All those whose intelligence has been stolen by ignorance hold the Self as the ‘I’ and refuse to accept the ‘I’ is an illusion.+

Q:~ S M:~ Dear Santtosh ji, I read your blogs and somehow each and every word is true to my own experience. But now I was reading some of your blogs in which you write " The Soul, the Self is nothing to DO with you and your experience of the birth, life, death and the world because the Soul, the ‘Self is birthless and deathless. The Soul is birthless and deathless because it is the ever formless, timeless, and spaceless existence. ".....

Now i just want to know if I am not the Soul then who am I? who is commenting on the SELF? I AM not merely a thought construct who realizes the SELF and the commenting on behalf of the SELF.... please clarify if I AM wrong somewhere.

The sense I AM itself is the SELF when it is not associated with anything. And if it is associated then it becomes EGO sense. Apparently, nothing changes, the sense is the same only identification came which is again merely an illusion in the SELF only...

if I am not the Soul then who am I? who is commenting on the SELF? I AM not merely a thought construct who realizes the SELF and the commenting on behalf of the SELF.... please clarify if I AM wrong somewhere.

The sense I AM itself is the SELF when it is not associated with anything. And if it is associated then it becomes EGO sense. Apparently, nothing changes, the sense is the same only identification came which is again merely an illusion in the SELF only...

Thanks and regards- SM

A- Santthosh Kumaar: ~ “It is difficult for people to understand the Advaitic truth who adopted ‘I-centric’ teaching.

All those whose intelligence has been stolen by ignorance hold the Self as the ‘I’ and refuse to accept the ‘I’ is an illusion, which appears and disappears.

You are the false Self (ego) within the false experience (waking). The one which is inquiring and trying to find the answer about the truth of the true existence is you within the dualistic illusion (waking).

The ‘Self’ is not you because you are bound by the experience of birth, life and death, and the world. The ‘Self’ is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. The Soul is birthless and deathless because it is a formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.

From the standpoint of the Soul, the experience of birth, life and death, and the world are merely an illusion created out of consciousness.

You are not the Self because you are the false Self (waking entity or the ego) within the false experience (waking). Thus, what is the use of saying ‘I AM THIS’ or ‘I AM THAT’ when ‘I’ itself is an illusion? If the ‘I’ is an illusion then what is the use of inquiring ‘WHO AM I?’. One must realize ‘what is this ‘I’ first. If the ‘I’ is not the Self then it is time to realize the Self is not ‘I’ but the Self is the witness of the ‘I.

Remember this:~

Realize, ‘what is this ‘I’ supposed to be in actuality and what is hidden by the ‘I’ will be revealed.

If you realize the ‘Self ‘not the ‘I’ but the Soul then whatever is hidden by the ‘I’ will be revealed.

Realizing the Soul is not the ‘I’ but the Soul is the Self, is Self –realization.

To think your own body and your experience of the world is an illusion is a difficult matter unless one realizes the Self is not physical, but it is formless Soul it is difficult to have a glimpse of truth. When one realizes the fact that, the Self is not the body, but the formless Soul, naturally the body and the universe become an illusion.

The Mind (universe) is emanating from the Soul (consciousness) means the mind is being the effect of consciousness is not different from it.

A deeper analysis shows it. Analysis needs deeper thinking and reasoning. The mind is the whole universe, thus, it has a form. But where is the form in consciousness (Soul) because consciousness is like an ocean and the mind is like a wave? The universe is the same consciousness, as the ocean produces the wave, so the consciousness produces the mind (universe).

The moment one knows the mind (universe) is consciousness, and then there is no ignorance. If one knows consciousness as the Self then everything is consciousness, the consciousness is second to none. The mind is consciousness, but due to ignorance one mistakes it for something else. One thinks the Self is within the body, but the Self is without the body and the world.

The mind ceases to exist without the matter. Without the matter, the mind ceases to exist as the mind, but it exists as the matter- less awareness or consciousness. Without the mind, neither the world nor its perceiver can exist.

Without the matter, there is no duality. Without duality, there is no experience. Without experience, it is a non-dualistic reality. Therefore, whatever prevails without the mind is the ultimate reality.

The true nature of the Soul (consciousness) is camouflaged by the illusion (universe or duality). To know the truth one has to discover and realize the formless substance of the mind (illusion). One has to learn to view and judge the three states from the standpoint of the formless Soul as the Self.

Acquire Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana is the prime goal of the truth seeker. This goal is hidden within the mind as its formless substance and witness. Therefore, it is necessary to inquire, analyze and reason into the nature of the mind (duality, or illusion) in order to unfold the mystery of mind or duality or illusion.

The person, who stamped their foot on the ground to refute to show the world, is real, ignores that in a dream he would do exactly the same--stamp his dream foot on the ground and assert it to be real. : ~Santthosh Kumaar

Remember this:~

People think that the ‘Self’ as the ‘I’ and they think it is not possible to function without the ‘I’ as a person because they think ‘I’ is limited to the body and ‘I’ is within the body. This is an error. The ‘I’ is the whole universe in which you exist.

People refuse to accept the world is an illusion. But they must think the world in which they exist appears as waking and disappears as deep sleep (non-duality).

A person, who stamped his foot on the ground to refute to show the world, is real, ignore that in a dream he would do exactly the same--stamp his dream foot on the ground and assert it to be real.

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

People and their experiences of birth, life, death, and the world are merely an illusion created out of consciousness. Consciousness alone is real and all else is an illusion. Thus, consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God.

Many Gurus in the past glorified the ‘I’. People got emotionally stuck with their Gurus worshipping them and got entangled with studying the life and happenings of their guru when their Gurus were alive. They forgot their main goal of discovering the truth of their true existence. This following Gurudom trend is still continuing.

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 by means of 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.

There is no need to condemn Gurus, but there is a need to highlight how they become an obstacle in realizing the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth.

Swami Vivekananda said: ~ “You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, and none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher, but the Soul, the Self.”

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

A Guru is needed for the religious and the yogic path. There is no need for a Guru in to acquire ‘Self’-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

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 most advanced seeker who seeks to know the truth beyond the form, time, and space. The Gurudom is meant for the first audience, to help lead its followers along the way. The Atmic path is meant for those who wish to go beyond the domain of form, time, and space.

Sage Sankara gave religious, ritual, and 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.

Remember:~

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 innermost ‘‘Self’’. When form, time, and space are created out of single stuff then there is no division in consciousness. The Soul is the fullness of consciousness without the division of form, time, and space.

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

But

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.

Without the ‘I’ there is no experience of 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 in order 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 exists and it itself is uncaused.

Consciousness is pure, flawless, and full, beyond form, time, and space. Consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman. The consciousness is beyond all limitations of form, time, and space. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar