All Gurus and paramparas belong to the orthodoxy. Orthodoxy is nothing to do with Sri Sage Sri, Sankara’s Advaitic wisdom.+

The Guru who pretends to be Self- realized and plays with the emotions and sentiments of the seeker is a fraud, not a Gnani.

All the Guru Parampara is for the religious people.  There is no need for a Guru who wants to tread the path of wisdom.

Even Swami Vivekananda was Ramakrishna Paramahansa's disciple.  Swami Vivekananda himself said: ~   “You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher, but your own Soul.”

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 ultimate truth or Brahman.  The Guru and Guru paramparas are meant for the first audience, to help lead its followers along the way. However, there is no need to follow any parampara and follow any Guru for those who wish to realize the truth which is beyond form, time, and space. We should not mix religion with spirituality because religion is based on the ego and spirituality is based on the Soul.   Religion is concerned with its paramparas, not truth whereas spirituality is concerned only with the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space. Religion is not spirituality.

Sage Sankara: ~ "Though I wear these robes of a Sanyasin, it is only for the sake of bread." (Select Works of Sage  Sankara" also his commentary on Brihad)

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. There is no need to criticize and condemn the Gurus, yogis, and swamis because they are needed for the welfare of the ignorant masses in the dualistic world.

All Gurus and paramparas belong to the orthodoxy. Orthodoxy is nothing to do with  Sage  Sankara’s Advaitic wisdom.

Identifying the Atman as Self is the most important in the Atmic path.  The consciousness is the substratum on which the dualistic illusion is experienced. Consciousness is hidden by the dualistic illusion.   The consciousness that dwells in everything and everywhere in the universe, is the dualistic illusion.

The innermost Atman, the real Self. Atman is present in the form of consciousness. The whole dualistic illusion is nothing but the consciousness, the consciousness alone is real and eternal.  The path of orthodoxy is meant for the ignorant populace.

Genuine philosophy must be independent of religion, that in Sage Sankara himself the Saguna Brahman or a personal God is only a part of the phenomenal (if not illusory) world, and the Nirguna Brahman (God) is the only reality and has nothing to do with religion.  

Sage Sankara’s Supreme Brahman (God) is impersonal, Nirguna (without Gunas or attributes), Nirakara (formless), Nirvisesha (without special characteristics), immutable, eternal, and Akarta (non-agent).

Brahman is above all needs and desires.

 Brahman is always the Witnessing Subject.

Brahman can never become an object as it is beyond the reach of the senses.

Brahman is non-dual, one without a second.

Brahman has no other besides it.

Brahman 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 in truth) ~ that thou art."

Sage Sankara, Upanishads, and Vedas say:~ “God is in the form of the Athma, and God is indeed Athma itself” then why accept another God in place of the Atman or worship other than the Atman.

Sage Sankara says: ~ Atman is Brahman. The Atman alone is real is not the religious truth but scientific truth.  Sage Sankara declared this Advaitic truth, which is the ultimate truth to the whole world, many centuries back is the rational truth, the scientific truth, and the ultimate truth.

Thus, the Atman which is present in the form of the consciousness is real and eternal, the world in which we exist is merely an illusion. :~Santthosh Kumaar 

Advaitic orthodoxy is meant for the ignorant populace that is unfit to grasp the highest truth.+

Sage Sankara gave religion and scholasticism and yoga no less than philosophy, to the seeking world. He was great enough to be able to do so. His commentary on Manduka is pure philosophy, but many of his other books are presented from a religious standpoint to help those who cannot grasp his Advaitic wisdom.

Advaitic wisdom is nothing to do with Advaitic orthodoxy, which is dualistic. Advaitic orthodoxy is a sect, which blindly accepts and follows dogmas and superstitions.

The Advaitic orthodoxy is not the means to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.  Advaitic orthodoxy is meant for the ignorant populace that is unfit to grasp the highest truth.   The Advaitic orthodoxy is nothing to do with the ultimate truth or Brahman.

Orthodoxy is the home of mysticism and deification that is why they are not keen on the rational truth. Thus, Sage Sankara is the Jagadguru to the religious followers and he is a Brahma Gnani to the seeking world.    One should not mix the orthodox path with the Atmic path. 

The orthodox Advaita tradition follows the system of pancayatana puja, where Vishnu, Siva, Sakti, Ganapati, and Surya are worshiped as forms of saguna Brahman. Vishnu and Siva, the Great Gods of Hinduism, are both very important within the Advaita tradition.

Orthodox Advaitins believe that the distinction between the worshipper and God, the object of worship, is ultimately transcended and that the act of worship itself points to this identity.

Orthodox Advaitins believe in the theory of karma, which sets the cycle of rebirths into motion. All actions, good or bad, create their own karmic residues called vasanas, which exhibit their results over a period of time. The karma which has already started taking fruit is called Prarabdha Karma. This is the karma that is responsible for the current birth. The accumulated karma which is yet to take fruit is called sanchit karma. As long as the cycle of rebirth continues, more karma will be done in the future, and this is called Agamin karma. Liberation (moksha) is the way out of this endless cycle.

In Brahma Sutras Sage Sankara takes for granted, and assumes that a world was created: He there mixes dogmatic theology with philosophy.

That God created the world is an absolute lie; nevertheless, you will find Sage Sankara (in his commentary on Vedanta Sutras) clearly says this! He has to adapt his teachings to his audience, reserving the highest for philosophical minds.

The Brahma Sutras are based on religion and dogmatism, but in the commentary, Sage  Sankara geniusly introduced some philosophy.

 If it is objected that a number of Upanishads are equally dogmatic because they also begin by assuming Brahman, but a few Upanishads do not but prove Brahman at the end of a train of proof.

The causality and creation, but these are for religious people only.  Religion is only for those who are unable to understand truth beyond form, time, and space. Religion is not final. It only gives satisfaction to the populace. The Self - knowledge is for the whole of humanity to free them from experiencing birth, life, death, and the world as reality.

People of small intelligence follow religion and believe that the world was created by God. But how do they know that He did so? When a pot is created, one can see both pot and its maker, but not in the case of the world.

Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana is meant only for those who have an intense urge, and courage to accept the truth with humility and reject the untruth. Since people start comparing their scriptural knowledge, it becomes impossible to assimilate and realize the Advaitic truth.   Therefore, there is no need to convince anyone other than our own selves to get a firm conviction.

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

The identity of Atman and Brahman is a matter of absolute truth, not just a temporary ritual identification.

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. :~Santthosh Kumaar 

The ‘Self-realization' through yoga is not philosophic.+

Yogic practices will not help in the path towards Self- realization.  The ‘Self-realization' through yoga is not philosophic. Every yogi who shuts himself in a cave is not thereby freed from thinking.

Panchadasi: ~ Impossibility of yoga arriving at a successful end to its practices.  (P.509 v, 109)

Yoga can lead only to temporary peace because the world is subject to change. Only Self- knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana can yield Advaitic awareness in the midst of the form, time, and space. 

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.

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

Bhagavan Buddha gave up yoga after practicing it for six years. He saw it could not yield truth.

Bhagavan Buddha gave up his austerities of yoga as impossible and useless. Thus, Buddha got enlightenment only after he gave up Yoga. (Page.70/71 "Buddhism in Translation” by Warren)

Unless one exercises his Buddhi ~reason--there is no chance of getting the ultimate truth or Brahman.

Buddhism has not proved the truth of Nonduality.  Advaitic Sages agree the Bhagavan Buddha pointed out the unreality of the world.

Bhagavan Buddha told people they were foolish to cling to it. But he stopped there. He came nearest to Vedanta in speech but not to Vedanta fully.

Only when we independently search for the truth without religion and its doctrine then we will be able to realize the truth beyond form, time, and space.

Those who have a firm conviction that yoga is final then they must continue with the yogic pursuit. The Path of wisdom is not for those who believe the Self is within their body. The Self is not within their body, but the Self is hidden within the world in which they exist.  :~Santthosh Kumaar  

Upanishads ridicule the worshipers of deities as a dim-witted person no better than a beast.+

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

Sage Sankara: ~ "Though I wear these robes of a Sanyasin, it is only for the sake of bread."

~ This shows he was wearing the religious robe only for the sake of bread." Thus, it means those who are wearing the religious robe for the sake of bread.

All the rituals based on the false belief of Gods will not yield any fruits and they are meant for the ignorant populace who are unable to grasp the God beyond the form, time, and space.

Sage Sankara criticized severely the ritualistic attitude and those who advocated such practices.

Ceremonials and sacrifices lead men round and round, and not to the ultimate goal to which an understanding of the Self alone can lead. Worshipping of the non-Vedic Gods will not yield any fruit.  The Vedas confirm God is Atman (spirit), the Self.

The religion of the Veda knows no idols, then why so many Gods and Goddesses with different forms and names are being propagated as Vedic Gods. Why these conceptual Gods are introduced when the Vedic concept of God is free from form and attributes.

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)

God and Goddesses worshipped in India today are non-Vedic Gods.   Such Gods and Goddesses cease to exist without the dualistic illusion. Whatever belongs to the dualistic illusion is bound to be a falsehood.

Rig Veda clearly declares that God is Atman and never accepts another God in place of the Atman nor worship other than the Atman.   Then why worship any other God in place of the Atman, the real God.

Bhagavad Gita: ~ Brahmano hi pratisthaham ~ Brahman (God) is considered the all-pervading consciousness (Spirit), 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 (Spirit) which is the basis of all the animate and inanimate entities and material then nothing has to be accepted as God other than consciousness. 

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 Self.   In reality, there is no duality, no differentiation. Only Atman exists.

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

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.

Yajurveda says God is Supreme Spirit has no 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. Therefore, why worship the Gods when they cease to exist without the dualistic illusion.

Yajurveda warns  people those who worship  non~Vedic Gods  in place of  Vedic 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.)

The rituals mentioned in the karmakanda of the Vedas are sought to be negated in the jnanakanda which is also part of the same scripture. While the karmakanda enjoins upon you the worship of various deities and lays down rules for the same, the jnanakanda constituted by the Upanishads ridicules the worshipper of deities as a dim-witted person no better than a beast.

This seems strange, the latter part of the Vedas contradicting the former part. The first part deals throughout with karma while the second or concluding part is all about jnana. Owing to this difference, people have gone so far as to divide our scripture into two sections: the Vedas (that is the first part) to mean the karmakanda and the Upanishads (Vedanta) to mean the jnanakanda.

Remember:~ 

Dogmas and beliefs, rituals, and ceremonies are the essences of the religion, not of the spirituality. Religion has become merely a matter of external rituals and ceremonies. Religion hides the truth beyond form, time, and space.  Until the form, time and space are present the duality is present. The duality creates the illusory prison to the Soul, the  Self.

Religious rites and rigid ceremonies were passed down from one generation to the next as a practice or set customs and tradition and performed automatically with blind faith. Such worship based on the belief of God does not reach God.

Religious rites and ceremonies, yagnas and homas, havans, or any other forms of ritual are meant for the ignorant populace.

Belief in God without knowing God in actuality holds the worshiper more firmly in the grip of ignorance. 

All worship and the ceremonies and rituals performed on the base of non-~Vedic Gods will not yield any fruits.  A deeper self-search reveals the fact that worshiped, the worship and worshiper, and the world are merely an illusion created out of consciousness.

Religious rites and ceremonies, yagnas and homas, havans, or any other forms of ritual formal observance have long since set in. 

Religious rites and ceremonies, yagnas and homa, havans, or any other forms of ritual are meant for the ignorant populace. In the Atmic path, the seeker has to discard what is not needed to realize the truth, which is beyond the form, time, and space.

Religious rites and ceremonies, yagnas and homa, havans, or any other forms of ritual formal observance have long since set in.

Sage Sankara says:~ The scriptures dealing with rituals, and rewards are therefore addressed to an ignorant person. Thus, the rituals are meant for ignorant people.

One of Sage Sankara’s missions was to wean people away from a ritualistic approach advocated by Mimamsakas and to project wisdom (jnana) as the means of liberation in the light of Upanishad teachings.

Sage Sankara criticized severely the ritualistic attitude and those who advocated such practices. However, the orthodox texts that combined rituals with wisdom (jnana_karma_samucchaya) more in favor of the Mimamsaka position came into vogue, projecting Sage  Sankara as the rallying force of the doctrine.

Sage Sri, Sankara said:~ Talk as much philosophy as you like, worship as many Gods as you please, observe ceremonies, and sing devotional hymns, but liberation will never come, even after a hundred aeons, without realizing the Oneness.

That is why  Sage Sankara:~ (11) As regards the rituals, Sage Sankara says, the person who performs rituals and aspires for rewards will view himself in terms of the caste into which he is born, his age, the stage of his life, his standing in society, etc. In addition, he is required to perform rituals all through his life. However, the 'Self' has none of those attributes or tags. Hence, the person who superimposes all those attributes on the changeless, eternal Self and identifies the Self with the body is a confusing one for the other; and is, therefore, an ignorant person. The scriptures dealing with rituals, rewards, etc. are therefore addressed to an ignorant person.- Adhyasa Bhashya

Sage Sankara:~ (11.1) This ignorance (mistaking the body for Self) brings in its wake a desire for the well-being of the body, aversion for its disease or discomfort, fear of its destruction, and thus a host of miseries(anartha). This anartha is caused by projecting karthvya(“doer” sense) and bhokthavya (object) on the Atman. Sankara calls this adhyasa. The scriptures dealing with rituals, rewards, etc. are, therefore, he says, addressed to an ignorant person. -Adhyasa Bhashya

Sage Sankara:~ (11.2) In short, a person who engages in rituals with the notion “I am an agent, doer, thinker”, according to Sage Sankara, is ignorant, as his behavior implies a distinct, separate doer/agent/knower; and an object that is to be done/achieved/known. That duality is Avidya, an error that can be removed by Vidya. -Adhyasa Bhashya

Sage Sankara: ~ (12) Sage Sankara affirming his belief in one eternal unchanging reality (Brahman) and the illusion of plurality, drives home the point that Upanishads deal not with rituals but with the knowledge of the Absolute (Brahma Vidya) and the Upanishads give us an insight into the essential nature of the Self which is identical with the Absolute, the Brahman. -Adhyasa Bhashya

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. :~Santthosh Kumaar 

The thoughts arise only in the domain of the form, time, and space.+

Some Gurus say simply ask yourself: ~

To whom do these thoughts come? Find out the source of your thoughts?

All these thought-based teachings will not yield Advaitic wisdom because they are only knowledge based on form, time, and space. the Advaitic truth is beyond form, time, and space. 

The thoughts arise only in the domain of form, time, and space. The thoughts come to you because you exist within the domain of form, time, and space. You are the thinker. You are the false self within the false experience. Without you, the thoughts will not arise.

In the dream, the thoughts come to the dream entity. The dream entity is a thinker within the dream. The dream becomes unreal when the waking takes place. Similarly, the waking becomes unreal when Advaitic wisdom dawns. The Advaitic wisdom dawns when you realize the ‘Self’ is not you, but the ‘Self’ is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

If the ‘Self’ is not you then what is the use of asking yourself,  To whom do these thoughts come? Find out the source of your thoughts?. 

The thoughts come to you, not to the Soul, the ‘Self’ because the Soul is the ever formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.

From the standpoint of the Soul, the Self, the form, time, and space are merely an illusion.

If the form, time, and space are merely an illusion then you, your thoughts, and the world in which you exist are merely an illusion. 

Thus, what is the use of finding out about the thoughts which come to you, not to the Soul, the Self’?

Thus, Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana is necessary to realize the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space. 

Remember:~ 

Thoughtlessness is not wisdom. The thinker, thoughts, and the world are part of the illusion. The thought will not arise without form, time, and space. The form, time, and space will not arise without the mind. The mind ceases to exist without the Soul which is in the form of the Spirit. Therefore, there is a need to know the “Self” is not limited to the physical entity (you), but it pervades everything and everywhere in the experience of diversity (waking or dream). 

Deep sleep is the state of thoughtlessness, silence, wordlessness, silence but it is not considered a  state of oneness because anyone can take a sleeping pill and will be able to get the state of Oneness. 

Thus, trying to imitate the state of oneness in duality by observing silence, thoughtlessness, wordlessness, or by yogic Samadhi or surrendering to the physical Guru, the Advaitic wisdom will not dawn. Without the Advaitic wisdom, ignorance will not vanish. Thus, getting rid of ignorance through wisdom is the only way to realize the ultimate truth, or Brahman.   : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Some modern Gurus talk of surrendering to God without knowing what God supposed to be in truth.+

Some modern Gurus talk of surrendering to God without knowing what God supposed to be in truth. Just by saying open your heart and surrender nothing happens. Playing with the words and playing with the emotions leads only to hallucinations. 

  

The Guru who pretends he to be Self- realized and plays with the emotions and sentiments of the seeker is a fraud,  not a Gnani.

Only a perfect understanding of what is 'what’ leads to truth realization. The truth-realization is Self-realization. Self-realization is God-realization.

If you are seeking truth nothing but the truth then you must not get stuck to any Guru or yogi. Those who are seeking truth need not follow any Guru or any teaching.

Yoga Vasistha says:~ Self-knowledge or knowledge of truth is not had by resorting to a Guru (preceptor) nor by the study of scripture, nor by good works: it is attained only by means of inquiry inspired by the company of wise (Gnani). One’s inner light alone is the means, naught else. When this inner light is kept alive, it is not affected by the darkness of inertia. 

There is no need to condemn Gurus, but there is a need to highlight how they become an obstacle in realizing the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth.

Swami Vivekananda said: ~   “You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher, but your own Soul.”

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

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

Remember:~ 

People talk of surrendering the mind. How can you surrender the mind without knowing what the mind supposed to be in actuality?

Surrendering to something of the dualistic illusion keeps the Soul, the Self in the grip of the ignorance. The Advaitic wisdom will not dawn by surrendering to any idea propagated by the Gurus. Surrendering is a religious fable.  Surrendering is nothing to do with the ultimate truth or Brahman. 

The mind is virtually the universe. The universe appears as waking or dream (duality) and disappears from deep sleep (nonduality).  Efforts should be made to understand the mind. Advaitic is wisdom is an ancient truth preserved as a secret by sages of truth. 

                                                    

We are within the illusion. Whatever we have seen, feel, known, believed and experienced are also within the illusion. The formless substance and witness of the illusion is the Soul, the Self.

 In Self-awareness, the substance and witness are one in essence. That essence is the Soul which is present in the form of the consciousness (Spirit).
     

The dream entity and the dream world are within the dream. Similarly, you and your experience of the world are within the waking experience.  The witness of the dream is not the waking entity.  Similarly, the witness of the waking experience is not the waking entity. The Soul is the witness of the coming and going of the three states.   The three states are nothing to do with the Soul, the Self because, on the standpoint of the Soul the Self,   the three states are non-existent as reality. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar