MISUNDERSTOOD PHILOSOPHY IS DANGEROUS

The Vedas, the Upanishads and the BhagavadGita have offered profound Truths for our understanding and practice.We are aware of some such statements like, Ekameva Advtiyam Brahma, Aham Brahmasmi,  ayamatma Brahma, Tatwamasi, Brahma Satyam Jagan Mithya, Atmavat Sarva Bhutani" and many others. These profound truths are expected to be understood and realized by all of us! They are very fine to read but are very difficult to practise in our daily life. In spite of all these profound Truths, we look down upon our fellow creatures, think we are different, fail to show love to others, glorify our egos and suffer and make others also suffer. Unless we realize the truth of the profound statements we cannot say that we follow them! we have to understand the Spirit of the statements but not take them literally and try to put them into pactice. Advaita or Monism is the most difficult system of philosophy to follow. Off and on, we come across yogis, sages, and Siddhas who meticulously follow Advaita. In recent times Sri Ramana Maharshi and Sri Seshadri Swamigal of Tiruvannamalai are good examples for following advaitic principles.
      Misunderstood philosophy is dangerous to the layman.A king was taught by his mentor that the whole universe is Brahman. Much impressed by this doctrine, he considered every thing as equal  One day he told the queen that he did not find any difference between the Queen and her Maid! He wanted to make her Maid as his queen! The queen was alarmed and sought the advise of her Guru. He asked her to place a plate of cow dung at the dinner and ask the king to eat it as it is the same thing as food! Growing wild at this, the King, asked the Guru to eat as it was he who gave the advice. The Guru, immediately changed himself into a swine and ate it up and regained his original form immdiately. The king understood his foolishness in considering all things equal and never indulged in such talk later!
        The story of the serpent is another illustration of misundersood philosophy! A sage advised it  to not bite and injure people. Literally following his advice it became very docile, gentle and nonviolent. Children , then, began playing with it, tossing it up, and pelting stones at it! it was battered and became almost dead. The Sage, on his way back  was aghast at the pitiable condition of the snake. He felt sorry for the foolishness of the Snake in not making its natural hissing noise to frighten people  from coming near! Some times following the advice literally will result in situations like this!

        A Teacher told his student that every thing in the world is the manifestation of God!  On a particular day an elephant was coming along the road. The mahout was shouting that people on the road should move away. But the student did not move away from its path. He thought that every thing is God and that God will not hurt or harm himself! The elephant took him by its trunk and threw him away! He was badly hurt!The teacher blamed the student and said that God in the form of the mahout has warned him to move away!  But he did not obey the words of God! so he had to suffer! Such are the misadventures of people who misunderstand the principles of philosophy! Understanding the Spirit is more important than literally following them!