People talk about experiencing the reality they are unaware of the fact that their own existence is a reality within the dualistic illusion.+

People talk about experiencing the reality they are unaware of the fact that their own existence is a reality within the dualistic illusion. Their individual experience of birth, life, death, and the world is a reality within the dualistic illusion. How can they experience the reality which is free from the illusory form, time, and space?

Experience implies duality. Without duality, there is no experience. The duality hides reality. Reality is a formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.

Self-realization is not an experience. Self-realization is realizing the ‘Self’ is not you but the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. The Sages of truth did not call it Self –experience but they called it  Self-realization.

Experiencing the ‘Self’ is the religious and yogic fable. Only in the religious and yogic path, do people talk about experiencing the ‘Self.

The Soul, the ‘Self’ cannot be experienced because the ‘Soul, the Self is prior to any experience. The Soul, the ‘Self’ is not an individual to experience because the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness pervades everything and everywhere in the world in which you exist.

The world in which you exist is a dualistic illusion created out of the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

The Soul is the root element of the universe. The Soul is present in the form of consciousness. From the Soul, the universe comes into existence. In the Soul, the universe resides. And into the Soul, the universe dissolves. The Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, is the parent of all that is present as the universe. The Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth.

Bhagavad Gita: ~ 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).

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

Consciousness is the only reality in which the universe exists, to which the universe belongs; from which the universe has emerged, which is the cause of the universe and which itself is uncaused. Thus, the universe is nothing but consciousness.

Remember:~

The look of an object will depend upon the medium through which the observer views it. In fact, our mental and intellectual conditions determine the world, observed and experienced. The commoner viewing the world will see differently from a Gnani viewing the same world. Each one interprets the world that they see in terms of their existing knowledge. The commoner sees everything based on the ego, therefore, experiences the birth, life, death and the world as a reality, whereas a Gnani sees everything as the consciousness and he is fully aware of the fact that, there is no second thing exists other than the Soul or the consciousness. Thus, all the egocentric knowledge has to be bifurcated to realize the ultimate truth, which is beyond form, time, and space.

Anubhav in the Advaitic contest is not an experience but it is the realization of the 'Self' hidden by the dualistic illusion (Maya or world). Remember the 'Self', not an individual but the Self is a formless, timeless, and spaceless existence. the experience is possible only in the domain of form, time, and space. In reality, the form, time, and space are one in essence.

Sage Sankara himself has warned us not to use ambiguous words, and to practice semantic analysis (“Definition of one's own Self." Page 199, v.24 of "Sankara's Selected Works”

Sage Sankara strongly advocated the study of Upanishads, and at the same time cautioned that the study of Upanishads alone would not lead to moksha. In matters of such as spiritual attainment, one’s own realization was the sole authority and it cannot be disputed

Sage Sankara also said the study of Upanishad was neither indispensable nor a necessary prerequisite for attaining the human goal, the moksha.

Sage Sankara pointed out; that even those who were outside the Upanishad fold were as eligible to moksha as those within the fold were. He declared that all beings are Brahman, and therefore the question of discrimination did not arise. All that one was required to do was to get rid of ignorance (Avidya or duality).

Sage Sankara: ~ 'Like a servant who carries a lamp in front of you to find your way, and you have found it, so becomes the Veda to that person. What is the Veda? ~ utterances of those who have known the Truth. Here is one who has known the Truth; why should he or she depend upon the Veda further? Actual realization takes you beyond books. At a certain stage, books become a botheration. The Upanishad itself says that the 'words are only so much of distraction for such minds'

Upanishads:~ They alone in this world are endowed with the highest wisdom who are firm in their conviction of the sameness and birthlessness of Atman. The ordinary man does not understand their way. (Chapter IV — Alatasanti Prakarana 95-P-188 in Upanishads by Nikilanada)

Sage Sankara himself says: ~ VC 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 that merely causes the mind to ramble. Hence men of wisdom should earnestly set about knowing the true nature of the Self.

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?

It is not that one should pore over the ancient scriptures. There is no need to study first, and then realize. One has to realize first, then only he will know ‘what is the truth’ and ‘what is untruth’. One has to make his discoveries through the process of rational thinking.

That is why Sage  Sankara says:~ V C:~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.

Sage Sankara says: ~ What is accepted without a proper inquiry will not lead to the final Goal. (Commentary on Vedanta Sutra).

The "Self" cannot be experienced because the experience is possible only in the realm of duality. There is neither experience nor experiencer in reality. In Self-awareness, the body, ego, and the world are not considered different from consciousness.

The experience and experiencer exist within the domain of form, time, and space. The form, time, and space are within the domain of the dualistic illusion.

To experiencer must have a form, without the form the experience is impossible? The experience is impossible without the form, time and space. The experiencer and the experience are one, in essence. The essence is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

The Soul, the ‘Self’ is the fullness of consciousness without the division of form, time, and space. All the division in consciousness is merely an illusion. Thus, other than consciousness all else is merely an illusion. The illusion is also consciousness because it is created out of consciousness.:~Santthosh Kumaar