The dualistic knowledge of the ‘ Self ‘gathered from scriptures holy books or Gurus can never emancipate a man until its ‘Self’ is rightly investigated and applied; only direct realization of the ‘Self ‘ will reveal the truth hidden by the ‘I’.
Astavakra: ~ “My child, you may speak upon various scriptures or hear the sermons on the scriptures. But you cannot establish in the ‘Self’ unless you forget all. 16-1 – p49
Sage Sankara says: ~ “What is accepted without a proper inquiry will not lead a person to the final goal. On the contrary, such acceptance will result only in evil, in something which is detrimental to our spiritual progress.
Sage Sankara’ regards personal realization as independent and convincing evidence.
Sage Sankara says that an individual’s experience cannot be disputed, because the experience he went through was real to him; though that may not be real from the absolute point of view.
Sage Sankara makes a distinction between the dualistic view and the nondualistic view of the worldview.
Sage Sankara strongly advocated the study of Upanishads, and at the same time cautioned that the study of Upanishads alone would not lead to moksha. In matters of such as spiritual attainment, one’s own realization was the sole authority and it cannot be disputed
Sage Sankara also said the study of Upanishad was neither indispensable nor a necessary prerequisite for attaining the human goal, the moksha.
Sage Sankara pointed out; even those who were outside the Upanishad fold were as eligible to moksha as those within the fold were. He declared that all beings are Brahman, and therefore the question of discrimination did not arise. All that one was required to do was to get rid of ignorance (Avidya or duality).
The seeker's aim is the search for the Ultimate Truth or Brahman. The search to find the non-dualistic or Advaitic truth that in actuality never was lost, only hidden.
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.
All the interpretation of different scriptural scholars is an arena of conflicting interpretations. All the scriptural interpretations by the Gurus based on the dualistic perspective and orthodox point of view.
All the gurus of the east and west interpret Advaita from a dualistic standpoint or orthodox point of view, and they are still dealing with words, not truth. It proves that they have not understood the Advaitic wisdom of Sage Sankara.
Gnani inwardly atoned in perfect understanding of the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth.
Criticism can only arise, disagreement can only happen, and contradictory interpretations can only occur when men have failed to grasp Sage Sankara’s Advaitic wisdom.
It all depends on seekers' capacity to grasp the Advaitic wisdom of Sage Sankara, which is above words and above "interpretation."
Remember that only a few of those who have understood Sage Sankara’s Advaitic wisdom, for them contradictory interpretations will never arise.
There will be no two among them, only one. The only test of the correctness of any interpretation of Sage Sankara is whether it tends towards non-duality or not, whether its author has grasped non-duality or not.
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 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 religion, scriptures and the belief of God is nothing to do with the ultimate truth or Brahman.
Upanishads are the only scriptures in the world which says: ~ It is impossible to find and realize the truth via religion and scriptural study.
That is why Sage Sankara says in Vivekachoodamani: ~ 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.
59. The study of the Scriptures is useless so long as the highest Truth is unknown, and it is equally useless when the highest Truth has already been known.
60. The Scriptures consisting of many words are a dense forest which merely causes the mind to ramble. Hence, men of wisdom should earnestly set about knowing the true nature of the “Self’.
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 of 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, followed by reflection, meditation and so forth, but not through perverted arguments.
The religion is based on the birth entity whereas the Soul, the innermost “Self’ is birthless and deathless. Spirituality is based on the Soul (formless). Thus, there is a need to bifurcate the religion from spirituality. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar
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