Just because we can't see the soul it doesn’t mean it doesn't exist, although this is a common way in which people deny the existence of the soul, which is in the form of consciousness. People think the soul does not exist because their master say so or some teaching say so or some scriptures say so. First they must know the fact that, the soul is not individual but it is universal and it pervades the whole universe as its formless substance.
However, one can attest to the fact that, it does exist, because the whole physical existence is dependent on it. Even though one can't see it but he cannot exist without it. Without it noting can exists and nothing can be known or seen or experienced. Until one thinks his body or ego as self he will remain ignorant of the soul, which is in the form of consciousness. Thus he remains unaware of the consciousness because he is in duality. He identifies the self with the physical body and become ignorant of the soul and experiences the duality as reality.
Man remains as the part of the objective world and tries to discover the ultimate truth not realizing the fact that he and his experience of the universe is an object to the formless subject. He applies it to things seen as an individual. This is because he is ignorant of the relation between the formless subject [soul] and the object [mind or universe]. He judges everything on the base of the object as subject and trying to know and realize the ultimate truth on the base of objectified subject. Whatever objects are known by the ego, are objects within the object [universe].
Thoughts are also objects because it is the part of the objective universe. The thoughts will not rise without the form, which is an object. Whether the objects are there or not, consciousness will always be there, even in deep sleep.
Psychologists say that if the object is not there to draw ones attention, then there is no consciousness. The latter, therefore insist on consciousness being a relation between one who is aware and an object of which he is aware. A Gnani differ in the meaning of the term consciousness.
Ultimate truth means the knowledge of the non-relation, and relation whereas psychology as well as in religious or pseudo-Vedanta Consciousness is only Witnessing.
Psychologists have analyzed much as far as subject-object relation i.e.mind plus object equals consciousness and then stopped. But they have to analyze still further in the direction of noting that all objects are constantly changing, illusion, which implies that there is a constant standard of reference, something that notes the changes because it keeps unchanged itself. That something is Consciousness.
The idea of change presupposes existence of something unchanging, how does one distinguish this change from changelessness? By what means do one has to know that change has occurred? There is, there must be a changeless knower of the ever-changing; whilst all changes the consciousness remains unchanged.
Thoughts are arising within the mirage and pass away every moment. Every object is an idea within the mirage. Hence every object has no more value than that of a thought because both are part of the mirage.
The moment is time. The time creates division in consciousness, which is the true self. The past, present and future exists within the myth and so also this and that.
Therefore Self-Realization is necessary to know what truth is and what is untruth.
That is what Yajurved says: not to worship the things which are part of the falsehood.
Translation 1.
They enter darkness, those who worship natural things (for example air, water, sun, moon, animals, fire, stone, etc).
They sink deeper in darkness those who worship sambhuti. (Sambhuti means created things, for example table, chair, idol etc.)
[Yajurved 40:9]
Translation 2.
"Deep into shade of blinding gloom fall asambhuti's worshippers. They sink to darkness deeper yet who on sambhuti are intent."
[Yajurveda Samhita by Ralph T. H. Giffith pg 538]
Translation 3.
"They are enveloped in darkness, in other words, are steeped in ignorance and sunk in the greatest depths of misery who worship the uncreated, eternal prakrti -- the material cause of the world -- in place of the All-pervading God, But those who worship visible things born of the prakrti, such as the earth, trees, bodies (human and the like) in place of God are enveloped in still greater darkness, in other words, they are extremely foolish, fall into an awful hell of pain and sorrow, and suffer terribly for a long time."
[Yajur Veda 40:9.]
So, Yajur Veda indicates that:-
They sink deeper in darkness those who worship sambhuti. (Sambhuti means created things, for example table, chair, idol etc [Yajurved 40:9]
Those who worship visible things born of the prakrti, such as the earth, trees, bodies (human and the like) in place of God are enveloped in still greater darkness, in other words, they are extremely foolish, fall into an awful hell of pain and sorrow, and suffer terribly for a long time." [Yajur Veda 40:9.]
The religion of the Veda knows no idols
Max Müller says:- "The religion of the Veda knows no idols; the worship of idols in India is a secondary formation, a degradation of the more primitive worship of ideal gods."
Therefore, there was no individual god or temples and worships in Vedic religion, which existed prior to Buddhism. Thus the individualized gods and temples must have been built later on, when the worships of idol were introduced. Thus the Vedic religion which existed in the past was free from idol and nature worship and idol worshiping rituals.
Thus, the present day’s worship of individual gods, created things, nature and human are against Vedic teachings, and it looks like it has been fabricated and introduced by priest craft. Since it, has passed on from one generation to the next it is hard for the people to believe the truth of their own religion, because they have sentimentally and emotionally involved in it and they refuse to accept anything else other than their inherited beliefs.
The Vedas are the only scriptures in the world which declare:-
It is impossible to find and realize the truth via religion and scriptural study. Even Upanishads conform this.
Katha Upanishad:
This Ataman 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 Ataman reveals Its own form. [Katha Upanishad Ch-II -23-P-20]
Mundaka Upanishad :-
This Ataman cannot be attained through 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 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.
Many people follow both Bhakti as well as Jnana. Adavitic sages in the past composed numerous hymns for various Gods and Godesses by mixing both dual and non-dualistic ideas.
Many sages used to illustruate, the formless (Nirakar God) ocean water under the cold currents of bhakti freezes take a shape as ice (Saakar God). The same ice (Saakar God) under the heat of Gyan dissolves and again becomes the formless ocean (Niraakar God).
All the Adavitins belive in god and goddesses [vidya] and performing rituals and other sacrifices[Avidya] both are hindrance to self-knowledge according to Ish Upanishds, then why the seeker of truth needs worshiping of god and goddesses, when essence of Advaita is Ataman is Brahman [soul or self as ultimate reality]. When the self is formless there is no need pada pooja [feet worship] Advaitin gurus to get freedom. A guru who preaches conduct as the means to freedom believes in birth, life death and the world as reality, whereas the Advaitic sage Sri, Sankara declares the world as unreal. Therefore, how actions performed in unreal world can get moksha or freedom. Therefore, there is need to know the fact that the self is not physical in order to understand and assimilate and realize the truth beyond physicality.
Isa Upanishads indicates that: By worshiping gods and goddesses and going to the world of gods after death is of no use. The time one spends in ritualistic practices is wasted; one can spend same time moving forward towards Self-knowledge, which is the main goal. One cannot reach the non-dual destination by glorifying god and goddesses and by doing that, one goes deeper and deeper into darkness. It surely indicates the fact that, the seeker of truth has to drop the worshiping god and goddess in order to get self-knowledge or Bramha Gnana or Atma Gnana.
It also indicates that, Religious Rituals [Avidya] is Karma [action] and therefore a hindrance. By performing Agnihotra and other sacrifices [Avidya] is a roundabout way of purifying the mind, and it is also groping in the dark.
In addition, it indicates the karma is limited only to the religious rituals, not on the whole human life. This karma theory based on the human conduct must have been adopted from Buddhism and other theories based on human conducts.
When it says: Perform the obligatory karmas without any attachment to the fruits, and at the same time worship gods and goddesses, again without any desire to go to heaven - then you can get the benefit of both, liberation and bliss. For those who are not yet ready to renounce, this path is recommended, it mean that the religion and its idea of god and goddesses and code of conducts, and its rituals are meant for the mass who are incapable of thinking of the beyond.
In addition, it also speaks of heaven the abode of gods, where one goes after death, and it speaks of rebirth, this contradiction, seeker has to conclude that religion, rituals god and its code of conducts is meant for the mass that is not receptive to self-knowledge.
When the self is not the body (‘waking entity or ego’) whatever one sees, knows, believes, experiences and feels on the base of the body (waking entity’) as self is bound to be illusion. Thus, the karma performed in illusion is bound to be illusion. The birth, life and death is happening within the illusion, therefore it is bound to be illusion. Thus, rebirth and reincarnation theories based on the false self within the false experience are bound to be illusion on the base of the true self. Only the witness of the illusion is real (Brahman). Therefore, everything has to be viewed and judged, on the base of the Formless Witness (consciousness or soul) in order to overcome the illusion/duality.
Seeker of truth has to know somewhere he is going wrong, and it is for the seeker to go on his own and remove the obstacle. The greatest hindrance is mixing religion, god, scriptures, and yogic theories. Moreover, attachment to scriptures, personal god and religious code of conduct keeps one permanently in the grip of duality.
For the same reason Ramana Maharishi said: fortunate are the one who do not lose themselves in the labyrinths of philosophy. Bhagwan says: Take Vedanta, for instance: it speaks of 15 pranas the names and functions of it which the student is asked to commit memory. Will it not be sufficient if he thought, only one prana does the whole work of maintaining the body? Again the antakaran is said to think, to desire, to will, to reason etc. Why all these details? Has anyone seen antakarana, or all these pranas? Do they really exist? They are conceptual divisions invented by teachers of philosophy by their excessive analysis. Where do all these concepts end? Why should confusion created and then explained away? Fortunate is the man who does not lose him self in the labyrinths of philosophy, but goes straight to the source from which they all arise. (GURU RAMANA .By S.S Cohen -vii Danger of philosophy-Page -58-59)
The most valuable contribution of Sri, Sankar is that he gained general consciousness on the issue that the authoritative explanation of Upanishads, Geeta and Brhma Sutra was the final say in 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 Geeta. He stated that the Karma Kand 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 inner urge to know the truth and it is not for those who are immersed in earthly desires.
Sri Sankara’s whole teaching can be summed up into one sentence, ‘There is nothing else but Brhma. 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 Sri, Sankar 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 Brhma, 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 Sri, Sankar’s Mayavad has not been accepted by many preachers and philosophers.
When 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 or duality or mind) is unreal the formless is real (soul/consciousness/spirit/self/FW). 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 inner urge to know the truth and it is not for those who are immersed in earthly desires.
The scientists now concluded that you are not the brain [body]. Consciousness requires the joint operation of brain, body and world. "You are not your brain. The brain, rather, is part of what you are."
The Biology of Consciousness
by Alva Noë. Hill and Wang, 2009
Alva Noe, a University of California, Berkeley, philosopher and cognitive scientist, argues that after decades of concerted effort on the part of neuroscientists, psychologists and philosophers "only one proposition about how the brain makes us conscious ... has emerged unchallenged: we don't have a clue." The reason we have been unable to explain the neural basis of consciousness, he says, is that it does not take place in the brain. Consciousness is not something that happens inside us but something we achieve it is more like dancing than it is like the digestive process. To understand consciousness the fact that we think and feel and that a world shows up for us we need to look at a larger system of which the brain is only one element. Consciousness requires the joint operation of brain, body and world. "You are not your brain. The brain, rather, is part of what you are."
Thus, science is going in the right direction in its invention and one day it will declare that everything is consciousness, which Sage Sri Sankara declared 1200 years back –everything is Atman.
Thus we have to know the fact that Buddha, Goudpada and Sri,Sankara are not only reformers but also the greatest scientists. Since there original thesis have been lost in the labyrinths of philosophy and mutilated by pundits and priest craft, it becomes very difficult understand and assimilate the wisdom expounded by the great masters. In addition, the conservativeness of the orthodox scholars will not allow any research other than playing with the words, which suits the mass mind sets, because of their egocentric outlook.
All the add-ons have to be deleted, in order to understand and assimilate the real fragrance of the wisdom expounded by the great masters of Advaita, but it is hurricane task. Thus, it is no use going through all the scriptures, when there is direct path to non-dual truth. The same time and effort can be used to reach the non-dual destination, in lesser time and effort.
As one goes deeper investigation he finds:-
Sri, Sankara founded his Advaita Vedanta either on reason independent of sruti or on sruti confirmed by reason." Sri, Sankara's commentary on the Mandukya Upanishad, II, 1: This [the unreality of duality] is borne out by the Srutis ... But it is possible also to show the unreality of the object world even from pure reasoning, and this second chapter is undertaken for that purpose.
Sri, Sankara himself had often said that his philosophy was based on Sruti, or revealed scripture. This may be because Sri, Sankara addressed the ordinary man, who finds security in the idea of causality and thus in the idea of God—and Revelation is indispensable to prove the latter. He believed that those of superior intelligence, have no need of this idea of divine causality, and can therefore dispense with Sruti and arrive at the truth of Non-Dualism by pure reason.
Sri, Sankara, in debates with Buddhists and others who did not recognize the authority of the Vedas, had been obliged to prove the truth of Advaita by means of reason alone. Mandukya Upanishad, a scripture which appealed to reason to the exclusion of Revelation.
Non-duality does not need the support of any Scripture or Revelation like the Veda. For 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-self to get the firm conviction.
I am not trying to prove my views, but it is for you to prove yourself to know “What is truth, “and “What is untruth?” to assimilate the self -knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.
Karma, Bhakti, Raj yoga are not the means to path of wisdom. And mixing them up and trying to assimilate ultimate truth is impossibility.
There is no need to practice to devotion, karma and raja yoga because they are not the means to acquire non-dual wisdom. There is no practice as such but perfect understanding is needed. Deeper inquiry, analysis and reasoning revels the fact that, the self is not physical but the self is formless consciousness. Therefore, all the accumulated knowledge, experiences and understanding based on physical self (ego or body as Self) are falsehood based on the false self, within the false experience(waking). Thus, whatever is based on the waking entity is bound to be falsehood because waking experience itself is false hood. Since many teachers and teachings are based on the false self (ego or body as Self) and they consider the false experience (three states) as reality, they are incapable of grasping the witness, which is within the three states, but it is without the three states.
Thus, the formless knower of the three states has to be grasped mentally and realize the fact that, all the three states, which comes and goes, are mental. They are impermanent. The formless witness or knower of the three states is permanent and eternal. Therefore, there is a need to understand “What is Mind?” and “What is the substance of the Mind?” in order to understand and assimilate the non-dual truth.
For this one has drop all his accumulate knowledge, which he is using as a yardstick and lands himself in pursuit of argument without reaching anywhere. One has to think deeper and analyze and verify everything and accept only un-contradictable truth. Nothing has to be accepted as truth because some great thinker says it or I am saying it.
Those who lack the intelligence to discriminate between formless witness [subject] and three states [object] will not be able to grasp what is real and what is unreal. Both subject and object are consciousness, not subject alone.
The truth can never change. The nature of truth is, it can never be changed under any circumstances. It may be misrepresented. It must apply to the whole of existence, to the whole of the universe. It is in the object (three states) alone that one has all changes, as deeper analysis points out.
The subject [formless witness] remains unchanged. The subject (formless witness), as such remains immortal. It can never die for it never changes. The body and world are an object, and goes, but the subject or knower of the body and the universe, can never go. Seeker has to take this principle as his guiding thread and non-dual truth becomes easy to grasp. The formless witness can never be subject to the changes of the object; it is unchanged. The mistake usually made is that subject becomes object, or that object is subject.
If one wants to have absence of contradictions, absence of duality, there must be one entity, one being. If one has experience which is an object [mind], there is contradiction between subject and object, for "mind” is an object.
The duality is reality on the standpoint of the false self (ego or body as Self). The duality is mere mirage on the base of the true self, which is formless consciousness. This understanding comes only to the serious seeker, who has real urge to know the ultimate truth, which is beyond all the teachings and teachers. There is neither teaching, nor teacher, nor student in the realm of truth.
Different paths will not converge to the same Ultimate Reality because they are based on the false self. They are not the different stages in the same path. People fight about the differences and greatness of their chosen paths but only through wisdom one can realize the Ultimate Reality.
One has to have perfect understanding and march a head, surely and steadily, towards that Ultimate Reality, which is consciousness or Brahman or Christ or Buddha. One becomes limited to the concepts, names and forms within the waking or dream. Waking or dream originates from the soul.
The soul is the true self. The soul is in the form of consciousness. Realizing the consciousness as the true self is truth realization. Consciousness is formless, limitless, permanent and unchanging, and by its nature non-dual and universal. The consciousness is the formless knower of the mirage (universe)which comes and goes.
Realize Brahman or ultimate truth here and now, in this very life, not in next life and in ii next world by realizing the fact that, this life itself is illusion.
Truth realization is only for those who find the religion ,yoga and theoretical paths are inadequate and useless to quench their spiritual thirst.
