The seeker has to realize ‘what is this ‘I’ suppose to be in actuality.+

‘I AM’ is not a reality. Whenever the ‘I AM’ is there the dualistic illusion is present. Whenever dualistic illusion is present the world in which you exist is present. The world in which you exist appears and disappears. Thus, The ‘I AM’ appears and disappears. The ‘I AM’ is not permanent. The Soul, the innermost Self is the witness of the coming and going, of the ‘I Am. It is erroneous to identify the Soul, the innermost Self as the ‘I AM'. The ‘I am’ represents ignorance. How can you watch the ‘I AM’ the truth which is hidden by the ‘I AM'. by you keeping quiet and keeping silent the truth will not emerge.

The ‘I’ hides the Soul. Therefore, the seeker has to realize ‘what is this ‘I’ suppose to be in actuality

If the Self is not ‘I’ but the Self is the Soul then from the standpoint of the Soul, the Self:~

Where is the ‘I’?

Where is the ego?

Where is the body?

Where is the mind?

Where is the world in which you exist?

Where are the form, time, and space?

Where is the waking experience?

Where is the duality?

Where is void?

They are or have become one with the Soul which is present in the form of consciousness. The consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman.

The ‘I’ is present only when the mind is present. The mind is present only when the world is present. The world is present only when there is the waking experience.

Deeper self-search reveals the fact that the waking experience is not considered different from the world. The world is not considered different from the mind. The mind is not considered different from the’ I’. This truth has to be assimilated.

The ‘I’ is merely an illusion created out of the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. ‘I’ is not the subject. The ‘I’ is an object to the Soul, which is the formless, timeless, and spaceless subject.

If the ‘I’ is an illusion then the world in which you exist is bound to be an illusion.

If the ‘I’ is an illusion then three states, are bound to be an illusion.

If the ‘I’ is an illusion then the form, time, and space are bound to be an illusion.

If I’ is an illusion then the individual experience of birth, life, death is bound to be an illusion.

If the ‘I’ is an illusion then the words and thoughts are bound to be an illusion.

If the ‘I’ is an illusion then the duality is bound to be an illusion.

The seeker has to make sure what is this ‘I’ supposed to be? The seeker has to make sure the unreal nature of the ‘I’ which comes and goes in order to realize the truth, which is beyond the form, time, and space>

That is why Bhagavad Gita: ~ The permanent is always there, only the transient ‘I’ comes and goes. (2.18)

The ‘I’ hides the Soul, the Self, which is present in the form of consciousness. 

People think the ‘I’ without the body is the Self. The seeker has to understand the fact that ‘I’ is not the Self, but the witness of the ‘I’ is the true Self, which is eternal.

That is why Ashtavakra Gita 16:10:~ If you desire liberation, but you still say "I," If you feel the ‘Self’ is the ‘I’, You are not a wise man or a seeker. You are simply a man who suffers.

People are stuck with the reality of the ‘I’, which they take as real because some Gurus have propagated the Self is the ‘I’. is no need to convince such mindsets. The seeker of truth accepts only the truth nothing but the truth.

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

People refuse to accept anything other than their Gurus words. For them, their Gurus words are the ultimate truth. They do not accept anything else other than their accepted truth. There is no need to convince such a mindset.

Such mindsets are not fit to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. The seekers of truth accept only the truth nothing but the uncontradictable truth. :~Santthosh Kumaar 

Stop this head and heart game to realize the Self hidden by ignorance.+

The Yoga Sastras say that the Sahasrara or brain is the seat of the Self. The Purusha Sukta declares that the Heart is its seat. When the ‘Self’ is not the body then why you are thinking of the brain and the heart.  Stop this head and heart game to realize the Self hidden by ignorance. The Soul, the Self has neither heart nor head because it is ever nondual. 

The Soul, the innermost self is ever formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.  The ‘Soul is not within the body, but the world in which you exist is within the Soul. When you realize the world in which you exist is created out of the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness then you will realize the world in which you exist is merely an illusion created out of the Soul, which is present in the form of the consciousness.

That is why Sage Sankara:~  VC~.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.

Mundaka Upanishad 1.3:~ "Complete knowledge includes knowledge of the phenomenal world, the spirit behind it, and the source of both of them.  When the cause of all causes becomes known, then everything knowable becomes known, and nothing remains unknown is Gnana.”

It takes time for the seeker to gain a perfect understanding of ‘what is the truth?’ and ‘’what is untruth?’.

As you raft upon which you cross the swift river to get to the other side; once you are on the other side of the shore; there is no longer any need to carry the raft. The far shore is the reality when you reach it, you can see quite clearly that there was never any river at all.

Remember 

What is this ‘I’?

The ‘I’ is not a thought. The ‘I’ is the mind. The mind is the whole universe. The universe appears as waking or dream (duality and disappears as deep sleep (nonduality). The one that appears as waking or dream (duality) and disappears as deep sleep (nonduality), is the Soul, the Self. The Soul is present in the form of consciousness. The consciousness pervades everything and everywhere in all three states.

Without knowing what the mind is, it is impossible to realize the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space. People think the mind is within the body, but deeper self-search reveals the fact that the world in which you exist itself is the mind. 

When the ‘I’ is present then only the mind is present. If the mind is present then only the universe is present. If the universe is present then only the waking is present. Thus, it is very much necessary to realize the ‘what ‘I’ is in actuality. Without knowing ‘what is this ‘I’ it is impossible to realize the ‘I-less’ truth, which is beyond the form, time, and space.

Until you hold the ‘Self ‘as the ‘I’ you will never be able to get Self-realization.

‘I’ hides the Soul, which is the  Self. ‘

I’ is ignorance.

‘I’ is the duality.

‘I’ is form, time, and space.

‘I’ is the universe.

‘I’ is the waking.

‘I’ is the dream.

‘I’ is the illusion.

‘I’ is the experience of birth, life, death, and the world.

Remember:~

Without the ‘I’ there is no ignorance.

Without the ‘I’ there is no duality.

Without the ‘I’ there is no form, time, and space.

Without the ‘I’ there is no universe.

Without the ‘I’ there is no waking.

Without the ‘I’ there is no dream.

Without the ‘I’ there is no illusion.

Without the ‘I’ there is no experience of birth, life, death, and the world.

The ‘I’ hides the truth of the whole. The ‘I’ hides the truth.

That is why Ashtavakra Gita 16:10:~ If you desire liberation, but you still say ‘I,’, If you feel the ‘Self’ is the ‘I’, you are not a wise man or a seeker. You are simply a man who suffers.

Bhagavad Gita: ~ The permanent is always there, only the transient ‘I’ comes and goes. (2.18)

Remember:~ 

The Soul ~ the One without A Second.

The Soul is the spiritual heart. The Soul is Self-evident. It is not established by extraneous proofs. It is not possible to deny the Soul because It is the very essence of the one who denies It. The Soul is the basis of all kinds of knowledge, presuppositions, and proofs. Self is within, the Self is without; the Self is before, the Self is behind; the Self is on the right, the Self is on the left;  the Self is above and the Self is below.  The Soul is everything. Thus, the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, is the ultimate truth or Brahman. ~Santthosh Kumaar

The Self is not within you because you are not the Self.+

What is the use of saying ‘I am’ not the body when the Self is not the ‘I’?  The Self is not within you because you are not the Self.  If the ‘Self is not the ‘I’ then what is the use of saying ‘I THAT’ ‘I AM’ with this ‘I AM’.  You must know the ‘Self’ in truth.  You must realize the truth with full conviction ‘what is truth to realize ‘what is the untruth.

That is why Ashtavakra Gita 16:10:~ If you desire liberation, but you still say "I" If you feel the ‘Self’ is the ‘I’, You are not a wise man or a seeker. You are simply a man who suffers.

The Soul is the innermost Self. The nature of the Soul is ‘I-LESS’ existence.  The soul is permanent is always there, only the transient ‘I’ comes and goes.

Thus, it is necessary to know the ‘I’ itself is merely an illusion to realize the truth beyond the form, time, and space.   The seeker has to realize the truth of the whole, not the part. 

When the ‘Self’ is not you but the ‘Self is the Soul, which is present in the form of the consciousness then what is the use of discussing about the birth, life, death, and the world because of the one, which is born, lives and dies is not the ‘self.   The Soul is birthless and deathless because it is the ever formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.

You are the birth entity. Your existence is limited to form, time, and space. Your religion, your religious Gods your beliefs, your religious rituals and prayers, your race, your nationality are nothing to do with the Soul, the innermost  ‘Self’  because the Soul, which is present in the form of the consciousness itself is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth.

From the Vedic perspective, all your religious Gods are non-Vedic Gods based on imagination.

Religious Gods are based on blind belief. Belief is not God.  Religious God cannot be considered as the center because the Soul, the innermost ‘Self’ is the center of all that exists. Without the Soul the world in which you exist ceases to exist, which means the religious God is dependent on the Soul for his existence. God in truth is only the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

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

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 as God other than consciousness. 

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

Even 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)

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad: ~  "He who worships the deities as entities entirely separate from the Self does not know the truth. For the Gods, he is like a pasu (beast)". (1. 4. 10)

That is why Sage Sankara says:~VC-v6- 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.

Sage Sankara goes on to say: ~A sickness is not cured by saying the word “medicine.” You must take the medicine. Liberation does not come by merely saying the word “Brahman.” Brahman must be realized. Until you allow this apparent universe to dissolve from your consciousness until you have realized Brahman, how can you find liberation just by saying the word Brahman? The result is merely noise. Until a man has destroyed his enemies and taken possession of the splendor and wealth of the kingdom, he cannot become a king by simply saying “I am a king.”

A buried treasure is not uncovered by merely uttering the words: “Come forth.” You must follow the right directions, dig, remove the stones and earth from above it, and then make it, your own. In the same way, the pure truth of the Atman, which is buried under Maya and the effects of Maya, can be reached by meditation, contemplation, and other spiritual disciplines but never by subtle arguments.

The Atmic path is not for religious and yogic-minded people. Religious and yogic people must move on their chosen path. The Atmic path is for only seekers of truth who are seriously searching for the truth of their own existence.  

Remember :

Freedom means freedom from ignorance. It is not you who is seeking freedom. It is the Soul, the Self which seeks freedom from ignorance.

Shun the ignorance which is present in the form ‘I’ and thinks the ignorance is like poison.

Turn your attention to the Soul, the Self, which is present in the form of consciousness. The Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God. Free the Soul, the Self from the illusory prison of the form, time, and space.

When you realize the ‘Self is not you but the ‘Self’ is the Soul automatically the world in which you exist loses its luster of the reality.

Remember: you are the false self within the dualistic illusion, which is present in the form of the ‘I’. without the ‘I’ you, and the world in which you exist ceases to exist. So do not limit the ‘I’ to an individual because ‘Self is not ‘I’ because the ‘I’ is a whole dualistic illusion.

If you are not the ‘Self’ but the ‘Self’ is the Soul, then how can you say ‘I AM THAT’ when the Self is not you but the Soul.

Perfect understanding of ‘what is what’ leads to Self-realization.

Holding ‘I-centric’ gurus and their teaching as final blocks Self-realization.

If you are the seeker of truth, then you must accept only the truth, not the ‘I-centric or you-centric knowledge, which is half-baked knowledge. The ‘I-centric or ‘you-centric’ is not Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

The ‘I’ hides the reality of existence. The nature of existence is a formless, timeless, and spaceless existence. There is no ‘I’ in reality. The ‘I’ is merely an illusion. Whatever belongs to the ‘I’ is an illusion.

