Until you try to experience non-duality within the domain of duality you will remain in ignorance.+

Until you try to experience non-duality within the domain of duality you will remain in ignorance.

Nonduality is the true nature of the Soul, the Self, which is unborn eternal.

The ‘Self’ cannot be experienced as an individual because ‘Self’ is not an individual it is formless and universal.

People think the religious scholars’ interpretation of Upanishads and get stuck to the idea of experience as a touchstone.

One has to realize the ‘Self’ is not ‘you’ but the ‘Self’ is the Soul or the consciousness. The Soul or consciousness is prior to any experience. Experience implies duality.

The duality is merely an illusion from the ultimate standpoint. In reality, experience and experience are one in essence. Thus, there is no second thing that exists other than consciousness. Hence, it is nondual.

Experience belongs to individuality. And from the standpoint of the Soul, the ‘Self’ individuality is a falsehood. There is neither individual nor his experience in reality.

You and your experience of the world cannot exist without waking experience.

From the standpoint of the Soul, the waking experience itself is an illusion.

Whatever we are discussing, we are discussing in the illusory waking experience. Whatever belongs to waking experience is bound to be a falsehood.

Thus, we cannot experience the ‘Self’. The ‘Self' has to be realized in order to get rid of ignorance, which is the cause of experiencing the dualistic illusion or Maya as a reality. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

The religious robe is the symbol of ignorance because religion is based on the foundation of ignorance.+

The religious robe is the symbol of ignorance because religion is based on the foundation of ignorance. People have the wrong impression that the one who wears a religious robe is a Gnani.

By having coiled hair, one will not become a Gnani. By wearing a religious robe one will not get Advaitic Gnana.

By studying under a famous guru, one cannot get rid of ignorance. Scriptural mastery one will not get Advaitic wisdom. By taking sanyasa or monkhood, one is not qualified to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

All the holy men, gurus, saints, and yogis belong to the religious path, which is meant for the ignorant populace. The Atmic path is nothing to do with religion.

Those who are seriously searching for truth have to take the Atmic path, not the religious or yogic path.

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

Enlightened or not, the venerated Indian Sage Sankara in his work The Crest Jewel of Discrimination (1) or as it is sometimes known, Viveka Chudamani (2), states that the Knower of the Atman (i.e., a Gnani) "bears no outward mark of a holy man" (Stanza 539).

Continuing, although there are variances found in the actual wording between various translators and translations the gist behind the words remains the same,

Sage Sankara writes: ~ “Sometimes he appears to be a fool, sometimes a wise man. Sometimes he seems splendid as a king, sometimes feeble-minded. Sometimes he is calm and silent. Sometimes he draws men to him. Sometimes people honor him greatly, sometimes they insult him. Sometimes they ignore him.

Unless one realizes the Soul as the Self as it really is” it is impossible to realize the Advaitic truth.

By becoming a sanyasi or monk one will not get Self-realization or truth realization or God-realization.

What is the use of becoming a sanyasi or monk when the ‘Self ‘is not you? You are the false self.

Sage Sankara himself said:~A Gnani "bears no outward mark of a holy man." (Stanza 539).

A person who realized the ultimate truth or Brahman will throw off his religious robe and his religious identity and becomes Avadhuta and live as he wishes.

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 them for the sake of bread belong to the religion; they are nothing to do with the Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

Manduka Upanishads: - It is very difficult to find out who is a Gnani because he bears no external mark. Neither nudity nor the yellow robe has anything to do with him.

There is no need to criticize and condemn the gurus, yogis, and swamis because they are needed for the welfare of the ignorant masses to preach morals and ethics, love, compassion, and harmony in the dualistic world.

Remember:~

Exploring if an outside observer can, in all cases, determine if a person is Enlightened or not, the venerated Sage Sankara, in his work The Crest-Jewel of Discrimination (1) or as it is sometimes known, Viveka Chudamani (2), states that the Knower of the Atman (i.e., a Gnani) "bears no outward mark of a holy man" (Stanza 539).

Sage Sankara writes (on a Gnani): - “Sometimes he appears to be a Fool, sometimes a wise man. Sometimes he seems splendid as a king, sometimes feeble-minded. Sometimes he is calm and silent. Sometimes he draws men to him. Sometimes people honor him greatly, sometimes they insult him. Sometimes they ignore him.

Sage Sankara:~ "The ignorant see the body of a knower of Brahman(Gnani) and identify him with it. Actually the Soul the innermost Self' is free from the body and every other kind of bondage. To the Self, the body is merely a shadow."

Manduka Upanishads: ~ It is difficult to find out who is a Gnani because he bears no external mark. Neither nudity nor the yellow robe has anything to do with him.

A Gnani cannot have the idea of renouncing the world or giving up something of the practical world, because that would connote the idea of duality. Duality is merely an illusion from the ultimate standpoint. Knowing no second thing at all there remains nothing to be given up.

Self- Knowledge is only true knowledge not the absence of duality. Self -Knowledge cannot destroy the world but it eliminates ignorance and exposes the unreal nature of the mind or universe.

A Gnani is the one who has realized the universe in which he exists is nothing but consciousness.

Self-awareness is unique. It cannot be experienced because it is prior to any experience. It is possible only by the realization of the knowledge of the Infinite."

A Gnani sees only unity in diversity, just like a goldsmith estimating the gold in various items of jewelry sees only gold.

When one identifies the Self with the form then only the form, time and space are present. But when one transcends form, time, and space the duality never remains as reality. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar