Through Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana, the Soul is awakened in the midst of duality.+

Humanity has to awaken to the reality of its true existence by realizing the world in which humanity exists is merely an illusion created out of the consciousness through Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana frees the Soul, the innermost Self from the cage of the dualistic illusion.

Sage Sankara says ~ VC-162- There is no liberation for a person of mere book knowledge, howsoever well-read in the philosophy of Vedanta, so long as one does not give up the false identification with the body, sense organs, etc., which are unreal.

People dwelling in ignorance, but thinking themselves wise and erudite, go round and round by various blind beliefs and tortuous paths and practices, like the blind led by the blind.

Swami Vivekananda said:~ "The Vedas teach that the Soul is divine, only held in the bondage of matter; perfection will be reached when this bond will burst, and the word they use for it is, therefore, Mukthi - freedom, freedom from the bonds of imperfection, freedom from death and misery."

The truth is very simple, but it is very difficult to grasp because of ignorance. You have to only realize the world in which you exist is created out of single clay. And that single clay is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Thus, you and your body and the world in which you exist are nothing but consciousness because they are merely an illusion created out of consciousness. Perfect understanding of ‘what is what’ is needed.

A Gnani can point at the sky, but the seeing of the star is the seeker's own work.

It is necessary to reflect on the same truth again and again till it becomes a reality. One needs to constantly reflect on the subject until he gets a firm conviction of what is what. Words are needed until one gets a firm conviction of ‘what is what’. 

People need to read and hear the words of wisdom to think reason and reflect deeply and reach the ultimate end. 

It takes time for the seeker to gain the perfect understanding of ‘what is the truth?’ and ‘’what is untruth?’. It takes time for the Soul, the innermost Self to wake up from the sleep of ignorance, and it takes time for one realizes the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space.  

The false is experienced as reality due to ignorance. Only through getting rid of the ignorance through Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana the Soul, the innermost 'Self' becomes free from experiencing the illusory duality as reality. 

One who holds the Soul as the true Self is entitled to liberation. Such a one has to reflect the nature of the mind.  

Where there is neither seeker nor goal, understand that this is the nature of the Soul, the innermost Self which is liberation. 

When wisdom dawns then the illusory duality disappears and the fallacy of the experience of birth, life, death, and the world is exposed.  

When the illusory reality of practical life dries up, the Soul is released from the false bondage, and that which has no birth is freed from the illusory experience of birth, life, death, and the world as a reality. 

Through the power of discrimination, the Soul mentally detaches itself from experiencing the illusory three states as reality, and the identification as being limited to the experience of the birth, life, death, and the world, are all destroyed the Soul rests in its own formless nondual true nature.  

The sense of duality is broken, the Soul, the Self, rests in the solitude of its own true nature. Through Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana,  the Soul is awakened in the midst of duality and realizes the duality is a mere mirage created out of itself and there is no second thing that exists other than itself. 

The curtain of duality is lifted,  non-distinction has broken distinctions, and the division of form, time, and space has disappeared. 

You are the waking entity (the ego). You perceive the world within the waking experience.  The waking experience is a state of ignorance.  Ignorance is the cause of experiencing the waking experience as a reality.  The waking experience is a dualistic illusion.  The dualistic illusion hides truth beyond form, time, and space.  

Upanishad says: ~ "He who thinks he knows, does not know."

This means that to know anything implies a second, an object of knowledge, hence dualistic truth that is not Advaitic wisdom or Gnana. Gnana is the knowledge of the Soul, the innermost Self. Just saying ‘I AM THIS’ or ‘I AM THAT’ is not wisdom.  

A  Gnani is fully aware the Self is the fullness of the consciousness.  The consciousness is not limited to the waking experience alone because it pervades all three states.  The one which is aware of the coming and going of the three states is not you but the Soul, the  Self. 

From the standpoint of the Soul, the Self, the three states are merely an illusion.  The illusion is created out of single stuff. That single stuff is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.   

Realizing the Self is not you but the Self is the Soul is Self-realization.  Self-realization is truth realization. Truth realization is God-realization.

The world in which we exist does not disappear for the Gnani, he sees other men as before, and he knows they need instruction: the world with people are seen, but its unreal nature is understood.

People who believe the yogi has bodily marks will be sitting on certain yogic postures or the meditation or not eating food for many years he has done penance in the Himalayas and he has done nationwide parikrama does not prove that he is a Gnani. The yogis do not attach sufficient importance to the truth that the body and the world are only an illusion created out of consciousness. The consciousness alone is real and all else is merely an illusion.

Whoever praises a Yogi, Gurus, or Swami is thinking of the man's body and therefore,  takes the body for reality.

Q:- What is this body?

A: - The body is only an illusion.

Q: - What is this world?

A: - The world is an illusion

Thus, the body and the world are merely an illusion, then one has to realize what the reality is.  The one who praises a yogi, guru, or swami has never understood the truth but merely believed in the reality of what he saw. 

Remember:~

Some Gurus say by dropping the body and mind you get enlightenment but without knowing what this body and mind are supposed to be in actuality it is impossible to realize the truth, which is hidden by the dualistic illusion, which is present in the form of the ‘I’.

People only imagine that way by dropping the body and the mind they get enlightenment. Imagination is not the truth. It is impossible to drop the body alone because the body and the world have appeared together and they disappear together.

Only by getting rid of the whole dualistic illusion the reality hidden by the dualistic illusion will be revealed. Only when the ignorance vanishes then only the dualistic illusion vanishes. Only through Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana, the ignorance vanishes.

From the dualistic perspective, people see the world in which they exist as a reality. They see their body as the body, their ego as the ego, and the world in which they exist as the world whereas a Gnani sees everything from the non-dualistic perspective.

Remember:~

A Gnani sees his body as the consciousness, his ego as consciousness, and the world in which he exists as the consciousness. 

For a Gnani, whatever is seen, known, believed, and experienced is nothing but consciousness. There is unity in diversity in Gnani understanding whereas the ignorant people see only diversity and separation.

In Advaitic Self-awareness, the ego is not considered as ego, even though ego is present, the body is not considered as body even though body is present, the world which confronts him is not considered as the world even though the world is present, the duality ceases even though the duality is present, because of wisdom everything is considered as consciousness. Thus, there is conscious oneness.

Only in ignorance, the world in which we exist is an illusion created out of the Soul, the  Self.

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

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

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

Thus, it is necessary to learn to view and judge the worldview from the non-dualistic perspective, in order to realize that form, time and space are one in essence. There is nothing to realize other than realizing the consciousness is everything. Consciousness is second to none.

Remember:~

When everything is nothing but consciousness then what remains, is not consciousness.

Without knowing ‘what is this mind in actuality it is impossible to realize the truth hidden by the mind. People are stuck thinking the mind is within their body and theorize and write books speculating and creating their own theories.

A deeper self-search reveals the fact that the ‘I’ is present in the form of mind. And the mind is in the form of the universe. And the universe appears as the waking or the dream (duality) and disappears as deep sleep (nonduality).

Self-realization is necessary to realize the mind, which is present in the form of the universe is merely an illusion. 

The mind cannot be destroyed because it is merely an illusion. When Advaitic wisdom dawns the unreal nature of the mind is exposed, the same way the unreal nature of the dream was exposed when the waking takes place.

I am highlighting all the obstacles in the inner journey and how to overcome these obstacles. All accumulated knowledge is of no use in the Atmic path.

It is for every seeker, who is on the Atmic path to realize himself “What is the truth? “and “What is untruth?” to assimilate the Self–Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. My postings are only signposts. The seeker's needs to reflect constantly on the subject until the cobwebs of his doubts and confusion get cleared.

It takes time for the seeker to gain the perfect understanding of ‘what is the truth’ and ‘’what is untruth’. It takes time for the Soul, the innermost Self to wake up from the sleep of ignorance, and it takes time for one realizes the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space. ~ Santthosh Kumaar

A Gnani perceives the Absolute, the All, within himself.+

Avadhuta Gita describes Sage (Gnani) as:~

Having renounced all, he moves about naked. He perceives the Absolute, the All, within himself.

The Avadhuta never knows any mantra in Vedic meter or any Tantra. Ashtavakra Gita similarly describes him:

The sage sees no difference between happiness and misery, Man and woman, Adversity and success.  Everything is seen to be the same. 

The sage is not conflicted By states of stillness and thought.  His mind is empty.  His home is the Absolute. 

Knowing for certain that all is Self, The sage has no trace of thoughts 
Such as “I am this” or “I am not that.” 

 The sage who finds stillness is neither distracted nor focused.  He knows neither pleasure nor pain.  Ignorance dispelled, He is free of knowing. 

How can one know the true Gnani?

Santthosh Kumaar:~  It is impossible unless one has sharp grasping power. He does not want any external marks to identify him, i.e. separate him from others.

The word “mark” means sitting in ashrams, wearing religious robes, sitting in Samadhi, performing miracles, etc. He lives a normal householder’s life. Only people can recognize a Gnani with his Gnana, not by his appearance.

The difference between the worldly enjoyments of the Gnani and the ordinary man is the latter is unhappy if his desire or habitual wants are denied satisfaction, whereas Gnani does not become miserable when pleasures to which he is habituated do not come. For the Soul, the innermost self, in which he knowingly believes, is the only thing that does not change, whereas the ordinary man lives in the ever-changing world.

The Gnani who enters deep sleep will not feel he is entering anything different or new. He knows the whole waking experience is an illusion and sleep is merely the disappearance of the illusion. Where has it gone? Only back into the Soul, the Self. Nothing is lost. Thus, using the dream illustration, the cities and ocean of his dream, when they disappear, are still not other than consciousness (Soul) and so the latter is unchanged by such disappearance. Similarly,  the Gnani does not lose his Gnana because he loses consciousness of the illusory waking experience in sleep.

 If one thinks he ought to retain gnanic consciousness in deep sleep, then he is in error, for who is to be conscious? The one which is conscious of the coming and going of the three states is not the waking entity (you) but the Soul, the Self.  

The Soul is the witness of the coming and going of the three states. The Soul also is the substance of the three states. And the Soul also is the source of the three states.  In reality,  the substance and witness and the source are one, in essence.  That essence is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.  Thus, the Soul or consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman.

Remember:~

R.K- Q: How can one recognize the true Gnani? Santthosh Kumaar:~ It is impossible unless one has sharp grasping power. He does not want any external marks to identify him, i.e. separate him from others. Even friends and family members of a Gnani will not know him as the Gnani. Due to ignorance, people will not be able to recognize a Gnani. Outwardly the Gnani behaves as an ordinary person behaves. A Gnani talks and jokes like others, but he is not understood as he really is. People may regard him as an exceptional person, but only a few can recognize him as a Gnani Nirakara:~ One can recognize a Gnani only by his Gnana. Wherever Gnani is present, Gnana comes out like a spring. Manduka Upanishads: ~ Even the Gods cannot find out who is a Gnani because he bears no external mark. Neither nudity nor the yellow robe has anything to do with him. Yogis, religious gurus, swamis, sadhus, priests, mythological storytellers, Fakirs, monks, and intellectuals are not Gnanis. Sage Sri, 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). The word “mark” means sitting in ashrams, wearing religious robes, sitting in Samadhi, performing miracles, etc. He lives a normal householder’s life. Only people can recognize a Gnani with his Gnana, not by his appearance. Gnani is nothing to do with religion and yoga, philosophies or religious Gods, or religious rituals because they all belong to the dualistic illusion (universe). Sage Sankara himself said: ~ A Gnani "bears no outward mark of a holy man" Sage Sankara: ~ "Though I wear these robes of a Sanyasin, it is only for the sake of bread." (Select Works of Sage Sri, Sankara" also his commentary on Brihad) So, Sage Sankara wore a Guru's robe only for the sake of the ignorant. So he was identified as Guru with parampara by religious people. For the truth seekers, Sage Sankara is a Brahma Gnani. Thus, it proves that the religious gurus and yogis are not Gnanis because they identified themselves as holy people. Thus it proves that Sage Sankara meant, taking sanyasa and wearing the religious robes to earn bread. Sanyasa is not a qualification to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana A Gnani sees the reality hidden by ignorance as it is in the midst of diversity (universe). Thus, the above passage proves that all those who were the sanyasin robes are wearing them for the sake of bread belong to the religion; they are nothing to do with the Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. 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. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

For a Gnani: ~Where is the body, where is the mind, where is the world.+

For a Gnani: ~

Where is the body, where is the mind, where is the world; the void; or despair in the true Self, which is the taintless Soul, which is present in the form of the consciousness. They are or have become consciousness. 

One thinks there is a mind when he has thoughts, but when thoughts are not considered different from the consciousness, which is the true Self, then where is the division into, waking, dream and deep sleep, etc.

Void implies duality: the universe may not exist, but the thought of the second is there. If one knows there is a Void (emptiness/nothingness), then there is something there to be known and know. They are or have become consciousness. 

What are the scriptures, what is Self-knowledge, what is the mind without the objects, what is contentment, and where is desirelessness for the formless Soul, the  Self, which is ever devoid of the sense of duality? 

What is knowledge? What is ignorance? What is the ego? What is duality? What is the mind? What is bondage? What is liberation? What is definableness to the formless Soul, the  Self, which is in the form of consciousness? 

All these appearances are an illusion, which comes and go; hence meaningless to the formless Soul, the Self. 

Egocentric knowledge is not the ultimate knowledge because ego-based knowledge is dualistic knowledge based on the object (body) as the subject. But in non-dualistic Knowledge whatever seems to exist also is consciousness; therefore, there is no scope for the existence of the second thing. 

What are the past karmas? What is liberation –in this life? and What is that liberation at death? for the birth- less Soul, which is ever nondual.

The nearest state to understand the Soul by itself is to eliminate mentally waking and dream as in deep sleep. Once this is grasped one has to understand everything is consciousness, which is the real Self. 

What is the doer or the enjoyer? What is the cessation of thoughts or arising of thoughts? What are immediate perceptions and their result to, the formless Soul, which is ever impersonal? 

A Gnani is the one who is never afraid of thinking and knowing all his individual experiences and the world to be consciousness. 

What is the world and what is meant by the aspirant for liberation; what is contemplative and what is the man of knowledge; what is the Self is and what liberated Self to the formless Soul, which is the non-dual essence. 

Remember:~

When we analyze the dream experience, we find the dream entity, a dream world with all people in it appeared as a whole, and the dream reality lasted until the waking experience appeared. When one tries to know the truth of his true existence in the waking through inquiry, analysis, and reasoning, one becomes aware of the fact that the Self is not physical, but it is a formless Soul, which is in the form of consciousness which is the essence of the three states from which the three states are made. Thus, the illusions of the three states are made of one single substance, which is consciousness. 

By realizing the formless substance, which is consciousness as the Self, the ignorance vanishes and one becomes aware of the fact that the three states are an illusion from the standpoint of the formless substance, which is also the witness of the three states. 

The Gnani does not belong to the religious or yogic Sanyasa Ashram. He is above all stages. He is "One above all ashrams."  Both Gnani and the ignorant see the multiplicity, but Gnani does not take the differences which he sees as being real. That is the difference between them. The Gnani sees the unity behind the differences.

A true Gnani can never renounce anything. It is impossible. He has only renounced ignorance.  Gnanis are one in billions for they have ignored the opinions of whole peoples in their independent search for truth and questioned all beliefs, all scriptures, and all authorities until they could be proved to be true. 

Even the arguments that religions have been followed since time immemorial make no difference to them because if people have believed a false thing over millions of years, the length of time does not prove it true.

The Gnanis position is that if enjoyment comes, he accepts it; if it does not, he is silent. Even when he is taking pleasures, however, he is not deluded by them and he regards them as a game he is playing for he knows their unreality: he does not take them seriously because he is fully aware of the fact that he and his experience of the pleasure and pain within the waking experience,  is as real as a dream. 

The one that witnesses the three states is not him, but the Soul.  The clouds do not affect the sky, although they appear to; so the pleasures and pain do not change the Gnani.

Remember:~

The Gnani will follow whatever occupation he wishes according to circumstances. There are no prohibitions for him. He may be a farmer or a billionaire

A  Gnani does not perform miracles to attract attention to the truth because they know such a miracle performed in the unreal world is bound to be a falsehood.  They know the whole universe in which they exist is created out of single stuff and that single stuff is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. 

A Gnani has his realization of the ultimate truth or Brahman even whilst in the midst of the waking experience. No separation of one from the other is necessary for him, nor indeed is it possible.

The one who wears the religious robe and symbol is not A Gnani.  One who has embarrassed sanyasa is not a Gnani. A Gnani remains as a householder and will go on with his usual avocation, plus these differences he will guide those with whom he comes in contact.

A Gnani guides all the seekers to the very end of their thinking; otherwise, they stop halfway and wrongly have an “I know” attitude.  This “I know” attitude is most dangerous and will not allow the seeker to reach the ultimate end of understanding.

When a man meets with doubt or confusion on his quest, he then needs guidance.  A Gnani clears all cobwebs of doubts and confusion without posing as a guru. A Gnani helps the seeker to know in which direction to turn.  

A  Gnani points out the pitfalls and when a seeker has made an error and he makes him aware of the error and points it out to him.

There is no such thing as personal salvation. Such an idea of salvation is imagination based on a dualistic perspective. 

Those who talk of finding moksha from religious rituals and yogic practices harbor the false notion that the individual ego is real and who are deceiving themselves.

The Gnani will guide the seeker, but it is absolutely necessary for the seeker to do his homework constantly over the guidance and master them by his own use of reason.:~Santthosh Kumaar 

Yogis, religious gurus, swamis, sadhus, priests, mythological story tellers, Fakirs, monks, intellectual are not Gnanis.+

Yogis, religious gurus, swamis, sadhus, priests, mythological storytellers, Fakirs, monks, and intellectuals are not Gnanis. 

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).  

A  Gnani is not a churchgoer or temple visitor. A Gnani never forces others to follow his way.  By visiting ashrams and meeting gurus or yogis, the wisdom will not dawn. There is no need to discuss the truth with people who are not yet ready to receive Self -knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

A Gnani helps the seekers on their appropriate level. His, however,  makes known that the higher stages exist and that the others are but steps. Hence, he does not discourage them.  A Gnani always does something which would elevate others who are in search of ultimate truth.

The Gnani works no miracle and does not dismiss the world which confronts him because he knows it as an illusion created out of consciousness.  He is fully aware of the true nature of the world in which he exists. He is not fooled by its reality.

 The only difference between A Gnani and the ordinary man is like the difference between the scientist and the worldly man. The scientist knows that the water he drinks is really hydrogen and oxygen, whereas the worldly man does not know. Yet both drink the water. Similarly, Gnani knows the external world is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, whereas worldly man does not know, yet both live and work in the world in the same way. There is no outside difference to be detected between Gnani and the worldly man.  The worldly man is egocentric whereas the Gnani is Soul-centric.

A  Gnani does not discourage others who believe in their inherited belief. A Gnani does argue or criticize if he is living among religious people.  He will nA  Gnani does not discourage others who believe in their inherited belief. A Gnani does argue or criticize if he is living among religious people.  He will not discuss the  Advaitic truth with others who are not seeking the truth.  

Yoga-Vasishta points out that a Gnani may be stealing in the company of rogues, or killing in the company of butchers, but always he will be amongst them to elevate them; to lift them up gradually to a higher ethic. But by not separating himself from them, by being like them and among them for a time, he can improve them and make them better.

A Gnani is one who removes "ignorance." In the dream,  one may see himself as a king, but the dream becomes unreal when the waking takes place. Similarly, the waking becomes unreal when wisdom dawns. The wisdom dawns when the waking entity (you) realizes it itself is not the self, but the self is the Soul, which witnesses the coming and going of the three states. In reality, the Soul (witness and the three states (witnessed) are one, in essence.

People misunderstand "omniscient." This is a misleading translation from Sanskrit. It really means "Everything is only Brahman, only of the nature of the  Soul, the innermost self."

When anyone questions a Gnani what are rock and that dog he will say rock is the consciousness and that dog is the consciousness. Hence, it means that he knows everything as consciousness. It does not mean that he is like a soothsayer and knows what will happen in the future or what has happened in the past.

The Gnani will guide the seekers, according to their capacity to understand the Advaitic truth. With the dualist people, he will keep the truth at a distance there: with an audience of the nondualist, he will discuss and help them to reach the ultimate end of understanding. He will be in silent mode and just listen to them because they cannot understand or are not ready and receptive to receive the Advaitic wisdom.

A Gnani is not opposed to any philosophy, but he only says they are inadequate and useless in the pursuit of truth. Although the adherents of all philosophies may consider i.e. imagine a Gnani as their enemy because they think ‘what they know is the ultimate truth.  Most people are stuck with some Guru or teaching and think that they have been blessed with knowledge from their Guru. And such people are stuck up in the pond of ignorance and refuse to come out of it.

Just as one does not taste now whilst awake at the sweet he saw in a dream, so the Gnani does not dispute truth with those who are still beclouded by duality.  The Gnani makes no voluntary effort but does what has to be done; therefore he will practice both activity and abstention at different times. :~Santthosh Kumaar 

Sage Sankara:~ Advaitic wisdom is the knowledge hidden by the illusory form, time and space.+

Sage Sankara is the foremost among the Sages of truth that India has produced. He was the expounder of the Advaitic wisdom, which is the knowledge hidden by the illusory form, time, and space. 

Sage Sankara was a Gnani for the seekers of truth and Jagadguru for the ignorant populace dynamic personality and a stupendous moral and spiritual force. His grasping and elucidating powers knew no bounds. He was a great Sage and was a powerful spiritual magnet.

Sage Sankara’s scholarly erudition and his masterly way of exposition of intricate philosophical problems have won the admiration of all the philosophical schools of the world.

Sage Sankara was an intellectual genius, a profound philosopher, an able propagandist, a matchless preacher, a gifted poet, and a great religious reformer. Perhaps, never in the history of any literature, a stupendous writer like him has been found. Even the Western scholars of the present day pay their homage and respects to him. Of all the ancient systems, that of Sage Sankara will be found to be the most congenial and the easiest to accept to the modern mindset.

There is no place for a personal God (Ishvara), Sage Sankara’s wisdom because the personal Gods imply duality.  The duality is an illusion. Thus, the ideas of personal Gods are part of the illusion; because of the curtain of ignorance man worships personal Gods within the illusion.

Sage Sankara’s supreme Atman is Attriubuteless (without the Gunas), Nirakara (formless), Nirvisesha (without attributes), and Akarta (non-agent). He is above all needs and desires.

Sage Sankara’s "This Atman is Self-evident. This Atman or Self is not established by proofs of the existence of the Self. It is not possible to deny this Atman, for it is the very essence of he who denies it. Atman is the basis of all kinds of knowledge. The Self is within, the Self is without, the Self is before and the Self is behind. The Self is on the right hand, the Self is on the left, the Self is above and the Self is below".

Satyam-Jnanam-Anantam-Anandam ~ are not separate attributes. They form the very essence of Atman. Atman cannot be described because the description implies a distinction. Atman cannot be distinguished from any other than Atman, which is present in the form of the Spirit.

The objective world-the world of names and forms has no independent existence. The Atman alone has real existence. The world is only Vyavaharika or phenomenal.

There is not one branch of knowledge that Sage Sankara has left unexplored and which has not received the touch, polish, and finish of his superhuman intellect.

Every seeker of truth has very high reverence for Sage Sankara and his wisdom. The loftiness, calmness, and firmness of his mind, the impartiality with which he deals with various questions, and his clearness of expression of the truth, which is beyond the form, time, and space all make us revere the Sage Sankara more and more. His wisdom will continue to live as long as the sun shines.

Sage Sankara taught that it was only through direct knowledge of Advaita that one could be enlightened.

Sage Sankara's wisdom can be summed up in the following words: ~

Brahma Satyam Jagat Mithya, Jeevo Brahmaiva Na Aparah

Atman alone is real, this world is unreal; the Jiva is identical to Atman.

Just as the snake is superimposed on the rope, this world in which you exist is superimposed on the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

If one gets the knowledge of the rope, the illusion of the snake will vanish. Even so, if one gets knowledge of the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, the world in which you exist will become unreal.:~Santthosh Kumaar 

Swami Vivekananda: ~ Beware of everything that is untrue. Stick to the truth and we shall succeed, may be, slowly, but surely.+

If one searches for truth within the domain of the form, time, and space then he will not find it. 

Deeper self-search makes one realize the fact that the form, time, and space are created out of single stuff. That single stuff is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. 

Thus, form, time, and space are merely an illusion created out of consciousness. Thus, consciousness alone is real and eternal.

When one searches for his Self then finds only the Soul. The Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, is the ultimate truth or Brahman. Brahman is God.

Meher Baba Said: ~ A true aspirant is not content with the knowledge of spiritual realities based on hearsay... he insists on the direct knowledge."

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)

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

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

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

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

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

Swami Vivekananda: ~ STICK TO TRUTH. Beware of everything that is untrue. Stick to the truth and we shall succeed, maybe slowly, but surely.

Sage Sankara: ~ VC ~ All this universe which through ignorance appears as of diverse forms is nothing else,  but Brahman which is absolutely free from all the limitations of Maya.  

When the Soul the innermost Self, establishes itself in its own awareness, then you and your experience of the world will become one with it.

When the Self is not you then what is the use of saying ‘I AM THIS’ OR ‘I AM THAT’.  The Self is not physical because the  Self is the formless Soul which is present in the form of the consciousness.  The Soul or the Spirit is genderless because it is ever formless. 

The Soul is birthless and deathless because it is the ever formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.  

The Self cannot be identified as he or she, thus the physical-based inquiry does not hold water. 

To realize the truth beyond form, time, and space,  the seeker has to drop all the accumulated egocentric knowledge.   Becoming more and more Soulcentric leads the seeker towards Advaitic Self-awareness. :~Santthosh Kumaar  

God has to be proved without religion and without religious books but only using our own reason.+

God has to be proved without religion and without religious books but only using our own reason. No one can claim they have visited religious heaven, hell, or paradise when such heaven, hell, or paradise does not exist in the domain of God in truth. Religious heaven, hell, and paradise are limited to religious books.

People, who worship the belief of God, are hallucinating that they become one with such God.

Vedas itself declares: 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. 

God in truth does not belong to any religion because God in truth is universal. God is not He or She because God is the Spirit. God in truth is nondual because God in truth is a formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.

Religious Gods are not God in truth. Bible says “God is a Spirit, and they that worship God must worship God in Spirit and in Truth. Rig Veda says may ye never accept another God in place of the Atman (Spirit) nor worship other than the Atman.

What is the use of arguing with religious believers?  They think what they know as the ultimate truth.

Whatever is real in the world in which we exist is God. All that is real in the world in which we exist is the Soul, the innermost Self.

Thus, by realizing the Self, which is the Soul, we discover the Soul, which is present in the form of the consciousness itself is God which is hidden by the ‘I’, which is the dualistic illusion. 

Remember:~

All God propagated by belief systems are nothing but imaginations. There is nothing so absurd, that men have not worshiped in religion, every imaginable face has been given to God. If God is the creator then it is foolish to worship anything as God from his creation because the creation is apart from God. 

Every religion has its own idea and conviction of God. Thus, every belief system is based on the false self.  Whatever based on the false self has to be a falsehood? Thus, the idea of God in any belief system is mere imagination based on the false self. 

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. 

Tattireya 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).

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. 

God is a formless, timeless, and spaceless existence. According to the Vedas, God neither has any neither image nor God resides in any particular idol or statue. God cannot be seen directly by anyone. God pervades all beings and all directions.

Remember:~

Mythological gods and Goddesses are based on blind belief or faith. The belief is not God. The belief implies duality. From the ultimate standpoint, the duality is merely an illusion. Thus, whatever one sees, knows, believes, and experiences within the dualistic illusion are bound to be an illusion.

Mythological stories are a myth. Whatever is based on myth is merely a superstition. Mythology was introduced in the past to the ignorant masses. It has to be discarded as one progresses in his spiritual advancement. 

All the mythological Gods are worshiped in the form of idols. The belief system which propagated ideas of many Gods and Goddesses Bhakti is the only way to God is simply trying to lead the people to darkness with its dogma and idea of many Gods, which is apart from the Self. 

Mythology breeds superstition, blind belief, senseless rituals, and the most irrational and gives them a divine outlook. Mythological stories are a myth. Whatever is based on myth is merely a superstition. Mythology was introduced in the past to the ignorant masses. It has to be discarded if one has to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman or real God. 

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

When Bhagavad Gita says, God is considered the all-pervading consciousness which is the basis of all the animate and inanimate entities and material then nothing has to be accepted other than consciousness a God. 

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. 

The dualistic worship of "God” is only for the ignorant populace. The God in truth is only Atman, the innermost Self. In reality, there is no duality, no differentiation. Only Atman exists. 

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

Rig Veda:~ Prajnanam Brahma- Consciousness is the ultimate reality or Brahman(God). 

Rig Veda: ~ The Atman is the cause; Atman is the support of all that exists in this universe. May I 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) 

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

Rig Veda 1/164/46: ~ “They call him Indra, Mitra, Varuna, Agni, or the heavenly sunbird Garutmat. The seers call in many ways that which is One; they speak of Agni, Yama, Matarishvan.

Rig Veda 8/58/2:~ Only One is the Fire, enkindled in numerous ways; only One is the Sun, pervading this whole universe; only One is the Dawn, illuminating all things. In very truth, the One has become the whole world.

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

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

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

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

Sage Sankara: ~"That which permeates all, which nothing transcends and which, like the universal space around us, fills everything completely from within and without, that Supreme non-dual Brahman (God) ~ that thou art." 

Sage Sankara:~ 'Let erudite scholars quote all the scripture, let Gods be invoked through sacrifices, let elaborate rituals be performed, let personal Gods be propitiated ~ yet, without the realization of one‘s identity with the Self, there shall be no liberation for the individual, not even in the lifetimes of a hundred Brahmas put together (verses-6) 

Sage Sankara’s wisdom is nothing to do with the orthodox belief systems. Some philosophers in the past dissented from this interpretation of Vedanta philosophy, holding that the incarnated Souls were separate from the Divine Essence and only finally merged with it after the cycles of birth. 

All these theoretical philosophies are based on the imagination based on the false self (ego or you) within the false experience (waking). 

Remember:~

Religion causes one to become crippled, Self-mortifying and Self-deprecating is not a religion, but the social system of controlling the populace through psychological deformation and retardation.

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

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

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

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

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

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