The ultimate goal of the soul is to acquire self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.+

 What is it that attaches you to this world?

It is the ‘I’, which is present in the form of the mind.  Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the mind rather than indulge in godly business in order to overcome the illusory duality. 

The seeker’s search for the ultimate truth of or Brahman is the prime goal. Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana is a practical solution for seekers all over the globe.

What is the nature of the Soul, the Self?

The nature of the soul is formless, timeless and spaceless existence”.

 “What is the ultimate goal of human life?

On the dualistic perspective: “The ultimate goal of the soul is to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. From the non-dualistic perspective,  there is no goal or any purpose in life.

Equanimity -- treating the whole universe as the Soul, which is present in the form of the consciousness leads to Advaitic Self-awareness. 

The pursuit of truth has nothing to do with the next world. It wants proof, there is no proof in the next world, but there is proof available in this world. The next world belongs to the realm of faith and religion. 

The religious conditioning in childhood grows stronger becomes firmer and fanatical later. All attempts to unify the religions of the world and all attempts to unite religion and science are bound to fail.  The ordinary mass has to be given religion, a theatrical show in a temple, church, mosque, a God to frighten him, etc. Otherwise, there would be no means of keeping his conduct within the bounds of decency. 

For the uninquiring mindset, anything other than their worldly life matters very little. They are struggling to live on a day-to-day basis. Religion helps them to cast the burden on their inherited belief indulge in worldly life.    If the people believe that they must live a good life,  in order to secure a better fate after death or place in paradise or heaven, it helps to keep them within moral bounds and even to perform works of charity.

In religion, one wants something from God for himself. In Yoga,  one also wants some state for himself. Only in the pursuit of truth one wants the nondual wisdom which frees the man from all illusion. 

There is no proof to say that any authority, interpretation, or yogic experience reveals the Truth. Till this is proven the quoting of authority, interpretations, and so forth are for those who require a mental spoon-feeding, not for those who are capable of thinking, howsoever learned the scholar that deals with them maybe. They are of use for mental children. By this method, men deceive themselves and others too. Seekers of truth do not have recourse to these methods. Till the truth of any authoritative statement or interpretation or yogic experience is proved,  what is said or done is an only intellectual play based on the false self and self-deception. 

Remember:~  

The Seeker has to go to the very root where there is nothing more to doubt, nothing more to question.  Every system may be demolished by another system because all are defective as all are based on imagination. 

Skepticism is good if it means keeping the mind open; raising doubts, but it is bad if it means closing the mind by saying truth is unattainable or refusing to face doubts until they are removed.

 Religion is a matter of passion and emotion. In religion, one can imagine as he pleases. In the pursuit of truth only uncontradictable truth that matters. But in religion, only blind faith in the belief, that matters. 

There is no possible hope of getting these people who are immersed in the religion and accepted the truth from accumulated and inherited dross to understand nonduality.  

It matters very little whether they exist or not, so long as the practical end in view is achieved. Common People believe that they must live a good life in order to secure a better fate after death, it helps to keep them within moral bounds and even to perform works of charity for society.

One need not condemn religion, but only try to purify and lift it, and encourage people to do their religious duties properly, but the whole system depends upon the belief and faith of the devotee and falls to the ground when he loses his faith in the existence of God and in the efficacy of religious rituals.

The common people, who lack reason, get psychological comfort from religious faith and prayers for material benefits because they are thus helped to bear their troubles and endure misfortunes. Hence it is not wise to take this comfort away from them since they are not fit for the pursuit of truth.

Religion is for the masses, it is absolutely necessary for them.  The pursuit of truth is only for the seekers who have an intense urge. Religion is better for the masses than worldliness because it gives the impression that there is something beyond all this material appearance, something higher. 

It is not correct to displace common people's faith in God and give them nothing to replace it, they will lose ethical restraints and descend to steal and murder. Hence their faith should not be prematurely disturbed. It serves a useful social purpose when operative.  The value of religion is that it teaches people that there is something beyond this physical life, beyond death for people.

There is no harm in people worshipping conceptual God if it makes them happy. But this has nothing to do with the question of truth. The latter is on a  quite different plane from that of satisfaction from the religious perspective.

The scriptures are the diaries of the sages, they have written their views and judgment of truth for others' reference and guidance, but the full truth may be only partly revealed; the rest is a  fable on the standpoint of the Soul as the Self.:~Santthosh Kumaar