The evolution theory is based on the form, time and space.+

When the ‘Self’ is not you, but the ‘Self’ is Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, then the question of evolution does not arise.

The evolution theory is based on form, time, and space.   The Soul, the ‘Self ‘is the ever formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.

How can the Soul have evolution when it is the ever formless timeless and spaceless existence?

The evolution is possible only in the domain of the dualistic illusion.

All the theories are based on form, time, and space.  From the Advaitic perspective, all theoretical teachings have no value.

Chandogya Upanishads: ~ “This universe comes forth from Brahman and will return to Brahman. Verily, all is Brahman. A person is what his deep desire is. It is our deepest desire in this life that shapes the life to come. So let us direct our deepest desires to realize the ‘Self’”.

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 human thought.

It is this Soul, which is present in the form of the consciousness alone is real since there is nothing else that exists as eternal other than the consciousness.  Verily, there remains no other independent entity in the state of realization of the Advaitic Truth.:~Santthosh Kumaar 

All attributes based knowledge is dualistic knowledge.+

Attributes are merely an illusion.

All attributes-based knowledge is dualistic knowledge. All the attributes are present only when the ‘I’ is present. Without realizing what this ‘I’ supposed to be in actuality the truth, which is hidden by the dualistic illusion will not be revealed.

All attributes based on knowledge, which is inferior have to be bifurcated and excluded to know the ultimate truth.  The seeker of truth has to drop all the inferior knowledge based on the attributes and go beyond the Vedas to understand assimilate and realize the ultimate truth or Brahman. 

The reason is the common ground for whole humanity in the modern age, whereas the appeal to scriptural relations reaches only the sects.  Those who argue that truth is only in their religion are vain logicians, depending on mere ideas, speculations, and imaginations.

Truth is a bitter pill. It becomes very difficult for the seeker to accept it at first; because of his inherited conditioning. Gradually he will be able to grasp it as he moves on.

One has to go beyond the Vedas means thinking beyond religion. Going beyond religion means, thinking beyond the belief of God.   Thinking beyond the Vedas, religion and the belief of God is thinking beyond the form, time, and space.   That is the end of dualistic knowledge. The end of the dualistic knowledge is the end of the ‘I’.

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

It is necessary for the seeker to do his homework, and verify the validity of all the claims, rather than blindly believe, what others expound as knowledge, till, the un-contradicted truth is obtained.   

The Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, is without attributes. All the attributes are merely an illusion created out of the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Reality and unreality are created out of single stuff because the unreality (the world in which we exist) is experienced as a reality we are unaware of the reality hidden by the unreality.   There is no second thing that exists other than the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. The dualistic illusion, which is present in the form of the ‘I’, hides the truth.

When the matter is an illusion created out of the Spirit then Spirit alone is real.

When the object is created out of the subject then the subject alone is real.

When the attributes are created out of the Soul then the Soul alone is real.

When the world in which you exist is created out of the consciousness then the consciousness alone is real.

The knowledge of both the matter and the Spirit is the True knowledge. The true knowledge is Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

Krishna tells Arjuna:~  that knowledge of both the matter and the Spirit, is the True knowledge. (Gita, Chap.XII)

In Advaita:~ 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. 

All the attributes belong to the domain of form, time, and space. From the standpoint of the Soul, the Self’ the form, time, and space are mere

You and the world, in which you exist,   are within the mind.  From the standpoint of the Soul, the   ‘Self, the mind is the dualistic illusion.   The Soul is present in the form of consciousness.  Consciousness is the formless substance and witness of the ‘I’, which comes and goes.  The ‘I’ is the dualistic illusion.

The truth is hidden within the dualistic illusion (‘I’) and it is without the dualistic illusion (‘I’).

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

The Soul is not ‘I’. ‘‘Self’ is not the ‘I’.  The Soul is the ‘Self’. The Soul, the innermost ‘‘Self’’ is the witness of the ‘I’ which appears and disappears.

You are seeking to realize the truth of your true existence.  To discover the truth there is a need to understand the nature of the ‘I’.   Without knowing what this ‘I’ supposed to be an actuality you will never be able to realize the truth, which is beyond the form, time, and space.      

Till you hold the ‘‘Self’ ‘as the ‘I’ you will never be able to get ‘Self’-realization.  ‘I’ hides the Soul, which is the Self’. 

Know what this ‘I’ is first.  Without realizing what this ‘I’ supposed to be, it is impossible for the Soul to free itself’ from the dualistic illusion.

The ‘I’ hides the  Soul, the Self. 

I’ is ignorance.

‘I’ is the duality.

‘I’ is the 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.

But 

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.

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.

It is no use going roundabout way; trace the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. Consciousness is the cause of the world in which you exist and it itself is uncaused.  The Soul is the Source of the dualistic illusion (I)  from where it rises and subsides.  

By tracing the source of the dualistic illusion (universe) one will be able to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth. :~Santthosh Kumaar 

Read, reason, reflect again and again the words of wisdom, until the Advaitic truth becomes firm in your subconscious.+

Read, reason, reflect again and again the words of wisdom,  until the Advaitic truth becomes firm in your subconscious.

Realize the ‘Self’ is not you, but the Soul is the Self. The Soul the ‘Self’, witnesses you and your experience of the world. 

Sage Sankara:~  VC~ 294 But the real  ‘Self’  witnesses the ego etc. and is always there, even in deep sleep. "It is Unborn, Eternal," as the Sruti itself says. It is the inmost Self, different from the (relative) truth and untruth.

Sage Sankara explains darkness and light are distinct from each other in their nature and in their functions. Darkness has no existence of its own; it is merely the absence of light, whereas, the light is positive and helps vision. Darkness and light can neither coexist nor share their functions or nature. Darkness is an error that can be removed.

The main purpose of Sage Sankara’s Advaitic wisdom is to provide the Knowledge that will eliminate ignorance, which hides the reality of the true existence, which is without the form, time, and space. 

Ignorance is the cause of the superimposition of the dualistic illusion on the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

The world in which we exist is not an intellectual construct but a superimposition of the dualistic illusion on the Soul, the Self.

Only through Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana, the unreal nature of the world in which we exist is exposed.

It is only a matter of realization of truth, which is beyond form, time, and space.

Within the dualistic illusion we mistake one thing and its attributes for another; superimposing one level of reality over others. This we do every day because we see the world from a dualistic perspective.

Individual experiences in the world are based on a dualistic perspective. Individual experience of the world is the product of ignorance.  Ignorance is the cause of experiencing the world in which we exist as a reality.  

The world in which we exist is the dualistic illusion. The dualistic illusion is superimposed on the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Perfect understanding of ‘what is what' helps to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

Remember:~ 

Make sure ‘what is this ‘I’, supposed to be in actuality.

The Self is not ‘I’.

The ‘I’ is not the Soul, the  Self.

The ‘I’ is the mind.

The mind is the universe.

The universe appears as waking or dream (duality).

The waking is a parallel dream

The dream is a parallel waking.

The ‘I’ appears and disappears.

Remember:~

      When ‘I’ appears then the mind appears. 

When ‘I’ disappears then the mind disappears. 

When the mind appears then the universe appears.

When the mind disappears then the universe disappears.

When the universe appears then the waking appears

When the universe disappears then the waking disappears.

Whatever prevails without the ‘I’ is the Soul, which is the cause of the ‘I’ and it itself is uncaused. The ‘I’ is merely an illusion created out of the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

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

That is why Bhagavad Gita: ~ The permanent (consciousness) 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. 

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)

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 '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 Atma Gnana. The seekers of truth accept only the truth nothing but the uncontradictable truth. :~Santthosh Kumaar

Sage Sankara was criticized for his views on Maya (illusion) without understanding him.+

Sage Sankara was criticized for his views on Maya (illusion) without understanding him.

Sage  Sankara said: ~

(1) Brahman (Atman) is real

(2) The universe is unreal

(3) Brahman is the universe.

He did not stop at the second because the third explains the other two. It signifies that the universe is real if perceived as the ‘Self’ and unreal if perceived as apart from the Self. Hence, Maya or illusion and reality are one and the same.

The realists criticize the concept of illusion without understanding it. 

Sage Sankara said: ~

(1) Consciousness (Atman) is real

(2) The universe or mind is unreal

(3) Consciousness is the universe because the universe is an illusion created out of consciousness.

One need not stop at the second because the third explains the other two. It signifies that the universe is real if perceived as the Self (Atman or consciousness) and unreal if perceived as apart from the Self (consciousness). Hence, illusion and reality are one and the same because both are one in essence. Realizing the essence, which is consciousness as the innermost Self, is Self-Realization or Truth-Realization of God-Realization. 

Thus, Sage Sankara‘s declaration is the rational truth, scientific truth, and also the ultimate truth.

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.

Remember:~

In Self-awareness-- the witness and witnessed are one in essence. That essence is consciousness. There is no second thing that exists other than consciousness.

Thus, whatever is seen, known, believed, and experienced as a person is a reality within the waking experience (duality) but waking experience (duality) itself is merely an illusion.

The Soul which is present in the form of consciousness is the innermost Self. The Soul is the witness that experiences the action, the actor, and the world of separate things. It is like a light that illuminates everything in a theatre, revealing the master of ceremonies, the guests, and the dancers with complete impartiality. Even when they all depart, the light shines to reveal their absence.

What is not consciousness (formless) in the three states because the three states are created out of consciousness? The three states cease to exist without consciousness. The seeker, seeking and his destination all are one in essence.

There is only a need to realize the whole universe in which we exist is created out of the Soul or the consciousness. From the standpoint of the Soul, the Self, the universe is an illusion.

From the standpoint of the Soul the Self, no second thing exists other than consciousness. Thus, consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman God in truth. :~Santthosh Kumaar 

People believe that a Guru or mystic or priest has got so many followers and therefore there must be some truth in their teaching.+

People believe that a Guru or mystic or priest has got so many followers and therefore there must be some truth in their teaching, which is a common fallacy accepted by the mass due to their inherited samskara or conditioning. It proves only an ignorant can find a number of greater ignorant to follow him.

The path of love and humanism is the religious path. The path of love and humanism is not the Atmic path. The path of love and humanism is very valuable in practical life in the dualistic world.    The path of love and humanism is not the Atmic path.  The Atma is God in truth, one without the second.  In reality, there is no second thing that exists other than Atma, which is  God in truth. 

First Mundaka - Chapter 2 (10):~  Ignorant fools, regarding sacrifices and humanitarian works as the highest, do not know any higher good. Having enjoyed their reward on the heights of heaven, gained by good works, they enter again this world or a lower one.

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad: ~ In this state a father is no father, a mother no mother, Gods no Gods, no Vedas. In this state, a thief is no thief, the killer of a noble Brahmana no killer, a monk no monk, a hermit no hermit. This form of his is untouched by good work and untouched by evil work, for he is then beyond all the woes of his intellect.  ~(4.3.22)

Many Gurus instead of encouraging seekers to seek the truth, they inject their own theories to keep them hallucinating of talking love and compassion, which belongs to the dualistic illusion.  It escapes the mechanism and makes the seeker hopeless, helpless, and lazy to seek the truth he is seeking for.

A Gnani uses love and compassion for the practical purpose but he is fully aware they are not of any use to realize the truth hidden by the dualistic illusion (universe).

Love and compassion are needed in practical life within the practical world.  However, from the ultimate standpoint, the practical life within the practical world is merely an illusion. In reality, there is only the Soul, the one without the Second.

The seeker of truth must know for his own information, the truth in God is not a religious God, which they believe and worship.  The beliefs propagated by the religion of their individualized God are superstitions. Such Gods have no place in truth.  

There is no need to condemn those who believe in and follow. Until ignorance, dominate them they will not buzz from their inherited belief.  Everyone is free to follow their chosen path, which makes them happy and gives them satisfaction.

Ishopanishad:~  "They are steeped in ignorance and sunk into the greatest depth of misery who worships the matter, instead of the All-Pervading God and those who worship things born of matter like trees, animals, man, etc. are sunk deeper in misery."

When Upanishads itself says they are steeped in ignorance and sunk into the greatest depth of misery who worships the matter, instead of the All-Pervading God (Atman) and those who worship things born of matter (illusion)  are sunk deeper in misery then why worship God in place of the real God, which is Atman.

The dualistic worship of personal “Gods” 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 Self. May ye never accept another God in place of the Atman nor worship other than the Atman?" (10:48, 5)

How can you worship God? That implies two ~ the worshipper and the worshipped, whereas God is nondual. One can worship his idea of God only or realize his unity with it when he can’t worship it as apart.

When Upanishads and Vedas declare that, “God is in the form of the Athma, and God is indeed Athma itself” then why accept another God in place of the Atman nor worship other than the Atman.

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

Vedas bars human worship: ~

Translation:~ "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.)

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. 

The seeker of truth has to accept the truth as God and reject the untruth to realize other than the  Atman the real God alone is real and all else is an illusion created of the Atman, which is  God in truth. 

Atmic path is a very personal path. Without an intense urge, no one can tread this path. It cannot be forced on religious people. Moreover, religious people are not fit to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.:~Santthosh Kumaar 

Even Buddhism is mixed up with regional culture and traditions of the local religion, wherever it existed.+

So-called spiritual paths are useless unless it causes us to seek the truth of our true existence. All controversies about creation, the nature of the universe, evolution, the purpose of God, etc., are useless in the Atmic path.

Buddhism: ~ Buddhist teaching has itself become a kind of interactive and Self -evolving process, much like its idea of pratityasamutpada. However, the end goal is still Nirvana, which is an experience ultimately beyond all concepts and language, even beyond the Buddhist teachings. In the end, even the attachment to the Dharma, the Buddhist teaching, must be dropped like all other attachments. The tradition compares the teaching to a raft upon which one crosses a swift river to get to the other side; once one is on the far shore; there is no longer any need to carry the raft. The far shore is Nirvana, and it is also said that when one arrives, one can see quite clearly that there was never any river at all.

Bhagavan Buddha said: ~Believe nothing just because a so-called wise person said it. Believe nothing just because a belief is generally held. Believe nothing just because it is said in ancient books. Believe nothing just because it is said to be of divine origin. Believe nothing just because someone else believes it. Believe only what you yourself test and judge to be true.

Even Buddhism is mixed up with regional culture and traditions of the local religion, wherever it existed. Thus, to get the full essence from Buddhism is very difficult.

Dalai Lama said:~ Buddhism need not to be the best religion though it is most scientific and religion and inquisitive. But Buddhism has no answer to certain questions like the existence of Atama (Soul) and rebirth. Dali Lama said that as an individual he believes in rebirth as he had come across a few cases of rebirth. Modern science, Dalai Lama hoped would unearth the mystery behind the rebirth. (In DH –dec-212009-Gulbarga).

Buddhism and its relationship with Science are like that of a water and wine, one cannot say there is no water in wine, but when you drink it, it would not be the water but wine... thus Einstein’s view is a water in wine because modern science does not believe in matter but in this religion everything is the matter only"

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

Dali Lama: ~ If the scientific analysis were conclusively to demonstrate certain claims in Buddhism to be false, then we must accept the findings of science and abandon those claims.

Thoughtless awareness comes only when there is oneness in awareness in the midst of dualistic illusion. The dualistic illusion exists as a reality until the ignorance is there. Ignorance will vanish only when the nondualistic or Advaitic wisdom dawns. The wisdom dawns only when one becomes aware of the fact that the world in which you exist is a dualistic illusion created out of single stuff that is the consciousness.

Thus, by realizing the consciousness alone is and all the three states are merely an illusion created out of consciousness leads to nondual self-awareness.

Buddhist Sunyavada is incongruous because every thought has its opposite every word is tied to its coordinate for all thought and speech can only operate under such dualism. Hence, taking the most fundamental word, existence its implied opposite non-existence is also there, and vice versa. Therefore, the Sunya "non-entity" is meaningless without "entity". Both are there.

Buddhist Idealism speaks only of ideas.

What about the knower of these ideas?

Buddhist Nihilism does not ask, "What is meant by Nihilism?

It is a thought. There must be a thinker of this thought.

Bhagavan Buddha kept silent, refusing to answer questions on the ultimate. Therefore, he was the wisest man in refusing to commit himself.

Zen is quite OK in mentioning non-duality: it is the nearest to Advaita, but it is still inferior because:

(1) It fails to prove non-duality,

(2) It illogically gives ‘Koan’ exercises as a means of attaining that which is beyond attainment, because always here,

(3) It talks about insight or intuition to see Reality when sight involves a second thing, duality.

When you say "Nothing is" what is the meaning of "is"? "Sunya" is something which exists: you cannot prove that consciousness does not exist.

Zen Buddhism gives high importance to place meditation practice. The truth is that Zen advocates the necessity of meditation for those of its adherents who cannot grasp the absolute truth.

Zen Buddhism is also on this lower stage of Yoga because it depends on flashes of Intuition gained by meditation, not by reasoning.

Has the Void a meaning? If so then it is only your imagination.

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. (Page.70/71 "Buddhism in Translation” by Warren)

Bhagavan Buddha got enlightenment only after he gave up Yoga. Unless you exercise your Buddhi--reason--there is no chance of getting the truth, which is beyond the form, time, and space. Buddhism is based on form alone, and it does not include the time and space in its investigation.

Buddhism has not proved the truth of Nonduality. Bhagavan Buddha pointed out the unreality of the world. He told people they were foolish to cling to it. But he stopped there. He came nearest to Advaita in speech but not to Advaita fully.

Zen Buddhism Satori is not Advaitic wisdom because it comes as flashes, it does not depend on seeing the world and does not depend upon mental sharpness so much as intuition.

Zen Buddhists are only mystics ~ they do not offer proof. How is their main method different from that of Christian mystics, Hindu mystics, all of whom do not seek to prove by reason, but by "I know," intuition? :~Santthosh Kumaar