Gurudom belongs to religion and yoga. Gurudom is nothing to do with Sprituality or Adyathma.+

Gurudom belongs to religion and yoga. Gurudom is nothing to do with Sprituality or Adyathma. 

Advaitic wisdom is pure spirituality. There is a need to bifurcate Gurudom from Spirituality or Adythma.

Gurudom in the name of preaching Advaitic wisdom is seeking wealth, name, and fame whereas a Gnani can awaken Truth in the seeker silently by helping him to realize the Advaita (Soul) hidden by the Dvaita ( universe or dualistic illusion or Maya).

Neither by establishing a cult, or sect nor converting one religion to another, ignorance will not vanish. 

By praying in temples, mosques, and churches, or visiting ashrams, God will not be found. All the religious Gods are not God in truth.**

By visiting pilgrimages or dipping in the holy river or by doing pranayama or performing religious rites, rituals, or ceremonies, or by Hata yoga the Advaitic wisdom will not dawn. 

That is why Sage Sankara said:~ Talk as much philosophy as you like, worship as many gods as you please, observe ceremonies, and sing devotional hymns, but liberation will never come, even after a hundred aeons, without realizing the Oneness.

Sage Sankara:~ Neither sacred baths nor any amount of charity nor even Hundreds of pranayamas* can give us the knowledge about our own Self. The firm experience of the nature of the Self is seen to proceed from inquiry along the lines of the salutary advice of the wise. (13)

The universe is a dualistic illusion. The dualistic illusion hides the Soul, the Self, which is present in the form of consciousness. The consciousness is the real God.

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. (14.27)

Chandogya Upanishad: ~ Sarvam khalvidam brahma ~ all this (universe) is verily Brahman. By following back all of the relative appearances in the world, we eventually return to that from which it is all manifest – the non-dual reality).

Even Sage Sankara declares: ~ Supreme Brahman (God in truth) is impersonal, Nirguna (without Gunas or attributes), Nirakara (formless), Nirvisesha (without special characteristics), immutable, eternal, and Akarta (non-agent). It is above all needs and desires. It is always the Witnessing Subject. It can never become an object as it is beyond the reach of the senses. Brahman is non-dual, one without a second. It has no other besides it. It is destitute of difference, either external or internal. Brahman cannot be described because the description implies distinction. Brahman cannot be distinguished from any other than It. In Brahman, there is not a distinction between substance and attribute. Sat-Chit-Ananda constitutes the very essence or Svarupa of Brahman and not just Its attributes. The Nirguna Brahman of Sage Sankara is impersonal.

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad: ~ Brahman (God in truth) is present in the form of the Athma, and it is indeed Athma itself. 

God is a formless, timeless, and spaceless existence. Thus according to the Vedas God neither has any image nor God resides in any particular idol or statue. God cannot be seen directly by anyone. God pervades all beings and all directions.

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 innermost Self. In reality, there is no duality, no differentiation. Only Atman exists.

Rig-Veda 1-164-46 and Y.V 32-1 clearly mention that God is “One”.

Rig Veda says God is ‘ONE’ and God is Atman, then why believe and worship in place of real God?

Rig Veda: ~ The Atman (Soul or Spirit) 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)

Rig Veda 1/164/46: ~ “They call him Indra, Mitra, Varuna, Agni, or the heavenly sunbird Garutmat. The seers call in many ways that which is One; they speak of Agni, Yama, Matarishvan.

Rig Veda 8/58/2:~ Only One is the Fire, enkindled in numerous ways; only One is the Sun, pervading this whole universe; only One is the Dawn, illuminating all things. In very truth, the One has become the whole world.

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

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad says:~ "He who worships the deities as entities entirely separate from him does not know the truth. For the Gods, he is like a pasu (beast)". (1. 4. 10)

Bhagavad Gita Chapter: ~ “All those whose intelligence has been stolen by material desires, they worship many Gods. (7- Verse)

One must remember that for all periods the Vedas are the final goal and authority, and if the Puranas differ in any respect from the Vedas, the Puranas are to be rejected without mercy.

If you feel Puranas say something and the Vedas say something else, reject the Puranas and believe in the Vedas. The Puranas are just a myth.

It is necessary to realize God in truth. God is the truth is the Soul, the Self. Thus Self-realization is necessary to realize God because the Self itself is God. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Antahkarana belongs to individuals.

 

Q: I mean instead of I is the mind alone why not Antahkarana

It includes intellect ego chitta too

A-Santthosh Kumaar: ~  Identifying the ‘Self’ as ‘you’ is a great error. The Self is not you but the’ Self’ is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Antaḥkaraṇa refers to the “inner (mental) organ of an individual. Athma is not an individual because it pervades everywhere and everything in the illusory universe. Athma is the cause of the illusory universe. 

Antahkarana belongs to individuals. The individual exists within the illusory universe, which is present in the form of the mind. The individual is nothing to do with the Athma, the Self, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Whatever is based on an individual is a product of ignorance. Until the mystery of the universe is unfolded the Self hidden by the illusory universe will not be unfolded.

If you hold yourself as the real Self, it is impossible to get rid of ignorance. Realize yourself is the ego and the real Self is the Soul, which is the cause of the illusory universe in which you exist.

People mistake the ego for the mind. They limit the mind to an individual. It is an error and this mistake has to be rectified by a perfect understanding and assimilation of ‘what is what.

The seeker has to know: whether the physical body and the world are within the mind or the mind is within the physical body.

The mind, physical body, ego, and the world are present only when the waking experience is present. And the mind is absent when the waking experience is absent.

Thus, one has to conclude the mind as the whole waking experience. Thus, the mind appears as the waking experience or the dreams (duality) and disappears as deep sleep (non-duality). All your arguments are true only on the base of the ego, which is the false Self, within the false experience (waking). The individual experiences within the waking are as real as a dream.

Remember:~

Advaitic wisdom can eliminate ignorance, but the ignorance it eliminates is not real because it has no existence of its own. Once the error is removed the hidden truth or Brahman will reveal of its own accord.

Sage Sankara explains that darkness and light are distinct from each other in their nature and in their functions. Darkness has no existence of its own; it is merely the absence of light. Whereas, the light is positive and helps vision. Darkness and light can neither coexist nor share their functions or nature. Darkness is an error that can be removed.

Sage Sankara states in his prologue, that the main purpose of the Upanishads is to provide the Knowledge(vidya) that will eliminate ignorance(Avidya).

Advaitic wisdom is not an intellectual construct (imagination) but a matter of realization.

Remember: ~

Know what this mind is in actuality. People mistake the ego for the mind. The illusion is not the projection of the mind.

The universe itself is the mind. You cannot get rid of the mind because without the mind the universe ceases to exist.

The mind is not an organ within the body but the mind is the whole universe.

It is high time to realize the mind is not within the body, but the body and the world are within the mind. The mind itself is an illusion.

Without knowing what is mind it is impossible to realize the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space.

The ‘I’ is present only when the mind is present. The mind is present in the form of the universe. The universe appears as the waking or the dream (duality) and disappears as deep sleep (non-duality).

The one that becomes dual and nondual is consciousness. Thus, all three states are nothing but consciousness. Consciousness alone is real and all three states are merely an illusion.

When the conviction about the consciousness becomes firm, then it leads to Advaitic awareness in the midst of the duality.

Thus, it is necessary to have a perfect understanding of ‘what is ‘what’ to realize the truth, which is hidden by the Mind, which is present in the form of the ‘I’.: ~Santthosh Kumaar

Santana Dharma ~ a religion of all religions and all mankind.+

Dharma is a very complex word. The concept of dharma is verily the core of our religion. In fact, the right name for our religion is 'Santana Dharma' which means 'Eternal Dharma'.

The word 'Hinduism' has become a common word in the modern world. The real fact is that words like Hinduism, Hindu, etc. never appear in any of the ancient scriptures! So to know our religion, the first step is to know what dharma means.

Loosely defined, dharma means ' that which we have to wear/follow/practice'. Dharma is not something to be preached. It is something to be followed. It can be defined as the sum total of all the values which we should follow in our lives.

The word, “dharma “is found in the karikas, which means Atma in Advaita Vedanta.

In Tattireya Upanishad:~ "satyaM vada. dharmaM cara ." Speak the truth, and practice dharma. Now if you want to practice dharma, you should first know what it means. (1.11.1)

The word, “dharma “is found in the karikas, which means Atma in Advaita Vedanta. 

Remember:~

Santana Dharma aims at making the whole world full of Aryas. It is not confined to the need for self-salvation alone. It has a missionary message too. It says, ’Kranvanto Viswam Aryam’ let the people of the world be made Arya i.e. gentle, righteous, and religious minded. The central point of Isa Upanishad is -- Renounce and enjoy. This has to be our aim in life.

Santana Dharma is a cosmopolitan religion. It wishes the happiness of the world. Man is essentially divine. There is divinity in every man. He has to realize it. Then alone the world can become a place to live in. Santana Dharma says that:~

Sarve Bhavanti Sukhinah/ Sarve santu Niramayah

Sarve Bhadrani Pashyanti, Ma Kashchid Dukh Bhag Bhaveta.

It means: - Let everyone without distinction be happy. Let everyone be without any ailment. Let everyone look like Arya, noble and righteous. Let there be no one to have any share of sorrow or grief.

This is the philosophy of Santana Dharma ~ a religion of all religions and all mankind.

Santana Dharma stresses upon action. It believes in the theory of Karma. The Upanishad says, ’you are what your driving desire is, as your desire is, so is your will, as your will is, so is your deed. As your deed is, so is your destiny.’

Thus, we create our own destinies through thought and action. So the message goes that there is no joy in the finite, there is joy only in the Infinite. Nothing can satisfy us, but a reunion with our real Self which in fact is the attainment of Sat-Chit-Ananda. Self-realization is in becoming immortal. It does not mean everlasting life, but it stands for a state that is beyond death and life alike.: ~ Santthosh Kumaar

The ‘I’ is blocking your realization of truth. The ‘I-centric’ teachings have to be discarded in order to realize the Advaitic reality.+

Most of the Gurus and Yogis s approach was more practical, and they stuck with the reality of the 'I', they take it as real. All their teachings of Advaita are based on the dualistic perspective. They describe marvelously the goal but do not indicate the steps to be taken: their recurring phrases "unified consciousness" and "let go" and "'love alone" are not a road map. Such teaching will not yield the truth of the whole.

Many Gurus describe perfection is the awakening to Reality ~the realization that pure Consciousness alone is, that the perpetually fluctuating and evanescent contents of the mind derive from it. This awakening effectively happens in an instant. But in order for the lightning flash to take place, resulting in a firm and unshakable certitude, long labor is necessary, which they seem to underestimate. “Truth is formless is their answer.

Many Guru's teaching seems essentially negative, potent but bitter medicine for those imprisoned by institutional cults. They break the disciple's bonds but then lead him to a vast desert where they abandon him.

The ‘I’ is blocking your realization of truth. The ‘I-centric’ teachings have to be discarded in order to realize the Advaitic reality.

The seeker has to make sure what is this ‘I’ supposed to be in actuality. The seeker has to make sure the unreal nature of the ‘I’ which comes and goes in order 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 whole.

Where there is ‘I’ there is ignorance.

Where there is ignorance there is separation.

Where there is separation there is duality.

Where there is duality there is an illusion.

Where there is an illusion there is a mind.

Where there is a mind there is the universe.

Where there is the universe there is waking or dream.

Where there is the universe there is waking or dream there is form, time, and space

But remember:~

Where there is no ‘I’ there is no ignorance.

Where there is no ignorance there is no separation.

Where there is no separation there is no duality.

Where there is no duality there is an illusion.

Where there is no illusion there is no mind.

Where there is no mind there is no universe.

Where there is no universe there is no waking or dream.

Where there is no waking or dream there is no form, time, and space

When there are no divisions of form, time, and space there is the Advaitic reality.

Perfect understanding of ‘what is what leads to the realization of Advaitic truth, which is beyond the form, time, and space.

Without knowing ‘what the mind is in actuality how you can know consciousness? Playing with words is not spirituality. Consciousness is the cause of the mind and it itself is uncaused.

Preaching teaching is not wisdom. only through perfect understanding and the realization of ‘what is what leads to the realization of the truth, which is hidden by the illusory form, time, and space and it is without the form, time, and space.

Consciousness is not an object but it’s the subject. Knowledge of both the object and the subject is ‘Self’-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Mundaka Upanishad: ~ “These performers of karma do not know the truth owing to their attachment, they fall from heaven, misery-stricken when the fruit of their work is exhausted.+

Mundaka Upanishad: ~ “These performers of karma do not know the truth owing to their attachment, they fall from heaven, misery-stricken when the fruit of their work is exhausted.

Arguing with religious believers is fruitless. Belief in tradition and the scripture as if they were true or factual quite clearly is delusion, but the payoff for holding such delusions is, for those who hold them, extremely compelling ~ the avoidance of the "wrath of God," the hope of heaven or salvation, or the imagined "end of suffering."

First Mundaka - Chapter 2 (10) - Ignorant fools, regarding sacrifices and humanitarian works as the highest, do not know any higher good. Having enjoyed their reward on the heights of heaven, gained by good works, they enter again this world or a lower one.

Religious orthodox think that through their good karma and performing rituals they get moksha. Religious moksha is based on the birth entity whereas spiritual moksha is based on the birthless Soul, the ‘Self’.

First Mundaka - Chapter 2 (9) - Children, immersed in ignorance in various ways, flatter themselves, saying: We have accomplished life's purpose. Because these performers of karma do not know the Truth owing to their attachment, they fall from heaven, misery-stricken, when the fruit of their work is exhausted.

Sage Goudpada says:~ The merciful Veda teaches karma and Upasana to people of lower and middling intellect, while Jnana is taught to those of higher intellect. The karma based on the false self is not a qualification for Self-Realization.

Thus, it proves that the Advaitic wisdom is kept away from religious people who are of lower and middling intellect and made them indulge in karma and Upasana. Thus all religious prescription is not meant for Self-Realization.

Remember:~

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 more advanced seeker who seeks to know the truth beyond the form, time, and space. The Religious orthodoxy is meant for the first audience, to help lead its followers along the way. The Atmic path emphasizes Advaitic wisdom and is meant for those who wish to go beyond form, time, and space.

The conduct-oriented religious orthodoxy is not the means to Self-Realization because all the orthodox theories are based on the experience of birth, life, death, and the world as a reality whereas the world in which the birth, life, and death take place is an illusion.

Religion is for the lower intellect and Advaitic wisdom is for those who are capable of inquiring into their own existence to know and realize the ultimate truth, which is consciousness.

Remember:~

Sage Sankara gave religious, ritual, and dogmatic instruction to the populace, but Advaitic wisdom only to the few who could rise to it.

If you mix Advaitic orthodoxy with Advaitic wisdom create confusion, because they mix up the two viewpoints. Thus, they may assert that ritual is a means of realizing Brahman, which is absurd.

Indulging in Non -Vedic rituals(Puranic Rituals) in place of Vedic rituals 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." Thus, Puranic karmas are not Vedic karmas as per Yajur Veda.

The Puranic karmas are introduced to suit the mass mindset of that time, by the founders of present-day Hinduism by keeping the Vedas as their base. They also introduced a new modified belief system on Puranic GODS with a new code of conduct to revive the Vedic religion, which was in ruins in the hands of Buddhism and Jainism.

Thus, present-day Hinduism with diverse beliefs is not pure Vedic religion. Thus, this hotchpotch ideology is the greatest obstacle to the realization of ultimate truth. That is why Buddha rejected the Vedas.

Sage Sankara says: ~ 11. As regards the rituals, the person who performs rituals and aspires for rewards will view himself in terms of the caste into which he is born, his age, the stage of his life, his standing in society, etc. In addition, he is required to perform rituals all through his life. However, the Self has none of those attributes or tags. Hence, the person who superimposes all those attributes on the changeless, eternal Self and identifies Self with the body is confusing one for the other; and is, therefore, an ignorant person. The scriptures dealing with rituals, rewards, etc. are therefore addressed to an ignorant person. (Adhyasa Bhashya)

Sage Sankara says: ~ 11.1 ~The scriptures dealing with rituals, rewards, etc. are, therefore, he says, addressed to an ignorant person. (Adhyasa Bhashya)

Sage Sankara says: ~11.2. In short, a person who engages in rituals with the notion “I am an agent, doer, thinker”, according to Sage Sankara, is ignorant, as his behavior implies a distinct, separate doer/agent/knower; and an object that is to be done/achieved/known. That duality is Avidya, an error that can be removed by Vidya. (Adhyasa Bhashya)

Sage Sankara viewed this as a distortion of the Upanishad ideals. To play down the prominence given to rituals by the Mimamsakas, Sage Sankara relied on the idea of Avidya He bracketed the ritualistic approach with Avidya and called it an “error”.

Thus Advaitic orthodoxy has to be discarded to realize the ‘Self’ hidden by the ‘I’, which is ignorance.

Sage Sankara states wisdom (Vidya) can eliminate ignorance (Avidya); but the ignorance it eliminates is not real, because it has no existence of its own. Once the error is removed the Brahman (God) will reveal on its own accord. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

This is your bondage that you are caught up with Gurudom.+

This is your bondage that you are caught up with Gurudom. The Gurudom is dualistic is nothing to do with Advaitic wisdom. Advaitic wisdom is pure Spirituality.

The universe is the illusory veil on the Soul, the Self, which is present in the form of consciousness. Self- Realization is very simple, but Gurudom made it extremely difficult.

If you are seeking truth nothing but the truth then you must not get stuck to any Guru or yogi. Those who are seeking truth need not follow any Guru or any teaching.

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

A Guru is needed in the religious and yogic path. The Soul is the inner Guru. The Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, is the source of all that exists as the universe. To realize the universe is consciousness there is no need for Guru.

Gurudom belongs to religion and yoga, not spirituality. If you are seeking truth then you have to tread the path alone.

Remember:~

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 to realizing the ultimate truth or Brahman.

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 your own Soul.”

That is why Buddha said: ~ “Believe nothing because a wise man said it, Believe nothing because it is generally held. Believe nothing because it is written. Believe nothing because it is said to be divine. Believe nothing because someone else said it. But believe only what you yourself judge to be true.

Bhagavan Buddha:~ There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth: not going all the way... and not starting

If you are seeking truth nothing but the truth then you must not get stuck to any Guru or yogi. Those who are seeking truth need not follow any Guru or any teaching.

Mundaka Upanishads: ~ So-called spiritual pundits and learned are called children because a child takes whatever it thinks as truth. The question never occurs to children “Is what I have seen or thought really the truth?" (P.334 line 9)

Upanishad says: ~ “The human goal is to acquire Self-Knowledge and they indicate the personal Gods, scriptures, worship, and rituals are not the means to Self –Knowledge, then why anyone should indulge in it.

The religion, concept of individualized God, and belief in physical Guru scriptures are the greatest obstacle to Self-realization because they are based on a false self. The seeker of truth has to search for the ultimate truth without losing himself in the labyrinths of philosophy, through deeper self-search, and assimilate and realize it. : ~ Santthosh Kumar

A Gnani sees no difference between happiness and misery, man and woman, Adversity, and success. Everything is seen to be the same.+

 

A Gnani: ~

Having realized the truth, beyond the form, time, and space Gnani sees the world in which he exists as the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. For a Gnani, the whole world is nothing but consciousness.

A Gnani never knows any mantra in Vedic meter or any Tantra not he indulges in religious rituals or worship of religious Gods.

A Gnani sees no difference between happiness and misery, man and woman, Adversity, and success. Everything is seen to be the same.

A Gnani is not conflicted by the dualistic illusion. He is fully aware the Self is the fullness of consciousness.

Knowing for certain that all is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, the Gnani has never said: “I am this” or “I am not that.”

Sage who finds stillness is neither distracted nor focused. He knows pleasure, pain, and the world, is one, in essence. Ignorance is dispelled, he is free of knowing.

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

Guru‘s interpretations of sacred texts, the force of religious merit ~ none of these lead to the realization of that Ultimate Truth which is revealed in the clear reflection of the Soul, the Self.

Even the best of the world’s Guru cannot transmit wisdom. Loud sermons consisting of a shower of ornamental words, the skill in expounding the egocentric knowledge, and likewise erudition ~ these merely bring on a little personal enjoyment to the Guru but are no good for Self-realization.

A Guru is useless so long as the ultimate truth is unknown, and it is equally useless when the ultimate truth has already been known.

By sticking to some Guru and surrendering to him, the Advaitic wisdom will not dawn. Surrendering is a religious fable. Surrendering is nothing to do with the ultimate truth or Brahman. Surrender implies duality. There is no place for duality in non-dualistic reality.

Simply saying surrender without realizing the ultimate truth is like trying to sweeten the seawater by putting a spoon of sugar.

Guru’s sermons consisted of ornamental words that merely please the taste of the religious mindsets. Hence, the seeker of truth should earnestly set about realizing the truth beyond form, time, and space.

People are unaware of the fact that the world in which he exists is a product of ignorance. Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana is the only remedy to get rid of ignorance.

There is no use of religion, the religious Gods, Gurus, Yogis, and the Scriptures, rituals to acquire Self- knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. Ignorance does not leave off if one simply utters the name of the Guru.

Without direct realization, the Soul cannot be liberated by the mere repeating the name of the Guru or God. The seeker has to remember the name belongs to the domain of the illusory form, time, and space. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar