Self-knowledge or Bramha Gnana or Atma Gnana is not had by resorting to a Guru nor by the study of scripture.+

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. 

A person who realized the ultimate truth or Brahman will throw off his religious robe and all religious identity and live like a commoner. He never identifies himself as Gnani nor does he identify himself as superior to others. He only shares his knowledge with fellow seekers.

A Gnani never identifies himself as a Guru or a Yogi or someone disciple.  The one who accepts himself as a Guru or someone’s disciple is not a Gnani.

Ashtavakra Samhita: ~ "The man of knowledge (Gnani), though living like an ordinary man, is contrary to him and only those like him understand his state.

A Gnani can point at the sky, but the seeing of the star is the seeker's own work.

Katha Upanishads: ~ This Atman is attained by him alone whom It chooses. To such a one Atman reveals Its own form. ( II -23-P-20)

All the chosen ones will get freedom from experiencing the illusion (duality) as a reality.  You are the chosen one. Millions are searching for truth, but one in million will realize it.  If you are the truth seeker then you are, one from that million.   

No guru is needed to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.  Advaitic Gnana is given neither from outside nor from another person. Guru of everyone is only the Soul, the innermost ‘Self’ that is always revealing on its own

A religious guru or yogi is too enthusiastic to have everyone as his disciple, and he will push himself on others with his advice authoritative scriptural knowledge. Religious gurus or yogi wants to keep everyone in the domain of religion and yoga.

More than he wants to help people, he wants to help his ego. A serious seeker of truth will only use people and impose his inherited idea of religion and God on them, usually unintentionally because he,  himself is more unconscious than others of the ultimate truth.

A Gnani is not enthusiastic to have anyone as his disciple. He never identifies himself as a guru.  He does not impose his ideas on anyone. A Gnani sows the seed of Advaita by sharing  Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana and tries to guide the serious seeker and guides them. It is very difficult to identify a Gnani because he never claims himself to be a guru or teacher.

Most people are not aware of what they are really seeking. They start their pursuit with their inherited religious ideas and as they go deeper they will feel that religion and yoga are inadequate and useless in quenching their inner thirst.

A serious seeker will realize the fact that he is looking for something else, and he is now sure it is not ‘Self’-assurance,  the fulfillment of dreams, the fulfillment of social demands. He will realize the fact that religion and yoga are not meant to quench his inner thirst.

A Gnani dearly cares about the serious seeker but will stay aloof, he knows that if the seeker needs to be assisted by him, he will approach or rather be drawn to approach him. He has no ‘Self’-interest whatsoever and so anyone considered equally, for his love as anybody else, whoever comes, comes and if no one comes it is also fine.

Remember:~

It is for the seeker to go on his own and remove all the obstacles, which is blocking the realization of the truth, which is beyond the form, time, and space

The greatest hindrance is mixing religion, God, scriptures, and yogic theories. Moreover, attachment to scriptures, personal God, and religious code of conduct keep one permanently in the grip of the dualistic illusion.

Embark on the journey of the truth; it frees the Soul from the illusion of form, time, and space.

When you finally realize the ‘Self ‘ is not you but the ‘Self’ is the 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 the consciousness.

Self-inquiry is to realize the ‘Self’ is not ‘I’ but the ‘self is the ‘I-LESS Soul’, which is present in the form of the consciousness.

Remember: ~

You are not the ‘Self.

You are bound by form, time, and space.

 You are bound by the experience of birth, life, death, and the world.

 You are never free because the world in which you exist is the product of ignorance.

It is not you who is in ignorance but it is the Soul, which is in ignorance of its own true nature.

When the Soul wakes up from its sleep of ignorance and remains in its own awareness the world in which you exist becomes one with Soul-awareness.

When ignorance vanishes through wisdom then the world in which you exist never again prevails as a reality.

The world in which you exist is created out of single clay. That single clay is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. The Soul is the innermost Self. The Soul is not ‘I’. The Soul is the witness of the ‘I’ which appears and disappears.

The Soul is the only permanent thing and the ‘I’ is merely an illusion. If you do not understand this truth you will never be able to cross the ‘I’, which is the dualistic illusion.

The seeker has to make sure what is this ‘I’ supposed to be? The seeker has to make sure the unreal nature of the ‘I’ which comes and goes.

That is why Bhagavad Gita: ~ “The permanent is always there, only the transient ‘I’ comes and goes. (2.18)

The ‘I’ hides the truth of the whole.

People think the ‘I’ without the body is the Self. The seeker has to understand the fact that ‘I’ is not the Self, but the witness of the ‘I’ is the true Self, which is eternal.

That is why Ashtavakra Gita 16:10:~ “If you desire liberation, but you still say "I," If you feel the ‘Self’ is the ‘I’, You are not a wise man or a seeker. You are simply a man who suffers.

People are stuck with the reality of the ‘I’, which they take it as real because some Gurus have propagated the Self is the ‘I’. is no need to convince such mindsets. The seeker of truth accepts only the truth nothing but the truth.

Advaita is the true nature of existence. The ‘I’ hides the Advaitic reality. Realize the ‘I’ is merely an illusion created out of the consciousness, which is Advaita. The consciousness is Advaita because it is second to none. The world in which you exist is the dvaita (duality) is merely an illusion created out of the consciousness, which is Advaita. The Advaita (non-duality) is real and eternal the dvaita (duality) is merely an illusion.

Holding ‘I’ as the ‘Self’ is the cause of ignorance. Realize the ‘I’ is merely an illusion. Stop identifying the Self as ‘I’ or ‘I AM’. Till you identify the Self as ‘I’ or ‘I AM’ the Soul will remain in the cage of ignorance. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar