If the ‘I’ be true, let it then be perceived in the state of deep sleep also. As it is not at all perceived, it must be unreal.+

If the ‘I’ be true, let it then be perceived in the state of deep sleep also. As it is not at all perceived, it must be unreal and false like a dream.

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

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.

The seeker has to make sure what is this ‘I’ supposed to be? The seeker has to make sure of the unreal nature of the ‘I’ which comes and goes to realize the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space.

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

The ‘I’ hides the Soul, the Self, which is the cause of the illusory universe

People think the ‘I’ without the body is the Self. The seeker has to understand the fact that 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. The seeker of truth accepts only the truth nothing but the truth.

The one who holds the ‘I’ as the Self never will be able to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

Thus, it is necessary to realize first the ‘I’ is not the Self, but the Soul the formless witness of the ‘I’ is the Self.

The ‘I’ based teaching and teachers are not a yardstick in the path of wisdom. ‘I’ based teaching will not lead the seeker to the ultimate end of his inner journey.

Different Gurus and teachers are pointing out the understanding of the Advaitic truth from different standpoints. All such understanding of Advaita is on a dualistic perspective accumulated from here and there.

Advaita is not a theory or a philosophy. Advaita is the nature of the Soul the Self. There is no need for any theory or philosophy or scriptures to acquire Self-knowledge. Only a perfect understanding of ‘what is what’ is needed.

The citations from scriptures are not proofs. The ultimate truth has to be proved without the scriptures. The ultimate truth is the universal truth and it does not belong to any religion. Religion causes diversity in unity, whereas, the ultimate truth brings unity in diversity.

It is not that one should pore over the ancient scriptures. There is no need to study first, and then realize. One has to realize first, then only he will know ‘what is truth’ and ‘what is untruth’.

One has to make his discoveries through the process of rational thinking.

That is why Sage Sankara says:~ VC-65- As a treasure hidden underground requires (for its extraction) competent instruction, excavation, the removal of stones and other such things lying above it, and (finally) grasping, but never comes out by being (merely) called out by name, so the transparent Truth of the Self, which is hidden by Maya and its effects, is to be attained through the instructions of a knower of Brahman, followed by reflection, meditation and so forth, but not through perverted arguments.

People refuse to accept anything other than their Guru's words. For them, their Guru's words are the ultimate truth. They do not accept anything else other than their accepted truth. There is no need to convince such a mindset.

Such a mindset is not fit to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. The seekers of truth accept only the truth nothing but the uncontradictable truth. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

The ‘I’, the illusion hides the Soul, the Self, which is nondual or Advaita.+

Advaita means the Soul, the Self. The Soul is one without the second. The Soul is present in the form of the Spirit or consciousness. The Soul, the Self is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth.

Advaita is the nature of God, the Soul, the Self. Advaita is 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 world in which you exist, ceases 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 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 is 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 Bhagavad Gita: ~ “The permanent is always there, only the transient ‘I’ comes and goes. (2.18)

The ‘I’ hides the Soul, which is a formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.

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.

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, the Self 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 Self, the ‘I’ is an illusion.

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

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

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

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

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

The Soul the Self 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. Consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman.

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

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.

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, 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

Sage Sankara:~For one who has been bitten by the serpent of Ignorance, the only remedy is the knowledge of Brahman.+

Sage Sankara says: ~ Of what avail are the Vedas and other Scriptures, Mantras (sacred formulae), and medicines to such a one?

For one who wants to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana, the mantas will not help to realize the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space.

For one who has been bitten by the serpent of Ignorance, the only remedy is the knowledge of Brahman. Of what avail are the Vedas and (other) Scriptures, Mantras (sacred formulae), and medicines to such a one?

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

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 experienced.

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.”

A buried treasure is not uncovered by merely uttering the words: “Come forth.” You must follow the right directions, dig, remove the stones and earth from above it, and then make it your own.

In the same way, the pure truth of the Atman, which is buried under Maya and the effects of Maya, can be reached by meditation, contemplation, and other spiritual disciplines but never by perverse arguments.

Remember: ~

Upanishads confirm God is Athma:~

Manuduka upanishad:~All indeed is this Brahman; This Atman is Brahman; God in truth, this Atman has four steps/quarters.

While Brahman lies behind the sum total of the objective universe, some human minds boggle at any attempt to explain it with only the tools provided by reason. Brahman is beyond the senses, beyond the mind, beyond intelligence, beyond imagination. 

Indeed, the highest idea is that Brahman is beyond both existence and non-existence, transcending and including time, causation, and space, and thus can never be known in the same material sense as one traditionally 'understands' a given concept or object.

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

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

Remember:~

Even the Bhagavad Gita: ~ Brahmano hi pratisthaham ~ Brahman (God in truth) is considered the all-pervading consciousness (Spirit), 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 (Spirit) 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.

Remember:~

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). The Nirguna Brahman of Sage Sankara is impersonal. It is above all needs and desires. It is always the Witnessing Subject. It can never become an object as It is beyond the reach of the senses. Brahman is non-dual, one without a second. It has no other besides it. It is destitute of difference, either external or internal. Brahman cannot be described because description implies a distinction. Brahman cannot be distinguished from any other than It. In Brahman, there is no distinction between substance and attribute. Sat-Chit-Ananda constitutes the very essence or Svarupa of Brahman, and not just Its attributes. The Nirguna Brahman (God in truth) 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 or God in truth.

Self-realization is truth-realization, and truth-realization is God-realization. Thus, Self-realization is real worship.

Do not hold any physical Gurus and your accumulated knowledge as a yardstick. Your opinion may be correct from your own point of view by it has nothing to do with the Advaitic wisdom of Sage Sankara.

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 through 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.

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 for the religious and the yogic path. There is no need for a Guru to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

The seeker has to dig into the old and new posts then only he will find answers to all his doubts and questions, there is no need to ask any questions in the future.

As you go deeper and deeper digging into my posts and blogs all your doubts and confusion will be cleared. The Atmic path is not a path of an exchange of views and opinions.

The Atmic path is not a question and answer session it is a path of discovering and realizing the 'Self' hidden by the world in which you exist. The world in which you exist is created out of single stuff. That single stuff is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Do not hold any physical Gurus and your accumulated knowledge as a yardstick. Your opinion may be correct on your own point of view by it has nothing to do with the Advaitic wisdom.

When you start thinking independently then the inner revelation will start clearing all the obstacles that were blocking your realization. Deeper thinking and reasoning are very much needed in the pursuit of 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.

Remember: ~

The Guru and disciple and the world, in which they exist, are created out of single clay. That single clay is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. Consciousness is the cause of the world and it, itself is uncaused.

From the standpoint of the Soul, the Self the world in which we exist is merely an illusion created out of consciousness.

Worshiping whatever belongs to the illusion keeps us in ignorance. Till ignorance is presentwe will not be able to realize the truth, which is hidden within the form, time, and space but it is beyond the form, time, and space.

Vedas say not to worship anything, which belongs to the illusion, in place of the Soul, which is present in the form of the consciousness, which is God in truth.

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

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

God in truth is the Atman, the Self. Atman is present in the form of consciousness.

Do not accept any other God other than Atman not worship other than Atman.

Let these words be inscribed in your subconscious.

Nothing is real but God. Nothing Matters but love for God in truth. God in truth is everywhere and in everything.

God in truth is hidden by the illusory universe. God in truth alone is and all else is an illusion. 

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 anything else as God in place of the real God.

Yajur Veda – chapter- 32:~ God is Supreme Spirit has no ‘Pratima’ (idol) or material shape. God cannot be seen directly by anyone. God pervades all beings and all directions.

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.

Remember:~

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

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)

Vedas, Upanishad, and Bhagavad Gita Bible confirm the Soul, the Self, which is present in the form of the Spirit or consciousness is God in truth.

It is for every seeker who is seeking truth must first know what God is supposed to be in actuality according to Vedas and Upanishads and reject all non-Vedic Gods to realize that Atman is the real God. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Bhagavan Buddha started the quest for truth and Sage Sankara completed the journey.+

Bhagavan Buddha:~ There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth: not going all the way... and not starting

Bhagavan Buddha was a Gnani, not his followers. Bhagavan Buddha’s wisdom was lost, it is because it was mixed up and messed up with other religions in Asia wherever it existed. Bhagavan Buddha started the quest for truth and Sage Sankara completed the journey.

Bhagavan Buddha: ~ "It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles. Then the victory is yours. It cannot be taken from you, not by angels or by demons, heaven, or hell."

That is why 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.

Wisdom consists in knowing the truth, that everything (the universe) is 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 or the consciousness, the Self is quite near to realizing the ultimate truth or Brahman.

Ashtavakra: ~ Diamonds are not many; only pebbles and rocks are so common. A single diamond is enough.

Bhagavan Buddha & Sage Sankara both are sages of truth. Humanity has to bow with gratitude to the great sages of truth.

Remember:~

Many people are struck with awe or reverence at the outer indications of renunciation, and thus, blindly accept a religious Guru or Godmen to be a Gnani. The two have no connection. Because he has no wife, no family, and no possessions" they think a man who has merely repressed these desires as though these things had anything to do with the wisdom he is merely religious.

People are quite incompetent to judge who is a Gnani between Godmen, intellectuals, and yogis.

A Gnani is neither a godman, nor a yogi, nor an intellectual.

The man who speaks about religious God, scriptures, and religion, is not a Gnani.

A yogi who speaks about yoga is not a Gnani.

A Godman who indulges in miracles is not a Gnani. An intellectual who argues on his own speculated theories is not a Gnani.

A Gnani is the one who shares knowledge and guides people towards the source of the mind (physical existence) is real Gnani.

A Gnani never claims himself a teacher nor does he accept anyone as a disciple.

Sage Sankara regards personal realization as independent and convincing evidence.

Sage Sankara says that an individual’s experience cannot be disputed because the experience he went through was real to him; though that may not be read from the absolute point of view.

Sage Sankara makes a distinction between the absolute view and the relative view of things.

A Guru who speaks of knowing Brahman within the body is thinking only of his head or heart, i.e. of his body. He is hallucinating.

Remember:~

You will not be able to find the truth because you are blindfolded by dualistic illusion. If you have to traverse the path, you will have to seek the aid of the one who knows the truth beyond the form, time, and space; else you will wind up meandering here and there without gaining anything.

The ‘Self’ is not within you because the ‘Self’ is not the body. If the ‘Self’ is not you, then why do you think the Self is within you.

Deeper Self-search reveals the fact that you and the world are within the Soul, the Self. Perfect understanding and assimilation lead to Advaitic Self-awareness. : ~Santthosh Kumaar

Before the appearance of the ‘I’, there was only the Soul . After the disappearance of the ‘I’, the Soul alone prevails.+

Before the appearance of the ‘I’ there was only the Soul, the ‘Self’. After the disappearance of the ‘I’, the Soul, the ‘Self’ alone prevails as the ultimate reality.

That is why Bhagavad Gita: ~ ‘The permanent (consciousness) 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'.

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

First, you must make sure the ‘I’ itself is illusory because the ‘I’ is not permanent.

No second thing existed prior to the appearance of the ‘I’ and ‘I’ never exists now and also ‘I’ never exists in the future. The ‘I’ is merely an illusory appearance.

Let you be clear on one thing. The ‘I’ is merely a dualistic illusion created out of the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

In the Atmic reality, ‘I’ neither exists in the past nor exists now, nor going to exist in the future.

Whatever existed in the past whatever exists now and whatever is going to exist in the future is merely an illusion created out of consciousness.

Whatever has appeared as ‘I’ is nothing but consciousness? The ‘I’ has no value because it is merely an illusion.

You search for the truth and you will find only the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. If you search for the Soul then you will find only the truth, which is beyond the form, time, and space.

The ‘I’ is both real and unreal. It is real because it is a manifestation of the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, but is unreal, in the sense, that it is not absolute and eternal like consciousness itself.

Some Gurus used the word ‘I’ to indicate the Self. And they think the ‘I’ without the body is the Self.

The ‘I’ is not the Self, but the Soul; the witness of the ‘I’ is the true Self, which is real and eternal.

When the Soul is the real Self then how “I” can remain. Only the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness prevails, not the ‘I’.

The world in which you exist is a falsehood. Thus, you are the false self within the falsehood.

The falsehood appears as a waking or dream (duality) and disappears as deep sleep (nonduality). Therefore, realize ‘what is real’ and ‘what is unreal’ to realize the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space.

A perfect understanding of ‘what is what’ helps to get rid of ignorance, which is the cause of experiencing the dualistic illusion (world) as a reality.

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