A Modern Exposition by Shri Babaji of Adi Shankara’s famous commentary
This book contains the teachings that Shri Shri Shri Shivabalayogi Maharaj gave to Babaji during the twenty years of selfless service to His beloved Guru in the Dehra Dun Ashram.
Shri Adi Shankaracharya is the foremost modern teacher of all times, one of the great Realized Spiritual Giants of India who gave new life to degenerating Hinduism at the time when it had lost its appeal because of the influence of Buddhism and Jainism.
He denounced the meaningless rituals, blind dogmas, quack philosophies and pseudo-mystics. He worked extensively to reform the Vedanta philosophy and wrote commentaries on the Upanishads, which were not accessible before to common people. His works gave new direction and meaning to Indian philosophy, that no philosophy or theory is complete if it does not lead a human to achieve the ultimate of human birth and Liberate themselves from the bondage of birth and death.
The liberal spiritual tradition is the great legacy of India and Babaji, Shri Shivarudra Balayogi comes from the same tradition. Like Adi Shankaracharya He is also a very profound modern practical teacher who puts all His philosophy into the practical laboratory called sadhana (spiritual practices) and, after getting the perfect results, accepts the Truth.
His teachings are based upon His own Self Realization and that is why He can explain the most complex theories in the simplest terms. Mind and consciousness are His basic subjects and He emphasizes only on self-efforts. Babaji always advocates that the mind is the only clue to the Divine – if the mind can be under control through sadhana it can touch the Divine and when the same mind becomes quiet it is the pure Existence of Awareness.
The mantras He gives to any spiritual aspirant are Dedication, Discipline and Patience which can work wonders for anyone. Babaji always tells that being born as a human being one has triple responsibilities, not only has one to look after the physical health and mental health but also social health – a bigger responsibility which often gets neglected.
Babaji, much like Adi Shankaracharya, condemns all the superstitious beliefs and false theories. He says any theory which creates fear and bondage cannot have any benefits to the human mind, in fact it only can mislead people. Babaji clarifies about rituals also. Rituals are given as spiritual exercises to maintain the mental and moral health. Any ritual can be productive if the mind is fully concentrated on it.
One evening when some of the devotees in the Dehradun Ashram were discussing the beautiful text of Shri Shankara, Babaji gave a unique answer to the verses. Just by listening to His answer we had an amazing, hair-raising experience. Then all of us requested Shri Babaji to write something about this text of knowledge and wisdom.
Viveka Choodamani is a well-known, famous text. It consists of 580 verses and is a dialogue between the Master and the Disciple. The Master explains the nature of the Atman, the true Supreme Self and the way to research, attain the Self and become one with It.
One famous verse tells that it is rare to obtain a human birth with a longing to Realize the Self (Atman) and break the bondage of the cycle of birth and death.
Thus Babaji defines the ancient text into the crystal clear light of modern thoughts.
From the back cover of the book Adi Shankaracharya, the great Yogi-philosopher of India speaks to us through His great work ‘Viveka Choodamani’ of the Truth – not as a scholar, but as one who has become One with It. He gives in deep, thorough and complete detail a description of the path to attaining It, and a clear glimpse of the Supreme Peace awaiting us there.Now through the clear voice of Baba Shri Shiva Rudra Balayogi, new life is breathed into this ancient text, sounding down through the ages with a new clarity, bringing hope and inspiration to the modern world.Babaji speaks from that same Divine Truth as did Shankaracharya before Him, illuminating the text anew and through His clear and precise commentary, unearthing Shankaracharya’s deeper meaning concealed within the script. Seekers of the Truth will find solace and new inspiration in His commentary of Shankara’s great work, revealed as it is from the Heart of that Divinity.