The brilliance shown by Sage Sankara, a man of wonderful genius, a matchless speaker, and an extraordinary dialectician is really a great spectacle in history.+

The brilliance shown by Sage Sankara, a man of wonderful genius, a matchless speaker, and an extraordinary dialectician is really a great spectacle in history. In his time, there was a severe conflict between Buddhism and the atheist Santana Dharma or the Vedic religion of Kumarila Bhatta. Utilizing this opportunity Sage Sankara intervened in the conflict and made use of some concepts and methodology of both the Kumarila Bhatta School and Buddhism to present a new coalition religion before the people.

Sage Sankara gave extraordinary charisma to this religion with the help of his methods of logic and style of exposition. Its influence was so great that both the Bhatta School and Buddhism had to flee from India without leaving a trace. The absence, even today, of a single follower of the Kumarila Bhatta School as well as of Buddhism, is proof enough for the great achievement of Sage Sankara. This indeed is a historical miracle.

One can see in the Santana Dharma or Vedic religion expounded by Sage Sankara a different version of the Kumarila Bhatta School and Buddhism. That is why the tradition of following Kumarila Bhatta's methodology in expounding the Advaita thought at the empirical level gained ground in the Advaita School. Different types of the methodology of Buddhism were absorbed into the Advaita thought, of course, under new labels. There is a very clear similarity between the Vedic religion of Sage Sri Sankara and Buddhism and the Advaita School has given the world a common message. The essence of both schools is:-

The entire world which man perceives is illusionary; it is just an appearance of unreality and there is only one indeterminate and attributeless Sat at the root of this world".

The term Hindu religion is totally a new name that cannot be found in any Indian literature prior to 1794 A.D. Out of the five Indian religions of Buddhism, Jainism, Saivism, Vaishnavism, and Sikhism; Saivism, and Vaishnavism were brought under the Varnashrama principle.

After naming the discriminating principle of casteism of Manu Dharma as Hinduism, the religions of Saivism and Vaishnavism, which were enslaved to the caste-discriminating principles, were given a new name as ‘Hinduism’! Thus, the Hindu religion is different from Santana Dharma or Vedic religion.

The term Hinduism came into existence under British rule. Hinduism is the caste-discriminating principle of Varnashrama Dharma based on the Book of Manu.

After 1750 A.D., Europeans captured certain parts of India and started ruling those areas. The capital of then British India was Calcutta the present-day Kolkata.

The Britishers were duty-bound to administer justice to the people living within their dominion. Thus, they set up courts of justice. They needed laws to administer justice through the courts.

To administer justice to the Christian citizens of India living within their dominion, there was Christian Law, based on Biblical principles.

To administer justice to the Muslim citizens of India living within their dominion, there was Islamic Law, based on Quranic principles. But to administer justice to non-Christian and non-Islamic citizens living in British dominion, there was no law book. This created problems for the Britishers.

As we peep into the annals of the religious history of India we find that Santana Dharma or Vedic religion was not the religion of the Hindus: ~

Every one of the great religions in the world, except our own, is built upon such historical characters; but ours rests upon principles. No man or woman can claim to have created the Vedas. They are the embodiment of eternal principles; sages discovered them.

Santana Dharma or Vedic religion was not the religion of the Hindus, nor were the Vedic people Hindus, nor will the Hindus of today approve the replacement of the term ‘Hinduism’ with Santana Dharma or Vedic Religion. None can say exactly when the Aryans became Hindus because neither the name Hindu nor its major beliefs and practices existed in the Vedic times.

To this, one must add the marginal place the Vedic gods occupy in today’s Hindu pantheon. In addition, as we have seen, the Vedas themselves are not attractive to most of today’s Hindus as sacred texts. The Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bhagavad Gita, Puranas, and Manusmriti, may have more to do with the Hinduism of today than the Vedas.

Thus, it is clear that there is no direct ancestry of modern Hinduism traceable in the Vedas, though it does have some influence on it “The Vedic corpus reflects the archetypal religion of those who called themselves Aryas, and which, although it contributed to facets of latter-day Hinduism, was nevertheless distinct”:~Santthosh Kumaar

Sage Sankara says:~ If you give up the external world in your inquiry, you cannot get the whole truth.+

Sage Sankara says:~ You must first know what is before you. If you cannot know that, what else can you know or understand? If you give up the external world in your inquiry, you cannot get the whole truth.

Sage Sankara says: ~ V.63 - Without knowing and examining the external world, one can’t know Truth, as the idea that the external world exists, won't go. It can go only by an inquiry into the nature of the external world.

Sage Sankara: ~VC- All this universe which through ignorance appears as of diverse forms, is nothing else but Brahman (Consciousness) which is absolutely free from all the limitations of human thought.

The universe is the product of ignorance. The ignorance is present in the form of the ‘I’.

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.

Till you think you are an individual separate from the world and the world existed prior to you and you are born in it afterward ignorance will prevail as a reality. Till ignorance is there the universe prevails as reality.

Sage Sankara says: ~ “The exercise in discrimination between real and unreal and renunciation of the false is real meditation, then why you are indulging in other types of meditation.

Perfect understanding and realization of ‘what is what’ leads to Self-awareness. By holding on to theories one remains in the realm of duality.

You have to mentally go on dropping what is not the truth through deeper Self-search.

Finally when you become aware of the fact that, your ego, your body, and the world are one in essence then there is Self-awareness in the midst of dualistic illusion.

To say the universe is an illusion without first examining it and inquiring into its nature thoroughly is to delude oneself. This world is common to every one of us; therefore the seeker of truth must begin his inquiry with it.

It is only after he has inquired into the nature of the objective world, that he realizes the universe which through ignorance appears as of diverse forms, is nothing else but the Soul which is present in the form of consciousness is absolutely free from all the limitations of human thought.

It is erroneous to believe the general impression is that the universe disappears to a Gnani, that he sees nothing in Samadhi. Only deluded persons will have such an impression? Nothing is destroyed. Only ignorance disappears and the unreal nature of the universe is exposed. The universe which appears as the waking experience is a dualistic illusion or Maya.

A Gnani has the full and firm conviction that the universe is nothing but an illusion created out of consciousness in the midst of dualistic illusion. The Soul, Self-being aware of its true nature in the midst of dualistic illusion is called Self-awareness.

The universe or the waking experience will not disappear. It is there always but the unreal nature of the waking experience is exposed in the midst of dualistic illusion through Advaitic wisdom. :~Santthosh Kumaar

By doing or not doing the ignorance will not vanish.+

By doing or not doing the ignorance will not vanish. By simply saying this and that nothing is gained a perfect understanding of ‘what is what' leads to Self-awareness.

Do not hold the ‘Self’ as ‘I AM’. ‘I AM’ is a dualistic prison. Realize the Self is the Soul, which is free from the sense of ‘I AM’.

If hold the ‘Self’ as ‘I AM then you permanently remain in ignorance of your true existence, which is beyond the form, time, and space.

The ‘I AM’ represents form, time, and space whereas the Self is the ever-formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.

The Soul is not within your body but the Soul pervades the whole world in which you exist.

Those gurus who think the ‘Self’ is within the body propagated the Self is to be ‘I AM and they also propagate consciousness is limited to the physical body. These Gurus think consciousness is not permanent because it disappears along with physical death.

When the Self is not the body but the Soul, which is birthless and deathless how can you relate the ‘’Self’ to the Soul, which is the ever-formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.

The ‘I-centric’ teachings are mere imagination based on a dualistic perspective whereas the truth is based on the nondualistic perspective.

Don’t bother about anything other than the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. Stick to the Soul, the ultimate truth, or Brahman or God. Mentally don’t let go of your hold on the Soul under any circumstances.

The world in which you exist, your thoughts, and your world are made of single stuff. Knowledge of that single stuff is the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space.

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

When you realize’ what is what’ you will realize everything is nothing but consciousness. There is no second thing that exists other than consciousness.

Advaita is the true nature of existence. The ‘I’ hides the Advaitic reality. Realize the ‘I’ is merely an illusion created out of consciousness, which is Advaita.

Consciousness is Advaita because it is second to none. The world in which you exist is the dvaita (duality) is merely an illusion created out of consciousness, which is Advaita.

The Advaita (Soul) is real and eternal the dvaita (universe) is merely an illusion.

Holding ‘I’ as the ‘Self’ is the cause of ignorance. Realize the ‘I’ is merely an illusion.

Stop identifying the Self as ‘I’ or ‘I AM’. Till you identify the Self as ‘I’ or ‘I AM’ the Soul will remain in the cage of ignorance.: ~ Santthosh Kumaar 

The ‘I’ is identical to the Soul because ‘I’ is merely an illusion created out of the Soul, the Self.

'I’ is not limited to you because ‘I’ is the whole universe. Without the universe, you do not exist.

Limiting ‘I’ to yourself is a great error. Only ignorant Gurus limit the ‘I’ to the physical entity.

You are not you but consciousness; your body is not the body but consciousness, the world in which you exist is not the world but consciousness.

Everything that is known, seen, believed, and experienced by you is nothing but consciousness then what else remains, which is not consciousness.

There is nothing else to realize other than to realize consciousness alone is, everything else is merely an illusion created out of consciousness.

By realizing everything is consciousness, the Advaitic wisdom dawns. Perfect understanding and assimilation of ‘what is what’ leads to Advaitic awareness.

The ‘I’ is identical to the Soul because ‘I’ is merely an illusion created out of the Soul, the Self, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Without the world, in which you exist God alone exists. When God disappears the world, in which you exist appears. The world, in which you exist disappears God appears. Thus, realize the God to be the Soul.

The Soul is the Self. Thus, the Soul which is present in the form of consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth.

If you stick to the ultimate truth then the world in which you exist is merely an illusion created out of consciousness. If you realize this truth you will live in this world but not of this world. Thus, consciousness alone is real and eternal. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

If the universe is an illusion then you, your religion, your karma, sin, heaven, and hell are bound to be an illusion.+

If the universe is an illusion then you, your religion, your karma, sin, heaven, and hell are bound to be an illusion. Consciousness, which is the cause of the illusory universe alone is real and eternal.

The Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, is the ultimate reality or Brahman or God in truth.

Consciousness is infinite and eternal. Consciousness is an absolute reality that transcends any attempts to explain or comprehend it.

Consciousness is indescribable and indefinable. Consciousness is a perfect being, perfect wisdom, and perfect awareness. Consciousness is the cause of the universe and is the source of the universe.

Consciousness is not different from the universe. Consciousness is not an independent reality. The universe is dependent on consciousness of its existence. From the standpoint of the Soul, the Self, the universe is unreal.

The differences between the universe and the Soul are also unreal and real because the universe is nothing but an illusion created out of the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

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 or God in truth. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

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.