Sage Sankara:~ If you give up the external world in your inquiry, you cannot get the whole truth.+

With a firm foot first, inquire into the nature of the universe that confronts you, do not fly to the Atman, the Self.

Sage Sankara says you must first know what is before you. If you cannot know that, what else can you know or understand? If you give up the external world in your inquiry, you cannot get the whole truth.

The mind rises from the formless Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. The sense of ‘I’ rises as the mind. The mind is in the form of the universe. Thus, ‘I’ is the mind or the universe. The universe appears as the waking or dream and disappears as deep sleep. 

Holding a sense of ‘I’ limited to the ego is the cause of separation. It makes one feel, he is an individual separate from the world and world that existed prior to him, and he is born inafterwardards. Until one has this conviction, it is very difficult to grasp non-dualdual truth.

Thus, it is necessary to realize the Self is not the ‘I’ but the Self is the witness of the ‘I'.

It is the ‘I’ which is a botheration. the seeker has to first investigate the nature of the ‘I’. Without investigating what is this ‘I’ supposed to be in actuality, the truth of our existence will not be revealed.

As we go deeper in self-search, we become aware of the fact that: ~

The ‘I’ is not limited to an individual because ‘I’ is the mind. The mind is not within the body because the mind is the whole universe.

Thinking the mind is within the body is an error. First, know what is mind. The mind is not within the body. The form, time, and space togetarer is mind. Without form, time, and space the mind ceases to exist. Without the form, time, and space the world in which you exist ceases to exist. Without the world in which you exist the waking ceases to exist. Without waking the ‘I’ ceases to exist.

Thus, a perfect understanding of ‘what is what’ is very much necessary to unfold the mastery of the ‘I’.

The mind is present only when the ‘I’ is present and the mind is absent when the ‘I’ is absent. Thus, it is necessary to accept the ‘I’ as the mind.

The mind is present only when the universe is present therefore it is necessary to accept the mind is the universe.

The universe is present only when the waking is present therefore it is necessary to accept the universe as the whole waking experience.

The waking is a parallel dream and the dream is a parallel waking experience.

The individual experience of birth, life, death, and the world is happening within the waking experience.

As we go much deeper investigation  ‘I’,  we become aware of the fact that: ~

The ‘I’ disappears in deep sleep.

Without the ‘I’ there is no trace of the mind.

Without the mind, there is no trace of the universe.

Without the universe, there is no trace of waking.

Without waking, there is no trace of form, time, and space.

Without form, time, and space there is no trace of the individual experience of birth, life, death, and the world.

Without the individual experience of birth, life and death, and the world it is a formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.

The formless, timeless, and spaceless existence is the nature of the Soul the Self.

The Soul is the Self. When you negate the ‘I’ by Neti / Neti the Soul alone remains as the ultimate truth or Brahman or God.

Ashtavakra Gita: ~ “The universe rises from the Soul, the Self like bubbles from the sea. Thus, know the Self to be One and in this way enter into the state of dissolution."

Sage Sri, Sankara says: ~ Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana to be attained through the instructions of a knower of Brahman (Gnani), followed by reflection, and so forth, but not through perverted arguments.

The seeker should personally strive by using the power of Soul-Centric reasoning to be free from the bondage of the dualistic illusion.

The seeker of truth should be aware of everything that is untrue: the stick to the truth and he shall succeed, maybe slowly, but surely.: ~Santthosh Kumaar