Without causing the objective universe to vanish and without knowing the truth of the Self, how is one to achieve Liberation.+

Most think Consciousness usually implies something, thoughts, or things, but it is the formless non-dual nature of the Ataman or the Soul. 

Consciousness exists with or without the matter because without consciousness the matter ceases to exist because the matter is created out of consciousness. It exists as matter in waking or dream. 

When wisdom dawns it is consciously aware of its formless non -dual true nature in the midst of matter, as in deep sleep.

The proof is the main thing in pursuit of truth, "How can God exists without man’s existence?” how can the world exist without man’s existence. Thus man has to exist first to say the god and world exist.  

Thus seeker has to verify his own existence to realize the fact that, all the three states are unreal, from the standpoint of the formless witness, which is the Soul, the Self. 

If anyone expounds knowledge free of cost by giving free lectures and distributing books and CDs it does not mean that he is expounding non-dualistic wisdom. Thus his noble actions are not a yardstick to decide what the truth is and what is untruth. 

Even christen missionaries all over the world distribute free literature, medicine, and food, but it is only a noble deed in the practical world, but they are not a qualification for acquiring Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.  

  

Individual truth is not a universal truth.  An individual cannot claim that he has experienced the whole.  

There is no proof he has seen it because the whole is not an individual experience. The man and the world are within the whole.  Thus such claims of experiencing the self or Ataman is mere hallucination.

People think they took Diksha or initiation and they are practiced under some guru or yogi and they are experiencing the bliss and now they are capable of transforming that bliss to others and they start hallucinating that what they experienced as bliss is reality without realizing the fact that their own existence within the universe is merely an illusion because the universe is merely an illusion from an ultimate standpoint.  

It is very difficult for those who are caught up in the understanding based on the false self to realize the fact that, whatever they have experienced as bliss is mere hallucination because the ultimate truth or Brahman cannot be experienced because the self is not an individual because it is formless and it is not an entity or identity within the waking or dream.

How do the people who expound their knowledge know they have experienced the whole? Where is the proof they have seen it? When they say “I know from experience” they merely mean, “I think so.” If they experience bliss, they cannot be egoless, for who is having the joy? And if they retain the ego they cannot know the Universal Brahman, the whole. Thus their individual experience is not derived from Gnana or Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.  

Without knowing the nature of the mind or universe world, it is impossible to know the ultimate truth. What is the use of trying to find one’s inner self before one understands the mind or universe?  Thus it is necessary to investigate the truth about the world, which confronts him to realize this world which confronts him as being consciousness.

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 mere utterance of the word Brahman? — It would result merely in an effort of speech.

65. As a treasure hidden underground requires (for its extraction) competent instruction, excavation, the removal of stones and other such things lying above it and (finally) grasping, but never comes out by being (merely) called out by name, so the transparent Truth of the self, which is hidden by Maya and its effects, is to be attained through the instructions of a knower of Brahman, followed by reflection, meditation and so forth, but not through perverted arguments. 

Whatever has appeared (birth, life, death, and world) has appeared on its own and it disappears on its own.  

Whether a person takes it as reality or illusion it all depends on his mental and intellectual conditions will determine the phenomenal world observed and experienced. The look of an object will depend upon the medium through which the observer views it. 

A Gnani viewing the universe (practical life within the practical world) different from the ignorant is viewing the same universe (practical life within the practical world). Each one of them interprets the universe he sees in terms of his existing knowledge.   

The Gnani sees his body, his ego, and his experience of the world as merely an illusion created out of consciousness whereas the ignorant sees his body as body, his ego as ego, and his experience of the world as world.  

Thus Experiencing the pain and pleasure within the illusion with the illusory self, within the illusory experience, has to be an illusion. The illusion is created and sustained and finally dissolves as consciousness, which is the Self.  Since there is no second thing other than the consciousness (soul); the consciousness itself is the ultimate truth or Brahman.   

The one who has realized this truth for him this illusion is passing show because he is fully aware of the fact that his body, his ego, and his experience of the world to be consciousness. Practical peoples approach is more practical, and they are stuck with the reality of the practical life within the practical world, they take it as real whereas for Gnani has the firm conviction that:- 

Formless soul or Consciousness is the witness that experiences the action, the actor, and the world of separate things. It is like a light that illuminates everything in a theatre, revealing the master of ceremonies, the guests, and the dancers with complete impartiality. Even when they all depart, the light shines to reveal their absence.

Everything is consciousness in the universe because the universe is made out of consciousness.   The universe ceases to exist without consciousness.  The seeker, seeking and his destination all are one in essence.

By becoming more and more intellectual one becomes more and more intoxicated with individuality. The intellectuality is limited to duality.  In the realm of truth, intellectuality is replaced by non-dual wisdom.  

There is nothing that exists other than formless non-dual existence. Therefore, there is no individual to become sane or insane. There is no second thing that exists, other than consciousness.  Everything is one, that is, unity in diversity. The curiosity, the urge cannot be imposed on others.  It has to sprout within. One need not become a guru because the guru is within guides every seeker.

 If one is aiming to be a master, Guru, or teacher, he will never reach his destination. One has to share his knowledge with the fellow seeker not to make them his followers but only direct them if they are interested to travel beyond form, time, and space.

It is foolish to impose our idea on others because everyone is not at the same level of understanding.  Everyone's inner work is on. When they are ripe enough they will understand, assimilate and realize on their own.  If they are ready and sharp enough they will grasp it instantly and they will reach their destination with lesser time and effort. Thus preaching, teaching is not wisdom, but by very careful reasoning, the seeker has to determine the nature of reality. Thinking in the right direction alone helps the seeker determine the nature of reality.

Sage Sankara's commentary:~ Page 489- "The knower of Brahman wears no signs.  Page 500 asks in effect "Tell us what you know, show it, and let us examine it under the mental microscope." It means we must bring notions and beliefs out of vagueness into clearness. It also criticizes the mystics who claim superior knowledge but who cannot communicate it for purposes of verification.

On page 482:- 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.":~Santthosh Kumaar