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Adi Sankara is an exponent of advaita philosophy. He has spoken about the imperishable Atman which is all-pervading. Even he at one point of time was unable to see what he had been speaking of. Body bound, he became, for a while and the barriers of the body obstructed his vision of oneness. He was therefore made to realise what he preached. Caste is a barrier built by the society. Soul has no caste. Nor is it limited by any adjuncts. It is infinite and immortal. Siva, in the disguise of a person of the so called low caste person explains to Adi Sankara the profundity of Atma tattva.
Socrates at one stage was forced to take poison in the prison house. He was never afraid of anybody including the jail and death. He knew he was immortal. He was aware of Truth.
So also is Vyasa to explain the philosophy of action. He who realises the self or Atman appears to do without doing and does nothing while doing everything. Once when a few women requested him to stop the Yamuna for facilitating their journey across the river, the sage said, "first, give me food. Then, I shall stop the flood". The ladies gave him food and after eating sumptuously, the sage said "If I have not eaten anything so far, let the Yamuna give way to these women." Surprisingly the river gave way. A karma yogi is one who does without doing and does nothing doing everything.
Adi Sankara, Veda Vyasa and Socrates are the knowers of truth. They are not bound by body and the barriers made by it. Nor are they bound by its actions including birth and death.
"My ideal indeed can be put into a few words and that is; to preach unto mankind their divinity, and how to make it manifest in every movement of life."--- Swami Vivekananda
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