Advaita Vedanta takes very seriously Shankara’s claim in his little textbook Atma Bodha that “[a]ction cannot remove ignorance; but knowledge disperses it as light disperses darkness.” This, effectively, rules out karma yoga as “a way” of coming to Self-knowledge directly.

But can we pull out more from Shankara’s statement?

In the hands of Atmananda, we discover a very sophisticated critique of practice. To be a meditator who is engaged in a practice is–quite often–to presuppose (a) that you have a practice, (b) that that practice is a necessary means by which Enlightenment is to be attained, (c) that that practice is driven by right effort, and (d) that the aim–to wit, Self-realization–is beyond the current practice. (It’s worth noting, for instance, that Dogen readily used the term practice, but then his teaching wouldn’t be subject to these criticisms since for him practice was “practice-realization.”)

(a) – (d) are essentially ways of perpetuating ignorance (avidya). They’re a dead-end.

Therefore, we need to begin afresh. In lieu of practice, let there be wonderment. In lieu of “a means,” let there be an exploration of errors (avidya). In lieu of effort, let there be sweet inquisitiveness. And in lieu of “getting somewhere,” let there be a gentle openness to what’s always already been the case (to wit, that there is only the Self).

Consider, in this connection, but one beautiful and short prakriya thanks to Swami Sarvapriyananda. In one lecture delivered in 2016, he invites us to “think of this gross object as Existence [sat] with ‘name and form.’” Said differently: “I am experiencing Brahman [sat] covered [apparently] by ‘name and form.’”

Look at any gross object–say, at this sight. There is something that exists, and yet that something is not visible in that very sight. Let go of all rupa–all colors and shapes. Let go of all concepts–like “chair” or “table” but also volume and depth (i.e., space). What is this that remains, hoveringly, pregnantly, triumphantly, nonchalantly?

Look, now, with new eyes and see. See with the eyes of the heart. Let the heart blossom open in natural wonderment. Be amazed.