The ‘Self’ is not ‘you’ because the ‘Self’ is the Soul, the God in truth.+

The ‘Self’ is not ‘you’ because the ‘Self’ is God in truth.  You are not the ‘Self’ therefore,  you are not God.  The world, in which you exist, is a dualistic illusion. Whatever belongs to dualistic illusion is bound to be an illusion, not God.   God cannot be brought down to the domain of duality. The Soul is the  Self, therefore, the Soul is God in truth.

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

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)

Yajurveda – chapter- 32:~   God is 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.

Bible says: ~ “God is a Spirit, and they that worship God must worship God  in spirit and in truth (John 4:24)”,

Mythreyi Upanishad 2:26 says: ~ “All those who desire to have salvation without taking several births, should worship God in spirit and truth”.  

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

Religious Gods are based on blind belief. 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 world in which you exist ceases to exist, which means the religious God is dependent on the Soul for his existence.

Mythological stories are a myth. Mythological Gods are a myth. Worshipping mythological heroes as God produces only myth.  There is a need to realize ‘what God is supposed to be in actuality'.  Religion has been very influential. Mythology is a synthesis. They are more concerned with synthesis than with truth. The attraction for synthesis is so strong that people accept it blindly without verifying its validity.

Mythology is a hodgepodge containing everything; hence it suits everyone because there is something in it for everyone. It is difficult to find any tradition whose voice is not found in mythology. It is difficult to find anyone who does not take solace from mythology. But for such people ‘Self’-Realization will prove very difficult.

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

 Thus, there is no other God other than Atman. Thus, from the Vedic perspective,   the Atman alone is God; never accept another God in place of the Atman nor worship other than the Atman?"

The Upanishads say in effect that: ~ "If you believe that you are one and God is another you cannot understand Truth."

No conceptual God can exist, apart from consciousness. People are not aware of the fact that there is no individual God that can exist, apart from the soul, which is in the form of consciousness. Thus, the soul or consciousness is the true self.   If there is no consciousness, then there is no physical body, no ego, no universe, no religion, and no conceptual God.

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

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?

Sickness is not cured by saying the word “medicine.” You must take the medicine. Ignorance will not vanish does not come by merely saying the word “God nor by worshiping God of belief.  First one must know what God is supposed to be.  God must be realized. One must know God in truth.  

Perfect undemanding and assimilation of ‘what is what’ leads to Truth-realization, truth realization itself is Self-realization. Self-realization itself is God-realization. God-realization itself is real worship. :~Santthosh Kumaar