Journey of Soul

[Giri]

On Tue, 22 Apr 1997, Gummuluru Murthy wrote:

> On the other hand, journey of the soul (after leaving the body) is as
> irrelevant as which supermarket to go to buy milk. I am surprised, in this
> regard, how so many sages spent so much time discussing the journey of the
> soul [mentioned in Brahma Sutras, Shri Shankara's writings for e.g.].

Namaste.
        It is may be irrelevant to an advanced sadhaka like you, but not
to everyone else.  Shankara wrote for a wide variety of disciples. Look at
upadeshasahasri and brahma suutra bhashya.

        A really advanced disciple only needs to hear the mahavakyas to
lose all the perceived avidya. This is mentioned often in scriptures and
RM. But we have all heard the mahavakyas many times, right ? The best
instruction is in silence, but few are qualified to understand the
silence. Instructions depend on the "maturity" of the student, not on the
teacher. After all, if there is enough faith in the Guru/God, then
theories etc. are not needed. But, as Shankara says, the normal mind can
not cultivate enough faith unless it has been convinced. Otherwise, one
may believe in a God for some time, and then "lose" faith.

        To lose the dehatma buddhi (I am the body/mind) is the toughest
thing. When so much emphasis in Vedanta is placed on liberation and
freedom from rebirths, to say that you were never born (from an atman
level) can not be understood by many people. For them, the journey of the
subtle body is described in great detail. How it leaves the body, how it
stays in svargaloka etc, and how it re-enters the body etc. That's why
Shankara describes all this in his BSB and in his commentaries on
upanishhad-s.

        But wait, in upadeshasahasri, when a disciple asks how he can be
freed from rebirths, Shankara counters 'What makes you think you were born
? Atman never reincarnates.' Clearly, Shankara is talking to two classes
to disciples. It is generally expected that the disciple who is concerned
with knowing the journey of soul etc. will eventually devote all the
energies to the "realization" of the Self, and nothing else. i.e., the
disciple will "seek" the Self exclusively.

        The same goes for "creation" theories. As Rama pointed out 'usually
people are not satisfied by the straight forward approach taken by the
mANDUkya upanishhad and instead want complicated theories.'

        On a side note, "modern"  scholars without understanding this
basic principle (that writings are based on the disciple) think Shankara
"matured"  as he wrote more and more commentaries. People like Shankara
don't mature with age of the body but they are the very embodiment of
jnana.

        For example, RM says

D : Is there any necessity to observe rituals and ceremonial worship ?

M : Yes. All such worship is also necessary. It may not be necessary
for you. But that does not mean it is necessary for nobody and is no
good at all. What is necessary for the infant class pupil is not
necessary for the graduate. But even the graduate has to make use of the
very alphabet he learnt in the infant class. He knows the full use and
significance of the alphabet now.

AUM shaantiH