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Vivekachudamani - Wisdom Of Wisdom - Philosophy

A collection of philosophical thoughts and words of wisdom from Vivekachudamani.

What greater fool is there than a person who, having obtained this rare human birth, together with bodily and mental strength, fail, through delusion, to realize their own highest good?

Individuals may read and recite the scriptures, sacrifice to the gods, perform rituals, worship deities. Still, liberation will not occur, even after hundreds of millions of years, without a personal experience of one’s identity with the Self.



The scriptures declare that there is no hope of immortality by means of wealth. Hence, it is clear that actions cannot be the cause of liberation.

Therefore, giving up all desire for pleasures coming from external objects, let the wise person strive for liberation. Let such a person, in the prescribed manner, approach a Great One, who by their realization is to be equated with Truth, and become absorbed whole-heartedly in the Truth taught by him.

Success depends essentially on a qualified aspirant, Time, place and such other means are but auxiliaries in this regard.

Hence the seeker after the Reality of the Atman should take to reasoning, after duly approaching the Guru – who should be the best of the knowers of Brahman, and an ocean of mercy.

The intelligent and learned man skilled in arguing in favor of the scriptures and refuting counter argument against them, - one who has got the above characteristics is the fit recipient of the knowledge of the Atman.

The man of discrimination sees the difference between the Real and the unreal, who possesses calmness and the allied virtues, and is long for liberation, is alone considered qualified to inquire after Brahman.

For all living creatures, a human birth is indeed rare; much more difficult it is to attain full manhood; rarer than this is a Sattwic attitude in life. Even after gaining all these rare chances, to have steadfastness on the path of spiritual activity as explained in Vedic literature is yet rarer; much more so to have a correct knowledge of the deep significances of the scriptures.

Discrimination between the Real and the unreal, a personal experience of spiritual Glory and ultimately to get fully established in the living consciousness that the Self in me is the Self in all – these come only later on and culminate in one’s liberation. This kind of a perfect liberation cannot be had without earned merits of a hundred crores of lives lived intelligently.

Human birth, burning desire for liberation, the capacity to surrender completely to a man of wisdom – these three things are rare indeed, and wherever they are found, they are due to the Lord’s own Grace.

He verily commits suicide by clinging to things unreal.

Vivekachudamani