What is the use of doing Kriya yogas when ‘Self’ is not the body but the ‘Self’ is the Soul, which is present in the form of the consciousness?+

If one could find the truth by just sitting and breathing up and down, it would have been so easy to find the truth. By breathing up and down or by holding the breath the ignorance will not vanish.

What is the use of doing Kriya yogas when the ‘Self’ is not the body but the ‘Self’ is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness?  the Soul does not breathe because it is the ever formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.

All breath-based yogic techniques will not help you to get rid of ignorance. All yogic techniques are good only for keeping mental and physical health nothing more.  

The novice seekers must understand that yoga is all right in its places and that it is good at the beginning of the pursuit of truth, but when yoga is made ends in itself and not means to acquire the Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

Yoga and meditation are not useless, they are useful to bring the restless ego under control.  Yoga and meditation are not final. By indulging in yoga and meditation it will lead not lead to the ultimate end of understanding. Yoga cannot remove ignorance. It is only a step. It removes obstructions.

Sage Sankara definitely says that yoga is not the means of liberation (page 132-133 of his commentary on Brihadaranyakopanishad).

Remember:~

Ashtavakra says:~ "This is your bondage, that you practice Samadhi or meditation.”

Remaining thoughtless in the waking experience is yogic Samadhi. Yogic Samadhi is not the Advaitic wisdom

Brih Upanishad: page 32. "Yoga does not yield truth or liberation."

One who is in Samadhi will not know that this universe as the consciousness; therefore yoga is not the means to Self- knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

 In Samadhi the yogi knows nothing and sees no universe; so if there is nothing but blankness. The blankness is not the Advaitic wisdom.

The yogi does not know the nature of the universe. If the universe is not seen in the Samadhi then there is no need to use the word Atman and Brahman.  The yogi is unaware of the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space. 

By shutting his eyes in Samadhi, the yogi does not know the universe, which confronts him. Hence the universe can't be known as the Soul or the consciousness through yoga.

One is in a non-dual condition in deep sleep or Samadhi, One without a second, true, but he did not know it at the time. He says only in the waking experience afterward. Hence, there must be an inquiry so that you find nonduality whilst you are awake so that you can see nonduality at the time not afterward. Hence, too the need for inquiring into the nature of the universe and knowing it as the Soul or the consciousness whilst one is awake, and not during sleep or Samadhi.

Advaitic truth is the ultimate truth.  Yogis, mystics, and religious teachers do not accept the path of wisdom because it pries into the truth, the source, and the validity of the knowledge they claim. Therefore, it is the most difficult part of the study of Advaita.

That is why Sage Sankara said: ~VC-63- “Without causing the objective universe to vanish and without knowing the truth of the ‘Self’, how is one to achieve Liberation.  

The universe in which we exist will not remain as reality when wisdom dawns. The universe is a mere mirage created out of consciousness and there is a conscious awareness of unity in diversity because there is no second thing that exists other than consciousness.

Lord Krishna confesses that the oldest wisdom of India (Advaitic wisdom) has been lost: people misinterpret and falsify it today as they did then. It is not yoga but the philosophic truth. But nobody knows it. The teachers of philosophy and leaders of mysticism or religion do not want to inquire into truth and have no time for it. (Gita –Chap- IV-v.2)

In Gita Chap.IV where Lord Krishna says: ~ "This yoga has been lost for ages" the word yoga refers to Gnana yoga, not other yogas: the force of the word this is to point this out.

Lord Krishna describes some of the other yogas but devotes this chapter separately to Gnana Yoga. So one sees even in those ancient days people did not care for Advaita; they wanted religion; hence Gnana got lost. That is why Krishna calls it "the supreme secret." Krishna points out that yoga must see "Brahman in action."

Until a man is ripe to receive Self-knowledge, he will not be able to understand what I am saying.

Sage Sankara said:~ Neither by the practice of yoga nor philosophy, nor by good works nor by learning, does liberation come, but only through the realization that Atman and Brahman are one in no other way. (1) Vivekachoodamani v 56, pg. 25

Sage Sankara: ~   VC Neither sacred baths nor any amount of charity nor even Hundreds of pranayamas* can give us the knowledge about our own Self.  The firm experience of the nature of the Self is seen to proceed from inquiry along the lines of the salutary advice of the wise. (13)

Sage Sri Sankara: ~ “The vital- air-Sheath cannot be the Self because it is the modification of air (Vayu). Like air, it enters the body and goes out of it never knowing the joy and sorrow like others. It is ever dependent on the Self. ~Viveka Chudamani 165-166 pdf   

Breath, body, and the world are one in essence. That essence is formless consciousness.   Consciousness (Soul) is the innermost Self.  Breath, body, and the world are part and parcel of the illusion. By holding the breath (vital force) as Self, one cannot get rid of ignorance. Without getting rid of the ignorance wisdom will not dawn. Wisdom dawns only when one realizes that form, time and space are one in essence. 

Truth realization is very simple. We make it complicated by mixing diverse theories, different ideologies, religions, and yoga.  All our accumulated knowledge is the greatest hindrance in the pursuit of truth. To realize the truth beyond form, time, and space, one must have the courage of Buddha. 

Buddha got enlightenment only after dropping the religion, Vedas, and the concept of God.  To realize the simple truth three is no need to go from one mountain to another, one Ashram to another or worship the Godmen or   Guru as a God, or convert from one faith to another.  The truth is universal. Anyone can realize it if has an intense urge. 

There is no second thing that exists other than consciousness.  In the world in which we exist, all our thoughts, words, beliefs, and experiences are nothing but consciousness. Realizing the consciousness is everything, is truth realization or Self-realization or God-realization. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar