What is the use of saying the death is an illusion, without the realizing the world in which the birth and death takes place itself is an illusion.+

What is the use of saying that death is an illusion, without them realizing the world in which birth and death take place itself is an illusion?

A Gnani will never say we are not born; we are not going to die but he says our experience of birth, life, death, and the world is a reality within the waking experience. The waking experience is a dualistic illusion. The dualistic illusion appears as the ‘I’ (waking) and disappears as ‘I-less’ (deep sleep).

The dualistic illusion appears as a whole and disappears as a whole. The witness of the dualistic is not you but the Soul, the Self. The Soul is birthless and deathless because it is ever formless, timeless, and spaceless existence whereas the individual birth, life, death, and the world are possible only in the domain of form, time, and space. From the standpoint of the Soul, the Self, the form, time, and space are merely an illusion.

You are the birth entity and your death is certain whereas the Soul is the unborn reality. Holding the ‘Self’ as the ‘I’ causes ignorance. How can one say ‘I AM THAT’ when ‘I’ itself is an illusion?

Identifying the ‘Self’ as the ‘I’ is identifying the Self with the illusion.

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 Soul is the 'Self’. The nature of the Soul is ‘I-LESS’ existence. The Soul is permanent and is always there, only the transient ‘I’ comes and goes.

Thus, it is necessary to know the ‘I’ itself is merely an illusion to realize the truth beyond the form, time, and space. The seeker has to realize the truth of the whole, not the part. :

That is why Bhagavad Gita: ~ “You must first see the ‘I’ as illusory before you see others as illusory. ~ CH.2 v.16

It is wrong to say we are not born, and we do not die without knowing the one, which is born, lives, and dies within the world is not the Self.

Without knowing the true Self -mere saying, we are not born, we do not die is not the knowledge, which has come from depth, it is mere bookish knowledge. Unity in diversity in our understanding is not possible from bookish knowledge.

If one limits the Self to the physical entity alone, one gets only a half-truth. The consciousness pervades all the three states, as its formless substance and witness. The formless substance and witness, which is our true Self (true identity). Without knowing the true Self -mere saying, we are not born, we do not die is not the knowledge, which has come from depth, it is mere bookish knowledge. Unity in diversity in our understanding is not possible through bookish knowledge or some gurus''‘ I-centric’ teachings.

Sage Sankara says: ~ “The world is unreal. He never said the body is unreal. He would have said only birth and death are unreal, he did not say that he said the world is unreal. He meant the world including the body because the body and world appear together and disappear together (waking/dream). Then we have to conclude, what remains without the body and the world as reality.

How can the birth, karma, death, rebirth, and reincarnation, which take place in the unreal world (waking/dream), can be true. The one, which is aware of birth, life death, rebirth, and reincarnation (illusion/unreal), is the formless reality, which is the Soul, the Self. The formless Self is your true identity, which is birthless and deathless but it is the witness of the birth, life and death, and rebirth (illusion/unreal).

From the standpoint of the Soul, the Self the birth, life, death, rebirth, and reincarnation theory is part of the illusion/unreal. The body cannot reincarnate, the body and the world are created out of the same clay.

Until one view and judges on the base of flesh, bone, and blood (five elements), he will not be able to grasp the non-dual truth. Thus, one must know from what standpoint, we are not born and we do not die thoroughly, just by hearsay views, it will not lead anyone to the non-dual destination. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Advaita is the truth hidden by dvaita. The dvaita is ignorance (I) and Advaita is ultimate reality (Atman).+

Advaitic wisdom is not any type of teaching. Advaita is the truth hidden by Dvaita. The Dvaita is ignorance (I) and Advaita is ultimate reality (Atman).

If you are seeking truth then you have to tread the path alone. If you sentimentally get involved in physical Guru with the devotion that will block you from realizing the truth, which is hidden by the form, time, and space.

Sage Sankara says: ~ VC-162- There is no liberation for a person of mere book knowledge, howsoever well-read in the philosophy of Vedanta, so long as one does not give up the false identification with the body, sense organs, etc., which are unreal.

People dwelling in ignorance, but thinking themselves wise and erudite, go round and round by various blind beliefs and tortuous paths and practices, like the blind led by the blind.

Sticking to religious Gurus is a religious fable is nothing to do with spirituality. Many have been deluded and fallen prey to a false sense of salvation propagated by the Gurus and yogis and only a few have been able to reach the goal safely by threading the path independently through soul-centric reasoning.

Manduka Upanishads:~a Gnani 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.

Sage Sankara clearly indicates in Viveka Chudamani (2) that the Knower of the Atman (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 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.

A Gnani can point at the sky, but the seeing of the star is the seeker's own work.

The truth-seeker seeks only truth. The inner Sage will guide you with love. Your sincerity and seriousness lead you to your inner core. Sincere and serious seekers are not excluded.

All the chosen ones will get freedom from experiencing the illusion (duality) as a reality. All the seekers of truth are chosen ones.

Katha Upanishads: ~ This Atman is attained by him alone whom It chooses. To such a one Atman reveals Its own form. (II -23-P-20)

All the chosen ones will get freedom from experiencing the illusion (duality) as a reality. All the seekers of truth are chosen ones.

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. There is no need to criticize and condemn the Gurus, yogis, and swamis because they are needed for the welfare of the ignorant masses in the dualistic world.

Sage Sankara says the transparent Truth of the Self, which is hidden by the illusion, is to be attained through the instructions of a knower of Brahman, (Gnani)

~ Then why you are sticking a Guru who is not a Gnani.

That is why 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.”

That is why Sage Goudpada: ~ “To establish the truth of Non-duality by sheer reasoning alone. He begins by defining "What is real?" "What is unreal?" etc, because that is the right way to discuss or teach. People must first know what they are talking about. (Manduka Karika)

A permanent view of the world as an illusion can come only after Soul centric reasoning; such knowledge cannot change. Were the seeker who is sufficiently sharpness he could grasp the unreal nature of the world by Soul-centric reasoning alone. To know the whole truth, one must know the whole universe, otherwise, he gets only a half-truth.

Renouncing the worldly life and accepting sannyasa or monk-hood means the incapacity to think deeper, impotency to inquire, and reason.

People speak of getting rid of conditioning or samskara but they, themselves are unaware of the fact that the universe in which they exist is the product of the inborn samskara or conditioning. The ignorance is the cause of the inborn samskara or conditioning which is present as ‘I’ or ‘I AM’.

The real Moksha or freedom is to realize the fact that ‘I’ consciousness is mere physical awareness. Physical awareness is present in form, time, and space. The form, time, and space are 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 (nonduality) Physical awareness is not Self-awareness. Self–awareness is when the formless Soul or consciousness remains aware of its own non-dual true nature.

The seeker will have enough material stored in his subconscious by reading repeatedly my blogs and posting all will start yielding fruits and start revealing when he starts thinking independently and very deeply.

My blogs and postings are not teaching, they are only signposts for those who are seriously seeking the truth. This is the inner process every serious seeker experiences. The inner dialogue will start and he will start getting answers from the inner core of his existence.

Every teaching has to be thoroughly verified through deeper discrimination. If the teaching is egocentric then drop it as inadequate and useless. If it is purely

Soul-centric then only accept it as the truth. If it is mixed with both then also it has to be dropped. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Kena Upanishad 2:4:~Through one's own Self one gains power and through wisdom, one gains immortality.+

The Upanishads says:~

Mundaka Upanishad 1:2:8:~ “Remaining in the fold of ignorance and thinking “we are extremely wise and learned,” the fools with boastful nature ramble about like the blind led by the blind alone.”

Mundaka Upanishad 3:2:3:- “The weak and timid cannot realize the Self. Self-Realization is not possible through intellect or hearing spiritual discourse. One who welcomes God in every activity, through a thorough controlled and disciplined life, to him also the Soul is revealed

Katha Upanishad 1:2:23:~ The Soul cannot be realized through hearing the scholarly explanation of the discourses, not even by the intellect.

Katha Upanishad 1:3:6:~ “Through the knowledge of the Soul or God in truth, one is pure and clean constantly.” Neither by reading the book nor by taking a bath at the holy place has one become pure. Inner purity is possible when one remains in constant touch with the Soul. Constant Soul Consciousness is the real purity.

Kena Upanishad 2:4:~ When it is known through every state of cognition, it is rightly known, for (by such knowledge) one attains life eternal. Through one's own Self one gains power and through wisdom, one gains immortality.

Kena Upanishad 2:5:~ If here one knows it, then there is truth and if here one knows it not, there is a great loss. Hence, seeing the Real in all beings, wise men become immortal on departing from this world.

The scriptures are being added to from time to time. This process will go on. There is the final authority among them? One contradicts the other: duality reigns supreme.

The Upanishads are Self-contradictory. Every pundit even gives conflicting interpretations of them. The final authority, therefore, is using one’s own reason. One should apply his reason to them.

The scriptures are for ignorant masses, who wholly accept the material world as it presents itself. Gnana is for those who have begun to realize that things are not what they seem.

The Scriptures are of value only when dealing with persons who are incapable of understanding the truth, which is hidden by ignorance. They have no value as authority for those who use reason. I quote only verified citations from the scriptures. I need no scriptures but I quote them to help the seekers realize the scriptures are saying

The Upanishads are the only scriptures in the world that say:-

It is impossible to find and realize the truth via religion and scriptural study.

Katha Upanishad: ~ This Atman cannot be attained by the study of the Vedas, or by intelligence, or by much hearing of sacred books. It is attained by him alone whom It chooses. To such a one Atman reveals its own form. (Katha Upanishad Ch-II -23-P-20)

Mundaka Upanishad: ~ “This Atman cannot be attained through study of the Vedas, nor through intelligence, nor through much learning. He who chooses Atman—by him alone is Atman attained. It is Atman that reveals to the seeker Its true nature. (3 –page-70 Upanishads by Nikilanada)

That is why Sage Sankara indicated:~` VC -56- Neither by Yoga, nor by Sankhya, nor by work, nor by learning, but by the realization of one's identity with Brahman is Liberation possible, and by no other means.

58. Loud speech consisting of a shower of words, the skill in expounding the Scriptures, and likewise erudition - these merely bring on a little personal enjoyment to the scholar but are no good for Liberation.

59. The study of the Scriptures is useless so long as the highest Truth is unknown, and it is equally useless when the highest Truth has already been known.

60. The Scriptures consisting of many words are a dense forest that merely causes the mind to ramble. Hence, men of wisdom should earnestly set about knowing the true nature of the Self.

61. For one who has been bitten by the serpent of Ignorance, the only remedy is the knowledge of Brahman. Of what avail are the Vedas and (other) Scriptures, Mantras (sacred formulae), and medicines to such a one?

62. A disease does not leave off if one simply utters the name of the medicine, without taking it; (similarly) without direct realization one cannot be liberated by the mere utterance of the word Brahman.

All accumulated knowledge is mental garbage. Holding this mental garbage blocks the realization of the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth.

Holding some teacher or teaching as a yardstick and trying to prove that he is right and others are wrong and indulging in the perverse argument will help to unfold the mystery of the universe.

The seeker has to learn to view and judge from the standpoint of a formless witness (Soul or consciousness, the Self), then he will be never having any doubts and confusion. When one thinks deeply then only the inner revelation starts and starts burning the dross (confusion/doubts). : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

"Sunya" is something that exists: one cannot prove that consciousness does not exist.+

ZEN Buddhism Satori is not the highest wisdom because it comes as flashes, it does not depend on seeing the world, and does not depend upon mental sharpness so much as intuition. Zen Buddhists are only mystics--they do not offer proof. How is their main method different from that of Christian mystics, and Hindu mystics, all of whom do not seek to prove by reason, but by "I know," intuition?

ZEN may get a flash of peace but that is not the same as Vedantins who realize that the whole world is yourself. Zen is mysticism.

Zen is quite alright in mentioning non-duality: it is the nearest doctrine to true Advaita outside India, but nevertheless, it is still lower because:

It fails to prove non-duality

It illogically gives koan exercises as a means of attaining That which is beyond attainment, because always here

It talks of insight or intuition to see Reality when sight involves a second thing, duality.

When one says "Nothing is" what is the meaning of "is"? "Sunya" is something that exists: one cannot prove that consciousness does not exist.

Zen Buddhism gives a high important place to meditation practice, but then so does the Advaita. The truth is that Zen advocates the necessity of meditation for those of its adherents who cannot grasp the absolute truth.

ZEN BUDDHISM is also in this lower stage of Yoga because it depends on flashes of Intuition gained by meditation, not by reasoning. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

The Soul, the ‘Self’ is your Sadguru. It is only the inner Sadguru that will walk with you to the goal, for it is the goal.

Swami Vivekananda also 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 Soul, the ‘Self’ is your Sadguru. It is only the inner Sadguru that will walk with you to the goal, for it is the goal.

Thus glorifying Gurus’ form is erroneous, because the body and the universe are a myth from the ultimate standpoint. Thus, indulging in glorifying and worshiping myth becomes the greatest obstacle to the pursuit of truth.

The seeker of truth has to identify the Soul the Self as a Guru and proceed in his spiritual endeavor. The inner grace of the inner Guru (Self) will guide until the ignorance disappears and one realizes the body and the universe is a merely an illusion created out of the Soul which is present in the form of the consciousness

Religious or yogic Gurus propagate that, once a seeker identifies a Guru, he must totally surrender to the Guru, and then from there onwards, the spiritual journey is fully the Guru's responsibility, not his... Hence, the importance to choose the right Guru is necessary, but in the pursuit of truth, the Guru is not necessary, because the truth is not theoretical. Truth has to be ascertained by the seeker on his own through Soulcentric reasoning.

The one who identifies himself as a swami, a Guru or yogi, is not a Gnani. A Gnani never identifies himself as a swami, Guru, pundit, or yogi. Swami, Guru, pundit, or yogi belongs to the religious or the yogic path not to the path of wisdom.

Sage Sankara's commentary:~ On Gnani:- "The knower of Brahman (Self-realized or Gnani) wears no signs. Gives up the insignia of a monk's life…his signs are not manifest, nor his behavior."

~ When the knower of Brahman wears no signs -- it means he does not identify himself as a Guru or a teacher.

Yogis and Gurus are not Gods.

This idea of worshiping Guru as God is not a Vedic idea but adopted from Jainism and Buddhism.

Vedas bars human worship: ~

"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 prakrti -- the material cause of the world -- in place of the All-pervading God, But those who worship visible things born of the prakrti, 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.)

Then why worship and glorify the Gurus and Yogis (human form) in place of 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.

No one has ever seen God by practicing religion or yoga or indulging in glorifying the religious God and Goddesses because God exists prior to the form, time, and space. The form, time, and space cease to exist as a reality when wisdom dawns. Thus, the Gods and Gurus have no place in the domain of the Advaitic reality. Advaita is the nature of the Soul, which is the real God. Thus, Self-realization is the only way to God-realization.

By worshipping the religious Gods and Gurus one will not get Self-realization or God-realization. The Soul, the inner Guru reveals ‘what is real’ and ‘what. Thus, there is no other Guru other than the Soul. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Consciousness is the one single reality or Brahman. The individual self is a reality within the illusory universe or Maya.+

Consciousness is the one single reality or Brahman. The individual self is a reality within the illusory universe or Maya.

The waking experience is based on the ‘ego’. You are the waking entity, therefore, you are the ego. The ego is the false self within the false experience.

You are born, live, and die within the world. The world in which you exist appears as the waking experience (duality) and disappears as deep sleep (nonduality). The dream is the parallel waking experience and the waking experience is a parallel dream.

Within the waking experience, you view and judge the worldview as a person. If you want to realize the truth you must realize the 'Self' is not you but the 'Self' is the ‘Soul’, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Only when you learn to view and reason the worldview from the standpoint of the formless Soul, the  'Self’, the truth will start revealing on its own.

You cannot attain truth while existing on the empirical base and you cannot conduct your worldly activities on the transcendental base. Both life and truth are important. Life has to be lived and you have to reach the truth to overcome the burden and the bondage of the illusory experience of the birth, life, and death (duality). 

The seeker has to develop Soulcentric reasoning faculty to judge the dual and non-dual experiences, in order to discover and realize ‘what truth is’ and ‘what is untruth’. Without knowing what is untruth it is impossible to accept the truth which is beyond form, time, and space.

Deeper self-search helps the seeker to discover and realize the fact that, from the standpoint of the Soul, the  Self, the waking experience is merely an illusion created out of the consciousness.

Perfect understanding and assimilation of ‘what is what’ helps you to transcend into the formless substance of the world in which you exist. The substance of the world in which you exist is consciousness. The Soul, the Self is present in the form of consciousness and the eternal identity.

When the seeker learns to view and judge the worldview on the base of the Soul as the 'Self’ then the waking experience, which is experienced as reality becomes unreal. In the same way, the dream becomes unreal when waking takes place.

The one that appears as a waking experience, the one that appears as a dream, and one that remains without the waking or the dream is nothing but consciousness.

The appearance and disappearance are mere an illusion created out of consciousness. In reality, the three states are non-existent as a reality.

All the three states are created out of single clay and that single clay is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

The difference between duality and nonduality is, that duality is merely an illusion created out of non-dualistic stuff. There is no such thing as duality in reality because the reality is nondualistic.

From the standpoint of the Soul, all the appearance itself is an illusion. The Soul, which is  present in the form of the consciousness alone, is real and eternal

One who has not learned to view and reason the worldview on the base of the Soul, the 'Self' will not be able to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman. ~ Santthosh Kumaar 

People are stuck to the ‘I’ because they are sentimentally and emotionally stuck to the I-centric Gurus and their teaching.+

People are stuck to the ‘I’ because they are sentimentally and emotionally stuck to the I-centric Gurus and their teaching. Getting stuck to the ‘I-centric’ Gurus and their teaching is getting stuck to ignorance.

Unless you discard the ‘I-centric’ Gurus and their teaching, it is impossible to mentally transcend from the dualistic illusion to Advaitic reality.

Advaitic can never be reached by argument and provocation. Discard all the accumulated dualistic knowledge by realizing the world in which you exist, exists because of ignorance. Get rid of the ignorance by realizing the world in which you exist is created out of single clay and that single clay is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Realizing the ‘Self’’ is not you but the Soul is Self-realization. The Soul is the cause of the universe and it itself is uncaused.

A religious and yogic 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.

Bhagavad Gita: 7: 19:~ "Such a man who has attained true knowledge, the knowledge of Self, the knowledge of Atman, worships Me as~ Atman alone exists~ everything is Atman, there exists nothing except Atman. Such a man is extremely rare"

Do not believe in a thing because you have read about it in a book.

Do not believe in a thing because a wise man has said it was true.

Do not believe in words because they are hallowed by dualistic knowledge.

Find out the truth for yourself. Use Soulcentric reason, which leads to the realization of the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space.

Advaitic can never be reached by argument and provocation. Discard all the accumulated dualistic knowledge by realizing the world in which you exist, exists because of ignorance.

Get rid of the ignorance by realizing the world in which you exist is created out of single clay and that single clay is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. Realizing the ‘Self’’ is not you but the Soul is Self-realization. The Soul, the Self is the cause of the universe and it, itself is uncaused.

There is nothing that exists prior to consciousness. The ‘I’ cease to exist without consciousness. The Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, is the ultimate truth or Brahman.

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

The ‘I’ hides the truth of the Soul, the Self.

Even after you know the Self is not ‘I’ but you still stuck up to the ‘I’ and you feel the ‘Self’ is the ‘I’ because some gurus have said the Self is ‘I’ then you are not a true seeker.

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.

Remember:~

The ‘I’ is duality. Without the ‘I’, there is no duality.

The ‘I’ is ignorance without the ‘I’ there is no ignorance.

The ‘I’ is an illusion without the ‘I’ there is no illusion.

The ‘I’ is form, time, and space together without the ‘I’ there is no form, time, and space.

The ‘I’ is the mind without the ‘I’ there is no mind.

The ‘I’ is the universe without the ‘I’ there is no universe.

The ‘I’ is waking or dreaming without the ‘I’ there is no waking or dream.

The dualists, having the idea of difference, even the least notion of the ‘I’, can never get Self- realization.

For those who are mentally so constituted that they must rely on some authority, who cannot think for themselves, who cannot stand on their own legs, who must quote some man or other, we prescribe scriptures. But for those who have sharp brains, we appeal to reason and so. There is no need for the scriptures to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar