Only when one acquires Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana then he realizes the world in which he exists is merely an illusion created out of consciousness.+

The dualist Sages declare the world is real. According to dualists Sages, the reality is very much that we live in this world. In context to Sage Sankara calling this materialistic world a dream, the dualist sage says that we are not yet awakened from the dream to say that this is a dream. Hence what is happening at this moment is to be considered. And the world is real.

People refuse to accept the universe is an illusion it is because they are part and parcel of that illusion. The reality of the illusory universe often confuses people. Only when one acquires Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana then he realizes the world in which he exists is merely an illusion created out of the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. The Soul is the Self.

The universe is a reality on the base of ‘you (ego). You are the false Self within the false experience (waking). The universe is an illusion from the standpoint of the Soul, which is the Self. The Soul is in the form of formless consciousness. This is because of some logical reasons. First, you have to analyze the definition of truth and hence why the universe is not considered a reality.

Remember

Many people think Sage Sankara's path of wisdom is the path of Advaitic orthodoxy is substantially not true. Some philosophers in the world are as misunderstood and misinterpreted.

Most of the harm came from his orthodox followers. The ideas that Sage Sankara rejected came back to the Advaita fold and, the wisdom–oriented teachings of Sage Sankara became as much a face of Advaita as the rituals, worship, and other practices

Sage Sankara treated ignorance as an error, the removal of which led to wisdom He left it at that. His followers, however, wrote tomes speculating the causes for ignorance, the nature of ignorance, different forms of ignorance, etc. had the Guru watched his disciples at work he might have wondered whether they were studying about Brahman or about ignorance.

Brahman— The One Without A Second

The Atman is self-evident. It is not established by extraneous proof. It is not possible to deny the Atman because It is the very essence of the one who denies It. The Atman is the basis of all kinds of knowledge, presuppositions, and proofs. Self is within, Self is without; Self is before, Self is behind; Self is on the right, Self is on the left; Self is above and Self is below. Brahman is not an object, as It is, beyond the reach of the physical eyes. Hence the Upanishads declare: “Neti Neti—not this, not this....” This does not mean that Brahman is a negative concept, or a metaphysical abstraction, or a nonentity, or a void. It is not another. It is all-full, infinite, changeless, self-existent, self-delight, self-knowledge, and self-bliss. It is Svarupa, essence. It is the essence of the witness. It is the Seer (Drashta), Transcendent (Turiya), and Silent Witness (Saakshi).

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 the 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.

From the standpoint of the formless Soul, the Self, the effect is non-different from the cause. However, in the realm of duality cause is different from effect. The non-difference of the effect from the cause has to be grasped perfectly to realize from the ultimate standpoint there is neither the cause nor the effect because the cause and effect are one in essence. That essence is consciousness.

Sage Sankara says: - If the cause is destroyed, the effect will no longer exist. For example, if from the effect, cotton cloth, the cause, threads, are removed, there will be no cloth, i.e., the cloth is destroyed. Similarly if in the effect, thread, the cause, cotton, is removed, there will be no thread, i.e., the thread is destroyed. (Brahma-sutra Bhashya, commentary on the Brahma-sutra, [9] 2.1.9)

Despite the non-difference between cause and effect, the effect has itself in the cause but not the cause in the effect. The effect is of the nature of the cause and not the cause is the nature of the effect. Therefore the qualities of the effect cannot touch the cause because the cause and effect are present only when the duality is present.

The duality is present only when there is an illusion. The illusion is there only when there is ignorance. When there is no ignorance then there is no illusion. When there is no illusion then there is no duality. When there is no duality then there is no cause and effect. When there is no cause and effect then there is the nondual reality.

Sage Sankara says:~ During the time of its existence, one can easily grasp that the effect is not different from the cause. However that the cause is different from the effect is not readily understood. As to this, it is not really possible to separate cause from effect. But this is possible by imagining so. For example, the reflection of the gold ornament seen in the mirror is only the form of the ornament but is not the ornament itself as it (the reflection) has no gold in it at all. (Commentary on the Chandogya Upanishad, 6.3.2)

All names and forms are real when seen with the Sat (Brahman) but are false when seen independently of Brahman.

This way the seeker of truth establishes the non-difference of effect from cause.

In the context of Advaita Vedanta: ~ Jagat (the world) is not different from Brahman; however, Brahman is different from Jagat.

It has not been possible to preach Advaitic Truth entirely free from the settings of dualistic weakness it has not been more operative and useful to mankind at large because only few will be able to grasp and realize it.

'To realize the Advaitic Truth a freer and fuller scope the seeker has to realize the form, time and space are one in essence. And that essence is consciousness. And the soul, the innermost self is present in the form of consciousness.

To realize the Advaitic truth the seeker has to be free from all superstitions and orthodox contaminations. The seeker has to be dedicated to acquiring Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana alone.'

A Gnani will easily appreciate the high flights of Sage Sankara’s Advaitic wisdom is one of the 'most majestic structures and valuable products of the Genius of man in his search for Truth.

People who strongly believe this world is real must realize: ~

A person, who stamped his foot on the ground to refute to show the world, is real, ignores that in a dream he would do exactly the same--stamp his dream foot on the ground and assert it to be real.

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

Thus, you, your experience of birth, life, death, and the world are merely an illusion created out of the consciousness, the consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth.

The world is both real and unreal. It is real because it is a manifestation of consciousness, but is unreal, in the sense, that it is not absolute and eternal like consciousness itself.

People's approach is more practical, and they stuck with the reality of the world, they take it as real. That is why all the confusion.

In Self-awareness: the witness and witnessed are one in essence. That essence is consciousness. There is no second thing that exists other than consciousness.

Thus, whatever is seen, known, believed, and experienced as a person is a reality within the waking experience (duality) but the waking experience (duality) itself is merely an illusion created out of consciousness.

Remember: ~

People, who stamped their foot on the ground to refute to show the world, is real, ignore that in the dream he would do exactly the same--stamp his dream foot on the ground and assert it to be real.

The world is both real and unreal. It is real because it is a manifestation of consciousness, but is unreal, in the sense, that it is not absolute and eternal like consciousness itself.

People's approach is more practical, and they stuck with the reality of the world, they take it as real. That is why all the confusion.

The look of an object will depend upon the medium through which the observer views it. In fact, our mental and intellectual conditions determine the three states, observed and experienced. The commoner viewing the universe will see differently from a Gnani viewing the same universe. Each one interprets the three states that they see in terms of their existing knowledge. The commoner sees everything based on the ego, therefore, experiences birth, life, death, and the world as reality, whereas a Gnani sees everything as consciousness and he is fully aware of the fact that, there is no second thing that exists other than consciousness. And the whole universe is nothing but consciousness. Thus, consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth.

The dream becomes unreal when the waking takes place. Similarly, the waking becomes unreal when wisdom dawns. Wisdom dawns when you (waking entity or ego) realize the fact that, the self is not you, but the self is the formless soul, which witnesses the coming and going of the three states.

Remember

There is only one Self, which is the Soul. There are no separate individual Souls. Nobody has ever seen the Soul of an individual. You can only say that you have seen different bodies. when the whole universe is made of a single clay, which is the Soul then whatever the universe contains is also made of the Soul, the Self, which is present in the form of consciousness.

People who argue that Soul does not exist are not aware of the fact that their own existence is dependent on the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. There is no individual Soul because the Soul is one and which is the cause of the whole universe. The Soul is hidden by the universe.

One should not conclude because some great thinker said so or some philosophy says so. Without consciousness, the mind, which is present in the form of the universe ceases to exist. Man ceases to exist without the universe. The universe ceases to exist without the Soul, the Self. The Soul can exist with or without the universe., which is a dualistic illusion.

The Soul is the Self. The Soul is present in the form of consciousness. No division in consciousness is admissible at any time as it is always one and the same. Even the world in which we exist must be known as false, like the delusion of a snake in a rope.

The Soul is the 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. Consciousness is the true Self.

Until one thinks of his body as body, ego as 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 Soul, the Self is formless and non-dual, one without a second. It has no other besides It. It is destitute of difference, either external or internal. The Soul cannot be described because description implies a distinction. The Soul cannot be distinguished from any other than it. In the Soul, there is not a distinction between substance and attribute.

Nondual awareness constitutes the very essence of the Soul and not just its attributes. The Soul is impersonal. It becomes a person only through its association with the three states or illusion.

As through the ignorance of the real nature of the rope, the very rope appears in an instant as a snake, so also does the Soul or consciousness appear in the form of the waking or dream without undergoing any change.

There exists no other material cause of this waking or dream except consciousness. Hence, these three states are nothing but an illusion created out of consciousness.

All three states are consciousness, because they arise from consciousness, and sustained by consciousness, and finally, dissolve as consciousness. The idea of the pervaded and the pervading is illusory. When this supreme truth is realized, then there is no room for any distinction between the cause and the effect.

Certainly, there is no manifoldness in consciousness. The non-dual cause being an established fact, how could the three states be different from consciousness, when they are created out of consciousness?

Remember this: ~

The Soul is the Self. The Soul is present in the form of consciousness. The Soul is the cause of the world in which you exist and it itself is uncaused.

Many souls’ theory is a religious theory based on the false self (ego) within the false world. When the world in which we exist is created out of a single clay and that single clay is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, the question of many souls does not arise. There is one and only Soul, which is the cause of the universe.

You are not the ‘Self’ because you are mortal. You are mortal because you are bound by the experience of birth, life, death, and the world. The ‘Self’ is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness and is immortal because it is ever formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.

The one that is in ignorance is the Soul; the one that has to wake up from the sleep of ignorance is the Soul, the Self.

The world in which you exist is the product of ignorance. When ignorance vanishes the world in which you exist is merely an illusion created out of consciousness.

Without the illusion, the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness alone will prevail as the ultimate reality or Brahman or God in truth. Thus, the Soul is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth.

Self-realization is necessary to realize ‘what is truth and ‘what is untruth.

Many souls theory is based on the false self and false experience(world). When the whole universe is created out of a single stuff, which is the Soul then whatever the universe contains is also consciousness. Thus, the Soul is one, and in ignorance, diversity appears as reality.

Sage Sankara asks his opponents "How do you know there are separate individual Souls? Have you seen the Soul of a man? You can only say that you have seen different bodies. To say more is to misuse language. Therefore, I call you liars unless you give proof, which is impossible.

Rig Veda: ~ The Atman is the cause; Atman is the support of all that exists in this universe.

So, it proves the Soul is not an individual but it is the support of all that exists in this universe.

The Soul is not limited to an individual. The individuals are many but the Soul is one. The individual exists within the universe. The Soul is the cause of the universe and it itself is uncaused.

The Soul is not within the human body. The universe is created out of a single stuff. That single stuff is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. Thus, whatever the universe contains is bound to be the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

In the dream world, the dream people appeared together and disappeared together. Similarly, the waking world and waking people appeared together and disappeared together. Thus, the dream is created out of a single stuff and that stuff is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. In the same way, the waking experience also created single stuff. And that single stuff is consciousness. The Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness is the cause of the three states and it itself is uncaused. The many soul theories are religious and yogic fables based on the false self (ego) and false experience (waking).

Knowledge of the single stuff is the Self-knowledge of Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

Like an ornament made from gold is Gold, that which is born out of consciousness is consciousness. Like gold is a permanent thing, in ornaments made of gold, similarly, the mind, which is in the form of the universe is born out of consciousness, is consciousness in its essence.

Deeper Self-search reveals the fact that you are not the Self, the world in which you exist is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, but consciousness is specifically not an entity or identity or a thing within the world in which you exist. But it is the cause of the world in which you exist and it, itself is uncaused.

The Soul is hidden by the world in which you exist. The nature of the Soul is the formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.

