Tuesday, January 22, 2013

The ultimate truth itself is worthy of Godhood



The mind is present in the form of the universe.  The universe appears as waking or dream. From the ultimate standpoint the universe is mere illusion. Whatever the universe contains is a mere illusion.  The whole illusion is created, sustained and finally dissolves as consciousness; therefore there is no second thing exits other than consciousness. Thus consciousness pervades in everything and everywhere in the all the three states. Hence it is nondual.  Thus limiting the self to the waking entity or ego is the cause of the ignorance.  And ignorance is the cause of duality. Duality is the cause of experiencing the illusion as reality.

Orthodoxy accepts the concept of god in many forms. Sages of truth declare the Atman is Brahman.  That is the soul, which is in the form of consciousness is ultimate truth or Brahman.  That is ultimate truth is God.  And the ultimate truth itself is worthy of Godhood. 

 Kena Upanishad (6) Chapter I - That which cannot be apprehended by the mind, but by which, they say, the mind is apprehended-That alone know as Brahman, and not that which people here worship.

Kena Upanishad (7) Chapter I - That which cannot be perceived by the eye, but by whichthe eye is perceived-That alone know as Brahman, and not that which people here worship.

Kena Upanishad (8) Chapter I - That which cannot he heard by the ear, but by which the hearing is perceived-That alone know as Brahman, and not that which people here worship.
Kena Upanishad (9)- Chapter I -That which cannot be smelt by the breath, but by which the breath smells an object-That alone know as Brahman, and not that which people here worship.

Swami Vivekananda:-

The masses in India cry to sixty million gods, and still die like dogs. Where are these gods?

Knowing this, stand up and fight! Not one step back that is the idea. ... Fight it out, whatever comes. Let the stars move from the sphere! Let the whole world stand against us! Death means only a change of garment. What of it? Thus fight! You gain nothing by becoming cowards. ... Taking a step backward, you do not avoid any misfortune. You have cried to all the gods in the world. Has misery ceased? The masses in India cry to sixty million gods, and still die like dogs. Where are these gods? ... The gods come to help you when youhavesucceeded. So what is the use? Die game. ... This bending the knee to superstitions, this selling yourself to your own mind does not befit you, my soul. You are infinite, deathless, birthless. Because you are infinite spirit, it does not befit you to be a slave. ... Arise! Awake! Stand up and fight! Die if you must. There is none to help you. You are the entire world. Who can helpyou? 
- Swami Vivekananda 
(Delivered In San Francisco, on May 28, 1900) -The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda/Volume 1/Lectures And Discourses/The Gita II

 The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad:- The Self is indeed Brahman, but through ignorance people identify it with intellect, mind, senses, passions, and the elements of earth, water, air, space, and fire. This is why the Self is said to consist of this and that, and appears to be everything. 

Yajurveda says: - if one worships God 

Translation 1.

They enter darkness, those who worship natural things (for example air, water, sun, moon,animals, fire, stone, etc.).

They sink deeper in darkness those who worship sambhuti. (Sambhuti means created things, for example table, chair, idol etc.) -(Yajurveda  40:9)

Translation 2.

"Deep into shade of blinding gloom fall asambhuti's worshippers. They sink to darknessdeeper yet who on sambhuti are intent.("Yajurveda Samhita by Ralph T. H. Giffith pg 538)

Translation 3.

"They are enveloped in darkness, in other words, are steeped in ignorance and sunk inthegreatest depths of misery who worship the uncreated, eternal prakrti -- the material cause of the world -- in place of the All-pervading God, But those who worship visible things born of the prakrti, such as the earth, trees, bodies (human and the like) in place of God are enveloped in still greater darkness, in other words, they are extremely foolish, fall into an awful hell of pain and sorrow, and suffer terribly for a long time." (Yajur Veda 40:9.)

So, Yajur Veda indicates that:-

They sink deeper in darkness those who worship sambhuti. (Sambhuti means created things, for example table, chair, idol etc _(Yajurved 40:9)

Those who worship visible things born of the prakrti, such as the earth, trees, bodies (human and the like) in place of God are enveloped in still greater darkness, in other words, they are extremely foolish, fall into an awful hell of pain and sorrow, and suffer terribly for a long time." (Yajur Veda 40:9.)

The Hindus believed in polytheism, believing all of their Gods to be separate individuals, which were introduced much later by the founders of Hinduism which contains diverse beliefs caste and creed. 

When the religion of the Veda knows no idols then why so many gods and goddesses with different form and name are being propagated as Vedic gods. Why these conceptual gods are introduced when the Vedic concept of God is free from form and attributes.

Who introduced the concept of God with attributes and attributeless gods, when Yajur Veda says: -   those who worship visible things, born of the prakrti, such as the earth, trees, bodies (human and the like), in place of God are enveloped in still greater darkness. Therefore, all these add-ons proves that the form and attribute based concepts are introduced by some sages of the past with a new belief system and code of conducts in the name of Vedas. 

It clearly indicates that: -If the human goal is to acquire Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana then why one has to indulge in rituals and glorifying the conceptual gods and goddesses to go into deeper darkness. Instead   spend that time moving forward towards Self-knowledge, which is one’s prime goal.  

Since it is eternal and infinite, it comprises the only truth. The goal of Vedic religion, through the various yogas, is to realize that the consciousness (Atman) is actually nothing but Brahman.

The Vedic pantheon of gods is said, in the Vedas and Upanishads, to be only higher manifestations of Brahman. For this reason,- "ekam sat" (all is one), and all is Brahman.

Kena Upanishad (1) Chapter II - If you think: "I know Brahman well," then surely you know but little of Its form; you know only Its form as conditioned by man or by the gods. Therefore Brahman, even now, is worthy of your inquiry.

Kena Upanishad (2) Chapter II The disciple said: I think I know Brahman. The disciplesaid: I do not think I know It well, nor do I think I do not know It. He among us who knows the meaning of "Neither do I not know, nor do I know"-knows Brahman.

Kena Upanishad (3) Chapter II - He by whom Brahman is not known, knows It; he by whom It is known, knows It not. It is not known by those who know It; It is known by those who do not know It.
Kena Upanishad (4) Chapter II -Brahman is known when It is realised in every state of mind; for by such Knowledge one attains Immortality. By Atman one obtains strength; by Knowledge, Immortality

Kena Upanishad (5) Chapter II - If a man knows Atman here, he then attains the true goal of life. If he does not know It here, a great destruction awaits him. Having realised the Self inevery being, the wise relinquish the world and become immortal.


Sage Sri, Sankara said :-  Just as the snake is superimposed on the rope, this world and this body are superimposed on Brahman or the soul, the innermost self. If one gets knowledge of the rope, the illusion of the snake will vanish. Even so, if he gets knowledge of Brahman, the illusion of the body and the world will vanish.

The snake is only an idea: it disappears on inquiry but deeper self-search reveals the fact that,   the rope is also an idea and its reality will be exposed when wisdom dawns. There is neither snake nor the rope in reality because from ultimate standpoint the duality is mere mirage created out of consciousness.

Thus Atman or soul, the innermost self is God.



Religious   truth is not the truth because it always shows contradiction. A contradiction arises because different person's interpretation may disagree with others.

Poets are at liberty to imagine whatever they like, but the only thing wrong is that they take their feelings and sentiments for reality, or when they think that whatever seems, must exist.

"Religions place God as the unknown reality”.  Every religious believer has a different idea of God. Every man has a different idea of real. Hence the need of definition before study.

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 mystic who sees or experiences something in his meditation and he takes it as the highest do not know the ultimate truth or Brahman.   

There is in religion the element of imagination and sentiments. The ordinary man is happy because the religion gives him satisfaction, and pleases his taste. In pursuit of truth the seeker has to discard the religion because religion is based on the false self within the false experience. 

Since it is eternal and infinite, it comprises the only truth. The goal of Vedic religion, through the various yogas, is to realize that the consciousness (Atman) is actually nothing but Brahman.

 The Vedic pantheon of gods is said, in the Vedas and Upanishads, to be only higher manifestations of Brahman. For this reason,- "ekam sat" (all is one), and all is Brahman.

Thus, the goal is to realize the Atman (consciousness).  If the Atman (consciousness) is nothing but Brahman and by realizing Atman (consciousness) as Brahman (ultimate truth) is truth realization or Self-Realization, then there is no need to follow the religion, study the scriptures or glorifying the Gods and the Gurus and follow the path of doubts and confusion by losing oneself in the labyrinths of philosophy, when there is an easier path.  By mentally tracing the source of the mind from where it rises and subsides one becomes aware of the fallacy of the mind, which rises as waking or dream and subsides as deep sleep.  The mind raises form consciousness and subsides as consciousness.

In Vedas the God has been described as:-

v  Sakshi (Witness)
v  Chetan (conscious)
v  Nirguna (Without form and properties).
v  Nitya (eternal)
v  Shuddha (pure)
v  Buddha (omniscient)
v   Mukta (unattached).

The nature of the Atman (soul) is:-  
   
v  Witness
v  conscious
v  Without form and properties
v  eternal
v  pure
v  omniscient
v  unattached

Thus it refers to formless and attributeless God, which it the Atman (soul), the innermost self.  It indicates clearly all the Gods with form and attributes are mere imagination based on the false self.  Thus Atman or soul, the innermost self is God.

When the religion of the Veda knows no idols then why so many gods and goddesses with different form and name are being propagated as Vedic gods.



Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1:4:8:- “This Self, which is nearer to us than anything else, is indeed dearer than a son, dearer than wealth, dearer than all beside. Let a man worship the Self alone as dear, for if he worship the Self alone as dear, the object of his love will neverperish
 “This Self is dearer than a son, dearer than wealth, dearer than everything else, and is innermost. Should a person (holding the Self as dear) say to one calling anything else dearer than the Self, ‘(what you hold) dear will die’–he is certainly competent (to say so)–it will indeed come true. One should meditate upon the Self alone as dear. Of him who meditatesupon the Self alone as dear, the dear ones are not mortal.”
The Self is ever nearer to us than anything else. Therefore we need not reach outward for It, but turn inward to find (perceive) It. It is dearest of all to us because It IS us, and is all thatwe can ever have–everything else in all the worlds are illusions which will perish. So it certainly is truth that those who turn from the Self to outer things will find that they all die and are lost to them. For this reason it is not just noble to cherish the Self alone, it is only good sense. In fact, any other attitude is a form of insanity. By living intent on the immortal we can rise above mortality.
The Self is indeed Brahman, but through ignorance people identify it with intellect, mind, senses, passions, and the elements of earth, water, air, space, and fire. This is why the Self is said to consist of this and that, and appears to be everything. - Brihadaranyaka Upanishad

That is why Swami Vivekananda:-
The masses in India cry to sixty million gods, and still die like dogs. Where are these gods?

 Knowing this, stand up and fight! Not one step back that is the idea. ... Fight it out, whatever comes. Let the stars move from the sphere! Let the whole world stand against us! Death means only a change of garment. What of it? Thus fight! You gain nothing by becoming cowards. ... Taking a step backward, you do not avoid any misfortune. You have cried to all the gods in the world. Has misery ceased? The masses in India cry to sixty million gods, and still die like dogs. Where are these gods? ... The gods come to help you when you have succeeded. So what is the use? Die game. ... This bending the knee to superstitions, this selling yourself to your own mind does not befit you, my soul. You are infinite, deathless, birthless. Because you are infinite spirit, it does not befit you to be a slave. ... Arise! Awake! Stand up and fight! Die if you must. There is none to help you. You are the entire world. Who can help you? 
- Swami Vivekananda 
(Delivered In San Francisco, on May 28, 1900) -The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda/Volume 1/Lectures And Discourses/The Gita II

The Hindus believed in polytheism, believing all of their Gods to be separate individuals, which were introduced much later by the founders of Hinduism which contains diverse beliefs caste and creed. 


When the religion of the Veda knows no idols then why so many gods and goddesses with different form and name are being propagated as Vedic gods. Why these conceptual gods are introduced when the Vedic concept of God is free from form and attributes.

Who introduced the concept of God with attributes and attributeless gods, when Yajur Veda says: -   those who worship visible things, born of the prakrti, such as the earth, trees, bodies (human and the like), in place of God are enveloped in still greater darkness. Therefore, all these add-ons proves that the form and attribute based concepts are introduced by some sages of the past with a new belief system and code of conducts in the name of Vedas. 

It clearly indicates that: -If the human goal is to acquire Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana then why one has to indulge in rituals and glorifying the conceptual gods and goddesses to go into deeper darkness. Instead   spend that time moving forward towards Self-knowledge, which is one’s prime goal.  

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Sage Sri, Sankara said :- Just as the snake is superimposed on the rope, this world and this body are superimposed on Brahman or the soul, the innermost self.



Satyam-Jnanam-Anantam-Anandam are not separate attributes. They form the very essence of Brahman. Brahman cannot be described, because description implies distinction. Brahman cannot be distinguished from any other than He.

The objective world-the world of names and forms-has no independent existence. The Atman alone has real existence. The world is only phenomenal.

Sage Sri, Sankara was the exponent of the Kevala Advaita philosophy. His teachings can be summed up in the following words:-

Brahma Satyam Jagat Mithya, Jeevo Brahmaiva Na Aparah

Brahman alone is real, this world is unreal; the Jiva is identical with Brahman.

Sage Sri Sankara pokes fun at ascetics and points out that all their austerities do not cause desires to go .( “Altar Flowers" Page 205, v.2 P.207 v.4)

Sage Sri, Sankara always traveled and  he never lived in a monastery. He simply told others "Build one here" and then left because he was busy spreading his doctrines but none of them are Gnanis or have grasped the Gnana because they were  orthodox pundits.

The seeker of truth should  not worry about  where Sage Sri  Sankara died. The seeker has to have  thirsting for his teachings, that  is all that matters.

Sage Sri, Sankara says you must first know what is before you. If you cannot know that, what else can you know or understand? If you give up the external world in your inquiry, you cannot get the whole truth.

The story in Sage Sri, Sankara’s life of going to Benares and occupying the body of another man and then having sex intercourse with his wife, is a cock and bull story hiding the real fact. He had the scientific spirit and when told by Saraswathi the woman that he was talking emptily about sex, being a Sanyasi, he at once went to learn the truth by having actual intercourse himself and thus learning by experiment and observation.

Sage Sri, Sankara has used the phrase "the jungle of words." This is his acknowledgment of the need of  Semantics.

Sage Sri, Sankara during his lifetime decried and fought against Tantric practices. However, Tantric texts like Prapancha_sara, Lalitha_trisati_bashya and others are in circulation under his name. The other famous tantric work ascribed to Sage Sri, Sankara is Sandarya_lahari. The scholarly opinion is that it is not Sage Sankara’s work, though it is an excellent composition.

Among the minor dissertations (prakaranas):  Sarva-vedanta-siddanta-sara_sangraha; probodha-sudhakara; Advaitanu-bhuti Yoga-rathavali; Anatma-vigrahana prakarana etc.are definitely are not Sankara’s works.

A commentary on Vishnu_sahasra_nama is ascribed to him. It is decidedly a recent work. It is inconsistent too. It is not Sage Sri, Sankara’s commentary.

A number of hymns, of inconsistent quality, in praise of various deities are known as his compositions. (E.g. Stotras on Subrahmanya, Ganapathi, Shiva, Vishnu, Devi etc.)
Sundaralahari: is a sexual poem which has been attributed to Sage Sri, Sankara but judging by the style and contents it is not possible to  believe it is of Sage Sri, Sankara’s.

Sage Sri, Sankara stressed the great importance of freeing our use of words from all ambiguity.

 Sage Sri, Sankara's work has got two aspects: the vyavikarika and the paramarthika. He gave religious, ritual or dogmatic instruction to the populace 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.

Sage Sri, Sankara said :-  Just as the snake is superimposed on the rope, this world and this body are superimposed on Brahman or the soul, the innermost self. If one gets knowledge of the rope, the illusion of the snake will vanish. Even so, if he gets knowledge of Brahman, the illusion of the body and the world will vanish.

The snake is only an idea: it disappears on inquiry but deeper self-search reveals the fact that,   the rope is also an idea and its reality will be exposed when wisdom dawns. There is neither snake nor the rope in reality because from ultimate standpoint the duality is mere mirage created out of consciousness.

Sage Sri, Sankara makes the important point that the ultimate realization is not an experience of the Self, but, rather, it is the direct Knowing that the self is neither the waking entity nor the dream entity but the self is the formless s soul,which witnesses the coming and going of the three states.



Sage Sri,  Sankara makes the important point that the ultimate realization is not an experience of the Self, but, rather, it is the direct Knowing that  the self is neither the waking entity nor the dream entity but the self is the formless s soul,which witnesses the coming and going of the three states.

Sage Sri,  Sankara was very sparing in his use of the word “samadhi,” which has come to mean, since the time of Swami Vivekananda and his “Neo-Vedanta,” a form of superconscious trance.

For Sage Sri, Sankara and the traditional Advaitins, it is clearly pointed out that no experience or change of state yields the realization of the self, or self ’s true nature. It is rather, a simple error of knowledge, a mistaking of the real for the unreal. Since everything is already consciousness (Brahman), there is no way or path of getting closer to it or experiencing it. Thus the seeker is inevitably frustrated.

Enlightenment or liberation is ordinary, not extraordinary. Therefore, it is easily overlooked, particularly for the experience hungry and experience oriented paths of mysticism, as well as most forms of spirituality.

“Sitting in silence” and receiving a special “transmission” of energy, Shaktipat, or awakening from the Guru is the path of  orthodoxy  not  the pure Advaitic path.  A Gnani with his writtenthoughts and spoken words held the key to cracking the identity code of the false self (waking entity) within the false experience(waking).

Self-knowledge or Bramha Gnana or Atma Gnana helps   to open the eyes of the wisdom  of the ripe seekers  and  propelling him into realization. The thinking function is actively engaged and the intellect raised to soulcentric  discrimination.  Self-realization is  not a product of samadhi or trance but it is  the product of the  Self-knowledge or Bramha Gnana or Atma Gnana

This is to be stressed again and again. The  spiritual states are of no value  because they are based on the false self (waking entity or ego)  within the false experience (waking). All other paths and practices based on the false self   are - only that they are of intermediate use as an aid to to reflect the Self and allow the seeker  to engage the ultimate inquiry into self’s true nature.

 Only the yogis  who value the destruction of the mind in samadhi to be the truth. Since everything is consciousness, however, the man  and his experience of the world  are alsoconsciousness. Self-knowledge or Bramha Gnana or Atma Gnana  heralded by  Sage Sri, Sankara as a basic means for Liberation.

Mere observing  silence and meditating is not fruitful, since “silence is compatible with both ignorance and wisdom.

Swami Vivekananda aptly described Sage Sri, Sankara’s Advaita as the fairest flower of philosophy that any country in any age has produced. 

Sage Sri Sankara had enormous regard for Sage Sri Gaudapada.  Sage Sri Sankara’sphilosophical position had its base in Sage Sri Gaudapada thoughts. The doctrine of the Absolute Brahman, the identity of the Absolute Self with the individual self, the concept of Maya, the dual aspects of Advaita methodology-(Adhyaropa –Apavada), the relative and Absolute levels of existence, and the notion of transformation (vivarta) as against evolution (parinama); all these are present in Sage Sri, Gaudapada ,  in a nutshell.  Sage Sri Sankara integrates Gaudapada views with those of Badarayana and constructs an elaborate and consistent edifice on these foundations.

Sage Sri Sankara aptly regards Gaudapada as Pujyabhi_Pujya, the most adored among themost adored.

Sage Sri, Gaudapada: - The non-dual Atman is realized when the individual self (jiva) is awakened from its ignorance. Atman is unborn, dreamless, sleepless, and motionless; and isbeyond duality. It is cognition at its purest. It is Brahman- Ayam Atma Brahma, this Atma is that Brahma; Thus epitomizing the core of Upanishad teachings.

Sage Sri, Gaudapada expands further on these states of consciousness. The Self is AUM. It represents manifest and un-manifest aspects of Brahman. It is the single syllable that symbolizes and embodies Brahman, the Absolute Reality. It is the Pranava that which pervades all existence and is our very life breath.

Vaisvanara in waking state is A the first part of AUM, One, who realizes this, attains his desires.

Teijasa in dream state is U the second part of AUM. One, who realizes this, attains knowledge.
Prajna in deep sleep is M the third part of AUM, concluding the sounds of the earlier twoparts. One, who realizes this, attains compressive understanding of all.

The Syllable AUM in its entirety stands for the fourth state, Turiya the one beyond thephenomenal existence, supremely blissful and non-dual.

AUM in its integral whole stands for the fourth state which is transcendental, devoid ofphenomenal existence; and is the source of all existence. AUM represents Ultimate Reality. AUM is thus verily the Self itself. One who realizes this merges into that Self. Meditate on AUM as the Self.

Sage Sri Sankara was an original thinker. Sage Sri Sankara was a great spiritual leader. He was not a dreaming idealist but a practical visionary.Scripture and reason were the two aids in his arguments. He was a great logician, who based his arguments entirely on the principles of logic but without contradicting the intuitional revelations of the Vedas and the Upanishads. The Sage Sri Sankara’s thought gave a new dimension to nondualistic  philosophy. It restored the position of Upanishads as the pristine source of knowledge. It established wisdom as the truesource of light. It put reason and discretion at the center stage and pushed the rituals out of contention.  One may wonder how it was possible for Sage Sri, Sankara to have written so manybooks during such a short term of existence. The truth is that he wrote very few books. Those actually written by him were Commentaries on Brahma Sutras and the Upanishads and on the Bagvada  Gita. All other books ascribed to him were not written down by his own hand. They are merely collections of notes recorded by his disciples from his sayings, talk and discussions.

Sage Sri, Sankara gave religion and scholasticism and yoga no less than philosophy, to the seeking world. He was great enough to be able to do so. His commentary on Mandukya is purephilosophy, but many of his other books are presented from a religious standpoint to help those who cannot rise up to philosophy.  Sage Sri, Sankara wrote his Mandukya commentaryfirst, and then as this revealed that he thoroughly understood the subject, his gurus requested him to write the commentary on Badarayana's Brahma Sutras, which was a popular theological work universally studied throughout the world. That is why his commentary is written from a lower dualistic point, for those who cannot rise higher, save that here and there Sankara occasionally has strewn a few truly Advaitic sentences.  Advaitic  orthodoxy propagates  mysticism and deification. Advaitic wisdom is based on   rational truth.

Sage Sri, Sankara was extremely precise and careful in his choice of words. He was no fool in writing.  Sage Sri, Sankara did more than write books or initiate Sanyasins: He brought India into a unity as a nation. He advised people : Worship what they  wish, remain in their particularreligion, but remember also they are part of a larger whole(illusion).

Few orthodox pundits have caught the spirit; they are merely fond of his words. For his spirit is that of an appeal to reason, with scripture dragged in as a second and lesser supportafterwards.  So many centuries  have passed since Sage Sri, Sankara appeared; yet it is very hard to find his true teachings understood anywhere in the world today because so few could rise to his level. Hence orthodoxy  and others came to supply the common demand.

 Nearly  most of  thinkers hold views of illusion which are entirely incorrect and untenable. They do not know  Sage Sri, Sankara's Upanishad Bashyas, but only the Brahma Sutra Bashya.  Sage Sri, Sankara had only four fully trained disciples, although he advised some rulers of thattime. His doctrines spread after his lifetime. His books were dictated to secretaries as he traveled. So few therefore were capable of understanding his philosophy. The orthodox  followers of Sage Sri, Sankara have constituted a religious sect. Thus all movements ultimately degenerate.


Biographical anecdotes about his persecution of Jains and Buddhists or of his challenges toself-immolation for the loser of a debate, are all foolish tales invented after his lifetime eitherby his own followers who took him to be a religious propagator (and not a philosopher) or by his critics.

Sage Sri, Sankara's :- The Gnani "should pass through life", not run away from life and should take a middle course between seeking worldly honor and worldly abasement. (Commentary to Brahma Sutras Chap.3.4.50)

Sage Sri, Sankara varied his practical advice and doctrinal teaching according to the people he was amongst. He never advised them to give up their particular religion or beliefs or metaphysics completely; he only told them to give up the worst features of abuse: at the same time he showed just one step forward towards the truth.  Sri, Sankara was extremely precise and careful in his choice of words. 

Sage Sri, Sankaragave 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. 

The Advaitin pundits relate boastfully pseudo-historic stories of how Sage Sri, Sankara's school put down, persecuted and exterminated the Buddhists, as though this was something to be proud of. This is because those pundits are mere followers of religion, never having understoodSage Sri, Sankara’s Advaitic  philosophy. However, these stories are orthodox  exaggerations.

Sage Sri, Sankara believed that those of superior intelligence, have no need of this idea of divine causality, and can therefore dispense with Sruti and arrive at the truth of Non-Dualism by pure reason. 

Sage Sri, Sankara’s supreme Brahman is Nirguna (without the guns), Nirakara (formless), Nirvisesha (without attributes) and Akarta (non-agent). He is above all needs and desires. Sankara says, "This Atman is self-evident. This Atman or Self is not established by proofs of the existence of the Self. It is not possible to deny this Atman, for it is the very essence of he who denies it. The Atman is the basis of all kinds of knowledge. The Self is within, the Self is without, the Self is before and the Self is behind. The Self is on the right hand, the Self is on the left, the Self is above and the Self is below".