Mundaka Upanishad:~ “The rituals and the sacrifices described in the Vedas deal with lower knowledge. The sages ignored these rituals and went in search of higher knowledge. ... Such rituals are unsafe rafts for crossing The Sea of samsara, of birth and death. Doomed to shipwreck are those who try to cross The Sea of samsara on these poor rafts. Ignorant of their own ignorance, yet wise in their own esteem, these deluded men Proud of their vain learning go round and round like the blind led by the blind.
The Modern generation is more advanced and capable of acquiring Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. The modern generation is more advanced which seeks to know the ultimate truth or Brahman.
It is high time for the orthodox highly educated noble Advaitins to realize their religious-based the orthodox path was meant for the ignorant in the past, therefore, it is outdated not suited for the modern generation.
The right path for the modern generation is the path of the Advaitic wisdom of Sage Sankara. Orthodox Advaita is nothing to do with the ultimate truth or Brahman. Thus, getting stuck with the religious path is getting stuck with the dualistic illusion. Getting stuck with dualistic illusion is getting stuck with the falsehood. Getting stuck with the falsehood is accepting the illusory experience of birth, life, death, and the world as a reality. Thus, the people who want freedom or Moksha right here, right now, that is, in this very life and in this very world must follow the path of wisdom.
Orthodoxy is the path of ignorance because it recognized the experience of birth, life, death, and the world as a reality.
Stop judging who is right and who is wrong in this unreal world, instead one has to spend the same time acquiring Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.
One of Sage Sankara’s missions was to wean people away from the ritualistic approach advocated by Mimamsakas and to project wisdom (jnana) as the means of liberation in the light of Upanishad teachings. Sage Sankara criticized severely the ritualistic attitude and those who advocated such practices.
As indicated in ISH Upanishads: - By worshiping Gods and Goddesses, you will go after death to the world of gods and goddesses. But will that help you? The time you spent there is wasted because if you were not there you could have spent that 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 the darkness.
It indicates that:~If the human goal is to acquire Self-Knowledge then why one has to indulge in rituals and glorifying 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.
The orthodox lives in the prison of superstition and dogmas. The orthodox people expect their clan to follow a certain outdated religious code of conduct (Shastras) and live dogmatically following the traditional lifestyle. Orthodox people think that those who followed the orthodox worship and rituals get Moksha.
There are two kinds of audiences ~ the orthodoxy ones who desire the transitory heaven and other pleasures obtained as a result of ritual sacrifices, and the most advanced seeker who seeks to know the ultimate truth or Brahman.
Thus, orthodoxy emphasis on the Karma and Upasana is meant for the first audience, to help lead its followers along the way. However, the path of wisdom is meant for those who wish to go beyond such transient pleasures.
The orthodox people are ordinary people. Thus, the ordinary ones who desire the transitory heaven and other pleasures obtained as a result of ritual sacrifices. The path of karma and Upasana is for the ordinary audience.
The Orthodox path is meant for the ignorant people who have the sheepish mentality and blindly accepting the inherited dogmas and superstition.
From the ultimate standpoint, the belief of God itself’ is the superstition. Thus, all religious idea of heaven, hell, sin, karma, are merely an imaginary theory meant for the ignorant people of ancient times.
That is why Sage Sankara said:~ Talk as much philosophy as you like, worship as many Gods as you please, observe ceremonies and sing devotional hymns, but liberation will never come, even after a hundred aeons, without realizing the Oneness.
First, Mundaka - Chapter 2 (10):~ Ignorant fools, regarding sacrifices and humanitarian works as the highest, do not know any higher good. Having enjoyed their reward on the heights of heaven, gained by good works, they enter again this world or a lower one.
It is high time to stop judging who is right and who is wrong in this unreal world, instead spend the same time acquiring Self -knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana to realize the world (Samsara) is unreal the Brahman alone is real.
According to Advaita Vedanta, the Veda addresses itself to two kinds of audiences - the ordinary ones who desire the transitory heaven and other pleasures obtained as a result of ritual sacrifices, and the most advanced seeker who seeks to know Brahman.
Thus, the Purva mimam.sa, with its emphasis on the karma kanda of the Vedas, is meant for the first audience, to help lead its followers along the way. However, the Vedanta, with its emphasis on the jnana kanda, is meant for those who wish to realize the truth hidden by the form, time, and space.
Mundaka Upanishad condemns rituals. The Para or Higher knowledge is the knowledge of the Supreme Being, while the Apara or Lower Knowledge is that of following sacrificial rites and ceremonies. (1/2/ 1 – 6)
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. :~ Santthosh Kumaar
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