soul is the innermost self. The soul is in the form of consciousness.

When ‘Self’  is within the three states as its formless substance   and it is  without the three states. Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana  clears all the  doubts and  confusions and dispels the ignorance.

Experience means duality. Man and his experience of the world are with in the experience(waking or dream) . Man and his experience of the world together forms the mind.  thus mind is mere an experience. The experience is always illusion. 

Only in the  illusion the duality is possible. Since, the man is the  illusory identity within the illusion. Therefore, man is not the “Self”. Considering man as self and trying to assimilate Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana leads to intellectuality.    Therefore, there is a need to understand the fact that ,  the the truth has to be searched not between the man and his experience of the world ,but between the the illusion and its formless witness.  Then only one will be able to trace the non-dual reality. 

  

Any experience involves two – the one who experiences, and what is being experienced both are part of the illusion. The non-dual  truth is hidden within the illusion as its formless substance and witness. 

The wisdom is not an experience but it is realization of the truth.  One realizes the  body and world are mere illusion  created out of the soul(consciousness or spirit) .  Therefore, the diversity is mere illusion created out of single stuff.  Thus, one should not get fooled by the experiences experienced on the waking entity, but one has to realize the fact  that,  the waking entity itself is illusory,  because the waking experience itself  is illusion. Therefore, man and his world does not exist in reality ,what exists is the non-dual existence, which is without the man and his world.  Therefore, one has to come out of the idea of the body and world disappearing . The body and world never disappears  but in the midst of the waking experience the non-dual wisdom dawns. When the wisdom dawns then the body and the world becomes unreal for the Gnani.

 Gnani sees the world not on the physical base, but on the base of the soul, thew innermost self. Thus he is fully aware of the fact that,  his body and world are also consciousness or  spirit.  Therefore, there is neither body, nor the world but only the spirit ,which is the true self.  Therefore, there is no second-thing exists for Gnani other then consciousness.   

 A true seeker drops all his idea of individual experiences ,which lead him to investigate  the meaning  of his experiences.  the formless soul or consciousness remains eternally  and the illusory three states comes and goes are  impermanent.   Therefore seeker has to focus his attention on on the permanent and become one with it  in order to mentally drop the three states . 

It is impossible to experience  ultimate truth the on the physical self. The physical self is individual self  within the world . Individual self and the world are part of the illusion.  Thus whatever is experienced on the base of individual self is mere illusion. 

 The formless soul or consciousness, the innermost self pervades the whole illusion and  soul  is beyond illusion.  Therefore, giving importance to individual experiences within the illusion keeps one in grip  of the illusion(duality).  Therefore, seeker of truth has to come out of the grip of illusion(duality) by realizing the fact that, the  self is not physical  but it is the formless soul or spirit.   On the base of the soul  the innermost self ,  no experience is possible, thus all experiences are mere illusion.

Through meditation or yoga it is  impossible to acquire non-dual wisdom, because they are practiced on the the base of physical self,which is the false self(ego or waking entity) within the false experience(waking).   Whatever achieved on the base of physical self is bound to be illusion.  Therefore, there is need to know how the physical existence is illusion and what is reality to enter the non-dual kingdom.   Therefore, I , you ,others and the world are part of the illusion. What exists without I , you , others and the world is reality.

Where are the three states? It can never be seen or even apprehended. It is like a magical illusion. Searching for their truth, unable to see it, a person looks for its origin. The soul is the source of the mind from where it rises and subsides. Mind does not arise without the soul, the innermost self. The physical eye cannot look at itself. Just as the blade of a sword cannot cut itself, so  the soul , the innermost self cannot see itself, because it is formless and there is no second thing exists to see  other then itself.

With the aid of Self-Knowledge, the seekers will be able to cross the threshold duality or illusion.   Through  the Self –Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana  gets rid of the ignorance, which is the cause for experiencing the duality as reality.

The manner in which the fire burns down the firewood, same way the fire of Self –Knowledge will reduce the illusion into ashes. The Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana is capable of liberating the seekers from the shackles of physicality. 

There is no knowledge is higher then the Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.  The seeker who has urge to know the truth seriously and sincerely will be able to acquire Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

Seeker of truth has to strive mentally not physically for the achievement of Self-Knowledge in order to get freedom from experiencing illusion/duality as reality.   

The body and the world are not apart from the mind.

The body and the world are not apart from the mind. If mind is there then only  the body and the world are present. Absent of mind, is absent of body and world. Therefore, limiting the mind to the physical entity alone creates the sense of separation. Separation is the cause of egocentricity. The egocentricity  is the cause of ignorance. Ignorance is cause of experiencing the illusion(duality) as reality.

Till one thinks he is and individual separate from the world, he will remain in the grip of duality/illusion, and he will not be able to assimilate Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. The one who bases himself on the birth entity will think,he is born in this world and world existed prior to him.

For the soul is the innermost  self. the soul is present in the form of consciousness.   Soul is birthless and deathless.  Nor having once been, does it ever cease to be. It is unborn and eternal, ever existing, undying and primeval. It is does not die when the body and the world dies. The true “ Soul, the innermost Self” is hidden within the three states as their formless substance and witness. In reality the formless substance and witness are one in essence.

Mind (body and world) and soul are one in essence. The mind rises from the formless  soul or consciousness, the innermost self and subsides as soul or consciousness. There is neither body nor the world in the realm of the soul, the innermost self. 

The body and the world is part of the waking experience, which is present in the form of mind. Same way as the dream body and the world are part of the dream. The body and the world of the dream or waking appear together and disappear together. The one which is aware of the appearance and disappearance of the three states is not body but the formless soul. Thus, on the standpoint of the soul, the innermost self, the three states are unreal, because the three states are  mere mirage created out of the formless soul, the innermost self. Therefore, there is neither the body nor the world exists when one becomes aware of the fact that, the  the soul, the innermost self.