Consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth.+

The duality is merely an appearance. When the appearance itself is illusory, then the evolution within the illusory appearance is bound to be an illusion.   Thus, evolution implies duality.  The duality is merely an illusion. Thus, the evolution theory is based on the illusory self within the illusory world. 

The look of an object will depend upon the medium through which the observer views it. In fact, our mental and intellectual conditions determine the three states, observed and experienced.  The commoner viewing the three states will see differently from a Gnani viewing the same three states. Each one interprets the three states that they see in terms of their existing knowledge. The commoner sees everything based on the ego, therefore, experiences birth, life, karma,  death, and the world as reality, whereas a Gnani sees everything as consciousness and is fully aware of the fact that, there is no second thing that exists other than consciousness. 

Thus, all the egocentric (religious) adulteration has to be bifurcated to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman to know the truth propagated by the ancient sages of the truth. The sages of truth are not religious gurus or saints.     

Sage Sankara himself had often said that his philosophy was based on Sruti, or revealed scripture.  This may be because Sage Sankara addressed the ordinary man, who finds security in the idea of causality and thus in the idea of God—and Revelation is indispensable to prove the latter.  He believed that those of superior intelligence, have no need of this idea of divine causality, and can, therefore, dispense with Sruti and arrive at the truth of Non-Dualism by pure reason.

A  Gnani will easily appreciate the high flights of Sage Sankara’s Advaitic wisdom is one of the 'most majestic structures and valuable products of the Genius of man in his search for Truth.

There is no second thing other than the spirit (the Soul or the 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 Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, is the ultimate truth or Brahman. The universe is not real.  There is no difference between Brahman and the universe because the universe is a mere illusion created out of consciousness. The consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth.

First, the seeker has to know ‘what is the mind” What is the substance of the mind? And ‘what is the source of the mind? , in order to realize ‘what is what’?  The ego is the physical mind, whereas the mind is present in the form of the universe. The universe appears as a waking or dream (duality) and disappears as deep sleep).  

Thus, a perfect understanding of ‘what is what’ is necessary to realize that form, time, and space are merely an illusion created out of single stuff. 

The Atman or the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, is the innermost Self. 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.

The waking, the dream, and deep sleep are created out of consciousness. The waking and the dream cease to exist without consciousness.

The Soul is the substance and the witness of the three states. The witness and the three states (witnessed) are one in essence. Thus, the seeker, seeking and the world are one in essence. That essence is consciousness. Thus, there is no second thing that exists other than consciousness. Thus, consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman. Brahman is God in truth.

Remember:~

Consciousness means existence.  The universe exists because of consciousness. Without consciousness, the universe ceases to exist.

The Soul is the  Self. The Soul is present in the form of consciousness. The Soul is the witness consciousness 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.

The Soul is the Self. The Soul is all-pervading. The Soul is present in the form of consciousness and is not within any particular body it pervades the whole universe.

The consciousness pervades the form, time, and space. Without consciousness, form, time, and space cease to exist.

Only in ignorance, there is duality. In reality, there is no duality.

‘I’ is a false nature. Holding the ‘I’ as the Self is holding on to ignorance. The ignorance will not buzz until you hold on to the ‘I’ because ‘I’ itself is ignorance.

You must know what God supposed to be in actuality. God is the cause of this universe and God is uncaused.

The Soul is not limited to an individual. The individuals are many but the Soul is one.  The individual exists within the universe.  The Soul is the cause of the universe and it itself is uncaused.  The Soul is not within the human body.  The universe is created out of single stuff.  That single stuff is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. 

Thus, whatever the universe contains is bound o be the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

In the dream world, the dream people appeared together and disappeared together and disappeared together. Similarly, the waking world and waking people appeared together and disappeared together.   

Thus, the dream is created out of single stuff and that stuff is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. In the same way, the waking experience also created out single stuff. And that single stuff is consciousness.  

The Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness is the cause of the three states and it itself is uncaused.  The many soul theories are religious and yogic fables based on the false self(ego) and false experience (waking).

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

Like an ornament made from gold is Gold, which is born out of consciousness is consciousness. Like gold is the permanent thing, in ornaments made of gold, similarly, the mind, which is in the form of the universe is born out of consciousness, is consciousness in its essence.

The Soul is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God. God neither comes nor goes, but God exists always. The form, time, and space, which appear as disappears are merely an illusion. Thus, all the form-based Gods are merely an illusion. God is the cause of the form, time, and space, and God is causeless.

Why worship God based on the illusory form, time, and space, Self-realization is God-realization, and God-realization itself is the real worship. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Scripture mastery, the force of religious merit--none of these lead to the realization of that Ultimate Truth or Brahman or God in truth.+

In India, people think that religion as a stepping stone to higher truth, but it is not so because the religion is based on the false self  (ego or you) within the false experience (waking or the world).

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.

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

Sage Sankara:~VC-  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 (verses-6)

The scripture mastery, the force of religious merit--none of these lead to the realization of that Ultimate Truth or Brahman. The ultimate truth is revealed in the clear understanding and realization of ‘what is the truth and ‘what is the untruth.  When one realizes the untruth (universe) is created out of single stuff, the Self-awareness rises in the midst of duality exposing the unreal nature of the form, time and space.

Scriptural citation and also the citation of the sages of truth only after verification reality and proved the truth, to point out that the scriptures teach the same thing. If one quotes them before having demonstrated truth, then it is scholasticism.

Scriptures are being added from time to time. This process will go on. There is the final authority among them? One contradicts the other: duality reigns supreme.

Self-knowledge cannot be attained by the study of the scriptures and intellectual understanding or by bookish knowledge.  Therefore, there is no use of studying the scriptures and other scriptures in order to acquire the  Advaitic wisdom.  That is why Buddha rejected the scriptures, and even Sage Sankara indicated that the ultimate truth lies beyond religion, the concept of God, and the scriptures.

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, towards the non-dualistic or the Advaitic truth without any religious doctrines, which will help the seekers to unfold the mystery of the illusion in which we all are searching for the truth of our true existence

The ultimate truth has to be realized first, and then only it is possible to know what the scriptures are saying. I do not require any scriptures.

The ultimate truth has to be ascertained without the scriptures, by realizing the Self is neither the waking entity (you),  nor the self is the dream entity,  but the Self is formless Soul, which is present in the form of the 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 to study the scriptures. This truth  I am highlighting again and again in my blogs.

In the context of Advaita Vedanta: ~ Jagat (the world) is not different from Brahman; however, Brahman is different from Jagat

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 be dedicated to acquiring, the  Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana alone.

Remember:~ 

All the Advaitic Gurus of the east and the west are based on the dualistic perspective. Dualistic knowledge is egocentric knowledge. All egocentric Advaita or nonduality is based on 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 teachers of the 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 not 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.

That is why Sage Sankara says: ~ VC 56. Neither by Yoga, nor by Sankhya, nor by good work, nor by learning, but by the realization of one's identity with Brahman is Liberation possible, and by no other means.

58. Loud speech consisting of a shower of words, the skill in expounding the Scriptures, and likewise erudition - these merely bring on a little personal enjoyment to the scholar but are no good for Liberation.

59. The study of the Scriptures is useless so long as the highest Truth is unknown, and it is equally useless when the highest Truth has already been known.

60. The Scriptures consisting of many words are a dense forest that merely causes the mind to ramble. Hence men of wisdom should earnestly set about knowing the true nature of the Self.

Advaita is the nature of the Soul. Advaita is second to none. Advaita is universal wisdom reveals on its own to all the serious and sincere seekers of truth.

The real Advaitic wisdom of Sage Sankara is Soulcentric knowledge.  Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana is Soulcentric knowledge that destroys ignorance. :~Santthosh Kumaar 

Sage Sankara said: the world is unreal. He never said this body is unreal.+

A Gnani will never say we are not born; we are not going to die.   Only to the mediocre who nod their head, he will say this to inspire them to think of the formless true identity, which is birthless, deathless.   Thus, it is wrong to say we are not born and we do not die by limiting the self to the physical entity.  If one limits the self to the physical entity alone, one gets only a half-truth.  

Consciousness, which is the true self, pervades all the three states, as their formless substance and witness.  The formless substance and witness, which is our true self (true identity). Without knowing the true self-mere saying, we are not born, we do not die is not the knowledge, which has come from the depth, it is mere bookish knowledge.

Sage Sankara said:~  The world is unreal. He never said this body is unreal. He would have said only birth and death are unreal, but he did not say that he said the world is unreal.   He meant the world including the body, because the body and world appear together and disappear together (waking or dream).  Then we have to think, what remains without the body and the world is a reality. How can the birth, life, death, rebirth, and reincarnation, which take place in the unreal world (waking or dream), can be true.   

The one, which is aware of birth, life, death, rebirth, and reincarnation (illusion), is the formless reality, which is the Soul, the Self.  The formless Soul is birthless and deathless, The Soul is the witness of birth, life and death, and rebirth and the world  (illusion).

From the standpoint of identity the birth, life, death, rebirth, and reincarnation theory is part of the illusion.  The body cannot reincarnate, the body and the world are created out of the same formless stuff. 

Until one views and judges the base of flesh, bone, and blood (five elements), he will not be able to grasp the Advaitic truth.  Thus, one must know from what standpoint we are not born and we do not die thoroughly, just by hearsay views, it will not lead anyone to the nondual destination.

The Seeker has to learn to view and judge from the standpoint of a formless witness (FW or soul). Then he will be never having any confusion.  When one thinks deeply then only the inner revelation starts and starts burning the dross (confusion/doubts). One has enough material stored in one’s subconscious by reading these massages in FP blogs; all will start yielding fruits and start revealing when he starts thinking very deeply.  This is the inner process every serious seeker experiences.  The inner dialogue will start and one will start getting answers from the inner core of his existence.  

Remember:~ 

Having turned the visible into the invisible, one should realize everything to be consciousness itself. A  Gnani always dwells in nondual awareness in the midst of dualistic illusion (world).

A Gnani has realized he is not he but consciousness; his body is not the body but the consciousness, the world in which he exists is not the world but consciousness. Everything is known, seen, believed, and experienced by him is nothing but consciousness then what else remains, which is not consciousness. There is nothing else to realize other than to realize that consciousness alone is, everting else is merely an illusion created out of consciousness. 

The look of an object will depend upon the medium through which the observer views it. In fact, our mental and intellectual conditions determine the world, observed and experienced. The commoner viewing the world will see differently from a Gnani viewing the same world. Each one interprets the world that they see in terms of their existing knowledge. The commoner sees everything based on the ego, therefore, experiences the birth, life, death, and the world as a reality, whereas a Gnani sees everything as consciousness and he is fully aware of the fact that, there is no second thing that exists other than the Soul or consciousness. Thus, all the egocentric knowledge has to be bifurcated to realize the ultimate truth, which is beyond form, time, and space.

The world in which we exist is nothing but an illusion created out of the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

The whole universe is nothing but the Soul. Therefore, there is no second thing that exists other than the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

It is not as if something that was not consciousness suddenly becomes consciousness. Rather, "knowing the truth” means the removal of ignorance about one's own existence as consciousness. Thus, to "know the truth” is to "be consciousness."

Consciousness is ever-present. Without consciousness, the world, in which you exist ceases to exist.   Consciousness is Self-evident. It is not established by extraneous proofs. 

It is not possible to deny consciousness, because it is the very essence of the one who denies it. Consciousness is the basis of all kinds of knowledge, presuppositions, and proofs. Consciousness is everything. Thus, consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Advaitic Gnana, is meant for those who wish to go beyond such transient pleasures.+

The Advaitic  Gnana is meant for those who wish to go beyond such transient pleasures. 

Uttara Mimamsa, also called Vedanta, does not consider the Upanishads and Brahmanas as arthavada subservient to vidhis. Instead, they are seen to be sources of Brahman knowledge, addressed solely to those who seek Moksha or freedom.

The rituals enjoined in the Vedas are applicable to the realm of dharma, but the one who seeks liberation does not merely desire a place in heaven; he is in search of ultimate Reality itself.

The Upanishads are viewed as those portions of the Sruti that address philosophical questions about Reality, here called Brahman. This tradition of exegesis follows the brahma sutras of Badarayana. Within Vedanta, there is a considerable difference of opinion on whether the Upanishads enjoin anything at all.

According to Advaita Vedanta, the Veda addresses itself to two kinds of audiences - the ordinary ones who desire the transitory heaven and other pleasures obtained as a result of ritual sacrifices, and the more advanced seeker who seeks to know Brahman. Thus, the Purva mimam.sa, with its emphasis on the karma kanda of the Vedas, is meant for the first audience, to help lead its followers along the way. However, the Vedanta, with its emphasis on the Jnana kanda, is meant for those who wish to go beyond such transient pleasures.

An essential identity between Atman and Brahman is upheld in Advaita Vedanta. The personality of Sage  Sankara and the force of Advaita teaching is so strong that most post-Sankarian schools of Vedanta consciously define their doctrines against Advaita thought.

When Sage Sankara says Atman and Brahman then a direct realization of truth is possible without the scriptures.  Know the soul to be the true self. And true self is in the form of consciousness and realize consciousness as the ultimate truth or Brahman.  

Self-Knowledge is the aim of every human being. Since everyone thinks the physical body is the self their aim is misdirected and they focus their attention on materiality which makes one feel the duality (waking) as reality.

Therefore, there is no need to study scriptures, or indulge in God and guru glorification or performing religious rituals.  Since they are not the means to acquire non-dual wisdom. It is only a waste of time and effort to indulge in those things.

The individual self is not real, is not accepted by many.  The Advaitic wisdom is based not on the individual self (ego).  Until people hold the ‘I’ (ego) as the witness, they will not reach the ultimate understanding. 

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 nondual reality (Chandogya Upanishad). 

Then it is no use going a roundabout way, trace the Brahman which is the formless substance and witness of the universe, which is in the form of mind.  By tracing the source of the mind or universe, one will be able to realize the Brahman.

 The true Self is not perceptible to the senses. It is perceived by Reason. It is not perceptible as a thing with form and attributes. To those whose attention is fixed on the body and the world, it is very difficult to attain Self-knowledge. It is also very difficult for them to see consciousness as the Self.

Attention towards the practical life within the practical world should be lessened by realizing the self is not the body. The attention has to be focused on the formless substance and the witness of the universe (mind) should be increased. So long as the attention is directed towards the universe, the experience of birth, life, and death will prevail as reality. But when the attention is directed towards the formless witness, the ignorance vanishes and the sense of duality will disappear. Then there is unity in diversity.

What is the state of the ego or physical self when it has realized that the Self is not the body? Such souls have attained their pristine condition. “Self” is not visible to the physical eyes. “Self” is not to be found in the world as a thing, an entity or an object. Self is above these, has neither beginning nor ending.

 A visible object has a beginning and an ending. Since Atman, which is in the form of consciousness is invisible to the physical eye; Atman or consciousness is without beginning and ending. Atman is always constant. Just as space is homogeneous everywhere, so is the Atman the same everywhere.

Ashtavakra Gita 3:9-10: ~ But he who is truly wise Always sees the absolute Self. Celebrated, he is not delighted. Spurned, he is not angry. Pure of heart, He watches his own actions As if they were another's. How can praise or blame disturb him?

Bhagavad Gita 4:22-23: ~ They live in freedom who have gone beyond the dualities of life. Competing with no one, they are alike in success and failure and content with whatever comes to them. They are free, without selfish attachments; their minds are fixed in knowledge. They perform all work in the spirit of service, and their karma is dissolved.

An intense desire for truth -realization is itself the way to it. The Lord is the Soul, the  Self in Advaita. Therefore, one need not accept anything other than the self, which is consciousness. Thus, the Soul or the consciousness alone is the ultimate truth or Brahman that is free from falsehood.:~Santthosh Kumaar 

Religious God cannot exist without man’s existence.+

Theology, fiction-writing, religion, and poetry all belong to the same class--appeal to belief, fancy, and imagination, not the ultimate truth or Brahman. When one cannot know his own self is not the body, how can he hope ever to know the ultimate truth?

Religious God cannot exist without man’s existence. If the man is not there religious God is not there. When the man is not the 'Self' then why bring Him in? If God really were in every particle of everyone, as mystics claim, then everyone will be able to create the universe, because everyone will be God.

Religions place God as diverse ideas and beliefs.  Every religious believer has a different idea of God. Every man has a different idea of the real.  There is a need to accept and verify the facts about the religious Gods before accepting anything as God.  There is in religion the element of imagination and sentiments. The ordinary man is happy because religion gives him satisfaction, and pleases his taste.

Every cult, sect, and creed concocts a God to suit its own purposes. Belief in such concocted Gods is a great hindrance in the pursuit of truth.  The man himself’ suggests that there must be a God. It is an auto-suggestion. Belief in religion weakens as the man pays more attention to the facts of his practical life within the practical world.

Remember:~

An honest seeker of truth says that he has not seen God. He does not know God's capacities, what God can do, and what God cannot do. Therefore any statement he might make about God would only be a lie. The seeker of truth does not wish to tell a lie. Therefore, he does not accept  God nor deny Him; he simply refuses to make any statement about God because he wants to discover what is supposed to be God.  Without verification, he does not want to accept anything as truth. 

Every sect and creed concocts a God to suit its own purposes. Belief in such concocted Gods is a great hindrance in the pursuit of truth.  The man himself’ suggests that there must be a God. It is an auto-suggestion. Belief in religion weakens as the man pays more attention to the facts of his practical life within the practical world.

Remember:~

Spirituality is a new religion. Advaita is pure spirituality. Advaita is truth beyond form, time, and space. Advaita is the Spirit.  The Spirit is the universal God and God of the whole of humanity.

Do not believe in God as a separate entity. Realize God is the cause of the existence of the universe in which we exist. God should not be worshiped but realized right in this very life, not in the next life or next world.  

It is impossible to prove the existence of a religious God by any reasoning. One can only assume God's existence as a religious God by his belief.   Yoga and mysticism are primitive things that appealed in the past to the early races; now they indicate an undeveloped mindset when they are taken for truth because they are based on the false self within the false experience. When the Self is formless, all the form (ego) based theories and practices hold no water.  

People think Advaita is the best because the Vedas say so.  One can arrive at the same conclusion without any scriptures by way of reasoning based on the soul as the 'self' which is in the form of consciousness. The habitual reasoning based on the “I” as the 'self' has to be discarded in order to grasp, assimilate and realize the Advaitic truth.

The whole Advaitic teaching can be summed up in one sentence, ‘There is nothing else but Brahman. It says that Absolute Existence, Absolute Knowledge, and Absolute awareness are Real. 

The universe is not real. It says that Brahman and Atman are one. The ultimate and the Absolute Truth is the Self, which is one though appearing as many in different individuals. The individual has no reality. Only the Self is real; the rest, mental and physical are but passing appearances.

Remember:~

The Advaitic wisdom leads the seeker from darkness to light, from ignorance to wisdom, from unawareness of the ‘Self’ to Self-awareness, and from unreality to reality.

Bhagavad Gita: 7: 19:~ "Such a man who has attained true knowledge, the knowledge of Self, the knowledge of Atman, worships ‘Self’ as~ Atman (God in truth) alone exists~ everything is Atman, there exists nothing except Atman. Such a man is extremely rare."

All is consciousness. The whole universe is consciousness. From consciousness, the universe comes. When the universe disappears, consciousness still remains without form, time, and space.

The Soul itself is God, the One without a Second:~

The Soul is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth. The Soul, God is present in the form of consciousness. Thus, consciousness itself is God in truth.

Even Bhagavad Gita says: ~ Brahmano hi pratisthaham ~ Brahman (God in truth) is considered the all-pervading consciousness, which is the basis of all the animate and inanimate entities and material. (14.27).

Consciousness, the God is Self-evident. It is not established by extraneous proofs. It is not possible to deny God because God is the very essence of the one who denies God. God is the basis of all kinds of knowledge, presuppositions, and proofs.

Even Rig Veda: ~ The Atman (Soul) 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?"

Even in Brihadaranyaka Upanishad: ~ Brahman (God in truth) is present in the form of the Athma, and it is indeed Athma itself’. 

All those whose intelligence has been stolen by ignorance believe in non-Vedic Gods.
The Vedas talk about Brahman (God in truth) which refers to the ultimate truth or ultimate reality or Advaita. The consciousness is the Advaita or the ultimate truth, therefore, the consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman. Brahman is Advaita God. : ~Santthosh Kumaar

There is no need to inquire ‘WHO AM ‘I’? , because the ‘I’ itself, is an illusion.+

You and your experience of the world are nothing to do with the Soul, the  Self because the Self is not you.  There is no need to inquire ‘WHO AM ‘I’? , because the ‘I’ itself, is an illusion. The seeker has to realize how this ‘I’ is an illusion by a perfect understanding of ‘WHAT IS WHAT’.

The Soul, the innermost Self is not you, but it is the witness of you and your experience of the world together. Therefore, when you are not the Self, then how can you say ‘I AM THIS’ or ‘I AM THAT.  Therefore, it is necessary to realize Self is not ‘you’ in order to realize ‘that you are part of the illusory world.

The Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness fills the form, time, and space together.   The Soul or consciousness is changeless, unattached, and motionless because it is ever formless.  

The Soul, the Self is not the body because it is birthless because it is formless.  If the Soul, the innermost Self is not the body then you are not the Self. The one who says I am not the body is you. You are born, live and die in this unreal world. If the world is unreal you are also unreal. 

Identifying the self as ‘you’ is erroneous, because you are the false self (waking entity) within the false experience (waking). 

The Soul, the Self is present in the form of consciousness. Consciousness is not limited to the waking experience alone, because it pervades everything and everywhere in all three states.   Thus, all three states are one in essence.  Thus, consciousness alone is real and eternal. 

Remember:~ 

When the Self is not the form, then the question of whom does not arise.  A deeper self-search reveals the fact that the ‘I’ itself is an illusion.  

If the ‘I’ is an illusion, then it is no use of inquiring ‘Who Am I?. Till one holds the ‘I’ as the Self, is caught up in the prison of the duality.  

Sage Sankara:~  VC~.63~ "Without knowing and examining the external world, one can’t know the Truth, as the idea that the external world exists, won't go. It can go only by an inquiry into the nature of the external world.

A deeper self-search reveals the fact that by inquiring the Who Am I? the wisdom will not dawn. Who Am I?  inquiry is only for beginners and it is inadequate and useless in the later stages.

That is why Sage Sankara: ~  VC~.61~ For one who has been bitten by the serpent of Ignorance, the only remedy is the knowledge of Brahman. Of what avail are the Vedas and (other) Scriptures, Mantras (sacred formulae), and medicines to such a one?

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.

Sage Sankara goes on to say: ~A sickness of not cured by saying the word “medicine.” You must take the medicine. Liberation does not come by merely saying the word “Brahman.” Brahman must be experienced. Until you allow this apparent universe to dissolve from your consciousness until you have realized Brahman, how can you find liberation just by saying the word Brahman? The result is merely noise. Until a man has destroyed his enemies and taken possession of the splendor and wealth of the kingdom, he cannot become a king by simply saying “I am a king.”

A buried treasure is not uncovered by merely uttering the words: “Come forth.” You must follow the right directions, dig, remove the stones and earth from above it, and then make it your own. In the same way, the pure truth of the Atman, which is buried under Maya and the effects of Maya, can be reached by meditation, and contemplation, but never by subtle arguments. 

Remember:~

All the Gurus glorified the ‘I’. Thus, it becomes very difficult to discard the ‘I’. Those who have accepted the ‘I’ based teaching refuse to accept anything other than their accepted truth.

Until you hold the ‘Self’ as the ‘I’, your knowledge remains skin deep.

What is it that appears as the ‘I’ and disappears as the ‘I-less? It is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Do not make the mistake of holding the ‘I’ as the Self because it is not permanent. ‘I’ disappears and becomes ‘I’-less.

‘I’ is an illusion and the ‘I-LESS’ is real and eternal. The ‘I-LESS ‘appears as ‘I’ and ‘I ’‘disappears as I-LESS.

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 universe. 

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

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.

Remember this: “The ‘Self’ is not the ‘I’ but the ‘Self’ is the Soul, the witness of the ‘I’, which comes and goes.

There is nothing to realize other than realizing the fact that, you and the world in which you exist are created out of single stuff and that single stuff is the Soul, the Self. The Soul is present in the form of consciousness. 

Thus, you and the world in which you exist are nothing but consciousness. Thus, by realizing this truth the Soul becomes free from the cage of the illusory form, time, and space. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Mystic experience or Yogic Samadhi is not Advaitic wisdom.+

People who are incapable to inquire and reason are tending to follow some philosophy without verification. Therefore, the more ignorant they are the easier to get them into a religious fold. Religion is so strong and popular because it makes no demand on the intelligent: It simply requires belief in guru and his teachings.

It never strikes believers to doubt whether his inherited belief system is true. They never use their reason because they start and conclude that their belief system alone is true because they never question.

People all over the world in the past and present accepted the idea of the existence of God.  The fear of God injected by the religion was the root cause of worship, superstition, and dogmas.

Theological philosophers say God is a perfect being, but they have never known God, never proved his existence; hence, their ascription of perfection to Him is purely self-imagined or assumed.

The scholastic or mystic argument is endless. If one says "God is formless” another will reply, "No, God has attributes! If one says "his religion is higher" another will reply, "No, it is lower." It is impossible to get anywhere with such talk because both sides are merely imagining because they think on the base of the false self and false experience. When the self is not physical then whatever seen, known, believed, and experienced as a person is bound to be a falsehood.   Therefore, there is a need to know the fact that, the self is formless. 

The paradise or heavens and hell are mere religious injected imagination.  When the self is formless then the experience of birth, life, death, and the universe are merely an illusion.  But where people have got a little thinking capacity, they begin to disbelieve through the contradictions of various contending orthodox claims and descriptions.

           

For the religion one can interpret texts as he likes, in whatever way that pleases him, he simply imagine away.

Mundaka Upanishad:~ The study of the Vedas, linguistics, Rituals, astronomy and all the arts Can be called lower knowledge. The higher is that which leads to Self-realization. The eye cannot see it; the mind cannot grasp it. The deathless 'Self' has neither caste nor race, neither eyes nor ears nor hands nor feet. Sages say this Self is infinite in the great and in the small, everlasting and changeless, the source of life.

In the pursuit of truth, the ultimate truth has to be proved, not assumed. Pundits who take scriptures for granted are not Gnanis.

