Modern Gurus and yogis propagate love, bliss, Samadhi, and grace; all these belong to duality limited to form, time and space. Thus, whoever is intoxicated by dualistic knowledge is unfit to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana because Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana is based on a Nondualistic base.
All dualistic knowledge Instead of helping, they obstruct. Thus, it is necessary to realize that religion, yoga, and the other paths and practices based on the waking entity (ego), which is the false self within the false experience, is false knowledge. The true path is the path of wisdom, which is based on the formless soul, the real Self.
One has to test the truth in this world not in the next world. There is no proof other than blind belief based on the scriptures, belief is not the truth. So, doctrines are not the means to realize the ultimate truth. There is no need to follow them.
So they clearly indicate rituals and theories are not meant for those who are searching for higher knowledge or wisdom. The path of wisdom is the only means.
All the orthodox Advaitins indulge and immerse themselves in a ritualistic oriented lifestyle and follow the path of karma and Upasana which is meant for lower and middling intellect and not for realizing the Advaitic truth.
Many chose these orthodox scholars as their gurus. But these gurus are good to learn the conceptual Advaita meant for those Orthodox who believe their conduct-oriented lifestyle leads to Moksha [liberation]. But religious-based Advaita is not the means to acquire Self–knowledge or non-dualistic or Advaitic wisdom. Those who are seen have to do their own homework in order to acquire self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.
The Soul, the innermost Self is not subject to any modification, without beginning and end, beyond thought and speech. The Soul, the Self is the Existence Absolute, Knowledge Absolute, and awareness. The Soul, the Self, is one without a second, complete in itself.
It never moves. It is always still, always the same. It is the cause of everything that exists as a reality within duality, but it itself is uncaused.
People who mechanically perform worship and rituals remain in ignorance that is like being blind. But those who merely worship gods remain in a deeper ignorance because they seek rewards for their worship.
As long as there is the sense of "I' and "mine' within us, there can be no Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.
When one says 'I' or me' and "mine' he automatically identifies his- self with his body. This shows that he is ignorant of his real Self, which is the Pure Consciousness and which is also the Self of all. The sign of an ignorant person is in the way he uses the words "I' and "mine'. He says: "I am so and so. I own this much property,' and so on.
Thus, he always remains ignorant without realizing the ‘I’ itself is ignorance. Therefore without realizing what this ‘I’ ignorance will prevail as reality? If ignorance prevails as reality then the form, time, and space will prevail as reality. If form, time, and space remain as reality then birth, life, death, and the world will prevail as reality. If birth, life, death, and the world prevail as reality then the duality will prevail as reality. If duality prevails as reality then the three states prevail as a reality. Thus, the seeker needs a perfect understanding of what’ in order to come out of the prison of ignorance.
Doubts and Confusions arise when the seeker finds the scriptures and yoga are inadequate or useless to quench his spiritual thirst. A disappointment in the religious path or yogic path or even science implies error or ignorance.
When the serious seeker reaches a stage with all his baggage of accumulated knowledge, then uncertainty haunts him. Whether he is right?" Where is the certainty that he is proceeding on the right lines?" Thus, doubts arise, and the inquiring spirit comes and impels us to search elsewhere for truth where it will not be possible even to have doubt. The test is therefore in perfect understanding of ‘what is what. And only in non-duality, where there are no two to argue about views or to have a difference of opinion can such doubtlessness be possible. Belief depends upon unstable bases whereas certainty depends on proof.
The 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 the Self is formless. Thus his analysis and reasoning have to be based on the formless, not on the form. By simply going on believing and accepting whatever is said by the punditry will not lead one towards the path of wisdom. All the doubt has to be got rid of "by the sword of Self - Knowledge." The scriptures and yoga are not necessary if one follows the inner (formless) path. Religion and yoga are not the means to the path of wisdom.
One has 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 the truth. So, doctrines are not the means to realize the ultimate truth. There is no need to follow them.
Sage Gaudapada says:~ the merciful Veda teaches karma and Upasana to people of lower and middling intellect, while jnana is taught to those of higher intellect.
So they clearly indicate rituals and theories are not meant for those who are searching for higher knowledge or wisdom. The path of wisdom is the only means.
Vedas are not the important sacred scriptures for the Hindus. The Vedas as a body of scripture contains many contradictions, and they are fragmentary in nature. For most Hindus of today, scriptures like the Bhagavad-Gita, Ramayana, Mahabharata, and Puranas are more attractive and appealing than the Vedas. In addition, the gods and goddesses they worship differ considerably from the Vedic ones.
The collection of hymns called Vedas that are written in praise of certain deities by poets over several centuries does not seem to have much significance for the Hindus of today. Most Vedic gods do not find a place in Hinduism. Maharishi Dayananda Saraswathi, the founder of Arya Samaj was the first thinker and reformer to emphasize the importance of ‘going Bastidas to bring about social reforms in society and purify Hinduism of its many aberrations. Hinduism is ‘Puranic based’. Vedic Gods like Indra, Varuna, Agni, Soma, and the like, whom the Vedic people worshipped, hardly have any significance in Hinduism.
Reincarnation was not a Vedic belief. Belief in reincarnation which is central to Hinduism of today is not really attested to in the Vedas, though they hint at life after death. The doctrine of transmigration as elaborated in Hinduism has no place in the Vedic hymns”. In the early Vedic literature, there is no express mention of the doctrine of transmigration.
It is in the Upanishads that it appears for the first time. The Rig Veda speaks of two paths for the souls of the deceased, namely, the path of the gods (devayana) and the path of the fathers (pitriyana). Those who go by the former enjoy immortality, and there is no return to physical life after that.
In fact, the Vedic man longed for this state of life. Whereas those who go by the latter path, unite with the fathers and then return to earth, after having enjoyed the fruits of his deeds.
Rig Veda ~ consists of about 10,500 verses ― there is only one occasion where there is mention of a return to this world after death. What is implied here is that it cannot be taken as important teaching of the Rig Veda.
The Avatara and caste system are not Vedic in origin. The theory of Avatara (‘descend’) of gods which is very important to modern Hinduism is non-Vedic. The term Avatara (…) is not found in the earlier Vedic texts, and is absent from the older Sanskrit glossaries”.
The caste system which is so integral to Hinduism was also not practiced in the Vedic times. There is hardly any evidence of a rigid caste system in the Vedas. It is argued that the purushasukta hymn of the Rig Veda (X.90) which is often to give a religious sanction to the caste system, was a later interpolation. The Vedas, however, speak of various classes of people, which appear to have been names of professions, and they were not hereditary.
“The very concept of castes by birth, upper/lower castes, superior/inferior castes, outcastes, untouchables, Dalits, etc. are clearly prohibited by Rigveda”.
The taboo on cow slaughter is not Vedic in origin. The taboo on cow slaughter and beef-eating did not exist in Vedic times. Criteria like taboo on beef-eating or belief in reincarnation might stamp the Vedic seers as non-Hindus”. The question, of whether the Vedic people practiced cow slaughter is debated among Hindu traditionalists. The cow was a sacred animal that the authors of the Vedas sacrificed cows and ate beef on special occasions. This argument only substantiates the view that the cow was not an inviolable animal and that beef-eating was not a taboo in Vedic times.
As is clear from the above, several aspects that are intrinsic to the Hinduism of today, such as the doctrine of re-incarnation, avatars (‘descent’) of gods, the caste system, and taboo on cow slaughter and beef-eating were absent in the Vedic religion. It was shown by a critical study of the Vedas that the Aryans had no developed idea of the caste system, (.…) The taboo on the use of beef was shown to be of later origin, that the cow was freely killed for ceremonial and other purposes in ancient India”.
Vedic religion or Santana Dharma is distinct from Hinduism. The Vedic religion or Santana Dharma deserves to be treated on its own as a distinct religion with its own sacred texts, rites, rules of social life, beliefs, and practices without inter-linking it with Hinduism.
Perhaps it is right to maintain that the Mimamsa School which is concerned with the investigation of the Vedic texts, their correct interpretation, and the meticulous performance of the Vedic rituals and ceremonies has preserved and defended a part of the heritage of the Vedic tradition.
The Vedanta school also may have received a part of the inspiration from the Vedas. For the rest of the Hindu philosophical schools and religious sects, the influence of the Vedas is nominal. However, in as much as elements from the Vedas have influenced some aspects of Hinduism, it may be considered as one of the many factors influencing modern Hinduism.
But by no means can it be maintained that Hinduism has its direct ancestry in the Vedic religion or Santana Dharma. Therefore, Hinduism of Vedic times is an imagined community. Hinduism is of a much later origin, and a historical view of Indian religions would endorse a dichotomy between Vedic religion or Santana Dharma and contemporary Hinduism.
Hinduism does not have a long ancestry as is often presumed or propagated by the Hindu ideologues. In fact, historically, religions like Buddhism and Jainism can claim greater antiquity than the Hinduism of today. Hinduism began to take a systematic form from the time of Sage Sankara (8th century A.D). In this sense, he may be considered the ‘founder’ of Hinduism.
Thus, Hinduism came into existence with its own code of conduct beliefs, and rituals after the 8th century. Hinduism as one knows it today is of recent origin. He states: “Hinduism did not really achieve its status as a coherent, though still baffling, religious complex until after the establishment of the British rule in indie.
In discussing the Vedic religion it is also to be remembered that in the course of history, many non-Aryan elements entered into the Vedic religion. The Vedic Aryans freely borrowed elements from the culture and the society around them. But we cannot say with precision, which are the non-Aryan elements in the Vedic religion. Therefore, the thesis of the direct ancestry of Hinduism of today from Vedic religion is to be considered as a myth purported by orthodoxy.
Remember:~
Temple worship, pilgrimages, the Gods, and Goddesses are important to the Hindus. Hindu Gods are Rama, Krishna, Kali, Ganesh, Hanuman, Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, and the respective consorts of the last three, namely, Saraswathi, Lakshmi, and Shakti. None of these deities figured prominently in the Vedic pantheon and some of them are clearly non-Vedic. The major Gods of Hinduism like Vishnu and Shiva are non-Aryan in origin. Though they may have belonged to the Vedic tradition they played no major role in the Vedas. The more important religious sects among the Hindus, like Vaishnavism, Saivism, and so on, did not have a Vedic origin but had come into existence in much recent times.
Originally Shiva and the cult of the Mother Goddess belonged to the religion of the Indus Valley people. As one goes into deeper into the annals of the Indian religious history Vishnu and Shiva cult is a melting of at least two cultures, if not three, namely, the Aryan culture, the pre-Aryan culture of the Gang, es Valley and the Indus Valley culture. These three cultures were closely knit by the first century of Christianity and in the later period underwent further developments, and probably also a fourth tradition of the indigenous tribes that stood outside the four classes of the caste system as outcastes.
Vedic worshippers did not use temples and idols as Hindus of today do. For them, the sacrificial rituals were more important than the temple or idol worship the major Hindu feasts of today are based on the epic feats of Rama and Krishna and the Puraaboutaining to Shiva and the Goddess.
Hindus are idol worshipers of a large number of Gods and Goddesses whereas the in Vedas the God has been described as:~
v Sakshi (Witness)
v Chetan (conscious)
v Nirguna (Without form and properties).
v Nitya (eternal)
v Shuddha (pure)
v Buddha (omniscient)
v Mukta (unattached).
The nature of the Atman (soul) is:~
v Witness
v conscious
v Without form and properties
v eternal
v pure
v omniscient
v unattached
Thus, it refers to a formless and attributeless God, which is the Atman (soul), the innermost self within the false experience. Thus, it indicates clearly all the Gods with form and attributes are mere imaginations based on the false self. Thus Atman or soul, the innermost self is God.
The Vedas do not talk about idol worship. In fact, till about 2000 years ago followers of Vedism never worshipped idols. Idol worship was started by the followers of Buddhism and Jains. There is logic to idol worship. Vedas speak of one God that is the supreme self i.e. Atman or soul but Hinduism indulges in worshiping 60 million Gods.
