The mind is virtually the universe. The universe appears as a waking or dream (duality) and disappears as deep sleep (nonduality).+

The mind is virtually the universe. The universe appears as a waking or dream (duality) and disappears as deep sleep (nonduality). Efforts should be made to understand the mind. Advaitic is wisdom is an ancient truth preserved as a secret by sages of truth.

We are within the illusion. Whatever we have seen, feel, known, believed, and experienced is also within the illusion. The formless substance and witness of the illusion is the Soul the innermost Self.

In Self-awareness, the substance and witness are one in essence. That essence is the Soul which is present in the form of the consciousness (Spirit).

The dream entity and the dream world are within the dream. Similarly, you and your experience of the world are within the waking experience. The witness of the dream is not the waking entity. Similarly, the witness of the waking experience is not the waking entity. 

The Soul is the witness of the coming and going of the three states. The three states are nothing to do with the Soul, the 'Self' because, from the standpoint of the Soul the innermost Self, the three states are non-existent as reality.

Remember: ~

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

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

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

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

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

Perfect understanding and realization of ‘what is what’ leads to Self-awareness. By holding onto theories one remains in the realm of duality. 

You have to mentally go on dropping what is not the truth through deeper Self-search. Finally when you become aware of the fact that, your ego, your body, and the world are one in essence then there is Self-awareness in the midst of duality. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar 

Vedas speak of one God that is the supreme Self i.e. Atman.+

The Vedas do not talk about idol worship. In fact, till about 2000 years ago followers of Vedism never worshiped idols. Idol worship was started by the followers of Buddhism and Jains. 

There is logic to idol worship. Vedas speak of one God that is the supreme Self i.e. Atman or Soul but Hinduism indulges in worshiping 60 million Gods.

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

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

Prohibition of idol worship in Yajurveda: ~

Yajur Veda – chapter- 32:~ God is Supreme Spirit has no ‘Pratima’ (idol) or material shape. He cannot be seen directly by anyone. He pervades all beings and all directions.

Yajurveda: ~ There is no image of God in truth. God in truth is unborn and eternal. (Chapter 32, Verse 3)

Yajurveda: ~ God in truth is nondual and pure" (Chapter 40, Verse)

Yajur Veda indicates that: ~ They sink deeper in darkness those who worship sambhuti. (Sambhuti means created things, for example, table, chair, idol, etc. - (Yajurved 40:9)

Those who worship visible things born of the prakrti, such as the earth, trees, and 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.)

The Hindus believed in polytheism, believing all of their Gods to be separate individuals, which was introduced much later by the founders of Hinduism which contains diverse beliefs caste, and creed.

When the religion of the Veda knows no idols then why so many Gods and goddesses with different forms and names are being propagated as Vedic Gods. Why these conceptual Gods are introduced when the Vedic concept of God is free from form and attributes.

Hindus do idol worship while Vedas bars idol worship. According to Vedas, God pervades everything and everywhere.

To be considered an orthodox Hindu one need only accept the authority of Shruti, however, there is no universal agreement among Hindus on 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. And all Hindus indulge in non-Vedic practices barred by the Vedas introduced by the different founders of the different sects of Hinduism.

According to Yajur Veda: ~ They sink deeper in darkness those who worship sambhuti. (Sambhuti means created things, idols,s, etc. - (Yajurved 40:9)

Those who worship visible things born of the prakrti, such as the earth, trees, and 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 indulge in idol worship which is not God when Rig Veda clearly says: “May ye never accept another God in place of the Atman nor worship other than the Atman?" (10:48, 5)

Worshipping non~Vedic Gods in place of real God they fall into an awful hell of pain and sorrow, and suffer terribly for a long time (Yajur Veda 40:9.).

Self-realization is God-realization. Self-realization is real worship. There is no other worship other than self-realization. 

Rig Veda:~The Vedas exclaim from time immemorial, Ekam Sat Vipra Bahudha Vadanti, Existence is One, Sages call it by different Names. - 1-164-146.

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

God in truth is the Atman, the Self. Atman is present in the form of consciousness.

Do not accept any other God other than Atman not worship other than Atman.

Let these words be inscribed in your subconscious.

Nothing is real but God. Nothing Matters but love for God in truth. God in truth is everywhere and in everything.

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

Remember:~

Worship of non-~Vedic Gods, idol worship, and temple worship introduced many centuries later are not of the Vedic origin.  

Hinduism is not a religion, but more a way of life. The term "Hinduism" is used to label the entire Indian people.

Hinduism indulges non-Vedic beliefs such as idolatry, ancestor worship, pilgrimages, priestcraft, offerings made in temples, the caste system, untouchability, and child marriages. All of these lack Vedic sanctions, therefore, Hinduism is not Ancient Vedic religion or Santana Dharma.

All Hindus indulge in non-Vedic practices 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.

Hinduism is not Santana Dharma or Vedic religion. Hinduism is not a religion, rather it is a group of religions found within India that share common beliefs while still remaining very different.

The ancient peoples of India belong to the Vedic religion or Santana Dharma, therefore, they have nothing to do with present-day Hinduism. The ancient peoples of the Indus Valley of Undivided India were called Hindus by Muslim invaders.

Hindu idols or deities or the temples are nothing to do with the Vedic religion or Santana Dharma. Vedic people ate beef. The Hindu practices of idol worship, temple worship, and a ban on beef eating were introduced many centuries later.

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

As per the researchers, the two faiths in the Hindu belief system have 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, there are many people in India who 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.  : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

The truth of a single reality within or underlying the illusory ego is all-important and without it Buddhism becomes fallacious.+

The truth of a single reality within or underlying the illusory ego is all-important and without it Buddhism becomes fallacious.

Vedanta admits the transitoriness and evanescence of thoughts just like Buddhism, but not of the Mind which observes this transitoriness and knows it.

Manduka Upanishad:~ Buddhists borrowed from Upanishads because they were Indians. The Vedantins did not need to borrow from Buddhism therefore (see P.396 v.99)

Buddha taught the illusoriness of ego but did not go further, probably because he thought the world could not understand the higher truth. Hence followers go with him to that point of his and then deny the Vedantic doctrine of one supreme reality when the Buddha himSelf neither denied nor advocated it. Anyway, the refutation of his followers is to ask them “What is it that is aware of the ego's illusoriness?" There must be something that tells you that. That something is the Drik, and if you say this Drik itSelf may be illusory, coming and going, still, there must be something non-transient i.e.permanent, to tell you this.

Buddha's teachings that all life is misery belong to the relative standpoint only. For you cannot form any idea of misery without contrasting it with its opposite, happiness. The two will always go together.

Buddha taught the goal of cessation of misery, i.e. peace, but took care not to discuss the ultimate standpoint for then he would have had to go above the heads of the people and tell them that misery itself was only an idea, that peace even was an idea (for it contrasted with peacelessness). That the doctrine he gave out was a limited one, is evident because he inculcated compassion. Why should a Buddhist sage practice pity? There is no reason for it.

Advaita is the next step higher than Buddhism because it gives the missing reason, viz. unity, non-difference from others, and because it explains that it used the concept of removing the sufferings of others, of lifting them up to happiness, only as we use one thorn to pick out another, afterward throw both away. Similarly, Advaita discards both concepts of misery and happiness in the ultimate standpoint of non-duality, which is indescribable.

Buddhists say that a thing exists only for a moment, and if that thing has still got some of the substance from which it was produced how then can they deny that its cause is continuing in the effect; hence its existence is more than a moment. Vedanta is concerned with whether it is one and the same thing which has come into being or has come out of nothing.

Even the Sunyavada ultimate of the "void" is really a breath, and therefore an imagination and not truth.

Buddha as a constructive worker committed an error in failing to give the masses a religion, something tangible they could grasp, something materialistic, if symbolic that their limited intellect could take hold of, in addition to his ethics and philosophy. Here Sri Ramakrishna was wiser and gave religion; such as Kirtan, puja, etc.--to the ignorant masses, as well as Advaitic wisdom to those like Swami Vivekananda.

Buddha gave as the central feature of his doctrine the great law of Karma in order to reiterate its ethical meaning. He did more good in this to uplift the people than the ritualists.

Tibetan and Chinese Buddhists who say that there are many Buddhas living in spirit bodies and helping our earth from the spiritual world are still in the sphere of religious illusion, not the ultimate truth. Their statements are wrong. Every sage realizes that the only way to help mankind is to come down amongst them, for which he must necessarily take on flesh-body. When people are suffering how can he relieve their suffering unless he appears amongst them? When people are suffering how can he feed them from an unseen world whether their struggle is for material bread or for spiritual truth? No! He must be here actually in the flesh. It is impossible to help them in any other way and all talk of Shiva living on Mount Kailas in a spiritual body or Buddha in Nirmanakaya, the invisible body belongs to the realm of delusion or Self-deception. :~Santthosh Kumaar

Moksha is not a result of ritual action (path of karma) or of devotional service (path of bhakti).+

The devotional path is the religious path, not the spiritual path. Devotion towards an inherited God based on blind faith or blind belief cannot transport the seeker towards the nondual destination.

Devotion is between the person and his belief. The devotion is based on the belief system. The person, who has inherited some belief system, believes in the individualized God and indulges in the devotional path.

Devotional Gods are mythical Gods. Mythical Gods are not Vedic Gods. Vedic God is Athma, the Spirit.

Devotional toward myth produces only myth. Thus, we must have the devotion to exploring God in truth.

The devotion makes one believe that he is a person and God has created this world. Therefore, he believes that he is born in this world and the world existed prior to him, this conviction makes him feel he is the doer. Since he accepts himself as the doer; he will remain ignorant of the true self, which is the Soul. Ignorance makes him feel the illusion as a reality.

The truth-seeker has to reject the devotional path (Bhakti Marga) if wants to realize the truth beyond form, time, and space.

The path of Bhakti is for the ignorant populace. The only path of wisdom leads the seeker of truth on his journey to the ultimate realization of the true nature of the Universal Essence, which is the Soul. The Soul is present in the form of consciousness.

Remember:~

Moksha is not a result of ritual action (path of karma) or of devotional service (path of bhakti). These paths are egocentric paths therefore they will not help anyway to get rid of the ignorance. In fact, Moksha is not a result of anything, for it always exists.

All that is required is the removal of ignorance. The path of wisdom helps the seeker to acquire the Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

Karma, Bhakti, and Raj yoga are not the means to acquire Advaitic wisdom. And mixing them up with the path of wisdom and trying to assimilate Advaitic truth is an impossibility.

The orthodoxy is based on a personal God. The orthodoxy accepts the experience of birth, life, death, and the world as reality, whereas Sage Sankara declares the world is unreal Brahman alone is real. 

Thus, the experience of birth, life, and death happening within the unreal world is bound to be a falsehood. Thus, the religion and religious belief and its ritual based on the birth entity are bound to be a falsehood. Thus, the seeker has to realize ‘what is that is real and eternal?

Mythological stories are myths. Whatever is based on myth is merely superstition. Mythology was introduced in the past to the ignorant masses. It has to be discarded as one progresses in his spiritual advancement.

Mythology breeds superstition, blind belief, senseless rituals, and the most irrational and gives them a divine outlook. Religious Gods are not God. One must know God in truth.

Idol worship and the rituals are, therefore, he says, addressed to the ignorant populace.: ~ Santthosh Kumaar 

If the ‘Self ‘is not the body then it is erroneous to judge the truth on the base of the body as the Self.

If the ‘Self ‘is not the body then it is erroneous to judge the truth on the base of the body as the Self. You are not the Self because you are the body with the name. You are the false self within the false experience. Therefore, all your judgment of the truth is a false judgment.

When ‘Self’ is not you then it is erroneous to judge the truth as you as the Self. The judgment has to be based on the Soul, the innermost Self. Only when you learn to view, judge and reason on the base of the Soul as the Self, the truth, which is beyond the form, time, and space will start unfolding.

All your judgment is intellectual judgment is useful in practical life within the practical world. Intellectual judgment is a dualistic judgment that is of no use to unfold the mystery of the world in which you exist.

Dualistic intelligence is limited to the dualistic illusion. Nondualistic intelligence is needed to unfold the mystery of form, time, and space.

Your dualistic intelligence judges everything from the dualistic perspective thus its use is limited to the dualistic world. Nondualistic intelligence is required to unfold the mystery of the experience of birth, life, death, and the world.

Your dualistic intelligence is limited to the waking experience. You have to kern to view and judge everything from the non-dualistic perspective to unfold the mystery of the three states.

You are egocentric; therefore your intelligence is egocentric. Only when you become soulcentric you will realize the world in which you exist is merely an illusion.

Egocentricity is the prison for the Soul, the Self. when you become soulcentric the Soul will wake up from the sleep of ignorance amid the dualistic illusion.

Thus, realize you are not the Self. Come out of the intoxication of the ‘I’. Till you use the word ‘I’ for the ‘Self’, the Soul will remain in the clutches of the dualistic illusion. Stop saying ‘I AM THIS OR I AM THAT’.:~ Santthosh Kumaar

In ignorance, the Soul, the Self forgetful of its nondual true nature.+

It is not you who is in ignorance it is the Soul, which is in ignorance of its own formless, timeless and spaceless true nature.  

It is not you who have to wake up to the reality but it is the Soul that has to wake up from its sleep of ignorance.  

In ignorance, the Soul, the Self forgetful of its non-dual true nature.

In Self-awareness, the Soul wakes up from its sleep of ignorance and remains in its own awareness.

In Self-awareness, the form, time, and space become one with the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

In Self-awareness, the three states become one with the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

In Self-awareness, the mind (universe) merges with consciousness.

In Self-awareness, there is conscious awareness of unity in diversity in the midst of diversity.

Self-awareness is the fullness of consciousness without the illusory division of form, time, and space.

Self-awareness is the conscious Advaitic awareness in the midst of the dualistic illusion. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar 

It is impossible to watch your mind without knowing what the mind is in actuality.+

Some gurus say watch your mind.

It is impossible to watch your mind without knowing what the mind is in actuality.  How the mind is separate from the watcher. The watcher and watching and the world cease to exist without the mind.

If you stand motionless you will not discover ‘Self’ as the watcher.  First, realize ‘what is this mind in actuality.

Remember the ‘I’ is the whole universe. The universe ceases to exist without the ‘I’.

If you are caught in the grip of the ‘I’ then you will remain permanently in the grip of ignorance.

If you hold the Self as ‘I’ you will never be able to cross the dualistic illusion.    If you follow the ‘I’ based teaching it is like the blind leading the blind

If you inquire “Who am ‘I’?  the ‘I’ will not disappear. You must know the nature of the ‘I’, which appears and disappears.

The Soul is the witness of the ‘I’ which is permeant and eternal. The Soul is the subject and the ‘I’ is an object.

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

Remember:~

First, know what this mind is supposed to be in actuality. The duality is not the creation of the mind because the mind itself is a dualistic illusion.

The mind is not within the body because the world in which you exist itself is the mind. Without the mind, the world in which you exist ceases to exist.

A perfect understanding of what is what leads to unfolds the mystery of the mind.

The ‘I’ is present in the form of the mind. The mind is present in the form of the universe. The universe is present in the form of form, time, and space. Without form, time, and space, there is no duality. The duality is not a reality from the standpoint of the Soul, the innermost Self.

The mind is present in the form of form, time, and space. Thus, whatever belongs to form, time and space are falsehoods. Thus, the universe in which we exist as a reality is a falsehood. Thus, there is a need to know ‘what is what’ in order to realize the truth beyond the form, time, and space.

The ‘I’ disappears as deep sleep, so what is the use of being attached to it? It is impermanent and illusory because ‘I’ is physical awareness. Physical awareness is not Self-awareness. ‘I-less awareness is Self-awareness.

There is really no ‘I’. The ‘I’ is present in the form of the mind.

The mind is in the form of the universe. And universe appears as the waking or dream. The ‘I’ or mind or the universe or waking or dream dies disappears as deep sleep.

Thus, one that appears as ‘I’ or mind or the universe or waking or dream is consciousness, and it disappears as deep sleep is also consciousness. In deep sleep, it is in its formless nondual true nature. The one, which witnesses the coming and going of the three states, is also consciousness. Thus, the witness and witnessed are one in essence.

Thus, the universe is a reality on the base of individuality and the universe is unreal on the base of the Soul (consciousness), which is the Self.

The seeker gradually will grasp and realize the unreal nature of the universe or mind. Individuality is illusory because the Self is not an individual because the Self is formless, and it pervades everything and everywhere in all the three states. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar