It is foolish to hold the Self as you because you and your experience of the world appear with the ‘I’ and disappear with the ‘I’.+

It is impossible for the seeker to discard the ‘I’ because they are stuck up with the idea that ‘I’ itself is the Self. In the past some famous Gurus and their teachings glorified the ‘I’ and people take it as a final and accepted it as the ultimate truth.

Such acceptance without verifying the fact about the ‘I’, their journey is incomplete. Blind acceptance and reverence to the guru will not help the seeker get rid of the ignorance.

Firstly, doubt about this ‘I’, how it came into existence. There is no other means to the final goal is the realization of the source of the ‘I’. There is a need to understand, assimilate, and realize the nature of this ‘I’, which appears and disappears.

It is erroneous to use the word ‘I’ for the Self, because ‘I’ represents the form, time, and space whereas the Soul, the innermost Self is a formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.

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

To understand the false nature of the ‘I’, the Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana is necessary.

The Self is not ‘I’, but the Self is the Soul which is the witness of the ‘I’. By holding the’ Self’ ‘I' leads to hallucination based on imagination.

Those who are stuck with the ‘I’ based teaching never be able to cross the domain of form, time, and space: 

Remember:~

The Soul is prior to the ‘I’. The Soul is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth. People say I AM THAT ~ I am God, I am Brahman. But when Brahman is, how can "I" remain? Only Brahman (God) remains, not the ‘I’.

It is erroneous to use the word ‘I’ for the Self, because ‘I’ represents the form, time, and space whereas the Soul, the Self is a formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.

You are not prior to the Soul, the Self. The Soul, the Self is God in truth. It is foolish to hold the Self as you because you and your experience of the world appear with the ‘I’ and disappear with the ‘I’.

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

The seeker has to make sure what is this ‘I’ supposed to be? 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 Soul, the Self, which is present in the form of consciousness.

People think the ‘I’ without the body is the Self. The seeker has to understand the fact that ‘I’ is not the Self, but the witness of the ‘I’ is the true Self, which is eternal.

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.

People are stuck with the reality of the ‘I’, which they take it as real because some Gurus have propagated the Self is the ‘I’. is no need to convince such a mindset. The seeker of truth accepts only the truth nothing but the truth.

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.

People refuse to accept anything other than their Gurus' 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 a 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. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Nirguna (attributeless) is the nature of the Soul, the Self, which is God in truth.+

Nirguna (attributeless) is the nature of the Soul, the Self, which is God in truth. The Saguna (attributed) is the nature of the mind, which is present in the form of the universe.

The Soul is the knower of the Saguna (mind). The Saguna (mind or the universe) is merely an illusion, from the standpoint of the nirguna, which is the Soul, the Self.

Thus, the Saguna (mind or world) is a myth from the standpoint of the nirguna, which is the Soul, the innermost Self.

The Soul is the real Self and eternal identity. The nirguna (Soul) can remain with or without the Saguna (mind) whereas the Saguna (mind) is dependent on Nirguna (Soul) for its existence

Nirguna and Saguna are classified only in duality. In non-dual reality there is neither the nirguna nor the saguna, everything is one. Therefore, the nirguna and the Saguna are one, in essence, that Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

The Saguna is the mind because when the mind is present then all the attributes are present, and when the mind is absent then the attributes are absent.

The Samadhi is the natural state of the Soul, the Self. In the natural state, the attributes are non-existent and in duality ( the mind), all the attributes are present.

Thus, duality and nonduality are the nature of the Soul, the innermost Self. The duality and the nonduality are not some theories. The theoretical duality and nonduality is nothing to do with the ultimate truth or Brahman.

The world in which we exist is present in the form of objective awareness. The whole objective awareness is created out of single stuff. That single stuff is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. The knowledge of the single stuff is Self -knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

The dual (waking or dream) and nondual (deep sleep) experiences appear and disappear. The Soul is the witness of the coming and going, of the three states.

All three states are made of single stuff. That single stuff is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Thus, the single stuff alone is real and eternal and the entire three states are merely an illusion created out of the Single stuff.

Realization of the single stuff, which is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, is Self -realization.

Till ignorance is there the three states are experienced as a reality.

Thus, it is very much necessary to realize the fact that there is no second thing that exists other than the Soul is present in the form of consciousness.

Remember:~

Sage Sankara’s Supreme Brahman 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 description implies a distinction. Brahman cannot be distinguished from any other than It. In Brahman, there is not 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.

Sage Sankara said:~Neither by the practice of yoga nor philosophy, nor by good works nor by learning, does liberation come, but only through the realization that Atman and Brahman are one in no other way.(1) Vivekachoodamani v 56, pg 25

Sage Sankara himself says ~ VC- 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.

63. Without causing the objective universe to vanish and without knowing the truth of the ‘Self’ how is one to achieve Liberation by the mere utterance of the word Brahman? — It would result merely in an effort of speech.

Consciousness is qualityless because it is a formless, timeless, and spaceless existence. I humbly request you to read my posts and blogs, you will find answers to all your questions.

All happening is within the waking experience. The waking experience is merely an illusion from the standpoint of the Soul, the ‘Self’.

Thus, the experience of birth, life, death, and the world is within the illusory waking experience is bound to be an illusion. The Soul is nothing to do with the experience of birth, life, death, and the world, because the Soul, the ‘Self’ is unborn and eternal. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

All those Gurus whose intelligence has been stolen by ignorance, they hold the illusory 'I' as reality and say IAM THAT.+

All those Gurus whose intelligence has been stolen by ignorance, they hold the illusory 'I' as reality and say IAM THAT.

All Gurus and their teaching of the past and present Glorified the ‘I’ and made seekers permanently remain in ignorance.

Many Gurus in the past used the word ‘I’ to indicate the ‘Self’. They think the ‘I’ without the body is the ‘Self’.

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).

First, know ‘what is the truth’ and ‘what is untruth’ for sure. Without realizing what untruth truth is, it is difficult to know what truth is.

The seeker has to realize the fact that ‘I’ is not the ‘Self’, but the Soul, the witness of the ‘I’ is the true ‘Self’, which is eternal.

That is why Bhagavan Buddha: ~ “Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders.

It is erroneous to identify the Soul, the ‘Self’ as 'I' or 'I AM' because the Soul the ‘Self’ is not 'I' or I AM’. The Soul the ‘Self’, is the cause of the 'I'.

To understand the false nature of the ‘I’, the ‘Self’-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana is necessary.

The ‘Self’ is not ‘I’, but the ‘Self’ is the Soul which is the cause of the ‘I’. Holding the ‘I as the ‘Self’ leads to hallucination based on imagination.

The ‘I’ hides the Soul, the Self, which is the cause of the 'I'. The realization of ultimate truth or Brahman is possible only when the seeker inquiries into the nature of the ‘I’.

People say I AM THAT ~ I am God, I am Brahman. But when Brahman is, how can "I" remain? Only Brahman remains, not I.

It is erroneous to use the word ‘I’ for the Self, because ‘I’ represents the form, time, and space whereas the Soul, the Self is a formless, timeless and spaceless existence.

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

Remember:~

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

You are bound by the birth, life, death, and the world whereas the ‘Soul is birthless and deathless because it is the ever formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.

If the ‘Self’ is not you then whatever is based on you is bound to be falsehood because you are the false self within the dualistic illusion.

The truth is based on the Soul, the Self. The ‘Self is not within you, but it is hidden within the illusory universe in which you exist.

Only people with half-baked knowledge propagate the ‘Self’ within the body and think of the ‘Self’ without the body and say ‘I AM THAT’. Such half-baked knowledge is not wisdom.

The Soul is the fullness of consciousness without the division of form, time, and space.

Holding ‘I’ as the ‘Self’ is the cause of ignorance. Realize the ‘I’ is merely an illusion. Stop identifying the Self as ‘I’ or ‘I AM’. Till you identify the Self as ‘I’ or ‘I AM’ the Soul will remain in the cage of ignorance.

First, know what is this ‘I’ supposed to be in actuality?

The ‘I’ is present in the form of the mind. The mind is present in the form of the universe.

The universe is present in the form of form, time, and space.

Without form, time, and space, there is no duality.

The duality is not a reality from the standpoint of the Soul, the Self.

The mind is present in the form of form, time, and space. Thus, whatever belongs to form, time and space is a falsehood.

The universe in which we exist as a reality is a falsehood. Thus, there is a need to know ‘what is what’ in order to realize the truth beyond form, time, and space.

The ‘I’ disappears as deep sleep, so what is the use of being attached to it? It is impermanent and illusory because ‘I’ is physical awareness. Physical awareness is not Self-awareness. ‘I-less awareness is Self-awareness.

There is really no ‘I’. The ‘I’ is present in the form of the mind. And the mind is in the form of the universe. And the universe appears as a waking or dream. The ‘I’ or mind or the universe or waking or dream dies disappears as deep sleep.

Thus, one that appears as ‘I’ or mind or the universe or waking or dream is consciousness, and it disappears as deep sleep is also consciousness. In deep sleep, it is in its formless nondual true nature. The one, which witnesses the coming and going of the three states, is also consciousness. Thus, the witness and witnessed are one in essence.

Thus, the universe is a reality on the base of individuality and the universe is unreal on the base of the Soul is the Self. The seeker gradually will grasp and realize the unreal nature of the universe or mind. Individuality is illusory because the Self is not an individual because the Self is ever nondual, and it pervades everything and everywhere in all three states. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Lord Krishna taught the Karma and Bhakti yogis their own paths only to lead them up to the Gnana yoga path, which is the highest and the real object of his teaching.+

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 Bhagvad Gita is meant for the first audience, to help lead its followers along the way. The Sage Sankara emphasis on Advaitic wisdom is meant for those who wish to unfold the mystery of the universe. 

Scientific knowledge is limited to form, time and space. Self-knowledge is beyond form, time, and space. The birth, life, death, and the world are within the domain of form, time, and space. The Soul, the innermost Self, is a formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.

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.

To see "Brahman in action" one must act. Therefore, if he remains inactive in a cave can never see Brahman.

Lord Krishna tells Arjuna to fight is misrepresented by Gurus as an order to kill other human beings, because they are mere ideas, Illusory, whereas  Lord says these ideas too are Brahman, and the ‘Self’ and hence no killing really occurs. Only when you see all individuals, especially the ‘Self’ as imagined ideas, can you rise to see them later as Brahman? Thus, there are two stages. You must first see the ‘Self’ as illusory before you see others as illusory. ~ CH.2 v.16

Bhagavad Gita gives dualistic worship of "God” it is only for the lower mindset; it also teaches Advaita for the more evolved. All insights of the Advaitic wisdom are hidden and misinterpreted so to get a glimpse of the truth is very difficult.  

Likewise, thinkers and poets of the Age of Devotion (Bhakti) of the 16th century believed in a God with attributes that became very tangible when incarnating as Avatar and were attainable simply through love and devotion rather than scholastic and intellectual meditation.

For the religious people,  the Bhagavad Gita became the main vehicle of inspiration with its qualified and deistic Monism, rather than the scholastic and esoteric path shown by Sage Sankara’s Advaitic path.

Sage  Sankara never rejected devotional prayer (Bhakti) or denied its value for he held that it was a necessary but intermediate stage for the adept on his journey to the ultimate realization of the true nature of the Universal Essence.

People worship God in various ways, not knowing the Truth. At different levels, at different epochs, and in different lands, people have different conceptions of God. They quarreled because they did not know the truth about God.

The conflict of opinions among mystics and religionists proves that all are imagining God as they like, not knowing God.

Lord Krishna says in  Gita and in it, he lashes out against the karmakanda. It is generally believed that the Buddha and Mahavira were the first to attack the Vedas.

It is not so. Lord  Krishna himself spoke against them long before these two religious leaders. At one place in the Gita, he says to Arjuna: "The Vedas are associated with the three qualities of sattva, rajas, and tamas.

 You must transcend these three qualities. Full of desire, they (the practitioners of Vedic rituals) long for paradise and keep thinking of pleasures and material prosperity. They are born again and again and their minds are never fixed in Samadhi, these men clinging to Vedic rituals.

Lord Krishna says: "Not by the Vedas is ‘Self’ to be realized, nor by sacrifices nor by many studies. . . . "

Bhagavad Gita 2:46:~ "A man of true knowledge who has attained enlightenment, has the same use for all the scriptures as one has a small reservoir of water in a place flooded on all sides."

Lord Krishna taught the Karma and Bhakti yogis their own paths only to lead them up to the Gnana yoga path, which is the highest and the real object of his teaching.: ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Remember:~

Maha Gita: ~ Krishna's Gita is a hodgepodge containing everything; hence it suits everyone because there is something in it for everyone. It is difficult to find any tradition whose voice is not found in the Gita. It is difficult to find anyone who does not take solace from the Gita. But for such people, Ashtavakra's Gita will prove very difficult.

Ashtavakra is not for synthesis -- he is a man of truth. He speaks the truth just as it is, without any artifice or coloring. He is not concerned about the listener, he does not care whether his listener will understand or not. Such a pure expression of truth has never happened anywhere before, nor has it ever happened again.

People love Krishna's Gita because it is very easy to extract one's own meaning from it. Krishna's Gita is poetic: in it, two plus two can equal five, and two plus two can also equal three. No such tricks are possible with Ashtavakra. With him, two plus two are exactly four. Ashtavakra's statements are statements of pure mathematics. There isn't the least possibility for a poetic license here. He says things as they are, without any sort of compromise.

Reading Krishna's Gita a devotee extracts something of which he can make a belief because Krishna spoke on bhakti, devotion. The karma yogi extracts his belief because Krishna has spoken on karma yoga, the Yoga of action. The believer in knowledge finds what he wants because Krishna has spoken on knowledge as well. Somewhere Krishna calls bhakti the ultimate, somewhere else he calls knowledge the ultimate, again elsewhere he calls karma yoga the ultimate.

Krishna's statements are very political. He was a politician, a perfect politician. Just to say he was a politician is not right; he was a shrewd politician, a real diplomat. In his statements, he considered and included many things. This is why the Gita suits everyone, why there are thousands of commentaries on the Gita. No one is concerned with Ashtavakra because to accept Ashtavakra you are going to have to drop yourself -- unconditionally. You cannot bring yourself along. Only if you stay behind can you come near him. With Krishna, you can bring yourself along. With Krishna, there is no need to transform yourself. With Krishna, you can fit just as you are.

Hence the founders of each tradition have written commentaries on Krishna's Gita -- Sankara, Ramanuja, Nimbarak, Vallabha -- everyone. Each has extracted his own meaning. Krishna has said things in such a way as to allow multiple meanings; hence I call his Gita poetic. You can draw out any meaning you like from a poem.

Krishna's statements are like clouds surrounding you in the rainy season: you see in them whatever you want. Someone may see an elephant's trunk, and someone sees the whole body of Ganesha, the elephant God. Someone may not see anything. He will say, "What nonsense you talk! They are clouds, vapor -- how is it you see forms in them?"

Krishna's Gita is just like this -- you will be able to see whatever is in your mind. So Sankara sees knowledge, Ramanuja sees bhakti, Tilak sees action -- and each returns home in a cheerful mood thinking that what Krishna says is the same as his belief.

This kind of suspicion often arises with Krishna too. Centuries have passed and commentaries on Krishna keep on coming. Each century finds its own meaning, and each person finds his own meaning. Krishna's Gita is like an ink blot... it is the statement of the perfect politician.

You cannot extract any beliefs from Ashtavakra's Gita. Only if you drop yourself as you move into it, will Ashtavakra's Gita become clear to you.

Ashtavakra's message is crystal clear. You won't be able to add even a small bit of your own interpretation to it. Hence people have not written commentaries on Ashtavakra's Gita. There is no scope for writing a commentary; there is no way to distort or twist it. Your mind has no chance to add anything.

Ashtavakra has given such an expression that no one has been able to add or take anything from it, even though centuries have passed. It is not easy to give such a perfect expression. Such skill with words is very difficult to come by.

This is why I say we are starting off on a rare journey. ~OSHO

Prarabdha(Fate) is true only in the domain of ignorance.+

 

Prarabdha implies duality. Duality is a product of ignorance. Prarabdha is true only in the domain of ignorance.

That Karma which is done in a previous life is known as Prarabdha. Previous life karma produces the present life. But such Karma cannot take the place of Prarabdha for Gnani, as he has no other birth being free from ignorance.

When the present birth itself is an illusion then the past and future birth are bound to be an illusion.

The theory of fate (Prarabdha) is an imaginary theory based on the false self (ego).

The theory of fate (Prarabdha) is for the ignorant, because, those who accept the waking entity as self and the waking world as reality and believe the present experience of birth, life, death, and the world as reality. That means they have accepted their body as self whereas the ‘Self’ is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Thus, they will remain in believing in the theory of birth, death, and rebirth and permanently remain in ignorance. Thus, whatever is based on the waking entity or ego is a falsehood because the waking experience itself is a falsehood from the ultimate standpoint.

The waking entity and the waking world are a reality within the waking experience. From the ultimate standpoint, the waking experience itself is an illusion.

The body being in this universe does not also exist and due to this, Prarabdha also does not exist, Though the Vedas speak of Prarabdha, For the understanding of the ignorant.

Mundaka Upanishad:~ Ksheeyanthe thasya karmani thasmin drushte cha paravare, Bahuthwam than nishedartha sruthya geetham cha yath sphutam. 98

The body being in this world does not also exist and due to this, Prarabdha also does not exist, though the Vedas speak of Prarabdha, for the understanding of the ignorant.

All actions of man including Prarabdha, Perishes when one is able to see, Brahman which is in the higher and also lower, Thus tell the Vedas with clarity, *Cause and effect If fate does not get destroyed, ignorance gets never destroyed and spiritual realization never comes.

Uchyathe agnai balath chaithaththadaanatha thad vayagama, Vedantha matha hanam cha yadho jnanam ithi sruthi. 99

If the ignorant adamantly refuse to know this, Not only will they get involved in two absurdities*, But also forsake the conclusions of Vedanta, which proceed from Veda, the true knowledge. *negation of Brahman and its realization.

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

89. O enlightened one; pass your time always contemplating on Atman while you are experiencing all the results of Prarabdha; for it ill becomes you to feel distressed.

90. The theory one hears from the scripture, that Prarabdha does not lose its hold upon one even after the origination of the knowledge of Atman, is now being refuted.

91. After the origination of the knowledge of Reality, Prarabdha verily ceases to exist, inasmuch as the body and the like become non-existent; just as a dream does not exist on waking.

92. That Karma which is done in a previous life is known as Prarabdha (which produces the present life). But such Karma cannot take the place of Prarabdha (for a man of knowledge), as he has no other birth (being free from ego).

93. Just as the body in a dream is superimposed (and therefore illusory), so is also this body. How could there be any birth of the superimposed (body), and in the absence of birth (of the body) where is the room for that (i.e., Prarabdha) at all?

94. The Vedanta texts declare ignorance to be verily the material (cause) of the phenomenal world just as the earth is of a jar. That (ignorance) being destroyed, where can the universe subsist?

95. Just as a person out of confusion perceives only the snake leaving aside the rope, so does an ignorant person see only the phenomenal world without knowing the reality?

96. The real nature of the rope being known, the appearance of the snake no longer persists; so the substratum being known, the phenomenal world disappears completely.

97. The body also being within the phenomenal world (and therefore unreal), how could Prarabdha exist? It is, therefore, for the understanding of the ignorant alone that the Shruti speaks of Prarabdha.

98. “And all the actions of a man perish when he realizes that (Atman) which is both the higher and the lower”. Here the clear use of the plural by the Shruti is to negate Prarabdha as well.

99. If the ignorant still arbitrarily maintain this, they will not only involve themselves in two absurdities but will also run the risk of forgoing the Vedantic conclusion. So one should accept those Shrutis alone from which proceeds true knowledge.

The above proves that karma is a reality only on the base of the false self, where one thinks of the body and the universe as a reality. When one becomes aware of the fact that, the true self is Soul, then karma becomes part and parcel of illusion or Maya.

My point is that, if one accepts the karma theory as reality, he will never be able to come out of ignorance. And ignorance makes him believe the cycle of birth, life, and death or pain and pleasure as reality.

Thus, the freedom which one is seeking will remain a distant dream. For the one who accepts birth, life, and death as a reality, Self-knowledge is impossible.

Thus it is necessary for the seeker of truth to know the fact that the body which is born, lives, and dies is not the self. Since he is taking the body to be the Self, he is experiencing the duality as a reality.

As Sage Sankara says: When the whole universe, movable and immovable, is known to be Atman, and thus the existence of everything else is negated, where is then any room to say that the body is Atman.

If the body is not the Self, then the karma theory is meaningless, there is no second thing that exists other than the Soul, the Self, which is present in the form of consciousness.

The prarabdha holds no water from the ultimate standpoint. If the body is not the Self, then the karma theory is meaningless, there is no second thing that exists other than the Soul, the Self, which is present in the form of consciousness. The prarabdha holds no water from the ultimate standpoint. :~Santthosh Kumaar

The universe itself is Maya. Maya is the dualistic illusion.+

What is Maya?

The universe itself is Maya. Maya is a dualistic illusion.

To say the universe is an illusion without first examining it and inquiring into its nature thoroughly is to delude oneself. This world is common to every one of us; therefore the seeker of truth must begin his inquiry with it.

It is only after he has inquired into the nature of the objective world, that he realizes the universe which through ignorance appears as of diverse forms, is nothing else but the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness and is absolutely free from all the limitations of form, time and space.

The Soul, the Self, which is present in the form of consciousness is hidden by the Maya.

That is why Sage Sankara says: ~ A buried treasure is not uncovered by merely uttering the words: “Come forth.” You must follow the right directions, dig, remove the stones and earth from above it, and then make it your own. In the same way, the pure truth of the Atman, which is buried under Maya and the effects of Maya, can be reached by meditation, contemplation, and other spiritual disciplines but never by perverse arguments.

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.

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.

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.

Remember: ~ All is consciousness. The whole universe is consciousness. From consciousness, the universe comes. When the universe disappears, the consciousness still remains without form, time, and space

Remember: ~

Ashtavakra Gita: ~ “The universe rises from the Soul, the innermost Self like bubbles from the sea. Thus know the ‘Self’ to be One and in this way 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?

That is why Sage Sankara Says: ~ VC-63. Without causing the objective universe to vanish and without knowing the truth of the ‘Self’ how is one to achieve Liberation by the mere utterance of the word Brahman? — It would result merely in an effort of speech.

What is the use of saying ‘I AM THAT’- without knowing what the ‘Self’ is in actuality? Without knowing the truth of the Self, without realizing the truth of the world in which you exist it is impossible to realize the truth beyond the form, time, and space. By a mere utterance of the word ‘I AM THAT', the truth will not be revealed.

Sage Sankara: ~VC~ if the universe is 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.

Sage Sankara says: ~ ‘What is accepted without a proper inquiry will not lead to the final Goal. (Commentary on Vedanta Sutra)

Those who tell you that Brahman is unity, that you can get it only by intuition, that you should not reason, you should not question or inquire, are deluding you. Verification must come by thought. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar