Thursday, October 31, 2019

Unless you realize the Self as the Soul, you are blinded by the dualistic illusion.+



       
         The Guru is the Soul, the Self is hidden by dualistic illusion or Maya.

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

The ‘Self-inquiry’ is finding out the ‘Self’ which is hidden by the world, in which we exist. By inquiring ‘Who am I?’, the ignorance will not vanish. Without getting rid of ignorance, the Advaitic wisdom will not dawn. Without the Advaitic wisdom, it is not possible to realize the truth, which is hidden within the world in which we exist.
That is why Sage Sankara says: ~ VC-63. Without causing the objective universe to vanish and without knowing the truth of the ‘Self’ how is one to achieve Liberation by the mere utterance of the word Brahman? — It would result merely in an effort of speech.
What is the use of saying ‘I AM THAT’- without knowing what the ‘Self’ is in actuality. Without knowing the truth of the Self, without realizing the truth of the world in which you exist it is impossible to realize the truth beyond the form, time, and space. By a mere utterance of the word ‘I AM THAT', the truth will not be revealed. 
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.

Unless you realize the Self as the Soul, you are all blinded by the dualistic illusion.

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

Remember:~

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

There are two kinds of audiences - the ordinary ones who desire the transitory heaven and other pleasures obtained as a result of ritual sacrifices, and the more advanced seeker who seeks to know the ultimate truth or Brahman.  The Guru and Guru paramparas are meant for the first audience, to help lead its followers along the way. However, there is no need to follow any parampara and follow any Guru those who wish to realize the truth which is beyond the form, time, and space. We should not mix religion with spirituality because religion is based on the ego and spirituality is based on the Soul.   Religion is concerned with its paramparas, not truth whereas spirituality is concerned only with the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space. Religion is not spirituality.

Sage Sankara: ~ "Though I wear these robes of a Sanyasin, it is only for the sake of bread." (Select Works of Sage 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 masses in the dualistic world.

Sage Sankara in Viveka Chudamani (2), states that the Knower of the Atman (i.e., a Gnani) "bears no outward mark of a holy man" (Stanza 539).

It means the Gurus, Swamis, and Yogis who identify themselves as holy people are not Gnanis. Those who are seeking truth need not follow any Guru or any teaching.

The one who thinks of himself as a Guru and the one who thinks of himself as a chela (disciple) will not be able to acquire Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana because both of them accepted themselves as the body. And all their understanding, practices, knowledge are based on the false self (ego or you).  Therefore, the Guru –Shisya concept is a great obstacle in pursuit of truth.  A Gnani never accepts himself as a Guru or accepts anyone as his disciple.

Consciousness is like the ocean. Love is like a wave. When waves love each other then they become one with the ocean.

Remember:~

Many people are stuck to the idea that without a Guru, Truth -realization is impossible. Guru is only a religious fable. They do not even know that the Guru teaches, is the truth.

Gurus themselves dwelling in darkness preach their way is the only way and the followers of the gurus follow the dualistic path like the blind led by the blind.

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.

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.

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.

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

So he wore a Guru's robe only for the sake of the ignorant. So he was identified as Guru with parampara by religious people. For the truth seekers, Sage Sankara is a Brahma Gnani.

Sage Sankara himself said: ~ A Gnani "bears no outward mark of a holy man. " (Stanza 539).

Thus, it proves that the religious gurus and yogis are not Gnanis because they identified themselves as holy people.

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.: ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Sunday, October 6, 2019

Without the ' 'Now' you and the universe in which you exist cease to exist. 'Now' is present in the domain of the dualistic illusion or Maya.+




Amazingly an honest introspection will reveal that all fault lies with " you " and " your "own perceptions and attitudes. If there is an error in understanding what 'Self' is in actuality it is in " you".  Correcting this and changing to soul centric attitude will change your perception and then the Soul, the 'Self' will reveal its formless, timeless and spaceless true nature. 

The ignorant intellectual people of their own ignorance, yet wise in their own esteem, these deluded men proud of their vain learning and accumulated knowledge go around and round like the blind led by the blind.

Remember:~

'Now' means the universe. without the universe, you cease to exist. Without the ' 'Now' you and the universe in which you exist cease to exist. 'Now' is present in the domain of the dualistic illusion or Maya. Whatever knowledge based on dualistic illusion or Maya is dualistic knowledge. the dualistic knowledge is knowledge of ignorance. 

The one who says about the present moment is you. You are the false self (ego) within the false experience (waking). 

You exist only in the domain of the form, time and space. From the standpoint of the Soul the innermost Self, the form time and space are merely an illusion. 

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

Thus, all the claims made about the present moment is part and parcel of that illusion. The illusion is created out of the Soul which is present in the form of consciousness. 

Thus, the Soul or the consciousness alone is real and all else is merely an illusion. Thus, to realize this truth, you have to realize Self is not you, but the Self is the witness of you and the world together. 

Whatever is based on you is bound to be an illusion

Remember:~ 

The present moment is possible only in the domain of the form, time and space. Without the form, time, and space, there is no present moment.

The present moment is the time. Without the past, the present will not appear. Every moment, the present becomes past. The present moves towards the future. The time appears along with form and space. 

The form, time and space are merely an illusion created out of the Soul, which is present in the form of the consciousness. Thus one cannot remain in the present moment. The time is the product of ignorance, therefore, every moment is the product of ignorance.

The theory of the present moment is based on the false Self (waking entity) within the false experience (waking).

From the standpoint of the Soul, the Self, the form, time and space are merely an illusion thus the theory of the present moment belongs to the illusion. :~Santthosh Kumaar

Friday, October 4, 2019

What is Maya? The universe itself is Maya. Maya is the dualistic illusion.+



What is Maya?

The universe itself is Maya. Maya is a dualistic illusion. You are part and parcel of the Maya.

Without realizing you are a false self within the dualistic illusion or Maya you will not be able to realize the Self hidden by the dualistic illusion or Maya.   

To say the universe is an illusion without first examining it and inquiring into its nature thoroughly is to delude oneself. This world is common to every one of us; therefore, the seeker of truth must begin his inquiry with it. It is only after he has inquired into the nature of the objective world, he realizes the universe which through ignorance appears as of diverse forms, is nothing else but the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness is absolutely free from all the limitations of form, time and space.

The Soul, the Self, which is present in the form of the consciousness is hidden by the dualistic illusion or Maya.

That is why Sage Sankara says: ~ 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 perverse arguments.

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.

When you finally realize the ‘‘Self’ ‘is not you but the ‘‘Self’’ is the Soul then you will realize the world in which you exist is merely an illusion created out of the Soul. The Soul is present in the form of consciousness.

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.

All is consciousness. The whole universe is consciousness. From consciousness, the universe comes. When the universe disappears, consciousness still remains without form, time, and space.

Remember: ~

Ashtavakra Gita: ~The universe rises from the Soul, the innermost Self like bubbles from the sea. Thus, know the ‘Self’ to be One and in this way enter into the state of dissolution."

Sage Sankara said: ~A. A~ 88- When the whole universe, movable and immovable, is known to be Atman (consciousness), and thus the existence of everything else is negated, where is then any room to say that the body is Atman?

That is why Sage Sankara Says: ~ VC-63-Without causing the objective universe to vanish and without knowing the truth of the ‘Self’ how is one to achieve Liberation by the mere utterance of the word Brahman? — It would result merely in an effort of speech.

What is the use of saying ‘I AM THAT’- without knowing what the ‘Self’ is in actuality? Without knowing the truth of the Self, without realizing the truth of the world in which you exist it is impossible to realize the truth beyond the form, time, and space. By a mere utterance of the word ‘I AM THAT', the truth will not be revealed.

Sage  Sankara: ~VC~ if the universe is true, let it then be perceived in the state of deep sleep also. As it is not at all perceived, it must be unreal and false like dreams.
That is why Sankara says: ~Brahman is the truth The World is Unreal everything is Truly Brahman and nothing else has any value.

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

Those who tell you that Brahman is unity, that you can get it only by intuition, that you should not reason, you should not question or inquire, are deluding you. Verification must come by thought. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Thursday, October 3, 2019

Sage Sankara inability to revive Vedic religion that flourished before the Buddhist revolution in its pure form is discernible.+



A great majority of Hindus are not in contact with their religious history therefore, they believe their inherited beliefs as the ultimate truth. People of India are sentimentally and emotionally involved with their inherited religion, which is meant for the ignorant populace. They think it is irreligious to think or speak that their religion is not the ancient Vedic religion or Santana Dharma. People from the west think Hinduism is Santana Dharma or Vedic religion but it is not so.

If one seeking the truth of his existence then he must know Santana Dharma or Vedic religion is nothing to do with Hinduism to realize the Vedic truth is Atman is Brahman (God).

Hinduism is based on myths and thus people of Indian are unaware of the facts of their inherited religious history. The Vedic Culture and Vedas are complete in themselves but Hinduism which is the non-Vedic belief system with all its ritual and conduct oriented practices has been contributed largely by the orthodox priests to suit their convenience!

Vedas are in the Vedic language which was a high-class language. Rig Veda (excluding chapters II and X) were written before the Christian Era in the Vedic language. Vedic language is not Sanskrit. It is the same language in which the Zoroastrian Scripture Zend Avesta is written – a form of Persian language. All the other scriptures of India are written in Sanskrit.

These include Rig Veda Chapter II and X and the Upanishads, Brahmanas, Puranas, and the Vedantas. These were written during the Christian Era after the Thomas ministry. As the use of this language diminished, it became a tough language for the commoners. The priests, who were supposed to be experts in this language, translated it into the Sanskrit language and manipulated the meanings in time, and gradually, all the practices changed.

The DaVita, Vedanta borrows the concept from Abrahamic religions, such as Eternal Damanation (of certain Souls destined to hell forever) which goes against the belief of most Vedanta schools, which state that Soul attains liberation.

It looks like the creator creation theory is also borrowed from Abrahamic religion and on the base, a new belief system has been introduced giving it a Vedic outlook and propagating all non-Vedic rituals and worships by someone in the past.

The vast ocean of Vedic religion or Santana Dharma was consistently steady and calm for a very long period. It appears that as a consequence of the rage of the Buddhist revolution it got suddenly disturbed and flowed down to us in disorder. Even today Vedic religion or Santana Dharma has not recovered from the onslaught of Buddhism and Jainism and are not able to settle in people's hearts in their original form in the same old measure.

The Buddhist influence is seen in a great measure in the Vedic philosophy which is followed by the majority of Indians. Thus, it is clear that the Vedic religion or Santana Dharma has not retained its original form, but has been influenced by other religions that have undergone a sea change. Thus the influence of Buddhism on Santana Dharma is extraordinary. Even Kumarila Bhatta, who fought with great heroism for the revival of Vedic religion, was so much influenced by Buddhism that he established for the first time in the country, an atheist Vedic religion or Santana Dharma. There is no room for any doubt to assert that the Kumarila Bhatta School was influenced by atheist Buddhism because the school which is based on the validity of the Vedas and rituals refutes the existence of God.

Sage Sankara endeavored towards establishing the Vedic religion overthrowing Buddhism. But even he was not able to avoid the influence of Buddhism. The influence of the revolutionary atmosphere of Buddhism has reappeared in the Advaita of Sage  Sankara.

Sage Sankara's inability to revive the Vedic religion that flourished before the Buddhist revolution in its pure form is discernible.

Hindu idol or deity or temple is nothing to do with the Vedic religion. Vedic people ate beef. The Hindu practices of idol worship and temples worship ban on beef-eating introduced many centuries later.

Swami Vivekananda: ~, “The masses in India cries to sixty million Gods and still die like dogs. Where are these Gods? (In San Francisco, on May 28, 1900, of swami Vivekananda/volume 1)

As one peeps into the annals of religious history he finds that Hinduism which exists today is not a continuation of the Vedic religion or Santana Dharma, and it has no real historical foundation. Hinduism is of a much later origin.

As per the researchers, the two faiths the Hindu belief system has drifted miles away from the Vedic faith so that the two seem to be two distinct faiths. It is not difficult to discover that there is no noticeable continuity of Hinduism from the Vedic religion or Santana Dharma.

The distinctive characteristics of the Hindu belief system cannot be traced in Vedic literature. Besides, although the Vedas are revered as sacred texts, many people in India do not know what ‘belief in the Vedas’ means. In most cases, the acquaintance of the Hindus with the Vedas is limited to the few hymns that are recited in temples and household liturgies.

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

Hinduism is based on myths and thus, the people of Indian are unaware of the facts of their inherited religious history. The Vedic Culture and Vedas are complete in themselves but Hinduism which is the non-Vedic belief system with all its ritual and conduct oriented practices has been contributed largely by the orthodox priests to suit their convenience!

To be considered an orthodox Hindu one need only accept the authority of Shruti, however, there is no universal agreement among Hindus what constitutes Shruti. Vedantins consider the Vedanta, i.e., the Upanishads as Shruti but also include the Bhagavad-Gita and Brahma Sutras as authoritative. For some Vaishnavas, the Bhagavata Purana is to be considered Veda. Some consider the Tantras are considered Veda. Thus, we find that there is ample scope for different philosophies and practices under the very broad umbrella of Hinduism.

Hindus indulge non-Vedic beliefs such as idolatry, ancestor worship, pilgrimaging, priestcraft, offerings made in temples, the caste system, untouchability, sati, and child marriages All these lack Vedic sanctions, therefore, Hinduism is not Ancient Vedic religion or Santana Dharma. And all Hindus indulge in the non-Vedic practice barred by the Vedas introduced by the different founders of the different sects of Hinduism at different times, whereas the Vedic religion or Santana Dharma is ancient and has no founder. Thus, 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.

Supreme Court of India: ~ Hinduism, as a religion incorporates all forms of belief without mandating the selection or elimination of any one single belief,“ It is a religion that has no single founder, no single scripture, and no single set of teachings. It has been described as Santana Dharma, namely, eternal faith, as it is the collective wisdom and inspiration of the centuries that Hinduism seeks to preach and propagate,” ---Hinduism has no single founder or scripture: SC, The Times of India (Delhi) Dec 17, 2015

Hindus are idol worshipers of a large number of Gods and Goddesses whereas in Vedas the God has been described as: -

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

In Vedas, God has been described as: ~

Yajurveda – chapter- 32: - God Supreme or Supreme Spirit has no ‘Pratima’ (idol) or material shape. He cannot be seen directly by anyone. He pervades all beings and all directions. Thus, Idolatry does not find any support from the Vedas.

Rig Veda: ~ The Atman (Soul or Spirit) 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)

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 that are written in 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 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. Griffith 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 Prakriti -- the material cause of the world -- in place of the All-pervading God, But those who worship visible things born of the Prakriti, 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." (Yajurveda 40:9.)

So, Yajur Veda indicates: ~

They sink deeper in darkness than 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 Prakriti, such as the earth, trees, bodies (human and the like) in place of God is 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.)

If so, then why worship and glorify the non-~Vedic Gods in place of Vedic 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.

People are unaware of the fact that God in truth is not that which they believe and worship.

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad: ~ "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)

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

Kena Upanishad 2-5 mentions that God can be realized in one life. If you do not realize in one life, you are a great loser.

It is necessary to realize what God is supposed to be to realize God in truth.

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

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

Swami Vivekananda: ~, “The masses in India cries to sixty million Gods and still die like dogs. Where are these Gods? (In San Francisco, on May 28, 1900, of swami Vivekananda/volume 1)

Religion breeds superstition because religion is based on blind belief. Whatever is based on blind belief is superstition.

God in truth is not a belief. One must know God in truth. Without knowing what God is supposed to be in actuality worshipping  God based on blind faith or blind belief is superstition.

Worshipping superstitious Gods barred by Vedas. Know what God is supposed to be according to Vedas Upanishads Bhagavad Gita and Bible.

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

Kena Upanishad (6) Chapter I: ~ “That which cannot be apprehended by the mind, but by which, they say, the mind is apprehended-That alone know as Brahman (God), and not that which people here worship.

Kena Upanishad (7) Chapter I: ~ “That which cannot be perceived by the eye, but by which the eye is perceived-That alone know as Brahman (God), and not that which people here worship.

Kena Upanishad (8) Chapter I: ~ “That which cannot be heard by the ear, but by which the hearing is perceived-That alone know as Brahman(God), and not that which people here worship.

Kena Upanishad (9)- Chapter I: ~ That which cannot be smelt by the breath, but by which the breath smells an object-That alone know as Brahman(God), and not that which people here worship.

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.

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 other than consciousness a God.

Vedas, Upanishad, and Bhagavad Gita confirm the Soul, the Self, is present in the form of the Spirit or consciousness.

Religion is regarded as sacred and real by the common people, by the wise as false, and by the rulers as useful.

The Upanishad says: the human goal is to acquire Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana and they indicate the personal gods, scriptures, worship, and rituals are not the means to Self –Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana, then why anyone should indulge in it. The religion, concept of individualized god and scriptures are the greatest obstacle to realizing non-dual truth or Self-realization because they are based on false Self. The seeker of truth has to search for the ultimate truth without losing himself in the labyrinths of philosophy, through deeper, inquiry, analysis, and reasoning, and assimilate and realize it.

That is why Sage Sankara, indicated in Bhaja Govindam says: ~ “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 roundabout way, trace the Brahman which is the formless substance and the witness of the universe. The universe is present in the form of the mind. By tracing the source of the mind (universe) one will be able to realize the Brahman or God.: ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Wednesday, October 2, 2019

Self’-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana is inexhaustible wealth.+



Self’-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana is inexhaustible wealth. And all other wealth disappears as one spends, but with the ‘Self’ –knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana, the more one shares more he gains.

The origin of the mind is the Soul. The Soul is the Self. The Soul, the Self is present in the form of consciousness.

The mind is present in the form of the universe. The mind appears as the waking or the dream (duality) and disappears as deep sleep (nonduality). 

The ego is the physical Self. The nature of the ego is restless in its nature. Self’-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana cannot be surmised by merely reading the Vedas and Upanishads.

An urge to know the truth of existence arises in the Soul itself. It is the Soul, which is in the sleep of ignorance. It is the Soul that has to come out of ignorance. 

The mind or the universe is the product of ignorance. The true nature of the mind can be recognized with the power of discrimination between the real and the unreal.

Remember:~

Chandogya Upanishad -One who meditates upon and realizes the 'Self' discovers that everything in the cosmos-- energy and space, fire and water, name and form, birth and death, mind and will, word and deed, mantram and meditation--all come from the Self.- 

The past, present, and future experiences are limited to the domain of form, time, and space. Where there is ‘I’ there is always a duality. The duality is there only when there is the universe. The universe is there only when waking is present. You are present only when waking. Where there is duality there is always the limitation. The limitation is an illusion. Ignorance is the cause of the illusion.

The Illusion is created by the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. The consciousness is unlimited which is hidden by the ‘I’, which is limited. Without realizing the falsity of the ‘I’ it is impossible to cross the threshold of the dualistic illusion. 
Discrimination between the eternal and non-eternal is necessary in order to acquire ’Self’ –knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. 
Remember:~
Self-realization is an impossibility, without understanding ‘what is the mind?’  What is the substance of the mind?’ and “What is the source of the mind?”. The mind and its substance and its source are one in essence. That essence is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.  By realizing consciousness alone is real all else is merely an illusion created out of consciousness.
The world in which we exist is created out of single stuff. That single stuff is consciousness. This knowledge of the single stuff is Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana leads one to Self-awareness
Trying to make the mind still is an impossibility without Advaitic wisdom.  Thus, a perfect understanding of  'what is what' is needed to realize the truth is hidden by the illusory form, time, and space.
The Soul is the  Self. The Soul is present in the form of consciousness. The world in which we exist is created out of consciousness.  Consciousness alone is real and the world in which we exist is merely an illusion created out of consciousness. 
This knowledge of the single stuff (consciousness) leads one to Self-awareness. Self-awareness brings unity in diversity in the midst of duality. Unity in diversity in the midst of the dualistic illusion or Maya is the state of the Soul, the Self. The nature of the Soul is stillness. :~Santthosh Kumaar