Until you try to experience non-duality within the domain of duality you will remain in ignorance.+

Until you try to experience non-duality within the domain of duality you will remain in ignorance.

Nonduality is the true nature of the Soul, the Self, which is unborn eternal.

The ‘Self’ cannot be experienced as an individual because ‘Self’ is not an individual it is formless and universal.

People think the religious scholars’ interpretation of Upanishads and get stuck to the idea of experience as a touchstone.

One has to realize the ‘Self’ is not ‘you’ but the ‘Self’ is the Soul or the consciousness. The Soul or consciousness is prior to any experience. Experience implies duality.

The duality is merely an illusion from the ultimate standpoint. In reality, experience and experience are one in essence. Thus, there is no second thing that exists other than consciousness. Hence, it is nondual.

Experience belongs to individuality. And from the standpoint of the Soul, the ‘Self’ individuality is a falsehood. There is neither individual nor his experience in reality.

You and your experience of the world cannot exist without waking experience.

From the standpoint of the Soul, the waking experience itself is an illusion.

Whatever we are discussing, we are discussing in the illusory waking experience. Whatever belongs to waking experience is bound to be a falsehood.

Thus, we cannot experience the ‘Self’. The ‘Self' has to be realized in order to get rid of ignorance, which is the cause of experiencing the dualistic illusion or Maya as a reality. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

The religious robe is the symbol of ignorance because religion is based on the foundation of ignorance.+

The religious robe is the symbol of ignorance because religion is based on the foundation of ignorance. People have the wrong impression that the one who wears a religious robe is a Gnani.

By having coiled hair, one will not become a Gnani. By wearing a religious robe one will not get Advaitic Gnana.

By studying under a famous guru, one cannot get rid of ignorance. Scriptural mastery one will not get Advaitic wisdom. By taking sanyasa or monkhood, one is not qualified to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

All the holy men, gurus, saints, and yogis belong to the religious path, which is meant for the ignorant populace. The Atmic path is nothing to do with religion.

Those who are seriously searching for truth have to take the Atmic path, not the religious or yogic path.

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

Enlightened or not, the venerated Indian Sage Sankara in his work The Crest Jewel of Discrimination (1) or as it is sometimes known, Viveka Chudamani (2), states that the Knower of the Atman (i.e., a Gnani) "bears no outward mark of a holy man" (Stanza 539).

Continuing, although there are variances found in the actual wording between various translators and translations the gist behind the words remains the same,

Sage Sankara writes: ~ “Sometimes he appears to be a fool, sometimes a wise man. Sometimes he seems splendid as a king, sometimes feeble-minded. Sometimes he is calm and silent. Sometimes he draws men to him. Sometimes people honor him greatly, sometimes they insult him. Sometimes they ignore him.

Unless one realizes the Soul as the Self as it really is” it is impossible to realize the Advaitic truth.

By becoming a sanyasi or monk one will not get Self-realization or truth realization or God-realization.

What is the use of becoming a sanyasi or monk when the ‘Self ‘is not you? You are the false self.

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

A person who realized the ultimate truth or Brahman will throw off his religious robe and his religious identity and becomes Avadhuta and live as he wishes.

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 them for the sake of bread belong to the religion; they are nothing to do with the Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

Manduka Upanishads: - It is very difficult to find out who is a Gnani because he bears no external mark. Neither nudity nor the yellow robe has anything to do with him.

There is no need to criticize and condemn the gurus, yogis, and swamis because they are needed for the welfare of the ignorant masses to preach morals and ethics, love, compassion, and harmony in the dualistic world.

Remember:~

Exploring if an outside observer can, in all cases, determine if a person is Enlightened or not, the venerated Sage Sankara, in his work The Crest-Jewel of Discrimination (1) or as it is sometimes known, Viveka Chudamani (2), states that the Knower of the Atman (i.e., a Gnani) "bears no outward mark of a holy man" (Stanza 539).

Sage Sankara writes (on a Gnani): - “Sometimes he appears to be a Fool, sometimes a wise man. Sometimes he seems splendid as a king, sometimes feeble-minded. Sometimes he is calm and silent. Sometimes he draws men to him. Sometimes people honor him greatly, sometimes they insult him. Sometimes they ignore him.

Sage Sankara:~ "The ignorant see the body of a knower of Brahman(Gnani) and identify him with it. Actually the Soul the innermost Self' is free from the body and every other kind of bondage. To the Self, the body is merely a shadow."

Manduka Upanishads: ~ It is difficult to find out who is a Gnani because he bears no external mark. Neither nudity nor the yellow robe has anything to do with him.

A Gnani cannot have the idea of renouncing the world or giving up something of the practical world, because that would connote the idea of duality. Duality is merely an illusion from the ultimate standpoint. Knowing no second thing at all there remains nothing to be given up.

Self- Knowledge is only true knowledge not the absence of duality. Self -Knowledge cannot destroy the world but it eliminates ignorance and exposes the unreal nature of the mind or universe.

A Gnani is the one who has realized the universe in which he exists is nothing but consciousness.

Self-awareness is unique. It cannot be experienced because it is prior to any experience. It is possible only by the realization of the knowledge of the Infinite."

A Gnani sees only unity in diversity, just like a goldsmith estimating the gold in various items of jewelry sees only gold.

When one identifies the Self with the form then only the form, time and space are present. But when one transcends form, time, and space the duality never remains as reality. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar 

The Vedas exclaim from time immemorial: ~ Rig Veda, 1-164-146:~Ekam Sat Vipra Bahudha Vadanti, Existence is One. God is one and universal.+

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

All Hindu Gods are not Vedic God. The Vedas exclaim from time immemorial: ~

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

Prohibition of idol worship in Yajurveda: ~

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) 

Yajurveda: ~ "They are entering darkness, those who worship the natural things (like air, water, fire, etc.), they are sinking more in darkness who worship created things." (Chapter 40, Verse 9)

Thus, Idolatry does not find any support from the Vedas.

Yajurveda: ~ "They are entering darkness, those who worship the natural things (like air, water, fire, etc.), they are sinking more in darkness who worship created things." (Chapter 40, Verse 9)

Thus, Idolatry does not find any support from the Vedas.

All the Gods and Goddesses worshipped in the temples are non-Vedic Gods.

The Vedas exclaim from time immemorial: ~

Rig Veda, 1-164-146:~Ekam Sat Vipra Bahudha Vadanti, Existence is One.  God is one and universal.

God is the Spirit. The Spirit is the Soul, the  Self. God is the Soul, the Self. The Soul is the Supreme Being the One eternal homogeneous essence, indivisible consciousness and intelligence, which is beyond the form, time, and space. Which the Sages describe in a variety of ways through diverse words.

In Vedas, the God has been described as: ~

Sakshi (Witness)

Chetan (conscious)

Nirguna (Without form and properties).

Shuddha (pure)

Buddha (omniscient)

Mukta (unattached).

All the above-mentioned description is the nature of the Soul (Atman). The innermost Self is Ataman. Atman is present in the form of consciousness. Atman is God the consciousness (Spirit) is God in truth.

So, it clearly indicates that God is formless thus there is no scope for a form-based God. The religion and its ideas of Gods, and its theories of karma, heaven, hell, papa, punya, rebirth, and reincarnation are based on the false Self (ego), within the false experience (waking). Therefore, they are meant for lower mindsets, they are of no use for those who are seeking higher truth as indicated in the scriptures.

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.

Rig Veda: ~ The Atman (Soul) 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)

Bhagavad Gita: ~ Brahmano hi pratisthaham- Brahman (God in truth) is considered the all-pervading consciousness which is the basis of all the animate and inanimate entities and material. (Gita 14.27)

The Upanishads say in effect that: ~ if you believe that the Soul is one and God (Brahman in truth) is another you cannot understand Truth.

Brihad Upanishad: ~ “If you think there is another entity, whether man or God there is no truth."

There is no second thing that exists other than consciousness. Consciousness itself is God in truth.

No conceptual God can exist, apart from consciousness. People are not aware of the fact that there is no individual God that can exist, apart from the Soul, which is in the form of consciousness. Thus, the Soul or consciousness is the Self. If there is no consciousness, then there is no body, no ego, no universe, no religion, and no conceptual God. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Sage Sankara’s Advaitic wisdom brings universal brotherhood and unity in diversity. Sage Sankara’s Advaitic wisdom is the power that can lead to world peace."

Sage Sankara’s Advaitic wisdom brings universal brotherhood and unity in diversity. Sage Sankara’s Advaitic wisdom is the power that can lead to world peace."

There is a need to bifurcate religion from spirituality. People think religion is the stepping stone for Self-realization but it is not so.

Religion is based on ignorance and it keeps the seeker permanently in ignorance by hiding the truth with its mythical beliefs and dogmas and superstition.

According to Vedas and Upanishads, all the religious propagated mythical Gods and beliefs are a myth.

By Spiritual based upbringing one becomes exposed to both the real and unreal, and the freedom from experiencing unreality as a reality.

The Soul, the ‘Self is the Infinite God.

The Soul is the Self. God is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. God is the fullness of consciousness without the illusory division of form, time, and space. Therefore, there is nothing apart from it.

The God in truth is Self-evident. God in truth is not established by extraneous proofs. It is not possible to deny God in truth because God in truth is the very essence of the one who denies it.

God in truth is the basis of all kinds of knowledge, presuppositions, and proofs. God in truth is within the universe in which you exist, the God in truth is without the universe in which you exist. :~Santthosh Kumaar

The individual has no reality. Only the Self is real; the rest, mental and physical are but passing appearances.+

India is the home of mysticism and deification and very few are keen on rational Advaitic truth. Indian populace is most interested in their caste and creed propagated by different founders in different regions of India.

Very few are interested in Advaitic wisdom. In Atmic path has no place for an extra-cosmic God or for anything supernatural.

Without Sage Sankara, there is no Advaita. Without Advaita, it is impossible to realize the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space.

Sage Sankara’s whole wisdom can be summed up into one sentence, ‘There is nothing else but Brahman. He says that Absolute Existence, Absolute Knowledge and Absolute Bliss are real. The universe is not real. He says that Brahma and Atman are one. The ultimate and the Absolute Truth is the Soul, the Self, which is one though appearing as many different individuals. The individual has no reality. Only the Self is real; the rest, mental and physical are but passing appearances.

Genuine philosophy must be independent of religion, that in Sage Sankara himself the Saguna Brahman or a personal God is only a part of the phenomenal (if not illusory) world, and the Nirguna Brahman is the only reality and has nothing to do with religion.

Sage Sankara pokes fun at ascetics and points out that all their austerities do not cause desires to go (Altar Flowers" Page 205, v.2 P.207 v.4)

The Brahma Sutras together with Sage Sankara's commentary thereon do not contain the higher wisdom. They are intended for those who are incapable of thinking rationally.

Sage Sankara's commentary on the Brahma Sutras is not on a philosophical basis, but on an orthodox and mystic basis, with an appeal to the Vedas as the final authority.

In Brahma Sutra Sage Sankara takes the position that there is another entity outside us, i.e. the wall really exists separately from the mind. This was because Sage Sankara explains in Manduka that those who study the Sutras are orthodox minds, intellectual children, hence his popular viewpoint to assist them. These people are afraid to go deeper because it means being heroic enough to refuse to accept Sruti, and God's authority, in case they mean punishment by God. A Gnani says the scriptures for children, but wise seekers will think rationally.

In Brahma Sutras Sage Sankara takes for granted, and assumes that a world was created: He there mixes dogmatic theology with philosophy.

That God created the world is an absolute lie, nevertheless one will find Sage Sankara (in his commentary on Vedanta Sutras) clearly says this! He has to adapt his teachings to his audience, reserving the highest for philosophical minds.

The text of Brahma Sutras is based on religion and dogmatism, but in the commentary Sage Sankara cleverly introduced some philosophy. If it is objected that a number of Upanishads are equally dogmatic because they also begin by assuming Brahman, only a few Upanishads do not but prove Brahman at the end of a train of proof.

Scholars' translation of Brahma Sutras in Sacred Books of East must be read cautiously as he has not understood its highest sense, e.g. for Advaita they wrongly put "Unity" instead of “Non-duality."

Sage Sankara gave religion and scholasticism and yoga no less than philosophy, to the seeking world. He was great enough to be able to do so. His commentary on Manduka Upanishad is pure philosophy, but many of his other books are presented from a religious standpoint to help those who cannot rise up to philosophy.

Orthodoxy is the home of mysticism and deification that is why they are not keen on the rational truth. Thus, Sage Sankara is the Jagadguru to the religious followers and he is a great Sage (Gnani) of the highest order to the seeking world. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Some Guru propagates:-Just close your eyes” you can see God. Such half-baked knowledge is not the Advaitic wisdom of Sage Sankara.+

Some Guru propagates: ~ Consciousness is alone. There is no second here, no other. ”Just close your eyes” you can see God.

Such half-baked knowledge is hearsay knowledge based on imagination, not Advaitic wisdom. Such half-baked dualistic knowledge gathered from different sources is not the Advaitic wisdom of Sage Sankara.

A Guru who speaks of knowing Brahman within the body is thinking only of his head or heart, i.e. of his body. He is hallucinating.

Remember this: ~

First, know what this God is supposed to be in actuality.

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

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

God in truth is hidden by the illusory universe. God in truth alone is real and eternal and all else is an illusion. Brahman is merely a word to indicate the ultimate truth or God in truth.  The ultimate truth itself is God in truth. 

If consciousness alone then what is the use of closing the eyes. One seeker must realize his body, his eyes, and the world in which he exists, as consciousness.

People think that there is God and that the Jivas--Souls-like them, form the second, other than them. There is no such duality at all.

Remember:~

Ignorance is the cause of the ‘I’ The duality is present in the form of the ‘I’.

The ‘I’ is present in the form of the mind.

The Mind is present in the form of the universe.

The universe appears as a waking or dream (duality) and disappears as deep sleep (non-duality).

The formless substance and witness of the appearance and disappearance of the ‘I’ is the formless Soul.

The Soul is present in the form of consciousness. Consciousness is the ultimate truth because the mind, which is present in the form of the universe, ceases to exist without consciousness. Thus, consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth.

The seeker has to make sure what is this ‘I’ supposed to be? The seeker has to make sure the unreal nature of the ‘I’ which comes and goes to realize the truth, which is beyond the form, time, and space.

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

The ‘I’ hides the truth of the Soul, the God in truth. God is whole not the part.

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’. There 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 Guru's words. For them, their Guru's 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

Even Bhagavad Gita says: ~ ‘Brahmano hi pratisthaham’ ~ Brahman (God in truth) 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.

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.

The dualistic worship of "God” is only for the ignorant populace. The God in truth is only Atman, the Self. In reality, there is no duality, no differentiation. Only Atman exists.

Consciousness” is the only reality and there is no second thing that exists other than consciousness. The universe is nothing but consciousness because it is merely an illusion created out of consciousness. The whole universe is just an illusory play of consciousness. : ~Santthosh Kumaar

The Atmic path is straight. One travels from ignorance to wisdom by perfect understanding of ‘what is what’.+

There is no need to convince those who think the ‘I-centric teaching as the ultimate. What is the use of convincing those who never get convinced? Those who are stuck with the ‘I’ are sticking to ignorance.

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.

The Atmic path is straight. One travels from ignorance to wisdom by perfect understanding of ‘what is what’.

The search for the truth of our true existence ends in the discovery of the Soul, the ‘‘Self’’. When the form, time, and space are created out of single stuff then there is no division in the consciousness. The Soul is the fullness of consciousness without the division of form, time, and space.

It is erroneous to identify the Soul, the ‘Self’ as 'I' or 'I AM' because the Soul, the innermost ‘Self’ is not 'I' or I AM’. The Soul, the ‘Self’ is that witness of the 'I'.

The ‘I’ is not the expression of the fullness of consciousness.

The ‘I’ is the cause of the division within consciousness.

The ‘I’ is ignorance.

The ‘I’ is the cause of experiencing the dualistic illusion as a reality.

The ‘I’ is the cause of the experience of the birth death and the world.

The ‘I’ is the cause of the form, time, and space.

The ‘I’ is the cause of the universe.

The ‘I’ is the cause of the three states.

The ‘I’ is the cause of the mind.

Remember:~

Without The ‘I’, it is the fullness of consciousness.

Without The ‘I’ there is no division within consciousness.

Without the ‘I’ there is no ignorance.

Without the ‘I’ there is no dualistic illusion or Maya.

Without the ‘I’ there is no experience of the birth death and the world.

Without the ‘I’ there is no form, time, and space.

Without The ‘I’ there is no universe.

Without the ‘I’ there are no three states.

The ‘I’ is the cause of the mind.

People try all kinds of paths and practices to get Self-realization. Realizing the ‘Self’ is not you but the ‘Self’ is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, is Self-realization. Consciousness is the cause of the world in which you exist and it itself’’ is uncaused.

Consciousness is pure, flawless, and full, beyond form, time, and space. Consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman. Consciousness is beyond all limitations of form, time, and space.

Arguing and provoking the wisdom will not dawn. The argument is useless so long as the ultimate truth is unknown, and the argument is equally useless when the ultimate truth or Brahman has already been known. Advaitic Wisdom of Sage Sankara is not custom-made stuff to feed different mindsets according to their likes and fancy.

The uncontradictable truth is the ultimate truth or Brahman. The uncontradictable truth is beyond form, time, and space. Thus, whatever knowledge is based on form, time and space is dualistic knowledge.

The non-dualistic wisdom is nothing to with the form, time, and space. Thus, mixing dualistic knowledge and trying to understand and realize the Advaitic truth is like mixing oil and water.

When the inner conviction becomes firm, then the dualistic illusion will start losing its realistic luster.

Consciousness is the root element of the universe. From consciousness, the universe comes into existence. In consciousness, the universe resides. And into consciousness, the universe is dissolved. Consciousness is the parent of all that is there.

The worries are of the dualistic illusion. The man and his world are within the waking experience. The waking experience is a dualistic illusion. The waking experience ceases to exist in deep sleep, where the waking experience has disappeared in deep sleep.

The one that appears as waking or the dream (duality) and disappears as deep sleep are not the ‘Self’. The ‘Self’' is the Soul, which witnesses the coming and going of the three states. The three states appear to be real, but their unreal nature is exposed if one realizes the Soul, the ‘Self’.

The worries do not belong to the Soul, the ‘Self’. The Soul is ever formless, timeless, and spaceless existence, whereas you and your worries and your experience of the world are present only in the domain of the dualistic illusion.

Self-knowledge is necessary to realize the truth hidden by the universe, which is the dualistic illusion or Maya.

It is necessary to reflect on the same truth again and again till it becomes a reality. One needs to constantly, reflect on the subject until he gets a firm conviction of what is what. Words are needed until one gets a firm conviction of ‘what is what’.

People need to read and to hear the words of wisdom to think deeply and reach the ultimate end.

It takes time for the seeker to gain the perfect understanding of ‘what is truth’ and ‘’what is untruth’. It takes time for the Soul, the ‘Self’ to wake up from the sleep of ignorance, and it takes time for one to realize the truth, which is beyond the form, time, and space.

The Soul has to wake up from the sleep of ignorance, and then only it is possible to realize that form, time and space are one in essence. That essence is the Soul or consciousness. If the form, time, and space are one in essence, then there is no division in consciousness. If there is no division in consciousness, then there is no duality, if there is no duality then there is unity in diversity.

Ignorance is the cause of experiencing duality as reality. Realizing Soul as the ‘Self’ leads to Advaitic ‘Self’-awareness. The Soul, the Self’ is Absolute Knowledge, which cannot be negated. The nature of the Soul is Advaitic awareness.

The universe in which we exist is present only in waking experience. The waking experience (duality) appears and disappears as deep sleep (nonduality).

In reality, the Gnani, Gnana, and the world are one in essence. That essence is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Consciousness is the formless substance of the universe. Consciousness is the formless witness of the universe. Consciousness is also the source of the universe. Thus, the whole universe in which we exist is nothing but consciousness. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar