The Soul, the Self is eternal, impersonal awareness, one without the second.+

The Soul is the Self. The Soul is present in the form of consciousness.  Consciousness is the ultimate Truth or Brahman or God in truth. Consciousness alone is real; the world is merely an illusion.  

The world in which we exist has no independent existence apart from t the consciousness.  The world in which we exist is not different from consciousness because the world is created out of consciousness.

The Soul, the  Self is eternal, impersonal awareness, one without the second.

The cause of all three states is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. The consciousness itself is uncaused. The consciousness is Self ~luminous and all ~pervading. The consciousness dwells always in the three states as its formless clay and witness.

The Soul is revealed by the negative way, discriminative wisdom and the Knowledge of Unity based upon reflection. The one, who realizes the Soul is the true Self, becomes one with the immortal Self.

 When there is no ignorance, there is no day or night, neither being nor nonbeing; the pure consciousness alone exists. That immutable Reality is the meaning of "the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness (Spirit). From it has preceded the non-dualistic or Advaitic wisdom.

No one can grasp Soul, which is in the form of consciousness as a separate entity apart from the world because it is the formless clay and the witness of the three states,    thus it cannot be grasped as above, across, or in the middle.

Its form is not an object of vision; no one beholds it with the eyes. They who, through Soulcentric intellect and the Knowledge of Unity based upon reflection, realizes the  Soul as the true Self becomes one with the immortal.

Ignorance is the cause of experiencing all sorrow and calamities as a reality. Thus, eradicating ignorance is necessary. And this is possible only through Self ~knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.   

Thus, there is no other road to freedom other than Advaitic Gnana.  There is no other entrance other than Gnana.  The ignorance will vanish only when the Advaitic wisdom dawns. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Ashtavakra Gita: ~ The fool tries to control the mind with the mind.+

Ashtavakra Gita: ~ The fool tries to control the mind with the mind - what folly! The wise one delights in the Self alone. There is no mind to master. 

Yogis say they control the mind. They think the mind is an organ within the body. Thus, yoga is limited to form, time,  and space, whereas the truth, is beyond form, time, and space. It is high time for them to realize the mind is not within the body, but their body and the world are within the mind.

Without knowing what is the mind it is impossible to realize the truth, which is hidden by the illusory universe.

The ‘I’ is present only when the mind is present. The mind is present in the form of the universe. The universe appears as the waking or the dream (duality) and disappears as deep sleep (nonduality). 

The one that becomes dual and nondual is consciousness. Thus, all three states are nothing but consciousness. Consciousness alone is real and all the three states are merely an illusion. When the conviction about the consciousness becomes firm, then it leads to Advaitic awareness in the midst of the duality.

Thus, it is necessary to have a perfect understanding of ‘what is ‘what’ to realize the truth, which is hidden by the illusory form, time, and space. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

The Soul is the Self -evident. It is not established by extraneous proofs.+

The Soul is the ultimate Truth or Brahman or God in truth.  The Soul is in the form of consciousness. The Soul is the 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 Soul is the basis of all kinds of knowledge, presuppositions, and proofs.   The Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness (Spirit), is the ultimate Truth or Brahman or God in truth. 

The mind will not die because the mind is merely an illusion. When wisdom dawns the unreal nature of the mind is exposed. In the same way, the unreal nature of the dream was exposed when the waking takes place.

Without knowing ‘what is the mind? it is impossible to realize the truth, which is beyond the form, time, and space.

The ‘I’ is present only when the mind is present. The mind is present in the form of the universe. The universe appears as the waking or the dream (duality) and disappears as deep sleep (Nonduality).

The one that becomes dual and nondual is consciousness. Thus, all three states are nothing but consciousness. Consciousness alone is real and all the three states are merely an illusion. When the conviction about consciousness becomes firm, then it leads to Advaitic awareness in the midst of the duality.

Thus, it is necessary to have a  perfect understanding of ‘what is ‘what’ to realize the truth, which is beyond the form, time, and space. 

If the Self is not you then you and your experience of the world is bound to be an illusion.  That is why Self-realization is necessary to realize the world in which you exist is merely an illusion.

Intellectual arguments will not lead to unfolds the mystery of the world in which you exist.  The truth is beyond the form, time, and space. You are part of the dualistic illusion. The ‘Self’ is nothing to do with you and your experience of the world.

The Seeker should no indulge in arguing on his own point of view because the argument is possible only in the domain of the form, time and space where the ‘Soul, the Self is ever formless, timeless,  and spaceless existence.

You and your experience of the world are within the illusion. Thus,  you and your world are nothing but an illusion. The illusion disappears when the ‘I’ disappears.  The ‘I’ disappears when ignorance vanishes. Ignorance vanishes when wisdom dawns.

Remember:~

The experience of birth, life, and death take place within the illusory world.  The desire to live and the fear of death are part of the illusory play of the Soul or the consciousness.  The Soul, the Self is birthless and deathless because it is the ever formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.

The one which is born, lives, and dies is you. You are not the Self. The Self is the Soul, which witnesses your birth, life, death, and the world. 

The experience of your birth, life, death, and the world are created out of single stuff. That single stuff is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.   When you realize you and your world are created out of the same stuff, then there is unity in diversity because diversity ceases to be a reality. There is oneness. 

Thus, the knowledge of single stuff is the knowledge of the Soul, the Self. From the standpoint of the Soul,  there is no duality because there is only the Advaitic reality.  

The ignorant have the firm conviction that he is an individual apart from this world. The world existed prior to him and he is born in it afterward. Till this conviction is there he will remain ignorant of the truth, which is beyond the form, time, and space.

The Soul, the Self is unborn. The Soul, the Self is nothing to do with you and your experience of your birth, life, death, and the world.   From the standpoint of the Soul, the Self, your experience of your birth, life, death, and the world is non-existent as a reality.  

Thus, the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness alone is real and all else is merely an illusion. :~Santthosh Kumaar 

The Soul, the Self is birthless and deathless because it is the ever nondual.+

 Discussion:~ 

Q:( Jane Rowley) ~ Some people believe that our 'lives' are scripted. What do you say to this?

A:- Santthosh Kumaar:~ Deeper Self-search reveals the fact that the Self is not you. You are bound by birth life, death, and the world. The Soul is the Self. The Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, is a formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.

Only ignorant people believe that their 'lives' are scripted because they have not investigated the truth, which is hidden by the illusory form, time, and space.

If the Self is not the form (you), but the Self is formless then such theories hold no water. Thus, Self-realization is necessary to realize ‘what is truth and ‘what is untruth.

People think there is life after death.  The one which is born lives and dies is not the Self.  The one which born, lives, and dies in this world, is within the dualistic illusion therefore, whatever happens within the dualistic illusion is bound to be an illusion.

The Soul, the Self is birthless and deathless because it is the ever formless, timeless, and spaceless existence. The birth, life, and death take place within the domain of form, time, and space. 

    

From the standpoint of the Soul, the Self, the present experience of birth, life, death, and the world itself is an illusion.  Thus, the question of life after death is bound to be an illusion. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

The world in which you exist is the product of ignorance.+

You cannot get rid of the illusion you are not the Self.  You are the false self within the false experience. You and your world are part and parcel of the illusion.

First, you have to realize the ‘Self’ is not you but the ‘Self’ is the Soul, which is present in the form of the consciousness. It is the Soul that is in ignorance. It is the Soul that is experiencing the dualistic illusion ( the world,  in which you exist) as a reality.  When the Soul wakes up in its own awareness the ignorance vanishes then the illusory reality (the world, in which you exist) never again remains as a reality. 

The one, which is born, lives, and dies, is not the Soul.  The Soul, the Self, never dies, it lives eternally. The Soul never comes or goes. Whatever comes and goes is merely an illusion.   From the standpoint of the Soul birth, life, death, and the world is merely an illusion.  Thus, Self-realization is necessary to realize the experience of birth, life, death, and the world is merely an illusion

Remember:~

All likes and dislikes are of the ego. All good and bad belong to the ego. The desires belong to the ego.   The ego belongs to the duality. The duality is merely an illusion. Your body and your experience of the world belong to the ego.  The ego, the body, and the world appear together and disappear together.  

All the doubts and confusion are only from the dualistic perspective. There are no doubts or confusion from the non-dualistic perspective. In Self-awareness, there is unity in diversity in consciousness. In physical awareness, there is diversity in consciousness.  

The seeker has to be always aware of this truth! Everything within the dualistic illusion is merely an illusory division created within consciousness.

The error is in observing the worldview.  Egocentric observation yields objective awareness.  Soulcentric observation leads to Advaitic awareness in the midst of diversity. Thus, Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana leads to Advaitic awareness.

The Soul is the Self. The Soul is present in the form of consciousness. The nature of the consciousness is awareness.

You and your experience of the world disappear when the waking experience disappears. The waking experience disappears in deep sleep. The dream disappears when the waking takes place. There is neither the waking nor the dream in deep sleep.

The seeker has to find out ‘what is it’ that’ becomes the waking or dream (duality) and ‘what is it that becomes the deep sleep (nonduality).

Remember:~

The one that becomes the dual (waking or dream) and that one that becomes non-dual (deep sleep) is the formless Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. The Soul is the Self. In the realm of the Soul, diversity has no value because there is unity in diversity in the consciousness.

All three states are made of single stuff. Realizing that single Stuff, which is the Soul is Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

If the Soul is the Self then the world in which you exist is merely an illusion. The world is a reality on the base of the ego (you), which is the false self within the false experience.

The world in which you exist is the product of ignorance. When ignorance vanishes the unreal nature of the world n which you exist is exposed. In the same way, the unreal nature of the dream was exposed when the waking takes place. Ignorance vanishes when Advaitic wisdom dawns.

A perfect understanding, and assimilation of ‘what is ‘what helps to remove all your confusion and doubts.

That is why Sage Sankara Says: ~ V.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.

The Soul, the Self reveals ‘what is real’ and ‘what is unreal” when the seeker is receptive and ready.

It takes time for the subconscious to gain speed; it takes time for the Soul to awake, and it takes time for the Soul which has been in the sleep of ignorance to wake up to its own awareness.:~Santthosh Kumaar  

There is nothing that is not God.+

Kabir says: ~   instead of finding fault and maligning others dive deep into your own Self. Amazingly an honest introspection will reveal that all fault lies with  " Me " and " My "own perceptions and attitudes. If there is any evil or crookedness it is in  " Me". Correcting this and changing to a loving and compassionate attitude will change one's perception and then the world will appear wonderful all over again. 

The famous peace invocation of Isa Upanishad says: ~  Om Purna- madah, purna-midam purnat-purnam-udacyate  Purnaysa purna-madaya purna-meva-vasisyate

This means ~ All this is full /from fullness, Fullness comes when fullness is taken from fullness/ Fullness still remains.

 This belief is all-comprehensive and all-absorbing. There is nothing that is not God.

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

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)

Yajur Veda also says:~  God has no image and His name is Holy.  (32.3)”

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

Bhagavad Gita says: ~ “Don't unsettle the minds of the ignorant by revealing the esoteric 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 you are 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."

Lord Krishna Says Ch. V:~ “Those who know me in truth.". The last two words (tattvataha) are usually ignored by pundits, but they make all the difference between the ordinary concept of God and the truth about God.

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

Meher Baba said:~  God is your innermost Self.  Do not search for God outside of you.  Let these words be inscribed in your heart. Nothing is real but God. Nothing Matters but love for God. God is everywhere and does everything. God is beyond us and is everything. God alone is and all else is an illusion.

Santthosh Kumaar:- To know what is God we must know what the  Self is. In deeper Self -search we become aware of the fact that our body, ego and our experience of the universe are created out of single stuff, which is consciousness or the Soul.  Due to ignorance, we identify the Soul with the body and we become egocentric.  

When we become aware of the fact that, the ‘Self’ is not the form but the ‘Self’ is formless then we become Soul -centric and realize the fact that all the three states are merely an illusion created out of consciousness.  Thus, consciousness is the ultimate truth. Consciousness is the real Self.    

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

Yogis and Gurus are not Gods. Rig Veda gives a clear idea of what is supposed to be the God, then why worship which is not God.+

The Guru worship is meant for the ignorant populace. For those who have chosen the path of wisdom, there is no need to follow Guru or worship the Guru as God.

The ‘Self’ is bodiless because the ‘Self is a formless, timeless, and spaceless existence. The ‘Self is not you but the ‘Self’ is the Soul. From the standpoint of the Soul, the world in which you exist is merely an illusion.

You and your Guru exist within the dualistic illusion. Performing the Pada Pooja (feet worship) to Advaitin Gurus, you will not get Advaitic wisdom.

A Guru who preaches conduct as the means to freedom believes in the experience of birth, life death, and the world as a reality, whereas the Advaitic Sage Sankara declares the world as unreal. Therefore, how actions performed in the unreal world can get moksha or freedom. Therefore there is a need to know the fact that, you are not the Self but the ‘Self’ is the Soul in order to understand and assimilate and realize the truth beyond the form, time, and space.

People think when they meet a Guru they get instant enlightenment because many people have experienced it. Such instant enlightenment is not wisdom but a hallucination.

And such enlightenment or any experience of that sort is temporary. There is no doubt people must have experienced but what they experienced is a mere hallucination. Experience implies duality. Experience is possible within form, time, and space.

The Guru is useless so long as the ultimate truth is unknown, and the Guru is equally useless when the ultimate truth or Brahman has already been known.

A guru is needed in the religious and the yogic path. There is no need for a Guru to acquire Self-knowledge.

Sage Sankara clearly indicates in Viveka Chudamani (2) that the Knower of the Atman (A Gnani) "bears no outward mark of a holy man." (Stanza 539).

So, Sage Sankara clearly indicates A Gnani "bears no outward mark of a holy man" then why hold Gurus and Yogis who identify themselves as holy men.

From the Advaitic perspective, A Gnani never identifies himself as a Guru or a Yogi or someone disciple. The one who accepts himself as a Guru or someone’s disciple is not a Gnani.

Ashtavakra Samhita: ~ "The man of knowledge (Gnani), though living like an ordinary man, is contrary to him and only those like him understand his state.

In Self-awareness, ignorance vanishes, and the unreal nature of the form, time, and space are exposed. In Self-awareness (in the midst of duality), the body is not considered a body, the ego is not considered as ego the world is not considered as the world because everything is created out of single stuff. That single stuff is consciousness (Soul). A Gnani is one who has realized everything is consciousness (Brahman). There is no second thing that exists other than consciousness.

Remember:~

Yogis and Gurus are not Gods. 

This idea of worshiping Gurus is not a Vedic idea but adopted from Jainism and Buddhism. 

Vedas bars human worship: ~

"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 Prakriti -- the material cause of the world ~ in place of the All-pervading God, But those who worship visible things born of the Prakriti, such as the earth, trees, bodies (human and the like) in place of God are enveloped in still greater darkness, in other words, they are extremely foolish, fall into an awful hell of pain and sorrow, and suffer terribly for a long time.":~  (Yajur Veda 40:9.)

When Veda says worshiping human bodies 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.

When there is a clear idea of what is supposed to be God then why worship what is not God. 

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

So, it clearly indicates that God is formless thus there is no scope for a form-based God. The religion and its ideas of Gods, and its theories of karma, heaven, hell, papa, Punya, rebirth, and 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.  : ~ Santthosh Kumaar