The ‘I’ is merely an illusion created out of the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. ‘I’ is not the subject. The ‘I’ is an object to the Soul, which is the formless, timeless, and spaceless subject.

Bhagavad Gita: ~ “You must first see the ‘I’ as illusory before you see others as illusory. ~ CH.2 v.16

If the ‘I’ is an illusion, then the world in which you exist is bound to be an illusion.

If the ‘I’ is an illusion then three states, are bound to be an illusion.

If the ‘I’ is an illusion then the form, time, and space are bound to be an illusion.

If I’ is an illusion then the individual experience of birth, life, death is bound to be an illusion.

If the ‘I’ is an illusion, then the words and thoughts are bound to be an illusion.

If the ‘I’ is an illusion, then the duality is bound to be an illusion.

The seeker has to make sure what is this ‘I’ supposed to be? The seeker has to make sure the unreal nature of the ‘I’ which comes and goes to realize the truth, which is beyond the form, time, and space.

That is why Bhagavad Gita: ~ The permanent is always there, only the transient ‘I’ comes and goes. (2.18)

The ‘I’ hides the Soul, the Self, which is present in the form of consciousness. The ‘I’ itself is ignorance. The ‘I’ itself is a dualistic illusion.

People think the ‘I’ without the body is the Self. The seeker has to understand the fact that ‘I’ is not the Self, but the witness of the ‘I’ is the true Self, which is eternal.

People are stuck with the reality of the ‘I’, which they take 'I' as real because some Gurus have propagated the Self is the ‘I’. is no need to convince such a mindset. The seeker of truth accepts only the truth nothing but the truth.

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

People refuse to accept anything other than their Gurus words. For them, their Gurus words are the ultimate truth. They do not accept anything else other than their accepted truth. There is no need to convince such a mindset.

Such a mindset is not fit to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Athma Gnana. The seekers of truth accept only the truth nothing but the uncontradictable truth.

The Advaitic wisdom of Sage Sankara has dynamic, direct, universal appeal.: ~ Santthosh Kumaar

All mantras are based on the mythological Gods keeps one in the prison of the dualistic illusion.+

Why waste time discussing yoga, religion, worship of the religious Gods glorifying of the Gurus in the Atmic Path. 

Self-knowledge is not for those who believe in religion and its beliefs like mantras and worship of Gods.   Mantras and prayers are nothing to do with the Atmic path. Those who are attached to   Mantras and prayers and worship must continue in their chosen path the Atmic is not for those who are stuck with religious dross. In the Atmic path, the discussion is unimportant. One must think deeply and reflect on the subject. Passing their opinion with their accumulated knowledge will not help anyone.  

Mythology deals with symbols. It is not history; it is not concerned with objective reality. But that does not mean that it is not concerned with reality itself. It is concerned with subjective reality. These Gods, these mythological symbols, do not exist outside you, but they have a psychological existence and that psychological existence can be helpful, can be used. So the first thing to be understood is that they are not real persons in the world, but they are real symbols in the psyche of man.

Mythological Gods are a  myth. All mantras are based on the mythological Gods that keeps one in the prison of the dualistic illusion.   The mantras never help to cross the trash hold of the form, time, and space.  Mantras meant for the ignorant populace who believe the form, time, and space as reality.  What is the use of the mantras based on the false God that will yield false fruits?

That is why Sage Sankara says:~   61. For one who has been bitten by the serpent of Ignorance, the only remedy is the knowledge of Brahman. Of what avail are the Vedas and (other) Scriptures, Mantras (sacred formulae), and medicines to such a one?

62. A disease does not leave off if one simply utters the name of the medicine, without taking it; (similarly) without direct realization one cannot be liberated by the mere utterance of the word Brahman.

That is why In Mundaka Upanishad 1:2:8   “Remaining in the fold of ignorance and thinking “we are extremely wise and learned,” the fools with boastful nature ramble about like the blind led by the blind alone.”

The people who follow religion think that following their inherited religion is their duty.  And questioning the Guru or scholars is irreligious.  Thus, they indulge in rituals and hearing of religious discourses.   They are weak and timid.

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: ~ 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 innermost 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 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 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.

What happens if one worships which is not the real God with mantras and prayers based on the dummy gods.  It is only priest crafted baggage.

In Yajurveda says: ~ 

Translation 1.

They enter darkness, those who worship natural things (for example air, water, sun, moon, animals, fire, stone, etc).

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

Translation 2.

"Deep into the shade of blinding gloom fall asambhuti's worshippers. They sink to darkness deeper yet who on sambhuti is intent." (Yajurveda Samhita by Ralph T. H. Giffith pg 538)

All the accumulated knowledge of religion and yoga and paths and theories are mere dross in pursuit of truth. Religion and yoga are helpful for the populace, but they are a barricade in unfolding the mystery of the mind. Therefore, the orthodox people, if they are seeking the truth, then they have to drop all accumulated dross to acquire nondual wisdom.  Advaitic wisdom alone is a weapon to eliminate ignorance. :~Santthosh Kumaar 

The ‘Self’ is not within you, but the ‘Self’ is hidden in the world in which you exist.+

The ‘Self’ is not within you, but the ‘Self’ is hidden in the world in which you exist. The one which is born lives and dies is not the ‘Self’ because the ‘Self’ is the Soul, which the ever formless, timeless and spaceless existence.

The Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, is nothing to do with you the world in which you exist.  From the Standpoint of the Soul, the Self, the world in which you exist is merely an illusion.

The ‘Self’ is not within you because the ‘self’ is not the body.   If the ‘Self’ is not you,   then why you think the Self is within you. Deeper Self-search reveals the fact that you and the world are within the Soul, the Self.  a perfect understanding and assimilation lead to Self-realization.

Till you think he is an individual separate from this world you will remain in the realm of dualistic illusion.  The dualistic illusion is the product of ignorance.  When the Advaitic wisdom dawns, then the ignorance vanishes. When the ignorance vanishes, then the duality never remains as a reality.  

First, the seeker has to know ‘what is the subject’ and ‘what is the object’.  Deeper Self-search reveals the fact that”:  the world in which we exist is an object to the formless subject. The formless subject is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Deeper verification reveals the fact that the object and the subject are one in essence. That essence is consciousness.  Thus, object only an illusion created out of the formless subject.  The subject alone is real exists eternal. 

Remember 

The Soul is the ‘Self’. The ‘I’ is not the Soul. Holding the 'I' as the ‘Self’ is holding the falsehood as a reality. There is a need to know what is ‘I’ before indulging in the pursuit of truth.

Dualist sages including many sages and thinkers could not distinguish between ‘I’ and ‘’’Self’’’. They hold 'I' as the 'Self'. Their highest was the Jiva. They are so much attached to the 'I' that they do not want to think that 'I' does not exist. Again they are unable to detach the ‘I’ from the Real Self.

The dualist object: - If everything else is false then the statement I am Brahman is itself false, the but when one says non-duality is false, there must be the awareness, the consciousness, behind the very statement. You will also go, die. One has to rely upon that which is permanent. The formless witness of the ‘I’ alone is permanent. Anything that one says is a witnessed (waking), but there is the formless witness (consciousness) there before any statement could be made.

They mean the body as  “I", but it is the formless witness which is the real Self’. 

Remember:~ 

Theists dualists did not, or could not analyze further than ‘I’ on this point because they thought the ‘I’ without the body as ‘Self’.

WHAT IS ‘I’?

The ‘I’ disappears as deep sleep, so what is the use of being attached to it? It is impermanent and illusory.

There is really no ‘I’. The ‘I’ is present in the form of the mind. And the mind is in the form of the universe. The universe appears as the waking or dream. The ‘I’ or mind or universe or waking or dream dies disappears as deep sleep.

One that appears as ‘I’ or the mind or universe or waking or dream is nothing but consciousness and it disappears as deep sleep is also consciousness. In deep sleep,  it is in its formless nondual true nature. The one, which witnesses the coming and going of the three states, is also consciousness. Thus, the witness and the witnessed are one, in essence.

Thus, the universe is a reality on the base of the ego. You are the ego. The ego is the false ‘Self’ within the false experience (waking).

The universe is unreal on the base of the Soul, the Self.  The Soul is present in the form of consciousness. The seeker gradually will grasp and realize the unreal nature of the universe (‘I’ or mind).

Individuality is illusory because the ‘Self’ is not an individual because ‘Self’ is formless and it pervades in everything and everywhere in all the three states.

Dualist’ sages have written big volumes about the soul. Yet they are quite ignorant of the fact that the ‘I’ about which they write itself’ comes and goes and has no permanent existence, is only an idea after all.

What is it that appears as the ‘I’ and disappears as the ‘I-less? It is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Do not make the mistake of holding the ‘I’ as the Self because it is not permanent. ‘I’ disappears and becomes ‘I’-less.

 ‘I’ is an illusion and the ‘I-LESS’ is real and eternal. The ‘I-LESS ‘appears as ‘I’ and ‘I ’‘disappears as I-LESS.

Bhagavad Gita: ~ The permanent is always there, only the transient ‘I’ comes and goes. (2.18)

The ‘I’ hides the truth of the whole.

The Gurus and yogis think the ‘I’ without the body is the Self. The seeker has to understand the fact that ‘I’ is not the Self, but the witness of the ‘I’ is the true Self, which is eternal.

That is why Ashtavakra Gita 16:10:~ If you desire liberation, but you still say "I," If you feel the ‘Self’ is the ‘I’, You are not a wise man or a seeker. You are simply a man who suffers. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

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

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

It is only one in millions who realizes that consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God. A Gnani is fully aware of the fact that the consciousness alone is Real all else is merely an illusion. No amount of studying Vedanta can give Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

Even 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)

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

On the spiritual path, the seeker must have an intense urge to realize the truth. All accumulated knowledge, accumulated from here and there leads the seeker away from realizing the ultimate truth or Brahman or God. The seeker has to have a rational outlook to realize the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space.

The Soul, the Self is God in truth. The Soul is present in the form of consciousness. Thus, consciousness itself is God. God is not within you, but the universe in which you exist is within God. The universe in which you exist is created out of God, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Thus, all those Gods people believe and all those Gods you worship are man-made Gods because in reality God alone is real and the universe in which we exist is merely an illusion.  

Consciousness is within, the consciousness is without;  consciousness is before, the consciousness is behind; the consciousness is on the right,   consciousness is on the left; consciousness is above and consciousness is below.  Consciousness is not an object, as it is invisible, beyond the reach of the physical eyes.  Consciousness is the ultimate truth, and the ultimate truth is Brahman or God in truth.

The world in which we exist is merely an illusion created out of consciousness.  Therefore, hold on to the consciousness which is real and eternal, and mentally negate the world in which we exist by realizing the world in which we exist is nothing but an illusion created out of the consciousness.   

Remember: ~

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

The universe is the product of ignorance. The ignorance is present in the form of the ‘I’.

Sage Sankara says: - VC-47-  All the effects of ignorance, root, and branch, are burnt down by the fire of knowledge, which arises from discrimination between these two—the Self and the non-Self.

Until you think you are an individual separate from the world and the world that existed prior to you and you are born in it afterward the ignorance will prevail as a reality. Till ignorance is there the universe prevails as a reality.

Sage Sankara says ~ “The exercise in discrimination between real and unreal and renunciation of the false is real meditation, then why you are indulging in other types of meditation.

Perfect understanding and realization of ‘what is what’ leads to Self-awareness. By holding onto theories one remains in the realm of duality. You have to mentally go on dropping what is not the truth through deeper Self-search. Finally when you become aware of the fact that, your ego, your body, and the world are one in essence then there is Self-awareness in the midst of duality. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar