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Narayana Guru


Narayana Guru, wrote, in his 100 Verses of Self-Instruction, verse 1:

 

      The one who knows beyond knowledge/gnosis..., and gains control of his 5 senses,

      from within, when he looks without, will be able to understand the ultimate truth

     - neither the self exists, nor the other exists - all humanity is one.

 

The phrase 'knows beyond knowledge' is intriguing.  One of the most striking Buddhist doctrines concerns the 'going beyond'.  This doctrine is based upon the Prajna Paramita: Gate, gate, paramgate, parasamgate Bodhi, Swaha!  It represents a class of scriptures known as the perfection of wisdom sutras.  Tibetans, Chinese, and Indians have given this doctrine different meanings.  Alexandra David-Neel translates the Chinese version as:

 

      O Wisdom which has gone beyond, gone beyond the beyond, to Thee homage.

 

Indians refer to it as 'excellent wisdom, the best, the highest wisdom', whereas Tibetans translate it as 'going beyond wisdom'.  As an example, for the concept known as the 6 (later 10) excellent virtues, Sanskrit translations are:

 'excellent charity, excellent morality', whereas Tibetan translations read: 'to go beyond charity, to go beyond wisdom/knowledge'.  They say none of the virtues are able to produce liberation,  which consists of going beyond virtue and vice.  It is a question, in Tibetan Buddhism, of, after having practiced the excellent virtues, to go beyond them, because they are ineffective (in producing transcendent wisdom).  Nagarjuna says, as well, we must go beyond the idea of being and non-being, and the Buddha, 'there is no is, and no is not for him who perceives wisely'.

 

A Buddhist parable relates - a traveler, finding his road blocked by a river, will use a raft to reach the opposite shore, but he will not carry the raft on his shoulders while continuing his journey.  He will abandon it as something which has become useless.

 

Narayana Guru's ultimate truth parralels the Buddha's .  From verse 100

 

      I am neither this nor that nor the content of what is perceived as being...Be brave

      with such clear vision, discard all attachment to being and non-being, and gently,

      gently merge in that Truth that fills all with enlightenment and serene joy - AUM.

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