Atma Bodha a complete teaching on 'Self Discovery' by Sri Shankaracharya some 1200 years ago based on the ancient wisdom of the Advaita Vedanta school of the Vedas is what I have been chewing on of late. This is like putting the cart before the horse in my effort to study the way of self realization; I should have met with Shankara's way in the early stages of my journey, it would have made it a whole lot easier and sensible. However it is better late than never and this is also a lesson in prejudice when it comes to the acquisition of knowledge and spiritual truths. I avoided taking the route of Hinduism when it came to acquiring wisdom and knowledge about any spiritual understanding. Perhaps it is a part of growing up in a multi- cultural and religious society where Hinduism is still a religion that is not so well accepted due to its 'too many Gods and weird images', nature. Growing up being converted from Buddhism to Islam had its impact upon my spiritual psyche and I never confronted it until in my later adult life. I still remember in my childhood years like most Muslim kids, I would shy away from Hindu and Chinese temples out of fear and prejudice or today I would say out of ignorance. The images of the gods and deities scattered in and about these temples were scary for us as were the sounds and smells when one is in their vicinity. However in average I was among the most liberal and less paranoid about this as I was exposed allot more than most of my childhood peers having grown up among the Chinese and Hindu friends. Twelve years of being raised a Buddhist also afforded me the ability to absorbs my surroundings at temples better than an average Muslim Malay kid.
The real in- depth teachings of Hinduism and Buddhism, that which transcends the images, or the essence of the teachings came to me while I was living in the United States. It was during my years in college that I was exposed to the Eastern Religions and philosophies of Hinduism, Taoism and Buddhism among other religions and this includes Islam. One of the classes that i had was "Comparative Religions," and I enjoyed it very much as my professor, Elmer Havens, was also most friendly.if not fatherly to me. It was while taking this classes that I came to accept that my interest in studies is not just in the Fine Arts but perhaps more so in the Religious and Philosophy school or of spiritual and existential thoughts department. I was re-introduced to various schools and teachers in the 'old traditions' that I had taken for granted or totally neglected to pay any attention to, in Hinduism, Taoism and Buddhism and even became more attuned to Islam in the form of Sufism. It was while in college that my spiritual interest and quest took on a more serious course in my life. It was then that I came upon books and writings that helped to open up my perceptions and understanding of the scary images of other religions in my childhood days.
" Beginningless, indescribable ignorance is said to be the causal body.Distinct from the three bodies.(including mental and physical,) is your inner self, Atma, which you should discern." - verse 13, Atma Bodha by Shankracarya.
Who or what is suffering from this COVID symptoms when the virus attacks? The body, the mind, the energy source, but are you affected if you are not really any of these? This is the discernment that is crucial for one to understand according to Shankara in his elucidation of the Atma Bodha Vicara...
Vichāra[1] means deliberation; It is the faculty of discrimination that discerns the Real, (Brahman), from the unreal. .
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