Sage Sankara’s mission was to wean people away from a ritualistic approach and to project wisdom as the means of liberation. +

One of Sage Sankara’s missions was to wean people away from a ritualistic approach advocated by Mimamsakas and to project wisdom (Gnana) as the means of liberation in the light of Upanishad teachings.

Sage Sankara criticized severely the ritualistic attitude and those who advocated such practices. However, the orthodox texts that combined rituals with wisdom (jnana_karma_samucchaya) more in favour of the Mimamsaka position came into vogue, projecting Sage Sri, Sankara as the rallying force of the doctrine.

That is why Adhyasa Bhashya of Sage Sankara:~ (11) As regards the rituals, Sage Sankara says, the person who performs rituals and aspires for rewards will view himself in terms of the caste into which he is born, his age, the stage of his life, his standing in society etc. In addition, he is required to perform rituals all through his life. However, the Self has none of those attributes or tags. Hence, the person who superimposes all those attributes on the changeless, eternal Self and identifies the Self with the body is a confusing one for the other; and is, therefore, an ignorant person. The scriptures dealing with rituals, rewards etc. are therefore addressed to an ignorant person.

The rituals mentioned in the karmakanda of the Vedas are sought to be negated in the jnanakanda which is also part of the same scripture. While the karmakanda enjoins upon you the worship of various deities and lays down rules for the same, the jnanakanda constituted by the Upanishads ridicules the worshipper of deities as a dim-witted person no better than a beast.

This seems strange, the latter part of the Vedas contradicting the former part. The first part deals throughout with karma while the second or concluding part is all about jnana. Owing to this difference, people have gone so far as to divide our scripture into two sections: the Vedas (that is the first part) to mean the karmakanda and the Upanishads (Vedanta) to mean the jnanakanda.

Vedanta it is that Lord Krishna teaches us in the Gita and in it he lashes out against the karmakanda. It is generally believed that the Buddha and Mahavira were the first to attack the Vedas. It is not so. Lord Krishna himself’ spoke against them long before Buddha and Mahavira.

As indicated in ISH Upanishads: ~ By worshipping Gods and Goddesses you will go after death to the world of Gods and Goddesses. But will that help you? The time you spend there is wasted, because if you were not there you could have spent that time moving forward towards Self-knowledge, which is your goal. In the world of Gods and Goddesses you cannot do that, and thus you go deeper and deeper into darkness.

It clearly indicates that:~ If the human goal is to acquire Self-Knowledge then why one has to indulge in rituals and glorifying the conceptual Gods, Goddesses and Gurus to go in to deeper darkness. Instead spend that time moving forward towards Self-knowledge, which is one’s prime goal.

Understanding what is God is a not so easy. Religious people can only imagine God based on their beliefs.

From Vedic perspective, Lord Krishna is not Vedic God because Rig Veda says: May ye never accept another God in place of the Atman nor worship other than the Atman?"

That is why Lord Krishna says Ch ~V: ~ “Those who know the Self in truth.". The last two words (tattvataha) are usually ignored by pundits, but they make all the difference between the ordinary concept of God and the truth about God.

The Bhagavad Gita: ~ brahmano hi pratisthaham ~ Brahman (God) is considered the all-pervading consciousness which is the basis of all the animate and inanimate entities and material. (14.27)

It proves that the all-pervading Atman, which is present in the form consciousness, is God. in truth Thus, worshipping the form based Gods is meant for the ignorant populace who are incapable of the realizing the truth, which is beyond the form, time, and space.

The Vedas do not talk about idol worship. In fact, till about 2000 years ago followers of Vedism never worshipped idols. Idol worship was started by the followers of Buddhism and Jainism.

There is logic to idol worship. Vedas speak of one God that is the supreme self in i.e. Atman or Soul but Hinduism indulges in worshiping 60 million Gods.

Yajur Veda indicates that: ~ They sink deeper in darkness those who worship sambhuti. (Sambhuti means created things, for example, table, chair, idol etc. - (Yajurved 40:9)

Those who worship visible things born of the prakrti, such as the earth, trees, bodies (human and the like) in place of God are enveloped in still greater darkness, in other words, they are extremely foolish, fall into an awful hell of pain and sorrow, and suffer terribly for a long time."- (Yajurveda 40:9.)

The Yajurveda – chapter- 32:~ God Supreme or Supreme Spirit has no ‘Pratima’ (idol) or material shape. He cannot be seen directly by anyone. He pervades all beings and all directions. Thus, Idolatry does not find any support from the Vedas.

Rig Veda: ~ The Atman is the cause; Atman is the support of all that exists in this universe. May ye never turn away from the Atman, the Self. May ye never accept another God in place of the Atman nor worship other than the Atman?" (10:48, 5)

Rig-Veda 1-164-46 and Y.V 32-1 clearly mention that God is “One”.

Rig Veda says God is ‘ONE’ and God is Atman, then why believe and worship in place of real God.

Brihad Upanishad: ~ “If you think there is another entity, whether man or God there is no truth."

Chandogya Upanishad: ~ Sarvam khalvidam brahma ~ all this (universe) is verily Brahman. By following back all of the relative appearances in the world, we eventually return to that from which it is all manifest – the non-dual reality.

Even Sage Sankara’s Supreme Brahman (God in truth) is impersonal, Nirguna (without Gunas or attributes), Nirakara (formless), Nirvisesha (without special characteristics), immutable, eternal and Akarta (non-agent). It is above all needs and desires. It is always the Witnessing Subject. It can never become an object as It is beyond the reach of the senses. Brahman is non-dual, one without a second. It has no other beside it. It is destitute of difference, either external or internal. Brahman cannot be described because description implies a distinction. Brahman cannot be distinguished from any other than It. In Brahman, there is not the distinction of substance and attribute. Sat-Chit-Ananda constitutes the very essence or Svarupa of Brahman and not just Its attributes. The Nirguna Brahman of Sage Sankara is impersonal.

Sage Sankara: ~"That which permeates all, which nothing transcends and which, like the universal space around us, fills everything completely from within and without, that Supreme non-dual Brahman (God in truth) ~ that thou art."

Sage Sankara’s Nirguna Brahman is based on Vedas. The Saguna Brahman has no Vedic sanction.

Thus, it clearly indicates the Vedic God is without form and attributes and ever free.

Vedic Gods hardly have any significance in the present-day Hindu belief system. The Gods and Goddesses important to the Hindus of today are Ram, Krishna, Kali, Ganesh, Hanuman, Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, and the respective consorts of the last three, namely, Saraswati, Lakshmi, and Shakti. None of these deities figured prominently in the Vedic pantheon, and some of them are clearly non-Vedic. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

What does Buddhism say about rebirth.+

 What does Buddhism say about rebirth? 

Definition. Rebirth is an eschatological notion that denotes a continuation of life after death. According to the Buddhist doctrine, the cycle of rebirth has no beginning and is maintained by ignorance, craving, attachment, and the fruition of the karmic forces that determine the nature of the future exisst

Aatish Palekar 

The present life of a person is the result of his past life, and the future birth depends upon the present life karmas, depending on their karmas. According to the doctrine of Karmas, every man is responsible for his actions.  The actions must bear fruits. The future of every individual depends on his present actions.

 

According to Karma theory, the fruits of the actions are according to the character of the actor. 

If someone has committed sin, he will have to suffer for it in the hell. But if some good man has by chance committed some evil action, he will get rid of it after suffering a little in this very life.

 

When everything is predetermined according to Karmas, then how can the individual effect any change it.

According to Karma theory is not mechanical. Though the present is determined by the past, the future is free and depends on our will. 

If anyone says that the man must bear the fruits of his karmas, there is no religious life in that condition, nor is there any opportunity for the absolute destruction of suffering. 

But if someone says that the reward which a man gets is according to his action, the priests! in that condition, there is religious life and the opportunity of the destruction of all suffering. As a matter of fact, if the doctrine of Karma is mechanical then there is hardly any place for religion and ethics in human life. The doctrine of Karma shows an order in the field of spiritual development as well as that of the terrestrial process. It does not lessen the importance of efforts and responsibility. The philosophy of Buddha is against absolute determinism as well as against absolute indeterminism.

In Buddhist philosophy, the succession of the world has been called Bhava-Chakra. In their cycle, the chain of cause and effect is always operating. It is this effect that has been emphasized in the doctrine of dependent origination. Both birth and death are two links in the same chain. As the old is destroyed, the new takes birth. Not only human beings but all living beings are caught in this cycle of the world.

But there is an escape from this worldly cycle. According to the Buddhist philosophy the Karma ceases to have any effect on the ultimate spiritual status. In that stage, the karmas and their effects are destroyed forever and the man rises above both merits and demerits. After attaining liberation the actions cease, but this does not mean inactivity. Really speaking, al Karmas do not bear fruit, but only those Karmas result into effects that are promoted by the passions Originating in ignorance. After the attainment of liberation, the Karmas remain, but they bear no fruit as the burnt seeds do not sprout in the plants.

>> Modules Anywhere >>>-->

Rebirth in Buddhist Philosophy: Buddha does not believe in any permanent soul. Consciousness is an eternal process, in which there is the relation of antecedent and subsequent between different movements. But there is no unchanging, immutable soul behind his process. Hence, logically there is no place for rebirth in Buddhist philosophy. 

After death, the samskaras of the Jivas remain. These samskaras are according to his karmas and it is due to these that a link between one birth and another is maintained. This Sanskara is expressed in the last thought of a dying person. Along with this power of Karma, attachment or clinging is also required. This upadan is the power that is the cause of new birth according to old karmas. Without it the Karmas themselves have no power. After the attainment of liberation, the attachment is destroyed and Upadan annihilated, resulting into the negation of the rebirth. There is no similarity between the past and the present individual except that the new is according to the karmas of the old. Sometimes even consciousness has been admitted as remaining after death. Whatever we are or whatever we have thought is the result of it, consciousness has been rightly conceived as the essence of our soul. In fact, this proves the close relation between consciousness, action, thought, and will. After the attainment of Nirvana, one is liberated both from consciousness as well as from actions.

Remember:~

Those who follow the Karma theory are not qualified for Self-knowledge Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

Mundaka Upanishad:~ These performers of karma do not know the Truth, which is hidden by the illusion.

The karma theory belongs to religion and yoga and it has nothing to do with Spirituality or Adyathma.

Advaitic wisdom is pure spirituality. The karma theory is based on the individual experience of birth, life, death, and the world as a reality whereas Sage Sri, Sankara says the world is an illusion.

Thus, whatever karma is performed within the illusory world is bound to be an illusion. The karma theory is meant for the ignorant who are the followers of the Advaitic orthodox path. Advaitic orthodox path is meant for the ignorant populace. Those who follow the Karma theory are not qualified for Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

According to Advaita Vedanta, the Veda addresses itself to two kinds of audiences:~

1. The ordinary ones who desire the transitory heaven and other pleasures obtained as a result of ritual sacrifices,

2. The more advanced seeker who seeks to know Brahman.

Thus, the Purva mimam.sa, with its emphasis on the karma kanda of the Vedas, is meant for the first audience, to help lead its followers along the way.

The Vedanta, with its emphasis on the jnana kanda, is meant for those who wish to go beyond such transient pleasures.

Sage Sankara: ~ “Action (karma) cannot destroy ignorance, for it is not in conflict with or opposed to ignorance. Knowledge does verily destroy ignorance as light destroys deep darkness. -Atma Bodha

Sage Sankara said:~ Talk as much philosophy as you like, worship as many Gods as you please, observe ceremonies, and sing devotional hymns, but liberation will never come, even after a hundred aeons, without realizing the Oneness.

In the theistic analysis, human life and behavior are explained based on the theory of karma, which sets the cycle of rebirths into motion. All actions, good or bad, create their own karmic residues called vasanas, which exhibit their results over a period of time.

The karma which has already started taking fruit is called Prarabdha Karma. This is the karma that is responsible for the current birth. The accumulated karma which is yet to take fruit is called sanchit karma. As long as the cycle of rebirth continues, more karma will be done in the future, and this is called Agamin karma. Liberation (moksha) is the way out of this endless cycle.

The most valuable contribution of Sage Sankara is that he gained general consciousness on the issue that the authoritative explanation of Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, and Brahma Sutra was the final say in the matter of religion. Anything that goes contrary to the trio is not authentic. He also made a clear distinction between Vedas and Upanishads in his commentary on Gita. He stated that the Karma Kanda of the Vedas deals with the injunctions relating to the performance of duties and actions. These are for ordinary householders.

The path of religion, the path of yoga, and the path of wisdom were intended for different classes of people. The wisdom is for the advanced seekers of truth. It deals with the nature of the ultimate Truth and Reality. It is meant for superior aspirants who have the inner urge to know the truth and it is not for those who are immersed in earthly desires.

Sage Sankara’s whole teaching can be summed up in one sentence, ‘There is nothing else but Brahma. He says that the Absolute Existence, Absolute Knowledge, and Absolute Bliss are real. The universe is not real.

Sage Sage Sankara - Brahma and Atman are one. The ultimate and the Absolute Truth is the Self, which is one though appearing as many in different individuals. The individual has no reality. Only the Self is real; the rest, mental and physical, are but passing appearances.

In fact, Sage Sankara states a paradox- the world is and is not. It is neither real nor unreal. It leads us to recognize the existence of Maya.

Sage Sankara gave religion, ritual, and karma to the ignorant masses, as well as Advaitic wisdom to those who are seriously seeking the truth of their true existence.

Those who have taken the Path of wisdom or the Atmic path should discard the karma theory which is meant for the orthodox ignorant populace.

The person who is based on the individual experience of birth, life, and death, is trying to find the meaning of life.

There is no meaning or purpose in life because life is merely happening within the dualistic illusion. Thus, the Karma theory based on the physical entity is based on the birth, life, and death, which is part and parcel of the dualistic illusion. :~Santthosh Kumaar

The DaVita, Vedanta borrows the concept from Abrahamic religions, such as Eternal Damanation (of certain souls destined to hell forever) which goes against the belief of most Vedanta schools, which sate that soul attains liberation.+

The DaVita, Vedanta borrows the concept from Abrahamic religions, such as Eternal Damanation (of certain souls destined to hell forever), which goes against the belief of most Vedanta schools, which state that the Soul attains liberation.

The creator-creation theory is also borrowed from the Abrahamic religion, and on this base, this new belief system has been introduced, giving it a Vedic outlook and propagating all non-Vedic rituals and worship in the past.

St. Thomas is said to have come to India to spread Christianity in the first century AD. It first spread among the people of the Malabar Coast and in areas near present-day Madras.

There is a total discontinuity in the concept of God before and after the entry of St Thomas. As one goes deeper into the annals of religious history then we become aware of the fact that the Vedic Gods were personifications of Nature and their worship essentially sacrifices to these Natural Forces to appease them. All of a sudden by the first century, we encounter Vedanta. Vedanta literally means “End of the Vedas,” though it is today interpreted as "the essence of the Vedas."

Vedanta, which appeared as theological discourses, presents a supreme Godhead, “Para Brahman. Such an idea was not even remotely conceivable in the Vedic context.

New Gods like Maheshwar and Vishnu appeared. The concept of Maheshwar, Vishnu, means Sky or Heavens. Vishnu simply means the God of the Heaven lies or the one who pervades everything. Then we have the concept of incarnation – God taking flesh in human form to save humanity. All these suddenly appeared after the entry of St Thomas.

This was also the time when most of the Vedic Gods passed into oblivion. Their place was taken by the trinity of Gods, with Brahma as the creator, Vishnu as the preserver, and Shiva as the destroyer. It is believed that when evil is rampant, various incarnations of Vishnu enter the world of men to save them. Krishna is one such 'avatar'.

There are many contradictions. Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheshwar are the three main GODs, but they are one. Brahma is the creator of this universe (Generator), Vishnu is responsible for the smooth conduct of the same (sustainer), & Maheshwar is the Destroyer! But if you go and read the Vishnu Purana, he is characterized as the supreme power.

Further, due to many castes and sub-castes prevailing in the society, some more rules and principles were added for the benefit of these priests. Can you imagine how you would get rid of the sin you committed by killing a cat? You will have to make a golden cat weighing equal to the dead cat and hand over this golden cat to the priest chanting for the purification of an individual soul! Hinduism is different from the Sanatana Dharma or Vedic religion.

Yajur Veda:~ "They are enveloped in darkness, in other words, are steeped in ignorance and sunk in the greatest depths of misery who worship the uncreated, eternal prakrti -- the material cause of the world -- in place of the All-pervading God, But those who worship visible things born of the prakrti, such as the earth, trees, bodies (human and the like) in place of God are enveloped in still greater darkness, in other words, they are extremely foolish, fall into an awful hell of pain and sorrow, and suffer terribly for a long time."~ (Yajur Veda 40:9.)

As indicated in ISH Upanishads: ~ “By worshipping Gods and Goddesses, you will go after death to the world of Gods and Goddesses. But will that help you? The time you spend there is wasted because if you were not there, you could have spent that time moving forward towards Self-knowledge, which is your goal. In the world of Gods and Goddesses, you cannot do that, and thus, you go deeper and deeper into darkness.

The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad declares: "He who worships the deities as entities entirely separate from him does not know the truth. For the Gods, he is like a pasu (beast)". (1. 4. 10)

It clearly indicates that: -If the human goal is to acquire Self-Knowledge, then why indulge in rituals and glorify the conceptual Gods, Goddesses, and Gurus to go into deeper darkness? Instead, spend that time moving forward towards Self-knowledge, which is one’s prime goal.

One must remember that for all periods the Vedas are the final goal and authority, and if the Puranas differ in any respect from the Vedas, the Puranas are to be rejected without mercy.

Self-realization is the Truth realization. Truth realization is God-realization. God-realization itself is real worship. : ~Santthosh Kumaar

 

 

 

There are no separate individual Souls. Nobody has ever seen the Soul of an individual.+

The dualists declare the world real. According to them, the reality is that we live in this world. In the context of Sage Sankara calling this materialistic world a dream, the dualist sage says that we are not yet awakened from the dream to say that this is a dream. Hence, what is happening at this moment is to be considered. And the world is for real.

People refuse to accept that the universe is an illusion it is because they are part and parcel of that illusion. The reality of the illusory universe often confuses people.

Only when one acquires Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana then he realize the world in which he exists is merely an illusion created out of the invisible Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. The invisible Soul is the Self.

The universe is a reality based on ‘you (ego). You are the false self within the false experience (waking). The universe is an illusion from the standpoint of the invisible Soul, which is the Self.

The invisible Soul is in the form of formless consciousness. This is because of some logical reasons. First, you have to analyze the definition of truth, and hence why the universe is not considered a reality.

Remember

Many people think Sage Sankara's path of wisdom is the path of Advaitic orthodoxy is substantially not true. Some philosophers in the world are as misunderstood and misinterpreted.

Most of the harm came from his orthodox followers. The ideas that Sage Sankara rejected came back to the Advaita fold, and the wisdom–oriented teachings of Sage Sankara became as much a face of Advaita as the rituals, worship, and other practices.

Sage Sankara treated ignorance as an error, the removal of which led to wisdom; he left it at that. His followers, however, wrote tomes speculating on the causes for ignorance, the nature of ignorance, different forms of ignorance, etc had the Guru watched his disciples at work, he might have wondered whether they were studying about Brahman or about ignorance.

Brahman— The one without a second

The Atman is self-evident. It is not established by extraneous proofs. It is not possible to deny the Atman because it is the very essence of the one who denies it. The Atman is the basis of all kinds of knowledge, presuppositions, and proofs. Self is within, Self is without; Self is before, Self is behind; Self is on the right, Self is on the left; Self is above and Self is below. Brahman is not an object, as it is, beyond the reach of the physical eyes. Hence, the Upanishads declare: “Neti Neti—not this, not this....” This does not mean that Brahman is a negative concept, or a metaphysical abstraction, or a nonentity, or a void. It is not another. It is all-full, infinite, changeless, self-existent, self-delight, self-knowledge, and self-bliss. It is Svarupa, essence. It is the essence of the witness. It is the Seer (Drashta), Transcendent (Turiya), and Silent Witness (Saakshi).

Sage Sankara’s Supreme Brahman is impersonal, Nirguna (without Gunas or attributes), Nirakara (formless), Nirvisesha (without special characteristics), immutable, eternal, and Akarta (non-agent). It is above all needs and desires. It is always the Witnessing Subject. It can never become an object as it is beyond the reach of the senses. Brahman is non-dual, one without a second. It has no other besides it. It is destitute of difference, either external or internal. Brahman cannot be described because description implies a distinction. Brahman cannot be distinguished from any other than It. In Brahman, there is no distinction between substance and attribute. Sat-Chit-Ananda constitutes the very essence or Svarupa of Brahman and not just its attributes. The Nirguna Brahman of Sage Sankara is impersonal.

From the standpoint of the formless Soul, the Self, the effect is non-different from the cause. However, in the realm of duality cause is different from the effect. The non-difference of the effect from the cause has to be grasped perfectly to realize, from the ultimate standpoint, that there is neither the cause nor the effect because the cause and effect are one in essence. That essence is consciousness.

Sage Sankara says: - If the cause is destroyed, the effect will no longer exist. For example, if from the effect, cotton cloth, the cause, threads, are removed, there will be no cloth, i.e., the cloth is destroyed. Similarly, if in the effect, the thread, the cause, cotton, is removed, there will be no thread, i.e., the thread is destroyed. (Brahma-sutra Bhashya, commentary on the Brahma-sutra, [9] 2.1.9

Despite the non-difference of cause and effect, the effect has itself in the cause but not the cause in the effect. The effect is of the nature of the cause, and not the cause is the nature of the effect. Therefore, the qualities of the effect cannot touch the cause because the cause and effect are present only when the duality is present. The duality is present only when there is an illusion. The illusion is there only when there is ignorance. When there is no ignorance, then there is no illusion. When there is no illusion, then there is no duality. When there is no duality, then there is no cause and effect. When there is no cause and effect, then there is the nondual reality.

Sage Sankara says:~ During the time of its existence, one can easily grasp that the effect is not different from the cause. However, that the cause is different from the effect is not readily understood. As to this, it is not really possible to separate cause from effect. But this is possible by imagining so. For example, the reflection of the gold ornament seen in the mirror is only the form of the ornament, but is not the ornament itself, as it (the reflection) has no gold in it at all. (commentary on the Chandogya Upanishad, 6.3.2)

All names and forms are real when seen with the Sat (Brahman), but are false when seen independently of Brahman.

This way, the seeker of truth establishes the non-difference of effect from cause.

In the context of Advaita Vedanta, ~ Jagat (the world) is not different from Brahman; however, Brahman is different from Jagat

It has not been possible to preach Advaitic Truth entirely free from the settings of dualistic weakness; it has not been more operative and useful to mankind at large because only a few will be able to grasp and realize it.

'To realize the Advaitic truth, a freer and fuller scope, the seeker has to realize that form, time, and space are one in essence. And that essence is consciousness. And the soul, the Self, is present in the form of consciousness.

To realize the Advaitic truth, the seeker has to be free from all superstitions and orthodox contaminations. The seeker has to be dedicated to acquiring Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana alone.'

A Gnani will easily appreciate that the high flights of Sage Sankara’s Advaitic wisdom are one of the most majestic structures and valuable products of the Genius of man in his search for Truth.

People who strongly believe this world is real must realize: ~

A person who stamped his foot on the ground to refute, to show the world, is real, ignores that in a dream he would do exactly the same--stamp his dream foot on the ground and assert it to be real.

When you finally realize the Self is not you, but the Self is the invisible Soul, then you will realize the world in which you exist is merely an illusion created out of the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Thus, you, your experience of birth, life, death, and the world merely an illusion created out of consciousness; consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth.

The world is both real and unreal. It is real because it is a manifestation of consciousness, but it is unreal, in the sense that it is not absolute and eternal like consciousness itself.

People's approach is more practical, and they stick with the reality of the world; they take it as real. That is why all the confusion.

In Self-awareness, the witness and the witnessed are one in essence. That essence is consciousness. There is no second thing that exists other than consciousness.

Thus, whatever is seen, known, believed, and experienced as a person is a reality within the waking experience (duality), but waking experience (duality) itself is merely an illusion created out of consciousness. :

Remember

Many people think Sage Sankara's path of wisdom is the path of Advaitic orthodoxy is substantially not true. Some philosophers in the world are as misunderstood and misinterpreted.

Most of the harm came from his orthodox followers. The ideas that Sage Sankara rejected came back to the Advaita fold, and the wisdom–oriented teachings of Sage Sankara became as much a face of Advaita as the rituals, worship, and other practices.

Sage Sankara treated ignorance as an error, the removal of which led to wisdom; he left it at that. His followers, however, wrote tomes speculating on the causes for ignorance, the nature of ignorance, different forms of ignorance, etc had the Guru watched his disciples at work, he might have wondered whether they were studying about Brahman or about ignorance.

Brahman— The one without a second

The Atman is self-evident. It is not established by extraneous proofs. It is not possible to deny the Atman because it is the very essence of the one who denies it. The Atman is the basis of all kinds of knowledge, presuppositions, and proofs. Self is within, Self is without; Self is before, Self is behind; Self is on the right, Self is on the left; Self is above and Self is below. Brahman is not an object, as it is, beyond the reach of the physical eyes. Hence, the Upanishads declare: “Neti Neti—not this, not this....” This does not mean that Brahman is a negative concept, or a metaphysical abstraction, or a nonentity, or a void. It is not another. It is all-full, infinite, changeless, self-existent, self-delight, self-knowledge, and self-bliss. It is Svarupa, essence. It is the essence of the witness. It is the Seer (Drashta), Transcendent (Turiya), and Silent Witness (Saakshi).

Sage Sankara’s Supreme Brahman is impersonal, Nirguna (without Gunas or attributes), Nirakara (formless), Nirvisesha (without special characteristics), immutable, eternal, and Akarta (non-agent). It is above all needs and desires. It is always the Witnessing Subject. It can never become an object as it is beyond the reach of the senses. Brahman is non-dual, one without a second. It has no other besides it. It is destitute of difference, either external or internal. Brahman cannot be described because description implies a distinction. Brahman cannot be distinguished from any other than It. In Brahman, there is no distinction between substance and attribute. Sat-Chit-Ananda constitutes the very essence or Svarupa of Brahman and not just its attributes. The Nirguna Brahman of Sage Sankara is impersonal.

From the standpoint of the formless Soul, the Self, the effect is non-different from the cause. However, in the realm of duality cause is different from the effect. The non-difference of the effect from the cause has to be grasped perfectly to realize, from the ultimate standpoint, that there is neither the cause nor the effect because the cause and effect are one in essence. That essence is consciousness.

Sage Sankara says: - If the cause is destroyed, the effect will no longer exist. For example, if from the effect, cotton cloth, the cause, threads, are removed, there will be no cloth, i.e., the cloth is destroyed. Similarly, if in the effect, the thread, the cause, cotton, is removed, there will be no thread, i.e., the thread is destroyed. (Brahma-sutra Bhashya, commentary on the Brahma-sutra, [9] 2.1.9

Despite the non-difference of cause and effect, the effect has itself in the cause but not the cause in the effect. The effect is of the nature of the cause, and not the cause is the nature of the effect. Therefore, the qualities of the effect cannot touch the cause because the cause and effect are present only when the duality is present. The duality is present only when there is an illusion. The illusion is there only when there is ignorance. When there is no ignorance, then there is no illusion. When there is no illusion, then there is no duality. When there is no duality, then there is no cause and effect. When there is no cause and effect, then there is the nondual reality.

Sage Sankara says:~ During the time of its existence, one can easily grasp that the effect is not different from the cause. However, that the cause is different from the effect is not readily understood. As to this, it is not really possible to separate cause from effect. But this is possible by imagining so. For example, the reflection of the gold ornament seen in the mirror is only the form of the ornament, but is not the ornament itself as it (the reflection) has no gold in it at all. (commentary on the Chandogya Upanishad, 6.3.2)

All names and forms are real when seen with the Sat (Brahman), but are false when seen independently of Brahman.

This way, the seeker of truth establishes the non-difference of effect from cause.

In the context of Advaita Vedanta, ~ Jagat (the world) is not different from Brahman; however, Brahman is different from Jagat

It has not been possible to preach Advaitic Truth entirely free from the settings of dualistic weakness; it has not been more operative and useful to mankind at large because only a few will be able to grasp and realize it.

'To realize the Advaitic truth, a freer and fuller scope, the seeker has to realize that form, time, and space are one in essence. And that essence is consciousness. And the soul, the Self, is present in the form of consciousness.

To realize the Advaitic truth, the seeker has to be free from all superstitions and orthodox contaminations. The seeker has to be dedicated to acquiring Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana alone.'

A Gnani will easily appreciate that the high flights of Sage Sankara’s Advaitic wisdom are one of the most majestic structures and valuable products of the Genius of man in his search for Truth.

People who strongly believe this world is real must realize: ~

A person who stamped his foot on the ground to refute, to show the world, is real, ignores that in a dream he would do exactly the same--stamp his dream foot on the ground and assert it to be real.

When you finally realize the Self is not you, but the Self is the invisible Soul, then you will realize the world in which you exist is merely an illusion created out of the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Thus, you, your experience of birth, life, death, and the world merely an illusion created out of consciousness; consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth.

The world is both real and unreal. It is real because it is a manifestation of consciousness, but is unreal, in the sense that it is not absolute and eternal like consciousness itself.

People's approach is more practical, and they stick with the reality of the world; they take it as real. That is why all the confusion.

In Self-awareness, the witness and the witnessed are one in essence. That essence is consciousness. There is no second thing that exists other than consciousness.

Thus, whatever is seen, known, believed, and experienced as a person is a reality within the waking experience (duality), but waking experience (duality) itself is merely an illusion created out of consciousness.

Remember: ~

People who stamped their foot on the ground to refute to show the world, is real, ignore that in the dream he would do exactly the same--stamp his dream foot on the ground and assert it to be real.

The world is both real and unreal. It is real because it is a manifestation of consciousness, but is unreal, in the sense that it is not absolute and eternal like consciousness itself.

People's approach is more practical, and they stuck with the reality of the world; they take it as real. That is why all the confusion.

The look of an object will depend upon the medium through which the observer views it. In fact, our mental and intellectual conditions determine the three states, observed and experienced. The commoner viewing the universe will see it differently from a Gnani viewing the same universe. Each one interprets the three states that they see in terms of their existing knowledge. The commoner sees everything based on the ego, therefore, he experiences birth, life, death, and the world as reality, whereas a Gnani sees everything as consciousness and he is fully aware that there is no second thing that exists other than consciousness. And the whole universe is nothing but consciousness. Thus, the consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman.

The dream becomes unreal when the waking takes place. Similarly, the waking becomes unreal when Advaitic wisdom dawns. Advaitic wisdom dawns when you (waking entity or ego) realize the fact that the self is not you, but the self is the formless soul, which witnesses the coming and going of the three states.

Remember

There is only one Self, which is the Soul. There are no separate individual Souls. Nobody has ever seen the Soul of an individual. You can only say that you have seen different bodies.

When the whole universe is made of a single clay, which is the Soul, then whatever the universe contains is also made of the Soul, the Self, which is present in the form of consciousness.

People who argue that the Soul does not exist are not aware that their own existence is dependent on the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. There is no individual Soul because the Soul is one and is the cause of the whole universe. The Soul is hidden by the universe.

One should not conclude because some great thinker said so or some philosophy says so. Without consciousness, the mind, which is present in the form of the universe, ceases to exist. Man ceases to exist without the universe.

The universe ceases to exist without the Soul, the Self. The Soul can exist with or without the universe, which is the dualistic illusion.

The Soul is the Self. The Soul is present in the form of consciousness. No division in consciousness is admissible at any time, as it is always one and the same. Even the world in which we exist must be known as false, like the delusion of a snake in a rope.

The Soul is the Self. The Soul is present in the form of consciousness. Consciousness is Self-evident. It is not established by extraneous proofs. It is not possible to deny consciousness because it is the very essence of the one who denies it. Consciousness is the basis of all kinds of knowledge, presuppositions, and proofs. Consciousness is the true Self.

Until one thinks of his body as body, ego as ego, the universe as the universe, he remains in ignorance because he is still in ignorance, and he is unaware that they too are consciousness.

The Soul, the Self, is formless and non-dual, one without a second. It has no other besides itself. It is destitute of difference, either external or internal.

The Soul cannot be described because description implies a distinction. The Soul cannot be distinguished from any other than itself. In the Soul, there is no distinction of substance and attribute.

Nondual awareness constitutes the very essence of the Soul, and not just its attributes. The Soul is impersonal. It becomes personal only through its association with the three states or illusion.

As through the ignorance of the real nature of the rope, the very rope appears in an instant as a snake, so also does Soul or consciousness appear in the form of the waking or dream without undergoing any change.

There exists no other material cause of this waking or dream except consciousness. Hence, these three states are nothing but an illusion created out of consciousness.

All three states are consciousness because they arise from consciousness, and sustained by consciousness, and finally, dissolve as consciousness. The idea of the pervaded and the pervading is illusory. When this supreme truth is realized, then there is no room for any distinction between the cause and the effect.

Certainly, there is no manifoldness in consciousness. The non-dual cause being an established fact, how could the three states be different from consciousness, when they are created out of consciousness?

Remember this: ~

The Soul is the Self. The Soul is present in the form of consciousness.

The Soul is the cause of the world in which you exist, and it, itself, is uncaused.

Many souls’ theory is a religious theory based on the false self (ego) within the false world. When the world in which we exist is created out of a single clay and that single clay is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, the question of many souls does not arise. There is one and only Soul, which is the cause of the universe.

You are not the ‘Self’ because you are mortal. You are mortal because you are bound by the experience of birth, life, death, and the world. The Self is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness is immortal because it is an ever-formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.

The one that is in ignorance is the Soul; the one that has to wake up from the sleep of ignorance is the Soul, the Self.

The world in which you exist is the product of ignorance. When ignorance vanishes, the world in which you exist is merely an illusion created out of consciousness.

Without the illusion, the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness alone, will prevail as the ultimate reality, or Brahman or God. Thus, the Soul is the ultimate truth or Brahman.

Self-realization is necessary to realize ‘what is truth and ‘what is the untruth.

Many Selves Theory is based on the false self and false experience(world) . When the whole universe is created out of a single stuff, which is the Soul than whatever the universe contains is also consciousness. Thus, the Soul is one and in ignorance the diversity appears as reality.

Sage Sri, Sankara asks his opponents, "How do you know there are separate individual Souls? Have you seen the Soul of a Man? You can only say that you have seen different bodies. To say more is to misuse language. Therefore, I call you liars unless you give proof, which is impossible.

Rig Veda: ~ The Atman is the cause; Atman is the support of all that exists in this universe.

So, it proves the Soul is not an individual, but it is the support of all that exists in this universe.

The Soul is not limited to an individual. The individuals are many, but the Soul is one. The individual exist within the universe. The Soul is the cause of the universe and it itself is uncaused.

The Soul is not within the human body. The universe is created out of a single stuff. That single stuff is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. Thus, whatever universe contains is bound to be the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

The dream world, the dream people appeared together and disappeared together. Similarly, the waking world and waking people appeared together and disappeared together.

Thus, the dream is created out of a single stuff, and that stuff is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. In the same way, the waking experience is also created out of a single stuff. And that single stuff is consciousness.

The Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, is the cause of the three states, and it, itself is uncaused. The many soul theories are religious and yogic fables based on the false self (ego) and false experience (waking).

Knowledge of the single stuff is Self-knowledge of Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

Like an ornament made from gold is Gold, that which is born out of consciousness is consciousness. Like gold is a permanent thing, in ornaments made of gold, similarly, the mind, which is in the form of the universe, is born out of consciousness, is consciousness in its essence.

Deeper self-search reveals that you are not the Self, the world in which you exist is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, but consciousness is specifically not an entity or identity or a thing within the world in which you exist. But it is the cause of the world in which you exist and it itself is uncaused.

The Soul is hidden by the illusory world in which you exist. The nature of the Soul is a formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.

Thus, it is necessary to realize the world in which you exist is created out of a single stuff, which is consciousness. Consciousness is the ultimate truth, or Brahman or God in truth. Thus, God alone is real; the world in which you exist is merely an illusion created out of consciousness.

It takes time for the seeker to gain the perfect understanding of ‘what is truth’ and ‘’what is untruth’.

It takes time for the Soul, the Self, to wake up from the sleep of ignorance, and it takes time for one to realize the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space.: ~Santthosh Kumaar