The Advaitic orthodoxy is nothing to do with the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth.+

The Advaitic orthodoxy has nothing to do with the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth. Advaitic orthodoxy is the path of ignorance meant for an ignorant populace that is incapable of grasping the truth hidden by the dualistic illusion (world).

Sage Sankara says Atman is Brahman and that Atman is God whereas the orthodox Advaitins believe and worship in non-Vedic Gods barred by Vedas.

Yajurveda – chapter- 32:~ God is Supreme Spirit.

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)

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

Thus it refers to a formless and attributeless God, which is the Atman (Soul), the innermost ‘Self’ within the false experience. Thus it indicates clearly all the Gods with form and attributes are mere imaginations based on the false ‘Self’. Thus Atman or Soul, the ‘Self’ is God.

The Vedas do not talk about idol worship. In fact, till about 2000 years ago followers of Vedism never worshipped idols. Idol worship was started by the followers of Buddhism and Jainism. Vedas speak of one God that is the supreme ‘Self’ i.e. Atman or Soul but Hinduism indulges in worshiping 60 million Gods.

It indicates clearly all the Gods with form and attributes are mere imaginations based on the false self’.

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)

How can you worship the Absolute? That implies two ~ the worshipper and the worshipped, whereas the Absolute is nondual. One can worship his idea of the Absolute only or realize his unity with it when he can’t worship it as a part.

Religious rites and rigid ceremonies were passed down from one generation to the next as a practice or set customs and traditions and performed automatically with blind faith. Such worship based on the belief in God does not reach God.

Religious rites and ceremonies, yagnas and homa-havans, or any other forms of ritual are meant for the ignorant populace.

Belief in God without knowing God in actuality holds the worshiper more firmly in the grip of ignorance.

All worship, ceremonies, and rituals performed on the base of non-Vedic Gods will not yield any fruits. Deeper self-search reveals that worshiped, the worship, and the worshiper and the world are merely an illusion created out of consciousness.

Religious rites and ceremonies, yagnas and homa-havans, or any other forms of rituals formal observance has long since set in.

Religious rites and ceremonies, yagnas and homa-havans, or any other forms of ritual are meant for the ignorant populace. In the Atmic path, the seeker has to discard

Sage Sankara says: ~ The scriptures dealing with rituals, and rewards are therefore addressed to an ignorant person.

Sage Sankara:~ (11) As regards the rituals, Sage Sankara says, that a 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 the 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. -Adhyasa Bhashya

The orthodox Advaitins consider, birth, life, death, rebirth, heaven, hell, sin, karma, and the world as a reality, whereas Sage Sankara declares the world in which we exist is merely an illusion. If the world is an illusion, then the birth, life, death, rebirth, heaven, hell, sin, karma, and the world, are bound to be an illusion.

Without Sage Sankara, there is no Advaita (non-duality). Since it was mixed up with orthodoxy there is a lot of confusion.

Sage Sankara’s quotes (selected verified) are quoted in my blogs and postings to show what Sage Sankara meant, and ‘what is blocking the seekers from realizing the ultimate truth or Brahman. There are so many non-dualistic masters of the East and also from the West who expound on Advaitic or non-dualistic knowledge, but none of them are helpful in reaching the ultimate end.

According to Advaita Vedanta, the Veda addresses itself to two kinds of audiences - the ordinary ones who desire the transitory heaven and other pleasures obtained as a result of ritual sacrifices, and the most advanced seeker who seeks to know Brahman. Thus, the Purva mimam. sa, with its emphasis on the karma kanda of the Vedas, is meant for the first audience, to help lead its followers along the way. However, the Vedanta, with its emphasis on the jnana kanda, is meant for those who wish to go beyond such transient pleasures.

Sage Sankara's commentary to Brahma Sutras (Chap.3.4.50) shows that the Gnani "should pass through life", not run away from life, and should take a middle course between seeking worldly honor and worldly abasement.

Sage Sankara varied his practical advice and doctrinal teaching according to the people he was amongst. He never advised them to give up their particular religion or beliefs or metaphysics completely; he only told them to give up the worst features of abuse: at the same time, he showed just one step forward toward the truth.