Pundits teach that all is yourself, but none of them can show that this is so, none has analyzed it scientifically, and none can prove it. The rational proof is needed so that one arrives at knowing truth i.e. wisdom; punditry is mere dogma, parrotism, and repetition of what they read in scripture. 

The Scripters are not a yardstick and scriptural truth is not proof.   Pundits take scripters as an authority.   Authoritarianism merely assumes as true what another says, but what has yet to be proved.

Pundits have to test the truth in this world not in the next world.  There is no proof other than blind belief based on the scriptures, belief is not the truth.  So, doctrines are not the means to realize the truth. There is no need to follow them in order to acquire self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana.

Doubts and Confusions arise when the seeker finds the scripters and yoga are inadequate or useless to quench his spiritual thirst.   Disappointments in religion or yoga or even science imply error or ignorance. Seeker reaches a stage whether he is right?" Where is the certainty that he is proceeding on right lines?" 

Thus, doubts arise and the inquiring spirit comes and impels to search elsewhere for truth where it will not be possible even to have doubt. The test is, therefore, in the realization of the Self. And only in non-duality, where there are no two to argue about views or to have a difference of opinion can such doubtlessness be possible.  Belief depends upon unstable bases whereas certainty depends on a proof.

Remember:~

Seeker of truth has to get rid of his doubts through deeper self-search on his own, to realize the fact that, the self is not the form but the Self is formless. Thus, his analysis and reasoning have to be based on the formless (Soul), not on the form(ego).  

By simply go on believing and accepting whatever said by the punditry will not lead one towards the path of wisdom. All the doubt has to be got rid of "by the sword of Self - Knowledge."  The scriptures, yoga are not necessary if one follows the inner (formless) path.  Religion and yoga are not the means to the path of wisdom. 

There is a controversy as to the meaning of Maya. One Advaitic School says it is a Shakti of Brahman whereby both illusion and creation are brought about.

How do you know that it is the truth? If one bases it on the sayings of Rishis and saints, granting that they honestly believed in their experiences, there is still the query how do they know that these experiences were the truth?

Even in the dream whatever experienced becomes unreal when waking takes place.  Similarly, when wisdom dawns one becomes aware of the fact that the self is neither the waking entity nor the dream entity.  

Thus, whatever experienced as waking experience is as real as a dream.  Thus for a Gnani, all three states are merely an illusion created out of the consciousness, because he is fully aware of the fact that, the witness of the three states is not the body but consciousness.  

Remember:~

A Gnani is fully aware of the fact that his body, ego, and the universe are nothing but consciousness. Thus, he finds the experience of any sort is the play of consciousness and experience is merely an illusion.  The one witnesses the experience, which is in the form of universe or mind is merely an illusion.      

 For even mentally challenged people to believe in what they see and feel and yet their experiences are often quite untrue. What then is it in us, which ascertains the truth of these experiences? 

If one says it is the mystic experience, then everyone’s experience differs from another. Such disagreement does not settle the matter. Thus, these are the two common sources—scriptural authority and Yogic Samadhi--but both are shown untenable because both are based on the false self-(ego).

Mystic experience or Yogic Samadhi is not Advaitic wisdom. Yogis consider the body as self and body as the author of the Samadhi or experience, whereas the Self is not physical but formless. 

Thus, the body and the world are merely an experience.  The witness of the experience is always formless and apart. Thus, the body and the world are an object to the formless witness. 

Thus, any kind of experience is merely an illusion, which comes and goes as the mind or universe.  Thus, whatever an individual experience, experienced as a person, within the universe, is bound to be an illusion.  

Thus, yogi Samadhi or mystic experience is individual experience based on the false self (ego)  within the false experience(waking).  

Thus, there is a need to trace the formless witness of the three states mentally and drop the three states (mirage) mentally in order to bring unity in diversity in the midst of the dualistic illusion or Maya. :~Santthosh Kumaar