To a friend who sent a great deal of quotations for my opinion/evaluation that are really mostly part of the Fools’ gold of half-baked “Advaita” that sound good (often the more extreme and bombastic the better they sound) but are untrue:
- “I am the Self, I am pure, formless Consciousness” (Ashtavakra Gita).
This is true.
- “I am the all-pervading essence behind all names and forms.”
This is not at all true, in fact it is foolish. What is true is that the Self (jivatman) of each one exists in the Infinite Self (Paramatman), and that Supreme Self is indeed “the all-pervading essence behind all names and forms.” As Shankara wrote: “O Lord, although I belong to You, You do not belong to me. The ocean can say, ‘I am the wave,’ but the wave cannot say, ‘I am the ocean.’”
In the Gita Krishna says, “Truly there never was a time when I was not, nor you, nor these lords of men–nor in the future will there be a time when we shall cease to be” (2:12). Our individuality is eternal, we are without beginning and without end, as is Brahman. But we are not Brahman although It is the essence of our being and existence. The problem with most “Advaita” is its simplistic and absurd assumptions. Only the yogi really comprehends non-duality.
- “The world is an image projected by the mind on the substratum of this Consciousness.”
No. This world is a concept of Ishwara misinterpreted and thus misperceived by the mind of the unenlightened individual. For example, ignorant “advaitins” say the world is unreal and therefore does not even actually exist. Rather, our perceptions and conclusions regarding the world are unreal–but they exist, just as a hallucination exists, even though it is false. Unreal and non-existent are not synonyms, though fake advaita says they are.
If I am the sole reality, then who are these advaitins that are telling me I am the sole reality, and whose words I accept?
- “‘My mind’ creates my individual world, ‘your mind’ creates your individual world.”
Then why do you say the world is unreal? You cannot have it both ways. These are moronic statements.
- “‘The minds of all humans’ create the common world of us all.”
The world is a dream concept in the mind of Ishwara and we are dreaming along with Ishwara. We are not its source.
- “This universe is unreal, as we realise the illusory nature of this world.”
Again, the illusion is in us. But we are real, just as the world is real–though our understanding of it is an illusion.
- “We are all temporally manifestations of the same formless Self.”
Again: “Truly there never was a time when I was not, nor you, nor these lords of men–nor in the future will there be a time when we shall cease to be” (Bhagavad Gita 2:12). This is the truth, not this pointless and meaningless word juggling.
- “Seeing the Self is formless, then all realized souls are formless and without manifestation.”
This is silly, Yes, the Self is formless, but a siddha has transcended both manifestation and non-manifestation. He can take on any form or remain with no form. It makes no difference to him since it is all conceptual and never took place “in reality.” And he truly sees that All Is One.
- “The world of names and forms is only the imagination of the total mind.”
What is this? Has he decided to get Jungian on us and instead of a collective consciousness declare it is all a collective unconsciousness? Since the mind itself only a concept, what in heaven’s name is the “total mind”? This is crazy.
- “It has no existence whatsoever.”
But it does. I have already expressed my view on the matter.
- “All which have form are false, the formless is the changeless.”
Silly. In the cosmic dream we take on a form and “have it.” This does not render us non-existent. This is idiotic. It is not even false reasoning–it is without any reason. It is simply ponderous verbiage that itself is nothing.
Further Reading:
- Viveka: How to Walk Safely in the Jungle of Delusion, Illusion and Deception
- About The Upanishads for Awakening
- Shankara’s Catechism of Enlightenment