Vedas are not the important sacred scriptures for the Hindus.+

                   As one peep into the annals of religious history, one finds:~ 

 As we peep into the annals of religious history: ~

 Thus, Hinduism came into existence with its own code of conduct beliefs, rituals after the 8th century. Hinduism, as one knows today, is of recent origin.

The “Hinduism did not really achieve its status as a coherent though still baffling, religious complex until after the establishment of the British rule in India.

Hindus are not in contact with their religious history therefore, they believe their inherited beliefs as the ultimate truth.

Hindus traditionalists refuse to debate whether the Vedic people practiced cow slaughter ate beef. They believe such debate is irreligious.

In discussing the Vedic religion it is also to be remembered that in the course of history, many non-Aryan elements entered into the Vedic religion. The Vedic Aryans freely borrowed elements from the culture and the society around them. But we cannot say with precision, which are the non-Aryan elements in the Vedic Religion.

To be considered an orthodox Hindu one need only accept the authority of Shruti, however, there is no universal agreement among Hindus what constitutes Shruti. Vedantins consider the Vedanta, i.e., the Upanishads as Shruti but also include the Bhagavad-Gita and Brahma Sutras as authoritative. For some Vaishnavas, the Bhagavata Purana is to be considered Veda. Some consider the Tantras are considered Veda. Thus, we find that there is ample scope for different ideologies, philosophies, and practices under the very broad umbrella of Hinduism.

Hindus indulge non-Vedic beliefs such as idolatry, ancestor worship, pilgrimages, priestcraft, offerings made in temples, the caste system, untouchability and child marriages. All these lack Vedic sanctions, therefore, Hinduism is not Ancient Vedic Religion or Santana Dharma.

Vedas are not the important sacred scriptures for the Hindus. The Vedas as a body of scripture contains many contradictions and they are fragmentary in nature. For most Hindus of today, scriptures like the Bhagavad-Gita, Ramayana, Mahabharata, and Puranas are more attractive and appealing than the Vedas. In addition, the Gods and Goddesses they worship differ considerably from the Vedic ones.

The collection of hymns called Vedas are written in praise of certain deities by poets over several centuries does not seem to have much significance for the Hindus of today. Most Vedic Gods do not find a place in Hinduism.

Vedic religion or Santana Dharma is distinct from Hinduism. The Vedic religion or Santana Dharma deserves to be treated on its own as a distinct religion with its own sacred texts, rites, rules of social life, beliefs and practices without interlinking it with Hinduism. Perhaps it is right to maintain that the Mimamsa School which is concerned with the investigation of the Vedic texts, their correct interpretation and the meticulous performance of the Vedic rituals and ceremonies has preserved and defended a part of the heritage of the Vedic tradition.

The Vedanta school also may have received a part of the inspiration from the Vedas. For the rest of the Hindu philosophical schools and religious sects, the influence of the Vedas is nominal. However, in as much as elements from the Vedas have influenced some aspects of Hinduism, it may be considered as one of the many factors influencing modern Hinduism.

But by no means can it be maintained that Hinduism has its direct ancestry in the Vedic religion or Santana Dharma. Therefore, Hinduism of Vedic times is an imagined community. Hinduism is of a much later origin, and a historical view of Indian religions would endorse a dichotomy between Vedic religion or Santana Dharma and contemporary Hinduism.

Hinduism does not have a long ancestry as is often presumed or propagated by the Hindu ideologues. In fact, historically, religions like Buddhism and Jainism can claim greater antiquity than the Hinduism of today. Hinduism began to take a systematic form from the time of Sage Sri, Sankara (8^th century A.D). In this sense, he may be considered as the ‘founder’ of Hinduism but Sage Sri, Sankara's time it was not called Hinduism because there is no reference word Hindu in any ancient literature.  

Thus, Hinduism came into existence with its own code of conduct beliefs, rituals after the 8^th century.    Hinduism as one knows today is of recent origin. He states: “Hinduism did not really achieve its status as a coherent, though still baffling, religious complex until after the establishment of the British rule in India.

In discussing the Vedic religion, it is also to be remembered that in the course of history, many non-Aryan elements entered into the Vedic religion. The Vedic Aryans freely borrowed elements from the culture and the society around them. But we cannot say with precision, which are the non-Aryan elements in the Vedic religion. Therefore, the thesis of the direct ancestry of Hinduism of today from Vedic religion is to be considered as a myth purported by orthodoxy.

Temple worship, pilgrimages, the Gods, and Goddesses are important to the Hindus. Hindu Gods are Sri, Rama, Sri, Krishna, Sri, Kali, Sri, Ganesh, Sri, Hanuman, Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and the respective consorts of the last three, namely, Saraswati, Lakshmi, and Shakti. None of these deities figured prominently in the Vedic pantheon and some of them are clearly non-Vedic.

The major Gods of Hinduism like Vishnu and Shiva are non-Aryan in origin. Though they may have belonged to the Vedic tradition they played no major role in the Vedas. The more important religious sects among the Hindus, like Vaishnavism, Saivism and so on, did not have a Vedic origin but had come into existence in very many recent times.

Originally Shiva and the cult of the Mother Goddess belonged to the religion of the Indus Valley people. As one goes in deeper in the annals of the Indian religious history  Vishnu and Shiva cult is a melting of at least two cultures, if not three, namely, the Aryan culture, the pre-Aryan culture of the Ganges Valley and the Indus Valley culture. These three cultures were closely knit by the first century of Christianity and in the later period underwent further developments, and probably also a fourth tradition of the indigenous tribes that stood outside the four classes of the caste system as outcastes.

Vedic worshippers did not use temples and idols as Hindus of today do. For them, the sacrificial rituals were more important than the temple or idol worship the major Hindu feasts of today are based on the epic feats of Rama and Krishna and the Puranic lore pertaining to Shiva and the Goddess.

Remember:~

Hindus are idol worshipers of a large number of Gods and Goddesses whereas in Vedas the God is ONE. God is the Supreme Spirit

As one goes deeper into the annals of history, it indicates the fact that somewhere someone has added the Puranas in the name of Veda Vyasa the grandmaster of the Vedas. It is impossible to accept and believe that Veda Vyasa authored and introduced the Puranas which has all conceptual Gods because:-

Therefore, the thesis of the direct ancestry of Hinduism of today from Vedic religion is to be considered as a myth purported by orthodoxy.

Vedic religion or Santana Dharma is distinct from Hinduism. The Vedic religion or Santana Dharma deserves to be treated on its own as a distinct religion with its own sacred texts, rites, rules of social life, beliefs and practices without inter-linking it with Hinduism. Perhaps it is right to maintain that the Mimamsa School which is concerned with the investigation of the Vedic texts, their correct interpretation and the meticulous performance of the Vedic rituals and ceremonies has preserved and defended a part of the heritage of the Vedic tradition.

The Vedanta school also may have received a part of the inspiration from the Vedas. For the rest of the Hindu philosophical schools and religious sects, the influence of the Vedas is nominal. However, in as much as elements from the Vedas have influenced some aspects of Hinduism, it may be considered as one of the many factors influencing Hinduism.

But by no means can it be maintained that Hinduism has its direct ancestry in the Vedic religion or Santana Dharma. Therefore, Hinduism of Vedic times is an imagined community. Hinduism is of a much later origin, and a historical view of Indian religions would endorse a dichotomy between Vedic religion or Santana Dharma and contemporary Hinduism.

Hinduism does not have a long ancestry as is often presumed or propagated by the Hindu ideologues. In fact, historically, religions like Buddhism and Jainism can claim greater antiquity than the Hinduism of today. Hinduism began to take a systematic form from the time of Sage Sri, Sankara (8thcentury A.D). In this sense, he may be considered as the ‘founder’ of Hinduism.

Remember:~

Hindus are idol worshipers of a large number of non-Vedic God s and Goddesses whereas Vedic God is Atman 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: ~ 'Prajnanam Brahma'- Consciousness is the ultimate reality or Brahman or God in truth.

God in truth is the Atman, the Self. Atman is present in the form of consciousness.

Do not accept any other God other than Atman not worship other than Atman.

Let these words be inscribed in your subconscious.

Nothing is real but God. Nothing Matters but love for God in truth. God in truth is everywhere and in everything.

God in truth is hidden by the illusory universe. God in truth alone is and all else is an illusion

Rig Veda: ~ The Atman 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)

When Rig Veda says  May ye never accept another God in place of the Atman nor worship other than the Atman? Thus, to know the real God Self-realization is necessary. Self-realization is God-realization. Self-realization itself is real worship.

When Upanishads and Vedas declare that, “God is present in the form of the Athma, and God is indeed Athma itself” then why accept another God in place of the Atman nor worship other than the Atman.

The Hindus today are non-Vedic. The Vedic religion or Santana Dharma does not exist. The Vedic Culture and Vedas are complete in themselves but Hinduism which is a non-Vedic belief system with all its ritual and conduct-oriented practices has been contributed largely by the priests to suit their convenience!

When we examine the traditions, rituals, and food habits of Hindus, we find that Hinduism is nothing but an amalgamation of Jainism, Buddhism, and Vedic religion.

As we know, a large number of Hindus are vegetarians. Another thing we know is that Vedics were meat-eaters and beef eaters in ancient times. So vegetarianism in Hinduism came from Jainism.

The animal stopped this ritual because of strong opposition by Jains and Buddhists. Compassion for animals in Hinduism came from Jainism and Buddhism, and sacrificing animals came from the Vedic religion. Sacrifice was one of the most important rituals in the Vedic religion. Vedic’s

Vedics were not idol worshipers. Idol worshiping in Hinduism came from Jainism. The saffron color is considered holy in Hinduism. But it came there from Buddhism. On the other hand, the importance of the white color in Hinduism came from Jainism.

The importance of 4 rainy months (Chaturmas) in Hinduism came from Jainism and Buddhism. The importance of fasting came from Jainism.

Thus, we can see many Jain and Buddhist elements in present-day Hinduism, followed by some Vedic elements.

Remember:~

Reincarnation was not a Vedic belief. Belief in reincarnation which is central to Hinduism of today is not really attested to in the Vedas, though they hint at life after death. The doctrine of transmigration as elaborated in Hinduism has no place in the Vedic hymns”. In the early Vedic literature, there is no express mention of the doctrine of transmigration.

It is in the Upanishads that it appears for the first time. The Rig Veda speaks of two paths for the Souls of the deceased, namely, the path of the Gods (devayana) and the path of the fathers (pitriyana). Those who go by the former enjoy immortality and there is no return to physical life after that.

In fact, the Vedic man longed for this state of life. Whereas those who go by the latter path, unite with the fathers and then return to earth, after having enjoyed the fruits of his deeds.

Rig Veda ― consisting of about 10,500 verses ― there is only one occasion where there is mention of a return to this world after death. What is implied here is that it cannot be taken as important teaching of the Rig Veda.

The Avatara and caste system are not Vedic in origin. The theory of Avatara (‘descend’) of Gods which is very important to modern Hinduism is non-Vedic. The term Avatara (…) is not found in the earlier Vedic texts and is absent from the older Sanskrit glossaries”.

When Upanishads and Vedas declare that “God is present in the form of the Athma, and God is indeed Athma itself” then why to accept another God in place of the Atman nor worship other than the Atman thus the Hinduism is a group of non-Vedic belief system founded by different founders of castes and creed. :~Santthosh Kumaar 

Unconsciousness can only be the consciousness without objects; otherwise it has no meaning.+

Man and his experience of the world are present only in the duality. The duality is present in the form of the mind. The Mind is present in the form of the universe and the universe appears as waking or dream (duality) and disappears as deep sleep (nonduality).

One cannot live without the physical world; it is the basis of his life.  The physical world is within the waking experience.   The same way the dream world and the dream entity exist within the dream.  The dream entity and the dream world are a reality within the dream. Similarly, the waking entity and the waking world are a  reality within the waking experience.  The dream becomes unreal when the waking takes place, and the waking remains as reality till the ignorance is there. The ignorance will prevail until the waking entity remains unaware of the existence of the formless witness. 

The seeker has to trace the formless witness of the three states, to realize the fact that,  the self is neither the waking entity nor the Self is the dream entity, but the Self is the formless soul that witnesses the coming and going of the three states.

So it is the starting point of his spiritual quest. Proof, not imaginations, must be the seekers’ material. 

Remember:~

Unconsciousness can only be consciousness without objects; otherwise, it has no meaning. Therefore,  it is really and somehow consciousness.  Through the study of the mind, one gradually becomes aware “The Unconscious" which is at the back of it all, is the Soul.

One has yet to learn that he cannot look into the mind of another nor into that of animals. Hence, those scientists who describe how ants think, for instance, are merely drawing inferences, not ascertaining proved facts.

That which one knows best in the waking experience, that which is nearest to his, that of which he can never be free, its existence is supremely certain, is his consciousness.

One may doubt anything else, but he directly perceives his-self. Hence, one has to begin the study of the truth with the study of the consciousness, not, as is mistakenly done by theologians, metaphysicians with the supposed Absolute.

All gold ornaments are made of this same single material, so to explain the nature of the unknown soul, one has to start with something known and familiar, viz. consciousness, which he has in the three states, and proceed step by step from that onwards.

One knows the Self (Soul), it is directly perceived, and thinking implies a thinking capacity, i.e. a thinker. This Self (Soul) is consciousness. After showing that this consciousness, this Self (Soul), is the ultimate reality, and everything else is of the same nature which should enable one henceforth to understand all else also is consciousness. Everyone has and knows this consciousness; therefore, it is a universal datum. It is something that everybody can grasp.

The Mind and its substance, and the mind as a whole are two different things that have to be investigated.  The Mind does not depend on merely the size of the physical brain. The elephant has the largest animal brain, yet it is no more intelligent than the man, who has a much smaller brain.

If, as some think, the interaction of material brain atoms produces the mind as a by-product, the reply for this is that one cannot know this unless someone had seen it happen. However, nobody has yet seen it. This theory is based on mere speculation.

One knows only the mind is limited to his physical activity, but the truth is the whole physical existence, which is full of action or inaction is the mind.  If one limits the mind to his physical entity, he will never be able to move towards ultimate understanding.  The Mind appears as the waking and the dream.  The Man and his world are within the waking or the dream.  Thus, the mind is the whole physical existence.  Thus, one has to consider the mind as the whole physical existence. By considering the mind as the physical existence, the waking and the dream also are considered as the mind.

What is the mind? What does it does and what it is capable of doing? No one knows it in itself. Philosophers and intellectuals who regard the mind as only power or as an activity do not really say what it is when appearing to define it, even though they use a million words.  Their study is correct up to a certain level, but they have not gone very deep verifying the facts.

Remember:~

One may think of the mind as he likes, but he gets only a thought, i.e. he gets words, more words. He does not get the mind itself. Philosophers go on spinning yarns about the mind but have never seen it. Their words are only imaginations.  How can one see the mind when philosophers and their experience of the world exist within the mind?  When the mind disappears they and their experience of the world also disappear.  Therefore, deeper self-search is required to analyze the mind.  Then only it is possible to move forward in pursuit of truth. 

Punditry is not the philosophy. Much of what they say may be true but true only as thoughts, but they have to inquire what a thought is, and then they have to go beyond it. What about the witness, which witnesses all these three states, which comes and goes.  No philosopher has even been able to define the meaning of the 'mind' and 'consciousness'.

One does not know the dimensions of the mind. All the form, time, space is within the mind only, not outside of it.  One as an individual can imagine anything within the mind.

The terms "Super Consciousness",  "Overmind" etc. belong to irrational mysticism. No one can measure awareness which is consciousness and say where it stops, therefore, the mind is called limitless; hence to talk of something beyond it is sheer imagination. One has to appeal only to the facts, not imagination.

People who talk of brain consciousness are talking emptily. One does not know what it is, nor what “brainless consciousness” is. One is aware of only consciousness. Science does not know the true relation between consciousness and the brain if any.

One knows only 'mental states. Only three final mental states,  that is the waking, the dream, and the deep sleep~ which come and go.:~Santthosh Kumaar 

Bhagavad Gita does not contain the higher wisdom.+

The Bhagavad Gita does not contain higher wisdom. Bhagavad Gita is intended for those who are incapable of thinking rationally.

The earliest part of Bhagavad Gita deals with religion because it is for mentally immature persons, but in the latter part, you get philosophy as that is intended for the intellectually evolved. You can’t make all men into genius, and therefore religion is provided for them.

Bhagavad Gita has been interpreted in a thousand ways, according to the pundit's capacity to understand the test of all these is the reason. Only a few understood Gita.

In the statement in Bhagavad Gita which says that the path of the unmanifest is harder than others, this path means Gnana Yoga.

The Upanishads and Gita do not give detailed explanations because the knowledge of those days was not as advanced as it is nowadays. However, there are odd words here and there which give hints.

 Reason fills all these gaps and brings the old Vedanta up-to-date, otherwise, it will die out. What was right for antiquity will not suit these scientific days.

Bhagavad Gita gives dualistic worship of "God” only for the lower minds; it also indicates the Advaitic wisdom for the more evolved.

To see "Brahman in action" he must act. Therefore, if he remains inactive in a cave can never see Brahman.

The true meaning of "kill doubt" is not to refrain from inquiry as Pundits, yogis and religionists say, but to tackle every doubt and to go on until you answer or solve it satisfactorily and thus the doubt disappears.

Lord Krishna tells Arjuna to fight is misrepresented by half-Vedantins as an order to kill other human beings, because they are mere Ideas, Illusory, whereas whole Vedanta says these ideas too are Brahman, and the Self and hence no killing really occurs. Only when you see all individuals, especially the Self as imagined ideas, can you rise to see them later as Brahman? Thus, there are two stages. You must first see the self as illusory before you see others as illusory. ~ CH.2 v.16

Bhagavad Gita gives dualistic worship of "God” only for the lower minds; it also teaches Advaita for the more evolved.

Likewise, thinkers and poets of the Age of Devotion (Bhakti) of the 16th century believed in a God with attributes who became very tangible when incarnating as Avatar and was attainable simply through love and devotion rather than scholastic and intellectual meditation.

For the religious people,  the Bhagavad Gita became the main vehicle of inspiration with its qualified and deistic Monism, rather than the scholastic and esoteric path shown by Sage Sankara’s Advaitic path.

Sage Sankara never rejected devotional prayer (Bhakti) or denied its value for he held that it was a necessary but intermediate stage for the adept on his journey to the ultimate realization of the true nature of the Universal Essence.

People worship God in various ways, not knowing the Truth. At different levels, at different epochs, in different lands, people have different conceptions of God. They have quarreled because they did not know the truth about God.

The conflict of opinions among mystics and religionists proves that all are imagining God as they like, not knowing God.

Vedanta  Lord teaches us in the Gita and in it, he lashes out against the karmakanda. It is generally believed that the Buddha and Mahavira were the first to attack the Vedas.

It is not so. Lord Krishna himself spoke against them long before these two religious leaders. At one place in the Gita, he says to Arjuna: "The Vedas are associated with the three qualities of Sattva, rajas, and tamas.

 You must transcend these three qualities. Full of desire, they (the practitioners of Vedic rituals) long for paradise and keep thinking of pleasures and material prosperity. They are born again and again and their minds are never fixed in samadhi, these men clinging to Vedic rituals.

“In another passage Lord Krishna says: "Not by the Vedas is Self to be realized, nor by sacrifices nor by much study. . . . "

Bhagavad Gita 2:46:~ "A man of true knowledge who has attained enlightenment, has the same use for all the scriptures as one has for a small reservoir of water in a place flooded on all sides."

Lord Krishna taught the Karma and Bhakti yogis their own paths only in order to lead them up to the Gnana yoga path, which is the highest and the real object of his teaching.

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 truth and have no time for it. (Gita ~ Chap ~IV~ v.2)

Why is the word Yoga used in so many different senses in the Gita? Because there are grades and the highest demands concentrated brains, not sitting mindless and imagining you are seeing God.

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 "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.

Understanding what is God is not so easy. Religious people can only imagine God based on their beliefs.

That is why Lord Krishna Says Ch ~V: ~ “Those who know the Self 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.

Lord Krishna himself says that he can do nothing to make a man intelligent straight away. The adepts give Prasad, blessing, initiations, mantrams, etc. only to confer temporary peace of mind, to help one to get rid of worries, but not to confer Gnana. The capacity to receive it must first be inborn in man by evolutionary degree.

 Bhagavad Gita: ~ brahmano hi pratisthaham- Brahman is considered the all-pervading consciousness which is the basis of all the animate and inanimate entities and material. (14.27)

Remember:~

Maha Gita: ~ Krishna's Gita is a hodgepodge containing everything; hence it suits everyone because there is something in it for everyone. It is difficult to find any tradition whose voice is not found in the Gita. It is difficult to find anyone who does not take solace from the Gita. But for such people, Ashtavakra's Gita will prove very difficult. 

Ashtavakra is not for synthesis -- he is a man of truth. He speaks the truth just as it is, without any artifice or coloring. He is not concerned about the listener, he does not care whether his listener will understand or not. Such a pure expression of truth has never happened anywhere before, nor has it ever happened again. 

People love Krishna's Gita because it is very easy to extract one's own meaning from it. Krishna's Gita is poetic: in it, two plus two can equal five, two plus two can also equal three. No such tricks are possible with Ashtavakra. With him, two plus two are exactly four. Ashtavakra's statements are statements of pure mathematics. There isn't the least possibility for poetic license here. He says things as they are, without any sort of compromise. 

Reading Krishna's Gita a devotee extracts something of which he can make a belief because Krishna spoke on bhakti, devotion. The karma yogi extracts his belief because Krishna has spoken on karma yoga, the Yoga of action. The believer in knowledge finds what he wants because Krishna has spoken on knowledge as well. Somewhere Krishna calls bhakti the ultimate, somewhere else he calls knowledge the ultimate, again elsewhere he calls karma yoga the ultimate.

Krishna's statements are very political. He was a politician, a perfect politician. Just to say he was a politician is not right; he was a shrewd politician, a real diplomat. In his statements, he considered and included many things. This is why the Gita suits everyone, why there are thousands of commentaries on the Gita. No one is concerned with Ashtavakra because to accept Ashtavakra you are going to have to drop yourself -- unconditionally. You cannot bring yourself along. Only if you stay behind can you come near him? With Krishna, you can bring yourself along. With Krishna, there is no need to transform yourself. With Krishna, you can fit just as you are.

Hence the founders of each tradition have written commentaries on Krishna's Gita -- Sankara, Ramanuja, Nimbarak, Vallabha -- everyone. Each has extracted his own meaning. Krishna has said things in such a way as to allow multiple meanings; hence I call his Gita poetic. You can draw out any meaning you like from a poem.

Krishna's statements are like clouds surrounding you in the rainy season: you see in them whatever you want. Someone may see an elephant's trunk, someone sees the whole body of Ganesha, the elephant God. Someone may not see anything. He will say, "What nonsense you talk! They are clouds, vapor -- how is it you see forms in them?"

 Krishna's Gita is just like this -- you will be able to see whatever is in your mind. So Sankara sees knowledge, Ramanuja sees bhakti, Tilak sees action -- and each returns home in a cheerful mood thinking that what Krishna says is the same as his belief.

This kind of suspicion often arises with Krishna too. Centuries have passed and commentaries on Krishna keep on coming. Each century finds its own meaning, each person finds his own meaning. Krishna's Gita is like an inkblot... it is the statement of the perfect politician.

You cannot extract any beliefs from Ashtavakra's Gita. Only if you drop yourself as you move into it, will Ashtavakra's Gita become clear to you?

Ashtavakra's message is crystal clear. You won't be able to add even a small bit of your own interpretation to it. Hence people have not written commentaries on Ashtavakra's Gita. There is no scope for writing a commentary; there is no way to distort or twist it. Your mind has no chance to add anything. Ashtavakra has given such an expression that no one has been able to add or take anything from it, even though centuries have passed. It is not easy to give such a perfect expression. Such skill with words is very difficult to come by. This is why I say we are starting off on a rare journey. ~OSHO

Remember:~

There are 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 the truth beyond the form, time, and space. The Bhagavad Gita is meant for the first audience, to help lead its followers along the way. The Ashtavakra Gita, with its emphasis on the Advaitic wisdom, is meant for those who wish to go beyond such transient pleasures.:~Santthosh Kumaar 

Rig Veda: ~ May ye never accept another God in place of the Atman nor worship other than the Atman.+

People believe in old myths propagated by their religion. Every religion has propagated its own myth. Every religious belief contradicts other beliefs. It is merely a blind belief accepted as truth without verification and evidence. This causes division. 

Modern science has exposed many Religious dogmas as a myth. All these dogmas were introduced in the primitive era before people had the benefit of modern science. Science attempts to objectively discover how life works, and religion makes one blindly believe and cast his burden on the blind belief without verification, to live in peace and harmony in worldly life.

The seeker's main aim is to investigate both dual and non-dual experiences, to find and define the underlying truth in everything, thereby realizing what the ultimate truth is. Religion has propagated diverse ideas of God. There is no universality in a religious God.

Seekers of truth are neither believers of religious propagated belief of God nor atheists to declare that there is no God. The seekers of truth will not accept the belief blindly without verification.

Religionists and atheists both are believers because religionists believe in the belief of God and atheists believe in the belief of no God.

The pursuit of truth is all about accepting uncertainty and open questions and seeking the things that are the certainty. Believers and nonbelievers will not accept anything other than their inherited belief system or accepted truth.

Atheists feel there is no proof for God’s existence. So, the atheist chooses to just believe there is no such thing called God. And religionists just believe in the existence of their conceptual God.

A Gnani is one who is fully aware of the fact that the existence or non-existence of God cannot be proven on the base of the physical self (ego). Therefore, deeper understanding and realization are necessary to understand and assimilate the truth about God's existence to know what is supposed to be God. 

 In Vedas, the God (soul/ataman) has been described as: ~

           v  Sakshi (witness)

       

           v  Chetan (conscious)

           v  Nirguna (without form and properties)

          v  Nitya (eternal)

           v  Shuddha (pure)

          v  Buddha (omniscient)

          v   Mukta (unattached).

       All the above-mentioned description is the nature of the Soul (Atman).  

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 innermost self. May ye never accept another God in place of the Atman nor worship other than the Atman?" (10:48, 5)

Rig Veda: ~ 'Prajnanam Brahma'- Consciousness is the ultimate reality or Brahman or God in truth.

Do not accept any other God other than the Soul. The Soul is God in truth,  Nothing is real but the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. Nothing matters but realize  God in truth. God in truth is everywhere and in everything. Let these words be inscribed in your subconscious.

God in truth is hidden by the illusory universe. God in truth alone is real and eternal and all else is an illusion.

Brahman is merely a word to indicate the ultimate truth or God in truth.  The ultimate truth itself is God in truth. 

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

The Upanishads say in effect that: ~ If you believe that the Soul is one and God (Brahman) is another you cannot understand Truth.

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

Thus, one should never accept another God in place of the  Soul nor worship other than the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. :~Santthosh Kumaar 

All the Gods and Goddesses worshiped in the temples are non- Vedic Gods.+

Hinduism indulges non-Vedic beliefs such as idolatry, ancestor worship, pilgrimages, priestcraft, offerings made in temples, the caste system, untouchability, and child marriages. All these lack Vedic sanctions, therefore, Hinduism is not Ancient Vedic religion or Santana Dharma.  All Hindu Gods are not Vedic God. 

The Vedas exclaim from time immemorial: ~ 

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

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

All the Gods and Goddesses worshipped in the temples are non- Vedic Gods. 

The Vedas exclaim from time immemorial: ~ 

Rig Veda :~ Ekam Sat Vipra Bahudha Vadanti, Existence is One (1-164-146).

Rig Veda: ~ 'Prajnanam Brahma'- Consciousness is the ultimate reality or Brahman or God in truth.

Do not accept any other God other than the Soul. The Soul is God in truth,  Nothing is real but the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. Nothing matters but realize  God in truth. God in truth is everywhere and in everything. Let these words be inscribed in your subconscious.

God in truth is hidden by the illusory universe. God in truth alone is real and eternal and all else is an illusion.

Brahman is merely a word to indicate the ultimate truth or God in truth.  The ultimate truth itself is God in truth. 

God in truth is one and universal. 

God is the Spirit. The Spirit is the Soul, the Self. God is the Soul, the Self. The Soul is the Supreme Being the One eternal homogeneous essence, indivisible consciousness, and intelligence, which is beyond form, time, and space. To which the Sages describe in a variety of ways through diverse words.

In Vedas, God has been described as ~ 

Sakshi (Witness)

Chetan (conscious)

Nirguna (Without form and properties).

Shuddha (pure)

Buddha (omniscient)

Mukta (unattached).

All the above-mentioned description is the nature of the Soul (Atman). The innermost Self is Ataman. Atman is present in the form of consciousness. Atman is God the consciousness (Spirit) is God in truth. 

So, it clearly indicates that God is formless thus there is no scope for 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 lower mindsets, they are of no use for those who are seeking higher truth as indicated in the scriptures. 

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 innermost self. May ye never accept another God in place of the Atman nor worship other than the Atman?" (10:48, 5) 

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) 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, the consciousness still remains without form, time, and space

The Soul, the Self itself is God in truth, the One without a Second.

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

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

The 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.

The Upanishads say in effect that: ~ If you believe that the Soul is one and God (Brahman) is another you cannot understand Truth. 

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

There is no second thing that exists other than consciousness. The consciousness itself is God. 

No conceptual God can exist, apart from consciousness. People are not aware of the fact that there is no individual God that can exist, apart from the Soul, which is in the form of consciousness. Thus, the Soul or consciousness is the  Self. If there is no consciousness, then there is no physical body, no ego, no universe, no religion, and no conceptual God. 

Remember:~

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

Thus, Atman the ‘Self’, is God. Thus, ‘Self’’ realization is real worship. ‘‘Self’’-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana is necessary to get realization. 

