It is foolish to say I AM THAT, I AM THIS without realizing what the 'Self' is, and what 'Self 'is not.+

The Soul is the spiritual heart. The Soul is Self-evident. It is not established by extraneous proofs. It is not possible to deny the Soul because It is the very essence of the one who denies it. 

The spiritual heart is not within the physical body.  The Soul is the spiritual heart.  The world,  in which you exist is within the Soul, the spiritual heart.

 The ‘I’ is present in the form of the mind. The mind is present in the form of the universe.  The mind arises from the Soul as waking or dream (duality)  and subsides as deep sleep (nonduality).   Thus, the Soul is the source. Thinking the spiritual heart is within the body is erroneous because the Soul is the ever formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.  

The ‘Self’ is not within you.  The world, in which you exist, is within the Self.’You are bound by form, time, and space, whereas the Self is the formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.  You are the false self within the false experience.

No one can stay as Self without realizing the Self. After realizing the Self-nothing stays as reality other than the Soul, the innermost Self.  It is foolish to say I AM THAT, I AM THIS without realizing what the 'Self' is, and what 'Self 'is not.  

When you are the false self within the false experience, how can you say ‘I AM THAT’ when the ‘Self ‘is neither this nor that.  

The Self is the fullness of consciousness. Therefore, there is nothing apart from it Thus, any division (body, ego, and the world) within the consciousness is merely an illusion.   Thus, whatever is experienced as a person within the illusion is bound to be an illusion.

The nature of the soul, the innermost self is awareness. Only through Advaitic wisdom, the truth beyond the form, time, and space is revealed.

A perfect understanding of ‘what is what” is needed to realize the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space. Getting stuck to some teaching keeps one in the prison of hallucination.  

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

66. Therefore, the wise should, as in the case of disease and the like, personally strive by all the means in their power to be free from the bondage of the duality. 

Then there is no need for the scriptures, religion, and the idea of God.  One has to be more rational to realize the Advaitic truth, which is the ultimate truth or scientific truth.:~Santthosh Kumaar 

The personal gods, scriptures, worship and rituals are not the means to Self –Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.+

Religious or yogic gurus propagate that,  once a seeker identifies a Guru, he must totally surrender to the Guru, and then from there onwards, the spiritual journey is fully the Guru's responsibility, not his... Hence, the importance of choosing the right Guru is necessary,  but in pursuit of the truth, the Guru is not necessary because the truth is not theoretical.  Truth has to be ascertained by the seeker on his own through deeper self-search.

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

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

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

Remember:~

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

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

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

Remember:~

Katha Upanishad:~   This Ataman cannot be attained by the study of the Vedas, or by intelligence, nor by much hearing of sacred books. It is attained by him alone whom It chooses. To such a one Atman reveals Its own form. [Katha Upanishad Ch-II -23-P-20]

Mundaka Upanishad:~- This Atman cannot be attained through study of the Vedas, nor through intelligence, nor through much learning. He who chooses Ataman—by him alone is Atman attained. It is Ataman that reveals to the seeker Its true nature. (   3–page-70 Mundaka Upanishad  Upanishads by Nikilanada)

When the Upanishad says:~  The human goal is to acquire Self-Knowledge and they indicate the personal gods, scriptures, worship, and rituals are not the means to Self –Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana, then why anyone should indulge in it. The religion, concept of individualized god, and scriptures are the great obstacle to realizing Advaitic truth or self-realization because they are based on the false self.   Therefore, one has to search for the ultimate truth without losing himself in the labyrinths of philosophy, he should indulge in deeper, inquiry, analysis, and reasoning and assimilate and realize it.  

The seeker's goal is towards Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana and nothing other than it. Therefore,  the guru is needed in religious and yogic paths which are meant for the people who are not searching for the truth.  People are searching for worldly comforts and temporary peace in this physical existence.  They fear losing their physical identity and all that is connected to their physical identity. 

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

Remember:~

Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana is necessary to realize the fact that, the universe, which appears in the form of the mind and disappears as nothingness (formless) is merely an illusion created out of nothingness, which is the consciousness.  Thus, consciousness is the source and the witness of the universe (mind), which comes and goes.  Thus,  it is necessary to know the formless witness of the three states in order to know the fact that, the true self is apart and free from the illusion or Maya, which is in the form of birth, life, death, and the universe.  Therefore, it is necessary for the seeker to make sure that the three states are merely an illusion or Maya.

The body and the world are a reality within the waking experience, but the waking experience is merely an illusion or Maya, the same way as the dream body and the dream world were a  reality within the dream. The dream becomes unreal when the waking takes place.  Similarly,  the waking experience becomes unreal when the Advaitic wisdom dawns. 

Remember:~

The one who thinks of himself as a Guru and the one who thinks of himself as chela (disciple) will not be able to get Self-Knowledge because both of them accepted themselves as the body. And all their understanding, practices, and knowledge are based on the false self(ego).  Therefore, the Guru –Shisya concept is a great obstacle in the pursuit of truth. 

A Gnani never accepts himself as a  guru or accepted anyone as his disciple.  There is no division in his consciousness even though he is in the midst of diversity (world).    

Thus, surrendering to any Guru or Godmen is not the means to Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.  The 'Self'  is the true guru. The seeker has to surrender to the self by realizing the fact that, the 'Self' is not physical. By realizing the 'Self' is not physical, he will be able to drop all the accumulated knowledge and inherited conditioning in the midst of duality and he finds freedom from experiencing the duality (waking) as a reality.

Remember:~

There is no fear of losing anything because only ignorance vanishes and one becomes fully aware of what is real and what is unreal in the midst of the unreal waking experience. 

This will ensure that one has reached the right path of progress and will eventually get the knowledge of the "Self".  A true seeker should seek only truth nothing but the truth.  his sincerity and urge to know the truth will lead him, not his mental decisions.

If one takes the orthodox Advaitic path or yogic path, then the seeking is not spiritual but rather superficially mental for academic and self-aggrandizing pursuits driven by the ego. There can be no two thoughts about it.

The path of wisdom needs a deep study of the mind and its substance, so one can resolve the conflicts that a seeking mind has. Such deeper leads on towards better grasping, understanding, assimilation, and realization. Only if one has proper grasping he can have proper understanding.

Upanishads:~  They alone in this world are endowed with the highest wisdom who are firm in their conviction of the sameness and birthlessness of Ataman. The ordinary man does not understand their way. (Chapter IV — Alatasanti Prakarana95-P-188 in Upanishads by Nikilanada)

This passage indicates the fact that everything is Ataman, which is present in the form of consciousness(spirit). The one who views and judges the three states,  on the base of his birth entity will not realize the fact that the man including the world is created and sustained and finally dissolves as the Soul, which is in the form of the consciousness. Thus, the Soul alone is, and all else is an illusion.

Thus, Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana 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.

Millions are in search of the ultimate truth, and only one in million will be able to grasp and realize it. 

By focusing more attention on the Soul, the  Self,   by talking, writing, and reading only of the Soul, the conviction grows and becomes firmer and the duality will fade away as reality.  The Soul is one’s true identity and will prevail as birthless and deathless, eternal.   the soul, which is present in the form of consciousness is the substance and the witness of the illusory three states. 

Therefore, there is no need to study scriptures, or indulge in glorifying  GodS and Gurus performing religious rituals.  Since they are not the means to acquire Advaitic wisdom. It is only a waste of time and effort to indulge in those things.

The individual self is not real and 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. 

Remember:~

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).  

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

The Soul, the 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 practical life within the practical world, it is very difficult to attain Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. 

 It is also very difficult to see the  Soul as the Self. The attention toward the practical life within the practical world should be lessened by realizing the "Self" is not the 'I'. The attention has to be focused on the Soul, the Self, should be increased. So long as the attention is directed towards the 'I', the experience of birth, life, and death will prevail as a  reality. But when the attention is directed toward the Soul, the ignorance vanishes, and the sense of duality will disappear. Then there is unity in diversity.

What is the state of the ego ( physical self) when it has realized that the "Self"  is not the "I"? Such seekers have attained their pristine condition. The 'Self' is not visible to the physical eyes. The “Self” is not to be found in the world as a thing, entity, or object.  The 'Self' is above these and has neither beginning nor end.

 A visible object has a beginning and an ending. Since the Soul which is present in the form of consciousness is invisible to the physical eyes.   The Soul or consciousness is without beginning and end. The Soul is always constant. Just as space is homogeneous everywhere, so is the Soul or the consciousness the same everywhere.:~Santthosh Kumaar 

To realize the ultimate truth or Brahman is the prime goal.+

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.

Several mahā-vākyas, or great sayings, indicate what the principle of Brahman is:~

prajnānam brahma(1)

            "Brahman is Self-knowledge"

ayam ātmā brahma(2)

            "The Self (or the Consciousness) is Brahman "

aham brahmāsmi(3)

            "Self" is Brahman"

tat tvam asi(4)

            "Self' is  that"

sarvam khalv idam brahma(5)

            "All this that we see in the world is Brahman",

sachchidānanda brahma (6)(7)

            "Brahman is existence, consciousness, and bliss".

Why go round and round, by various tortuous paths:~

When the Vedas and Upanishad declare that the soul or consciousness or Atman is actually nothing but Brahman, then why go round and round, by various tortuous paths, like the blind led by the blind. One has to realize the fact that, the mind is in the form of the universe.  Trace the source of mind and realize that the source is consciousness. The mind arises from consciousness as the waking or the dream and subsides as the deep sleep.  

In Mandukya Upanishad Brahman and Atman are defined as same:~

सर्वं ह्येतद् ब्रह्मायमात्मा ब्रह्म सोयमात्मा चतुष्पात् / sarvam hyetad brahmaayamaatmaa brahm soyamaatmaa chatushpaat ~

Mandukya Upanishad, verse-2

Translation:~

sarvam(सर्वम्)- Whole/All/Everything; hi(हि)- Really/Just/Surely/Indeed; etad(एतद्)- This here/This; brahm(ब्रह्म)- Brahm/Brahman; ayam(अयम्)- This/Here; aatmaa(आत्मा)- Atma/Atman; sah(सः)- He; ayam(अयम्)- This/Here; chatus(चतुस्)- Four/Quadruple; paat(पात्)- Step/Foot/Quarter

Fragmented Verse:~

सर्वम् हि एतद् ब्रह्म अयम् आत्मा ब्रह्म सः अयम् आत्मा चतुस पात् / sarvam hi etad brahm ayama aatmaa brahm sah ayam aatmaa chatus paat

Simple Meaning:~

All indeed is this Brahman; This Atman is Brahman; He, this Atman has four steps/quarters.

While Brahman lies behind the sum total of the objective universe, some human minds boggle at any attempt to explain it with only the tools provided by reason. Brahman is beyond the senses, beyond the mind, beyond intelligence, beyond imagination. Indeed, the highest idea is that Brahman is beyond both existence and non-existence, transcending and including time, causation and space, and thus can never be known in the same material sense as one traditionally 'understands' a given concept or object.

Imagine a person who is blind from birth and has not seen anything. Is it possible for us to explain to him the meaning of the color red? Is any amount of thinking or reasoning on his part ever going to make him understand the sensation of the color red? In a similar fashion, the idea of Brahman cannot be explained or understood through material reasoning or any form of human communication. Brahman is like the color red; those who can sense it cannot explain or argue with those who have never sensed it.

The Bhagavad Gita:~ Brahman hi pratisthaham ~  Brahman is considered the all-pervading consciousness which is the basis of all the animate and inanimate entities and material. 

In Advaita Vedanta:~Brahman is without attributes and strictly impersonal. It can be best described as infinite Being, infinite Consciousness, and infinite Bliss. It is pure knowledge itself, similar to a source of infinite radiance. Since the Advaitins regard Brahman to be the Ultimate Truth, so in comparison to Brahman, every other thing, including the material world, its distinctness, the individuality of the living creatures and even Ishvara (the Supreme Lord) itself are all untrue. 

Brahman is the effulgent cause of everything that exists and can possibly exist. Since it is beyond human comprehension, it is without any attributes, for assigning attributes to it would be distorting the true nature of Brahman. Advaitins believe in the existence of both Saguna Brahman and Nirguna Brahman; however, they consider Nirguna Brahman to be the absolute supreme truth.

Chandogya Upanishad:~  One who meditates upon and realizes the 'Self' discovers that everything in the cosmos-- energy and space, fire and water, name and form, birth and death, mind and will, word and deed, mantras and meditation--all come from the Self.

So, it clearly says the one who meditates upon the 'Self' (consciousness) discovers that everything in the cosmos-- energy and space, fire and water, name and form, birth and death, mind and will, word and deed, mantras and meditation--all come from the Self. Therefore,, there is a need to know the fact that, the true self is not physical, but the soul in order to realize the fact that:  the cosmos-- energy and space, fire and water, name and form, birth and death, mind and will, word and deed, mantras and meditation--all come from the Self, which is in the form of consciousness.

Atman is Brahman. Brahman is alone real; this waking is unreal, and the three states are non-different from Brahman.

Whatever is, is Brahman. Brahman itself is absolutely homogeneous. All difference and plurality are illusory."  Brahman is not a person, as the Absolute is not this. But if one wants to call it God or ParamAtman, then fine. But it is not a person. Personifying it can make it difficult to understand the truth, which is beyond the form, time and space.

To realize the ultimate truth or Brahman is the prime goal. 

All the scriptures indicate that Atman is Brahman, and Brahman is the ultimate truth. Therefore, consciousness, which is in the form of consciousness, is the ultimate truth.  Thus realizing the ultimate truth is the prime goal.   A well-directed inquiry, analysis, and reasoning will lead one to his nondual destination. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

The rituals and theories are not meant for those who are searching for the higher knowledge or wisdom.+

Sage Gaudapada says that:~  'The merciful Veda teaches karma and Upasana to people of lower and middling intellect, while Jnana is taught to those of higher intellect.

So he clearly indicates the rituals and theories are not meant for those who are searching for higher knowledge or wisdom.  

Ish Upanishads:~  Vidya and Avidya both are hindrances to Self-knowledge, but Vidya is even worse than Avidya. The word Vidya is used here in a special sense; here it means worshipping Gods and Goddesses. By worshipping Gods and Goddesses you will go after death to the world of Gods and Goddesses. But will that help you? The time you spend there is wasted because if you were not there you could have spent that time moving forward towards Self-knowledge, which is your goal. In the world of Gods and Goddesses, you cannot do that, and thus you go deeper and deeper into the darkness.

Avidya is Karma and therefore a hindrance. You perform Avidya ~ i.e., you perform Agnihotra and other sacrifices. This is a roundabout way of purifying the mind, and it is also groping in the dark. But it may not have as heavy a toll on your time and energy as the other.

Ishopanishad:~ "They are steeped in ignorance and sunk into the greatest depth of misery who worships the matter, instead of the All-Pervading God and those who worship things born of matter like trees, animals, man, etc. are sunk deeper in misery."

Katha Upanishad says: ~Fools dwelling in darkness, but thinking themselves wise and erudite, go round and round, by various tortuous paths, like the blind led by the blind. (Ch II-5 P-14 Upanishads Nikhilananda)

It indicates that the one who is ignorant (darkness) of the soul, the innermost Self (Atman) searches for truth by accumulating knowledge of every path and practice and uncertain about the truth, and thinks every path leads towards reality. The ignorance of the true 'Self' leads one towards unreality or hallucination.

Bhad Upanishad:~ This Self is dearer than a son, dearer than wealth, dearer than everything else because It is innermost. If one holds the 'Self' dear were to say to a person who speaks of anything other than the Self as dear, that he, the latter, will lose what he holds dear—and the former is certainly competent to do so—it will indeed come true. One should meditate upon the Self alone as dear. He who meditates upon the Self alone as dear—what he holds dear will not perish. (Bhad  Upanishad -8-p- -211)

It is the first instance of monism in organized religion. Vedic religion remains the only religion with this concept. To call this concept 'God' would be imprecise.  The closest interpretation of the term can be found in the

Taittariya Upanishad (II.1):~ 'Where Brahman is described in the following manner: Satyam Jnanam Anantam Brahman - "Brahman is of the nature of truth, knowledge, and infinity". Thus, Brahman is the origin and the end of all things, material or otherwise. Brahman is the root source and Divine Ground of everything that exists and does not exist. It is defined as unknowable and Satchidananda (Truth-Consciousness-Bliss).

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. 

Remember:~

Mundaka Upanishad condemns rituals. The Para or Higher knowledge is the knowledge of the Supreme Being while the Apara or Lower Knowledge is that of following sacrificial rites and ceremonies. (1/2/ 1 – 6)

Physical & mental discipline such as Karma, Mantra Yoga, and Yajna, Puja Japa Blind devotion to a deity or Guru is not the tool for liberation or freedom from experiencing the dualistic illusion as a reality. It is a dualistic cult including Advaitic orthodoxy propagates these disciplines. Such disciplines and codes of conduct have no value if one is seeking ultimate truth or Brahman to get Nondualistic Self-awareness. 

Mysticism, scriptural knowledge, penance based Scholasticism are the great hindrance to ‘Self–realization. Inherited blind belief with corresponding actions based on scriptures, worship, ritual faith that imply certain mental and physical discipline, or scripture supporting the belief, faith, creed, ritual, theological knowledge personal or opinion leads to hallucinated knowledge. All these become a great hindrance to grasping, understanding, assimilating, and realizing the Advaitic or non-dual truth.

Scriptural mastery including ancient Sastras, Tarka, and Samkhya disciplines to support Karmas & belief Bhakti Argument & interpretation with the help of logic, grammar, etc. to support beliefs, revelations, prayers, etc. In addition, dogmas, theological or others are based on authorities.

That is why Sage Sankara said:~Neither by the practice of yoga nor philosophy, nor by good works nor by learning, does liberation come, but only through the realization that Atman and Brahman are one in no other way. (1) Vivekachoodamani v 56, pg~25

Sage Sankara says:~ The scriptures dealing with rituals, and rewards are therefore addressed to an ignorant person.-Adhyasa Bhashya 

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, and 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. Sage Sankara calls this Adhyasaa. 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 Self is verily Brahman (God), 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.

Everyone’s inner work is on. The Soul is the Self. The Soul the inner Guru guides us all till we get the stillness of its Advaitic true nature. It is the Soul that is in ignorance it is the Soul that has to wake from the sleep of ignorance. : ~Santthosh Kumaar