People dwelling in India belonged to different castes and communities of Hinduism, worship different Gods, and practice different rites and follow a different code of conducts.+

People dwelling in India belonged to different castes and communities of Hinduism, worship different Gods, practice different rites and follow a different code of conduct. 

The individualized Gods based on blind belief, heaven, hell, paradise, sin, karma, rebirth, and reincarnation are a myth propagated by religion. Religious myths are built on holding the individual experience of birth, life, death, and the world as a reality. 

Self-realization is very much necessary to realize the religious propagated belief in individualized God, heaven, hell, paradise, sin, karma, rebirth, and reincarnation are a myth.

God is impersonal. 

Self is not you. The Self is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. Identifying the Self as 'you' is a great error. The Soul, the Self is God. God is impersonal. 

Sage Sankara’s Supreme Brahman (God) is impersonal, Nirguna (without Gunas or attributes), Nirakara (formless), Nirvisesha (without special characteristics), immutable, eternal, and Akarta (non-agent). It is above all needs and desires. It is always the Witnessing Subject. It can never become an object as it is beyond the reach of the senses. Brahman is non-dual, one without a second. It has no other beside it. It is destitute of difference, either external or internal. Brahman cannot be described because the description implies a distinction. Brahman cannot be distinguished from any other than It. In Brahman, there is not a distinction between substance and attribute. Sat-Chit-Ananda constitutes the very essence or Svarupa of Brahman, and not just Its attributes. The Nirguna Brahman of Sage Sankara is impersonal. 

Sage Sankara’s whole teaching can be summed up in one sentence, ‘There is nothing else but Brahman (Atman or consciousness). Sage Sankara says that Absolute Existence, Absolute Knowledge, and Absolute awareness are real. The universe is not real. Sage Sankara says that Brahma and Atman are one. The ultimate and the Absolute Truth is the Self, which is one though appearing as the universe containing many different individuals. The individual has no reality. Only the Self is real; the universe is but passing appearances.

In fact, Sage Sankara states a paradox- the world is and is not. It is neither real nor unreal. It leads us to recognize the existence of Maya (illusion). He thinks that the world is illusory from one perspective and from the second it is nothing but Brahman (God), itself in manifestation. This apparent world is Maya (universe) and has its basis in Brahman, the Eternal. It looks real. It has names and forms and actually, it is not real In the light of true knowledge, it disappears and Self-alone shines as real. However, Sage Sri, Sankara's Mayavada has not been accepted by many preachers and philosophers.

When Sage Sankara says clearly, the universe is not real. He says that Brahman and Atman are one. The ultimate and the Absolute Truth is the Self, which is one though appearing as many in different individuals. The individual has no reality. Only the Soul, the innermost Self is Real; the rest, mental and physical are but passing appearances, then it indicates the form (waking or duality or mind) is unreal and the formless soul (consciousness or soul) is real. Therefore, only Atman is real because there is no second thing that exists other than Atman, which is in the form of consciousness.

The seeker of truth should not be satisfied with religion and yoga, which are meant for the ignorant populace but inquire into the world around you, which you can see. 

A deeper inquiry reveals it is passing away every second. Everything is dying repeatedly. Where is it going? Thus, you follow up your inquiry into what you can lay hands on. How can you inquire into Atma which you cannot see? So first we deal with the known and seen, this inquiry leads up to the unknown in the end. Atman or Brahman or God are things you can never see. So do not inquire into them.

Ish Upanishad declares: ~ “Those people who have neglected the attainment of Self-knowledge and have thus committed suicide. 

Those people who have neglected the attainment of Self-knowledge and have thus committed suicide, as it were, are doomed to enter those worlds after death. This is a condemnation of people who do not try to attain Self-knowledge. They are, in a real sense, committing suicide, for what can be worse than being a slave to sense enjoyment, completely oblivious of the real purpose of life, which is to be one’s, own master? 

Remember, the Self is not you but the Self is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. Until you hold ‘Self’ as you will remain in ignorance. You are the false self within the dualistic illusion (Maya).

The Soul, the ‘Self’ is hidden by the dualistic illusion (I). It is hidden by the dualistic illusion because the dualistic illusion is created out of the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. 

You and your experience of the world is nothing but an illusion created out of the Soul, the Self, which is present in the form of consciousness. The nature of the Soul is awareness. 

Realize what God is supposed to be in actuality according to your own holy books. 

Rig Veda 1/164/46: ~ “They call God Indra, Mitra, Varuna, Agni, or the heavenly sunbird Garutmat. The seers call in many ways that which is One; they speak of Agni, Yama, Matarishvan.

Rig Veda 8/58/2:~ Only One is the Fire, enkindled in numerous ways; only One is the Sun, pervading this whole universe; only One is the Dawn, illuminating all things. In very truth, the One has become the whole world.

Rig-Veda 1-164-46 and Y.V 32-1 clearly mention that God is “One”. 

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 innermost Self. May ye never accept another God in place of the Atman nor worship other than the Atman?" (10:48, 5) 

Yajur Veda also says:~ God has no image and His name is Holy. (32.3)”

Yajurveda – chapter- 32:~  God is Supreme Spirit has no ‘Pratima’ (idol) or material shape. God cannot be seen directly by anyone. God pervades all beings and all directions. Thus, Idolatry does not find any support from the Vedas.

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

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 (Gita 14.27)

 Upanishads say in effect that: ~ if you believe that the Soul is one and God (Brahman) is another you cannot understand Truth. 

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

Lord Krishna says Ch. V:~ “Those who know the ‘Self’ in truth.". The last two words (tattvataha) are usually ignored by pundits, but they make all the difference between the ordinary concept of God and the truth about God. 

Sage Sankara said: ~ Talk as much philosophy as you like, worship as many Gods as you please, observe ceremonies, and sing devotional hymns, but the liberation will never come, even after a hundred aeons, without realizing the Oneness.

Thus, by worshiping individualized God and following religion, studying scriptures are meant for those who are incapable of realizing the truth of their true existence. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar