Sage Sankara’ has already declared - ‘What is the truth?’ and ‘What is untruth?+

Sage Sankara’ has already declared

 ‘What is the truth?’

~ Atman is Brahman ~ “Atman is the only one ultimate reality or God in truth.

 

‘What is untruth?’

~ The universe is an illusion. ~ The universe is unreal.

Sage Sankara declared this truth centuries back Then why you are struggling to find out the truth.

Sage Sankara: ~ A buried treasure is not uncovered by merely uttering the words: “Come forth.” You must follow the right directions, dig, remove the stones and earth from above it, and then make it your own. In the same way, the pure truth of the Atman, which is buried under Maya and the effects of Maya, can be reached by meditation, contemplation, and other spiritual disciplines but never by perverted arguments.

Sage Sankara goes on to say: ~ “A sickness of not cured by saying the word “medicine.” You must take the medicine. Liberation does not come by merely saying the word “Brahman.” Brahman must be experienced. Until you allow this apparent universe to dissolve from your consciousness until you have realized Brahman, how can you find liberation just by saying the word Brahman? The result is merely noise. Until a man has destroyed his enemies and taken possession of the splendor and wealth of the kingdom, he cannot become a king by simply saying “I am a king.”

Advaita means the Soul, the Self, which is second to none. The Soul, which is present in the form of the Spirit or the consciousness, is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God. Advaita is the nature of God, the Self. Advaita is God. Advaita is the fullness of consciousness.

Sage Sankara’s wisdom is very much in the tune with the essence of Vedas and Upanishad but Advaitic orthodoxy indulges in non-Vedic beliefs of God and non-Vedic rituals and practices. There is no need to condemn the Advaitic orthodoxy because it is a path meant for the ignorant as per Sage Sankara himself. Do not mix  up the two and mess up your quest

 The Soul, the  Self, is present in the form of the Spirit or consciousness.

Sage Sankara says: ~ there is no need to study the Scriptures, to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman.

~ then why do you indulge in studying the scriptures.

 Sage Sankara says: ~ there is no need to study philosophy, to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman.

~then why do you indulge in studying philosophy.

Sage Sankara says: ~ there is no need to indulge in rituals, to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman

~then why do you indulge in rituals.

Sage Sankara says: ~There is no need to indulge in yoga, to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman

~then why do you indulge in yoga.

Sage Sankara says the transparent Truth of the Self, which is hidden by the illusion, is to be attained through the instructions of a knower of Brahman, (Gnani)

~ then why you are sticking a Guru who is not a Gnani.

Sage Sankara says: ~ “The exercise in discrimination between real and unreal and renunciation of the false leads truth realization.

Atman is Brahman. The Atman is the innermost Self is non-dual because there is no second thing that exists other than the Atman. Atman is present in the form of consciousness. The consciousness is the only true reality, and everything else, which appears as form, time, and space are merely an illusion. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Mundaka Upanishad:~ The Para or Higher knowledge is the knowledge of the Supreme Being while the Apara or Lower Knowledge is that of following sacrificial rites and ceremonies.+

Sage Sankara, is one of the greatest thinkers of all time. This world owes him a deep debt of gratitude. He not only consolidated the classical values of life but also spiritual wisdom. Unfortunately, few philosophers in the world are as misunderstood and misinterpreted as Sage Sankara. Ironically, most of the harm came from his admirers and followers of the Advaitic sect because they propagated rituals as a means to attain lower knowledge which is meant for those who believed in the physical existence (universe or waking)  as reality.  

Sage Sankara taught jnana to those who desired liberation, karma to those who were inclined to actions, and bhakti to those who were devotional. 

We must remember that for all periods the Vedas are the final goal and authority, and if the Puranas differ in any respect from the Vedas, the Puranas are to be rejected without mercy.  

Sage Sankara says: ~ The scriptures dealing with rituals, and rewards are therefore addressed to an ignorant person.   

Sage Sankara:~ (11) As regards the rituals, Sage Sankara says, the person who performs rituals and aspires for rewards will view himself in terms of the caste into which he is born, his age, the stage of his life, his standing in society, etc. In addition, he is required to perform rituals all through his life. However, the 'Self' has none of those attributes or tags. Hence, the person who superimposes all those attributes on the changeless, eternal Self and identifies the Self with the body is confusing one for the other; and is, therefore, an ignorant person. The scriptures dealing with rituals, rewards, etc. are therefore addressed to an ignorant person.-Adhyasa Bhashya  

Sage Sankara:~ (11.1) This ignorance (mistaking the body for Self) brings in its wake a desire for the well-being of the body, aversion for its disease or discomfort, fear of its destruction, and thus a host of miseries(anartha). This anartha is caused by projecting karthvya(“doer” sense) and bhokthavya (object) on the Atman. Sage Sankara calls this adhyasa. The scriptures dealing with rituals, rewards, etc. are, therefore, he says, addressed to an ignorant person.- Adhyasa Bhashya  

Sage  Sankara:~ (11.2) In short, a person who engages in rituals with the notion “I am an agent, doer, thinker”, according to Sage Sankara, is ignorant, as his behavior implies a distinct, separate doer/agent/knower; and an object that is to be done/achieved/known. That duality is avidya, an error that can be removed by Vidya. - Adhyasa Bhashya  

Sage Sankara: ~ (12) Sage Sankara affirming his belief in one eternal unchanging reality (Brahman) and the illusion of plurality, drives home the point that Upanishads deal not with rituals but with the knowledge of the Absolute (Brahma Vidya) and the Upanishads give us an insight into the essential nature of the Self which is identical with the Absolute, the Brahman.- Adhyasa Bhashya  

Remember:~ 

Mundaka Upanishad condemns rituals.  The Para or Higher knowledge is the knowledge of the Supreme Being while the Apara or Lower Knowledge is that of following sacrificial rites and ceremonies. ( 1/2/ 1 – 6) 

It is important to remember that Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana cannot be acquired through ritualistic practice. 

Ritualistic practices are meant for the ignorant populace.  The religious rituals practiced by different castes and creeds have become disparate, ritualistic, conflicting, and full of superstition and dogmas. 

The Saints and the religious reformers of the past had created great religious movements reaching out to far corners of the world that had lost their dynamism, clarity, and momentum and were beset by confusion and strife. 

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.  

The dualistic worship of "God” is only for the ignorant populace. The God in truth is only Atman, the ‘Self’. In reality, there is no duality, no differentiation. Only Atman exists.  

Vedas and Upanishads confirm the Soul, the Self, is present in the form of the Spirit or the consciousness.  

Rig Veda: ~ The Atman (Soul or Spirit) 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)  

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

The Spirit is the root element of the universe. The Spirit is present in the form of the Soul, the innermost Self. The Soul is present in the form of consciousness. From the Spirit, the universe comes into existence. In the Spirit, the universe resides. And into the Spirit, the universe is dissolved. The Spirit is the parent of all that is there.  

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

There is a clear-cut idea of God in the Vedas, Upanishad, and Bhagavad Gita. And also there is a clear-cut idea of what not to worship as God in place of real God.  Thus, it proves from a Vedic perspective the Puranic Gods are not Vedic Gods.

Vedas says never to accept another God in place of the Atman nor worship other than the Atman. 

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

Hindus assert their religion is monotheistic, even though they honor a number of Gods, including Brahma the Creator, Vishnu the Preserver, and Shiva the Destroyer.  Hindus claim these various Gods are all manifestations of the oneness of the universe.  Hindu religious practices vary from place to place, but they frequently include yoga, physical and mental discipline to harmonize the body and the Soul, and ritual bathing.

Belief in multiple Gods, The worship of idols; the worship of images that are not God, The worship of sacred images,  ancestor worship, pilgrimage, priestcraft, the belief in avatars or incarnations of God, the hereditary caste system on the grounds that all these lacks Vedic sanction. 

Hinduism indulges non-Vedic beliefs such as idolatry, ancestor worship, pilgrimages, priestcraft, offerings made in temples, the caste system, untouchability, and child marriages. All these lack Vedic sanctions, therefore, Hinduism is not Ancient Vedic religion or Santana Dharma.

Realizing the universe is created out of single stuff and that single stuff is the Soul which is present in the form of consciousness leads to non-dualistic or Advaitic Self-awareness. Self-awareness is freedom or Moksha. Moksha is unity in diversity in the midst of duality.

It is very difficult to talk to people about the ultimate truth or Brahman because everyone thinks he knows the ultimate truth or Brahman. This I know business is dangerous.  And whatever his reached conclusion is second-hand stuff.  Therefore, accepting accumulated knowledge without verification will lead the seekers to hallucinated realization based on the ego.  One may have some flashes of truth when someone tries to indicate it through fewer words. But it takes nearer to truth, not realization. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Lord Krishna says: ~It is only one amongst thousands of people who strive for spiritual salvation.+

By worshipping a God in human form, repeating mantras is like watering barren soil.  The seeker of truth should not waste life in empty formalities. Without realizing the world in which he exists is an illusion it is impossible to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

In Bhagavad, Gita Krishna says: ~It is only one amongst thousands of people who strive for spiritual salvation. Even amongst such seekers, it is only the rare person who gets to know “Self” correctly.’ (7.3)

Mundaka Upanishad:~ The rituals and the sacrifices described in the Vedas deal with lower knowledge. The sages ignored these rituals and went in search of higher knowledge. ... Such rituals are unsafe rafts for crossing the sea of samsara, of birth and death. Doomed to shipwreck are those who try to cross the sea of samsara on these poor rafts. Ignorant of their own ignorance, yet wise In their own esteem, these deluded men Proud of their vain learning go round and round Like the blind led by the blind.

How can you worship the Absolute? That implies two ~ the worshipper and the worshipped, whereas the Absolute is nondual. One can worship his idea of the Absolute only or realize his unity with it when he can’t worship it as apart.

Religious rites and rigid ceremonies were passed down from one generation to the next as a practice or set customs and tradition and performed automatically with blind faith. Such worship based on the belief of God does not reach God.

Religious rites and ceremonies, yagnas and homa-havans, or any other forms of ritual are meant for the ignorant populace.

Belief in God without knowing God in actuality holds the worshiper more firmly in the grip of ignorance. 

All worship and the ceremonies rituals performed on the base of non-~Vedic Gods will not yield any fruits.  Deeper self-search reveals the fact that worshiped, the worship and worshiper, and the world are merely an illusion created out of consciousness.

Religious rites and ceremonies, yagnas and homa-havans, or any other forms of ritual are meant for the ignorant populace. In the Atmic path, the seeker has to discard what is not needed to realize the truth, which is beyond the form, time, and space.

Religious rites and ceremonies, yagnas and homa-havans, or any other forms of ritual formal observance have long since set in. 

Sage Sankara says: ~ “The scriptures dealing with rituals, rewards are therefore addressed to an ignorant person.  -Adhyasa Bhashya 

Sage Sankara:~ (11) As regards the rituals, Sage Sankara says, the person who performs rituals and aspires for rewards will view himself in terms of the caste into which he is born, his age, the stage of his life, his standing in society, etc. In addition, he is required to perform rituals all through his life. However, the 'Self' has none of those attributes or tags. Hence, the person who superimposes all those attributes on the changeless, eternal Self and identifies Self with the body is confusing one for the other; and is, therefore, an ignorant person. The scriptures dealing with rituals, rewards, etc. are therefore addressed to an ignorant person. -Adhyasa Bhashya 

Sage Sankara:~ (11.1) This ignorance (mistaking the body for Self) brings in its wake a desire for the well-being of the body, aversion for its disease or discomfort, fear of its destruction and thus a host of miseries(anartha). This anartha is caused by projecting karthvya(“doer” sense) and bhokthavya (object) on the Atman. Sankara calls this adhyasa. The scriptures dealing with rituals, rewards, etc. are, therefore, he says, addressed to an ignorant person. -Adhyasa Bhashya 

Sage Sankara:~ (11.2) In short, a person who engages in rituals with the notion “I am an agent, doer, thinker”, according to Sage Sri, Sankara, is ignorant, as his behavior implies a distinct, separate doer/agent/knower; and an object that is to be done/achieved/known. That duality is avidya, an error that can be removed by Vidya. -Adhyasa Bhashya

Sage Sankara: ~ (12) Sage Sri, Sankara affirming his belief in one eternal unchanging reality (Brahman) and the illusion of plurality, drives home the point that Upanishads deal not with rituals but with the knowledge of the Absolute (Brahma Vidya) and the Upanishads give us an insight into the essential nature of the Self which is identical with the Absolute, the Brahman. -Adhyasa Bhashya 

Sage Sankara: ~ Atman, the innermost Self is verily Brahman (God), being equanimous, quiescent, and by nature absolute Existence, Knowledge, and Bliss. Atman is not the body that is non-existence itself. This is called true Knowledge by the wise.  

Advaita is not a theory or a philosophy. Advaita is the nature of the Soul the innermost Self.  There is no need for any theory or philosophy or scriptures to acquire Self-knowledge. Only a perfect understanding of ‘what is what’ is needed.

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'

Bhagavan Buddha: ~ “Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders”.

You need not become a Guru or a monk to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. You have not to renounce the world or to leave anything ~ your wife, children, job, responsibilities. You do not have to renounce anything! The only thing you have to realize is the truth, which is beyond the form, time, and space by realizing form, time and space are the product of ignorance. When the ignorance vanishes, the unreality of the form, time, and space is exposed.

Upanishad says:~  "He who thinks he knows, does not know." This means that to know anything implies a second, an object of knowledge, hence duality, i.e. no Gnana.

Tripura Rahasya: ~ Second-hand knowledge of the Self-gathered from books or Gurus can never emancipate a man until its truth is rightly investigated and applied; only direct realization will do that. Realize yourself, turning the mind inward. (18: 89) : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

In the Advaitic path sharing knowledge with the seeking world is very important.+

In the Advaitic path sharing knowledge with the seeking, the world is very important. No one is unwise in pursuit of truth. Wisdom dawns only when we drop all accumulated knowledge and are ready to start afresh.

Self–knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana is inexhaustible wealth. Other wealth disappears as one spends, but with the Self –knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana, the more one shares more he gains. 

To realize the ultimate truth or Brahman no scriptures are needed. I am highlighting only the rational views of the sages of truth and hidden insights from the scriptures. 

No one can stay as the Self without realizing the self. After realizing the Self' nothing stays as reality other than the self.  It is foolish to say I AM THAT, I AM THIS without realizing  “what the self is” and “what the self is not”.   

A permanent view of ‘what is unreal’ and ‘what is unreal’ can come only after soul-centric reasoning; such knowledge cannot change. Where the seeker is sufficiently sharp enough,  he could grasp the unreal nature of the world,  by soul-centric reasoning alone.  To know the whole truth, one must know the whole universe, otherwise, he gets only half-truth. 

People think that by studying Vedas one will be able to get self-realization,  but it is not so. 

Vedic studies lead to nowhere. What is the use of studying scriptures when Upanishads itself declares:~

Katha Upanishad:~ This Atman cannot be attained by the study of the Vedas, or by intelligence, or by much hearing of sacred books. It is attained by him alone whom It chooses. To such a one Atman reveals Its own form. (Katha Upanishad Ch-II -23-P-20)

                                                                                                                             

Mundaka Upanishad:~ This Atman cannot be attained through the study of the Vedas, nor through intelligence, nor through much learning. He who chooses Atman—by him alone is Atman attained. It is the Atman that reveals to the seeker Its true nature. (3 page-70 - Mundaka Upanishad- Upanishads by Nikilanada)

When the Upanishad says:  the human goal is to acquire Self-Knowledge and they indicate the personal gods, scriptures, worship, and rituals are not the means to Self –Knowledge, then why anyone should indulge in it.

The Upanishads declare:~

 

Mundaka Upanishad 1:2:8:~ “Remaining in the fold of ignorance and thinking “we are extremely wise and learned,” the fools with boastful nature ramble about like the blind led by the blind alone.” 

Mundaka Upanishad 3:2:3:~“The weak and timid cannot realize the Self. Self-Realization is not possible through intellect or hearing the spiritual discourse. One who welcomes God in every activity, through a thorough controlled and disciplined life, to him also the Soul is revealed

Katha Upanishad 1:2: 23: ~The Soul cannot be realized through hearing a scholarly explanation of the discourses, not even by the intellect.

Katha Upanishad 1:3: 6: ~ “Through the knowledge of the Soul, God, one is pure and clean constantly.” Neither by reading the books nor by taking a bath at the holy place has one become pure. Inner purity is possible when one remains in constant touch with the Soul. Constant Soul Consciousness is real purity. 

Kena Upanishad 2: 4: ~ When it is known through every state of cognition, it is rightly known, for (by such knowledge) one attains life eternal. Through one's own 'Self' one gains power and through wisdom, one gains immortality. 

Kena Upanishad 2: 5: ~ If here one knows it, then there is the truth, and if here one knows it not, there is a great loss. Hence, seeing the Real in all beings, wise men become immortal on departing from this world.

Scriptures are being added from time to time. This process will go on. There is the final authority among them? One contradicts the other: duality reigns supreme.

The Upanishads are self-contradictory. Every pundit even gives conflicting interpretations of them. The final authority, therefore, is using one’s own reason. One should apply his reason to them.

The scriptures are for ignorant masses, who wholly accept the material world as it presents itself. Gnana is for those who have begun to realize that things are not what they seem.

The Scriptures are of value only when dealing with persons who are incapable of understanding the truth. They have no value as authority for those who use reason.

I quote only verified citations from the scriptures. I need no scriptures but I quote them to help the seekers to realize that religion, scriptures, and Gods based on blind belief is nothing to do with the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth. :~Santthosh Kumaar