Brahman or God in truth,+

Bhagavad Gita Chapter:~ All those whose intelligence has been stolen by material desires, they worship many Gods. (7- Verse -20)

Thus, by sticking up to the Gods, which are not God in truth, you are sticking up to the illusion. Sticking up to illusion means sticking up to ignorance. sticking up to ignorance means you are not qualified to acquire self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

Unless you find it on your own, you will not be able to realize the truth, which is hidden by the illusory form, time, and space. Without a perfect understanding of ‘what is what’ it will take you nowhere.

Religious God is not God in truth. You must know God in truth according to your own scriptures. 

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad declares: "He who worships the deities as entities entirely separate from him does not know the truth. For the Gods, he is like a pasu (beast)". (1. 4. 10)

 Brahman or God in truth. 

The Soul is the  Self. The Soul is present in the form of consciousness. The consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman. The ultimate truth or Brahman is God. Realize that to be Brahman which is Existence, Knowledge and Bliss Absolute, which is non-dual and infinite, eternal and One, and which fills all that exists.

 After the realization of Advaitic truth, the attainment of which leaves nothing more to be attained, the pure blessedness, and the Knowledge after which nothing needs to be known. When seen, there is nothing more to be seen. Having become after which one is not born again in the world of becoming.

Consciousness permeates everything and everywhere in all three states. Consciousness illumines the whole universe that including the Sun, Moon, and the whole galaxy.

The consciousness pervades the entire Universe outwardly and shines on itself, as the fire that permeates a red-hot iron ball both inwardly and outwardly shines on itself. There exists nothing that is not consciousness. 

People perform all their actions in and through consciousness, but they are ignorant of the Soul, the Self not being conscious is a mere illusion. From illusion springs separation wherein the experience of birth, life, death, and the world have roots. 

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

For the Gnani who realizes everything as consciousness, what is there to meditate or not to meditate, what to speak or not to speak, what to do or not to do? Those who give up the highest and purest Brahmic consciousness live in vain and though human, are like beasts. Having turned the visible into the invisible, one should realize everything to be consciousness itself. A  Gnani always dwells in Advaitic awareness. The ever-existent soul or consciousness shining within the three states can be realized only through self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.  The self indeed is this soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, not the phenomenal universe which is present in the form of the mind.

Sage Gaudapada:~ The non-dual Atman is realized when the individual self (jiva) is awakened from its ignorance. Atman is unborn, dreamless, sleepless, and motionless, and is beyond duality. It is cognition at its purest. It is Brahman- Ayam Atma Brahma, this Atma is Brahma; Thus epitomizing the core of Upanishad teachings.
 

Sage Gaudapada expands further on these states of consciousness. The Self is AUM. It represents the manifest and unmanifest aspects of Brahman. It is the single syllable that symbolizes and embodies Brahman, the Absolute Reality. It is the Pranava that pervades all existence and is our very life breath.

Vaisvanara in waking the state is A the first part of AUM, One, who realizes this, attains his desires.

Teijasa in the dream state is U the second part of AUM. One, who realizes this, attains knowledge.

Prajna in deep sleep is M the third part of AUM, concluding the sounds of the earlier two parts. One, who realizes this, attains a compressive understanding of all.

The Syllable AUM in its entirety stands for the fourth state, Turiya the one beyond the phenomenal existence, supremely blissful and non-dual.

AUM in its integral whole stands for the fourth state which is transcendental, devoid of phenomenal existence, and is the source of all existence. AUM represents Ultimate Reality.AUM is thus verily the Self itself. One who realizes this merges into that Self. Meditate on AUM as the Self.

In Vedas, God has been described as:~

Yajurveda – chapter- 32:~    God is Supreme Spirit has no ‘Pratima’ (idol) or material shape. He cannot be seen directly by anyone. He pervades all beings and all directions. 

Thus,   Idolatry does not find any support from the Vedas.

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)

The Vedas confirm God is Atman (spirit), the Self.

Rig-Veda 1-164-46 and Y.V 32-1 clearly mention that God is “One”.

Rig Veda declares God is ‘ONE’ and God is Atman, then why believe and worship in place of real God.

Brihad Upanishad: ~ “If you think there is another entity, whether man or God there is no truth."

When Upanishad itself declares: ~   Sarvam khalvidam brahma ~ all this (universe) is verily Brahman. By following back all of the relative appearances in the world, we eventually return to that from which it is all manifest – the non-dual reality (Chandogya Upanishad). 

Sage Sankara’s Supreme Brahman (God) is impersonal, Nirguna (without Gunas or attributes), Nirakara (formless), Nirvisesha (without special characteristics), immutable, eternal, and Akarta (non-agent). It is above all needs and desires. It is always the Witnessing Subject. It can never become an object it is beyond the reach of the senses. Brahman is non-dual, one without a second. It has no other besides it. It is destitute of difference, either external or internal. Brahman cannot be described because the description implies a distinction. Brahman cannot be distinguished from any other than It. In Brahman, there is not distinction between substance and attribute. Sat-Chit-Ananda constitutes the very essence or Svarupa of Brahman, and not just Its attributes. The Nirguna Brahman of Sage Sankara is impersonal.

So, it clearly indicates that God is formless thus there is no scope for a form-based God. The religion and its ideas of Gods, and its theories of karma, heaven, hell, papa, punya, rebirth, reincarnation are based on the false self (ego), within the false experience (waking). Therefore, they are meant for a lower mindset, they are of no use for those who are seeking higher truth as indicated in the scriptures.   

Mythreyi Upanishad 2:26 says: ~ All those who desire to have salvation without taking several births, should worship God in spirit and truth.  

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

Thus, it refers to a formless and attributeless God, which is the Atman (soul), the innermost self.  It indicates clearly all the Gods with form and attributes are mere imaginations based on the false self.  Thus Atman or soul, the innermost self is God.

The mind is present in the form of the universe.  The universe appears as the waking or dream. From the ultimate standpoint, the universe is merely an illusion. Whatever the universe contains is a mere illusion.  

The whole illusion is created, sustained, and finally dissolves as consciousness; therefore, there is no second thing that exists other than consciousness. Thus, consciousness pervades everything and everywhere in all three states. Hence, it is nondual.  Thus limiting the self to the waking entity or ego is the cause of ignorance.  And ignorance is the cause of duality. Duality is the cause of experiencing the illusion as a  reality.

Orthodoxy accepts the concept of god in many forms. Sages of truth declare the Atman is Brahman.  That is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman.  That is the ultimate truth is God.  And the ultimate truth itself is worthy of Godhood. 

Kena Upanishad (6) Chapter I:~  That which cannot be apprehended by the mind, but by which, they say, the mind is apprehended-That alone know as Brahman, and not that which people here worship.

Kena Upanishad (7) Chapter I:~  That which cannot be perceived by the eye, but by which the eye is perceived-That alone know as Brahman, and not that which people here worship.

Kena Upanishad (8) Chapter I:~  That which cannot be heard by the ear, but by which the hearing is perceived-That alone know as Brahman, and not that which people here worship.

Kena Upanishad (9)- Chapter I:~ That which cannot be smelt by the breath, but by which the breath smells an object-That alone know as Brahman, and not that which people here worship.

Swami Vivekananda:~

The masses in India cry to sixty million Gods and still die like dogs. Where are these gods?

Knowing this, stand up and fight! Not one step back that is the idea. ... Fight it out, whatever comes. Let the stars move from the sphere! Let the whole world stand against us! Death means only a change of garment. What of it? Thus, fight! You gain nothing by becoming cowards. ... Taking a step backward, you do not avoid any misfortune. You have cried to all the gods in the world. Has misery ceased? The masses in India cry to sixty million gods and still die like dogs. Where are these gods? ... The gods come to help you when you have succeeded. So what is the use? Die game. ... This bending the knee to superstitions, this selling yourself to your own mind does not befit you, my soul. You are infinite, deathless, birthless. Because you are the infinite spirit, it does not befit you to be a slave. ... Arise! Awake! Stand up and fight! Die if you must. There is none to help you. You are the entire world. Who can help you? ~ Swami Vivekananda  (Delivered In San Francisco, on May 28, 1900) -The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda/Volume 1/Lectures And Discourses/The Gita II

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad:~  The Self is indeed Brahman, but through ignorance, people identify it with intellect, mind, senses, passions, and the elements of earth, water, air, space, and fire. This is why the Self is said to consist of this and that and appears to be everything. 

Yajurveda says: - if one worships God:~ 

Translation 1.

They enter darkness, those who worship natural things (for example air, water, sun, moon, animals, fire, stone, etc.).

They sink deeper into darkness those who worship sambhuti. (Sambhuti means created things, for example, table, chair, idol, etc.) ~(Yajurveda  40:9)

Translation 2.

"Deep into the shade of blinding gloom fall asambhuti's worshippers. They sink to darkness deeper yet who on sambhuti is intent.~("Yajurveda Samhita by Ralph T. H. Giffith pg 538)

Translation 3.

"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.)

So, Yajur Veda indicates that:~

They sink deeper into darkness those who worship sambhuti. (Sambhuti means created things, for example, table, chair, idol, etc ~(Yajurved 40:9)

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.)

The Hindus believed in polytheism, believing all of their Gods to be separate individuals, which were introduced much later by the founders of Hinduism which contains diverse beliefs caste, and creed. 

When the religion of the Veda knows no idols, then why so many gods and goddesses with different forms and names are being propagated as Vedic gods. Why these conceptual gods are introduced when the Vedic concept of God is free from form and attributes.

Who introduced the concept of God with attributes and attributeless gods, when Yajur Veda says: ~ 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. Therefore, all these add-ons prove that the form and attribute-based concepts are introduced by some sages of the past with a new belief system and code of conduct in the name of Vedas. 

It clearly indicates that: -If the human goal is to acquire Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana then why indulge in rituals and glorify the conceptual gods and goddesses to go into deeper darkness. Instead, spend that time moving forward towards Self-knowledge, which is one’s prime goal.  

Since it is eternal and infinite, it comprises the only truth. The goal of Vedic religion, through the various yogas, is to realize that consciousness (Atman) is actually nothing but Brahman or God in truth.

The Vedic pantheon of gods is said, in the Vedas and Upanishads, to be the only higher manifestations of Brahman. For this reason,- "ekam sat" (all is one), and all is Brahman.

Kena Upanishad (1) Chapter II:~  If you think: "I know Brahman well," then surely you know but little of Its form; you know only Its form as conditioned by man or by the gods. Therefore Brahman, even now, is worthy of your inquiry.

Kena Upanishad (2) Chapter II:~  The disciple said: I think I know Brahman. The disciple said: I do not think I know It well, nor do I think I do not know It. He among us who knows the meaning of "Neither do I not know nor do I know, knows Brahman.

Kena Upanishad (3) Chapter II:~ He by whom Brahman is not known, knows It; he by whom It is known, knows It not. It is not known by those who know It; It is known by those who do not know It.

Kena Upanishad (4) Chapter II:~ Brahman is known when It is realized in every state of mind; for by such Knowledge one attains Immortality. By Atman one obtains strength; by Knowledge, Immortality

Kena Upanishad (5) Chapter II:~ If a man knows Atman here, he then attains the true goal of life. If he does not know It here, great destruction awaits him. Having realized the Self in every being, the wise relinquish the world and become immortal

Thus, the goal is to realize the Atman (consciousness).  The Atman (consciousness) is nothing but Brahman. Realizing Atman (consciousness) as Brahman (ultimate truth) is truth realization or Self-Realization.

There is no need to follow the religion, study the scriptures, or glorify the Gods and the Gurus and follow the path of doubts and confusion by losing oneself in the labyrinths of philosophy to get Self-realization when there is an easier path. 

By mentally tracing the source of the mind, from where it rises and subsides, one becomes aware of the fallacy of the mind, which rises as the duality (universe or waking or dream) and subsides as the nonduality ( deep sleep).  The mind raises from consciousness and subsides as consciousness.:~Santthosh Kumaar 

When ignorance vanishes, then the Soul, the Self, remains in its own awareness.+

It is not you are forgetting the Soul, the Self.  It is the Soul that forgets itself within the dualistic illusion.   

Ignorance is the cause of the dualistic illusion.  You and your world are within the dualistic illusion. 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 bodies and the world in which we exist are made out of single stuff. That single stuff 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 also 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 Soul, the  Self.  

The world is both real and unreal. It is real because it is a manifestation of the consciousness but is unreal, in the sense, that it is not absolute and eternal like the consciousness itself.

People's approach is more practical, and they stuck with the reality of the world, they take it as real. That is why all the confusion.

In Self-awareness-- the witness and witnessed are one in essence. That essence is consciousness. There is no second thing that exists other than consciousness.

Thus whatever is seen, known, believed, and experienced as a person is a reality within the waking experience but the waking experience itself is merely an illusion.  

The Soul is the 'Self.  The Soul is present in the form of consciousness. The  Soul, the consciousness is the witness that experiences the action, the actor, and the world of separate things. It is like a light that illuminates everything in a theatre, revealing the master of ceremonies, the guests, and the dancers with complete impartiality. Even when they all depart, the light shines to reveal their absence.

What is not consciousness (formless) in the experience of diversity [waking or universe]?  The waking and the dream cease to exist without consciousness.  The seeker,  the seeking, and his destination all are one in essence.

There is only a need to realize the whole universe in which we exist is created out of single stuff,  and that single stuff is the consciousness From the standpoint of the Soul, the Self, the universe is merely an illusion created out of consciousness.  Thus, from the ultimate standpoint, no second thing exists other than consciousness. 

Thus, consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth.  The world is both real and unreal.  It is real because it is a manifestation of the consciousness but is unreal, in the sense, that it is not absolute and eternal like the consciousness itself.

In Self-awareness-- the witness and witnessed are one in essence. That essence is consciousness. There is no second thing that exists other than consciousness.

Thus whatever is seen, known, believed, and experienced as a person is a reality within the waking experience but the waking experience itself is merely an illusion.  

The Soul or the consciousness is the witness that experiences the action, the actor, and the world of separate things. It is like a light that illuminates everything in a theatre, revealing the master of ceremonies, the guests, and the dancers with complete impartiality. Even when they all depart, the light shines to reveal their absence.

There is only a need to realize that,  the whole universe in which we exist is created out of consciousness (Soul or Atman), the Self.  From the standpoint Soul, the  Self, the universe is a mere illusion created out of consciousness.  

Thus, from the ultimate standpoint, no second thing exists other than consciousness. Consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth.  

As ice and clouds are not different from water, so the mind emanating from the soul is not different from it.  The mind (universe or waking) emanating from the soul (consciousness) means the mind being the effect from the Soul (consciousness) is not different from it.  A deeper analysis shows it.

 A deeper analysis needs deeper thinking. The ice and clouds have form,  but where is the form in the water.  Where did the form come from? All that one can say is that the water is not different from the ice and cloud. The mind is the same as the Soul, as the water produces the ice and clouds, so the Soul (consciousness) produces the experiences of the three states.

One has to know this through analysis. As the cloth when analyzed, is found to be nothing but thread, so this mind, when duly considered, is nothing but the Soul (consciousness).:~Santthsoh Kumaar 

The veil of ignorance, which is in the form of form, time and space, will vanish.+

Advaita is the nature of the Soul, the Self. The Soul is present in the form of consciousness is one unified whole.  When the Soul remains in its own awareness, then there nothing exists other than itself. 

The form, time, and space within the dream become falsehood when the waking takes place. Similarly, the form, time, and space of the waking are also becoming falsehood when wisdom dawns. The wisdom dawns only when one realizes, that the 'Self' is neither the waking entity nor the dream entity. Thus, it is erroneous to judge and reason and conclude the ultimate truth on the base of the waking entity(ego)  and the waking world because the waking experience itself is an illusion.

Suppose,  you were holding the same view in the dream, all your experiences and views are a  reality within the dream. The dream becomes unreal when waking takes place. Similarly, the waking becomes unreal when you become aware of the fact that, the 'Self' is not an individual.  Thus,  whatever individual experiences experienced within the waking is as unreal as a dream

.

Till one has the conviction that,  he is an individual,  separate from the world,  and the world existed prior to him,  and he is born with it, he will remain in ignorance of the reality of the true existence. 

Till this conviction is there it is impossible to grasp the Advaitic truth.  Because his views and judgments are based on the physical self (ego)  with the physical world (waking).  Individuality is a reality within the waking experience, but the waking experience itself is a falsehood. 

Thus,  holding the view as an individual within the false experience is leading to a hallucination.  The waking experience is a parallel dream,  and the dream is a parallel waking experience.

A perfect understanding of 'what is what'  removes all sorts of obstacles in the pursuit of truth.  Only constant repetition of the subject matter in my posts and blogs will make one think differently,  but it also creates more doubts and confusion in his subconscious.  And his inner urge to know the truth even more intense. And it also helps to overcome some of our conditioning, which we have inherited from parental grooming and circumstances.    

Remember:~

The veil of ignorance, which is in the form of form, time, and space, will vanish when the wisdom dawns.  Thus, the division within the consciousness also no longer remains a reality.  Thus, the illusory reality loses its luster of reality in Self~ awareness.  

One knows his body, ego and his experience of the world as a mere mirage created out of consciousness.  Thus, consciousness alone is a reality and the forms and names and things are merely an illusion.

Those who see the universe as a  reality may try to deny it.  The Soul, the Self has nothing to do with the experience of birth, life, and death because it is birthless and deathless.  In Self-awareness, one sees his body, ego, and universe but he is fully aware of the fact that they too are nothing but consciousness.  Thus, there is unity in diversity. 

If one thinks he is born in this world grew up and got married and has children and grandchildren and he is 90 years of age in a dream and when he wakes up the dream becomes unreal. The form, time, and space of the dream were a reality within the dream.

The form, time, and space will prevail as a reality until the waking entity (you) becomes aware of the fact, it is not the self. the self is the Soul, which witnesses the coming and going of the three states. 

 in a dream, one was a  poor farmer, but he did not know that his ancestors had buried a large quantity of gold under the ground in his field,  when someone who knows the secret informed him about the treasure, he discovers the treasure and lives happily. 

But when the waking takes place the dream becomes unreal. The dream reality never again becomes a reality.  Similarly,  when wisdom dawns the waking reality never again prevails as a  reality. 

Remember:~

Blinded with the illusion very few grasp the  Advaitic truth. Only a few escape from the web of illusion, and only a few will be able to acquire the  Advaitic wisdom.

The non-duality has to be grasped in the midst of the waking experience (duality or mind or universe).  That is, being aware of the truth and untruth, reality and unreality. And able to establish himself in the truth and able to view and judge, the three states, on the base of the Soul, the Self. The Soul is present in the form of consciousness. The consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth.

It is unfortunate people are stuck with their accumulated ideas based on the false self, imagine nonduality and say nothing exists other than the source. But a Gnani says everything exists (illusion) but everything is created out of the Soul or consciousness.  

Everything rises from the Soul (consciousness)  and subsides as the Soul or consciousness. Thus, the whole diversity has no relevance, from the standpoint of the Soul as the Self.

Everything (universe or illusion or matter) is the consciousness realizing the three states are created out consciousness leads to Self-awareness. 

Awareness is the nature of the Soul because there is no second thing that exists other than the Soul, the Self.   Thus, consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth.:~Santthosh Kumaar 

The ultimate truth has to be realized first without any philosophy, then only it is possible to know what the scriptures are saying.+

The world in which you and Guru exist is the product of ignorance. If there is no ignorance, then the world in which you and your Guru exist ceases to exist as a reality. When reality appears this ignorance that one thinks as reality becomes unreal.

The ultimate truth has to be realized first without any philosophy, then only it is possible to know what the scriptures are saying.

Reality is simply the loss of ignorance. Till the ignorance is there the body, ego and the world exist as a reality. When ignorance vanishes,  then the Soul, the innermost Self, remains in its own awareness. In self - awareness there is unity in diversity, thus, there is only oneness.  

There is only one Reality to be known, the same for all seekers, but the ways to it, are hidden by the religion.  Self-discovery is the only way, toward non-dual Absolute without any religious doctrines, which will help the seekers to unfold the mystery of the illusion in which we all are searching for the ultimate truth of our true existence.

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 Sri, 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 is the only sage who has final authority on the Advaitic truth. The Advaitic truth is rational truth and scientific truth without dogma.

The Advaitic orthodoxy is not the means to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. The Advaitic orthodoxy is meant for the ignorant mass that is unfit to grasp the highest truth.   Thus, the Advaitic orthodoxy is nothing to do with the ultimate truth or Brahman.

Sage Sankara disagrees with Buddhists who say, there is nothing - a nonentity. Sage  Sankara believes there is some reality, even though things are not what they appear to be. If one knows the truth, he will know what to do to find inspiration for action.  The seeker of truth‘s subject is to know what is it that is Real.

Buddhism says:~All things are illusory,  and nothing exists.  However, Advaita avers that it is not so.  It says that the universe,  of course,  is illusory, but there is Brahman (consciousness), that exists, forming the very substratum of all things (illusion or universe).

The ignorant are always egocentric. He thinks what he knows is the truth.  He always indulges in pursuit of an argument. The ignorant is sentimentalized to his belief system.  An ignorant person just to prove that he is correct, and others are wrong because the ignorant presumes he already knows and wants to see whether others know or not. The ignorant person provokes others to snub them. The ignorant accumulates knowledge and tries to show his intellectual wealth. Such intellectual sharing of knowledge is mere garbage. It is of no use in the pursuit of truth. Because they are egocentric based on ignorance thus they will not yield any truth.

It has not been possible to preach Advaitic Truth entirely free from the settings of dualistic weakness,  it has not been more operative and useful to mankind at large,  because only a few will be able to grasp and realize it.

'To realize the Advaitic Truth a freer and fuller scope the seeker has to realize the form, time and space are one in essence. And that essence is consciousness. And the soul, the innermost self is present in the form of consciousness.   

To realize the Advaitic truth the seeker has to be free from all superstitions and orthodox contaminations. The seeker has to have an intense urge to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana alone.

Lord Krishna confesses that the oldest wisdom of India (our true Advaita philosophy) has been lost: people misinterpret and falsify it today as they did then. It is not yoga, but the philosophic truth. But nobody knows it. The teachers of philosophy and leaders of mysticism or religion do not want to inquire into the truth and have no time for it. (Gita –Chap- IV-v.2)

In Gita Chap.IV where Lord Krishna says:~ "This yoga has been lost for ages" the word yoga refers to Gnana yoga, not other yogas: the force of the word this is to point this out.

Lord Krishna describes some of the other yogas but devotes this chapter separately to Gnana Yoga. So one sees even in those ancient days people did not care for Advaita; they wanted religion; hence Gnana got lost. That is why Krishna calls it "the supreme secret." Krishna points out that the yoga must-see is "Brahman in action."

Gita Chap.IV:~  "He who achieves perfection in Yoga finds the self in time." This means that after his yoga is finished, he begins the inquiry into ultimate truth, and in due course, this inquiry produces the realization of the universal spirit as the result.

Lord Krishna Says Ch. V:~ “Those who know me 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.

Neither the religious view nor the yogic nor the scientific view nor the atheistic nor the intellectual view,etc., are tenable. Because of the realization of the partless consciousness, the ultimate truth is absolutely free from diversity. It always remains as the 'Self', free from all diversities when one can view it from the ultimate standpoint.

It is better to bifurcate religion, mysticism, and yoga from spirituality.  Since spirituality is based on the formless entity. Religion, mysticism, and yoga are based on the physical entity. Religion and its ideology and its theories are true only in the experience of duality.

Remember:~

Religion, mysticism, and yoga are for the people, who believe their physical entity, as the true Self, and who accept the experience of duality as reality. 

Religion and yoga and the concept of god are valuable tools in practical life. But is not of any use in the pursuit of truth.

90% of people belong to a religion, but religion is nothing to do with spirituality (Adyatma).  Religion is egocentric, and spirituality is soulcentric.   Individual views and opinions are based on the waking entity, which is the false self within the false experience. the r individual experiences and opinions are most valuable to those who are on the religious and yogic and the mystical paths.

Spirituality is a very personal journey, it is not for condemning religion and its idea of god and its saints and sages or their practices. Spirituality is for finding and realizing the ultimate truth of his true existence.

The religion and its worship of individualized God is nothing to with the ultimate truth or Brahman because religious gods are based on blind belief. Belief is not God, but the ultimate truth or Brahman is God in truth.

Spirituality is based on the beyond, and it is a journey towards the beyond. And the seeker of truth has to reject the untruth, and accept only truth, in the pursuit of truth. And it is no use of mixing religious and yogic ideologies. Spiritualists consider non-dual truth (Soul, the Self) as a god. And other than the true "Self", the rest is all illusion.

One must go beyond form, time, and space. The theistic tradition has been kept alive by the orthodoxy. The orthodoxy is the path of ignorance because it is based on ignorance.  The orthodoxy is nothing to do with the ultimate truth or Brahman. Thus, it is not the path of ultimate truth or Brahman. 

Remember:~

People who are stuck to orthodoxy never will be able to cross the prison of duality. Without crossing the prison of duality Self-awareness is an impossibility. Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana is necessary to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth.

The ultimate truth has to be ascertained without the scriptures, by realizing the Self is neither the waking entity (you) nor the dream entity,  but the Self is the 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 the ultimate truth is Self-realization or truth-realization. To realize this truth,  there is no need for scriptures. This I am highlighting again and again in my blogs.

Mixing up religion and spirituality, neither helps the religious people, yogis, nor the truth seekers. Since all are based on a different base of understanding. Mixing anything with spirituality is like a dancing teacher, teaching maths, who has no knowledge of maths.

Remember:~
 

To know what God suppose to be in truth, we must know what the Self is. In deeper self-search, we become aware of the fact that our body,  the ego, and our experience of the universe are created out of single stuff, which is the Soul or consciousness.  

Due to ignorance,  we identify the Soul, the Self with the body and we become egocentric.  When we become aware of the fact that, the Self is not the form,  but the 'Self' is formless,  then we become soul-centric. And we realize the fact that all three states are an illusion created out of consciousness.  

Consciousness is the ultimate truth. The Soul, the Self, or consciousness. The ultimate truth  or  Brahman or God in truth.    

Thus, we have to share and interact with fellow seekers and move ahead and reach the nondual destination through this mental (inner) journey.

It is better to move ahead in the chosen path, without mixing one another, to get the best results without disturbing their mindset. Therefore, one has to choose his path and move ahead in the chosen path without mixing up anything other than his chosen ideology.:~Santthosh Kumaar 

The one which is born, lives and dies in this world is not the Self.+

The Soul, the  Self is the witness of the form, time, and space. The Soul, the Self is nothing to do with form, time, and space. The moment whether it is past, present, or future is a mere division within the Soul, which is present in consciousness.   

The one who says about the present moment is you. You are the false self (ego) within the false experience (waking).  You exist only in the realm of form, time, and space.  From the standpoint of the Soul, the Self, the form, time, and space are merely an illusion.  

The witness is like a lamp that lights up a theatre and reveals both a dancer and a stage. (Panchadasi P.467/468).

The Gnani wishes all beings to be happy, loves humanity, and wishes him no harm, for he knows the truth of universal self-identification. Thus to the extent, a man realizes the truth, he can do good and no more.

The dream becomes unreal when waking takes place. Similarly, the waking becomes unreal when wisdom dawns. Wisdom dawns when the waking entity (you) realizes it itself (you are) is not the Self because the Self is birthless, deathless because it is formless.

Remember:~

The one which is born, lives, and dies in this illusory world is not the Self.  The Self is the formless soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. From the standpoint of the Soul, the Self, the three states are illusory. 

If the three states are illusory it means the present birth which happens within the waking experience is bound to be an illusion. If the present birth is an illusion the past birth is bound to be an illusion.  

From the standpoint of the Soul, the Self the experience of birth, life, death-rebirth, and the world is merely an illusion. Thus, it is necessary to realize the Self is not the birth entity; therefore, the previous birth is part of the illusion.

When the soul remains in its own awareness, there is no second thing that exists other than the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, because everything is consciousness.   

There is no second thing other than the Spirit (consciousness) because everything is made of the same stuff.   Whatever splits and multiplies are part of the illusion. From the non-dualistic perspective, the illusion has no value. 

The awakening is nothing to do with you, because man and his experience of the world, is the product of ignorance.  It is the Soul, the Self has to awaken from the sleep of ignorance.

When the man wakes up when he sees the world that confronts him. When the Soul, the  Self, wakes up then the man and his experience of the world become one with the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. :~Santthosh Kumaar 

Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana was not written down but was imparted orally to the chosen few.+

The mantra-yoga consisting of repeating the name of God, or even the AUM; thousands of times yield nothing. It can appeal only to the ignorant, to those who cannot think deeper. It is a mere religious fable. The real exercise is to think of the meaning of the name or the AUM and then only do you get something.

Mantras can do nothing. If they really had any power why did not Krishna use one to stop the Mahabharata war? All the magical power of mantras are a religious fable because religion is based on the false self(waking or ego) and false experience(waking or world)  Visions and Samadhi are illusions from the standpoint of the Soul, the Self.

That is why Sage Sankara:~  VC 63- Without causing the objective universe to vanish and without knowing the truth of the Self, how is one to achieve Liberation by the mere utterance of the word Brahman? — It would result merely in an effort of speech.

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 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

Sage Sankara: ~ Atman, the innermost self is verily Brahman (God in truth), 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. 

Katha Upanishad says: ~ This Atman is attained by him alone whom It chooses. (II -23-P-20)

Thus, those who have taken the path of wisdom are chosen ones.  The chosen one will get the grace of the Soul, the inner guru. The path of wisdom is the soulcentric path, whereas all other paths are egocentric.  All egocentric paths are leads to a hallucination. The Soul, the 'Self' reveals‘ what is real’ and ‘what is unreal” when the seeker is receptive and ready.

Sages of truth restrained themselves from parting the Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana to the mass and only a selected few. It was hidden from the mass who were not qualified and receptive to it. Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana was not written down but was imparted orally to the chosen few. Thus, religion was given to the mass and knowledge of the spirit is given only selected few. Thus, we find traces of the knowledge of the spirit in the religious books in the form of parables. :~Santthosh Kumaar 

The dualiistic illusion is present as reality, till the ignorance is prevails.+

The duality is present as a reality until ignorance is there. The ignorance vanishes the soul remains in its own awareness. From the standpoint of the soul, the innermost self, there is no second thing that exists other than the Soul, which is present in the form of the spirit. Thus, the spirit alone is. And everything is the Spirit.  The unreal(universe)  is created out of the real(soul or spirit). 

Jesus said: ~  "Know what is in front of your face, and what is hidden from you will be disclosed to you. (THE GOSPEL OF THOMAS- Saying 5)

"The Kingdom of God is inside you and all around you, Not in a mansion of wood and stone.  Split a piece of wood and God is there, Lift a stone and you will find God." (Gospel of Thomas)

Gospel Thomas logian 22:~ Jesus saw infants being suckled.  He said to his disciples, “These infants being suckled are like those who enter the kingdom.”

They said to him, “Shall we then, as children, enter the kingdom?”

Jesus said to them,  “When you make the two one, and when you make the inside like the outside  and the outside like the inside, and the above like the below, and when you make the male and the female one and the same, so that the male not be male nor the female is female; and when you fashion eyes in the place of an eye,  and a hand in place of a hand, and a foot in place of a foot, and a likeness in place of a likeness; then will you enter the kingdom.”

 This above passage is Jesus’s version of Nonduality or Advaita.    When one realizes the mind (matter) and Soul (Spirit), the  'Self'', is one, in essence, there is no place for duality. Without duality, the universe ceases to exist. Without the universe, your existence within the universe is merely an illusion because there is scope for two because everything is created out of single stuff.   That single stuff is the consciousness or Spirit. The spirit of the consciousness 

Remember:~

Till one thinks he is an individual separate from this world he remains in the realm of duality.  Duality is the product of ignorance.  When wisdom dawns, then ignorance vanishes. When ignorance vanishes, then the duality never remains as reality. 

The Soul is the  Self. The Soul, the  'Self' does not lie in our body or in our brain, or in our ego, but the Soul is the very essence of the dual and non-dual experiences, which appears as the waking or the dream (dual) and disappears as deep sleep (non-duality).

Thought and thinker are a reality within the universe. The thinker and the thought exist within the universe. The man and his experience of the universe is a reality within the waking experience.  The waking experience is merely an illusion from this standpoint. of the Soul, the  Self, Therefore, the individual experiences are part of the illusion. Thus, the thought and the thinker are part of the illusion. 

Positive and negative thoughts and the thinker are made of the same material.  Whether one thinks rightly or wrongly he is thinking as a person. The thoughts will not rise without the form.  Without the form, there are neither thoughts nor thinker.  Thus, positive or negative thinking or right or wrong thinking is part of physical existence.  physical existence is nothing to do with ultimate truth.    

Remember:~

Experience is prior to thought. Only in the waking or the dream,  one gets thoughts. Therefore, one has to mentally trace the source of the waking or dream experience in order to realize the waking experience is as unreal as a dream. 

Only in religion and the yogic path, one has to follow and practice. Everyone thinks he has to follow some guru or godmen.  But all these methods are full of frustrations and give no real satisfaction. Reality has no method. The illusion has many methods, many problems, and many concepts. To overcome illusion or concepts, one should know the source of the mind and from where does this mind arise? “When the mind is present then only the universe is present. 

Absent of mind absent of the universe.  The absence of the universe is the absence of duality. Absent of the duality is absent of the thinker, thoughts, and the world.  Until one realizes  'what is the mind' and 'what is the substance of the mind' and 'what is the source of the mind',   it is impossible to assimilate non-dualistic or Advaitic truth. 

 To know the non-dual Reality, deeper thinking is required. The thinking faculty ceases and becomes still when it reaches the source of the mind. One has to realize the waking entity is the false self within the false experience from the ultimate standpoint. 

Where there is no experience then there is no duality where there is no duality then there is no second thing that exists other than Self-awareness.  Therefore, the seeker has to indulge in deeper self-search and trace and overcome the obstacles.

For the sincere and the serious seekers,  the inner grace will guide them until the ignorance vanishes,  and he becomes aware of the fact that the diversity (universe or Illusion) is merely an illusion created out of consciousness (Atman).  :~Santthosh Kumaar