Millions of people placed their heads on the Gurus' feet, garlanded them worshiped them and if they have not got Self-realization, then what is the use of all this?+

Millions of people placed their heads on the Gurus' feet, garlanded them worshiped them, called them their Sadguru, and if they have not got Self-realization, then what is the use of all this? 

By indulging in Guru Worship, your ignorance will not vanish. Guru belongs to religion, not spirituality. Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana is pure spirituality and it is nothing to do with religion.

Surrendering to Guru is a religious fable. Surrendering to ‘what’ when there is only one. Surrendering to Guru keeps you in prison of ignorance. Surrendering implies duality. Realizing there is no duality leads to nondualistic Self-awareness. 

Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana is the only tool to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman.

All the Gurus, teachings practices, bookish knowledge are on the dualistic perspective; therefore they will not help the seeker to cross the threshold of dualistic illusion. The ultimate truth is based on the nondualist perspective.

Nothing is needed to realize the truth beyond the form, time, and space other than realizing 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. Knowledge of the single stuff is Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

Only a perfect understanding of ‘what is what’ is needed. By realizing form, time and space are one in essence and that essence is consciousness leads to non-dualistic or Advaitic Self-awareness. When we drop all our accumulated knowledge and start afresh it becomes easier to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. 

There is no need for a Guru in the Atmic path 

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 scriptures are not needed in the pursuit of truth. Even the Upanishads and the Sages of truth declare the same.

Katha Upanishad:~ This Atman cannot be attained by the study of the Vedas, or by intelligence, nor by much hearing of sacred books. It is attained by him alone whom It chooses. To such a one Atman reveals Its own form. ( Ch-II -23-P-20)

Mundaka Upanishad: - This Atman cannot be attained through the study of the Vedas, nor through intelligence, nor through much learning. He who chooses Atman—by him alone is Atman attained. It is Atman that reveals to the seeker Its true nature. (3 –page-70 Upanishads by Nikilanada)

The ultimate truth has to be ascertained without the scriptures by realizing the ‘‘Self’’ is neither the waking entity not the dream entity, but the ‘Self’ is formless Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. In the realm of truth the form, time, and space are created out of single stuff. That single stuff is consciousness.

Realizing the single stuff as ultimate truth is Self-realization or Truth realization. To realize this truth, there is no need for scriptures. 

The ultimate truth has to be realized first, and then only it is possible to know what the scriptures are saying.

Scriptures are being added from time to time. This process will go on. There is the final authority among them? One contradicts the other: duality reigns supreme.

I quote scriptural citation only after the verification reality and proved the truth, to point out that the scriptures teach the same thing. If one quotes them before having demonstrated truth, then it is scholasticism.

Sage Sankara:~   Loud speech, the profusion of words, and possessing skilfulness in expounding scriptures are merely for the enjoyment of the learned.  They do not lead to Liberation."

Mundaka Upanishads: So-called spiritual pundits and learned are called children because a child takes whatever it thinks as truth. The question never occurs to children “Is what I have seen or thought really the truth?" (P.334 line 9)

The Scriptures' mastery, the force of religious merit--none of these lead to the realization of that Ultimate Truth or Brahman. The ultimate truth is revealed in the clear understanding and realization of ‘what is the truth? and ‘what is the untruth?  When one realizes the untruth (universe) is created out of single stuff, the ‘Self’-awareness rises in the midst of duality exposing the unreal nature of the form, time, and space.

An adherent of the orthodox philosopher may say his philosophy teaches so and so", another man may object and say, “No, his religious philosophy teaches such and such." Thus, they may go on uttering contradictions in the name of philosophy. True philosophy deals only with the appeal to facts, not theories.

Where scriptures and authorities do not agree with the reason, the seeker of truth must reject them.

How is one to know that the scriptures are true? The seeker has to look into the facts, for the proof of what has the worship of God done for the people! When a tsunami occurred in Japan, God did not save the believers of Japan. Thus, God saves the one who prays such an argument is of no value in pursuit of truth.

People believe scripture is infallible but deeper Self-search reveals the fact that they are a mere book of words. The words are merely an expression of thoughts. Then it is impossible to see if the scripture-writers thoughts are founded in fact or not.

The fallacy of orthodoxy’s appeal to scripture lies in the varying and conflicting interpretations of the same scripture, which different men feel, entitled to give or hold.

The scriptures are for the ignorant masses, who wholly accept the practical life within the practical world as it presents itself. Gnana is for those who have begun to realize that things are not what they seem.

Where scriptures and authorities do not agree with the reason, the seeker of truth must reject them.

Scriptural knowledge is conceptual divisions invented by teachers of philosophy by their excessive analysis.  All these concepts are a great obstacle in the pursuit of truth.    Why should confusion be created and then explained away? Fortunate is the man who does not lose himself in the labyrinths of philosophy but goes straight to the source from which they all arise.:~Santthosh Kumaar 

Guru, disciple concept is meant for the religious and yogic path. In Atmic path, the Guru and disciple concept have no value.+

The Guru and disciple and the world in which Guru and disciple exist are created out of single stuff. That single stuff is consciousness.  The consciousness is the ultimate truth of Brahman.

Identifying as a Guru or some Guru’s disciple keeps one in the cage of ignorance.  A person who identifies himself as a Guru or disciple will never be able to get Advaitic Gnana.

Guru &disciple concept is meant for the religious and yogic path.  In the Atmic path, the Guru and disciple concept have no value.

A person who realized the ultimate truth or Brahman will throw off his religious robe and all religious identity and live like a commoner. He never identifies himself as Gnani nor does he identify himself as superior to others. He only shares his knowledge with fellow seekers.

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

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

A Gnani can point at the sky, but the seeing of the star is the seeker's own work. The truth-seeker seeks only truth. The inner Sage will guide you with love. Your sincerity and seriousness lead you to your inner core.  Sincere and serious seekers are not excluded.

All the chosen ones will get freedom from experiencing the illusion (duality) as a reality.  All the seekers of truth are chosen ones.

Katha Upanishads: ~ This Atman is attained by him alone whom It chooses. To such a one Atman reveals Its own form. (II -23-P-20)

All the chosen ones will get freedom from experiencing the illusion (duality) as a reality.  All the seekers of truth are chosen ones.

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 sannyasin robes are wearing it for the sake of bread belongs 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 ignorant masses in the dualistic world.

Sage Sankara says the transparent Truth of the Self, which is hidden by the illusion, is to be attained through the instructions of a knower of Brahman, (Gnani)

~ Then why you are sticking a Guru who is not a Gnani.

That is why 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.”

Yogis and Gurus are not Gods. 

This idea of worshiping Guru as God is not a Vedic idea but adopted from Jainism and Buddhism. 

Vedas bars human worship: ~

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

then why worship and glorify the Gurus and Yogis (human form)   in place of God when Veda bars such activities and it also warns people who indulge in such activities 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.

No one has ever seen God by practicing religion or yoga or indulging in glorifying the religious God and Goddesses because God exists prior to the form, time, and space.  The form, time, and space cease to exist as a reality when wisdom dawns. Thus, the Gods and Gurus have no place in the domain of the Advaitic reality. Advaita is the nature of the Soul, which is the real God.  Thus, Self-realization is the only way to God-realization.

By worshipping the religious Gods and Gurus one will not get Self-realization or God-realization.

The Soul, the inner Guru reveals ‘what is real’ and ‘what is unreal” when the seeker is receptive and ready. :~Santthosh Kumaar 

How you know what your Guru preaches you is the ultimate truth.+

How you know what your Guru preaches is the ultimate truth. Simply because others are following you also accepted whatever he preaches is the ultimate truth. 

If you are searching for the truth then there is no need for Guru. You need a Guru if you are searching for something else other than the truth of your existence. If you are searching for truth then you do not get entangled with Gurus dead or living because it will block you from self-realization.

That is why  Bhagavan Buddha said: ~ “Believe nothing because a wise man said it, Believe nothing because it is generally held. Believe nothing because it is written. Believe nothing because it is said to be divine. Believe nothing because someone else said it. But believe only what you yourself judge to be true

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

Bhagavan Buddha: - There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth: not going all the way... and not starting.

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. 

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.”

Self–knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gann is the knowledge of the Supreme Spirit or God while religious Knowledge is lower knowledge meant for the ignorant populace.

Guru is needed to guide the ignorant populace who are sticking to the religious and yogic path.

Modern Guru and yogis propagate love, bliss, Samadhi, and grace; all these belong to duality limited to form, time and space. Thus, whoever is intoxicated to dualistic knowledge is unfit to acquire ‘Self’-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana because Self’-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana is based on the Nondualistic base. Thus all dualistic knowledge Instead of helping, they obstruct.

It is necessary to realize that religion, yoga, and the other paths and practices based on the waking entity (ego), which is the false ‘Self’ within the false experience, is false knowledge. The true path is the path of wisdom, which is based on the formless Soul, the real ‘Self’.

Remember:~

One has to test the truth in this world, not in the next world. There is no proof other than blind belief based on the scriptures, belief is not the truth. So, doctrines are not the means to realize the ultimate truth. There is no need to follow them.

Sage Goudpada says ~  "The merciful Veda teaches Karma and Upasana to people of lower and the middling intellect while jnana is taught to those of higher intellect.

So, they clearly indicate rituals and theories are not meant for those who are searching for higher knowledge or wisdom. The path of wisdom is the only means.

All the orthodox Advaitins indulge and immerse themselves in a ritualistic oriented lifestyle and follow the path of karma and Upasana which is meant for lower and middling intellect and not for realizing the Advaitic truth.

Mundaka Upanishad:~ The rituals and the sacrifices described in the Vedas deal with lower knowledge. The sages ignored these rituals and went in search of higher knowledge. ... Such rituals are unsafe rafts for crossing the sea of samsara, of birth and death. Doomed to shipwreck are those who try to cross the sea of samsara on these poor rafts. Ignorant of their own ignorance, yet wise In their own esteem, these deluded men Proud of their vain learning go round and round Like the blind led by the blind.

Many chose these orthodox scholars as their Gurus. But these Gurus are good to learn the conceptual Advaita meant for those Orthodox who believe their conduct-oriented lifestyle leads to Moksha [liberation]. But the theistic Advaita is not the means to acquire Self-knowledge or non-dualistic or Advaitic wisdom. 

Those who are seeking the truth have to do their own homework in order to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. :~ Santthosh Kumaar 

God-realization is real worship. +

Swami Vivekananda: ~ The masses in India cry to sixty million Gods and still die like dogs. Where are these Gods?

Bhagavad Gita Chapter: ~ “All those whose intelligence has been stolen by material desires, they worship many God s. (7- Verse -20)

Lord Krishna says Ch ~V: ~ “Those who know '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. 

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. 

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

Religion breeds superstition because religion is based on blind belief. Religious Gods are merely based on belief. Religious God cannot be considered as the center because the Soul, the ‘Self’ is the center of all that exists. Without the Soul the world in which you exist ceases to exist, it means the religious God is dependent on the Soul for his existence

Swami Vivekananda: ~ If superstition enters, the brain is gone. Superstition is our great enemy, but bigotry is worse.

Max Müller says ~ “The religion of the Veda knows no idols; the worship of idols in India is a secondary formation, a degradation of the more primitive worship of ideal Gods."

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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)

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

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

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

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

According to Vedas the Atman, the 'Self’, is God in truth.

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

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

Hinduism is identified with different founders whereas the Vedic religion or Santana Dharma has no founders.

Those who believe the Vedas as their sacred scriptures have to discard all the non-Vedic Gods and accept only the Vedic God, which is the Atma, the Self.  

Truth-realization is Self-realization and Self-realization is God-realization. God-realization itself is real worship. :~ Santthosh Kumaar  

Vedas speak of one God that is the supreme ‘‘Self’’ in i.e. Atman or Soul but Hinduism indulges in worshiping 60 million Gods.+

Max Müller says ~ “The religion of the Veda knows no idols; the worship of idols in India is a secondary formation, a degradation of the more primitive worship of ideal Gods. 

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

In Yajurveda – chapter- 32:~   It has been said that God Supreme or 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.

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 that God is Atman, then why believe and worship anything else in place of real God.

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

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

According to Vedas the Atman the innermost ‘‘Self’’, is God.

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

The Origin of Shiv and Shaivism. 

Shaivism is the oldest sect of Hinduism. But we must note that Shiv is a non- Vedic God. There is no reference to Shiv or Shaivism in Rig-Veda. According to some scholars, Vedic God  Rudra was evolved in Shiv. But this theory is not accepted by other scholars. As Vedics like to adopt popular God s of others and give them a Vedic touch, it is all possible that they adopted and converted Rudra in Shiv.

For Vedics, Brahma is a creator and Vishnu is a protector. But as Shiv was an enemy of Vedics, they made him a destroyer.

Whatever today we know about Shaivism, comes from the Puranic literature, which is written much later, and so unauthentic and non-reliable.

Gavin Flood, a scholar of comparative religion with specialization to Shaivism at the University of Oxford says: ~ The formation of Śaiva traditions as we understand them begins to occur during the period from 200 BC to 100 AD.

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

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

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

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

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

Yajur Veda says: ~

Translation 1

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

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

Translation 2

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

Translation 3

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

So, Yajur Veda indicates that: ~

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

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

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

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

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

To acquire ‘‘Self’’-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana, the seeker has to realize his inherited religion is adulterated in the past and it becomes a great obstacle is realizing the ultimate truth or Brahman.  

  

The Seeker's aim is the search for the Ultimate Truth or Brahman.  The search to find the non-dualistic or Advaitic truth that in actuality never was lost, only hidden.

Upanishad aspiration is best expressed in the following sutra:~

OM Asato ma sad gaMaya , tamaso ma jyotir gaMaya , mrityor ma aamritaam gaMaya . Shanti, Shanti, Shanti

"OM Lead me from ignorance to truth, from darkness to light, from death to immortality. Peace, Peace, Peace" (Brhadaranyaka Upanishad (1/3/28)).

The belief system was coherent because they had a transcendent individualized God as a central doctrine, whereas in the realm of truth individualized God cannot be considered as the center because the Soul and the innermost ‘‘Self’’ is the center of all that exists.

First, one should not hold a God as the center of existence without verification. Both the theist and atheist are theories, nothing to do with ultimate truth or Brahman. :~Santthosh Kumaar