Do not strive to become God but realize the 'Self’ is not you but the Soul is the Self, which is God in truth.+

People who are saying ‘I Am God’ are hallucinating that they become God. First, you must know what God suppose to be in truth.

Yajur Veda – chapter- 32:~ God is Supreme Spirit has no ‘Pratima’ (idol) or material shape. God cannot be seen directly by anyone. God pervades all beings and all directions.

Yajurveda: ~ There is no image of God in truth. God in truth is unborn and eternal. (Chapter 32, Verse 3)

Yajurveda: ~ God in truth is nondual and pure."

Rig Veda: ~ 'Prajnanam Brahma'- Consciousness is the ultimate reality or Brahman or God in truth.

God in truth is the Atman, the Self. Atman is present in the form of consciousness.

Do not accept any other God other than Atman not worship other than Atman.

Let these words be inscribed in your subconscious.

Nothing is real but God in truth. Nothing Matters but love for God in truth. God in truth is everywhere and in everything.

God in truth is hidden by the illusory universe. God in truth alone is and all else is an illusion.

Remember:~

Do not strive to become God but realize the 'Self’ is not you but the Soul is the Self, which is God in truth.

God is not the part because God is the fullness of consciousness without the illusory division of form, time, and space. God is hidden by ignorance. Ignorance is present in the form of the 'I'.

Everything is god because everything is created out of God, which is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Religion accepts the concept of God in many forms. Sages of truth declare the Atman is Brahman. That is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth. The ultimate truth is God. And the ultimate truth itself is worthy of Godhood.

Kena Upanishad (6) Chapter I:~ That which cannot be apprehended by the mind, but by which, they say, the mind is apprehended-That alone know as Brahman and not that which people here worship.

Kena Upanishad (7) Chapter I:~ That which cannot be perceived by the eye, but by which the eye is perceived-That alone known as Brahman and not that which people here worship.

Kena Upanishad (8) Chapter I:~ That which cannot be heard by the ear, but by which the hearing is perceived-That alone is known as Brahman and not that which people here worship.

Kena Upanishad (9)- Chapter I:~ That which cannot be smelt by the breath, but by which the breath smells an object-That alone know as Brahman, and not that which people here worship.

Swami Vivekananda: ~ The masses in India cry to sixty million Gods and still die like dogs. Where are these gods?

Knowing this, stand up and fight! Not one step back that is the idea. ... Fight it out, whatever comes. Let the stars move from the sphere! Let the whole world stand against us! Death means only a change of garment. What of it? Thus, fight! You gain nothing by becoming cowards. ... Taking a step backward, you do not avoid any misfortune. You have cried to all the gods in the world. Has misery ceased? The masses in India cry to sixty million Gods and still die like dogs. Where are these gods? ... The Gods come to help you when you have succeeded. So what is the use? Die game. ... This bending the knee to superstitions, this selling yourself to your own mind does not befit you, my Soul. You are infinite, deathless, and birthless. Because you are the infinite spirit, it does not befit you to be a slave. ... Arise! Awake! Stand up and fight! Die if you must. There is none to help you. You are the entire world. Who can help you? ~ Swami Vivekananda (Delivered In San Francisco, on May 28, 1900) -The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda/Volume 1/Lectures And Discourses/The Gita II

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad: ~ The Self is indeed Brahman (God in truth), but through ignorance, people identify it with intellect, mind, senses, passions, and the elements of earth, water, air, space, and fire. This is why the Self is said to consist of this and that and appears to be everything.

Yajurveda says what happens if one worships what is not God: ~

Translation 1.

They enter darkness, those who worship natural things (for example air, water, sun, moon, animals, fire, stone, etc.).

They sink deeper into darkness those who worship sambhuti. (Sambhuti means created things, for example, table, chair, idol, etc.) ~ (Yajurveda 40:9)

Translation 2.

"Deep into the shade of blinding gloom fall asambhuti's worshippers. They sink to darkness deeper yet who on sambhuti is intent.~("Yajurveda Samhita by Ralph T. H. Giffith pg 538)

Translation 3.

"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."~(Yajur Veda 40:9.)

So, 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.)

The Hindus believed in polytheism, believing all of their Gods to be separate individuals, which was introduced much later by the founders of Hinduism which contains diverse beliefs caste, and creed.

When the religion of the Veda knows no idols, then why so many Gods and Goddesses with different forms and names are being propagated as Vedic Gods. Why these conceptual Gods are introduced when the Vedic concept of God is free from form and attributes.

Someone has introduced the concept of God with attributes and attributeless Gods are non-Vedic because Yajur Veda says: ~ 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. Therefore, all these add-ons prove that the form and attribute-based concepts are introduced by some sages of the past with a new belief system and code of conduct in the name of Vedas.

It clearly indicates that: -If the human goal is to acquire the Self -Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana, then why one has to indulge in rituals and glorifying the conceptual Gods and Goddesses to go into deeper darkness.

Instead, spend that time moving forward towards the Self -knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana, which is one’s prime goal. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

All the 'I-centric' Gurus and their teachings are not the Advaitic wisdom of Sage Sankara.+

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,  religious god based on blind belief, 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 eons, without realizing the Oneness.

Only through deeper self-search do beginners and intermediates gradually become aware of ‘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 consciousness, are they 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, in order 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 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)

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 human thought.

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

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

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

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 ‘is 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.

The Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, is ever-present. Without consciousness, the world, in which you exist ceases to exist.

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. Consciousness is everything. Thus, consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth.

Make sure ‘what is this ‘I’, supposed to be in actuality.

The Self is not ‘I’.

The ‘I’ is not the Soul, the Self.

The ‘I’ is the mind.

The mind is the universe.

The universe appears as a waking or dream (duality).

The waking is a parallel dream

The dream is parallel waking.

The ‘I’ appears and disappears.

But remember:~

When ‘I’ appears then only the mind appears.

When ‘I’ disappears then the mind disappears.

When the mind appears then the universe appears.

When the mind disappears then the universe disappears.

When the universe appears then the waking appears

When the universe disappears then the waking disappears.

Whatever prevails without the ‘I’ is the Soul, which is the cause of the ‘I’ and it itself is uncaused. The ‘I’ is merely an illusion created out of the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

The ‘I’ is not limited to you and me because the ‘I’ is the whole universe. Without the ‘I’ the universe ceases to exist. The universe is present in the form of form, time, and space.

The word ‘I’ indicates form, time, and space. Without the ‘I’ the form, time and space cease to exist. The existence is hidden by the ‘I’. The Self is not the ‘I’ but the Self is the Soul hidden by the ‘I’.

Ashtavakra Gita: - The universe rises from the Soul, the Self like bubbles from the sea. Thus, know the Self to be One and enter into the state of dissolution."

That is why Sage Sankara said:~ VC-63- Without causing the objective universe to vanish and without knowing the truth of the Self, how can one achieve Liberation?

The universe will not remain as reality when wisdom dawns. The universe is merely an illusion created out of consciousness and there is conscious awareness of the unity in diversity because there is no second thing that exists other than consciousness.

Chandogya Upanishads: ~ “This universe comes forth from Brahman and will return to Brahman. Verily, all is Brahman. A person is what his deep desire is. It is our deepest desire in this life that shapes the life to come. So let us direct our deepest desires to realize the Self.

Ashtavakra Gita: ~ “The universe rises from the Soul, the innermost Self like bubbles from the sea. Thus know the ‘Self’ to be One and enter into the state of dissolution."

Sage Sankara said: ~A.A~ 88. When the whole universe, movable and immovable, is known to be Atman (consciousness), and thus the existence of everything else is negated, where is then any room to say that the body is Atman?

The ‘Self’ is not the mind. The mind is present in the form of not the world in which we exist. The world appears as a waking or dream (duality) and disappears as deep sleep (non-duality). The ‘Self’ is the Soul. 

The Soul is present in the form of consciousness. Consciousness pervades everything and everywhere in all three states. Thus, diversity is created out of single stuff. That stuff is consciousness.

Consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman because there is no second thing that exists other than consciousness. From the standpoint of the Soul, the form, time, and space are one, in essence.

In spirituality, God means the ultimate truth or Brahman. Self–realization is truth-realization. Truth- realization itself is God-realization.

Sage Sankara: ~VC- If the universe be true, let it then be perceived in the state of deep sleep also. As it is not at all perceived, it must be unreal and false like dreams.

That is why Sage Sankara's declaration: ~ “Brahman is the truth The World is Unreal everything is Truly Brahman and nothing else has any value. ~ Santthosh Kumaar 

A yogi cannot attain realization.+

Lord Krishna confesses that the oldest wisdom of India ( Advaita wisdom) has been lost: people misinterpret and falsify it today as they did then. It is not yoga but philosophic truth. But nobody knows it. The teachers of philosophy and leaders of mysticism or religion do not want to inquire into truth and have no time for it. (Gita ~ Chap ~IV~ v.2)

Why is the word Yoga used in so many different senses in the Gita? Because there are grades and the highest demands concentrated brains, not sitting mindless and imagining you are seeing God.

In Gita Chap.IV where Lord Krishna says: ~ “This yoga has been lost for ages" the word yoga refers to Gnana yoga, not other yogas: the force of the word this is to point this out.

Lord Krishna describes some of the other yogas but devotes this chapter separately to Gnana yoga. So one sees even in those ancient days people did not care for Advaita; they wanted religion; hence Gnana got lost. That is why Krishna calls it "the supreme secret." Krishna points out that yoga must see "Brahman in action."

Gita Chap.IV:~ “He who achieves perfection in Yoga finds the Self in time." This means that after his yoga is finished, he begins the inquiry into ultimate truth, and in due course, this inquiry produces the realization of the universal spirit as the result.

Let carefully noted that the Yogic Samadhi is nothing but a long trance, and is not Self-awareness.

Although the ego becomes still for some time, people generally overestimate their feeling and sensation, and a Yogic Samadhi is invariably supposed to be Self-realization.

The Yogic Samadhi is a temporary state; as soon as the yogi comes out of it, he becomes aware of the duality and reminisces again in the grip of ignorance.

Thus, the Yogic Samadhi will not eradicate ignorance.

The Yogic Samadhi is experienced by you. You are the false self within the false experience. Thus, the Yogic Samadhi can never take one beyond the experience of form, time, and space.

Self-realization is the realization of the truth that is beyond form, time, and space.

Self-realization is only gained through acquiring the Self-knowledge of Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. Only through the Self-knowledge of Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana does the Soul transcends the limits of form, time, and space and becomes free from experiencing the dualistic illusion as a reality.

Thus, it is only in the realm of the Soul that the mind becomes one with the Soul, the Self.

Panchadasi: ~ the impossibility of yoga arriving at a successful end to its practices. P.509 v, 109

Self-realization through yoga is not philosophic. Every yogi who shuts himself in a cave is not thereby freed from thinking.

Yoga can lead only to temporary peace because the world is subject to change. Only Self- knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana can yield Advaitic awareness in the midst of the form, time, and space.

Buddha gave up yoga after practicing it for six years. He saw it could not yield truth.

Buddha gave up his austerities of yoga as impossible and useless. Thus, Buddha got enlightenment only after he gave up Yoga. (Page.70/71 "Buddhism In Translation” by Warren)

Remember:~

A yogi cannot attain realization, because he thinks his body to be body and world to be world and fails to see them as consciousness and thinks his experience of Samadhi is because of his individual effort.

The individual experience is limited to waking experience and is merely an illusion. Thus even his Samadhi is also limited to the waking experience, which is merely an illusion.

Yogi thinks the thoughtlessness is Samadhi but thoughts are of individuality. Thoughts disappear even in deep sleep. Therefore deep sleep is not wisdom.

If one thinks thoughtlessness is Samadhi and Samadhi is Brahman then anyone can get knowledge of Brahman by taking sleeping pills or hemp.

Brih Upanishad: page 32. "Yoga does not yield truth or liberation."

One who is in Samadhi will not know that this universe as consciousness; therefore yoga is not the means to Self- knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

In Samadhi the yogi knows nothing and sees no universe; so if there is nothing but blankness. The blankness is not the Advaitic wisdom.

The yogi does not know the nature of the universe. If the universe is not seen in the Samadhi then there is no need to use the word Atman and Brahman. The yogi is unaware of the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space.

By shutting his eyes in Samadhi, the yogi does not know the universe, which confronts him. Hence the universe can't be known as the Soul or consciousness through yoga.

One is in a non-dual condition in deep sleep or Samadhi, One without a second, true, but he did not know it at the time.

He says only in the waking experience afterward. Hence, there must be an inquiry so that you find nonduality whilst you are awake so that you can see nonduality at the time not afterward. Hence, too the need for inquiring into the nature of the universe and knowing it as the Soul or consciousness whilst one is awake, and not during sleep or Samadhi.:~ Santthosh Kumaar

Sage Sankara’s wisdom reveals: ~ Atman is the only one ultimate reality or Brahman.+

Sage Sankara’s wisdom can be summed up in one sentence, ‘There is nothing else but Brahman. He says that Absolute Existence, Absolute Knowledge and Absolute Bliss is Real.

Sage Sankara’s wisdom reveals: ~ Atman is the only one ultimate reality or Brahman.

Advaita means the Soul, the Self, which is second to none. The Soul, which is present in the form of the Spirit or consciousness, is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth.

Advaita is the nature of God, the Self. Advaita is God. Advaita is the fullness of consciousness.

Sage Sankara was criticized for his views on Maya (illusion) without understanding him.

Sage Sankara said:~

(1) Brahman (Atman) is real

(2) the universe is unreal,

(3) Brahman is the universe.

He did not stop at the second because the third explains the other two. It signifies that the universe is real if perceived as the ‘Self’ and unreal if perceived as apart from the Self. Hence, Maya or illusion and reality are one and the same.

Realists criticize the concept of illusion without understanding it. Sage Sankara said:~

(1) Consciousness (Atman) is real

(2) The universe is unreal,

(3) Consciousness is the universe because the universe is merely an illusion created out of consciousness.

One need not stop at the second because the third explains the other two. It signifies that the universe is real if perceived as the Self (Atman or consciousness) and unreal if perceived as apart from the Self (consciousness). Hence, illusion and reality are one and the same because both are one in essence.

Realizing the essence, which is the consciousness as the innermost Self, is Self-Realization or Truth-Realization or God- Realization.

Remember:~

The universe is not real. He says that Brahma and Atman are one. The ultimate and the Absolute Truth is the ‘Self’, which is one though appearing as many in different individuals. The individual has no reality. Only the ‘Self’ is real; the rest, mental and physical are but passing appearances.

All three states have to be resolutely weighed, and accurately, observed in the pursuit of truth. The seeker must inquire “What is this universe?”, “What is I?” Hence, a deeper inquiry is a necessary foundation. The Yogi who looks only inside and ignores the world throws away part of the materials needed to find the truth.

Without knowing the nature of the three states, it is impossible to know the truth. What is the use of trying to find his inner ‘Self’ before he understands the world, which confronts him? "The world which confronts him is also consciousness."

If the seeker does not make your induction from facts from the world before him then he has only drawn on his imaginations. Then he says “The Brahman is like this, or like that." but it will be only his mental construction.

Those who are of a dulled mind say that to be non-observant and to withdraw: keen powers of observation are desirable and will help, not hinder the pursuit of truth. The seeker has to take experiences as they come to him and he should not run away from the world in ascetic fear. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Yogic bliss is dualistic because it is based on the ego. Nondualistic Bliss is Self-awareness based on the Soul, the Self.+

 

Yogic bliss is dualistic because it is based on the ego. Nondualistic Bliss is Self-awareness based on the Soul, the Self.

When the Soul, the Self remains in its own formless nondual awareness of its true nature in the midst of the dualistic illusion or Maya is called Advaitic bliss.

The yogic bliss or mystical bliss is not bliss because it is not an experience. The bliss cannot be experienced it is the nature of the Soul, the Self.

Only when wisdom dawns then there is Self-awareness or non-dualistic bliss.

Without wisdom, whatever is experienced as bliss is merely a hallucination.

Remember:~

You will not get Advaitic bliss because you are not the Soul, the Self. Nature of the Soul is Advaitic bliss or conscious awareness without the 'I'.

Yogic bliss is mere a hallucinated bliss based on the false self (you) within the false experience (waking). Whatever you experienced within the world is an illusion because the world itself is a dualistic illusion.

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

Sage Sankara declaration: ~ “Brahman is the truth The World is Unreal everything is Truly Brahman and nothing else has any value.

The yogic bliss or trance experienced as an individual is nothing but a hallucination.

Remember:~

The Soul is not an individual to experience any such thing. The Soul is beyond form, time, and space.

Advaitic bliss is not yogic bliss. Advaitic Bliss is Self-awareness. When the Soul, the 'Self' remains in its own formless nondual awareness of its true nature in the midst of dualistic illusion (world) it is called Advaitic bliss.

The yogic bliss or mystical bliss is not Advaitic bliss because it is not an experience. The bliss cannot be experienced it is the nature of the Soul, the Self.

  

Only when wisdom dawns then there is Self-awareness or bliss. Without Advaitic wisdom whatever is experienced as bliss is merely a hallucination.

Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana is the knowledge that unfolds the mystery of the universe. The universe is created out of single stuff. And that single stuff is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

The ‘I’ is present only when the mind is present. Without the ‘I’ the mind ceases to exist.

The mind is present when the universe is present. Without the mind, the universe ceases to exist.

The universe is present only when the waking is present. Without the universe, the waking ceases to exist.

So, without the ‘I’ the mind or universe or the waking ceases to exist.

From the standpoint of the Soul is the  ‘Self’, the ‘I’ the mind or universe or the waking cease exists as a reality.

The Soul is the ‘Self’ and can remain with or without the ‘I’.:~ Santthosh Kumaar