A Gnani sees only unity in diversity, just like a goldsmith estimating the gold in various items of jewelry sees only gold. When one identifies the Self with the form then only the form, time and space are present. But when one transcends form, time, and space the duality never remains as reality.
A Gnani is a rational thinker. A Gnani will not be so foolish as to argue with the irrational people. A Gnani will remain cool and calm-headed, not wasting his time in attempting to reason with someone incapable of reasoning calmly. The feelings, sentiments, and emotions are nothing to do with ultimate truth or Brahman because the feelings, sentiments, and emotions are part of the duality. The duality is not a reality from the ultimate standpoint. Thus, the dualistic perspective, the feeling, sentiments, and emotions have their value, whereas on the non-dualistic perspective they are valueless.
It is wrong to say that, a Gnani must be ever absorbed in the consciousness, hence wrapt in meditation or indifferent to what is going on around him are wrong. If he is absorbed in consciousness, then the whole world in which he exists also is consciousness, thus whatever happening within the world is merely an illusion created out of consciousness.
Through reflecting constantly on the Soul, the Self, one becomes more receptive to receiving Gnana
Books, essays, articles on nonduality cannot truly teach Advaita, they are mere signposts, and that is the only fit way described in the Upanishads. People will argue about some sages’ writings, one saying the sage meant this, another the Sage meant that even as interpretations of the ancient sages multiply now. It is better to meet a Gnani face to face and get a clear glimpse of the truth.
The one who boasts and bluff of their greatness about their accumulated knowledge is not Gnanis. The one who talks about religion, God, and Miracles of God men are not Gnanis. Atma Gnana is nothing to do with religion, God, and the world because on the dawns Atma Gnana all these cease to exist as a reality because there is only oneness.
Gnani shows the seeker the right way to the ultimate reality, and by making them realize that form, time and space are one in essence. A Gnani is not meant to be known outwardly. One can never detect him by outward behavior.
A false Gnani is merely advertising his physical body as being different from others. There is positively no means of detection or distinguishing a true Gnani by the ignorant. He sees and knows the world just as others do, but he also knows it to be consciousness. Both separate from and consciousness go together in his hand.
The man who claims to be a Gnani is not a Gnani. The man who wears a religious robe and symbol, or sitting in a cave or staying always in one spot, or remains nude, is thereby proving that he is thinking of the body, is attached to it; he is not a Gnani. For a Gnani, there is no need to distinguish himself when he knows all is One. The Gnani knows that all things and actions are only consciousness and, therefore, he does not need to shut himself in a cave. The ignorant man thinks that everything is different from everything else, including himself. This is the only difference between them. The Gnani sees unity in multiplicity ~ it is a rational, practical view.
The man who claims to be a Gnani is not a Gnani. The man who wears a religious robe and symbol, or sitting in a cave or staying always in one spot, or remains nude, is thereby proving that he is thinking of the body, is attached to it; he is not a Gnani. For a Gnani, there is no need to distinguish himself when he knows all is One. The Gnani knows that all things and actions are only consciousness and, therefore, he does not need to shut himself in a cave. The ignorant man thinks that everything is different from everything else, including himself. This is the only difference between them. The Gnani sees unity in multiplicity ~ it is a rational, practical view.
Q:~ How can one know the true Gnani?
SK: It is impossible unless one has sharp grasping power. He does not want any external marks to identify, i.e. separate him from others.
The word “mark” means sitting in ashrams, wearing religious robes, sitting in Samadhi, performing miracles, etc. He lives a normal householder’s life.
The difference between the worldly enjoyments of the Gnani and the ordinary man is latter is unhappy if his desire or habitual wants are denied satisfaction, whereas Gnani does not become miserable when pleasures to which he is habituated do not come. For the soul, the innermost self, in which he knowingly believes, is the only thing that does not change, whereas the ordinary man lives in the ever-changing world.
The Gnani who enters deep sleep will not feel be is entering anything different or new. He knows the whole waking experience is an illusion and sleep is merely the disappearance of the illusion. Where has it gone? Only back into the Soul, the innermost Self. Nothing is lost. Thus, using the dream illustration, the cities and ocean of his dream, when they disappear, are still not other than consciousness (Soul) and so the latter is unchanged by such disappearance. Similarly, the Gnani does not lose his Gnana because he loses consciousness of the illusory waking experience in sleep.
The formless soul is the witness of the coming and going of the three states. The formless Soul also is the substance of the three states. And the Soul also is the source of the three states. In reality, the substance and witness and the source are one in essence. That essence is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. Thus, the Soul or consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman. :~Santthosh Kumaar
