Sage Sankara said:~ Worship as many Gods as you please but the liberation will never come without realizing the Oneness.+

Normally people will not understand what I am driving at because they are seeking something which they can enjoy.

People's ambition is to acquire wealth and enjoy practical life within the practical world. They are looking for an advantage in the world, to take care of their daily life.

Thus, to get what they want in practical life they indulge in the numerous paths of dogmas and rituals prescribed by the Gurudom expecting their daily life to go on comfortably.

The so-called Gurus and yogis focus their ambition on acquiring wealth by making the masses more and more dogmatic-oriented.

No one inquires why they are in this hell. This begging to God and Guru goes on and on. If their wish is fulfilled, they indulge more, and more if the wish is not fulfilled they indulge again and again because of fear of getting cursed by God and Gurus.

Thus, in order to get rid of this path of begging one has to know the truth of his true existence.

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

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.

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.

There is no need to condemn Gurus, but there is a need to highlight how they become an obstacle in realizing the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth.

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.”

The Guru is useless so long as the ultimate truth is unknown, and the Guru is equally useless when the ultimate truth or Brahman has already been known.

A Guru is needed in the religious and the yogic path. There is no need for a Guru to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Invisible Atman is Advaita. Advaita is God in truth. Advaita is the fullness of consciousness.+

Advaita means nondualistic existence. The Soul, the Self, which is present in the form of consciousness is the real existence hidden by the dualistic illusion or Maya or ‘I’. The Soul is one without the second.

The Soul is present in the form of the Spirit or consciousness. The Soul is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth.

Advaita is the nondual nature of God in truth. Advaita is the fullness of consciousness.

Remember this: ~

The ‘I’ is not limited to you. ‘I’ is the whole universe in which you exist. Without the ‘I’ the worlds in which you exist cease to exist.

The world in which you exist appears when ‘I’ appears and the world in which you exist disappears when ‘I’ disappears.

The seeker has to dig into old posts and blogs as well as new ones all your doubts about the ‘I’ will vanish.

The ‘Self is the whole hidden by the ‘I’.

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

The mind is present in the form of the form, time, and space together; therefore, the form, time, and space together are the mind.

The duality is present only when the form, time, and space are present, therefore, the form, time, and space together are the duality.

The form, time, and space are present in the form of the universe, therefore, the form, time, and space together are the universe.

The universe appears as the waking or dream, therefore, the waking or dream is the universe.

The waking is a parallel dream and the dream is a parallel waking.

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

The ‘I’ hides the Soul, the Self, which is the cause of the 'I'.

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

Remember this: ~

Without the ‘I’ there is only the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Without the mind, there is only the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Without form, time, and space, there is only the Soul, the fullness of consciousness.

Without the universe, there is only the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Without the waking or the dream, there is only the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Without the individual experience of birth, life, and death, there is only the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Remember this: ~

From the standpoint of the Soul, the ‘I’ is an illusion.

From the standpoint of the Soul, the mind is an illusion.

From the standpoint of the Soul, form, time, and space are an illusion.

From the standpoint of the Soul, the universe is an illusion.

From the standpoint of the Soul, the waking or dream is an illusion.

From the standpoint of the Soul, the individual experience of birth, life, and death is an illusion.

The Soul is the cause of all that exists as an illusion and the Soul itself is uncaused.

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

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

If you realize the ‘Self ‘is not the ‘I’ but the Soul then whatever is hidden by the ‘I’ will be revealed.

Realizing the Soul is not the ‘I’ but the Soul is the Self, is Self–realization.

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

Consciousness is Self-evident. It is not established by extraneous proofs. It is not possible to deny consciousness because it is the very essence of the one who denies it.

Consciousness is the basis of all kinds of knowledge, presuppositions, and proofs. Consciousness is everything. Thus, consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman.

The dualistic illusion hides the truth of the Advaita.

The Soul becomes an illusion in waking (duality) and waking becomes the Soul in deep sleep (nonduality).

The one that becomes the duality (waking or dream) and one that remains nonduality in deep sleep is the Soul, the Self.

The 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. (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 truth other than consciousness. : ~Santthosh Kumaar

First, know What is this Self.+

The Self is not you because you are bound by the experience of birth, life, death, and the world. The experience of birth, life, death, and the world has nothing to do with the Soul, the Self. When you are not the Self, then how can you relate the Self with your experience of birth, life, death, and the world.

When the Soul wakes up with its own awareness, then you and your experience of the world becomes unreal same way as the dream becomes unreal when the waking takes place.

If you imagine within the dream it becomes unreal when the waking takes place. Your imagination within the dream remains a reality until the waking takes place. In the same way, your imagination within the waking remains reality till Advaitic wisdom dawns.

Advaitic Wisdom dawns when you realize you are not the Self, but the Self is the formless Soul. If you are not the Self then your imagination has no value because you are the false Self within the illusion (waking).

When the “Self” is not you then what is the use dropping the ignorance. It is not you who have to drop the ignorance but the Soul, the innermost Self has to wake up from the sleep of ignorance. When The Soul, the innermost Self wakes up, then the world in which you exist ceases to exist as a reality.

The one who is born lives and dies is not the ‘Self’. Your birth and death happen within the world. The world itself is the dualistic illusion or Maya created out of the Soul, the Self, which is present in the form of consciousness.

When the Soul, the Self is not limited to an individual then what is the use of ‘Who am ‘I’? -inquiry. What is the use of saying ‘I AM THIS’ and ‘I AM THAT’, without realizing what the ‘Self’ is in actuality?

WHO AM ‘I’? / I AM THAT’- teachings are only helpful in elementary stages.

For Self-realization, you must first know what this ‘Self’ is in actuality.

Remember this:~

The ‘I’-centric and you-centric Gurus and their teaching is not Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. Unless you discard the ‘I’-centric and you-centric Gurus and their teaching it is impossible to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

First, know What is this Self?

If something is true, is real, is constant, is a foundation of a nature that is unchanging, this can be called the Self.

The Soul, the Self is the fullness of consciousness without the illusory division of form, time, and space. The Soul is formless, timeless, and spaceless and eternal existence.

People have not penetrated the meaning of the ‘Self’. The meaning is that the ultimate truth is the Self, which is eternal existence.

You are impermanent because the ‘Self’ is not you but the ‘Self is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

People have not penetrated the meaning of the ‘Self’. The meaning is that the ultimate truth is the Self, which is eternal existence.

You should not hold anything of the dualistic illusion (universe), which is impermanence. The world in which you exist makes you feel as though they are real but ultimately they are merely an illusion created out of the Soul, which is permanent.

You must cultivate to see the permanence (Soul) hidden by the impermanence (universe) as it is.

If you do this, you will be like one who sees a gem in the muddied water among the stones and rocks and waits for the water to settle before he skillfully plucks it out.

It is the same with cultivating the idea of the Soul, the Self hidden by the dualistic illusion (universe).: ~ Santthosh Kumaar 

If the man had seen God creating the world, he could admit it, but how could he have seen God before he came into existence.+

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

If God is Spirit, then how does the man know God created the world? There is no proof. If man had seen God creating the world, he could admit it, but how could he have seen God before he came into existence? (i.e. were created).

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 spirit is present in the form of consciousness. Everything is consciousness. All the moments are within the universe, which is the dualistic illusion or Maya. Whatever happens within the dualistic illusion is bound to be an illusion created out of consciousness. Thus, consciousness alone is real and all else is merely an illusion or Maya.

The chicken is in the egg and the egg is in the chicken. The tree is in the seed and the seed is in the tree. The same thing that was told by the Vedas was repeated by Saint John (10-38)? Father is in me and I am in Father. Thus, the Father (Soul) is our immediate, neighbor- love thy neighbor. Therefore, one has to love the Soul, the innermost to become one with the formless Spirit (Soul), which is the creator, sustainer, and dissolver of the world (duality).

Thus, the Spirit alone is the creator and creation. From the perspective of the Spirit, there is neither the creator nor the creation. There is only oneness, which is the nature of the Spirit, which is God. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

People who hold the Vedas and Upanishads as their authority have to make sure what God according to the Vedas and Upanishads.+

First, the Hindus who hold the Vedas and Upanishads as their authority have to make sure what is God according to the Vedas and Upanishads then drop all the non-Vedic Gods and non-Vedic rituals and beliefs.

Vedas and Upanishads confirm the Soul, the Self, is present in the form of the Spirit or the consciousness.

There is a clear-cut idea of God in the Vedas, Upanishad, and Bhagavad Gita. And also there is a clear-cut idea of what not to worship as God in place of real God. Thus, it proves from a Vedic perspective the Puranic Gods are not Vedic Gods.

Mythological stories are a myth. Mythological Gods are a myth. By worshipping mythological heroes as God produces only myth. There is a need to realize ‘what God supposed to be in actuality. Religion has been very influential.

Mythology is a synthesis. They are more concerned with synthesis than with truth. The attraction for synthesis is so strong that people accept it blindly without verifying their validity.

Mythology is a hodgepodge containing everything; hence it suits everyone because there is something in it for everyone. It is difficult to find any tradition whose voice is not found in the mythology. It is difficult to find anyone who does not take solace from mythology. But for such people ‘Self-realization will prove very difficult Vedas say never to accept another God in place of the Atman nor worship other than the Atman.

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 Atma, the Self. May ye never accept another God in place of the Atman nor worship other than the Atman?" (10:48, 5)

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 innermost 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.

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

Bhagavad Gita: ~ ‘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. (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.

Religious Gods are not really God. One must know God in truth.

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 innermost ‘Self’. In reality, there is no duality, no differentiation. Only Atman exists.

There is a clear-cut idea of God in the Vedas, Upanishad, and Bhagavad Gita. And also there is a clear-cut idea of what not to worship as God in place of real God. Thus, it proves from a Vedic perspective the Puranic Gods are not Vedic Gods.

Vedas says never to accept another God in place of the Atman nor worship other than the Atman. Hindus assert their religion is monotheistic, even though they honor a number of Gods, including Brahma the Creator, Vishnu the Preserver, and Shiva the Destroyer. Hindus claim these various Gods are all manifestations of the oneness of the universe.

Hindu religious practices vary from place to place, but they frequently include yoga, physical and mental discipline to harmonize body and Soul, and ritual bathing. Belief in multiple Gods, The worship of idols and worship of images that are not God, The worship of sacred images, ancestor worship, pilgrimage, priestcraft, the belief in avatars or incarnations of God, the hereditary caste system on the grounds that all these lacks Vedic sanction.

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

Religious Gods are not God in truth. One must know God in truth. Those who are seeking truth have to discard inherited beliefs. There is no need to criticize their inherited religion but it is for the seekers to realize the religion is meant for the ignorant people who are unable to grasp the real God.

Thus, it is necessary to realize what is God according to the Vedas, Upanishads, and Bhagavad Gita for their own personal information. Many Gods and Goddesses with different forms and names are not of the Santana Dharma or veridic religion.

The Vedic God is Atma. The Atma is the innermost ‘Self’, which is present in the form of the Spirit or the consciousness. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

In Samadhi the yogi knows nothing, sees no universe; so if there is nothing but blankness.+

Since the yogi thinks the ‘Self’ is within his body and tries to imagine the Self without the body thus, the dualistic illusion prevails as a reality to him.

He who has realized the ultimate truth or Brahman transcends the dualistic illusion where he sees no second thing other than consciousness. Yogi who sees the universe as a reality may try to deny it because he thinks thoughtlessness is Brahman.

Deep sleep is a state of thoughtlessness, silence, wordlessness, and silence, but it is not considered a state of oneness because anyone can take a sleeping pill and will be able to get the state of oneness.

Thus, trying to imitate the state of oneness in duality by observing silence, thoughtlessness, and wordlessness or by yogic Samadhi or surrendering to the physical Guru, the Advaitic wisdom will not dawn.

Without the Advaitic wisdom, the ignorance will not vanish. Thus, getting rid of ignorance through wisdom is the only way to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman.

The yogi sees the universe as a second thing and he wants to banish the universe in his Samadhi.

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

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

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

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

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

One is in a non-dual condition in deep sleep or Samadhi, One without a second, true, but he did not know it at the time. He says only in the waking experience afterward. Hence, there must be an inquiry so that you find nonduality whilst you are awake so that you can see nonduality at the time not afterward. Hence, the need for inquiring into the nature of the universe and knowing it as the Soul or the consciousness whilst one is awake, and not during sleep or Samadhi.

Advaitic truth is the ultimate truth. Yogis, mystics, and religious teachers do not accept the path of wisdom because it pries into the truth, the source, and the validity of the knowledge they claim. Therefore, it is the most difficult part of the study of the Advaita.

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

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

The yogi is unaware of the fact that there is no need to deny the existence of the universe, but he has to realize the unreal nature of the universe, which he takes as a reality. The yogi never bothers to investigate the nature of the world, which confronts him.

The universe is not something different form of consciousness because the universe is merely an illusion created out of consciousness.

Those who cannot grasp and realize this position, misunderstand it and wrongly hold it to be yogic Samadhi where there is only blankness. The blankness is self-awareness. The yogic samadhis are not self-awareness. Through yogic Samadhi, ignorance will not vanish. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Gurus and Yogis are nothing to do with spirituality or Adyathma.+

You have got stuck up with the 'I-centric' Gurus and their teachings. 'I-centric' Gurus and their teaching create a prison for the Soul, the Self.

You will never be able to free the Soul, the Self from the prison of the ‘I’.

You are immersed in worshipping the Gurus instead of completing your journey.

Worshipping the Gurus keeps you permanently in the domain of ignorance. Worshipping the Gurus belongs to religion and yoga. Gurus and Yogis have nothing to do with spirituality or Adyathma.

The Guru is useless so long as the ultimate truth is unknown, and the Guru is equally useless when the ultimate truth or Brahman has already been known.

Guru is needed in the religious and yogic path. The Soul is the inner Guru. The Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, is the source of all that exists as the universe. To realize the universe is consciousness there is no need for a Guru.

Vedas bar human worship: ~

Yajur Veda:~

"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.)

Then why worship and glorify the Gurus and Yogis (human form) in place of God when Veda bars such activities and also warns people who indulge in such activities to 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.

Such worship, devotion, and reverence to Gurus will never allow you to realize the ‘Self’, which is hidden by ignorance.

Remember:~

‘I’ is the cause of all contradictions whereas the truth you are seeking is beyond all contradictions.

The Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, is infinite.

There are two dimensions of reality. The dualistic and nondualistic reality does not mean they are two orders of reality.

There are only two perspectives. Whatever that is there is real and is unaffected by our views.

The dualistic reality is merely an illusion created out of the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness as the non-dualistic reality.

The Soul which is caught up in ignorance; encounters the dualistic illusion (form, time, and space). However, the Soul, in reality, is a formless, timeless, and spaceless existence. The Soul is infinite. The infinite ‘Self’, is perceived as limited to form, time, and space.

The illusory form, time, and space are superimposed on the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

In Atmic reality, form, time, and space are made of the same clay, which is consciousness.

Consciousness alone is real and eternal and the form, time, and space are merely an illusion.

You are an individual in the world you are unaware of the fact that the ‘Self’ is not you but the ‘‘Self’ is the Soul, which is the cause of the world in which you exist. Thus, the ‘‘Self’’ is not an individual because it is a formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.

The Soul is originally a pure, transcendental consciousness it is due to ignorance that hides the Soul, the ‘Self’ that the individual fails to see the nexus between the Soul and the world in which he exists.

That nexus indicates the oneness underlying the subject-object, inner-outer distinctions. All that is required is to remove the error and the Soul will shine on its own accord.

Water in the pond that is clear and undisturbed. One can see the bottom of the pond through its still water. When, however, pebbles are thrown into the pond, the water in it is disturbed and the bottom of the pond becomes no longer visible. That bottom, however, is there all the time and it remains unchanged, no matter whether the surface water is disturbed or not. The water in the pond is the transactional world. The bottom of the pond is the transcendental reality. The disturbance created is ignorance.

The seeker has to mentally recognize the subjective and objective reality. Objective reality is merely an illusion on subjective reality.

The objective reality never exists from the standpoint of the subjective reality. The subjective reality is the fullness of consciousness. Objective reality is merely an illusory division of form, time, and space created on subjective reality.

The objective reality is superimposition over the subjective reality. The objective reality (world) seems as real but it actually is unreal.

The superimposition of the illusory form, time, and space on the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, is the cause of the ignorance.

When the ignorance is removed through Advaitic wisdom then the illusory division of form, time, and space never again prevails as a reality the same way as the dream never becomes a reality when waking takes place.

The superimposition of the illusory form, time, and space becomes one with the Soul, which is present in the form of the consciousness.

By constantly repeating ‘I THAT” -‘I AM THIS- Who AM ‘I, without realizing what is this ‘I’ supposed to be in actuality, ignorance becomes more and more deep-rooted, then it becomes impossible to come out of the prison the intoxication of the ‘I’.

The Soul is not ‘I’ but the Soul is the witness of the ‘I’. The ‘I’, which appears and disappear is not permanent. The Soul is eternal. :~Santthosh Kumaar