Ishopanishad: They sunk into the greatest depth of misery who worships the matter, instead of the All-Pervading God.+

Meher Baba said: ~ God is your innermost Self. Do not search for God outside of you. Let these words be inscribed in your heart. Nothing is real but God. Nothing Matters but love for God. God is everywhere and does everything. God is beyond us and is everything. God alone is and all else is an illusion.

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

God is not physical but God is the Spirit. God is the ultimate truth. Know God in truth that truth will set you free.

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)

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

Yajurveda – 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.

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

Vedas declare: May ye never accept another God in place of the Atman nor worship other than the Atman. Thus, to know the real God Self-realization is necessary. Self-realization is God-realization. Self-realization is real worship.

Ishopanishad:~ "They are steeped in ignorance and sunk into the greatest depth of misery who worships the matter, instead of the All-Pervading God and those who worship things born of matter like trees, animals, man, etc. are sunk deeper in misery."

When Upanishads say they are steeped in ignorance and sunk into the greatest depth of misery who worships the matter, instead of the All-Pervading God (Atman) and those who worship things born of matter (illusion) are sunk deeper in misery then why worship God in place of the real God., which is Ataman. The dualistic worship of personal “Gods” is only for the ignorant populace. God in truth is only Atman, the innermost Self. In reality, there is no duality, no differentiation. Only Atman exists.

Yajurveda says not to worship the things which are part of the falsehood.

Translation 1.

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

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

Translation 2.

"Deep into the shade of blinding gloom fall asambhuti's worshippers. They sink to darkness deeper yet who on sambhuti are 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.)

So, Yajur Veda indicates that if you worship non-Gods as Gods: ~ Those who worship visible things, such as the earth, trees, and bodies (humans and the like) in place of God are enveloped in still greater ignorance and suffering.

People, who worship the belief of God, are hallucinating that they become one with such God.

To know what God is, we must know what Self is. In deeper Self-search we become aware of the fact that our body, ego, and our experience of the universe are created out of single stuff, which is the Soul or the consciousness.

Due to ignorance, we identify the Soul with the body and we become egocentric. When we become aware of the fact that, the Self is not the form but the Self is formless then we become Soul-centric and realize the fact that all the three states are merely an illusion created out of consciousness.

Thus, consciousness is the ultimate truth. Consciousness is the Self. The ultimate truth is Brahman or God in truth

Thus, the seekers move ahead and reach the nondual destination through this mental (inner) journey.

In Spirituality, the word “God” stands for the ultimate truth or Brahman. All that is needed then is to realize the fact that, the Self is not the body (you), not the mind, but the Soul, the Self. The Soul is present in the form of consciousness (Spirit).

Sage Sankara says the transparent Truth(G0d) of the Self, which is hidden by the illusion, is to be attained through the instructions of a knower of Brahman, (Gnani)

Thus, consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth. Firm conviction about the Soul as Self leads to nondualistic Self-awareness. Self-awareness is God-awareness.

The Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness is God in truth. God in truth is invisible to physical eyes.

The Soul the Self is self-evident. The Soul is present in the form of consciousness. It is not established by extraneous proofs. It is not possible to deny the Soul because it is the very essence of the one who denies it.

The Soul is the basis of all kinds of knowledge, presuppositions, and proofs. The Soul is within, the Soul is without; the Soul is before, the Soul is behind; the Soul is on the right, the Soul is on the left; the Soul is above and the Self is below. The Soul alone is real, all else is merely an illusion created out of the Soul which is present in the form of the consciousness.

To know what God is in actuality we must know what the Self is. In deeper Self-search we become aware of the fact that our body, ego, and our experience of the universe are created out of single stuff, which is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Due to ignorance, we identify the Soul with the body and we become egocentric. When we become aware of the fact that, the ‘Self’ is not the form but the ‘Self’ is formless then we become Soul-centric and realize the fact that all three states are merely an illusion created out of consciousness.

Consciousness is the ultimate truth. The Soul is the Self.is the ultimate truth is God or Brahman. Thus, the seekers have to realize God through the mental (inner) journey. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

First - Manduka - Chapter 2 (10): ~ Ignorant fools, regarding sacrifices and humanitarian works as the highest, do not know any higher good.+

Only your intense urge to know the truth will take you to the ultimate end, but your accumulated knowledge will block you from realizing the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space. 

The seeker should carry on the activities of life within the practical world, but he should do so remembering that his existence within the practical life is merely an illusion. 

First - Manduka - Chapter 2 (10): ~ Ignorant fools, regarding sacrifices and humanitarian works as the highest, do not know any higher good. Having enjoyed their reward on the heights of heaven, gained by good works, they enter again this world or a lower one.

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad: ~ In this state a father is no father, a mother no mother, Gods no Gods, no Vedas. In this state, a thief is no thief, the killer of a noble Brahmana no killer, a monk no monk, a hermit no hermit. This form of his is untouched by good work and untouched by evil work, for he is then beyond all the woes of his intellect. ~ (4.3.22)

Many Gurus instead of encouraging seekers to seek the truth, they inject their own theories to keep them hallucinating of talking about love and compassion, which belongs to the dualistic illusion. It is an escape mechanism and makes the seeker hopeless, helpless, and lazy to seek the truth he is seeking.

A Gnani uses love and compassion for the practical purpose but he is fully aware they are not of any use to realize the truth hidden by the dualistic illusion (universe).

Love and compassion are needed in practical life within the practical world. However, from the ultimate standpoint, the practical life within the practical world is merely an illusion. In reality, there is only the Soul, the one without the Second.

The seeker of truth must know for his own information, that the truth in God is not religious God, which they believe and worship. 

The beliefs propagated by the religion of their individualized God are superstitions. Such Gods have no place in truth. There is no need to condemn those who believe and follow. 

Until ignorance, dominates them they will not buzz from their inherited belief. Everyone is free to follow their chosen path, which makes them happy and gives them satisfaction. 

Ishopanishad: ~ "They are steeped in ignorance and sunk into the greatest depth of misery who worships the matter, instead of the All-Pervading God and those who worship things born of matter like trees, animals, man, etc. are sunk deeper in misery."

When Upanishads themselves say they are steeped in ignorance and sunk into the greatest depth of misery who worships the matter, instead of the All-Pervading God (Atman) and those who worship things born of matter (illusion) are sunk deeper in misery then why worship God in place of the real God, which is Ataman.

The dualistic worship of personal “Gods” 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. :~Santthosh Kumaar

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

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

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

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

When Upanishads and Vedas declare that, “God is the form of the Athma, and God is indeed Athma itself” then why accept another God in place of the Atman or worship other than the Atman.

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

Vedas bar human worship: ~

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

Sage Sankara says: 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.

The seeker of truth has to accept the truth as God and reject the untruth. The Atman the real God alone and all else is an illusion created out of the Atman, the Self, which is present in the form of consciousness.

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

Do not accept any other God other than the Soul. The Soul is God in truth,  Nothing is real but the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. 

Nothing matters but realizing God in truth. God in truth is everywhere and in everything. Let these words be inscribed in your subconscious.

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

Brahman is merely a word to indicate the ultimate truth or God in truth.  The ultimate truth itself is God in truth.

The Atmic path is a very personal path. Without an intense urge, no one can tread this path. It cannot be forced on religious people. Moreover, religious people are not fit to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

It is no use to argue based on inherited religious dogmatism. All religion and its theories are myth and dogmatic. There is no difference between religious belief and superstition. Religious belief is superstition and superstition is religious belief. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Love implies duality. without the duality, there is no love or hate.+

Love has nothing to do with the Soul, the Self. Love and hate belong to an individual whereas the Soul is not an individual because the Soul is a formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.

Love is a reality only in the domain of form, time, and space. Love implies duality. without the duality, there is no love or hate.

If love is everything then there is no need to produce nuclear weapons to get world peace.

All the terrorism, wars, and violence, which is going on in the name of religion and God cannot be stopped by love. Unless humanity becomes aware of God in truth the universal brotherhood and world peace are impossible.

If humanity realizes God in truth, that truth will set the "Spirit, the 'Self' free." from the dualistic illusion.

Love is very valuable in practical life. Great yogic Sage Paramahansa Yogananda and many other saints of the path of devotion in the past prescribed unconditional love to humanity and personal God. Unconditional love is a very valuable tool for humanity which is immersed in practical life and the practical world. We have to respect all the Sages for their service contribution to humankind.

The path of love and the path of humanity is limited to the practical life within the practical world. The path of love and the path of humanism are the best tools to serve humankind within the practical life within the practical world.

A Gnani loves humanity in the practical world but inwardly he is fully aware of the truth, beyond the form, time, and space.

From the ultimate standpoint, the practical life within the practical world is a reality within the dualistic illusion.

Thus, the path of love should not be mixed with the path of wisdom because the path of love is based on a dualistic perspective, and the path of wisdom is based on a non-dualistic perspective.

The path of love, the path of religion, the path of yoga, and the path of wisdom, the path of humanism are meant for different classes of people. Mixing up with one another is like mixing oil in water. One has to move ahead with his chosen path, which satisfies him.

Mixing the path of love, the path of humanism, and the path of devotion with the path of wisdom creates a hindrance in realizing the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space.

The people must move with their chosen path, which gives them satisfaction. There is no need to argue that their chosen path is the best path. : ~  Santthosh Kumaar

The mind cannot be purified because the mind itself is an illusion.+

The ‘I’ is never real because the ‘I’ is merely an illusion, which appears and disappears. The Soul, the witness of the ‘I’ is real and eternal.

Whatever appears and disappears is not real. Holding the Self as the ‘I’ is holding the illusion as a reality. The Soul, the Self is not ‘I’.

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 universe.

Sage Sankara says: ~ “The exercise in discrimination between real and unreal and renunciation of the false leads to truth -realization.

The body, the ego, and the world together is the mind. If the mind is there then only the body, the ego, and the world are present. The body, the ego, and the world appear together and disappear together. That is the mind which is present in the form of the ‘I’ appears and disappears. The one which witnesses the coming and going, of the ‘I’ (mind), is the Soul, the Self.

From the standpoint of the Soul, the Self the mind (the universe in which we exist) is non-existent as a reality.

The mind cannot be purified because the mind itself is an illusion. Till one thinks the mind is within the body, he will not be able to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana, because the body and the world are within the mind. And the mind is within the Soul.

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’. is no need to convince such a mindset. The seeker of truth accepts only the truth nothing but the truth.

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-awareness, Brahma Gnana, or Atma Gnana. The seekers of truth accept only the truth nothing but the uncontradictable truth. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Perfect understanding of 'what is what' frees the Soul, the Self, from the entanglement of dualistic illusion or Maya.+

Perfect understanding of 'what is what' frees the Soul, the Self, from the entanglement of dualistic illusion or Maya.

What is the use of studying philosophy and scriptures?

What is the use of worshiping Gods and Gurus?

What is the use of and performing religious rituals?

What the use is of observing silence?

What is the use of singing devotional hymns?

Advaitic Wisdom will not dawn, without realizing the world in which you exist is created out of single clay. That single clay is consciousness. The knowledge of the single clay leads to Oneness. Oneness means unity in diversity.

That is why 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.

There is no need to study philosophy and scriptures.

There is no need for worshiping Gods and Gurus.

There is no need for and performing religious rituals.

There is no need to observe silence.

There is no need to sing devotional hymns.

~ To get Self-realization.

The ultimate truth or Brahman dwells within the three states like fragrance in the flower; Musk lies within the Musk deer yet seeks it afar." 

Until one traces the truth within the three states the illusion of birth, life, death, and the world is experienced as reality. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar 

Yajurveda: ~ God in truth is nondual and pure."+

People make religious God and their master or Guru as the center of their existence. They are hallucinating about their idea of God and Master or Guru. Such people will never be able to overcome the ignorance.

The path of wisdom is not suitable for those who believe in their religion their idea of God and faith in the physical Guru or Master. Such people must tread their own chosen path, which gives them satisfaction.

Mixing up religion and the religious idea of God and trying to impose their religious idea of God on others will make them permanent prisoners of ignorance.

One should not hold a God as the center of existence without knowing what God really is.

Lord Krishna says: ~ “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. (Ch~V) .

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. (Gita 14.27)

The religious Gods exist within the domain of the dualistic illusion (waking). The religious Gods exist separately from the world in which man exists. Separation implies duality. The duality always implies a contradiction.

From the non-dualistic perspective, the duality is merely an illusion. Thus, the world in which man exists is within the domain of the duality.

The world in which man exists is merely a dualistic illusion. The dualistic illusion is created out of a single stuff and that single stuff is the Soul, which is present in the form of the Spirit.

Thus, the Spirit (consciousness) alone is real and eternal. The ‘Spirit’ is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth.

From the standpoint of the Soul, the Self, the religious Gods cease to exist because the Soul, which is the form of the ‘Spirit’ itself is God. All the religious Gods are imaginary Gods.

Religious Gods are an object, therefore, the Soul, the Self, contradict such imaginary Gods who depend upon the 'Spirit’ for their existence.

Every religion has its own idea of God or Gods. When there are two, then there is contradiction one cannot find non-contradiction in this dualistic world.

Remember:~

A Gnani boldly declares that the religious God does not exist, because Such God's existence implies that the Soul, the Self different from God.

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

Yajurveda – 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." (Chapter 40, Verse)

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 Vedas exclaim from time immemorial: ~ Ekam Sat Vipra Bahudha Vadanti, Existence is One. (Rig Veda, 1-164-146).

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

Do not accept any other God other than the Soul. The Soul is God in truth, Nothing is real but the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. Nothing matters but realizing God in truth. God in truth is everywhere and in everything. Let these words be inscribed in your subconscious.

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

Brahman is merely a word to indicate the ultimate truth or God in truth. The ultimate truth itself is God in truth.

Rig Veda: ~ The Atman (Soul) 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 Upanishads say in effect that: ~ if you believe that the Soul is one and God (Brahman ) is another you cannot understand Truth.

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

The God is one and universal. God is the Spirit. The Spirit is the Soul, the Self. The God is the Soul, the Self.

The Soul is the Supreme Being the One eternal homogeneous essence, indivisible consciousness, and intelligence, which is beyond the form, time, and space. To which the Sages describe in a variety of ways through diverse words.

Any kind of difference means contradiction. Nothing exists other than the Soul, which is present in the form of the ‘Spirit’.

Advaita means the negation of the second thing. "Neti, Neti," not this, not this means ~ Negation of second thing other than the ‘Spirit’, which is God.

Every word we utter we are uttering within the dualistic illusion. The dualistic illusion is not permanent.

The way of negating "It is not this, not that" is also a way of defining, or conveying the meaning of Reality as much as any positive definition. One has to mentally distinguish the real from the unreal.

The seeker has to go on negating the unreal world in which we exist by realizing the Soul, which is present in the form of the Spirit (consciousness), which is real and eternal. The ‘Spirit’ is the cause of the universe in which we exist and it, itself is uncaused.

To find the Advaitic truth, which is beyond the form, time, and space to eliminate the form, time, and space mentally by realizing the form, time and space are merely an illusion created out of the ‘Spirit’.

The form, time, and space are ‘Spirit’ in their essence. Thus, the ‘Spirit’ alone is real and eternal.

The ‘Spirit’ is the ultimate truth and the ultimate truth is God.: ~ Santthosh Kumaar