The word “Advaita” is one without the second. Advaita essentially refers to the Atman and the whole existence.+

Religious people do not doubt their inherited beliefs.  They blindly believe what they inherited from their forefathers.  They do not accept anything as truth other than their accepted truth because they feel it is blasphemous to think other than what they have inherited. 

Religious truth is dualistic and religion is based on the moral values ethics prescribed by the religious code of conduct, which qualifies them for their moksha.

Very few people doubt their accumulated knowledge and refuse to question their validity. Yet, the process of doubt is the first step on the spiritual path.

People are stuck up with the idea of Guru and Guru's teaching as final. But in the Advaitic or Atmic path, nothing has to be accepted as truth without verification.

Sage Sankara says: ~ “What is accepted without a proper inquiry will not lead to the final Goal. (Commentary on Vedanta Sutra)

The garbage of the religious beliefs dogmas superstition is confounded with the human imagination. The great reality of the glory of the religious Gods is hyped and obscured by so much tinsel and commercialism.

Spirituality is not theology.  Advaita is not a philosophy but Advaita is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth. Advaita is Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana or knowledge of the Spirit or God in truth.

The word “Advaita” is one without the second.  Advaita essentially refers to the Atman and the whole existence. Advaita is the fullness of consciousness without the division of form, time, and space.

Theology is nothing to do with spirituality. Advaita is pure spirituality. The theological Advaita is nothing to do with the Advaitic wisdom, which is based on the Spirit the Atman. 

Theological Advaita is conceptual having its own doctrine is nothing to do with the Gnanic Advaita because Gnanic Advaita is Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

Both approaches are not workable together because the theological Advaita is based on the birth entity (ego)   Gnanic Advaita is based on the Atman (Soul).

Thus, the theological Advaita has to be discarded without mercy to get Advaitic Gnana.  

“Advaita” is a term used variously to express the unity of reality.  Advaita is unity in diversity.  

The seeker has to begin by defining "What is real?" "What is unreal?   to establish in Advaitic reality by sheer reasoning alone.   The reasoning is the right way to realize the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space. People must first know what is the truth? and what is untruth’.  

Sage Sankara’s wisdom is not teaching or philosophy but Advaita is the universal wisdom. Advaitic wisdom is neither a teaching nor a theory but it is mere guidance to those who are seriously seeking the ultimate truth or Brahman. Grasp the ultimate truth anytime, any age, if the seeker has the spiritual maturity and capacity to grasp it. 

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 not-Self.

It really depends on his inborn natural capacity to understand and assimilate it.  Sage  Sankara’s wisdom is a Self-examiner, to test oneself to discover how near to Gnana he has approached and what progress has already been made on the path, and what still remains to be done.  It sets up a criterion for Self-judgement.   There are millions in search of truth but one in million will be able to grasp it.

Without Sage Sankara, there is no Advaita (nonduality).  Since it was mixed up with orthodoxy there is a lot of confusion. I am highlighting all the obstacles, which are blocking one from realizing the ultimate truth or Brahman. 

There are so many non-dualistic masters of the east and also from the west who expound Advaitic or non-dualistic knowledge but none of them are helpful to reach the ultimate end.

One has to know and realize Soul, the Self is Soul and identify it as his true identity to find liberation from the bondage of the illusion of birth, life, death, and the world(duality).   The goal of our life is to find and realize our identity with our Soul, which is our Self. 

Sage 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) Vivekachoodamani v 56, pg. 25

Unlearn whatever is based on the ‘I’ To discard ‘I’ based knowledge and conditioning by realizing 'i' itself is ignorance. 

 Bhagavad Gita says: ~ Among thousands of men, scarcely one strives for perfection; and of those who strive and succeed, scarcely one knows the ‘Self’  in truth.

The path of wisdom attracts only those who are in search of truth and they appreciate it greatly.   The ignorant are not spiritually matured they receive Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.  

The ignorant indulge in argument and provocation and personal attack, which hinders their own realization of the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth. 

That is why Jesus said: - Do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you. (Matthew -7:6)

~ Jesus meant the knowledge of the Spirit or God or  Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

Bhagavad Gita says ~ “Don't unsettle the minds of ignorant by revealing the esoteric truth."

When you are able to see your body not as the body but as consciousness when you see the world in which you exist not as the world but as consciousness, then you will enter the awareness of the Soul, the Self.:~Santthosh Kumaar 

Advaita is an inner revolution. Advaitic wisdom is Science of the Spirit.+

Advaita is an inner revolution. If you are serious and sincerely seeking truth then you have to drop what is not needed in pursuit of truth.  

If you say you are Self-realized then you are not Self-realized because only an ignorant person declares he is self-realized. You are simply hallucinating that you are Self- realized. 

Self-realization is possible only when you realize the ‘Self is not you but the Soul, which is present in the form of the consciousness. The Soul is not an individual to get Self-realization. You and the world in which you exist is the product of ignorance. Only when the ignorance vanishes then only the 'Self 'appears.

A Gnani never identifies himself as Gnani. A Gnani shares only Gnana. A Gnani is the fountainhead of Gnana.

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

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

You are struggling to realize the truth because you are caught up in the prison of your emotions and sentimentally involve with the physical Guru.   Until you remain in the prison of the emotion you will never be able to cross the threshold of the dualistic illusion.  Your physical Guru belongs to the dualistic illusion.

You have to transcend the dualistic illusion. If you hold anything of the dualistic illusion as divine or scared then you will not be able to dualistic illusion (matter) into consciousness (Spirit).

If you are seeking truth then you have to keep away from this Gurudom.  If you hold physical Guru as God and worship him then you are worshipping the illusion.  You should not hold anything of the illusion as God. You do not require the grace of the physical Guru.  You will get the grace of the inner Guru when you fix your attention of the Soul by realizing the Soul alone is real and all else is an illusion.

If you are seeking truth you should not indulge in glorifying Gurus and yogis. Guru worship is meant for the religious and yogic path, not for the Gnanic path.  You and Gurus and yogi belong to the dualistic illusion. Thus, their blessings and grace are bound to be illusory.

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

Thus, the above passage proves that all those who were the sanyasin 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 mass in the dualistic world.

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

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

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 wasting your precious life and time with half-baked knowledge.  Why you are allowing them to play with your innocence, emotions, and sentiments.

Be courageous. You do not require a Guru to acquire Self-knowledge or Atma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

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.

A person who realized the ultimate truth or Brahman will throw off his religious robe and all religious identity and lives like a commoner. He never identifies himself as Gnani nor does he identify himself 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.

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 to 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.

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. 

Remember:

A scholar is proud that he has accumulated so much knowledge; Gnani is humble that he knows no more.

Sage Sankara:~ 58. Loud speech consisting of a shower of words, the skill in expounding the Scriptures, and likewise erudition - these merely bring on a little personal enjoyment to the scholar but are no good for Liberation.

Isa Upanishads indicates that: By worshipping Gods and Goddesses and going to the world of Gods after death is of no use. The time one spends in ritualistic practices is wasted; one can spend the same time moving forward towards Self-knowledge, which is the main goal. One cannot reach the nondual destination by glorifying God and Goddesses and by doing that, one goes deeper and deeper into darkness. It surely indicates the fact that the seeker of truth has to drop the worshiping God and Goddess in order to get Self-knowledge.

Sage Sankara as a rationalist philosopher. The orthodoxy projected him as a theologian.

Sage Sankara’s Advaitic wisdom is not even a philosopher dish cooked to suit exclusively the palate of one particular religion. Advaitic wisdom of Sage Sankara is like the air and the water, the common food for the whole of humanity.

Advaitic wisdom is Science of the Spirit.

If rightly interpreted Sage Sankara’s Advaitic wisdom as spiritual food for the whole of humanity. Advaitic wisdom is the universal wisdom par excellence. Advaitic wisdom is not just a not a philosophy, but not a science, but the Science of Truth.

Sage Sankara gave religious, ritual or dogmatic instruction to the mass but pure philosophy only to the few who could rise to it. Hence, the interpretation of his writings by commentators is often confusing because they mix up the two viewpoints. Thus, they may assert that ritual is a means of realizing Brahman, which is absurd.

The Upanishads says:~

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.”

Mundaka Upanishad 3:2:3:~ “The weak and timid cannot realize the Self. Self-Realization is not possible through intellect or hearing the spiritual discourse. One who welcomes God in every activity, through a thorough controlled and disciplined life, to him also the Soul is revealed

Katha Upanishad 1:2:23:~ The Soul cannot be realized through hearing a scholarly explanation of the discourses, not even by the intellect.

Katha Upanishad 1:3:6:~ “Through the knowledge of the Soul God, one is pure and clean constantly.” Neither by reading the books nor by taking a bath at the holy place has one become pure. Inner purity is possible when one remains in constant touch with the Soul. Constant Soul Consciousness is real purity.

Kena Upanishad 2:4:~ When it is known through every state of cognition, it is rightly known, for (by such knowledge) one attains life eternal. Through one's own self, one gains power and through wisdom, one gains immortality.

Kena Upanishad 2:5:~ If here one knows it, then there is the truth, and if here one knows it not, there is a great loss. Hence, seeing the Real in all beings, wise men become immortal on departing from this world.

The 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.

The Upanishads are Self-contradictory. Every pundit even gives conflicting interpretations of them. The final authority, therefore, is using one’s own reason. One should apply his reason to them.

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

The Scriptures are of value only when dealing with persons who are incapable of understanding the Advaitic truth. They have no value as authority for those who use reason. I quote only verified citations from the scriptures. I need no scriptures but I quote then to help the seekers to realize the scriptures are saying

The Upanishads are the only scriptures in the world that says:~ It is impossible to find and realize the truth via religion and scriptural study.

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 Ataman reveals its own form. (Katha Upanishad Ch-II -23-P-20)

Mundaka Upanishad: ~ “This Atman cannot be attained through 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)

When the Upanishad says: ~ “The human goal is to acquire Self-Knowledge and they indicate the personal Gods, scriptures, worship, and rituals are not the means to Self –Knowledge, then why anyone should indulge in it. The religion, concept of individualized God, belief in physical Guru, scriptures are a great obstacle to Self-realization because they are based on false Self. The seeker of truth has to search the ultimate truth without losing himself in the labyrinths of philosophy, through deeper Self-search and assimilate and realize it.

That is why Sage Sankara, indicated in Bhaja Govindam says:~ (Jnana Viheena Sarva Mathena Bajathi na Muktim janma Shatena) - One without knowledge does not obtain liberation even in a hundred births, no matter which religious faith he follows.

Then it is no use going a roundabout way, trace the Brahman which is the formless substance and witness of the universe, which is in the form of mind. By tracing the source of the mind or universe one will be able to realize the Brahman.

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

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.

The knowledge of both matter and spirit is True knowledge. The true knowledge is Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

People who are stuck up to the idea of a physical Guru will never be able to transcend the dualistic illusion.+

Q: ~ Malireddi Veeraraghavulu:  Is it possible without Guru to gain knowledge of truth and how to eradicate ignorance,

Santthosh Kumaar:~ People who are stuck up to the idea of a physical Guru will never be able to transcend the dualistic illusion.    

The idea of Guru Shisya belongs to religion, not spirituality. There is no need for a Guru for acquiring Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. The seeker must personally strive by all the means of soulcentric reason to be free from the bondage of the illusory experience of the form, time, and space.

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 concepts 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.

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 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.”

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.

Religious or yogic Gurus propagate that, once a seeker identifies a Guru, he must totally surrender to the Guru, and then from there onwards, the spiritual journey is fully the Guru's responsibility, not his... Hence the importance of choosing the right Guru is necessary, but in the pursuit of truth, the Guru is not necessary, because the truth is not theoretical.  Truth has to be ascertained by the seeker on his own through Soulcentric reasoning.

The one who identifies himself as a swami, a Guru or yogi, is not a Gnani. A Gnani never identifies himself as Swami, Guru, pundit, or yogi. Swami, Guru, pundit, or yogi belong to the religious or the yogic path not to the path of wisdom.  

Sage Sankara's:~ “The knower of Brahman (Self-realized or Gnani) wears no signs. 

Sage Sankara's:~ “On Gnani: "The knower of Brahman wears no signs. Gives up the insignia of a monk's life…his signs are not manifest, nor his behavior."

When the knower of Brahman wears no signs -- it means he does not identify himself as a Guru or a teacher.  A Gnani Gives up the insignia of a monk's life means he does not belong to the religion.

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.

Even Sage Ramana Maharishi: The sad Guru is within ~

Questioner: I am always at your feet. Will Bhagavan give us some upadesa (teaching) to follow? Otherwise,  how can I get help living 600 miles away?

Sri Ramana Maharishi: The sadguru (the true Guru) is within.

Questioner: Sadguru is necessary to guide me to understand it.

Sri Ramana Maharishi: The sadguru is within.

Questioner: I want a visible Guru.

Sri Ramana Maharishi: That visible Guru says that he is within.

If one is seeking truth then one has to study deeply

Sage Sri, Raman Maharishi:~  the Guru is within he referred to the Self or Atman, not this physical apparatus.  This seeker has to focus his attention on the Self or Atman, which is in the form of consciousness.  

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 through 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. 

Thus, glorifying Gurus’ form is erroneous, because the body and the universe belong to the dualistic illusion. Thus indulging in glorifying and worshiping myth becomes the greatest obstacle to the pursuit of truth. 

The seeker of truth has to identify the Soul, the  Self as a Guru and proceed in his spiritual endeavor.   The inner grace of the inner Guru (Self) will guide until  ignorance disappears and one realizes the body and the universe, is  merely  an illusion created out of the Soul which is present in the form of the consciousness

The world in which you exist, your thoughts, and your world are made on single stuff. Knowledge of that single stuff is the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space.

Mentally reduce the world in which you exist into waking experience and waking experience into mind and mind into consciousness by perfect understating of ‘what is what’.  

When you realize’ what is what’ then you will realize everything is nothing but consciousness. There is no second thing that exists other than consciousness.:~Santthosh Kumaar 

Remember one thing; try to realize Advaitic truth it looks easy but very difficult to grasp.+

Remember one thing; try to realize Advaitic truth it looks easy but very difficult to grasp.

Bhagavad Gita says: ~ Among thousands of men, scarcely one strives for perfection; and of those who strive and succeed, scarcely one knows the ‘Self’ in truth.

The path of wisdom attracts only those who are in search of truth and they appreciate it greatly.   The ignorant are not spiritually matured they receive Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.  The ignorant indulge in argument and provocation and personal attack, which hinders their own realization of the ultimate truth or Brahman. 

The seeker should personally strive by using the power of Soulcentric reason to be free from the bondage of the dualistic illusion. 

The seeker of truth should be aware of everything that is untrue: stick to the truth and he shall succeed, maybe slowly, but surely.

That is why Jesus said: ~ Do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you. (Matthew -7:6)

~ Jesus meant knowledge of the Spirit, the God or Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

Bhagavad Gita says ~ “Don't unsettle the minds of ignorant by revealing the esoteric truth."

Everything is within the Soul and the Soul is the whole universe because the universe is created out of the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

The difference is only in our observation. Understand that change is the very essence?

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

Only from the dualistic perspective, do the changes take place. From the non-dualistic perspective, there are no changes.  Those who believe in the dualistic world as a reality, feel the knowledge changes from time to time but they must realize their knowledge is limited to the form, time, and space whereas Self-knowledge is the knowledge of the beyond the form, time, and space.

The change is possible only in ignorance. Ignorance is the cause of experiencing the world in which exists as a reality.   Consciousness is the cause of the world in which we exist and it itself is uncaused.

The world in which we exist is dependent on consciousness, for its existence but the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, is independent.  From the standpoint of the Soul, the Self, the world in which we exist is merely an illusion.

Only within the illusion,  the changes take place, the illusory changes within the illusion are bound to be an illusion. In reality, consciousness alone is real and eternal. Thus, the knowledge of the eternal will be always eternal. The intellectual knowledge based on form, time, and space is bound to change from time to time as science progresses in its dualistic inventions.    

Consciousness is ever changeless because it is a formless, timeless, and spaceless existence. :~Santthosh Kumaar 

Realization of the Soul as God is the ultimate realization.+

The Soul is everything because whatever exists as the universe is created out of the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Humanity has to awaken itself to the reality of its true existence.  Humanity is a reality within the dualistic illusion. The Soul, the Self is the Ancient One. The Soul is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth.   The Soul has to wake up from its sleep of ignorance. Ignorance is the cause of experiencing the unreal universe as a reality. 

The universe is in the ‘I’ because the ‘I’ itself is the universe. Do not try to find the truth in the next world because the truth is hidden by the ‘I’.

Find out what is this ‘I’ suppose to be in actuality.

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

The Soul does not change; all the changes are merely an illusion created out of the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

As you go deeper into self-search you will realize the fact that ‘I’ itself is an illusion.

The ‘I’ appears and disappears but the Soul, the witness of the ‘I’ witnesses the coming and going, of the ‘I’.

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

The ‘I’ hides Soul, the Self, which is the cause of the 'I', 

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 'I' 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. 

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

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

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

If the universe is bound to be an illusion then waking is bound to be an illusion.

If the waking is bound to be an illusion then the experiencing of the birth, life, death which happens within the universe is bound to be an illusion. 

The illusion is created out of the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, is real and eternal.

 The consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth.

Even The 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)

The world in which you exist is a dualistic illusion created out of the ‘Self’ which is not you but the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.   

Whatever you have seen, known, believed, and experienced is within the dualistic illusion.   Thus, your existence is bound to an illusion created out of consciousness, which is real and eternal.

Like an ornament made from gold is Gold, which is born out of consciousness is consciousness. Like gold is the permanent thing, in ornaments made of gold, similarly, the mind, which is in the form of the universe is born out of consciousness, is consciousness in its essence. The realization of the Soul as God is the ultimate realization.:~Santthosh Kumaar