Hindus are idol worshipers of the large numbers of Gods and Goddesses whereas Vedas declares God is ‘ONE’ and that God is Atman. 

Chandogya Upanishad Chapter: ~ ekam evadvitiyam ~ God is only one without a second. (6- Section- 2- Verse- 1)

According to Vedas the Atman the Self is God.

Shiv is not Vedic God. All the God s and Goddesses with form, name, and attributes belong to Hinduism, not of the Vedic religion or Santana dharma 

God and Goddesses are religious concepts. Whatever is seen, known, believed, and experienced as a person within the dualistic illusion (world) is a falsehood. 

Thus, it refers to formless and attributeless God, which is the Atman (Soul), the  Self is hidden by the false experience. Thus, it indicates clearly all the Gods with form and attributes are mere imaginations based on the false ‘‘Self’’. Thus, Atman or the Soul, the Self is God in truth.

The Vedas do not talk about idol worship. In fact, till about 2000 years ago followers of Vedism never worshiped idols. Idol worship was started by the followers of Buddhism and Jains. There is logic to idol worship. Vedas speak of one God that is the supreme ‘‘Self’’ in i.e. Atman or Soul but Hinduism indulges in worshiping 60 million Gods.

It indicates clearly all the Gods with form and attributes are mere imagination based on the false self.

The Vedas as a body of scripture contains many contradictions and they are fragmentary in nature. For Hindus, scriptures like the Bhagavad-Gita, Ramayana, Mahabharata, and Puranas are more attractive and appealing than the Vedas. And also the Gods and Goddesses they worship differ considerably from the Vedic ones. The collection of hymns called Vedas is written in praise of certain deities by poets over several centuries does not seem to have much significance for the Hindus.

Yajur Veda says: ~

Translation 1

They enter darkness, those who worship natural things (for example air, water, sun, moon, animals, fire, stone, etc). They sink deeper in 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 are intent." (Yajurveda Samhita by Ralph T. H. Griffith 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." (Yajurveda 40:9.)

So, Yajur Veda indicates that: ~

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

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

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

Thus, Atman the innermost ‘‘Self’’, is God. Thus, ‘‘Self’’-realization is real worship. ‘‘Self’’-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana is necessary to get realization. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

You will know the truth, and the truth will set the 'Self' free.+

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

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

Yajur Veda:~ “Nathasya prathima asityasya nammahastha (32.3)”, God has no image and His name is Holy. 

All biblical insights lead to non-dual Self-awareness. Self-Awareness is Christ consciousness.  Self –Knowledge or Brahma Gnana in the biblical sense is the ultimate Truth or God in truth.  The truth was not written down but was imparted orally to the chosen few. 

Sage Sankara ’says-~ "Kuruthe Ganga sahar gamanam Vratha paripal mathva dhanam. Gyana Vihine.Sarva Mathene.”

Gnana is common to all religions.  There is nothing like One Gnana for a Hindu and another for a Christian.

John 8:32:~ You will know the truth, and the truth will set the 'Self' free.”  

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) 

 It means one has to know the world which confronts him confronts to realize his body and the world are made of the same essence and that essence is Spirit (father).   

Even Sage Sankara says: ~  One must first know what is before him. If he cannot know that, what else can he know or understand? If he gives up the external world in his inquiry, he cannot get the whole truth. 

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

Jesus said:~"Those who seek should not stop seeking until they find. When they find, they will be disturbed. When they are disturbed, they will marvel, and will reign over all." (Gospel of Thomas 2) 

"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)

 1. According to the New Testament, Jesus said to his disciples: ‘To you, it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others, they are in parables, so that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand (Luke, 8:10). While speaking to the multitude in a veiled manner, ‘privately to his own disciples he explained everything (Mark, 4:34), and advised them not to ‘throw your pearls before swine (Matthew, 7:6). 

2. According to Clement of Alexandria (150-215 CE), ‘Mark’ preached three different gospels. The New Testament version was intended for ‘beginners’, but there was also a Secret Gospel of Mark for those who were ‘perfected’, i.e. initiated. Clement advised one of his students that the existence of this secret gospel should be denied ‘even under oath’, for ‘the light of the truth should be hidden from those who are mentally blind’. The third gospel was so mystical that it was not written down but was imparted orally to the chosen few (JM 120-1).

When the seeker indulges in deeper self-search then he realizes the fact that the experience of birth, life, death, and the world is merely an illusion created out of spirit or Brahman or God in truth.:~Santthosh Kumaar