Talk On Vivek Chudamani

Author(s): Chinmayanand Swami
Publisher: Chinmay Publications Trust

Page 19

perform, Faito - rituals, #51) - let them worship, gaat: - deities, SITÀFT area faar - without the experience of one's identity with the Self, विमुक्तिः - liberation, न सिध्यति - is not accomplished, ब्रह्मशतान्तरे 3110 - even in the life-time of hundred Brahmas.
Let erudite scholars learn to quote all the scriptures, let gods be invoked through sacrifices; let elaborate rituals be done; let Personal Gods be propitiated – and, yet, without, the realization in an intimate personal experience of one's own identity with the entire universe, even in the life time of a hundred Brahmas put together, know, there shall be no liberation for the individual.
A disciple, who has come to the feet of a master of Vedanta, is expected to know already some of the known beliefs and preliminary technics of the religious world wherein for the purposes of the early trainings in taming the animal-man to a man-man decency, various paths of disci pline have been advised, such as, a study of the Scriptures, sacrifices, offerings, worship of a Personal God and even selfless 'seva'. Here the master is talking to those rare few, who, having practised all these with sincerity and diligence for a long number of years, have come to feel poignantly for their unsatisfactory rewards, and in that growing dissatisfaction with religion, have rushed to the master's feet demanding guidance and expecting a clearer path for a fuller redemption. To such a student, the master had to tell the raw truth; all truth; nothing but the truth, and so here we read a passage which looks as though it is a total condemnation of all the schemes generally accepted as the recognised religious practices.
There is a type of dull seekers who have become so much addicted to their method of spiritual practices that they would rather claim a dreary patience with life and its pains, their disappointments in Sadhana and faith, than dare take up a more satisfying and advanced practice. This is in fact an expression of their superstitious fear at leaving the path which they have been practising for so long. For example, a devotee who has been, through kirtan, paja