The ‘I’ hides the Soul, the Self, which is the cause of the whole universe.+

The world, in which you exist, exists because of the ‘I’, without the ‘I’, the world, in which you exist ceases to exist.

Thus, it is necessary to realize ‘what is this ‘I’. The ‘I’ itself is ignorance.

Till one holds the ‘I’ as the Self, it is impossible to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

Thus, the seeker has to get rid of the ignorance, which is present in the form of ‘I’, in order to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman.

Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana helps to get rid of ignorance.

Perfect understanding of ‘what is what leads get rid of the ignorance.

The ‘I’ hides the Soul. Therefore, the seeker has to realize ‘what is this ‘I’ supposed to be in actuality.

If the Self is not ‘I’ but the Self is the Soul then from the standpoint of the Soul, the innermost 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 are 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 a waking experience.

A 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 the I’ is an illusion then the individual experience of birth, life, and 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 in order to realize the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space.

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 the cause of the whole universe.

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 a mindset. The seeker of truth accepts only the truth nothing but the truth.

That is why Sage Sankara says: - VC-65- As a treasure hidden underground requires (for its extraction) competent instruction, excavation, the removal of stones and other such things lying above it, and (finally) grasping, but never comes out by being (merely) called out by name, so the transparent Truth of the Self, which is hidden by Maya and its effects, is to be attained through the instructions of a knower of Brahman, followed by reflection, meditation and so forth, but not through perverted arguments.

People refuse to accept anything other than their Guru's words. For them, their Guru's words are the ultimate truth. They do not accept anything else other than their accepted truth. There is no need to convince such a mindset.

Such a mindset is not fit to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. The seekers of truth accept only the truth nothing but the uncontradictable truth. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Without knowing what is this ‘I’ supposed to be in actuality it is impossible to grasp the truth, which is hidden by the ‘I’.+

Without knowing what is this ‘I’ supposed to be in actuality it is impossible to grasp the truth, which is hidden by the ‘I’.

You and your world are within the ‘I’, which is the dualistic illusion. The ‘Self’ is not ‘I’ but the Soul, the Self is the witness of the ‘I’, which is the dualistic illusion.

You and your experience of the world are nothing to do with the Soul, the 'Self', which is ever formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.

Thus, you and your individual experience of birth, life, death, and the world is nothing to do with the Soul, the Self. When ignorance vanishes, then the Soul, the Self, remains in its own awareness.

Our body and the world in which we exist are made out of single clay. That single clay is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Thus, the whole universe in which we exist is nothing but consciousness.

Thus, consciousness alone is real and the universe in which we exist is merely an illusion. Thus, all the contents of the universe are merely an illusion.

You are bound by birth, life and death, and the world. You are born within the world, which is merely an illusion.

You are living within the illusory world, and you are going to die within the illusory world. Whatever is born, lives, and dies within the illusory world is not the Self.

Only in illusion, there is form, time, and space. The form, time, and space within the illusory world is nothing to do with the Soul, the Self.

The Soul is present in the form of consciousness. From the standpoint of the Soul, the Self, there is no scope form, time, and space. In the real nature of the Soul, there is no duality.

All the years you have passed are within the illusory universe. Billions of past and future years belong to the illusory universe. The things that happened billions of years ago and the things that are to happen billions of years from now are happenings within the illusory universe. The illusory universe is nothing to do with the Soul, the Self.

The Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, is the ultimate truth or Brahman.

The practical life within the practical world is nothing to do with the Soul, the Self. The Soul is the formless substance and the witness of the illusion.

In the realm of the truth, the substance and the witness of the illusion are one in essence. That essence is the Soul or consciousness.

Consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth.:~Santthosh Kumaar

The one who thinks himself as Guru and the one who thinks himself as chela (disciple) will not be able get Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma 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)

Sage  Sankara:~  VC-  v6~ Let erudite scholars quote all the scripture, let Gods be invoked through sacrifices, let elaborate rituals be performed, let personal Gods be propitiated---yet, without the realization of one‘s identity with the Self, there shall be no liberation for the individual, not even in the lifetimes of a hundred Brahmas put together.

Advaitic wisdom of Sage  Sankara is pure spirituality. Advaitic wisdom is nothing to do with religion and yoga and philosophies. All Advaitic teachings of the Gurus of the east and west are not the Advaitic wisdom of Sage Sankara. 

All your accumulated knowledge from different Gurus and teaching is nothing to do with the Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.  All you accumulated knowledge is not of any use in realizing the ‘Self’, which is hidden by the illusory form, time, and space.  If you want to realize the ‘Self’ then you have to drop all accumulated knowledge and start afresh.  Do not hold your accumulated knowledge as a yardstick. 

Bhagavad Gita says: ~ Among thousands of men, scarcely one strives for perfection; and of those who strive and succeed, scarcely one knows the ‘Self’ in truth.

All the Advaitic Gurus of the east and the west are based on the dualistic perspective. The dualistic knowledge is egocentric knowledge. All egocentric Advaita or nonduality is based on the imagination. All imagined Advaita is will not help to cross the domain of the form, time, and space.

The egocentric knowledge keeps the Soul in the intoxication of the ‘I’. The ‘I’ hides the whole truth.  The Gurus and the teaches of nonduality of the east and west are stuck up with their own accepted truth gathered from here and there and  Their egoic attitude blocks than by realizing the Advaita hidden by the dvaita, which is present in the form of the ‘I’.

Mundaka Upanishads: ~ So-called spiritual pundits and learned are called children because a child takes whatever it thinks as truth. The question never occurs to children “Is what I have seen or thought really the truth?" (P.334 line 9)

Scriptures are not needed in pursuit of truth. Even the Upanishads and the Advaitic Sages declare the same.

The ultimate truth has to be ascertained without the scriptures by realizing the Self is neither the waking entity nor the dream entity but the Self is formless Soul which is present in the form of consciousness. 

In the realm of truth the form, time, and space are created out of single stuff. That single stuff is consciousness. Realizing the single stuff as ultimate truth is Self-realization or truth realization. To realize this truth there is no need for the scriptures.  

The ultimate truth has to be realized first then only it is possible to know what the scriptures are saying. 

Katha Upanishad:~  This Atman cannot be attained by the study of the Vedas, or by intelligence, nor 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 religion, concept of individualized god, and scriptures are the greatest obstacle to realize non-dual truth or Self-realization because they are based on false self.  Therefore, one has to search the ultimate truth without losing himself in the labyrinths of philosophy, he should indulge in deeper self-search and assimilate and realize it.  

The seeker's goal is towards Self-knowledge and noting other than it. Therefore, the Guru is needed in religious and yogic paths which are meant for the people who are not searching for truth but they are searching for worldly comforts and temporary peace in this physical existence.  They fear to lose their physical identity and all that is connected to the physical identity. 

When one realizes the physical identity (ego) is the false self and the true identity is the Soul, which is in the form consciousness, then he realizes that the fear factor is limited to the false self within the false experience. When the Self is not physical all the burden and bondage of the duality is merely an illusion created out of consciousness.

Therefore, Self-Knowledge is necessary to know the fact that, the universe, which appears is in the form of mind and disappears as nothingness (formless) is a mere mirage created out of nothingness, which is consciousness.  Thus, consciousness is the source and witness of the universe or mind, which comes and goes. 

It is necessary to know the formless witness of the three states in order to know the fact that, the true self is apart and free from the dualistic illusion, which is in the form of birth, life, death, and the universe.  Therefore, it is necessary for the seeker to make sure how the three states are the dualistic illusion. The body and the world are a reality within the waking experience but the waking experience is merely an illusion, the same way as the dream body and the dream world were a reality within the dream. 

The dream becomes unreal when the waking takes place; similarly, the waking experience becomes unreal when the non-dual wisdom dawns. The one who thinks himself as Guru and the one who thinks himself as chela (disciple) will not be able to get Self-Knowledge because both of them accepted themselves as the body. 

All their understanding, practices, knowledge are based on the false self.  Therefore, the Guru –Shisya concept is a great obstacle in the pursuit of truth. A Gnani never accepts himself as a Guru or accepts anyone as his disciple because a Gnani is fully immersed in  Self-awareness. 

There is no division of illusory form, time, and space in Gnani's consciousness even though he is in the midst of the dualistic illusion or Maya.  Thus, by surrendering to any guru or Godmen is not the means to Self-knowledge. 

The Soul, the  Self is the true guru. The seeker has to surrender to the Self by realizing the fact that, the Self is not physical. 

By realizing the Self is not physical, he will be able to drop all the accumulated knowledge and inherited conditioning in the midst of duality and he finds freedom from experiencing the duality (waking) as a  reality.

Remember:~ 

The Guru who speaks of freedom without knowing what freedom is in actuality. It is not you who has to get freedom it is the Soul, the 'Self' has to get freedom from you and the world in which you exist.

Without realizing the ‘Self’ is not you but the ‘Self is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness freedom is an impossibility.

Playing with words is not wisdom.   The nature of truth is to be free from contradictions. The seeker of truth approaches nearer and nearer the truth as he finds less and lesser contradictions.

The only thing which is so free is Advaita.  Advaita is the nature of the Soul, the Self, which is present in the form of consciousness. The Soul, the Self is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God because the whole universe is nothing but the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Advaitic wisdom may be achieved at first by a perfect understanding of ‘what is what’.   The seeker should stabilize them through self-recollectedness and reflect on the subject (Soul) hidden by the object (universe) to be done constantly to establish in the ‘Self’.

Remember the world is not separate from the Soul, the Self. It is not enough to grasp the intellectual truth of Advaita but the realization is necessary.

A Gnani knows the world to be an illusion because he is fully aware there is no difference between the Soul and the universe because the universe is merely an illusion created out of the Soul, which is present in the form of the consciousness. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

The path of religion, the path of yoga and the path of wisdom were intended for different classes of people.+

The seeker has to focus his attention on the Self or Atman, which is in the form of consciousness.    Thus glorifying gurus’ form is erroneous, because the body and the universe are a myth from the ultimate standpoint. Thus indulging in glorifying and worshiping myth becomes a great obstacle in the pursuit of truth.  

Thus the seeker has to identify the Soul, the  Self as a guru and proceed in his spiritual endeavor.   The inner grace of the Soul the inner guru will guide until the ignorance disappears and one realizes the body and the universe, are a mere mirage created out of the consciousness, which is the true self.   

Religious or yogic gurus propagate that, once a seeker identifies a Guru, he must totally surrender to the Guru, and then from there onwards, the spiritual journey is fully the Guru's responsibility, not his... Hence, the importance to choose the right Guru is necessary, but in pursuit of the truth, the Guru is not necessary because the truth is not theoretical.  Truth has to be ascertained by the seeker on his own through a well-directed inquiry, analysis, and reasoning based on the true Self, which will lead the seeker to his destination.  

People worship the Guru as God in human form and there is a danger that they might establish a regular religious sect in his name.  This is an unhappy development of the religious movement.

It is better to take guidance from a Gnani and try to attain the same realization that he had, rather than spend their energy in defying him. Let us remember that to deify a Gnani is to defy wisdom”

Hindu religious literature is full of such aphorisms as ' there is no higher deity than the Guru; the Guru is the ultimate Truth and Deity. God and  Avatars (incarnations) are secondary to the Guru in importance; there is no higher refuge, no higher target, no higher destination than the Guru; the Guru is God himself is Guru; God and the Guru are one; he who makes a  distinction between the Guru and God is ignorant and stupid; and scores of similar others. They abound both in Sanskrit and in modern Indian languages.

People are born into different sects and they remain as its follower. Most of the sect is founded by some gurus, thus the Indian belief system is a Guru Cult, i.e. believes in the worship of the Guru as the Supreme Deity.

 When a seeker could not get full enlightenment from his inherited belief system, then only he searches elsewhere. And tries to get enlightened himself further to clear the cobwebs of his understanding and seek guidance in his progress.

The path of religion, the path of yoga, and the path of wisdom were intended for different classes of people. The wisdom is for the advanced seekers of truth. It deals with the nature of the ultimate Truth and Reality. It is meant for superior aspirants who have an inner urge to know the truth and it is not for those who are immersed in earthly desires.:~Santthosh Kumaar 

The breath is not the Self.+

Thich Nhat Hanh:~"Breath is the bridge, which connects life to consciousness, which unites your body to your thoughts."

Santthosh Kumaar: ~ Breather and breath and the world are nothing to do with the Soul, the Self. Remember: The ‘Self is not you but the Soul. The ‘Self’ is the formless, timeless, and spaceless Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

The breather, breathe, and the world in which he exists cease to exist without consciousness.

Consciousness can exist with or without the world in which we exist. Breather and breath and the world are nothing but an illusion created out of consciousness. Consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth.

Sage Sankara: ~ VC-165-166 - The vital- air-Sheath cannot be the Self because it is the modification of air (Vayu). Like air, it enters the body and goes out of it never knowing the joy and sorrow like others. It is ever dependent on the Self.

The Breath, the body, and the world are one in essence. That essence is formless consciousness. The consciousness (Soul) is the Self.

The Breath, the body, and the world are part and parcel of the illusion. By holding the breath (vital force) as the Self, one cannot get rid of ignorance.

Without getting rid of the ignorance the Advaitic wisdom will not dawn. Advaitic Wisdom dawns only when one realizes that form, time and space are one in essence.

The breath is not the Self. The breath, body, and the world are created out of single stuff. That single stuff is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Thus, the breath and breather and the world are part of the illusion created out of single stuff, which is consciousness.

The knowledge of the single stuff is Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

Some Gurus say hold the breath as the Self. The breath is not the Self. The breath, breather, the world in which breather breaths, are appeared together and disappear together.

The breath, breather, and the world are present in the domain of the dualistic illusion.

The dualistic illusion is created out of single stuff. That single stuff is the soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

People who hold their breath as the ‘Self’ are still thinking within the domain of the illusory form, time, and space.

One can breathe only within the world in which he exists. The ‘Self is not the one who breathes or the breath.

The breather, breathe and the world in which he exists is created out of a single clay. That single clay is the Soul, the Self, which is present in the form of consciousness. :~Santthosh Kumar