Bhaktha Vs Njaani & Are scriptures the only road to self-realization?

[Guest guest]

I have been reading, with growing interest, the discussions on "Bhaktha Vs

Njaani" and "Are scriptures the only road to self-realization?". Since both

topics are quite inter-related I have discussed them together:

 

The way of the Bhaktha and that of the Njaani are but twin paths to the

sublime light of self-realization. But like all twins one is slightly

senior to the other. Now the crux of the issue here is which of the two

is senior? In order to determine this one must understand the true meaning

of "self-realization", which is indeed the ultimate goal of man. Now, what

is this "self-realization", that catchy buzz-word that is thrown around often

in these rarefied discussions? As the term itself suggests, it seems to be

nothing more than the complete realization of the true nature & divinity of

ones innermost, intangible self. That realization is brought about through

direct experience and has little to do with book-reading. Although this may

sound sacrilegious to some, all the various holy books and scriptures of the

different religions are nothing more than road maps to our "final destination";

some merely more accurate than the other. The knowledge derived from such

documents does help for most of us; and for a few amongst us none of these

"road-maps" are required. Such people rely completely on their inner,

intuitive & spiritually attuned compasses to get them to this final

destination. For the others like us the knowledge derived from these

scriptures become directional pointers to our goal. But it has to be

stressed here that such knowledge is NOT the goal. The final road to

"Godhood" is a most solitary one and should be undertaken with as much

unlearning as possible. For at this stage knowledge itself becomes an

excess baggage! It only fuels a sense of separateness, a sense of ego.

Coming back to "self-realization", if the true nature of ones innermost

self is indeed Divine, then what is this Absolute Divinity we are talking

about? This Divinity should essentially be attributeless since ascribing

any form or character would disturb the perfect neutrality that is so central

to It (I could think of no other words than "It"). This truth of Its

attributelessness, besides being mentioned in the sacred texts, can also be

deduced through analytical & impartial self-inquiry. Hence it naturally follows

that this Absolute Divinity besides being contained in all and containing

everything, is formless, colourless, … timeless. Now let me take a brief

digression into the realms of simple mathematics that we are all familiar

with. What is that number that is analogous to this Divinity? Which is that

attributeless number that is contained in every other number? The only number

which is attributeless, that is neither positive nor negative, is of course

zero. It is also contained in every other number since any number can be

expressed as zero plus the same number ( x = x + 0 ). Also every number has

an equivalent number of opposite attribute. In other words, any positive

number, real or imaginary, has an equivalent negative number. Hence the sum

of all numbers should also be zero. That is, zero contains all. Nothingness

contains Everything & Anything has within it this very same Nothingness! The

path of the Bhaktha is the path of Love; the path of seeing this Nothingness

in Everything. It is the outward path, all-encompassing, macroscopic. While

the path of the Njaani is the inward path to this Nothingness. It is

microscopic & surgically precise. It empties the very essence of thought,

of soul, of character. It is the Ultimate Knowledge, ...the end of knowledge,

…the very death of knowledge. Yet surprisingly, both these diametrically

opposing paths achieve the same singular Goal! Hence it follows that the true

Bhaktha is a Njaani at heart and those we know as Njaanis are also Bhakthas.

So now the question is who is the elder twin? Since it can be observed that

the path of the Njaani is much more rigorous and difficult than that of the

Bhaktha it can be argued that the former (Njaani) is the elder twin. It

requires a discipline, a temperament, an abstraction that is exceedingly

arduous. While the path of the Bhaktha is a most natural one. The path of

impassioned, unbiased Love.

 

Thank you

 

Hari Kumar

[Guest guest]

re this post [in its entirety], i concur wholeheartedly.

 

 

sudhari wrote:

>

> Coming back to "self-realization", if the true nature of ones innermost

> self is indeed Divine, then what is this Absolute Divinity we are talking

> about? This Divinity should essentially be attributeless since ascribing

> any form or character would disturb the perfect neutrality that is so central

> to It (I could think of no other words than "It"). This truth of Its

> attributelessness, besides being mentioned in the sacred texts, can also be

> deduced through analytical & impartial self-inquiry. Hence it naturally

follows

> that this Absolute Divinity besides being contained in all and containing

> everything, is formless, colourless, - timeless.

 

 

if i may elaborate a point here, which is notoriously

missed in *all* the esoteric traditions (i.e. not only

vedanta): that Self-realization entails the *totality* of

Being, not only the nirguna aspect of brahman, but also

its outbreath in saguna brahman [manifesting the relative

spectrum of Life and Death] or brahman's lila. this latter

is a permanent feature in existence (vide the infinitude of

the Days and Nights of Brahma).

 

what may be asserted as a logical counter-argument concerning

the illusory aspect of maya and its theorized obliteration

via jivanmukthi, can be in turn countered by the observation:

despite this [theoretical] claim that in mukthi its being no

longer witnessed, was the Appearance itself ever appearing?

if 'no' can be said, then yes maya [in terms of the saguna

manifestation] is indeed purely a non-reality (suddhamithya).

this is the doctrine of the mayavadin...not the brahmavid!

 

Self-realization embraces therefore *the Whole* of brahman.

the Self is Everything buttressed by Nothing. the mathematical

zero is the circumference of the Whole, simultaneously sublating

each of its particular Manifestations appearing and disappearing

within It, constituting the eternal Dance of Siva. this is the

will of brahman, without beginning without end.

 

to state that the jnani becomes merely Void, is an asserted

relative condition, and thus false. to state that the jnani is

such and such in *any* contextual format must equally be false.

the closest language can come is that the jnani is Everything

and Nothing, Void and Plenum...and, thereof, *both and neither*.

 

this is why words and scriptures must in the end crumble.

in the end they are not merely obstacles, but slayers!

slayers of the truth that even now thunders in the Heart.

 

even now,

in OM.

[Guest guest]

-

<>

<advaitin >

Saturday, October 16, 1999 5:32 AM

Bhaktha Vs Njaani & Are scriptures the only road to

self-realization?

 

Namaste Sri Hari Kumar

 

I was very impressed by your eloquent analysis of the topic. Your effective

use of the language of mathematics makes the idea extremely clear and easy

to follow. I would also like to mention that your poem "A Touch of the

Ocean" was inspiring and thought provoking.

 

Vijayakumar

> sudhari

>

> I have been reading, with growing interest, the discussions on "Bhaktha Vs

> Njaani" and "Are scriptures the only road to self-realization?". Since

both

> topics are quite inter-related I have discussed them together:

>

> The way of the Bhaktha and that of the Njaani are but twin paths to the

> sublime light of self-realization. But like all twins one is slightly

> senior to the other. Now the crux of the issue here is which of the two

> is senior? In order to determine this one must understand the true

meaning

> of "self-realization", which is indeed the ultimate goal of man. Now,

what

> is this "self-realization", that catchy buzz-word that is thrown around

often

> in these rarefied discussions? As the term itself suggests, it seems to

be

> nothing more than the complete realization of the true nature & divinity

of

> ones innermost, intangible self. That realization is brought about

through

> direct experience and has little to do with book-reading. Although this

may

> sound sacrilegious to some, all the various holy books and scriptures of

the

> different religions are nothing more than road maps to our "final

destination";

> some merely more accurate than the other. The knowledge derived from

such

> documents does help for most of us; and for a few amongst us none of these

> "road-maps" are required. Such people rely completely on their inner,

> intuitive & spiritually attuned compasses to get them to this final

> destination. For the others like us the knowledge derived from these

> scriptures become directional pointers to our goal. But it has to be

> stressed here that such knowledge is NOT the goal. The final road to

> "Godhood" is a most solitary one and should be undertaken with as much

> unlearning as possible. For at this stage knowledge itself becomes an

> excess baggage! It only fuels a sense of separateness, a sense of ego.

> Coming back to "self-realization", if the true nature of ones innermost

> self is indeed Divine, then what is this Absolute Divinity we are talking

> about? This Divinity should essentially be attributeless since ascribing

> any form or character would disturb the perfect neutrality that is so

central

> to It (I could think of no other words than "It"). This truth of Its

> attributelessness, besides being mentioned in the sacred texts, can also

be

> deduced through analytical & impartial self-inquiry. Hence it naturally

follows

> that this Absolute Divinity besides being contained in all and containing

> everything, is formless, colourless, . timeless. Now let me take a brief

> digression into the realms of simple mathematics that we are all familiar

> with. What is that number that is analogous to this Divinity? Which is

that

> attributeless number that is contained in every other number? The only

number

> which is attributeless, that is neither positive nor negative, is of

course

> zero. It is also contained in every other number since any number can be

> expressed as zero plus the same number ( x = x + 0 ). Also every number

has

> an equivalent number of opposite attribute. In other words, any positive

> number, real or imaginary, has an equivalent negative number. Hence the

sum

> of all numbers should also be zero. That is, zero contains all.

Nothingness

> contains Everything & Anything has within it this very same Nothingness!

The

> path of the Bhaktha is the path of Love; the path of seeing this

Nothingness

> in Everything. It is the outward path, all-encompassing, macroscopic.

While

> the path of the Njaani is the inward path to this Nothingness. It is

> microscopic & surgically precise. It empties the very essence of thought,

> of soul, of character. It is the Ultimate Knowledge, ...the end of

knowledge,

> .the very death of knowledge. Yet surprisingly, both these diametrically

> opposing paths achieve the same singular Goal! Hence it follows that the

true

> Bhaktha is a Njaani at heart and those we know as Njaanis are also

Bhakthas.

> So now the question is who is the elder twin? Since it can be observed

that

> the path of the Njaani is much more rigorous and difficult than that of

the

> Bhaktha it can be argued that the former (Njaani) is the elder twin. It

> requires a discipline, a temperament, an abstraction that is exceedingly

> arduous. While the path of the Bhaktha is a most natural one. The path

of

> impassioned, unbiased Love.

>

> Thank you

>

> Hari Kumar

>

> > Discussion of the True Meaning of Sankara's Advaita Vedanta Philosophy

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