The words of wisdom of Sage Sankara have to be bifurcated from religion and yoga to reach the ultimate end of understanding.
If you have to traverse the path of wisdom, you have to seek the aid of the words of wisdom of Sage Sankara.
If you seeking truth then you must see Sage Sankar with rational lenses by dropping the religious and yogic spectacles.
A scholar is proud that he has accumulated so much knowledge; Gnani is humble that he knows no more.
Sage Sankara:~ 58. Loud speech consisting of a shower of words, the skill in expounding the Scriptures, and likewise erudition - these merely bring on a little personal enjoyment to the scholar but are no good for Liberation.
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 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 the worshiping God and Goddess in order to get Self-knowledge.
Sage Sankara was a rationalist philosopher. The orthodoxy projected him as a theologian.
Sage Sri, Sankara’s Advaitic wisdom is not even a philosopher dish cooked to suit exclusively the palate of one particular religion. Advaitic wisdom of Sage Sri, Sankara is like the air and the water, the common food for the whole humanity.
Advaitic wisdom of Sage Sankar is the Science of the Spirit or Consciousness.
If rightly interpreted Sage Sankara’s Advaitic wisdom as spiritual food for the whole humanity. Advaitic wisdom is the universal wisdom par excellence. Advaitic wisdom is not just a not a philosophy, but not a science, but the Science of Truth.
Sage Sankara gave religious, ritual, or dogmatic instruction to the mass but pure philosophy only to the few who could rise to it. Hence, the interpretation of his writings by commentators is often confusing because they mix up the two viewpoints. Thus, they may assert that ritual is a means of realizing Brahman, which is absurd.
Upanishads declare:~
Mundaka Upanishad 1:2:8:~ “Remaining in the fold of ignorance and thinking “we are extremely wise and learned,” the fools with boastful nature ramble about like the blind led by the blind alone.”
Mundaka Upanishad 3:2:3:- “The weak and timid cannot realize the Self. Self-Realization is not possible through intellect or hearing spiritual discourse. One who welcomes God in every activity, through a thorough controlled and disciplined life, to him also the Soul is revealed
Katha Upanishad 1:2:23:~ The Soul cannot be realized through hearing a scholarly explanation of the discourses, not even by the intellect.
Katha Upanishad 1:3:6:~ “Through the knowledge of the Soul God, one is pure and clean constantly.” Neither by reading the books nor by taking a bath at the holy place has one become pure. Inner purity is possible when one remains in constant touch with the Soul. Constant Soul Consciousness is the real purity.
Kena Upanishad 2:4:~ When it is known through every state of cognition, it is rightly known, for (by such knowledge) one attains life eternal. Through one's ownself, one gains power, and through wisdom, one gains immortality.
Kena Upanishad 2:5:~ If here one knows it, then there is the truth, and if here one knows it not, there is a great loss. Hence, seeing the Real in all beings, wise men become immortal on departing from this world.
The scriptures are being added from time to time. This process will go on. There is the final authority among them? One contradicts the other: duality reigns supreme.
The Upanishads are Self-contradictory. Every pundit even gives conflicting interpretations of them. The final authority, therefore, is using one’s own reason. One should apply his reason to them.
The scriptures are for ignorant masses, who wholly accept the material world as it presents itself. Gnana is for those who have begun to realize that things are not what they seem.
The Scriptures are of value only when dealing with persons who are incapable of understanding the Advaitic truth. They have no value as authority for those who use reason. I quote only verified citations from the scriptures. I need no scriptures but I quote them to help the seekers to realize the scriptures are saying
The Upanishads are the only scriptures in the world that declare:-
It is impossible to find and realize the truth via religion and scriptural study.
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 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 Upanishads by Nikilanada)
When the Upanishad says: ~ “The human goal is to acquire Self-Knowledge and they indicate the personal Gods, scriptures, worship, and rituals are not the means to Self –Knowledge, then why anyone should indulge in it. The religion, concept of individualized God, belief in physical Guru, scriptures are a great obstacle to Self-realization because they are based on false Self. The seeker of truth has to search for the ultimate truth without losing himself in the labyrinths of philosophy, through deeper Self-search and assimilate and realize it.
That is why Sage Sankara, indicated in Bhaja Govindam says: - (Jnana Viheena Sarva Mathena Bajathi na Muktim janma Shatena) - one without knowledge does not obtain liberation even in a hundred births, no matter which religious faith he follows.
Then it is no use going a roundabout way, trace the Brahman which is the formless substance and witness of the universe, which is in the form of mind. By tracing the source of the mind or universe one will be able to realize the Brahman.
Remember:~
Advaitc Wisdom is not found in scriptures or books. There are only hidden parables here and there. There is no clear-cut wisdom whatsoever in this. Mere words ~ just a collection of words. Wisdom is hidden within the world in which we exist. The truth is not found in the world because the world is merely an illusion created out of consciousness. The Truth is beyond the form, time, and space.
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.
All these selected quotes from the scriptures are helpful to think deeply nothing more.
In pursuit of truth, the ultimate truth has to be proved, not assumed. Pundits who take scriptures for granted are not Gnanis.
Pundits teach that all is yourself, but none of them can show that this is so, none has analyzed it scientifically, and none can prove it.
Rational proof is needed so that one arrives at knowing truth i.e. wisdom; punditry is mere dogma, parrotism, repetition of what they read in scripture. Scripters are not yardstick and the scriptural truth is not proof. Pundits take scripters as authority. Authoritarianism merely assumes as true what another says, but what has yet to be proved.
Pundits have 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 truth. There is no need to follow them in order to acquire “Self’-knowledge of Brahma Gnana.
Doubts and Confusions arise when the seeker finds the scripters and yoga are inadequate or useless to quench his spiritual thirst. Disappointments in religion or yoga or even science imply error or ignorance. Seeker reaches a stage whether he is right?" Where is the certainty that he is proceeding on right lines?"
Thus, the doubts arise and the inquiring spirit comes and impels to search elsewhere for truth where it will not be possible even to have doubt. The test is therefore in the realization of the 'Self'. And only in non-duality, where there are no two to argue about views or to have the difference of opinion can such doubtlessness be possible. Belief depends upon unstable bases whereas certainty depends on the proof.
Seeker of truth has to get rid of his doubts through deeper “Self’-search 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 (Soul), not on the form(ego).
By simply go on believing and accepting whatever 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, yoga are not necessary if one follows the inner (formless) path. Religion and yoga are not the means to the path of wisdom. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar
