Self-realization is the direct realization of the ultimate truth or real god, in contrast with traditional paths, which are indirect. The other paths cannot lead to the ultimate destination because they are based on the false self, which they hold as real Self and false experience as reality.
Sage Gaudapada quotes from the Upanishads: "There's no plurality here"; "The Lord [Atman] through his powers appears to be many"; "those who are attached to creation or production or origination go to utter darkness"; "the unborn is never reborn, for who can produce him [Atman]?”
It is only those who base on ‘I’ or ‘I AM’ as the Self, argue and quarrel amongst themselves.
People who are fully aware that form, time, and space are merely an illusion created out of consciousness have no reason to quarrel because for them everything is consciousness and no second thing exist other than consciousness.
The one who discriminates between the Real and the unreal, whose focus of attention is turned away from the illusory physical existence, who possesses calmness, and who is longing for freedom from experiencing the illusion as reality, is alone considered qualified to take the path of reason.
Enumerated discrimination between the Real and the unreal yearning for freedom.
A firm conviction to the effect that the Soul, which is in the form of consciousness, is real and the mind, which is in the form of the universe, is unreal, is designated as discrimination between the Real and the unreal.
The ‘I’ or ‘I AM’ are mere words. The reality is beyond thoughts and words.
The words have meaning in duality. Duality exists until the mind exists. Mind exists where there is a division of form, time, and space.
If there is no division of form, time, and space, then there is no mind. Words are used as a tool to name individual objects and feelings within the duality.
The words become meaningless when one becomes aware of the formless substance of the mind, which is consciousness.
The Soul is the Self. From the standpoint of the Soul, the Self, the mind is merely an illusion.
If the mind is merely an illusion, then the form, time, and space are bound to be an illusion. If form, time, and space are an illusion, then the thoughts and words that rise within the scope of form, time, and space are bound to be an illusion.
Thus, body, ego, words, thoughts, and whatever the contents of the universe are created out of a single stuff that is consciousness.
It is necessary to know 'What is mind?' and 'What is the substance of the mind? ' and 'What is the source of the mind? ' to realize the words are meaningless in the realm of truth.
Deeper self-search reveals that the ‘I’ is not the Self. ‘I’ is in the form of mind. The mind is in the form of the universe.
The universe appears as waking or dream and disappears as deep sleep.
The formless substance and witness of the three states is the Soul, the Self, which is present in the form of invisible consciousness.
If the Self is form, then the evolution theory holds water. If the Self is formless, then all the theories based on form are of no value.
Until one thinks 'I' or I AM' as the Self, all these theories cannot transport anyone beyond form, time, and space.
The theory of evolution is based on individuality, whereas the Self pervades everything and everywhere in the universe.
Individuality is reality within the illusory universe. Thus, all the theory based on individuality is bound to be illusory.
Thus, our judgment, reason, and conclusion have to be based on the formless Self, not on the form as the Self to realize the truth hidden by the illusory universe.
Freedom is becoming free from experiencing the illusion or duality as reality by realizing the fact that the Self is not the form but the Self is formless. It is possible to realize this without realizing that the individual Self or ego is a reality within the false experience.
Thus, all the knowledge accumulated by judging on the base of the false self is false knowledge.
The ‘I’ or ‘I AM’ is a physical prison.
If ‘I’ is not the physical body, what is it?
Since the sense of ‘I’ is present only when the mind is present, it disappears along with the mind. The seeker will come to a conclusion after thoroughly verifying this fact through inquiry, analysis, and reasoning and then come to a firm conviction that ‘I’ is mind.
If ‘I’ is mind and mind is universe and universe appears as waking or dream are one and the same thing.
It is wrong to identify the Self as he or she because it refers to physicality.
The Self is genderless because it is formless. Identifying the Self as he or she, leads to all sorts of doubts and confusion. When the Self is identified as He or She, it becomes physical self or ego.
When the ego is not the self, it is erroneous to judge the truth on the base of the ego and come to some conclusion of finality on the physical base erroneous because the Advaitic truth is the prior appearance of the physical existence.
Thus, the truth has to be judged on the ultimate point of view, not on the base of what appeared later on.
Man has been conditioned to think and be and behave and believe and live as an individual separate from the world. Therefore, the Self has been identified with physical body with the name within the waking experience.
The ‘mind’ is the Waking or dream experience. The Waking or dream is not the experience of the physical body but of the Soul, the Self.
The man and his world are within the mind; therefore, the mind is not within the brain. This has to be understood to assimilate Self-knowledge. Without understanding this fact, assimilation is impossible.
The nature of the Self is formless and non-dual. The nature of the mind is duality or diversity.
The Self is the formless substance of the mind /duality /diversity. Therefore, the whole experience of diversity is created out of a single stuff.
There is no division in ultimate standpoint is the Self, which in the form of consciousness. Viewing the worldview on the base of the physical self is the cause of division and separation.
When the seeker becomes aware that the true Self is not physical but the Soul, the Self, he becomes aware of that the mind is mere illusion. The one who is ignorant of the true self experiences the duality as reality.
A person perceives the world within the mind. Absent of mind is absent of waking or dream. Thus, waking or dream is the mind.
One thinks he is an individual separate from the world within the mind. He is unaware of the fact that the mind is not within his brain, but he and his experience of the world are within the mind.
Thus, he thinks he is born in this world and world existed prior to him. Thus, this conviction makes him believe the birth, life and death as reality.
Until this conviction is there, one will view and judge the worldview on the physical base, which is the cause of ignorance that the true Self is the Soul.
This ignorance of the true self is the main hurdle in the pursuit of truth. Therefore, it is very much necessary to rectify the seeking base from physical [form] to spirit [formless] before proceeding further in pursuit of truth.
If the seeking base is not rectified it will lead one towards hallucination. When the mind itself is myth then the man and his experience of the world is bound to be myth. Therefore perfect understanding of the mind will help one to unfold the mystery of the mind.
It is impossible to unfold the truth on the base of a false self within the false experience because the truth is prior to the appearance of the falsehood. And falsehood creates ignorance.
The seeker has to burn down ignorance by rectifying the base of reasoning by realizing that the Self is not physical but is the formless consciousness.
The ‘I’ or ‘I AM’, which represent individuality, is the cause of ignorance. Thus, one has to get rid of ignorance by overcoming the intoxication of ‘I’ or I AM.
That is why Sage Sankara says in Viveka Chudamani:- 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 utters the name of the medicine, without taking it; (similarly) without direct realization, 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 with the splendor 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.
People who are yearning for spiritual truth will not find it through intellectual speculation and assumption. Intellectual truth is individual truth. And Religious truth is individual truth, and it is not universal truth because the religion is based on individuality. :~Santthosh Kumaar
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