People get stuck with the idea of ‘No Self’ and remain like stagnant water, dropping all the further investigation.+

 

Many people hold on to the concept that there is no such thing as the Self because their Guru said so, or some teaching said so, or some scriptures say so. People get stuck with the idea of no Self and remain like stagnant water, dropping all the further investigation.

It is foolish to say there is no ‘Self’ when the world in which we exist dependent on the Self for its existence. When there is no ignorance, then the ‘Self’ alone shines as eternal existence.

The Self is the Soul, which ever present. Without Soul, the Self the world, in which you exist, cease to exist.

The Soul, the Self, is Self-evident. It is not established by extraneous proofs. It is not possible to deny the Soul, the Self because it is the very essence of the one who denies it. The Soul, the Self, is the basis of all kinds of knowledge, presuppositions, and proofs. The Sou, the Self, is everything. Thus, the Soul, the ‘Self’ is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth.

First, the seeker has to make sure what this supposed to be the in actuality. Only in ignorance, the Soul, the Self is caught up in the prison of the dualistic illusion. In reality, the Soul, the Self, is free from the dualistic illusion.

The world in which you exist is a dualistic illusion created out of the ‘Self’ which not you but the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Whatever you have seen, known, believed and experienced is the dualistic illusion. Thus, your existence is bound to an illusion created out of the Soul, the Self, which is present in the form of consciousness. The Soul, the Self, is real and eternal.

Realize the ‘Self’ is not you. Do not struggle by practicing this and that to know the truth, which is beyond the form, time, and space.

The ‘Self is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. Consciousness is the cause of the world in which you exist, and it itself is causeless.

Consciousness is hidden by the world in which you exist, but it is without the world in which you exist.

Consciousness can remain with or without the world in which you exist.

Like an ornament made from gold is Gold, that which is born out of consciousness is consciousness. Like gold is the 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.

Your realization of the Soul as God is the ultimate realization. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Getting sentimentally or emotionally involved with the Gurus and yogis and glorifying the Gurus blocks the realization.+

The Atmic path or the path of wisdom is not the religious and yogic path. Guru is not required in the path of wisdom.

Getting sentimentally or emotionally involved with the Gurus and yogis and their teaching and glorifying the Gurus’ blocks the realization of the ‘Self’. Worshiping and glorifying the Gurus will keep you in the domain of the form, time and space.

The Guru who pretends he to be Self-realized and plays with the emotions and sentiments of the seekers with his ornamental words is a fraud, not a Gnani.

Katha Upanishad (1.2.5) says:~ "Caught in the grip of ignorance, self-proclaimed experts consider themselves learned authorities. They wander about this world befooled, like the blind leading the blind."

Only perfect understanding of what is what’ leads to truth realization. The truth- realization is Self-realization. Self-realization is God realization.

If you are seeking truth nothing but truth then you must not get stuck to any Guru or yogi. Those who are seeking truth need not follow any Guru or any teaching.

Yoga Vasistha says:~ Self-knowledge or knowledge of truth is not had by resorting to a Guru (preceptor) nor by the study of scripture, nor by good works: it is attained only by means of inquiry inspired by the company of wise (Gnani). One’s inner light alone is the means, naught else. When this inner light is kept alive, it is not affected by the darkness of inertia.

There is no need to condemn Gurus, but there is a need to highlight how they become an obstacle in realizing the ultimate truth or Brahman.

Swami Vivekananda said: ~ “You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher, but your own Soul.”

The Guru is useless so long as the ultimate truth is unknown, and the Guru is equally useless when the ultimate truth or Brahman has already been known.

Sage Goudpada: ~ To establish the truth of Non-duality by sheer reasoning alone. He begins by defining "What is real?" "What is unreal?" etc., because that is the right way to discuss or teach. People must first know what they are talking about. (Manduka Karika)

A Guru is needed in religious and the yogic path. There is no need of a Guru in to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Mastering the Vedas the Upanishads and mastering the Sanskrit language does not qualify one to acquire Self-knowledge.+

Many people believe by accumulating mastering the knowledge from the Vedas, the Upanishads, and the other scriptures and mastering the Sanskrit language makes one a Gnani.

The scholars who mastered the knowledge from the Vedas the Upanishads and the other scriptures and mastered the Sanskrit language looked upon other people as ignorant, as an illiterate people who have no knowledge of Vedas, the Upanishads, and the other scriptures and does not know the Sanskrit language.

Mastering the Vedas the Upanishads and the other scriptures and mastering the Sanskrit language does not qualify one to acquire Advaitic wisdom or Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

These religious scholars, immersed in ignorance in various ways, flatter themselves, saying: We have accomplished life's mission. Because these performers of karma do not the Advaitic Gnana owing to their accumulated knowledge, they will never be able to cross the ocean of dualistic illusion.

Sage Sankara says ~ “VC~ 58. Loud speech consisting of a shower of words, the skill in expounding the Scriptures, and likewise erudition - these merely bring on a little personal enjoyment to the scholar, but are no good for Liberation.

59. The study of the Scriptures is useless so long as the highest Truth is unknown, and it is equally useless when the highest Truth has already been known.

60. The Scriptures consisting of many words are a dense forest which merely causes the mind to ramble. Hence, men of wisdom should earnestly set about knowing the true nature of the Self.

Dattatreya's Song of the Avadhut 1.36-42:~ “Non-duality is taught by some; some others teach duality. They don't understand that the all-pervading Reality is beyond both duality and non-duality.

Mundaka Upanishad:~ The Para or Higher knowledge is the knowledge of the Supreme Being, while the Apara or Lower Knowledge is that of following sacrificial rites and ceremonies. (1/2/ 1 – 6)

A Gnani may be illiterate in the dualistic world, a scholar as literate, as a well-educated person in the dualistic world. But of what value is the scholar’s knowledge is limited to the form, time and space but a Gnani’s even if he is illiterate his knowledge is of beyond the illusory form, time and space.

Sage Sankara: ~ On Gnani: "The knower of Brahman wears no signs. Gives up the insignia of a monk's life…his signs are not manifest, nor his behavior."

When the knower of Brahman wears no signs ~ It means he does not identify himself as a Guru or a teacher or a yogi.

A scholar will go on and on about the immortality of the Soul, but when death approaches he will be trembling and weeping and wailing. Scholars, interpretations of sacred texts, the force of religious merit--none of these lead to the realization of that ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth.

Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana is the knowledge of the immortal the Soul, the one and only ‘Self’ of all that exists as an illusion.

All this talk of immortality will crumble into nothingness because he has not known the knowledge of the Soul, which is immortal.

A Gnani knows what he is talking about is not an explanation, what he is talking about is the realization of the truth, which is beyond the form, time and space.

A Gnani shares his joy by sharing his wisdom; he is singing the song about the unsung truth. Remember whenever a Gnani speaks about God it is not a belief; he knows it, it is his realization. He is talking out of his realization; hence he can be of immense help to the whole humanity.

A Gnani always sees the world in which he exists as the Soul without any division of the form, time and space. And a Gnani watches his own actions as if they were another's. He is never puffed up by the praise or disturbed by blame.

As for Gnani, his individuality is dead. It is merged in the Soul like waves in the ocean. A Gnani live in freedom have gone beyond the dualities of life.

A Gnani is not competing with anyone, he alike in success and failure and content with whatever comes to him. He is e free, without Selfish attachments; his attention is fixed in the awareness of the Soul.

A Gnani performs all practical duties of the practical world like others, and he helps other seekers to get rid of the ignorance of their true existence. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

There is only one Self, which is the Soul. There are no separate individual Souls. Nobody has ever seen the Soul of an individual.+

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 Soul does not exist are not aware of the fact that, their own existence is dependent on the Soul, which is present in the form of the consciousness. There is no individual Soul because the Soul is one and which 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 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 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 of the fact that they too are consciousness.

The Soul, the Self, is formless and non-dual, one without a second. It has no other beside It. 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 it. In the Soul, there is not the 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 a personal only through its association with the three states or illusion.

As through 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 the 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 being 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 a 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 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 the birth, life, death and the world.

The ‘Self’ is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness is immortal because it is 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 mere 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 or God in truth.:~Santthosh Kumaar

Mixing religion with Spirituality or Adyatma is a great error.+

Spirituality or Adyathma is nothing to do with religion and religious Gods. Religion is based on the blind belief whereas the spirituality is based on the Soul, the God hidden by the ‘I’, which is ignorance. Mixing religion with Spirituality is a great error.

Worshiping God without knowing what God supposed to be in actuality is not of any use. Remember, the religious God worshiped by you is not real God according to your own scriptures.

First, realize what God supposed to be in truth. Being the ignorance of the truth is being ignorance of God.

Bhagavad Gita Chapter:~ All those whose intelligence has been stolen by material desires, they worship many Gods. (7- Verse -20)

Religious Gods are mere belief. Belief is not God. Religious God cannot be considered as the center because the Soul and the ‘Self’ is the center of all that exists.

Without the Soul the universe in which you exist ceases to exist, it means the religious God is dependent on the Soul for his existence. God in truth is only the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Even Bhagavad Gita says : ~ 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).

When Bhagavad Gita says, God is considered the all-pervading consciousness which is the basis of all the animate and inanimate entities and material then nothing has to be accepted as God other than consciousness.

Even Brihadaranyaka Upanishad: ~ Brahman (God in truth) is the form of the Athma, and it is indeed Athma itself.

Religious Gods are based on blind faith or blind belief. Religious God cannot be considered as cause of the universe because the Soul, the ‘Self’ is the cause of the universe. Without the universe, religion and its Gods cease to exist.

Without the Soul the universe in which you exist ceases to exist, it means the religious Gods are dependent on the Soul for their existence.

Even 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)

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

Kena Upanishad (6) Chapter I: ~ “That which cannot be apprehended by the mind, but by which, they say, the mind is apprehended-That alone know as Brahman, and not that which people here worship.

Kena Upanishad (7) Chapter I:~ That which cannot be perceived by the eye, but by which the eye is perceived-That alone know as Brahman and not that which people here worship.

Kena Upanishad (8) Chapter I:~ That which cannot be heard by the ear, but by which the hearing is perceived-That alone know as Brahman and not that which people here worship.

Kena Upanishad (9)- Chapter I:~ That which cannot be smelt by the breath, but by which the breath smells an object-That alone know as Brahman, and not that which people here worship.

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

Then it is no use going a roundabout way, to trace the Brahman (God) which is the formless substance and witness of the universe, which is present in the form of mind. By tracing the source of the mind or universe, one will be able to realize the Brahman (God). : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Without knowing what God suppose to be in truth, indulging in wars, violence, terrorism in the name of religion is ignorance.+

Religions are the cause of wars, violence, terrorism and all the unrest of the world. Ignorance is the foundation of religion.

Without knowing what God suppose to be in truth, indulging in wars, violence, terrorism in the name of religion is ignorance.

God in truth is not a Hindu, or Christian Jew or a Muslim or Buddhist. All of those Gods based on blind faith or blind belief are imaginary meant for ignorant populace, which is not capable of grasping God in truth hidden by the ignorance (I).

Advaitic path is not for the religious minded people. Advaitic path is pure Spirituality or Adyatma. Advaitic path is to help the seeker to unfold the mystery of God.

Anyone who follows Advaita knows that that Advaita is not a religious concept. Advaita is not philosophy. Advaita is pure Spirituality pr Adyathma. Advaitic wisdom of Sage Sankara unfolds the God hidden by the illusory universe because Advaita itself is God in truth.

Advaita is the Soul, the Self, which is present in the form of the Spirit or Consciousness. The Soul is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth.

So, Advaita is the nondual nature of the Soul, the Self, which is God in truth. Advaita is universal. Advaita is nothing to do with the religion caste, sect and creed.

Religion is nothing but human-made concoction of many religious founders to promote the personal views of some while condemning the views of others.

A Gnani does not belong to any religion. A Gnani has realized God in truth hidden by the ‘I’. The ‘I’ is ignorance.

The ‘I’ is the dualistic illusion. The ‘I’ hides the God in truth because ‘I’ is nothing but an illusion created out of Spirit, which is God in truth.

The seeker must remember the religion is not Spirituality or Adyathma. Spirituality is knowledge of the Spirit, which is God in truth. The seeker must know the difference between religious God and Spiritual God.

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

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad: ~ Brahman (God) is the form of the Athma, and it is indeed Athma itself.

People, who worship the belief of God, are hallucinating that they become one with such God.

Vedas itself says: May ye never accept another God in place of the Atman, nor worship other than the Atman.

Thus, to know the God in truth, Self-realization is necessary. Self-realization is God realization. Self-realization is real worship.

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: ~ 'Prajnanam Brahma'- Consciousness is the ultimate reality or Brahman or God in truth.

Do not accept any other truth other than consciousness. Consciousness is the ultimate truth,  Nothing is real but consciousness. Nothing matters but to realize the ultimate truth. Consciousness is everywhere and in everything. Let these words be inscribed in your subconscious.

How can you worship the God? That implies two ~ the worshiper and the worshiped, whereas the God is nondual. One can worship his idea of the God only or realize his unity with it when he can’t worship it as apart.

When Upanishads and Vedas says, “God is the form of the Athma, and God is indeed Athma itself” then why to accept another God in place of the Atman or worship other than the Atman.

God in truth is the Supreme Being the One eternal homogeneous essence, indivisible consciousness and intelligence, which is beyond the form, time, and space. To which the Sages describe in a variety of ways through diverse words.

Bhagavad Gita: ~ ‘All those whose intelligence has been stolen by material desires, they worship many Gods. (7- Verse -20)

Only the path of wisdom leads the seeker of truth on his journey to the ultimate realization of the true nature of the Universal Essence, which is the Soul. The Soul is present in the form of the consciousness.

Bhagavad Gita: 7: 19:~ "Such a man who has attained Self-knowledge, or the knowledge of Atman, hold Atman as God. Atman alone exists~ everything is Atman, there exists nothing except Atman. Such a man is extremely rare."

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

When Bhagavad Gita says, God is considered the all-pervading consciousness which is the basis of all the animate and inanimate entities and material then nothing has to be accepted as God other than consciousness.

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 dualistic worship of "God” is only for the ignorant populace. The God in truth is only Atman, the innermost Self. In reality, there is no duality, no differentiation. Only Atman exists.

It is high time for the Humanity to discard the religion and accept the Spirituality for the universal peace and universal brotherhood. :~ Santthosh Kumaar

God in truth is not within you, but it is hidden by the illusory universe in which you exist.+

Searching for the God, Remember, God is not within you, but it is hidden by the world in which you exist.

God is not in any mosque, temple or church. The religious Gods are not God in truth.

Sage Goudapada’s rational exposition of Advaita: ~ “Whatever is seen, whether external or internal, whether by the ordinary persons or yogis, is unreal.

From the standpoint of the Soul, the ‘Self’, whatever you have seen known and believed and experienced as a person becomes unreal (illusion).

To realize the world in which you exist is an illusion you have to realize the fact that the ‘Self’ is not the ‘I’ but the ‘Self’ is the Soul, the witness of the ‘I’.

Unless you realize the ‘Self’ as the Soul, you are all blinded by the dualistic illusion or Maya.

The experience of the birth, life, death, and the world as a reality within the waking experience. The waking experience is a parallel dream, and dream is a parallel waking experience. The waking experience is the dualistic illusion or Maya.

To overcome the dualistic illusion, you have to get rid of the ignorance by realizing the ‘Self’-is not the ‘I’.

Until you hold the’ I’ as ‘Self’, ignorance will not vanish. So, there is a need to realize, ‘what is this ‘I’?

You must realize the fact that, the ‘I’ is not the ‘‘Self’’, but the ‘‘Self’’ is the formless Soul the Soul is present in the form of consciousness. Since ‘I’ is the inborn conditioning, and it will not vanish by inquiring ‘Who AM ‘I’? Or just saying ‘I AM THAT’ the ignorance will not vanish. There is a need for deeper understanding of the nature of the ‘I’.

Deeper Self - search reveals the fact that, the world in which you exist, is a dualistic illusion or Maya created by the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. And thus the existence of the universe in which you exist is negated, where is then any room to say that the ‘I’ is the ‘Self’. Without the ‘I’ the world, in which you exist, cease to exist.

The Soul is the ‘Self’. The Soul is present in the form of consciousness. The Soul is the substance and witness of the illusory universe or Maya. The Soul is hidden by the illusory universe or Maya, and it is always apart from the illusory universe or Maya.

The Soul is hidden by the universe, which is the dualistic illusion or Maya as its formless substance, and it is without the dualistic illusion or Maya as its witness.

In reality, the substance and witness of the illusion are one, in essence. That essence is consciousness. Thus, the Soul, the consciousness alone is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth.

Upanishads: ~ Fools dwelling in darkness, but thinking they wise and erudite, go round and round, by various tortuous paths, like the blind led by the blind. (Upanishads Nikilanada - Ch II-5 P-14)

No one can teach anybody. The wisdom is hidden within the world in which you exist. A Gnani can only show the way, that much is the work of a Gnani.

A Gnani only guides the seekers to apply their own reason and realize the truth, which is beyond the form, time, and space.

When the seeker learns to view and judge and reason the three states on the base of the Soul, the truth will start unfolding on its own. First, the seeker may find it difficult to use Soulcentric reason, but gradually it will become easy.

Self-inquiry’ is finding out the ‘Self’ which is hidden by the illusory universe in which we exist.

By inquiring ‘Who am I?’, the ignorance will not vanish. Without getting rid of the ignorance, the Advaitic wisdom will not dawn. Without the Advaitic wisdom, it is not possible to realize the truth, which is hidden within the world in which we exist.

That is why Sage Sankara Says: ~ VC-63. Without causing the objective universe to vanish and without knowing the truth of the ‘‘Self’’ how is one to achieve Liberation by the merely utterance of the word Brahman? — It would result merely in an effort of speech.

What is the use of saying ‘I AM THAT’ without knowing what the ‘‘Self’’ is in actuality?

Without knowing the truth of the ‘Self’, without realizing the truth of the world in which you exist, it is impossible to realize the truth beyond the form, time, and space. By a mere utterance of the word ‘I AM THAT', the truth will not be revealed. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

The Soul, the Self, is the cause of the illusory world, whereas the individual exists within the illusory world.+

Bhagavad Gita says: ~ “Among thousands of men, scarcely one strives for perfection; and of those who strive and succeed, scarcely one knows the ‘Self’ in truth.

The individual exists within the world. The world appears as the waking or dreams (duality) and disappears as deep sleep (nonduality)

The world in which the individual exists is within the dualistic illusion. The individual is not the Self. The Self is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. The Soul, the Self, is the cause of the world in which individual exist and it itself is uncaused.

The Soul, the Self, is the cause o the whole world, whereas the individual exists within the world. The individual within the world has a firm conviction he is an individual separate from the world and world existed prior to him, and he is born in the world afterward.

Until this conviction is there, it is impossible to realize the truth which is hidden by the world in which he exists.

The ‘I’-centric gurus think the ‘I’ itself is the Self, and they think the Self is within the human heart. Therefore, they have lost track of the truth, which is hidden by the form, time, and space.

The Soul, the Self, is the cause of all causes. To find a great person is very rare who has become with the Soul.

The Soul ~ the One without the Second

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

The Soul, the Self, is hidden by the world in which the individual exists. And the Soul, the Self, is without the world in which the individual exists.

The individual exists within the dualistic illusion. The dualistic illusion has no value when wisdom dawns. Thus, mentally stick to the Soul, the Self and drop the dualistic illusion. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

A Gnani sees the reality hidden by the ignorance as it is in the midst of diversity (universe).+

 

A Gnani sees the reality hidden by the ignorance as it is in the midst of diversity (universe).

Sage Sankara himself said: ~ A Gnani "bears no outward mark of a holy man"

Select Works of Sage Sankara" also his commentary on Brihad: ~ “Though I wear these robes of a Sanyasin, it is only for the sake of bread.”

So, he wore the religious robe only for the sake of the ignorant. So he was identified as Guru with parampara by religious people. For the truth seekers, Sage Sankara is a Brahma Gnani.

Thus, it proves that the religious gurus and yogis are not Gnanis because they identified themselves as holy people.

Thus, it proves that Sage Sankara meant, taking sanyasa and wearing the religious robes to earn bread. Sanyasa is not a qualification to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

Exploring if an outside observer can, in all cases, determine if a person is enlightened or not, the venerated Sage Sankara, in his work The Crest-Jewel of Discrimination (1) or as it is sometimes known, Viveka Chudamani (2), states that the Knower of the Atman (i.e., a Gnani) "bears no outward mark of a holy man." (Stanza 539).

Sage Sankara writes (on a Gnani): - “Sometimes he appears to be a fool, sometimes a wise man. Sometimes he seems splendid as a king, sometimes feeble-minded. Sometimes he is calm and silent. Sometimes he draws men to him. Sometimes people honor him greatly, sometimes they insult him. Sometimes they ignore him.

Sage Sankara:~ "The ignorant see the body of a knower of Brahman and identify him with it. Actually, Atman, the Self, is free from the body and every other kind of bondage. To the 'Self' the body is merely a shadow."

Manduka Upanishads: ~ Even the Gods cannot find out who is a Gnani because he bears no external mark. Neither nudity nor the yellow robe has anything to do with him.

A Gnani cannot have the idea of renouncing the world or giving up something of the practical world because that would connote the idea of duality.

Duality is merely an illusion from ultimate standpoint. Knowing no second thing at all, there remains nothing to be given up.

Self-Knowledge is only is true knowledge, not the absence of duality. Self -Knowledge cannot destroy the world, but it eliminates the ignorance and exposes the unreal nature of the mind or universe.

A Gnani is the one who has realized the universe in which he exists is nothing but the consciousness. Self-awareness is unique. It cannot be experienced because it is prior to any experience. It is possible only by the realization of the knowledge of the Infinite."

A Gnani sees only unity in diversity, just like a goldsmith estimating the gold in various items of jewelry sees only gold.

When one identifies the Self with the form, then only the form, time and space are present. But when one transcend form, time and space the duality never remain as reality: ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Sage Sankara criticized severely the ritualistic attitude and those who advocated such practices.+

Detachment from the illusory attachment of form, time, and space is impossible without Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

Sage Sankara gave religious, ritual, or dogmatic instruction to the populace, but pure wisdom only to the few who could rise to it. Hence, the interpretation of his writings by commentators is often confusing because they mix up the two viewpoints. Thus, they may assert that ritual is a means of realizing Brahman, which is absurd.

One of Sage Sankara’s missions was to wean people away from the ritualistic approach advocated by Mimamsakas and to project wisdom (jnana) 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 texts that combined rituals with wisdom (jnana_karma_samucchaya) more in favor of the Mimamsaka position came into vogue, projecting Sage Sankara as the rallying force of the doctrine.

Mundaka Upanishad:~ The rituals and the sacrifices described in the Vedas deal with lower knowledge. The sages ignored these rituals and went in search of higher knowledge. ... Such rituals are unsafe rafts for crossing the sea of samsara, of birth and death. Doomed to shipwreck are those who try to cross the sea of samsara on these poor rafts. Ignorant of their own ignorance, yet wise In their own esteem, these deluded men Proud of their vain learning go round and round like the blind led by the blind.

How can you worship the Absolute? That implies two ~ the worshiper and the worshiped, whereas the Absolute is nondual. One can worship his idea of the Absolute only or realize his unity with it when he can’t worship it as apart.

Religious rites and rigid ceremonies were passed down from one generation to the next as a practice or set customs and tradition and performed automatically with blind faith. Such worship based on the belief of God does not reach God.

Religious rites and ceremonies, yagnas and homa-havans, or any other forms of ritual are meant for the ignorant populace.

Belief in God without knowing God in actuality holds the worshiper more firmly in the grip of ignorance.

All worship and the ceremonies rituals performed on the base of non-~Vedic Gods will not yield any fruits. Deeper self-search reveals the fact that worshiped, the worship, and the worshiper and the world are merely an illusion created out of consciousness.

Religious rites and ceremonies, yagnas and homa-havans, or any other forms of rituals formal observance has long since set in.

Religious rites and ceremonies, yagnas and homa-havans, or any other forms of ritual are meant for the ignorant populace. In the Atmic path, the seeker has to discard

Sage Sankara says: ~ The scriptures dealing with rituals, rewards are therefore addressed to an ignorant person.

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 Self with the body is 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.-Adhyasa Bhashya

Sage Sankara:~ (11.1) This ignorance (mistaking the body for Self) brings in its wake a desire for the well-being of the body, aversion for its disease or discomfort, fear of its destruction and thus a host of miseries(anartha). This anartha is caused by projecting karthvya(“doer” sense) and bhokthavya (object) on the Atman. Sage Sankara calls this adhyasa. The scriptures dealing with rituals, rewards, etc. are, therefore, he says, addressed to an ignorant person. -Adhyasa Bhashya

Sage Sankara:~ (11.2) In short, a person who engages in rituals with the notion “I am an agent, doer, thinker”, according to Sage Sankara, is ignorant, as his behavior implies a distinct, separate doer/agent/knower; and an object that is to be done/achieved/known. That duality is avidya, an error that can be removed by vidya. -Adhyasa Bhashya

Sage Sankara: ~ (12) Sage Sankara affirming his belief in one eternal unchanging reality (Brahman) and the illusion of plurality, drives home the point that Upanishads deal not with rituals but with the knowledge of the Absolute (Brahma vidya) and the Upanishads give us an insight into the essential nature of the Self which is identical with the Absolute, the Brahman. -Adhyasa Bhashya

Sage Sankara: ~ Atman, the Self is verily Brahman (God), being equanimous, quiescent, and by nature absolute Existence, Knowledge, and Bliss. Atman is not the body, which is non-existence itself. This is called true Knowledge by the wise.

Arguing with religious believers is fruitless.

Belief in tradition and the scripture as if they were true or factual quite clearly is a delusion, but the payoff for holding such delusions is, for those who hold them, extremely compelling ~ the avoidance of the "wrath of God," the hope of heaven or salvation, or the imagined "end of suffering."

"God" exists because the ‘Self’ exist, not vice versa. When awake to true nature, then this is known immediately.

That is why Sage Sankara:~ VC- 61- For one who has been bitten by the serpent of Ignorance, the only remedy is the knowledge of Brahman. Of what avail are the Vedas and (other) Scriptures, Mantras (sacred formulae), and medicines to such a one?

Ignorance is the cause of experiencing the world in which we exist as a reality. When you realize the ‘Self’ is you but the ‘Self ‘is the Soul, then you will realize the world in which you exist is an illusion.

Whatever is not to happening is happening within the dualistic illusion. All your happiness and sorrow are a reality within the illusion.

Ignorance is the cause of experiencing the illusion as a reality. Thus, eradicating ignorance is necessary to realize the truth hidden by the illusory world in which you exist. And this is possible only through Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

There is no other road to freedom other than Advaitic Gnana. There is no other entrance other than except Advaitic Gnana. Ignorance will vanish only when the Advaitic Gnana dawns.

Sage Sankara disagrees with Buddhists who say, there is nothing - a nonentity. Sage Sri, Sankara believes there is some reality, even though things are not what they appear to be. If one knows the truth, he will know what to do to find inspiration for action. The seeker of truth’s subject is to know what is it that is Real.

Buddhism says: all things are illusory and nothing exists. However, Advaita avers that it is not so. It says that the universe, of course, is illusory, but there is Brahman (consciousness), that exists forming the very substratum of all things (illusion or universe). ~Santthosh Kumaar