▢ Primary outlines. Vatican-endorsed knowledge

Knowledge of the Sole Self ☼

Owing to the diversity of intellects, the Self is conventionally spoken of in various ways. - Adi Shankara

The extracts presented here speak of the Self. "The self is ever with us," teaches Adi Shankara.

The Guru Gita consists of verses from the Skanda Upanishad. There are some hundred versions of the Guru Gita around. These Guru Gita commentaries were written by Lahiri Mahasaya and published by his disciple Panchanon Bhattacharya (1853–1919) (see Satyeswarananda 1992, 6).

Page references are to the book shown at the bottom of the page. In the text, some yoga terms are explained, but not very many.

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1. The Supreme Self is Paramatman

The Lord of this world is pure [Pure Stuff; i.e., Essence], and stays in the thousands petals of akshara (on the top of the head) - those are the letters of eternity. ⚶ The core of man (also called the atom, anu) is a part of the ultimate Self (God, Brahman). ⚶ The Breath of life or secret wind of life (Pranabayu [or "prana wind"]) is one of vitality. [P. 9; 7; 7]

The inner Self and supreme Self is Paramatman. [Cf. p. 9] (2)

2. Products of OM bow to the Self inside

Sages bow spontaneously to themselves. [Cf. p. 7]

In the vast kutastha is the supreme Person, the Self's form. ⚶ The physical body is the product of the sound of OM (Aum). [Cf. p. 8; and p 7] (4)

3. Self-seeing reaches far, seemingly

Hamsa [the swan] is also called Kilak. ⚶ By the calming Hamsa one is advised to bow automatically to Oneself. ⚶ OM is the essence. [Cf. p. 8; 8; 7]

The selves of Maya is the ultimate Self (Purna Brahman). [Cf. p. 9]

The secret Self sees everywhere. ⚶ The inner sound is always there. [Cf. p. 9 and P. 7] (6)

So

Spontaneity comes from the Personality and the Self.

The essence of Self-seeing transcends space and time. "There is a certain selfhood wherein the sense of "I" forever rests; who witnesses the three modes of being," teaches Adi Shankara.