Devotional Gods are mythical Gods. Mythical Gods are not Vedic Gods. Vedic God is Athma, the Spirit.+

The devotional path is the religious path, not the spiritual path. Devotion towards an inherited belief cannot transport the seeker towards the nondual destination.

Devotion is between the person and his belief. The devotion is based on the belief system. The person, who has inherited some belief system, believes in the individualized God and indulges in the devotional path.

Devotional Gods are mythical Gods. Mythical Gods are not Vedic Gods. Vedic God is Athma, the Spirit.

Devotional toward myth produces only myth. Thus, we must have the devotion to exploring God in truth.

The devotion makes one believe that he is a person and God has created this world. Therefore, he believes that he is born in this world and the world existed prior to him, this conviction makes him feel he is the doer. Since he accepts himself as the doer; he will remain ignorant of the true Self, which is the Soul. Ignorance makes him feel the illusion as a reality.

The truth-seeker has to reject the devotional path (Bhakti Marga) if wants to realize the truth beyond form, time, and space.

The path of Bhakti is for the ignorant populace. The only path of wisdom leads the seeker of truth on his journey to the ultimate realization of the true nature of the Universal Essence, which is the Soul. The Soul is present in the form of consciousness.

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

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 in truth.

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 Jains.

There is logic to idol worship. 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.

The idea of religion and religious identity is based on the false self (waking). Belief in a personal God will lead one to hallucination. Without realizing the Soul, the Self, all types of meditation keep one in the grip of duality.

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

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

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.

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

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

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)

Remember this:~

Yajur Veda indicates that: ~

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." (Yajurveda 40:9.)

Then why worship and glorify the non-~Vedic Gods in place of Vedic God when Veda bars such activities and also warns people who indulge in such activities are enveloped in still greater darkness, in other words, they are extremely foolish, fall into an awful hell of pain and sorrow, and suffer terribly for a long time.: ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Sage Sankara also said the study of Upanishad was neither indispensable nor a necessary prerequisite for attaining the human goal, the moksha.+

The look of an object will depend upon the medium through which the observer views it. In fact, our mental and intellectual conditions determine the world, observed and experienced. The commoner viewing the world will see differently from a Gnani viewing the same world. Each one interprets the world that they see in terms of their existing knowledge. The commoner sees everything based on the ego and, therefore, experiences birth, life, death, and the world as a reality, whereas a Gnani sees everything as consciousness and he is fully aware of the fact that, there is no second thing that exists other than the Soul or consciousness. 

Thus, all the egocentric knowledge has to be bifurcated to realize the ultimate truth, which is beyond form, time, and space.

Anubhav in the advatic contest is not an experience but it is the realization of the 'Self' hidden by the dualistic illusion (Maya or world). 

Remember the 'Self', is not an individual but the Self is a formless, timeless, and spaceless existence. the experience is possible only in the domain of form, time, and space. In reality, the form, time, and space are one in essence.

Sage Sankara himself has warned us not to use ambiguous words, and to practice semantic analysis (“Definition of one's own Self." Page 199, v.24 of "Sankara's Selected Works”

Sage Sankara strongly advocated the study of Upanishads, and at the same time cautioned that the study of Upanishads alone would not lead to moksha. In matters such as spiritual attainment, one’s own realization was the sole authority and it cannot be disputed.

Sage Sankara also said the study of Upanishad was neither indispensable nor a necessary prerequisite for attaining the human goal, the moksha.

Sage Sankara pointed out; that even those who were outside the Upanishad fold were as eligible to moksha as those within the fold were. He declared that all beings are Brahman, and therefore the question of discrimination did not arise. All that one was required to do was to get rid of ignorance (Avidya or duality).

Sage Sankara: ~ 'Like a servant who carries a lamp in front of you to find your way, and you have found it, so becomes the Veda to that person. What is the Veda? ~ utterances of those who have known the Truth. Here is one who has known the Truth; why should he or she depend upon the Veda further? Actual realization takes you beyond books. At a certain stage, books become a botheration. The Upanishad itself says that the 'words are only so much of distraction for such minds'

They alone in this world are endowed with the highest wisdom and are firm in their conviction of the sameness and birthlessness of Atman. The ordinary man does not understand their way. (Chapter IV — Alatasanti Prakarana95-P-188 in Upanishads by Nikilanada)

Sage  Sankara himself says: ~ VC 59- The study of the Scriptures is useless so long as the highest Truth is unknown, and it is equally useless when the highest Truth has already been known.

60. The Scriptures, consisting of many words are a dense forest that merely causes the mind to ramble. Hence men of wisdom should earnestly set about knowing the true nature of the Self.

61. 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?

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:~ V C-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.

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.

Sage Sankara says: ~ What is accepted without a proper inquiry will not lead to the final Goal. (Commentary on Vedanta Sutra).

The "Self" cannot be experienced because the experience is possible only in the realm of duality. There is neither experience nor experiencer in reality. In Self-awareness, the body, ego, and the world are not considered different from consciousness.

The experience and experiencer exist within the domain of form, time, and space. The form, time, and space are within the domain of the dualistic illusion.

To experiencer must have a form, without the form the experience is impossible? The experience is impossible without form, time, and space. The experiencer and the experience are one, in essence. The essence is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

The Soul, the ‘Self’ is the fullness of the consciousness without the division of the form, time, and space. All the division in consciousness is merely an illusion. 

Thus, other than consciousness all else is merely an illusion. The illusion is also consciousness because it is created out of consciousness.

The Atmic path is nothing to do with religion and the yogic path. The atmic path is the path of wisdom. All your accumulated knowledge is nothing to do with the Atmic path. The Atmic path is not a path of discussion or exchange of views and opinions but the direct realization of the 'Self' hidden by the dualistic illusion.

The seeker must have the patience to open the blogs and posts and read them. It will not only help you to clear all your cobwebs of doubts and confusion. Without reading the blogs trying to argue on your own yardstick, is not of any use. 

Whatever you have read, whatever you have heard and accumulated becomes a hindrance in realizing the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space.

All your egocentric accumulated cocktail knowledge is not Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana soulcentric knowledge is not available in the spiritual supermarket.

All accumulated knowledge is mental Garbage is no use in the quest for truth. The seeker has to discard all the accumulated knowledge and start afresh.

Reading and reflecting on my blogs and postings gradually, the seekers will start assimilating and realizing ‘what is the truth’ and what the untruth is. Repeated reading of my blogs and postings makes the seeker Soulcentric and the inner dialogue will start and clear all the doubts and confusion.

A perfect understanding of ‘what is what’ through deeper thinking and reasoning helps to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

In the Atmic path discussion of the unimportant subject matter is a great hindrance. The path of truth is the path of verification.

When there are no doubts and confusion, then they have realized the truth that form, time, and space are one in essence. And that essence is consciousness. 

There is no use in wasting time in questioning and arguing same time and effort have to be used to make the seeker more independent and without external spoon-feeding, he can reach the inner core, which is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.:~Santthosh Kumaar. 

The experience and experiencer exist within the domain of the illusory form, time, and space.+

The experience and experiencer exist within the domain of the illusory form, time, and space. Form, time, and space are within the domain of the universe, which is a dualistic illusion or Maya.

The "Self" cannot be experienced because the experience is possible only in the realm of duality. There is neither experience nor experiencer in reality. In Self-awareness, the body, ego, and the world are not considered different from consciousness

To experiencer must have a form, without the form the experience is impossible? The experience is impossible without form, time, and space. The experiencer and the experience are one, in essence. The essence is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Anubhav in the Advaitic contest is not an experience but it is the realization of the 'Self' hidden by the universe, which is a dualistic illusion or Maya.

Remember the 'Self', is not an individual but the Self is a formless, timeless, and spaceless existence. the experience is possible only in the domain of form, time, and space. In reality, the form, time, and space are one in essence.

The Soul, the ‘Self’ is the fullness of consciousness without the division of form, time, and space. All the division in consciousness is merely an illusion.

Thus, other than consciousness all else is merely an illusion. The illusion is also consciousness because it is created out of consciousness.

The look of an object will depend upon the medium through which the observer views it. In fact, our mental and intellectual conditions determine the world, observed and experienced. The commoner viewing the world will see differently from a Gnani viewing the same world. Each one interprets the world that they see in terms of their existing knowledge. The commoner sees everything based on the ego and, therefore, experiences birth, life, death, and the world as a reality, whereas a Gnani sees everything as consciousness and he is fully aware that there is no second thing that exists other than the Soul or consciousness.

Thus, all the egocentric knowledge has to be bifurcated to realize the ultimate truth, which is beyond form, time, and space.

Remember:~

The universe will not disappear. but the unreal nature of the universe is exposed just like a dream becomes unreal when waking takes place.

A Gnani observes consciousness hidden by the universe as it is without form, time, and space.

To a Gnani the universe is illusory, because, his views and judgment of the worldview are based on the Soul, the Self.

Upanishads:~ They alone in this world are endowed with the highest wisdom who are firm in their conviction of the sameness and birthlessness of Atman. The ordinary man does not understand their way. (Chapter IV — Alatasanti Prakarana 95-P-188 in Upanishads by Nikilanada)

Perfect understanding of ‘what is what’ through deeper thinking and reasoning helps to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.: :~Santthosh Kumaar

The invisible Soul, the Self is the subject. The visible universe is an object tp the invisible subject.+

The invisible Soul, the Self is the subject. The Soul, the Self is present in the form of consciousness. The subject remains unchanged. The subject, as such remains immortal. It can never die for it never changes.

The visible universe is an object and go, but the subject of the universe can never go. The seeker has to take this principle as his guiding thread and non-dual truth becomes easy to grasp.

The Soul, the witness can never be subject to the changes of the object; it is unchanged. The mistake usually made is that the subject becomes the object, or that object is the subject.

If one wants to have an absence of contradictions, the absence of duality, there must be one entity, one being. If one has experience which is an object (mind), there is a contradiction between subject and object, for "mind” is an object.

The duality is a reality from the standpoint of the false self (ego or you). The duality is merely an illusion from the base of the Soul, the 'Self', which is present in the form of consciousness. This understanding comes only to the serious seeker, who has a real urge to realize the ultimate truth, which is hidden by ignorance. Ignorance is present in the form of the 'I'.

All the 'I- centric' Gurus and their teachings and teachers are based on ignorance, therefore, they are a great obstacle to realizing the truth, which is hidden by the 'I'. There is neither teaching, nor teacher, nor a student in the realm of truth.

Different paths will not converge to the same ultimate reality because they are based on the false self. They are not different stages on the same path.

People fight about the differences and the greatness of their chosen paths but only through Advaitic wisdom one can realize the ultimate reality.

One has to have perfect understanding and march ahead, surely and steadily, towards that Ultimate Reality, which is the Soul or consciousness or Brahman. One becomes limited to the concepts, names, and forms within the waking/dream. The waking /dream is merely an illusion that originates from the Soul, the Self.

The Soul is the Self. The Soul is present n the form of consciousness. Realizing the Soul, the consciousness as the 'Self' is truth realization.

The Soul, the consciousness is formless, limitless, permanent, and unchanging, and by its nature non-dual and universal. Consciousness is the cause of the universe and it, itself is uncaused. the Soul, the consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth. \

Realize Brahman or ultimate truth or God in truth here and now, in this very life, not in the next life and in the next world by realizing the fact that, the present life itself is an illusion. :~ Ssntthosh Kumaar

The invisible Soul, the Self, is present in the form of consciousness and is permanent and eternal.+

All your questions are based on the dualistic perspective. From a non-dualistic perspective, there are no doubts and confusion because there is no second thing that exists other than the Soul, the Self, which is present in the form of consciousness.

The Seeker has to learn to view the worldview from a non-dualistic perspective to have a glimpse of the Soul, the Self as it is which is hidden by the dualistic illusion( universe).

Our communication is limited to the domain of the dualistic illusion. The Self is hidden by the dualistic illusion. it is the Self, which is in the bondage of ignorance. it is the Self, which has to wake up from its sleep of ignorance.

When the individual reaches the ultimate end of understanding the ignorance vanishes and the Soul, the Self will remain in its own awareness in the midst of the dualistic illusion (universe).

When the Soul, the 'Self' remains in its own awareness in the midst of dualistic illusion, then the reality of the dualistic illusion (universe) fades away. In the same way, the reality of the dream fades away when waking takes place.

Our discussion is a reality within the dualistic illusion. There was no cause for the universe even at the very start. So nothing ever is really born. The entire universe is only an illusion. The universe in which you exist is merely a dualistic illusion created out of consciousness.

The invisible Soul, the Self, is present in the form of consciousness and is permanent and eternal. Consciousness cannot be expressed in words because it is the existence itself. It is eternal, self-effulgent, and unblemished.

The illusion has no value. The universe is the illusory nature of the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. 

Mentally reduce the universe into consciousness by realizing the universe is nothing but an illusion created out of consciousness.

There is no reason behind the illusion! From the ultimate standpoint, there is no illusion at all! Everything is nothing but consciousness.

You are still going by an attempt to establish a sequence of cause-effect relationships. There has to be a touchstone that can establish the correctness or otherwise of the sequence of causes and effects. If we examine based on that yardstick, the causes will evaporate.

For example, doubt is a cause for a question. The cause for the doubt is ignorance. If we can get rid of ignorance, there is no scope for doubt and the later questions.

Remember:~

Ashtavakra Gita: ~ “The universe raises from the Soul, the innermost Self like bubbles from the sea. Thus, know the Self to be One and in this way enter into the state of dissolution."

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

First, know ‘what is the truth’ and ‘what is untruth’ for sure. Without realizing what untruth truth is, it is difficult to know what truth is.

When the sky, clouds, and the world in which you exist are made of single clay then there is no second thing that exists, other than that clay. That clay is the Soul, which is formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.

Reality is hidden by unreality. The world in which we exist hides the truth. Whatever belongs to you is unreal. The words and thoughts belong to you, not to the Soul, which is the ‘self.

Whatever has a name and form and attributes and whatever belongs to form, time and space is an illusion. The illusion hides the Spirit, which is God in truth. The illusion and Spirit are one in essence. Spirit, the God alone is real and eternal. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Mysticism encourages people to be lazy, to think that external objects are created by God and internal objects are created by Jiva.+

Mysticism is dualistic. Mysticism encourages people to be lazy, to think that external objects are created by God and internal objects are created by Jiva. Both God and Jiva are man’s creations. 

The seeker of truth should not waste his time in talks of Jiva and God disputes; rather inquire into the nature of the Soul.

The mystic must become a constant slave to some line of "thought" or rather imagination, and then he will really see visions confirming his imagination.

The mystic who sees God in vision has seen Him during the waking state. The waking experience itself is an illusion. Thus, whatever is seen within the illusion is bound to be an illusion. Thus, the mystic must realize his existence is a reality within the illusion.

Whatever belief of God one is familiar with through his inherited conditioning or samskara that he will see in his visions. When a man is a false Self within the false experience, then whatever he believes is bound to be a falsehood.

God is the Soul the Self. The Soul is present in the form of consciousness. God is not within you, but you and your experience of the world are within God. Self-realization is God-realization because the Soul, the Self itself is God. When you and your experience of the world disappear, then God alone prevails as a formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.

Mysticism has its pragmatic value but mystics fail to stop and ask "What is the ultimate meaning of this bliss which they feel in the mystic experience?" Therefore, an inquiry is needed to realize ‘What is the truth?’ ‘What is the untruth?’

The mystic object to introducing inquiry into the quest adopts an attitude as though it were like introducing something that is not sacred.

Mysticism blocks the mystic from realizing the truth hidden by the untruth because he has accepted the untruth as the ultimate truth. He is unaware of the ultimate truth, which is Brahman or God.

The ultimate truth or Brahman or God can be realized only when he realizes the ‘Self’ hidden by the ‘I’. 

The ‘Self the Spirit’ is God, not the ‘I’. Only those who realize the Spirit as the ‘Self’ are real Gnani. ;~Santthosh Kumaar

People must realize the world in which they exist appears as waking (duality) and disappears as deep sleep (non-duality).+

People refuse to accept the world is an illusion. People must realize the world in which they exist appears as waking (duality) and disappears as deep sleep (non-duality).

A person, who stamped his foot on the ground to refute to show the world, is real, ignores that in a dream he would do exactly the same--stamp his dream foot on the ground and assert it to be real.

When people finally realize the ‘Self ‘ is not the ‘I’ but the ‘Self’ is the Soul, the witness of the ‘I’ then they will realize the world in which they exist is merely an illusion created out of the Soul, which is present in the form of the consciousness.

Thus, people and their experiences of birth, life, death, and the world are merely an illusion created out of consciousness.

Consciousness alone is real and all else is an illusion. Thus, consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth.

Many Gurus in the past glorified the ‘I’. People got emotionally stuck with their Gurus worshipping them and got entangled with studying the life and happenings of their guru when their Gurus were alive. They forgot their main goal of discovering the truth of their true existence. This following Gurudom trend is still continuing.'

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.

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

There are two kinds of audiences - the ordinary ones who desire the transitory heaven and other pleasures obtained as a result of ritual sacrifices, and the more advanced seekers who seek to know the truth beyond form, time, and space.

The Gurudom is meant for the first audience, to help lead its followers along the way. The Atmic path is meant for those who wish to go beyond the domain of form, time, and space.:~Santthosh Kumaar