Searching the truth within illusion with the illusory Self, within the illusory world is bound to be an illusion.+

The dream becomes unreal when waking takes place. Similarly,  the waking becomes unreal when wisdom dawns. The wisdom dawns when you realize the fact that, the Self is not you but the ‘Self is the formless ‘Soul’. 

Love, hate, and the universe in which we exist are created out of single stuff.  That single stuff is the Soul, which is present in the form of the Spirit. 

Realizing the Spirit as the Self is truth-realization or Self-realization or God-realization. 

Love, hate, and the world in which we exist are part of the dualistic illusion or Maya.  The dualistic illusion or Maya is nothing to do with the Self, which is beyond form, time, and space.  

Within the illusion, we have to love and live in harmony. Love is very much necessary in practical life within the practical world.

It is erroneous to mix practical life and the practical world in the pursuit of truth.  The ups and downs of the practical life within the practical world are nothing to do with the Soul, the Self. 

In Self-awareness, nothing disappears on the dawn of wisdom, but the unreal nature of the waking is exposed in the midst of the dualistic illusion or Maya. 

One sees his body as the consciousness, his ego as the consciousness, and the world as the consciousness. Thus there is a unity in diversity in his understanding. In Self-awareness, the unknown restlessness has disappeared.  Self-awareness brings stillness of the mind in the midst of action or duality.    

Thus, searching the truth within illusion with the illusory Self, within the illusory world is bound to be an illusion. The illusion is created and sustained and finally dissolves as the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.  Since there is no second thing other than the Soul or the consciousness; consciousness itself is the ultimate truth or Brahman. 

Advaitin sage and Maya

The King of the Hoysalas was a dualist and was greatly incensed at the doctrine taught Advaitin sage that everything here below is an illusion. He wanted to teach the exponent of this doctrine a lesson. So he invited the then Advaitin sage to his palace. That Advaitin sage went there and stoutly maintained that everything in this world was an illusion. The king had arranged to let loose an infuriated elephant against, Advaitin sage. The beast rushed at Advaitin sage who took to a precipitate flight to save himself.

'Oh, Venerable Sir,' shouted the king, 'why do you run so fast seeing that the elephant is only an illusion?'

'Oh, king,' said Advaitin sage in the course of his flight, 'my running too is an illusion. Everything in this world is an illusion.’

---

Similarly, the practical life within the practical world is merely an illusion. All our hopes and desires or pleasure and pain are reality within the illusion.  

We all are searching for truth within the illusion, not being aware of the fact that the illusion is created out of single stuff which is the Soul or consciousness. 

The Soul is the Self.  When the waking entity realizes it is not the Self in the midst of the waking experience it enters the nondual Self-awareness, which is free from form, time, and space. 

A Gnani is fully aware of ‘what is truth’ and ‘what is untruth’. A Gnani e is fully aware of the fact that the experiences the pleasure and pain within the waking experience are merely an illusion because the waking experience itself is an illusion.

Thus, life within the waking experience will go on, on its own.  It is nothing to do with the Soul, the Self.  The waking or dream is merely an object to the formless witness. The Soul is the Self. 

The Soul is the witness. The Soul the witness is nothing to do with the three states, because it is the witness of the coming and going of the three states or illusion.  : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

The ‘Self’ is not the ‘I’. The ‘I’ is not within you.+

The ‘Self’ is not the ‘I’. The ‘I’ is not within you. The ‘I’ is present in the form of the mind. The mind is present in the form of the universe. The universe appears as the waking. The waking is the dualistic illusion or Maya.

The dualistic illusion is an object to the formless subject. The Soul, the innermost ‘Self’ is the subject. The Soul, the subject is present in the form of consciousness. From the standpoint of the Soul, the object is merely an illusion created out of consciousness.

If the Self is not ‘I’ but the Self is the Soul then from the standpoint of the Soul, the Self: ~

Where is the ‘I’?

Where is the ego?

Where is the body?

Where is the mind?

Where is the world in which you exist?

Where is the form, time, and space?

Where is the waking experience?

Where is the duality?

Where is void?

They are or have become one with the Soul which is present in the form of consciousness. Consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman.

The ‘I’ is present only when the mind is present. The mind is present only when the world is present. The world is present only when there is the waking experience.

Deeper self-search reveals the fact that the waking experience is not considered different from the world. The world is not considered different from the mind. The mind is not considered different from the’ I’. This truth has to be assimilated.

The ‘I’ is merely an illusion created out of the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. ‘I’ is not the subject. The ‘I’ is an object to the Soul, which is the formless, timeless, and spaceless subject.

If the ‘I’ is an illusion then the world in which you exist is bound to be an illusion.

If the ‘I’ is an illusion then three states, are bound to be an illusion.

If the ‘I’ is an illusion then the form, time, and space are bound to be an illusion.

If I’ is an illusion then the individual experience of birth, life, death is bound to be an illusion.

If the ‘I’ is an illusion then the words and thoughts are bound to be an illusion.

If the ‘I’ is an illusion then the duality is bound to be an illusion.

The seeker has to make sure what is this ‘I’ supposed to be? The seeker has to make sure the unreal nature of the ‘I’ which comes and goes.
That is why Bhagavad Gita: ~ The permanent is always there, only the transient ‘I’ comes and goes. (2.18)
The ‘I’ hides the Soul, the Self, which is present in the form of consciousness.
People think the ‘I’ without the body is the Self. The seeker has to understand the fact that ‘I’ is not the Self, but the witness of the ‘I’ is the true Self, which is eternal.
That is why Ashtavakra Gita 16:10:~ If you desire liberation, but you still say "I," If you feel the ‘Self’ is the ‘I’, You are not a wise man or a seeker. You are simply a man who suffers.

People are stuck with the reality of the ‘I’, which they take as real because some Gurus have propagated the Self is the ‘I’. is no need to convince such mindsets. The seeker of truth accepts only the truth nothing but the truth. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Anal Haq”: It is not I am God but the Self, the Spirit is God.+

For religious people, it is very difficult to accept anything other than their religious injected truth.

Ashtavakra Gita 16:10: ~ “If you desire liberation, but you still say "I," if you feel the ‘Self’ is the ‘I’, You are not a wise man or a seeker. You are simply a man who suffers.

People are stuck with the reality of the ‘I’, which they take as real because some Gurus have propagated the Self is the ‘I’. there is no need to convince such a mindset. The seeker of truth accepts only the truth nothing but the truth.

Mansur was beheaded for saying “Anal Haq”

Anal Haq”: It is not I am God but the Self, the Spirit is God.

Jesus was crucified because he said “I and my Father are one.

Jesus said: Spirit is my father and "I and my Father are one. ~ If the Spirit is the father then the son is bound to be the Spirit.

Krishna's words were misunderstood as vanity or self-praise.

Krishna said: "Ahum Brahmasmi." ‘Self’ is Brahman ~ that is Atman is Brahman.

Krishna's words were misunderstood as vanity or self-praise.

The doubts come; as long as there is ignorance, there will be doubts. You always work that way, going one way and then another because you think the Self is the ‘I’. Until you hold the ‘I’ as the ‘Self’ you will never be able to realize the spiritual truth (Spirit), which is beyond the form, time, and space.

Beyond, the form, time, and space-  means -  beyond the ignorance.

Beyond, ignorance means beyond the dualistic illusion.

Beyond, the dualistic illusion means the non-dualistic reality.

The non-dualistic or Advaitic reality is the fullness of the consciousness without the division of the form, time, and space.

Until you get a firm conviction of ‘what is truth and what is untruth it is very difficult to assimilate Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana or knowledge of the Spirit or the knowledge of God in truth.

For religious people, it is very difficult to accept anything other than their religious injected truth.

Religious truth is based on blind belief whereas spiritual truth is based on the Spirit the real God.

Bhagavad Gita: ~ “You must first see the ‘I’ as illusory before you see others as illusory. ~ CH.2 v.16

There is nothing that exists prior to consciousness. The ‘I’ cease to exist without consciousness. The Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, is the ultimate truth or Brahman.

That is why Bhagavad Gita: ~ The permanent (consciousness) is always there, only the transient ‘I’ comes and goes. (2.18)

The ‘I’ hides the Soul, the Self, or consciousness. 

Bhagavad Gita says: ~ 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).

When Bhagavad Gita says, God is considered the all-pervading consciousness which is the basis of all the animate and inanimate entities and material then nothing has to be accepted as God other than consciousness.

Truth realization or God-realization is not for the religious people who are stuck with their religion.

Until you have the firm conviction of the truth you will not be able to realize God, which is hidden by the illusion. You will realize the truth if you are sincere and serious

The dream becomes unreal when waking takes place. The waking experience becomes unreal when wisdom dawns. The wisdom dawns only when one investigates and realizes “What is mind?” and “What is the substance of the mind” and what is the Source of the mind?

In reality, the mind, its substance, and its source are one in essence. That essence is consciousness. The knowledge this essence is Self ~knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

Self ~knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana does not consist in the mastery of scriptural knowledge or intellectual speculation or logical conclusions. , but in the realization of the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. The Soul, the Self, is neither the waking entity (ego 0r you) nor the dream entity. Without this Self-Knowledge, it is futile to try to know the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth.

Human knowledge of an object is clouded by the ignorance that shrouds the Soul, the Self.

Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana is the unifying force that brings unity in diversity. All egocentric knowledge is reduced to mere conjecture and, therefore, it is arbitrary. Self ~ knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana is the knowledge of our true existence, which is beyond form, time, and space. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

By sticking to Gurus and yogis the ignorance will not vanish but ignorance becomes more and more deep rooted.+

Swami Vivekananda: ~ “Advaita encompasses everything. Since Advaita requires heavy-duty intellectualism, it had to be progressively simplified.

The seeker has to grow from the inside out. None can teach or none can make one spiritual.  There is no other Guru other than Soul. the Self”

The Soul, the inner Guru reveals ‘what is real’ and ‘what is unreal” when the seeker is receptive and ready.

There is no need to condemn Gurus and yogis but the seeker of truth must know their falsity for his own information and how they become a hindrance in the path of wisdom.

By condemning Gurus and yogis, the ignorance will not vanish but one will be able to get rid of the ignorance by removing all the blockade which is blocking the realization of truth.

By sticking to Gurus and yogis the ignorance will not vanish but ignorance becomes more and more deep-rooted. There is no need for grace and blessings of the physical Guru because you and your physical Guru belong to the dualistic illusion. Thus, all the grace and blessings of the physical Guru are illusory. 

If you stick to your physical guru and get emotionally and sentimentally get involved with the physical Guru and keep glorifying and worship the physical Guru you are unfit to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

Yogis and Gurus are not Gods.

This idea of worshiping Guru as God is not a Vedic idea but adopted from Jainism and Buddhism.

Vedas bars human worship: ~

Yajur Veda:~"They are enveloped in darkness, in other words, are steeped in ignorance and sunk in the greatest depths of misery who worship the uncreated, eternal prakrti -- the material cause of the world -- in place of the All-pervading God, But those who worship visible things born of the prakrti, such as the earth, trees, bodies (human and the like) in place of God are enveloped in still greater darkness, in other words, they are extremely foolish, fall into an awful hell of pain and sorrow, and suffer terribly for a long time. ":~ (Yajur Veda 40:9.)

Then why worship and glorify the Gurus and Yogis (human form) in place of God when Veda bars such activities and it also warns people who indulge in such activities are enveloped in still greater darkness, in other words, they are extremely foolish, fall into an awful hell of pain and sorrow, and suffer terribly for a long time.

The one who identifies himself as a Guru, yogi, or some Gurus direct disciple does not belong to the path of Advaita or Atmic path.

If you are seeking truth, nothing but the truth then it is your bondage, that you are stuck to some Guru or yogi. If you are seeking truth then you have to be free from the Gurudom. Gurudom is meant for the ignorant populace who are not seeking truth but some peace and comfort in their practical life.

Ashtavakra Samhita: ~ "The man of knowledge (Gnani), though living like an ordinary man, is contrary to him and only those like him understand his state.

The truth-seeker seeks only truth. The inner Sage will guide the seeker as his understanding of Advaita matures. Your sincerity and seriousness lead you to your inner core. Sincere and serious seekers are not excluded.

Sage  Sankara: ~ "Though I wear these robes of a Sanyasin, it is only for the sake of bread." (Select Works of Sage Sankara" also his commentary on Brihad)

Thus, the above passage proves that all those who were the sanyasin robes are wearing it for the sake of bread belongs to the religion; they are nothing to do with the Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. There is no need to criticize and condemn the Gurus, yogis, and swamis because they are needed for the welfare of ignorant masses in the dualistic world.

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.

That is why Swami Vivekananda said: ~ “You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher, but your own Soul.”

By worshipping the religious Gods and Gurus one will not get Self-realization or God-realization.

The Soul, the inner Guru reveals ‘what is real’ and ‘what is unreal” when the seeker is receptive and ready. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar