Sage Sankara says Scriptural mastery and possessing skillfulness in expounding scriptures are merely for the enjoyment of the Gurus they do not lead to Self-realization.
Sage Sankara: ~ “Loud speech, a profusion of words, and possessing skillfulness in expounding scriptures are merely for the enjoyment of the learned. They do not lead to Liberation."
Mundaka Upanishads:~ So-called spiritual pundits and learned are called children because a child takes whatever it thinks as truth. The question never occurs to children “Is what I have seen or thought really the truth?" (P.334 line 9)
Scriptural knowledge is conceptual divisions invented by teachers of philosophy by their excessive analysis.
All these concepts are a great obstacle in the pursuit of truth. Why should confusion be created and then explained away? Fortunate is the man who does not lose himself in the labyrinths of philosophy, but goes straight to the source from which they all arise
The Scriptures mastery, the force of religious merit--none of these lead to the realization of that Ultimate Truth or Brahman. The ultimate truth is revealed in the clear understanding and realization of ‘what is truth and ‘what is the untruth.
When one realizes the untruth (universe) is created out of a single stuff, Self-awareness rises in the midst of the dualistic illusion exposing the unreal nature of the form, time, and space.
An adherent of the orthodox philosopher may say his philosophy teaches so and so", another man may object and say “No, his religious philosophy teaches such and such." Thus, they may go on uttering contradictions in the name of philosophy. True philosophy deals only with the appeal to facts, not theories.
Where scriptures and authorities do not agree with the reason, the seeker of truth must reject them.
How is one to know that the scriptures are true? The seeker has to look into the facts, for the proof of what has the worship of God done for the people! When a tsunami occurred in Japan, God did not save the believers of Japan. Thus, God saves one who prays such an argument is of no value in pursuit of truth.
People believe Scripture is infallible but deeper Self-search reveals the fact that they are a mere book of words. The words are a mere expression of thoughts. Then it is impossible to see if the scripture-writers' thoughts are founded in fact or not.
The fallacy of orthodoxy’s appeal to scripture lies in the varying and conflicting interpretations of the same scripture, which different men feel, entitled to give or hold.
The scriptures are for the ignorant masses, who wholly accept the practical life within the practical world as it presents itself. Gnana is for those who have begun to realize that things are not what they seem.
Where scriptures and authorities do not agree with the reason, the seeker of truth must reject them.
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.
Sage Sankara: ~ VC- 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 (verses-6)
When Sage Sankara says 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 then why to indulge in all unwanted things which will not help the seeker to realize the truth, which is hidden by the ignorance.
Mundaka Upanishad:~ “The study of the Vedas, linguistics, Rituals, astronomy, and all the arts can be called lower knowledge. The higher is that which leads to Self-realization. The eye cannot see it; the mind cannot grasp it. The deathless Self has neither caste nor race, neither eyes nor ears nor hands nor feet. Sages say this Self is infinite in the great And in the small, everlasting and changeless, The source of life.
Swami Vivekananda said: ~ “You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher, but your own Soul.”
The scriptures are not needed in the pursuit of truth. Even the Upanishads and the Sages of truth declare the same.
Katha Upanishad: ~ “This Atman 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 Atman reveals its own form. (Ch-ii -23-p-20)
Mundaka Upanishad: ~ This Atman cannot be attained through the study of the Vedas, nor through intelligence, nor through much learning. He who chooses Atman—by him alone is Atman attained. It is Atman that reveals to the seeker Its true nature. (3 –page-70)
The ultimate truth has to be ascertained without the scriptures by realizing the Self is neither the waking entity nor the dream entity, but the Self is a formless Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.
In the realm of truth form, time, and space are created out of single stuff. That single stuff is consciousness. Realizing the single stuff as the ultimate truth is Self-realization or truth realization. To realize this truth, there is no need for the scriptures.
The ultimate truth has to be realized first, and then only it is possible to know what the scriptures are saying.
Scriptures are being added to from time to time. This process will go on. There is the final authority among them? One contradicts the other: duality reigns supreme.
I quote Scriptural citations only after deeper verification of reality and proving the truth, to point out that the scriptures teach the same thing. If one quotes them before having demonstrated the truth, then it is scholasticism.
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 toward Self-knowledge, which is the main goal. One cannot reach the nondual 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 worshiping God and Goddess to get Self-knowledge.
Ish Upanishad declares: ~ Those people who have neglected the attainment of Self-knowledge and have thus committed suicide.
10/11/12
Those people who have neglected the attainment of Self-knowledge and have thus committed suicide, as it were, are doomed to enter those worlds after death.
This is a condemnation of people who do not try to attain Self-knowledge. They are, in a real sense, committing suicide, for what can be worse than being a slave to sense enjoyment, completely oblivious of the real purpose of life, which is to be one’s own master?
The seeker has to realize the fact that religion, rituals belief of God, and its code of conduct are not meant for those who are seeking the truth. Indulging in religious activities is like burying the truth in the garbage. : ~Santthosh Kumaar
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