Sage Sankara goes to the very root of things. Sage Sankara rejects everything untrue by the principle of "Not this, Not this."+

Sage Sankara is the foremost among Sages and the noble souls which Mother India has produced. He was the expounder of the Advaitic wisdom. 

Sage Sankara goes to the very root of things. Sage Sankara rejects everything untrue by the principle of "Not this, Not this."

The Advaitic wisdom of Sage Sankara is pure spirituality or Adyathma. Advaitic wisdom of Sage Sankara is nothing to do with religion and yoga and philosophies. 

All Advaitic teachings of the Gurus of the east and west are not the Advaitic wisdom of Sage Sankara.

Mixing your accumulated knowledge gathered from different sources will block you from acquiring the Advaitic wisdom of Sage Sankara.

Sage Sankara’s Advaitic wisdom has not been taken seriously because of people’s orthodox attitude.

Sage Sankara was an independent thinker. Sage Sankara’s Advaitic wisdom has not been taken seriously by many in India because most of the followers of Sage Sankara are religious orthodox.

Sage Sankara says: - VC-47- All the effects of ignorance, root, and branch, are burnt down by the fire of knowledge, which arises from discrimination between these two—the Self and the not-Self.

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.

It is that philosophy in India was for centuries more an exposition of the ancient classics than the independent thought of individual thinkers as in ancient Greece or modern Europe and America.

Sage Sankara and Sage Goudpada are independent thinkers other schools of Indian philosophy are mere theologies. Advaitic wisdom is the only tool to unfold the mystery of the ‘I’. The dualistic philosophy cannot escape the charge of dogmatism.

Intelligence and thought, are not applicable to Advaitism, intelligence and thought are based on a false self (you) within the false experience (waking). The whole Advaitic philosophy is an attempt to transcend the limitations of intelligence and thought.

The two points of view a Gnani is not cut off from the experience of practical life within the practical world because Advaitic truth is neither realism nor idealism; it is beyond both these.

There is no Advaitic wisdom without Sage Sankara. All the 'I-centric' Gurus and their teachings are not the Advaitic wisdom of Sage Sankara.

When Advaitic Sage  Sankara has given the clear-cut instruction to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana then why waste time with other Guru's teaching and their instruction?

The seeker need not follow any religion or study the scriptures or glorify the Gods and the Gurus, or by practicing yoga, or by losing himself in the labyrinths of philosophy to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

Upanishad:~ “They alone in this world are endowed with the highest wisdom who are firm in their conviction of the sameness and birthlessness of Atman. The ordinary man does not understand their way.

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

Religion, the concept of an individualized god, and scriptures are the greatest obstacle to realizing non-dual truth or 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.

That is why Sage Sankara, indicated in Bhaja Govindam says: ~ (Jnana Viheena Sarva Mathena Bajathi na Muktim janma Shatena) ~ one without knowledge does not obtain liberation even in a hundred births, no matter which religious faith he follows.

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.

Only through deeper self-search, do beginners and intermediates gradually become aware ‘what is what’. Only after they have realized the fact that the ‘Self’ is not ‘I’ but the ‘Self’ is the Soul, which is present in the form of the consciousness,  they are ready for the inner journey towards reality, which is beyond the form, time, and space.

That is why Sage Sankara says: ~ There is no need to study the Scriptures, in order to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman.

~ then why indulge in studying the scriptures?

Sage Sankara says: ~ There is no need to study philosophy, in order to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman.

~then why indulge in studying philosophy?

Sage Sankara says: ~ There is no need to indulge in rituals, to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman.

~then why indulge in rituals?

Sage Sankara says: ~ There is no need to indulge in yoga, in order to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman.

~then why indulge in yoga?

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?

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

Sage  Sankara says ~ “The exercise in discrimination between real and unreal and renunciation of the false is real meditation, then why you are indulging in other types of meditation.

Sage  Sankara: ~ VC~ "All this universe which through ignorance appears as of diverse forms, is nothing else but Brahman which is absolutely free from all the limitations of Maya.

Sage  Sankara says you must first know what is before you. If you cannot know that, what else can you know or understand? If you give up the external world in your inquiry, you cannot get the whole truth.

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 mindsets are 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. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar 

Sage Sankara's Advaitic wisdom is a spiritual treasure hidden by ignorance that requires removal of ignorance.+

Sage Sankara's Advaitic wisdom is a spiritual treasure hidden by ignorance that requires removal of ignorance.

Advaita encompasses everything. Since Advaita requires heavy-duty intellectualism, it had to be progressively simplified.

Sage Sankara says only through direct knowledge of non-duality that one could be enlightened.

Sage Sankara’s supreme Atman is Attriubuteless (without the Gunas), Nirakara (formless), Nirvisesha (without attributes), and Akarta (non-agent). He is above all needs and desires. Sage Sankara says, "This Atman is self-evident. This Atman or Self is not established by proofs of the existence of the Self. It is not possible to deny this Atman, for it is the very essence of he who denies it. The Atman is the basis of all kinds of knowledge. The Self is within, the Self is without, the Self is before and the Self is behind. The Self is on the right hand, the Self is on the left, the Self is above and the Self is below".

Satyam-Jnanam-Anantam-Anandam is not separate attributes. They form the very essence of Atman. Atman cannot be described, because description implies distinction. Atman cannot be distinguished from any other than He.

The objective world-the world of names and forms-has no independent existence. The Atman alone has real existence. The world is only phenomenal.

Sage Sankara was the exponent of the Advaita Wisdom. His Advaitic wisdom  can be summed up in the following words:~

Brahma Satyam Jagat Mithya,

Jeevo Brahmaiva Na Aparah

Meaning- Atman alone is real; this world is unreal; the Jiva is identical with Atman.

Remember:~

The truth of the Self, which is hidden by Maya is to be attained through the instructions of a Gnani, followed by reflection and so forth, but not through perverted discussion and arguments.

One has to go beyond Vedas' means to go beyond religion. Going beyond religion means, going beyond Gods based on blind belief. Going beyond the Vedas, religion and the Gods based on blind belief going beyond the dualistic illusion, that is the end of Vedas (Veda –antha).

Advaitic wisdom has been lost: people misinterpret and falsify it by mixing religion and yoga. It is not yoga but truth hidden by the dualistic illusion. But nobody knows it. The Gurus, religious believers, philosophers, thinkers, and yogis do not want to inquire into truth and have no time for it.

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.

Therefore, you should personally strive by all means to be free from the bondage of ignorance (I).

The Advaitic wisdom is nothing to do with orthodox preaching and practice because Advaitic orthodoxy is dogmatism. The Advaitic orthodoxy has to be discarded if one wants to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

Advaitic wisdom expounded by Sage Sankara was hidden. Sage Sankara restrained himself from parting the Advaitic wisdom or Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana to the ignorant populace and parting it with only a selected few.

Advaitic wisdom or Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana was hidden from the people who were not qualified and receptive to it. Advaitic wisdom or Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana was not written down but was imparted orally to the chosen few. Thus, religion was given to the ignorant populace, and the knowledge of the Spirit, the God is given to only a selected few.

Thus, we find traces of the knowledge of the spirit in the religious books in the form of parables.

Bhagavad Gita says: ~ Among thousands of men, scarcely one strives for perfection; and of those who strive and succeed, scarcely one knows the ‘Self’ in truth.

The Guru's interpretations of sacred texts, the force of religious merit--none of these lead to the realization of the ‘Self’ hidden by ignorance. It is revealed in the clear reflection of the truth, engendered from contact with the good."

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

The Advaitic wisdom is nothing to do with orthodox preaching and practice because Advaitic orthodoxy is dogmatism. The Advaitic orthodoxy has to be discarded if one wants to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

Sage Sankara and Sage Gaudapada are independent thinkers other schools of Indian philosophy are mere theologies. Advaitic philosophy is real philosophy. The dualistic philosophy cannot escape the charge of dogmatism.

Sage Sankara was an independent thinker. His wisdom has not been taken seriously by many in India, because, most of the followers of Sage Sankara belong to the orthodox sect.

Sage Sankara’s Advaitic wisdom is nothing to do orthodox sect.

It is necessary for the seeker to do his homework, and verify the validity of all the claims, rather than blindly believe, what orthodox pundits expound as knowledge, till; the un-contradicted truth is obtained. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

This whole universe which through ignorance appears in diverse forms is nothing else but consciousness.+

Sage Sankara: ~VC- All this universe which through ignorance appears as of diverse forms, is nothing else but Brahman (Consciousness) which is absolutely free from all the limitations of Maya.

Sage Sankara: ~ VC-63- Without knowing and examining the universe, one can’t know the Truth, as the idea that the external world exists, won't go. It can go only by an inquiry into the nature of the external world.

Sage Sankara says: ~ What is accepted without a proper inquiry will not lead a person to the final goal. On the contrary, such acceptance will result only in evil, something which is detrimental to our spiritual progress.

Sage Sankara says: - VC-47- All the effects of ignorance, root, and branch, are burnt down by the fire of knowledge, which arises from discrimination between these two—the Self and the non-Self.

Until you think you are an individual separate from the world and the world existed prior to you and you are born in it afterward ignorance will prevail as a reality. Till ignorance is there the universe prevails as reality.

Sage Sankara says: ~ “The exercise in discrimination between real and unreal and renunciation of the false is real meditation, then why you are indulging in other types of meditation.

Sage Sankara says: ~ “The exercise in discrimination between real and unreal and renunciation of the false is real meditation, then why you are indulging in other types of meditation. not the truth through deeper Self-search. Finally, when you become aware of the fact that, your ego, your body, and the world are one in essence then there is Self-awareness in the midst of duality

The universe in which we exist is a dualistic illusion. The dualistic illusion is present in the form of the ‘I’. The ‘I’ hides the Soul, the God. God is present in the form of consciousness.

Only consciousness counts. For a Gnani, everything is consciousness the whole universe is nothing but an illusion created out of consciousness.

Snake and the rope:~

This whole universe which through ignorance appears in diverse forms is nothing else but the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. Consciousness is absolutely free from all the limitations of Maya.

Consciousness alone is real and eternal since there is no second thing that exists other than consciousness.

In Self-awareness, there remains no other independent entity.

A permanent view of the world as unreal can come only after Soul-centric reasoning; such knowledge cannot change. If the seeker is sufficiently sharp then 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.

The world in which we exist (waking) is a mere superimposition like seeing a snake superimposed on a rope on a dark night.

The snake has no independent existence, apart from the rope, it exists because of the rope, and it ceases to exist as soon as a light is brought. The snake then dissolves into the rope. In the same way, when the Soul remains in its own awareness, the mind (I) merges into it. The mind and Soul are one in essence. 

To attain this knowledge is the goal of the truth seeker. The three states then cannot taint the Soul, the Self.

Why does the snake appear to be existing, you cannot say a snake does not exist unless you see it as only a rope.

Similarly, the universe in which you exist appears to be existing you cannot say the universe in which you exist does not exist unless you realize the cause of the universe is the Soul.

The ‘I’ is the snake the Soul is the rope. Until you become aware of the Soul the ‘I’ remains as a snake.

The universe is the snake the Soul is the rope. Until you become aware of the Soul the universe remains as a snake.

The waking is the snake the Soul is the rope.

Until you become aware of the Soul the waking remains as a snake.

The form, time, and space are the snake and the Soul is the rope.

Until you become aware of the Soul the form, time and space remain as a snake.

The duality is the snake the Soul is the rope. 

Until you become aware of the Soul the duality remains as a snake.

When you become aware of the rope there is no more snake.

Similarly, the Soul wakes up from its sleep of ignorance there is no ‘I’.

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

If there is no ‘I’ there is no mind.

If there is no ‘I’ there is no universe.

If there is no ‘I’ there is no waking.

If there is no ‘I’ there is no form, time, and space.

If there is no ‘I’ there is no duality.

If there is no duality there is only the Advaitic reality.

The Soul is the innermost Self. The Soul is present in the form of consciousness. Consciousness is Self-evident. It is not established by extraneous proof. It is not possible to deny consciousness because it is the very essence of the one who denies it.

Consciousness is the basis of all kinds of knowledge, presuppositions, and proofs. Until one thinks of his body as the body, the ego as the ego the universe as the universe he remains in ignorance because he is still in ignorance and he is unaware of the fact that they too are consciousness. The seeker has to grow from the inside out. None can teach him, and none can make him spiritual. There is no other Guru but his own Soul.”

Consciousness is not an object, but it is the subject. Within the dualistic illusion, it is the subject and object together. It is not another. It is all-full, infinite, changeless, Self-existent, Self-delight, Self-knowledge, or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. It is the essence of the knower. It is the formless substance and the Witness of the dualistic illusion (universe). : ~Santthosh Kumaar

By inquiring ‘Who am ‘I’?- you will never reach the ultimate end of understanding.+

Do not try to know who you are. By inquiring ‘Who am ‘I’?- you will never reach the ultimate end of understanding.

‘Who am ‘I’? is only helpful at the beginning in later stages it is inadequate to realize the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space.

Try to find out what is this ‘I’ which appears and disappears. What is it that knows this appearance and disappearance of the ‘I’?

Why are you struggling to find out who you are? You will never find the answer if you get stuck to the ‘I’. Find out ‘what is this ‘I’, which appears and disappears. What is that is aware of the coming and going of the ‘I’?

Without realizing ‘What is this ‘I’? you will never be able to realize the mystery of the ‘I’. The ‘I’ is the most intoxicating stuff. Those who use the word ‘I’ for the ‘Self ‘will never be able to cross the threshold of the dualistic illusion.

The ‘I-centric' teachings will not transport the seeker to the ultimate end of understanding.

The ‘I’ is the cage for the Soul. ‘I’ is the cause of ignorance. Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana is the only weapon to get rid of ignorance.

The ‘I’ based teachings will not transport the seeker to the ultimate end of understanding. A perfect understanding of ‘what is this ‘I’ leads to the realization of the truth beyond form, time, and space.

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:~

Realizing the ‘Self ‘is not the ‘I’ but the Self is the Soul, the witness of the ‘I’. You think the ‘Self is the ‘I’ and ‘I’, is within the body. You are mistaking the ‘Soul, the ‘Self ‘for the ‘I’, which appears and disappears.

This is the great stumbling block of the Gurus who propagated the ‘I’-centric teaching.

These Gurus think that when the ego is not, nothing remains. You must realize you are the ego. You are the false self within the false experience.

You (the ego), body, and the world appear together and disappear together. Therefore, you cannot get rid of the ego alone because your body and the world also appeared along with the ego.

It is a foolish venture to get rid of the ego alone. Therefore, it is necessary for the seeker to realize ‘what is what’ in order to discover the truth, which is hidden by the ‘I’.

The ‘I’ is not different from the mind. The mind is not different from the universe. The universe is not different from waking. Without the ‘I’ there is neither the mind nor the universe nor the waking.

The universe is verily consciousness. Without realizing ‘what is the Mind? it is impossible to get  Self- realization.

The universe is not different from the Mind because the universe is the mind itself.

The mind is not different from the Soul because the mind is the dualistic illusion created out of the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Thus, the universe is nothing but consciousness. The universe is unreal because it is not absolute and eternal like consciousness.

It is impossible for any human being to challenge successfully the Advaitic position, as Sage  Sankara says: ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Active

By finding out who you are, the Self, which is hidden by the illusory universe will not be revealed.+

You (ego), body, and the world appear together and disappear together. Therefore, you cannot get rid of the ego alone because your body and the world also appeared along with the ego.

It is a foolish venture to get rid of the ego alone. Therefore, it is necessary for the seeker to realize ‘what is what’ in order to discover the truth, which is hidden by the ‘I’.

The ‘I’ is not different from the mind. The mind is not different from the universe. The universe is not different from waking. Without the ‘I’ there is neither the mind nor the universe nor the waking.

The universe is verily consciousness. Without realizing ‘what is the Mind? it is impossible to get Self- realization.

Remember:~

First, realize yourself is the ego and the real Self is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

All the 'I-centric' gurus and their teaching hold yourself as real Self. so, it is a great error.

Understanding reality without clarity is disastrous. The lethargic attitude makes one remain in ignorance without proper inquiry and a perfect understanding of ‘what is what’.

Until you know What ‘Self is in actuality all your accumulated knowledge is garbage of ignorance.

If you hold the Self is within you then you are holding the ego as the Self.

The Soul, the Self is not within you because it pervades in everything and everywhere in the universe.

The Soul, the Self is hidden by the universe. When you finally realize the ‘‘Self’ ‘is not you but the ‘‘Self’’ is the Soul then you will realize the world in which you exist is merely an illusion created out of the Soul. The Soul is present in the form of consciousness.

Remember:~

You are part and parcel of the illusory universe. By finding out who you are, the Self, which is hidden by the illusory universe will not be revealed.

Sage Sankara: ~ VC-63-"Without knowing and examining the universe, one can’t know the Truth, as the idea that the external world exists, won't go. It can go only by an inquiry into the nature of the external world.

Sage Sankara says: ~ “What is accepted without a proper inquiry will not lead a person to the final goal. On the contrary, such acceptance will result only in evil, something which is detrimental to our spiritual progress.

Sage Sankara says: - VC-47- All the effects of ignorance, root, and branch, are burnt down by the fire of knowledge, which arises from discrimination between these two—the Self and the non-Self.

Until you think you are an individual separate from the world and the world existed prior to you and you are born in it afterward ignorance will prevail as a reality. Till ignorance is there the universe prevails as reality.

Sage Sankara says: ~ The exercise in discrimination between real and unreal and renunciation of the false is real meditation, then why you are indulging in other types of meditation. not the truth through deeper Self-search. Finally, when you become aware of the fact that, your ego, your body, and the world are one in essence then there is Self-awareness in the midst of duality. 

Remember:~

The birth, life, death, and the world take place within the domain of dualistic illusion or Maya.

Your existence and your individual experience of birth, life, death, and the world are illusory.

You are the false self within the dualistic illusion. The ‘Self is not you but the Self is the Soul.

The 'Self' does not die, only you die, because you are bound by birth, life, death, and the world.

The birth, life, death, and the world take place within the domain of form, time, and space.

Form, time, and space belong to the dualistic illusion. So your existence and your individual experience of birth, life, death, and the world belong to the dualistic illusion.

The Soul, the 'Self' does not die because it is birthless and deathless because it is ever formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.

Form, time, and space are merely an illusion created out of the Soul, the Self, which is present in the form of consciousness.

First, realize the ‘Self’ is not you but the ‘Self’ is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

The universe is merely an illusion created out of the Soul, the Self, which is present in the form of consciousness. Without consciousness, the universe ceases to exist.

Mentally hold on to the Soul and mentally reduce the world in which you exist as consciousness by realizing the world in which you exist is nothing but an illusion created out of consciousness and enter the kingdom of nondual heaven.:~Santthosh Kumaar