It is not “I AM GOD, but it’s correct to say ‘the SELF IS GOD.+

The ‘I’ is not the source. The Soul is the source of the ‘I’. The Gurus who say you are the Source are propagating half-baked knowledge from different sources.

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

The Advaitic wisdom consists in knowing the truth, that everything (mind or physical existence) is the consciousness. Freedom (ultimate truth) is always there yet one does not know it. But to those whose reason is turned away from physicality and who have attained the serenity of the Soul, the Self, which is present in the form of consciousness is quite near to realizing the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth.

Katha Upanishad says:~ Fools dwelling in darkness, but thinking themselves wise and erudite, go round and round, by various tortuous paths, like the blind led by the blind. (Ch~ II-5 P-14)

Those who indulge in a perverted argument on their own standpoint and opinion are not seeking the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space. They just want to exhibit their accumulated knowledge accumulated from here and there. They think what they know is the ultimate truth.

They think whatever they propagate is the ultimate truth. The question never occurs to them, “Is what I know is really the truth.

Yoga Vasistha says: ~ Self-knowledge or knowledge of truth is not had by resorting to a Guru (preceptor) nor by the study of scripture, nor by good works: it is attained only by means of inquiry inspired by the company of wise (Gnani). One’s inner light alone is the means, naught else. When this inner light is kept alive, it is not affected by the darkness of inertia.

Deeper self-search reveals the fact that the ‘Self’ is neither the body nor the ‘I’. Thus, one has to go beyond the ‘I’ means beyond the illusory form, time, and space.

Swami Vivekananda said:~ "The Vedas teach that the Soul is divine, only held in the bondage of matter; perfection will be reached when this bond will burst, and the word they use for it is, therefore, Mukthi - freedom, freedom from the bonds of imperfection.

The Self is not the ‘I’. The ‘I’ is present in the form of the mind. The origin of the mind is the Soul. The mind is present in the form of the universe. The Soul is present in the form of consciousness. The root of the universe is consciousness.

Saying ‘I am God’ keeps one in duality. The duality is not reality. Duality is the product of ignorance. The body, ego, and the world are of ignorance.

When wisdom dawns then ignorance disappears. When ignorance disappears then duality will never be a reality even though there is duality, it is merely an illusion created out of a single stuff. That single stuff is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

The Soul is the Self. The Soul, the Self is God in truth. It is not “I AM GOD, but it’s correct to say ‘the SELF IS GOD because the Self is not the ‘I’ or ’I AM”.

People say Aham Brahmasmi -- I am God, I am Brahman. But when Brahman is, how can "I" remain? Only Brahman prevails not I.

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 'I' as real because some Gurus have propagated that the Self is the ‘I’. There is no need to convince such a mindset who refuses to accept other than their accepted truth.

The seeker of truth accepts only the truth nothing but the truth. The truth is hidden by the ‘I’ but it is without the ‘I’.

Some Gurus in the past glorified the ‘I’ without verifying what this ‘I’ is an actuality. And the follower of that ‘I-centric teaching got stuck with the ‘I’.

The ‘I’ is present only when the mind is present.

The mind is present only when the universe is present.

The universe is present only when the waking is present.

If the ‘I’ is absent then the mind, the universe, the waking, is absent.

~ It means the ‘I’, the mind, the universe, and the waking, are one and the same thing.

This is very important for the seeker to know to realize the ‘I’ itself is ignorance to overcome ignorance they have to discard ‘I’.

Using the word ‘I’ for the ‘Self’ is the cause of ignorance.

The innermost Self is God. It is not “I AM GOD”, but it’s correct to say ‘SELF IS GOD” because the Self is not the ‘I’ or ’I AM”. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

To realize the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth is the prime goal of the truth seeker.+

Bhagavad Gita Krishna says: ~It is only one amongst thousands of people who strive for spiritual salvation. Even amongst such seekers, it is only the rare person who gets to know “Self” correctly.’ (7.3)

To realize the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth is the prime goal of the truth seeker.