Sage Sankara was extremely precise and careful in his choice of words.

Sage Sankara gave religious, ritual, or dogmatic instruction to the masses, but pure philosophy 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.

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

Seekers of truth should not believe blindly in traditional orthodox Advaita without verifying all the facts from every angle. Orthodoxy has nothing to do with spirituality, which is based on the Soul or spirit. One has to reflect through reasoning over and over again without getting tired of the process. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Santana Dharma believes in the immortality of the Soul.+

Santana Dharma believes in the immortality of the Soul.

It inhabits one body after another according to Karma in a previous life, during its eternal journey to the Absolute till it is one with God. This is called a belief in Reincarnation.

It is not a fact that the individual dies with the death of the visible body. At death, the soul leaves the physical body and does not die. It gets into a subtle body called Astral on a non-physical dimension. The forces which brought the body and personality into existence continue shaping its destiny after death and would do so till unison with the Absolute when one becomes free from the cycle of birth and death.

When Yajurveda says:~

Translation 1.

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

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

Translation 2.

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

Translation 3.

"They are enveloped in darkness, in other words, are steeped in ignorance and sunk in the greatest depths of misery who worship the uncreated, eternal prakrti -- the material cause of the world -- in place of the All-pervading God, But those who worship visible things born of the prakrti, such as the earth, trees, bodies (human and the like) in place of God are enveloped in still greater darkness, in other words, they are extremely foolish, fall into an awful hell of pain and sorrow, and suffer terribly for a long time." (Yajur Veda 40:9.)

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

Those who worship visible things born of the prakrti, such as the earth, trees, and bodies (human and the like) in place of God are enveloped in still greater darkness, in other words, they are extremely foolish, fall into an awful hell of pain and sorrow, and suffer terribly for a long time." (Yajur Veda 40:9.)

When the religion of the Veda knows no idols then why so many gods and goddesses with different forms and names are being propagated as Vedic gods? Why these conceptual gods are introduced when the Vedic concept of god is free from form and attributes?

Who introduced the concept of god with attributes and attributeless gods, when Yajur Veda says: - those who worship visible things, born of the prakrti, such as the earth, trees, bodies (human and the like), in place of God are enveloped in still greater darkness.

All these add-ons prove that the form and attribute-based concepts are introduced by some sages of the past with a new belief system and code of conduct in the name of Vedas. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

The Soul itself is God in truth. Nothing exists without the Soul because everything is created out of the Soul the God in truth.+

The Soul, the ‘Self’ is a formless, timeless, and spaceless existence. The Soul, the Self is present in the form of consciousness.

Consciousness pervades everything and everywhere in the universe because the universe is nothing but consciousness.

The ‘Self is not this body the Self is the Supreme Soul. The universe hides the Soul. The Soul itself is God. Nothing exists without the Soul because everything is created out of the Soul, God.

You don’t recognize the ‘Self’ because you are blindfolded by the dualistic illusion. The Soul, the Self is hidden by the universe, which is a dualistic illusion or Maya.

Those Gurus say you are formless; you are birthless without knowing the Self is not you but the ‘Self' is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Those Gurus who assert the Self as you are still ignorant of the 'Self' hidden by the universe, which is the dualistic illusion or Maya.

You are not the Self because you are bound by birth, life, death, and the world whereas the Soul, the Self is birthless and deathless because, it is a formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.

If you think the Self is you then you are not a wise seeker you are ignorant because your existence is limited to the domain of form, time, and space.

Guru says simply surrender to God without knowing what God is in actuality. There is nothing to surrender. The surrender implies duality. The duality disappears when the Advaitic wisdom dawns.

Those Gurus say surrender to Guru belongs to religion and yoga is not spirituality. religion and yoga have nothing to do with spirituality.

To realize the ‘Self' hidden by the dualistic illusion, you have to realize the dualistic illusion is made of single clay. And that single clay is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. Knowledge of the single clay is Self-knowledge o or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

Mentally reduce the world in which you exist into the waking experience and waking experience into mind and mind into consciousness by perfect understating of ‘what is what’.

When you realize ’what is what’ you will realize everything is nothing but consciousness. There is no second thing that exists other than the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

When there is unity in diversity in our understanding then there is stillness in the midst of diversity.

The Soul, the Self is existence itself. The Soul, the Self is existence without the illusory division of form, time, and space. The Soul, the Self is the fullness of consciousness. The Soul, the Self is Advaita one without the Second.

The Soul the Self is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God. The Soul, the Self is God the Advaita. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

No one becomes a Gnani by taking sannyasa or wearing religious robes or by mastering the scriptures.+

One need not renounce the worldly life and become a sanyasi or monk. One need not retire from his business or corporate job and become a Guru all these religious and yogic propagated outdated ideas have to be discarded to realize the truth of the true existence.

Do not become a slave to all these outdated religious and yogic ideas they are not meant for those who seriously seeking the truth. There is no need to follow anyone. Self–realization becomes easy if you independently walk your path.

The Atmic path is your own path. You have to tread the path alone to reach it alone finally nothing remains as reality other than the Athma or the Soul.

Stop your emotionally and sentimentally getting stuck with the Guru.

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

Sage Sankara was a Brahma Gnani. Most of the modern masters are not Gnani. And you have to understand that to be a Gnani is one thing; to be a Guru is totally different.

Out of a million people perhaps one is a Gnani. Most of the Self- realized decide to remain silent – seeing the difficulty, that whatever they have realized is impossible to convey in any possible way to others; seeing that not only is it difficult to convey, but it is bound to be misunderstood too.

A Gnani never claims himself as a Gnani, he guides the seekers, not posing himself as a Guru, and he does not force his wisdom on others. A Gnani is not a religious person or Yogi.

One need not roam one mountain to another, one ashram to another, or meet gurus or yogis to get Advaitic Gnana. One can get the Advaitic Gnana and become a Gnani wherever he lives.

We all are searching for truth within the illusion, not being aware of the fact that the illusion is created out of a single stuff which is the Soul, the Self. The Soul is present in the form of consciousness.

Thus, searching for the truth within illusion with the illusory self, within the illusory experience, has to be an illusion.

The illusion is created and sustained, and finally, dissolves as consciousness. There is no second thing that exists other than consciousness. Consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman. Brahman is God in truth.

No one becomes a Gnani by taking sannyasa or wearing religious robes or mastering the scriptures or identifying with the religious symbol. Religious robes and religious symbols are not the means to Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

Blind faith is an obstacle in the pursuit of truth. The seeker should not waste his time on, he should primarily reflect on the Soul, the Self; not on the ‘I’.

The Soul, which is present in the form of the Spirit (consciousness), is ever formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.

Sruti says: ~ "brahmavit brahmaiva bhavati":~ He who knows Brahman becomes Brahman Itself. In the Advaita understanding of this statement, the "becoming" is only metaphorical. It is not as if something that was not Brahman suddenly becomes Brahman. Rather, "realizing Brahman" means a removal of the ignorance about one's own essential nature as Brahman. Thus, to "know Brahman" is to "be Brahman".

The one who has realized the Soul is the Self is a Gnani. Gnani is the one who is liberated even while embodied. Such a realization should not and cannot just be a literal understanding of Upanishadic Mahavakyas.

Remember:~

A Gnani has realized the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth. Thus, moksha is not a result of ritual action (path of karma a) or of devotional service (path of bhakti). These paths are egocentric paths, therefore, they will not help anyway to get rid of ignorance. In fact, moksha is not a result of anything, for it always exists.

All that is required is the removal of ignorance. The path of wisdom helps the seeker to acquire the Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

Ashtavakra Samhita: ~"The man of knowledge, though living like an ordinary man, is contrary to him, and only those like him understand his state.

Thus, moksha is not a result of ritual action (path of karma) or of devotional service (path of bhakti). : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Vedas unequivocally proclaim equal rights for all people regardless of caste, gender or geography.+

It is ridiculous when women are successful in every field. The traditionalists barring women under some pretext or the other from learning Vedas is orthodox hypocrisy.

Accordingly, during the Vedic age, women were given the utmost position. Vedas say Gods reside where women are held in high esteem.

Vedas unequivocally proclaim equal rights for all people regardless of caste, gender, or geography. While the West could give voting rights to women only in the early 20th century, Vedas talk of women being the path-makers and decision-makers in society since the dawn of civilization.

Accordingly, during the Vedic age, women were given the utmost position. We see the names of Ghosha, Apaala, Lopamudra, and Ruchi-Indraani being cited as Rishikas similar to the names of Rishis like Vasistha, Vishwamitra, Vamadeva, etc. They had realized the truth contained in many Veda mantras.

Even they had full powers to administer various Vedic rituals called karmakand. It is clear from the Vedic authority Stree hee brahma babhuvita that women were partaking in the Yagnas. They conducted the yagnas seated as Brahma. They also had access to learn warfare and had the freedom to partake therein. They bequeathed the qualities of courage and heroism to their children also. A heroic mother proudly announces in Veda thus Mama Putro Shatruhane mamaduhita Virat meaning that my son is a vanquisher of enemies and my daughter is honorable.

The tradition continued in the Upanishadic era also. There were many spiritually endowed women called Brahmavaadins like Gargi, Maitreyee, etc. They were master debaters and even reputed Rishis were hesitant to engage them in debates. Gargi’s intellectual combat with Rishi Yagnavalkya is quite well-known.

However, it must be said that the position of women detracted during the middle ages. Her prestige suffered during the Puranic age. In Sanskrit literature, she was treated as an object of enjoyment.

Orthodoxy described characterized women as a way to hell and untrustworthy. The dualist sages called women as anuchari and not as sahachari. The men who led the Bhakti movement also disregarded women.

Women Saints and Sages:

Women saints and sages of India have been given less importance, for several reasons obvious to anyone studying history...

In the medieval period, women were confined to homes and according to some moral codes, women were not allowed to study scriptures and chant mantras while mantras were invoked as female deities or Goddesses.

The Vedic rishis had wives who were learned women and took part in philosophical discussions. The crippling social practices for women, considering them as inferior, and unfit for scriptural studies were introduced by male-dominated societies...While women's monastics or nuns were introduced in Buddhism; it was not a common practice to have nuns in Hindu monastic orders till recent times.

Sage Sankara says in Mand.P.351 and also in Vivekachoodamani, that even women can realize the truth if they persist.

Thus, it proves that Sage Sankara wanted even women to acquire Advaitic wisdom, whereas the orthodox Advaitins Bars women from indulging in the path of wisdom even in these modern days. T. the orthodoxy is based on the experience of birth, life, death, and the world as a reality whereas the ultimate truth is based on the formless Soul, the innermost Self. Thus, Advaitic wisdom is for the whole universe irrespective of any gender, race, creed, or religion.

Sage Sankara has philosophical disputes and debates with an equally great scholar, Mandana Mishra. Mishra's learned wife Bharathi served as the umpire.

However, the credit for uplifting women and restoring their rights should go to liberals like Maharishi Dayananda (1824 -1883) the founder of the movement called Arya Samaj to work incessantly for their all-around welfare. He called women as the most honorable. And criticizing those who prevented women from learning Vedas

Maharshi Dayananda (Arya samaj) quoted: ~ Yajurveda mantra ~Yathemam Vacham kalyani mavadhani janebhyah: Brahmararjaanaabhyam shudrayacharyaa cha swaya chaaranaya|| ladies and even persons lower than shudras. Here shudras mean ignorant people. Condemning certain verses whose authority was doubtful like Stree-shudro Na deeyataam, he countered them with the Vedic mantra Bramhacharyena kanya yuvaanaam vindate patim which enabled women to go for marriage after observing Brahmacharya and after studying the true shastras like Vedas, etc.

He also quoted amply from other sources which sanction women the authority to learn Vedas. Recalling those days he said women like Gargi were total scholars. Citing another incident he pointed out how a queen like Kaikeyee could assist her husband in a war unless she had training in martial arts. His assertions in favor of women learning Vedas had the desired effect and the opposition to women from learning Vedas has waned but was not totally eliminated. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

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

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

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

Sage Sankara says: - VC-162- There is no liberation for a person of mere book-knowledge, howsoever well-read in the philosophy of Vedanta, so long as one does not give up the false identification with the body, sense organs, etc., which are unreal.

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

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

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

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

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

Advaitic wisdom does not begin with the ultimate truth. The ultimate truth has to be proved, not assumed. Hence, so-called philosophers who take Brahman for granted are not philosophers at all.

Lots of Advaitin scholars will teach that all is yourself but none of them can show that this is so, none has analyzed it scientifically, and none can prove it. The rational proof is required so that one arrives at knowing the ultimate truth or Brahman i.e. Gnana.

Theirs is mere dogma, parrotism, and repetition of what they read in scripture. Authoritarianism merely assumes as true what another says, but what has yet to be proved.

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

Sage Sankara gave out what was of most use to the greatest number of people. Therefore, in the commentaries on the Upanishads, such as the famous Mandukya, he gave the highest non-dual message of the identity of Atman and Brahman, revitalizing the philosophy and practice of Advaita, while in the commentaries on the Brahmasūtra he gave lesser teaching, positing both higher and lower Maya and higher and lower Brahman (Ishvara) to explain creation for those of lesser intellects until they were ready for the highest truth.

Only through Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana negation of duality is possible. The Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, is the ultimate truth or Brahman.

Consciousness is the cause of the origin, maintenance, and withdrawal of the universe is Advaita (i.e. non-dual), which means that consciousness transcends all conceptions, positive and negative. Nothing positive can ever be imagined or said about it.

Consciousness is existence absolute, awareness absolute. The existence of absolute means that consciousness is not unreal or non-existent. And it is not unconsciousness. Nothing positive can be stated about consciousness.

The nature of the Soul, the ‘Self’ is the non-dualistic silence. Non-dualistic silence is like a deep sleep state. The silence indicates that the nature of the formless Soul, the ‘Self’ is inexplicable, indescribable, and unimaginable. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Atman, the Spirit is the universal God. All religious propagated Gods are based on blind belief Gods are not God in truth.+

The Soul, the Self is not Christian, Jewish, Islamic, Hindu, Buddhist”, because it is ever formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.

In religion, there is no freedom to believe other than what it preaches. Religious people consider mythological stories as truth and not believing in mythological Gods is irreligious.

The mythological God can exist within the domain of duality. From the Advaitic perspective, duality is merely an illusion. Thus, whatever belongs to the illusion is bound to be a falsehood.

Religion says one must believe that there is no other God but God propagated by the particular belief system.

The seeker has to deny the existence of such God based on the belief because first, one must realize what God really is.

People find some of the religious doctrines very illuminating. People who renounce the world and become monk or sanyas leave it all behind to find the truth of their true existence.

People think the events that happened in the mythological stories really happened the way they are described and hallucinate about these stories.

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

Swami Vivekananda: ~ If religion and life depend upon books or upon the existence of any prophet whatsoever, then perish all religion and books! Religion is in us. No books or teachers can do more than help us to find it, and even without them, we can get all the truth within. You have gratitude for books and teachers without bondage to them and worship your Guru as God, but do not obey him blindly; love him all you will, but think for yourself. No blind belief can save you, work out your own salvation. Have only one idea of God - that He is an eternal help.

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

Bhagavad Gita: ~ ‘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, 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.

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.

The dualistic worship of "God” is only for the ignorant populace. The God in truth is only Atman, the Self. In reality, there is no duality, no differentiation. Only Atman exists.

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

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)

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. Atman, the Spirit is a universal God. All religious propagated Gods based on blind belief are not God in truth.

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 non-dual reality (The Soul, the Self is not Christian, Jewish, Islamic, Hindu, Buddhist”, because it is ever formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.

Sage Sankara’s Supreme Brahman (God in truth) 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 distinction. Brahman cannot be distinguished from any other than It. In Brahman, there is not a 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: ~"That which permeates all, which nothing transcends and which, like the universal space around us, fills everything completely from within and without, that Supreme non-dual Brahman (God in truth)."

Thus, truth realization is Self-realization. Self-realization is God-realization because the Soul, the Self itself is God. God- realization itself is real worship. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar