Recent science has killed the atomic theory and matter has vanished with it.+

Mundaka Upanishad 1.3:~ Complete knowledge includes knowledge of the phenomenal world, the spirit behind it, and the source of both of them. When the cause of all causes becomes known, then everything knowable becomes known, and nothing remains unknown is Gnana.”

Anybody can write a commentary on the Upanishads and other great philosophic texts, all they need to do to pour out words. It is quite easy to do this even by those who have never understood the Upanishads but think they have. Thus, the dualists and their disciples have written commentaries on scriptures mixing the existence of individualized Gods and Goddesses: But all these have been written to satisfy themselves, not to get the truth.

Even great thinkers show differences of opinion, let alone lesser folks what are we to do? We must cease wasting time on the useless argument based on authorities and we must first find out the meaning of truth and go to facts and then only judge the various authorities.

Dualists believed in a plurality of minds or selves and also in Prakriti matter. The Dualist thought ultimately existed in the form of particles similar to our atomic theory. But recent science has killed the atomic theory and matter has vanished with it. Hence modern dualists fear science and try to avoid it.

The dualist thinkers ’ arguments are based on false Self (ego or the waking entity) and false experience (mind or waking or dream or universe) to show the weakness of the position of the dualistic viewpoint. They are at their wits end to explain.

Existence cannot be a cause and effect at the same time, from the point of view of the dualists, but deeper Self-search shows that existence is no two and causality can’t rise at all. Dualistic theory says that whatever was in the cause was also in the effect. They say that the gold brick, the gold medal, the gold ornaments --are in the seed--the gold. Deeper Self-search reveals the fact that, if cause and effect are one what is the difference between the two?

In the realm of truth, there is neither unwisdom nor ignorance; neither bondage nor liberation. There is but one pure consciousness.

The logic holds good for the practical purpose in the practical life (waking). Soul-centric reasoning leads to nondualistic Self-awareness.

Consciousness is existence absolute, awareness absolute. The Existence of absolute means that consciousness is not unreal or nonexistent. And it is not unconsciousness. Nothing positive can be stated about consciousness.

The Soul, the Self is the One without a second. There is not the least shadow of multiplicity in the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

What is it that becomes the waking experience (duality)? ‘What is it that becomes the dream (duality)?’ and ‘What is it that becomes the deep sleep (nonduality)?’

The seeker of truth has to direct realization of the Soul, the Self, through wisdom and avoid losing precious time and effort losing him in philosophical studies.

Both modern science and religion offer hypotheses and theories, but there is one vital difference--science begins with facts which it collects; religion begins with fancies. Science evolves its hypotheses from such facts, religion from fancies.

Science declares that oxygen combines with hydrogen to give water. And it also declares oxygen is protons or electrons. But in pursuit of truth, the whole physical existence (universe or mind) is considered an illusion, and science and its inventions, which are based on physical existence are limited to physical existence.

The invisible truth is hidden, but it is beyond the physical existence. The science demands physical proof. But the physical proof is part of the illusion. Hence, science cannot go beyond physicality because the truth cannot be traced in laboratory conditions. Deeper self-search is required if one wants to push its quest deeply enough.

Common people and primitive minds fall into faulty thinking through their inherited conditioning, such faulty thinking and reasoning make them accept the experience of birth, life, and death as reality; taking what one sees through the senses as real, taking what is apparent as obvious and superficial as true because it is less troublesome.

Many people adopt the attitude that what they know is the truth. And what others say is false. This attitude makes them not verify anything other than what they know. One needs to be rational, not merely logical. Logic has its value only in the physical plane(duality).

As one advances towards the spiritual plane, he sees the logic underlying experience and becomes more rational. His reasoning is two-fold--implicit and explicit.

There is a need for facts of physical proof in scientific invention, whereas, in pursuit of truth, the proof has to be grasped mentally and realized. Therefore, the truth is realized only by a few who take this mental pursuit. “Whatever facts revealed, which is uncontradictable has to be accepted as truth.

The truth based on the formless Soul, the innermost Self is worthwhile; without it, one has something else, not truth. Most people refuse to venture into the pursuit of truth; because they do not want to go into the root of things.

The seeker of truth has to study, inquire, and reason at the beginning of the pursuit of truth because it is very much necessary in the pursuit of truth.

One has to know the Self is not physical but the Self is the formless Spirit or Soul. The spirit or Soul or the Self is present in the form of consciousness. Consciousness gives one the awareness of the three states.

Ignorance of the true Self is the cause of experiencing the duality as reality. The ignorance vanishes through the realization of the true Self, which is the Soul or spirit or consciousness. The true Self does not lie in our body or in our brain, or our ego, but it is the essence of the dual and non-dual experiences, which come and go as waking dreams and deep sleep.

Goudpada Karika-s of the second, third, and fourth chapters are the authority that a mumukshu ought to resort to. Since the reality of duality is born of ignorance even to a just-born animal, and therefore the cause and characteristic of samsara, bondage, and misery, the Upanishads and the Sages who have followed the Vedic tradition teach the unreality of the duality and redeem the suffering humanity from the misery caused by the duality.

For the sincere spiritual seeker duality (dvaita) and suffering are synonyms. So also Nonduality (Advaita) and bliss (sukha) are synonyms. The Veda, especially the Upanishad portions, are full of teachings directed at establishing the unreality and miserable nature of duality and upholding the non-dual nature of the Atman, the sole reality.

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 4.3.22 alludes to this experience:~ (In this state a father is no father, a mother no mother, no Gods, no Vedas. In this state, a thief is no thief, the killer of a noble Brahmana no killer, a monk no monk, a hermit no hermit. This form of his is untouched by good work and untouched by evil work, for he is then beyond all the woes of his intellect.)

Mundaka Upanishad:` The study of the Vedas, linguistics, Rituals, astronomy and all the arts Can be called lower knowledge. The higher Is that which leads to Self-realization. The eye cannot see it; the mind cannot grasp it. The deathless Self has neither caste nor race, Neither the eyes nor ears nor hands nor feet. Sages say this Self is infinite in the great And in the small, everlasting and changeless, The source of life. :~Santthosh Kumaar