Thus, it is necessary to realize the world in which you exist is created out of a single stuff, which is consciousness. The consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth. Thus, God in truth alone is real; the world in which you exist is merely an illusion created out of consciousness.

It takes time for the seeker to gain the perfect understanding of ‘what is truth’ and ‘’what is untruth’. It takes time for the Soul, the Self to wake up from the sleep of ignorance, and it takes time for one realizes the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space.: ~Santthosh Kumaar

Sage Sankara’s Advaitic pearls for the seeker of truth.+

Sage Sankara the founder of Advaitic wisdom.  Sage Sankara has propounded Spirituality or Adyathma.  His Advaitic wisdom is a great radical change in the history of human consciousness.

Sage Sankara there were religions but never a pure Spirituality or Adyathma. The man was not yet mature. With Sage Sankara, humanity enters into a mature age. All human beings have not yet entered into that, that’s true, but   Sage Sankara has heralded the path; Sage Sankara has opened the gateless gate. It takes time for human beings to understand Advaitic wisdom. Sage Sankara’s wisdom is the deepest ever. Nobody has done the work that Sage Sankara has done, the way he has done it. Nobody else represents the pure fragrance of Advaita. Other founders of religions and yoga have compromised with the truth.

Sage Sankara says:  Religion and yoga are not the tools to acquire Self-knowledge. Sage Sankara‘s Advaitic wisdom has a higher perfection, then a new kind of perfection, with a fragrance of the truth.  

Sage Sankara clearly says:~ Neither studying philosophy nor by mastering scriptures by worshiping as many gods nor observing ceremonies nor by singing devotional hymns nor by uttering mantra nor by mastering the scriptures liberation comes without realizing the Oneness.

Sage Sankara’s Advaitic pearls for the seeker of truth.

Sage Sankara pointed out that those rituals could in no way bring about wisdom, much less Moksha. 

Sage Sankara says:~ One alone exists, and the rest is all superimposition on that One, due to ignorance.

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’s  Brahman or God in truth is impersonal. Worshiping personal Gods is meant for the orthodox people who are ignorant and refuse to accept the truth. 

Sage Sankara says:~ How can the talk of diversity, dvaita, apply to the Supreme Reality which is one and homogeneous, Advaita? Who has ever observed diversity, dvaita, in the unmixed bliss of the state of profound sleep?

Without Sage Sankara, there is no Advaita. Without Advaitic wisdom, it is impossible to realize the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space. The all-pervading Reality is beyond both duality and non-duality.

Sage Sankara says: ~ Atman is Brahman. The Atman alone is real is not religious truth. Sage Sankara declared this Advaitic truth, which is the ultimate truth to the whole world, many centuries back is the rational truth, the scientific truth, and the ultimate truth.

Sage Sankara’s whole wisdom can be summed up in one sentence, ‘There is nothing else but Brahman. He says that Absolute Existence, Absolute Knowledge, and Absolute Bliss are real. The universe is not real. He says that Brahman and Atman are one. The ultimate and the Absolute Truth is the ‘Self’, which is one though appearing as many different individuals. The individual has no reality. Only the ‘‘Self’’ is real; the rest, mental and physical are but passing appearances.

Genuine philosophy must be independent of religion, that in Sage Sankara himself attributed God is a reality only in dualistic illusion. And the attributeless God (Brahman) is the only reality and has nothing to do with religion.

Sage Sankara pokes fun at ascetics and points out that all their austerities do not cause desires to go (Altar Flowers" Page 205, v.2 P.207 v.4)

Sage Sankara gave religious, ritual, and dogmatic instruction to the orthodox populace, but Advaitic wisdom only to the few who could rise to it. Hence the interpretation of his writings by commentators is often confusing because they mix up the two viewpoints. Thus, they may assert that ritual is a means of realizing Brahman, which is absurd.

There are two kinds of audiences ~ the ordinary ones who desire the transitory heaven and other pleasures obtained as a result of ritual, prayers, devotion to personal Gods, and sacrifices. The advanced seeker who seeks to know the ultimate truth or Brahman.

Religion and yoga are meant for the ignorant populace, to help lead its followers along the way.

The jnana kanda is meant for those who wish to realize the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space.

Those who lack the intelligence to discriminate between reality and illusion will not be able to grasp what is real and what is an illusion. Both real and unreal is the consciousness, not the real alone.

For those who have chosen the Atmic path have to drop all the orthodox adulteration by bifurcation and drop what is not needed to acquire Self -knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana: ~

Sage Sankara: ~ 'Like a servant who carries a lamp in front of you to find your way, and you have found it, so becomes the Veda to that person. What is the Veda? ~ utterances of those who have known the Truth. Here is one who has known the Truth; why should he or she depend upon the Veda further? Actual realization takes you beyond books. At a certain stage, books become a botheration.

Sage Sankara says: ~ There is no need to study the Scriptures, to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman then why indulge in studying the scriptures.

Sage Sankara says: ~There is no need to study philosophy, 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: ~ “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. Therefore, why believe and worship attributed Gods in place of real God and permanently remain in ignorance of the reality, which is beyond the form, time, and space.”

Sage Sankara says “There is no need to indulge in yoga to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman then why indulge in yoga. Neither sacred baths nor any amount of charity nor even Hundreds of pranayamas* can give the Self -knowledge then why indulge in yoga, pranayama dipping in the rivers, and any amount of charity, when they are not the means to acquire the Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

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

Sage Sankara says “Though I wear these robes of a Sanyasin, it is only for the sake of bread” then why you are sticking to the religious Gurus who wear the robes of a Sanyasin only for the sake of bread.

Sage Sankara says “One without knowledge does not obtain liberation even in a hundred births, no matter which religious faith he follows then why you are sticking to your religion which will not help you to obtain the ‘Self’-knowledge.

Sage Sankara says “Neither by Yoga, nor by Sankhya, nor by good work, nor by learning, but by the realization of one's identity with Brahman is Liberation possible, and by no other means then why you are not dropping all other means which are blocking your realization of the ultimate truth or Brahman.

Sage Sankara says “Loud speech consisting of a shower of words, the skill in expounding the Scriptures, and likewise, erudition - these merely bring on a little personal enjoyment to the scholar, but are no good for liberation then why you are after scholars explanation, when the scholars' scriptural mastery and a shower of words, the skill in expounding the scriptures are no good for liberation,

Sage Sankara says “The study of the Scriptures is useless so long as the highest Truth is unknown, and it is equally useless when the highest Truth has already been known then why you want to study the scriptures.

Sage Sankara says “The Scriptures consisting of many words are a dense forest which merely causes the mind to ramble. Hence, men of wisdom should earnestly set about knowing the true nature of the ‘Self’ and then why you are not independently investigating and knowing the ‘‘Self’’.

Sage Sankara says “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?

When Sage Sankara says “Vedas and mantras will not help you to get rid of the ignorance then why you are indulging in what is not required to acquire the ‘Self’-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

Sage Sankara says “ 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.

Sage Sankara says “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 then why indulge in the repetition of the name of God when they are not the means to ‘Self’-knowledge.

Sage Sankara clearly says “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 the wise should, as in the case of disease and the like, personally strive by all the means in their power of reason Sage Sankara clearly says the truth is to be attained through the instructions of a knower of Brahman (Gnani) then why to follow Guru or yogi who is not a Gnani.

Sage Sankara says Let erudite scholars quote all the scripture, let Gods be invoked through sacrifices, let elaborate rituals be performed, let personal Gods be propitiated ~ yet, without the realization of one‘s identity With the ‘Self’, there shall be no liberation for the individual, not even in the lifetimes of a hundred Brahmas put together Sage Sankara says the liberation cannot be the result by scholars giving sermons of all the scripture, by Gods be invoked through sacrifices, by performing elaborate rituals, by propitiating the personal Gods, by good deeds than what is the use of indulging in all these things which are useless to acquire ‘Self’-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

As regards the rituals, Sage Sankara says, 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.

There is no hope of Self-realization by studying philosophy or by the following religion or by practicing yoga.

Sage Sankara says “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.

There is no hope of Self-realization by studying the philosophy of following a religion or by practicing yoga then why you are indulging in unwanted things which are not required to unfold the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space.

Sage Sankara says “Without knowing and examining the external world, 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’s wisdom is nothing to do with orthodox belief systems.

Sage Sankara says: ~ “What is accepted without a proper inquiry will not lead to the final Goal. Then why accept others' wisdom without verifying their validity. Nothing has to be accepted as truth without verification. Only uncontradictable truth has to be accepted as the ultimate truth or Brahman.

Nothing has to be accepted as truth without verification.

Sage Sankara himself had often said that his philosophy was based on Sruti, or revealed scripture. This may be because Sage Sankara addressed the ordinary man, who finds security in the idea of causality and thus, in the idea of God ~ and Revelation is indispensable to prove the latter. He believed that those of superior intelligence, have no need of this idea of divine causality, and can, therefore, dispense with Sruti and arrive at the truth of Non-Dualism by pure reason.

Sage Sankara is the only sage who has final authority on the Advaitic truth. The Advaitic truth is rational truth and scientific truth without dogma.

Sage Sankara says “the Knower of the Atman (i.e., a Gnani) "bears no outward mark of a holy man”, then why you are stuck up with the holy men or Gurus or Godmen or yogis who identify themselves as holy men, are not Gnanis.

Sage Sankara says How can the talk of diversity, dvaita, apply to the Supreme Reality which is one and homogeneous, Advaita? Who has ever observed diversity, dvaita, in the unmixed bliss of the state of profound sleep?

A Gnani will easily appreciate the high flights of Sage Sankara’s Advaitic wisdom is one of the 'most majestic structures and valuable products of the Genius of man in his search for Truth. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

If one feels ecstatic or exalted peace in the presence of Yogi or Godmen is not Advaitic Self-awareness.+

You go to the mountains only to enjoy the beauty and serenity of the mountains but not for getting the Advaitic wisdom of Sage Sankara.

Remember you are a truth seeker you will not accept anything other than the truth.

By visiting the Ashram, ignorance will not vanish. By glorifying the Guru or surrendering to the Guru you will not get Advaitic Gnana. All religious and yogic paths are meant for the ignorant crowd, not for those who are searching for the truth of their true existence.

By practicing kundalini you will remain in ignorance permanently. Meeting holy people you will not get the grace.

Sage Sankara himself said: ~ A Gnani "bears no outward mark of a holy man" (Stanza 539).

Sage Sankara: ~ "Though I wear these robes of a Sanyasin, it is only for the sake of bread."

So he wore a Guru's robe only for the sake of the ignorant. So he was identified as Guru with parampara by religious people.

For the truth seekers, Sage Sankara is a Brahma Gnani.

Thus, it proves that the religious gurus and yogis are not Gnanis because they identified themselves as holy people.

Tripura Rahasya: ~ Second-hand knowledge of the Self-gathered from books or Gurus can never emancipate a man until its truth is rightly investigated and applied; only direct realization will do that. Realize yourself, turning the mind inward. (18: 89)

Remember:~

If one feels ecstatic or exalted peace in the presence of Yogi or Godmen is not Advaitic Self-awareness. 

People who are troubled, and unhappy in their life probably over health, wealth, or women find solitude at Ashrams, pilgrimages, and temples because there was an uneasy disturbance of the mind, they find peace because their attention is diverted from the present problem temporarily. They had no peace of mind the Ashram, pilgrimages, and temples cured it for the time.

By visiting the ashram, the pilgrimages, and the temples one gets dualistic peace. The dualistic peace one gets in the Ashram, pilgrimages, and temples is not Atmic peace.

It merely indicates the state of mind possessed on arrival at Ashram pilgrimages and temples.

There was no permanent cure however without Advaitic Gnana. Visiting Ashram pilgrimages and temples will not help one to get rid of ignorance.

Without getting rid of ignorance, the present life will experience as a reality. When wisdom dawns the world in which we exist becomes unreal. In the same way, the dream becomes unreal when the waking took place. Thus, when you become Soulcentric the present life becomes a passing show. : ~Santthosh Kumaar 

Buddhist Idealism speaks only of ideas.+

Buddhist Sunyavada is incongruous because every thought has its opposite every word is tied to its coordinate for all thought and speech can only operate under such dualism. Hence, taking the most fundamental word, existence its implied opposite non-existence is also there, and vice versa. Therefore, the Sunya "non-entity" is meaningless without "entity". Both are there.

Buddhist Idealism speaks only of ideas.

What about the knower of these ideas?

Buddhist Nihilism does not ask "What is meant by Nihilism?

It is a thought.

There must be a thinker of this thought.

Bhagavan Buddha kept silent, refusing to answer questions on the ultimate. Therefore, he was the wisest man in refusing to commit himself.

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

Sunyavada Buddhism strongly holds that the ultimate is but a void, with nothing existing, not even the Soul, the ‘Self.

Hume and Sunyavadin Buddhists declared the non-existence of Entity, a Void. This is just as much unwarranted finality, for it means you are viewing it from a particular standpoint as to declare its existence. Silence alone is called for. The absence or presence of the objective world and even existence and non-existence is always referred to as Seen only; it still leaves the Soul, and the witness is untouched.

In reality: ~

Where is the body?

Where is the mind?

Where is the world?

The void; or despair in the true Self, which is the taintless Soul, is present in the form of consciousness. They are or have become the consciousness.

One thinks there is a mind when he has thoughts, but when thoughts are not considered different from the consciousness, which is the true Self, then where is the division into, waking, dream and deep sleep, etc.

Void implies duality: the universe may not exist, but the thought of the second is there. If one knows there is a Void (emptiness/nothingness), then there is something there to be known and know. They are or have become consciousness.

All these appearances are merely an illusion that comes and go; hence meaningless to the formless Soul, the Self.

The sun, the moon, the stars, planets shine because of the Soul or Spirit.

The Soul shines and all things else shine as a result. Everything in the universe reflects but that light of the Soul which is present in the form of consciousness. Merely knowing the truth is not enough to escape from the tangle of illusion.

One who realizes the 'Self' discovers that everything in the cosmos-- energy and space, fire and water, names and forms, birth and death, thoughts and words and deeds is merely an illusion created out of consciousness.

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

Sage Sankara disagrees with Buddhists who say, there is nothing - a nonentity. Sage Sankara believes there is some reality, even though things are not what they appear to be. If one knows the truth, he will know what to do to find inspiration for action. The seeker of truth‘s subject is to know what is it, that is Real.

Buddhism says: all things are illusory and nothing exists. However, Advaita avers that it is not so. It says that the universe, of course, is illusory, but there is Brahman (consciousness), that exists forming the very substratum of all things (illusion or universe). ~Santthosh Kumaar

In reality, there is neither creator nor creation because the creator and creation are one in essence.+

Founders of religions have compromised with the truth.  Advaitic truth is uncontradictable truth.

Sage Sankara does not care what people can understand, he cares only about what the truth is. Sage Sankara says it without being worried whether people understand it or not. In a way this looks hard; in another way, this is very simple. 

Sage Sankara the founder of Advaitic wisdom.  Sage Sankara has propounded Spirituality or Adyathma.  His Advaitic wisdom is a great radical change in the history of human consciousness.

Sage Sankara there were religions but never a pure Spirituality or Adyathma. The man was not yet mature. With Sage Sankara, humanity enters into a mature age. All human beings have not yet entered into that, that’s true, but   Sage Sankara has heralded the path; Sage Sankara has opened the gateless gate. It takes time for human beings to understand Advaitic wisdom. Sage Sankara’s wisdom is the deepest ever. Nobody has done the work that Sage Sankara has done, the way he has done it. Nobody else represents the pure fragrance of Advaita.

Remember:~

In Brahma Sutras Sage Sankara takes for granted, and assumes that a world was created: He there mixes dogmatic theology with philosophy.

That God created the world is an absolute lie; nevertheless, you will find Sage Sankara (in his commentary on Vedanta Sutras) clearly says this! He has to adapt his teachings to his audience, reserving the highest for philosophical minds.

The text of Brahma Sutras is based on religion and dogmatism, but in the commentary, Sage Sankara cleverly introduced some philosophy.

A number of Upanishads are equally dogmatic and self-contradictory because they also begin by assuming Brahman. Few Upanishads prove Brahman at the end of a train of proof but still, they are very confusing and vague.

The causality and creation are for religious people only. Religion is only for those unable to understand truth beyond form, time, and space.

Religion is not final. It only gives satisfaction to the populace.  Self-knowledge is for the whole of humanity to free them from experiencing birth, life, death, and the world as reality.

Sage Sankara himself had often said that his philosophy was based on Sruti, or revealed scripture. This may be because Sage Sankara addressed the ordinary man, who finds security in the idea of causality and thus, in the idea of God—and Revelation is indispensable to prove the latter. He believed that those of superior intelligence, have no need of this idea of divine causality, and can, therefore, dispense with Sruti and arrive at the truth of Advaita by pure reason.:

The creator and creation theories belong to the dualistic illusion.

In reality, there is neither creator nor creation because the creator and creation are one in essence.

Where is the need for a creator when one’s own dream experience offers proof that the Soul, which is present in the form of the consciousness brings into being a whole waking experience, which contains the world in which we exist, and if it can create a dream world, why not also a waking world?

The person, who stamped his feet on the ground to refute to show the world, is real, ignores that in a dream he would do exactly the same--stamp his dream foot on the ground and assert it to be real.

If God is a creator then why worship anything of God’s creation.

Max Müller says: ~ “The religion of the Veda knows no idols; the worship of idols in India is a secondary formation, a degradation of the more primitive worship of ideal Gods."

Therefore, there was no individual God or temples and worships in the Vedic religion, which existed prior to Buddhism. Thus, the individualized Gods and temples must have been built later on when the worship of idols was introduced. Therefore, the Vedic religion which existed in the past was free from idol and nature worship and idol worshiping rituals.

The present day’s worship of individual Gods, created things, nature, and people are against Vedic teachings, and it looks like it has been fabricated and introduced by priestcraft.

Since it, has passed on from one generation to the next it is hard for people to believe the truth of their own religion, because they have sentimentally and emotionally involved in it and they refuse to accept anything else other than their inherited beliefs.

The Vedas confirm God is Atman (Spirit), the ‘Self’.

Rig Veda: ~ The Atman 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 and Y.V 32-1 clearly mention that God is “One”.

Rig Veda declares God is ‘ONE’ and God is Atman, then why believe and worship in place of the real God.

Brihad Upanishad: ~ “If you think there is another entity, whether man or God there is no truth."

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 nondual reality.

It proves the Vedic Gods are not the Gods with attributes because Vedic God is the Supreme Spirit which Atman. Remember Gods worshiped in the temples and households are not Vedic Gods. Vedas declare never to accept another God in place of the Atman nor worship other than the Atman?

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 is to be rejected without mercy.

That is what Yajurveda says: ~ “Not to worship the things which are part of the falsehood.

Yajurveda

Translation 1

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

They sink deeper in 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. Griffith 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 Prakriti -- the material cause of the world -- in place of the All-pervading God, But those who worship visible things born of the Prakriti, 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.)

Yajur Veda indicates that they sink deeper in darkness than those who worship idols. The idols of attributed Gods are not Vedic Gods. Those who worship visible things born of the Prakriti, such as the earth, trees, bodies human, and the like in place of Atman, the innermost 'Self' 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.

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.

Thus truth realization is Self-realization. Self-realization is God-realization. God- realization is real worship. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar