What will happen to these living people within the waking or dream?

 

The intellectuals say only children or idiots make no distinction between waking and dreaming. The point is when one analyzes the three states neither the dream is real, nor the waking is real. Waking is parallel dream.  Dream is parallel waking experience.

 When one is old, he finds his childhood and youth are like shadows. The runs he scored that in his youth years are unreal.  His dating with his teenage girlfriend is mere memories. He cannot touch them. What has become of them? It looks like a dream to him now. Thus even experience teaches a man that many things that he looks upon as real are mere ideas.

"Illustration" here means that having seen the individual experiences within the dream then all having proved unreal, one draws the general conclusion that they are all unreal. One cannot have referred to the dream if one had not seen the objects.

Seeker of truth should not think of objects of waking experience, or he will get confused. Thinking only of dream experiences, the number of objects seen by him in dreams does not exhaust the entire multitude which he could have seen, yet even though he has only seen some instances of dream objects yet he draws the general conclusion that they are unreal and that all possible dream objects will for ever be unreal. This is logic. From this one may draw the conclusions that all objects seen are unreal.

One has to begin with the waking experience. Here again he find a many instances of something like, 'all living creatures are mortal' because so many of the creatures he has seen them die. But he is unaware of the fact that he has seen them die in waking experience.

 One has seen all objects within the dream, and dream become unreal. Now waking objects are with in the waking and waking is also seen.

Objects are within the waking/dream and waking/dream is seen. The seen are unreal. These waking objects are within the waking. Hence they too are unreal. It is the being perceived, which constitutes the unreality.

Many objects are seen, whether in waking or in dream. The men one saw in waking or dream have died. One concludes humans die. But one is unaware of the fact that they die in waking or dream. The man and his experience of the world cannot exist without the waking or dream.

v  What will happen to these living people within the waking or dream?

They too will die but within waking or dream. Individual experiences of birth, life and death are part of the waking or dream. Waking or dream is an object to the formless witness or soul.   Waking or dream is all unreal. The formless witness is real and eternal.

When one is able to view and judge on the standpoint of real [soul or consciousness] then there is only non -duality.

 The dream becomes unreal when the waking takes place; similarly the waking becomes unreal when the wisdom dawns.  Therefore everything has to be grasped mentally, not argued on the intellectual point of view, which is limited to the false physical entity(ego or waking entity)  within the false experience. 

The unreal (mind or universe) is created out of real (soul or consciousness) , and when one views and judges on the standpoint unreal (ego or waking entity) then there is duality. When one is able to view and judge on the standpoint of real [soul or consciousness] then there is only non -duality.  Therefore, when the wisdom dawns then there is neither duality, nor non duality, only reality. 

All these confusion will go on, until man thinks, he is an individual and apart from the world, and the world existed prior to him and he is born in it afterwards. Therefore, it is necessary to know the fact the true self is not ego, but the true self is the soul, and stop viewing and judging the worldview on the standpoint of the physical self [ego], and one has to view and judge on the standpoint of soul or consciousness to realize the fact that, the world along with man is illusion. The illusion (universe or mind or waking) is created out of consciousness. Thus consciousness is Brahman or ultimate reality. Thus no second thing exists other than consciousness.

Deeper inquiry and reasoning on the true base reveals the fact that, the mind, which is in the form of universe is an appearance.  Only on the standpoint of physical entity or ego the universe is reality.  But on the base of the soul, which is in the form of consciousness the universe is unreal. The formless witness or consciousness itself is the substance of the universe.   The man perceives the world within the mind or waking or duality. Therefore, man, ego, world together is mind.  

Thus mind appears and disappears as waking or Dream. The consciousness is the innermost self and witness of the mind or universe. The universe appears as waking or dream disappears as deep sleep.   The waking or dreams are dualistic appearance and deep sleep is non-dualistic. The one which witnesses the three states is formless, apart and eternal.  The mind or universe is mere mirage created out of consciousness.  on the standpoint consciousness which is the  formless substance and witness of the three states the three states are not real.  

  The formless substance witness is soul or consciousness, which is in the form of consciousness. Therefore nothing exist other than consciousness. The objective awareness is mere illusion created out of consciousness, the innermost self. Therefore, consciousness itself is ultimate truth or Brahman, because there is no second thing exit other than consciousness.

Buddha said :- Do not believe a spiritual teaching just because:-

In ancient times people were simply curious sought some knowledge of the sun and stars; but in modern mind set have brains, they are ready to inquire and reason, and acquire knowledge of the self.” they begin with a doubt and finally clear all the doubt and realize the reality.


In the confusing multiplicity of doctrines, each has his own theory, he does not have time to think and inquire if it be true. Yet doubt is the fist step to knowledge for the thoughtful. On the other hand, seeker of truth must never be satisfied with mere skepticism, have the hope that one’s doubt will be solved, and go forward. Reason tells one what is good and what is bad, what should be followed and what let alone. 

 
Seeker should pursue this quest until all his questions will be answered, until his doubts and confusions will disappear and solved.

• How does he know that scriptures are true?

The sages, seer or prophets might have been mistaken. To accept these scriptures without verification and proper  reasoning is to possess the slave mentality.

That is why Buddha said :- 

No one saves us but ourselves.

No one can and no one may.

We ourselves must walk the path.

-Buddha

Buddha said :-

Do not believe a spiritual teaching just because:-

1. it is repeatedly recited,
2. it is written in a scripture,
3. it was handed from guru to disciple,
4. everyone around you believes it,
5. it has supernatural qualities,
6. it fits my beliefs anyway,
7. it sounds rational to me,
8. it is taught by a respectable person,
9. it was said to be the truth by the teacher,
10. one must defend it or fight for it.


That is why Sri, Sankara indicates in (VC):-

56. Neither by Yoga, nor by Sankhya, nor by work, nor by learning, but by the realisation 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.

Self-Realization is direct realization of the ultimate truth or Brahman, in contrast with traditional paths, which are indirect. And the other paths cannot lead to the ultimate destination because they are based on the false self(ego or waking entity), which they hold as real self and false experience(waking) as reality.

Only when  one is able to  overcomes physical shackle (mind or waking or universe)than only it is possible to understand and assimilate the non-dual truth, which is beyond the experience of form, time and space. Soul or Consciousness itself is lord of itself though not of the universe. And having nothing it has all.

Inborn and inherited samskara and conditioning is the root of the ignorance.

Path of wisdom is not for those who have the firm conviction about religion, yoga and theories as the only means to highest truth and what he knows or believes is ultimate truth.

 

In practical life, religion and yoga are needed.  Religion is the tool to give samskara or conditioning   to the mass, -- to be, to believe, to behave and to live in cultured society with its code of conduct with the fear of god, but are of no value as proof.  Wisdom is  for getting  rid of  the inborn and inherited   samskara or conditioning.  Inborn and inherited samskara and conditioning  is the root of the ignorance. 

Intellectuals think that Ultimate truth cannot be known. They do not want o discuss nor accept anything whatever they know and accepted as truth.  "What I know is right, what another man knows is wrong." This unfortunate vanity is common to all men and prevents realization. A man must begin by doubting his own knowledge, therefore. Only when doubts begin to arise does a man start in quest of Truth. And such doubts usually first take the shape of asking why God sends or permits epidemics, calamities and wars and unrest.  

Quotation from others should come only after verification   convinced by use of reason based on facts, and then only may one introduce quotations in order to show that others have reached the same conclusion. 

One must go to the very fundamentals, to the root of thinking, to "grasp the ultimate truth, which is beyond form, time and space. 

How does one know what others say and quote is true?  When this question arises from within than the inner dialogue starts within and the truth will start revealing on its own. 

When all the doubts are cleared within, that is the doubts on every question. However, ultimate understanding cannot be reached without having doubts and asking questions and demanding proofs from one’s own innermost self. 

To overcome doubt by the sword of wisdom, it does not mean that seeker should give up his doubt and believe, as the religionists and intellectuals interpret it, but that he should keep on thinking about his doubts until they are solved; that he should not stop until this point is reached.

In pursuit of truth the ultimate truth has to be proved, not assumed.

In pursuit of truth the ultimate truth has to be proved, not assumed. Pundits who take scriptures for granted are not Gnanis. 

Pundits teach that all is your-self, but none of them can show that this is so, none has analysed it scientifically, and none can prove it. Rational proof is needed, so that one arrive at knowing truth i.e. wisdom; punditry is mere dogma, parrotism, repetition of what they read in scripture. Scriptures are not yardstick and scriptural truth is not proof.   Pundits take scriptures as authority.   Authoritarianism merely assumes as true what another says, but what has yet to be proved. 

Pundits have to test truth in this world not in the next world.  There is no proof other than blind belief based on the scriptures, belief is not truth.  So, doctrines are not the means to realize the ultimate truth. There is no need to follow them. 

Doubts and Confusions arise when seeker finds the scriptures and yoga are inadequate or useless to quench his spiritual thirst.   Disappointments in religion or yoga or even science imply error or ignorance. 

When serious seeker reaches a stage with all his baggage of accumulate knowledge, then uncertainty haunts him.  Whether he is right?" Where is the certainty that he is proceeding on right lines?" Thus doubts arise and the inquiring spirit comes and impels to search elsewhere for truth where it will not be possible even to have doubt. The test is therefore in experience. And only in non-duality, where there are no two to argue about views or to have difference of opinion can such doubtlessness be possible.  Belief depends upon unstable bases whereas certainty depends on proof. 

Sri, Sankara says in Viveka Chudamani indicated that:-

 

56. Neither by Yoga, nor by Sankhya, nor by work, nor by learning, but by the realisation 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.

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 utter the name of the medicine, without taking it; (similarly) without direct realisation 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.

64. Without killing one’s enemies, and possessing oneself of the splendour of the entire surrounding region, one cannot claim to be an emperor by merely saying, ‘I am an emperor’.

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 Sri Sankara clearly indicated that: - yoga, intellectualism, scriptural mastery is not the means to self-knowledge.  But by the realization of one's identity with consciousness, which is ultimate truth or Brahman, freedom from experiencing the illusion as reality is possible, and by no other means. 

Seeker of truth has to get rid of his doubts through deeper inquiry, analysis and reasoning on his own, to realize the fact that, the self is not the form but self is formless. Thus his analysis and reasoning has to be based on the formless not on the form.  By simply go on believing and accepting whatever said by the punditry will not lead one towards path of wisdom. All the doubt has to be got rid of "by the sword of Self - Knowledge."  The scriptures, yoga are not necessary if one follows the inner [formless] path.  Religion and yoga are not the means to path of wisdom.