The path of wisdom is for the advanced seekers of truth.+

Everyone likes religion because it belongs to the world of sentiments and emotions. Religion changes as it appeals to different emotions. One will find at one pole the nude Sadhu is admired; at the other, the gorgeous life-styled Godman is revered. Belief in religious prohibitions arises out of fear of God's punishment.

The man himself suggests that there must be a God. It is autosuggestion. To say that one knows God exists always implies he must also exist always. It would be correct to say at this point, he does not know about the existence of God, because God's existence depends on an individualized belief. 

The path of religion, the path of yoga, and the path of wisdom were intended for different classes of people. The path of 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 an inner urge to know the truth and it is not for those who are immersed in earthly desires.

Religion is nothing to do with the ultimate truth of Brahman. If one is seeking the truth, then he has to be free from all the religious beliefs and dogmas. Religion is based on the ego (you), whereas, the ultimate truth is based on the Soul, the innermost Self. Whatever is based on the ego is an illusion and whatever is based on the Soul is ultimate reality or Brahman. Thus, religion has to be bifurcated from spirituality to realize the truth beyond form, time, and space. 

The Orthodox dualist and nondualists sects are nothing to do with the ultimate truth or Brahman. The Orthodox Advaita considers, birth, life, death, rebirth, heaven, hell, sin, karma, and the world as reality, whereas  Sage Sankara declares the world in which we exist is merely an illusion. If the world is an illusion, then birth, life, death, rebirth, heaven, hell, sin, karma, and the world, is bound to be an illusion. 

Without Sage Sankara, there is no Advaita (non-duality). Since it was mixed up with orthodoxy there is a lot of confusion. Sage Sankara’s quotes (selected verified) are quoted in my blogs and postings to show what Sage Sankara meant and ‘what is blocking the seekers from realizing the ultimate truth or Brahman. There are so many non-dualistic masters of the east and also from the west who expound Advaitic or non-dualistic knowledge, but none of them are helpful to reach the ultimate end.

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.

In the end, the philosophy that will appeal to one mostly depends on his mental makeup.

The different paths are intended for different classes of people:~ 

Karma Yoga: ~ Suited for an individual with predominantly activity-oriented mental aptitude

Raja Yoga: ~ Suited for an individual with predominantly occult activity-oriented mental aptitude

Bhakti Yoga:~ Suited for individuals with a predominantly emotional aptitude

Gyan Yoga -Suited for individual who wishes to go beyond such transient pleasures.

Many people follow both Bhakti as well as Jnana. Advaitic sages in the past composed numerous hymns for various Gods and Goddesses by mixing both dual and non-dualistic ideas.

 

Many sages used to illustrate, the formless (Nirakar God) ocean water under the cold currents of bhakti freezes take a shape as a block of ice (Saakar God). The same ice (Saakar God) under the heat of Gyan dissolves and again becomes the formless ocean (Niraakar God).

All the Advaitins believe in god and goddesses (vidya) and performing rituals and other sacrifices (Avidya) both are a hindrance to Self-knowledge according to Ish Upanishads, then why the seeker of truth needs to worship the God and Goddesses, when the essence of Advaita is Ataman is Brahman (soul or self as the ultimate reality).  

When the Self is formless then there is no need for 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 Sankara declares the world as unreal. Therefore, how actions performed in the unreal world can get Moksha or freedom. Therefore, there is a need to know the fact that the self is not physical to understand and assimilate and realize the truth beyond physicality.

Sage Sankara said:~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.(1) VivekaChudamani v 56, pg 25

 Isa Upanishads indicates that:~  By worshipping 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 the same time moving forward towards Self-knowledge, which is the main goal. One cannot reach the non-dual destination by glorifying gods and goddesses and by doing that, one goes deeper and deeper into the darkness. It surely indicates the fact that the seeker of truth has to drop the worshiping god and goddess to get the self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

It also indicates that Religious Rituals (Avidya) are Karma (action) and therefore a hindrance. 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 that karma is limited only to religious rituals, not to the whole human life. This karma theory based on human conduct must have been adopted from Buddhism and other theories based on human conduct.  

Remember:~

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 means that the religion and its idea of god and goddesses and code of conduct, 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, the seeker has to conclude that religion, rituals god, and its code of conduct is meant for the mass that is not receptive to self-knowledge.

When the self is not the body (‘I’) whatever one sees, knows, believes, experiences, and feels on the base of the body (‘I’) as self is bound to be an illusion. Thus, karma performed in illusion is bound to be an illusion. The birth, life, and death are happening within the illusion, therefore it is bound to be an illusion. Thus, rebirth and reincarnation theories based on the false self within the false experience are bound to be an 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, based on the Formless Witness (soul) to overcome the illusion/duality.

The 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 keep one permanently in the grip of duality.

Remember:~

The most valuable contribution of Sage Sankar is that he gained general consciousness on the issue that the authoritative explanation of Upanishads, Geeta, and Brahma Sutra was the final say in the 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 deals with the injunctions relating to the performance of duties and actions. These are for ordinary householders.

The path of religion, the 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 an inner urge to know the truth and it is not for those who are immersed in earthly desires.

Sage Sankara’s whole wisdom can be summed up in 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 in different individuals. The individual has no reality. Only the Self is real; the rest, mental and physical are but passing appearances.

 Sage Sankara 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 the second it is nothing but Brahma, Itself in manifestation. This apparent world is Maya and has its basis in Brahman, the Eternal. It looks 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,   Sage Sankar’s Mayavad has not been accepted by many preachers and philosophers.

When Sage 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/duality/mind) is unreal the formless is real (Soul/Spirit). Therefore, only Atman is real because there is no second thing other than Atman.

Sage Sankara says:~  Of what avail are the Vedas and (other) Scriptures, Mantras (sacred formulae), and medicines to such a one?

For one who wants to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana, the mantas will not help to realize the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space.

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?

Let erudite scholars quote all the scripture, let Gods be invoked through sacrifices, let elaborate rituals be performed, let personal Gods be propitiated---yet, without the realization of one‘s identity With the Self, there shall be no liberation for the individual, not even in the lifetimes of a hundred Brahmas put together

A sickness of not cured by saying the word “medicine.” You must take the medicine. Liberation does not come by merely saying the word “Brahman.” Brahman must be experienced. Until you allow this apparent universe to dissolve from your consciousness until you have realized Brahman, how can you find liberation just by saying the word Brahman? The result is merely noise. Until a man has destroyed his enemies and taken possession of the splendor and wealth of the kingdom, he cannot become a king by simply saying “I am a king.”

A buried treasure is not uncovered by merely uttering the words: “Come forth.” You must follow the right directions, dig, remove the stones and earth from above it, and then make it your own. In the same way, the pure truth of the Atman, which is buried under Maya and the effects of Maya, can be reached by meditation, contemplation, and other spiritual disciplines but never by subtle arguments.

Remember:~

You and your physical Guru belong to the domain of duality. The duality is merely an illusion. Sticking to some guru emotionally within the duality is a great obstacle in the path of wisdom.

The world in which you and the guru exist is the product of ignorance. If there is no ignorance, then the world in which you and your guru exist cease to exist as a reality.

When reality appears this ignorance which one thinks as reality becomes unreal.

The ultimate truth has to be realized first without any philosophy, then only it is possible to know what the scriptures are saying. 

Reality is simply the loss of ignorance. Until the ignorance is there the body, ego and the world exist as a reality. When ignorance vanishes, then the Soul, the Self, remains in its awareness. In Self - awareness there is unity in diversity, thus there is only oneness. :~Santthosh Kumaar