That is why Swami Vivekananda:~
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 the 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
As indicated in ISH Upanishads:~ By worshipping gods and goddesses you will go after death to the world of gods and goddesses. But will that help you? The time you spend there is wasted because if you were not there you could have spent that the same time moving forward towards Self-knowledge, which is your goal. In the world of gods and goddesses, you cannot do that, and thus you go deeper and deeper into darkness.
It clearly indicates that:-If the human goal is to acquire Self-Knowledge then why does one have to indulge in rituals and glorify the conceptual Gods, Goddesses, and gurus to go into deeper darkness. Instead spend that time moving forward towards Self-knowledge, which is one’s prime goal.
Since it is eternal and infinite, it comprises the only truth. The goal of the Vedic religion, through the various yogas, is to realize that consciousness (Atman) is actually nothing but Brahman.
The Vedic pantheon of gods is said, in the Vedas and Upanishads, to be the only higher manifestations of Brahman. For this reason, "ekam sat" (all is one), and all is Brahman.
Thus, the goal is to realize Atman (consciousness). Atman (consciousness) is nothing but Brahman. Realizing Atman (consciousness) as Brahman (ultimate truth) is truth realization or Self-Realization or God-realization. There is no need to follow the religion, study scriptures, or glorify gods or gurus and follow the path of doubts and confusion by losing oneself in the labyrinths of philosophy when there is an easier path.
By mentally tracing the source of the mind from where it rises and subsides one becomes aware of the fallacy of the mind, which rises as waking or dream and subsides as deep sleep. The mind raises from consciousness and subsides as consciousness.
Yajurveda says:~ If one worships what is not God in actuality:~
Translation 1.
They enter darkness, those who worship natural things (for example air, water, sun, moon, animals, fire, stone, etc.).
They sink deeper into darkness those who worship sambhuti. (Sambhuti means created things, for example, table, chair, idol, etc.) ~ (Yajurveda 40:9)
Translation 2.
"Deep into the 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 into 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, and 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 Hindus believed in polytheism, believing all of their Gods to be separate individuals, which was introduced much later by the founders of Hinduism which contains diverse beliefs caste, and creed.
When the religion of the Veda knows no idols then why so many gods and goddesses with different forms and names are being propagated as Vedic gods. Why these conceptual gods are introduced when the Vedic concept of God is free from form and attributes.
Vedic religion was modified and reintroduced with new add-ons by Sage Sankara a great Advaita Master to uplift the Vedic culture and Santana Dharma, which were in ruins in the clutches of Buddhism. 18 Puranas are introduced in the name of Veda Vyasa not by Sage Sankara but by someone else because the Puranic gods are non-Vedic Gods. Worship of Such Gods is barred in Vedas.
As one goes deeper into the annals of history, it indicates the fact that somewhere someone has added the Puranas in the name of Veda Vyasa the grandmaster of Vedas. It is impossible to accept and believe that Veda Vyasa authored and introduced Puranas which have all conceptual gods.
Upanishads:~ They alone in this world are endowed with the highest wisdom who are firm in their conviction of the sameness and birthlessness of Ataman. The ordinary man does not understand their way. (Chapter IV ~ Alatasanti Prakarana 95-P-188 in Upanishads by Nikilanada)
The Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness is the root element of the universe. From consciousness, the universe comes into existence. In consciousness, the universe resides. And into consciousness, the universe is dissolved. Consciousness is the parent of all that is there.
Everything is consciousness (spirit). The one who views and judges the three-state on the base of the waking entity (ego) will not realize the fact that the man including the world is created and sustained and finally dissolves as Ataman. Thus Ataman alone is, and all else is an illusion or Maya.
Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana is the aim of every human being. Since everyone thinks the physical body is the self, their aim is misdirected and they focus their attention on materiality which makes one feel the duality(waking) as reality.
Therefore, there is no need to study scriptures, or indulge in god and guru glorification, or perform religious rituals. Since they are not the means to acquire non-dual wisdom. It is only a waste of time and effort to indulge in those things.
The individual self is not real and is not accepted by many. The nondual wisdom is based not on the individual self (waking entity or ego). Until people hold the ‘I’ as the witness, they will not reach the ultimate understanding. :~Santthosh Kumaar