Sage Sankara: ~ Atman is Brahman, and Brahman is the ultimate truth. Therefore the consciousness, which is in the form of consciousness, is the ultimate truth. Thus to realize the ultimate truth is the prime goal. A well-directed inquiry, analysis, and reasoning will lead one to his nondual destination.

Bhagavad Gita: ~ “Brahmano hi pratisthaham’ ~ Brahman is considered the all-pervading consciousness which is the basis of all the animate and inanimate entities and material. (14.27)

Sage Sankara: ~ “Brahman (God in truth) is without attributes and strictly impersonal. It can be best described as the infinite Being, infinite Consciousness, and infinite Bliss. It is pure knowledge itself, similar to a source of infinite radiance. Since the Advaitins regard Brahman to be the ultimate truth, so in comparison to Brahman, every other thing, including the material world, its distinctness, the individuality of the living creatures, and even Ishvara or religious God with attributes itself are all untrue. Brahman is the effulgent cause of everything that exists and can possibly exist. Since it is beyond human comprehension, it is without any attributes, for assigning attributes to it would be distorting the true nature of Brahman. Those Advaitins who believe in the existence of both Saguna Brahman and Nirguna Brahman; however, they must realize Nirguna Brahman to be the absolute supreme truth.

Chandogya Upanishad:~ One who meditates upon and realizes the 'Self' discovers that everything in the cosmos-- energy and space, fire and water, name and form, birth and death, mind and will, word and deed, mantras and meditation--all comes from the Self.

So, it clearly says the one who meditates upon the Self (consciousness) discovers that everything in the cosmos-- energy and space, fire and water, name and form, birth and death, mind and will, word and deed, mantras and meditation--all come from the Self. 

There is a need to know that, the Self is not physical, but the Soul to realize that the cosmos-- energy and space, fire and water, name and form, birth and death, mind and will, word and deed, mantras and meditation--all come from the Self, which is in the form of consciousness.

Atman is Brahman. Brahman is alone real; this waking is unreal, and the three states are different from Brahman.

Whatever is, is Brahman. Brahman itself is absolutely homogeneous. All difference and plurality are illusory." Brahman is not a person, as the Absolute is not this. But if one wants to call it God or ParamAtman, then fine. But it is not a person. Personifying it can make it difficult to understand the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space. : ~Santthosh Kumaar 

Emotionally sticking to your physical Guru is sticking to ignorance. Worshiping your physical Guru is worshiping ignorance.+

You and your physical Guru belong to the domain of the duality. The duality is merely an illusion. Emotionally sticking to the physical Guru within the dualistic illusion (universe) becomes a great obstacle in realizing the ‘Self, which is the Soul hidden by the universe, which is the dualistic illusion or Maya.

Emotionally sticking to your physical Guru is sticking to ignorance. Worshiping your physical Guru is worshiping ignorance. Surrendering to your physical Guru is surrendering to ignorance.

if you are seeking truth you have to get rid of the idea of Guru propagated in the past by the gurus of the religious and yogic path.

That is why Swami Vivekananda said: ~ “You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher, but your own Soul.” Yogis and Guru are not Gods.

This idea of worshiping Guru as God is not a Vedic idea but adopted from Jainism and Buddhism.

Vedas bar human worship: ~

Yajurveda:~ "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.":~ (Yajurveda 40:9.)

Then why worship and glorify the Gurus and Yogis (human form) in place of God when Veda bars such activities and it also warns people who indulge in such activities are enveloped in still greater darkness, in other words, they are extremely foolish, fall into an awful hell of pain and sorrow, and suffer terribly for a long time.

Thus, Gurus have no place in the domain of the Advaitic reality. All the Guru worships belong to religion and yoga, not spirituality.

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

Thus, the above passage proves that all those who wear the sanyasin robes are wearing it for the sake of bread belong to the religion; they are nothing to do with Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. There is no need to criticize and condemn the Gurus, yogis, and swamis because they are needed for the welfare of the ignorant masses in the dualistic world.

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 stick to a Guru who is not a Gnani.

Advaita is the nature of the Soul, which is God in truth. Thus, Self-realization is the only way to God-realization.

By worshiping the Gurus as God you will not get Self-realization or God-realization.

The Soul, the inner Guru reveals ‘what is real’ and ‘what is unreal” when the seeker is receptive and ready

The world in which you and Guru exist is the product of ignorance. If there is no ignorance, then the world in which you and your Guru exist cease to exist as a reality.

When reality appears this ignorance which one thinks as reality becomes unreal.

The ultimate truth has to be realized first without any philosophy, then only it is possible to know what the scriptures are saying.

Reality is simply the loss of ignorance. Until the ignorance is there the body, ego, and the world exist as a reality.

When ignorance vanishes, then the Soul, the Self, remains in its own awareness. In Self-awareness, there is unity in diversity, thus there is only oneness. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

It is erroneous to limit the ‘I’ only to the ego. Without the ‘I’ the universes in which you exist cease to exist.+

The Self is not the ‘I’. And ‘I’ is not limited to the physical entity, but ‘I’ is the whole universe, which appears as waking or dream (duality) and disappears as deep sleep(non-duality).

If the ‘I’ is there, then the mind is there. If the mind is there, then the universe is there. And the universe is present only when waking or dream is present.

One sees differences between things because of ignorance, all these differences would vanish when one gets wisdom and the various thoughts arise because one considers the ‘I’ as Self whereas the ‘I’ itself is an illusion.

The body, ego, and the world are present only when the mind is present.

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

The ‘I’ is present only when the mind is present.

The mind is present in the form of the universe.

The universe appears as the waking or the dream (duality) and disappears as deep sleep (nonduality).

It is erroneous to limit the ‘I’ only to the ego. Without the ‘I’ the universes in which you exist cease to exist. Therefore, the ‘I’ is the whole universe.

The Self is not you but the Self is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. The Soul, the Self is not within your body, but the Self is hidden by the illusory world, in which they exist.

The Soul, the Self pervades everything and everywhere in the illusory universe. The Soul, the Self, which is present in the form of consciousness is the cause of the illusory world in which you exist.

Remember:~

The Soul is the Self. The Soul is present in the form of consciousness. Consciousness is one and undifferentiated. The dual and nondual experiences (waking or dream (duality) and deep sleep (nonduality) are merely an illusion created out of consciousness.

In Self-awareness, the Soul withdraws the three states into itself and remains in its awareness in the midst of the duality. The Soul is indeed the Self—luminous. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

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.+

Many people believed it was enough to read, to accumulate knowledge from books. They were well-versed in the Vedas, the Upanishads, and the other scriptures.

People think of those who do not know the Sanskrit language as ignorant, as illiterate men. In one sense, you can say Kabir was illiterate. If you consider a scholar as literate, as a well-educated man, 

But of what value is the scholar’s knowledge? A scholar will go on and on about the immortality of the Soul but when death approaches you will find him trembling and weeping and wailing. All this talk of immortality will crumble into nothingness because he has not known it. 

All these religions have produced great numbers of saints, prophets, and Sages. If they had been born in Hinduism, in all probability they would have been deified in the same way as the founders of several Hindu sects.

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, so why anyone should indulge in it. 

Religion, the concept of a personal god, and scriptures are great obstacles to Self-realization because they are based on a false self. The seeker of truth has to search for the ultimate truth without losing himself in the labyrinths of philosophy, through deeper Self-search and assimilating and realizing 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.

Your inner work is on. There is no need to neglect practical life within the practical world. There is no need to indulge 24/7 in spirituality but use your spare time for that.

Do not neglect your family and personal life and spend money on your pursuit of truth. Be happy like any other human being and enjoy life with humility and dignity in the practical world.

Internally focus your attention on the Soul, the ‘Self’, which is present in the form of consciousness. The Soul, the Self is free from the illusory form, time, and space.

There is no need to renounce and take sanyasa to get Self-realization.

No amount of Diksha or yoga meeting Gurus and visiting Ashrams leads anywhere. Your guide is within and it guides you to the core of what you are seeking.

Swami Vivekananda said:~ “You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, and none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher but your own soul.”

Bhagavan Buddha said:~ Believe nothing just because a so-called wise person said it.

Believe nothing just because a belief is generally held. Believe nothing just because it is said in ancient books. Believe nothing just because it is said to be of divine origin. Believe nothing just because someone else believes it. Believe only what you, yourself test and judge to be true.

You should not neglect your individual and family life. Enjoy life as it comes and also face difficulties as they come.

As your inner conviction about the Soul grows you will be able to realize ‘What is the truth?’ and ‘What is the untruth?’ and be able to see the world in which you exist as a passing cloud that hides the truth, which is hidden by the illusory form, time and space. :

Come ye slow, or come ye fast; it is but the Soul that reveals itself at last.:~Santthosh Kumaar 

Sage Sankara inability to revive Sanatana Dharma flourished before the Buddhist revolution in its pure form.+

A great majority of Hindus are not in contact with their religious history therefore, they believe their inherited beliefs as the ultimate truth.

People of India are sentimentally and emotionally involved with their inherited religion, which is meant for the ignorant populace. They think it is irreligious to think or speak that their religion is not the ancient Vedic religion or Sanatana Dharma.

People from the West think Hinduism is Sanatana Dharma or Vedic religion but it is not so.

If one seeking the truth of his existence then he must know Santana Dharma or Vedic religion has nothing to do with Hinduism to realize the Vedic truth is Atman is Brahman (God in truth).

Hinduism is based on myths and thus people of India are unaware of the facts of their inherited religious history.

The Vedic Culture and Vedas are complete in themselves but Hinduism which is a non-Vedic belief system with all rituals and conduct-oriented practices has been contributed largely by the orthodox priests to suit their convenience!

Vedas are in Vedic language which was a high-class language. Rig Veda (excluding chapters II and X) was written before the Christian Era in Vedic language. Vedic language is not Sanskrit. It is the same language in which the Zoroastrian Scripture Zend Avesta is written – a form of Persian language. All the other scriptures of India are written in Sanskrit.

These include Rig Veda Chapters II and X and the Upanishads, Brahmanas, Puranas, and Vedanta. These were written during the Christian Era after the Thomas ministry. As the use of this language diminished, it became a tough language for the commoners. The priests, who were supposed to be experts in this language, translated it into Sanskrit language and manipulated the meanings in time, and gradually, all the practices changed.

The DaVita, Vedanta borrows a concept from Abrahamic religions, such as Eternal Damnation (of certain Souls destined to hell forever) which goes against the belief of most Vedanta schools, which state that the Soul attains liberation.

It looks like the creator creation theory is also borrowed from Abrahamic religion and on the basis, a new belief system has been introduced giving it a Vedic outlook and propagating all non-Vedic rituals and worship by someone in the past.

The vast ocean of Vedic religion or Santana Dharma was consistently steady and calm for a very long period. It appears that as a consequence of the rage of the Buddhist revolution, it got suddenly disturbed and flowed down to us in disorder.

Even today Vedic religion or Santana Dharma has not recovered from the onslaught of Buddhism and Jainism and is not able to settle in people's hearts in its original form in the same old measure.

The Buddhist influence is seen in great measure in the Vedic philosophy which is followed by the majority of Indians. Thus, it is clear that the Vedic religion or Santana Dharma has not retained its original form, but has been influenced by other religions that have undergone a sea change. Thus the influence of Buddhism on Santana Dharma is extraordinary.

Even Kumarila Bhatta, who fought with great heroism for the revival of Vedic religion, was so much influenced by Buddhism that he established for the first time in the country, an atheist Vedic religion or Santana Dharma. There is no room for any doubt to assert that the Kumarila Bhatta School was influenced by atheist Buddhism because the school which is based on the validity of the Vedas and rituals refutes the existence of God.

Sage Sankara endeavored towards establishing the Vedic religion overthrowing Buddhism. But even he was not able to avoid the influence of Buddhism. The influence of the revolutionary atmosphere of Buddhism has reappeared in the Advaita of Sage Sankara.

Sage Sankara's inability to revive the Vedic religion that flourished before the Buddhist revolution in its pure form is discernible.

Hindu idols or deities or temples have nothing to do with the Vedic religion. Vedic people ate beef. The Hindu practices of idol worship and temple worship ban on beef eating were introduced many centuries later.

Swami Vivekananda: ~, “The masses in India cry to sixty million gods, and still die like dogs. Where are these gods? (In San Francisco, on May 28, 1900, of swami Vivekananda/volume 1)

As one peeps into the annals of religious history, he finds that Hinduism which exists today is not a continuation of the Vedic religion or Santana Dharma, and it has no real historical foundation. Hinduism is of a much later origin.

As per the researchers, the two faiths the Hindu belief system has drifted miles away from the Vedic faith so the two seem to be two distinct faiths. It is not difficult to discover that there is no noticeable continuity of Hinduism from the Vedic religion or Santana Dharma.

The distinctive characteristics of the Hindu belief system cannot be traced in the Vedic literature. Besides, although the Vedas are revered as sacred texts, many people in India do not know what ‘belief in the Vedas’ means. In most cases, the acquaintance of the Hindus with the Vedas is limited to the few hymns that are recited in temples and household liturgies.

God and Goddesses worshipped in India today are non-Vedic Gods. Such Gods and Goddesses cease to exist without the dualistic illusion. Whatever belongs to the dualistic illusion is bound to be a falsehood.

Hinduism is based on myths and thus, the people of India are unaware of the facts of their inherited religious history. The Vedic Culture and Vedas are complete in themselves but Hinduism which is a non-Vedic belief system with all ritual and conduct-oriented practices has been contributed largely by the orthodox priests to suit their convenience!

To be considered an orthodox Hindu one need only accept the authority of Shruti, however, there is no universal agreement among Hindus on what constitutes Shruti. Vedantins consider the Vedanta, i.e., the Upanishads as Shruti but also include the Bhagavad Gita and Brahma Sutras as authoritative. For some Vaishnavas, the Bhagavata Purana is to be considered Veda. Some consider the Tantras to be Veda. Thus we find that there is ample scope for different philosophies and practices under the very broad umbrella of Hinduism.

Hindus indulge non-Vedic beliefs such as idolatry, ancestor worship, pilgrimaging, priestcraft, offerings made in temples, the caste system, untouchability, sati, and child marriages All these lack Vedic sanctions, therefore, Hinduism is not Ancient Vedic religion or Santana Dharma.

All Hindus indulge in non-Vedic practices barred by the Vedas introduced by the different founders of the different sects of Hinduism at different times, whereas the Vedic religion, or Santana Dharma is ancient and has no founder.

Thus to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana, the seeker has to realize his inherited religion is adulterated in the past and it becomes a great obstacle is realizing the ultimate truth or Brahman.

Remember:~

Supreme Court of India:~ Hinduism, as a religion, incorporates all forms of belief without mandating the selection or elimination of any one single belief,“ It is a religion that has no single founder, no single scripture, and no single set of teachings. It has been described as Santana Dharma, namely, eternal faith, as it is the collective wisdom and inspiration of the centuries that Hinduism seeks to preach and propagate,” ---Hinduism has no single founder or scripture:-SC, The Times of India (Delhi) Dec 17, 2015

Hindus are idol worshipers of a large number of Gods and Goddesses whereas in Vedas the God has been described as:-

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."

In Vedas, God has been described as ~

Yajurveda – chapter- 32: - God is Supreme Spirit and has no ‘Pratima’ (idol) or material shape. He cannot be seen directly by anyone. He pervades all beings and all directions. Thus, Idolatry does not find any support from the Vedas.

Rig Veda: ~ The Atman (Soul or Spirit) is the cause; Atman is the support of all that exists in this universe. May ye never turn away from the Atman, the ‘Self’. May ye never accept another God in place of the Atman nor worship other than the Atman?" (10:48, 5)

The Vedas as a body of scripture contains many contradictions and they are fragmentary in nature. For Hindus, scriptures like the Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana, Mahabharata, and Puranas are more attractive and appealing than the Vedas. And also the Gods and Goddesses they worship differ considerably from the Vedic ones. The collection of hymns called Vedas are written in praise of certain deities by poets over several centuries and does not seem to have much significance for the Hindus

Yajur Veda says: ~

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

"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 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." (Yajurveda 40:9.)

So, Yajurveda indicates that:~

They sink deeper in 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.)

If so, then why worship and glorify the non-Vedic Gods in place of Vedic God when Veda bars such activities and also warns people who indulge in such activities 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.

People are unaware of the fact that God in truth is not that which they believe and worship

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad says: "He who worships the deities as entities entirely separate from him does not know the truth. For the Gods, he is like a pasu (beast)". (1.4.10)

Bhagavad Gita: ~ “All those whose intelligence has been stolen by material desires, they worship many Gods. (7- Verse -20)

Kena Upanishad 2-5 mentions that God can be realized in one life. If you do not realize in one life, you are a great loser.

It is necessary to realize what God is supposed to be to realize God in truth.

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.

Religion breeds superstition because religion is based on blind belief. Whatever is based on blind belief is superstition.

God in truth is not a belief. One must know God in truth. Without knowing what God is supposed to be in actuality worshipping the belief of God is superstition.

Worshipping superstitious Gods barred by Vedas. Know what God is supposed to be according to the Vedas Upanishads Bhagavad Gita and Bible.

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

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(God), 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 know as Brahman (God), 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 know as Brahman(God), 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 known as Brahman(God), and not that which people here worship.

Lord Krishna says Ch. V:~ “Those who know the Self in truth.". The last two words (tattvataha) are usually ignored by pundits but they make all the difference between the ordinary concept of God and the truth about God.

Bhagavad Gita says: ~ “Brahmano hi pratisthaham" Brahman (God in truth) is considered the all-pervading consciousness which is the basis of all the animate and inanimate entities and material (Gita 14.27)

When Bhagavad Gita says, God is considered the all-pervading consciousness which is the basis of all the animate and inanimate entities and material then nothing has to be accepted as God other than consciousness.

Vedas, Upanishad, and Bhagavad Gita confirm the Soul, the elf, is present in the form of the Spirit or consciousness

Religion is regarded as sacred and real by the common people, by the wise as false, and by the rulers as useful.

Upanishad says:~ The human goal is to acquire Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana and they indicate the personal gods, scriptures, worship, and rituals are not the means to Self –Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana, then why anyone should indulge in it. The religion, concept of individualized god and scriptures are the greatest obstacle to realizing non-dual truth or Self-realization because they are based on false Self. The seeker of truth has to search for the ultimate truth without losing himself in the labyrinths of philosophy, through deeper, inquiry, analysis, and reasoning, and assimilate and realize it.

That is why Sage Sankara, indicated in Bhaja Govindam says: ~ “One without knowledge does not obtain liberation even in a hundred births, no matter which religious faith he follows.

Then it is no use going roundabout way, trace the Brahman which is the formless substance and the witness of the universe. The universe is present in the form of the mind. By tracing the source of the mind (universe) one will be able to realize the Brahman or God in truth. Then it is no use going roundabout way, trace the Brahman which is the formless substance and the witness of the universe. The universe is present in the form of the mind. By tracing the source of the mind (universe) one will be able to realize the Brahman or God in truth. :~Santthosh Kumaar

Check yourself what God is supposed to be according to your own holy books.+

If you believe in religious Gods are based on blind belief then you are holding the false God as the real God. Check yourself what God is supposed to be according to your own holy books.

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 worship in the Vedic religion, which existed prior to Buddhism. Thus, the individualized Gods and temples must have been built later on when the warships of idols were introduced. Thus, the Vedic religion which existed in the past was free from idol and nature worship and idol worshiping rituals.

Thus, the present day’s worship of individual Gods created things, nature, and humans 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.

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

Do not accept any other truth other than consciousness. Consciousness is the ultimate truth. Nothing is real but consciousness. Realize consciousness as the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth. Consciousness is everywhere and in everything. Let these words be inscribed in your subconscious.

Yajurveda – chapter- 32: ~ God is Supreme Spirit has no ‘Pratima’ (idol) or material shape. He cannot be seen directly by anyone. He pervades all beings and all directions. Thus, Idolatry does not find any support from the Vedas.

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"

Yajurveda: ~ "They are entering darkness, those who worship the natural things (like air, water, fire, etc.), they are sinking more in darkness who worship created things." (Chapter 40, Verse 9)

Thus, Idolatry does not find any support from the Vedas.

The Bible says: ~ “God is a Spirit, and they that worship God must worship God in spirit and in truth. (John 4:24)

The Spirit is the root element of the universe. The Spirit is present in the form of the Soul, the Self. The Soul is present in the form of consciousness.

From the Spirit, the universe comes into existence. In the Spirit, the universe resides. And into the Spirit, the universe is dissolved. The Spirit is the parent of all that is there is.

The real God is stolen by ignorance and people worship ignorance as God because the religion propagates false God as real God.

Swami Vivekananda: ~ “The masses in India cry to sixty million Gods, and still die like dogs. Where are these Gods? (In San Francisco, on May 28, 1900, of swami Vivekananda/volume 1)

Religion breeds superstition because religion is based on blind belief. Whatever is based on blind belief is superstition.

God in truth is not belief. One must know God in truth. Without knowing what God is supposed to be in actuality worshipping God based on blind belief superstition.

Worshipping superstitious Gods barred by Vedas. Know what God is supposed to be according to the Vedas Upanishads Bhagavad Gita and Bible.

Bhagavad Gita: ~ ‘All those whose intelligence has been stolen by material desires, they worship many Gods. (7- Verse -20)

Bhagavad Gita: 7: 19:~ "Such a man who has attained Self-knowledge, or the knowledge of Atman, holds Atman as God. Atman alone exists~ everything is Atman, there exists nothing except Atman. Such a man is extremely rare."

The Bhagavad Gita says: ~ Brahmano hi pratisthaham ~ Brahman (God) is considered the all-pervading consciousness, which is the basis of all the animate and inanimate entities and material. (14.27).

When Bhagavad Gita says, that God is considered the all-pervading consciousness which is the basis of all the animate and inanimate entities and material then nothing has to be accepted as God other than consciousness.

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

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

That is why Sage Sankara:~ VC- v6~ 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 goes on to say: ~A sickness of not cured by saying the word “medicine.” You must take the medicine. Liberation does not come by merely saying the word “Brahman.” Brahman must be realized. Until you allow this apparent universe to dissolve from your consciousness until you have realized Brahman, how can you find liberation just by saying the word Brahman? The result is merely a noise. Until a man has destroyed his enemies and taken possession of the splendor and wealth of the kingdom, he cannot become a king by simply saying “I am a king.”

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 subtle arguments.

The Atmic path is not for religious and yogic-minded people. Religious and yogic people must move on their chosen path. The Atmic path is for only seekers of truth who are seriously searching for the truth of their own existence. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar