Sage Sankara knew that one day the world would throw up religion and scriptures and appeal to reason.+

The reason is the only tool to unfold the mystery of the universe (I), whereas the appeal to scriptural relations reaches only religious sects and castes. Sage Sankara knew that one day the world would throw up religion and scriptures and appeal to reason.

Let Advaitic wisdom annihilate ignorance and reveal the Soul, the Self hidden by the ‘I’.

Let your ears become deaf to religious propagated myth.

Let your eyes become blind to illusion to realize the Soul, the ‘Self’ as it is.

Yoga Vasistha:~ "Teachers, interpretations of sacred texts, the force of religious merit--none of these lead to the realization of that ultimate truth which is revealed in the clear reflection of the heart, engendered from contact with the good."

Anybody can write a commentary on the Upanishads and other great philosophic texts, all they need to do to pour out words. Some Westerners along with some orthodox pundits translated and published books. The influence of Sage Sankara’s wisdom has nothing to do with Advaitic Orthodox, which belongs to the religion

Authoritarianism merely assumes as true what another says, but what has yet to be proved.

For yogis, mystics or religious pundits interpret scriptures as they like, in whatever way that pleases them, they simply imagine away.

Spirituality does not begin with God. God has to be proved, not assumed. Hence, the so-called Gurus who take God for granted are not Gnanis.

Some philosophers in the past dissented from this interpretation of Advaita, holding that the Incarnated Souls were separate from the Divine Essence and only finally merged with it after the cycles of birth. All these theoretical philosophies are based on the imagination based on the false self (ego or you) within the false experience (waking).

It is quite easy to do this even for those who have never understood the Upanishads but think they have.

Thus, the dualists and their disciples have written commentaries on scriptures: But all these have been written to satisfy themselves, not to get the truth because all their interpretation is based on the dualistic perspective. The truth will be revealed only when one is able to reason from a non-dualistic perspective.

Likewise, thinkers and poets of the Age of Devotion (Bhakti) of the 16th century believed in a God with attributes that became very tangible when incarnating as God and was attainable simply through love and devotion rather than scholastic and intellectual meditation.

The seeker of truth should not be carried away by any Guru's wisdom or by the attitude of authority which they adopt in their sermons. It has no value because it is dualistic.

Remember:~

All these Gurus illustrate the ‘I know’ attitude adopted because they inherited the knowledge from their guru, both of them not knowing really because whatever knowledge they are propagating is dualistic knowledge, which belongs to religion and yoga.

Most people are certainly brilliant intellectually but it is egocentric intelligence that is useful in practical life within the practical world. The quest for truth needs Soulcentric reasoning.

The egocentric subconscious is like a watertight compartment that does not allow Soulcentric reasoning until it becomes receptive to Self-knowledge.

Till the Subconscious realizes the ‘Self is not ‘I’ but the Self is the Soul, the witness of the ‘I’, it will not be receptive to Self-knowledge because it is been conditioned to observe everything from a dualistic perspective.

The reason based on the dualistic perspective is useful in practical life within the practical world. The dualistic reason is of no use to unfold the mystery of the universe.

The reasoning is interpretable in two ways. The egocentric interpretation is to apply it only to the practical purpose (waking experience). The Soulcentric interpretation is to apply it to the three states. The latter leads to a final settlement of the problems because it takes all data into consideration.

Bhagavad Gita: ~ Reason as a means to reality. (Chap.18 verse 37)

In chap. 10 of in Bhagavad Gita, Krishna says: ~ I cannot save you, but I can give you Buddhi (reason). (chap. 10)

In chap. 10 of in Bhagavad Gita, Krishna says: ~ "I have given you the most secret teaching, now reflect over it all" Krishna plainly says reflect, think. (Verse 63 of Chap. 18)

Mundaka Upanishad says: ~ ‘Both states are harmful and take you away from the path of inquiry into truth. (Page 234)

Ashtavakra Gita: ~ It is not the absence of Buddhi (Reason) that can grasp Advaita but the man who possesses the highest intellect. Brains are necessary. Such a man, by merely hearing the truth mentioned will know it. (Page~ 224)

Brihad Up: To see Him whole mystics may have similar ideas of the "universe in a dew-drop," but Advaitic truth demands proof. (Page 78)

Upanishad says: ~ Atman the innermost Self is known by Reason alone, by the sharpened and purified intellect. Yet still, people worship Yoga and mysticism as the sole means of attaining Atman.

Remember:~

The universe in which you exist is an illusion and there is no substance in its reality."

Self-knowledge or Brahma knowledge is the end of all egocentric knowledge. Egocentric knowledge is dualistic knowledge, whereas Self-knowledge is Soulcentric knowledge.

Advaitic wisdom of Sage Sankara has nothing to do with orthodox Advaita, which is dualistic. Orthodox Advaita is a sect, which blindly accepts and follows dogmas and superstitions.

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

Nothing has to be accepted as truth without verification.

Sage Sankara himself had often said that his philosophy was based on Shruti, or revealed scripture. This may be because Sage Sankara addressed the ordinary man, who finds security in the idea of causality and thus, in the idea of God—and Revelation is indispensable to prove the latter. He believed that those of superior intelligence, have no need for this idea of divine causality, and can, therefore, dispense with Shruti and arrive at the truth of Non-Dualism by pure reason.

Sage Sankara is the only sage who has final authority on the Advaitic truth. The Advaitic truth is rational truth and scientific truth without dogma. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

If Advaita existed prior to Buddha, he would not have advocated sunyavada at all because Advaita is the final and ultimate truth.+

It is no use arguing Bhagavan Buddha is wrong or Sage Sankara is right, but where we are going wrong in our understanding of the non-dualistic or Advaitic truth, propagated by the great sages of the past. Some say, that without the sunyavada, Advaita philosophy could not have come into existence because Advaita starts from where sunyavada ends. That is why they say it is an extension of Buddhism. 

If Advaita existed prior to Buddha, he would not have advocated sunyavada at all because Advaita is the final and ultimate truth.

Since the Buddhist and Vedic scriptures have been passed down by hearing, they were written down only relatively late, so one wouldn't know whether to rely on the times they give. Also, a lot depends on the translation. Each 'Sloka' or sutta is open to many layers of interpretation.

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.

Sage Sankara himself had often said that his philosophy was based on Sruti, or revealed scripture.

This may be because Sage Sankara addressed the ordinary man, who finds security in the idea of causality and thus in the idea of God—and Revelation is indispensable to prove the latter. He believed that those of superior intelligence, have no need for this idea of divine causality, and can, therefore, dispense with Sruti and arrive at the truth of Non-Dualism by pure reason.

Sage Sankara’s Supreme Brahman is Nirguna (without the Gunas), Nirakara (formless), Nirvisesha (without attributes), and Akarta (non-agent). He is above all needs and desires.

Sage Sankara says:~ "This Atman is self-evident. This Atman or Self is not established by proofs of the existence of the Self. It is not possible to deny this Atman, for it is the very essence of he who denies it. Atman is the basis of all kinds of knowledge. The Self is within, the Self is without, the Self is before and the Self is behind. The Self is on the right hand, the Self is on the left, the Self is above and the Self is below".

Satyam-Jnanam-Anantam-Anandam, are not separate attributes. They form the very essence of Brahman. Brahman cannot be described because the description implies a distinction. Brahman cannot be distinguished from any other than He.

The objective world-the world of names and forms has no independent existence. The Atman alone has a real existence. The world is only phenomenal. :~Santthosh Kumaar

Sage Sankara says once the error is removed the Brahman (God in truth) will reveal it of its own accord.+

 

Mundaka Upanishad: ~ “These performers of karma do not know the Truth owing to their attachment, they fall from heaven, misery-stricken when the fruit of their work is exhausted.

Arguing with religious believers is fruitless. Belief in tradition and the scripture as if they were true or factual quite clearly is delusion, but the payoff for holding such delusions is, for those who hold them, extremely compelling ~ the avoidance of the "wrath of God," the hope of heaven or salvation, or the imagined "end of suffering."

First Mundaka - 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.

Religious orthodox think that through their good karma and performing rituals, they get moksha. Religious moksha is based on the birth entity whereas spiritual moksha is based on the birthless Soul, the ‘Self’.

First Mundaka - Chapter 2 (9) - Children, immersed in ignorance in various ways, flatter themselves, saying: We have accomplished life's purpose. Because these performers of karma do not know the Truth owing to their attachment, they fall from heaven, misery-stricken, when the fruit of their work is exhausted.

Sage Goudpada says:~ The merciful Veda teaches karma and Upasana to people of lower and middling intellect, while Jnana is taught to those of higher intellect. Karma based on the false self is not a qualification for Self-Realization.

Thus, it proves that the Advaitic wisdom is kept away from religious people who are of lower and middling intellect and made them indulge in karma and Upasana. Thus all the religious prescription is not meant for Self-Realization.

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 Religious orthodoxy is meant for the first audience, to help lead its followers along the way. The Atmic path, with emphasis on the Advaitic wisdom, is meant for those who wish to go beyond form, time, and space.

The conduct-oriented religious orthodoxy is not the means to Self-Realization because all the orthodox theories are based on the experience of birth, life, death, and the world as a reality whereas the world in which the birth, life, and death take place is an illusion.

Religion is for the lower intellect and Advaitic wisdom is for those who are capable of inquiring into their own existence to know and realize the ultimate truth, which is consciousness.

That is why Sage Sankara gave religious, ritual, or dogmatic instruction to the populace, but Advaitic wisdom only to the few who could rise to it.

If you mix Advaitic orthodoxy with Advaitic wisdom creates confusion, because they mix up the two viewpoints. Thus, they may assert that ritual is a means of realizing Brahman, which is absurd.

Indulging in Non -Vedic rituals(Puranic Rituals) in place of Vedic rituals 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." Thus Puranic karmas are not Vedic karmas as per Yajur Veda.

The Puranic karmas are introduced to suit the mass mindset of that time, by the founders of present-day Hinduism by keeping the Vedas as their base. They also introduced a new modified belief system on Puranic Godswith a new code of conduct to revive the Vedic religion, which was in ruins in the hands of Buddhism and Jainism.

Thus, present-day Hinduism with diverse beliefs is not a pure Vedic religion. Thus, this hotchpotch ideology is the greatest obstacle to the realization of the ultimate truth. That is why Buddha rejected the Vedas.

Sage Sankara says: ~ 11. As regards the rituals, the person who performs rituals and aspires for rewards will view himself in terms of the caste into which he is born, his age, the stage of his life, his standing in society, etc. In addition, he is required to perform rituals all through his life. However, the Self has none of those attributes or tags. Hence, the person who superimposes all those attributes on the changeless, eternal Self and identifies the Self with the body is confusing one for the other; and is, therefore, an ignorant person. The scriptures dealing with rituals, rewards, etc. are therefore addressed to an ignorant person. (Adhyasa Bhashya)

Sage Sankara~ 11.1 ~The scriptures dealing with rituals, rewards, etc. are, therefore, he says, addressed to an ignorant person. (Adhyasa Bhashya)

Sage Sankara:~ 11.2. In short, a person who engages in rituals with the notion “I am an agent, doer, thinker”, according to Sage Sankara, is ignorant, as his behavior implies a distinct, separate doer/agent/knower; and an object that is to be done/achieved/known. That duality is Avidya, an error that can be removed by Vidya. (Adhyasa Bhashya)

Sage Sankara viewed this as a distortion of the Upanishad ideals. To play down the prominence given to rituals by the Mimamsakas, Sage Sankara relied on the idea of Avidya He bracketed the ritualistic approach with Avidya and called it an “error”.

Thus Advaitic orthodoxy has to be discarded to realize the ‘Self’ hidden by the ‘I’, which is ignorance.

Sage Sankara states wisdom (Vidya) can eliminate ignorance (Avidya); but the ignorance it eliminates is not real, because it has no existence of its own. Once the error is removed the Brahman (God in truth) will reveal it of its own accord. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

The Vedas do not talk about idol worship. In fact, till about 2000 years ago followers of Vedism never worshipped idols.+

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.

Prohibition of idol worship in Yajurveda: ~

Yajur Veda – 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.

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.

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)

It indicates clearly all the Gods with form and attributes are mere imaginations based on the false self.

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad:~ "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)

The Vedas as a body of scripture contains many contradictions and they are fragmentary in nature. For Hindus, scriptures like the Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana, Mahabharata, and Puranas are more attractive and appealing than the Vedas. And also the Gods and Goddesses they worship differ considerably from the Vedic ones. The collection of hymns called Vedas are written in praise of certain deities by poets over several centuries and does not seem to have much significance for the Hindus

Yajur Veda says:~

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 than 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:~

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

In Vedas, God has been described as ~

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 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)

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

Thus, it clearly indicates that God is without the form and attributes and is ever free.

Vedic Gods, hardly have any significance in the present-day Hindu belief system. The Gods and Goddesses important to the Hindus of today are Ram, Krishna, Kali, Ganesh, Hanuman, Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, and the respective consorts of the last three, namely, Saraswathi, Lakshmi, and Shakti. None of these deities figured prominently in the Vedic pantheon and some of them are clearly non-Vedic.:~Santthosh Kumaar 

Without knowing ‘what is truth?” How can one know “what is untruth?’.+

To realize this truth the seeker has to realize first ‘What is truth?’ to realize ‘What is untruth?’. Without knowing ‘what is truth?” how can one know “what is untruth?’.

All accumulated bookish, scriptural knowledge is not wisdom. Holding some Guru's teaching as wisdom without verification blocks the realization of the Advaitic truth, which is beyond form, time, and space.

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

Sage Sankara:~ Vc.63:~ Without knowing and examining the external world, one can’t know the 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.

Jesus said: ~” Know what is in front of your face, and what is hidden from you will be disclosed to you. (The Gospel of Thomas- Saying 5)

Who am ‘I’? ‘I AM THAT’ is only for beginners on the inner journey. The journey is not over Who am ‘I’? ‘I AM THAT’- teaching. There is much more required to reach the ultimate end of understanding.

That is why Jesus said: ~"Those who seek should not stop seeking until they find. When they find it, they will be disturbed. When they are disturbed, they will marvel, and will reign over all." (Gospel of Thomas 2)

If you are a seeker of truth, then you have to from the dualistic illusion to the nondualistic reality, you have to move From ignorance to wisdom, you have to move From death to Immortality

What is it that appears as the ‘I’ and disappears as the ‘I-less? It is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Do not make the mistake of holding the ‘I’ as the Self because it is not permanent. ‘I’ disappears and becomes ‘I’-less.

‘I’ is an illusion and the ‘I-LESS -Soul’ is real and eternal. The ‘I-LESS- Soul ‘appears as ‘I’ and ‘I ’‘disappears as I-LESS-Soul.

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

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

The Soul is considered the all-pervading consciousness, which is the basis of the universe in which you exist. The Self is not the ‘I’ because it is prior to the appearance of the 'I'.

The ‘I’ disappears as deep sleep, so what is the use of being attached to it? It is impermanent and illusory because ‘I’ is physical awareness. Physical awareness is not Self-awareness.

‘I-less’ awareness is Self-awareness.

It is erroneous to identify the Soul, the Self as the 'I' or 'I AM' because the Soul, the Self is not 'I' or I AM’. The Soul, the Self, is that witness of the 'I'.

To realize the false nature of the ‘I’, Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana is necessary.

The Self is not ‘I’, but the Self is the Soul which is the witness of the ‘I’. Holding the ‘Self as the ‘I’ leads to hallucination based on the imagination.

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 Soul witness of the ‘I’ is the Self, which is present in the form of consciousness.

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. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Sage Sankara do not want you to struggle he wants you to realize the truth right here in this very life.+

There is no need to go round and round by various tortuous paths. There is a clear-cut truth declared by Sage Sankara.

Sage Sankara says: ~ Atman is Brahman (God). Thus, the Soul the ‘Self’ is God. Therefore, all the Gods with form and attributes are mere imaginations based on the false Self. Thus, there is adulteration and add-ons in the past, which have to be bifurcated if one wants pure Vedic essence.

When the Vedas and Upanishads declare that the Soul which is present in the form of consciousness is actually nothing but Brahman, then why go round and round, by various tortuous paths, like the blind led by the blind.

One has to realize that the mind is in the form of the universe. Trace the source of mind and realize that the source is consciousness. The mind arises from consciousness as the waking or the dream and subsides as the deep sleep.

Even 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)

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

Yajurveda – chapter- 32:~ God is Supreme Spirit.

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

The Soul is the root element of the universe. The Soul is present in the form of the Soul, the Self. The Soul is present in the form of consciousness.

From the Soul, the universe comes into existence. In the Soul, the universe resides. And into the Soul, the universe is dissolved. The Soul is the parent of all that is there.

When the Upanishad says: the human goal is to acquire ‘Self’-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana and they indicate the personal Gods, scriptures, worship, and rituals are not the means to ‘Self’ –Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana, then why anyone should indulge in it.

Realize right now right here the Soul, the Spirit is God. There is nothing to realize other than realizing the Self is not you but the ‘Self is the God the Spirit, which is present in the form of consciousness. Knowledge of God is Advaita because God is Advaita, the one without the second

In Manduka Upanishad Brahman and Atman are defined as the same:~ सर्वं ह्येतद् ब्रह्मायमात्मा ब्रह्म सोयमात्मा चतुष्पात् / sarvam hyetad brahmaayamaatmaa brahm soyamaatmaa chatushpaat

Manduka Upanishad, verse-2

Translation:~

sarvam(सर्वम्)- Whole/All/Everything; hi(हि)- Really/Just/Surely/Indeed; etad(एतद्)- This here/This; brahm(ब्रह्म)- Brahm/Brahman; ayam(अयम्)- This/Here; aatmaa(आत्मा)- Atma/Atman; sah(सः)- He; ayam(अयम्)- This/Here; chatus(चतुस्)- Four/Quadruple; paat(पात्)- Step/Foot/Quarter

Fragmented Verse:~

सर्वम् हि एतद् ब्रह्म अयम् आत्मा ब्रह्म सः अयम् आत्मा चतुस पात् / sarvam hi etad brahm ayama aatmaa brahm sah ayam aatmaa chatus paat

Simple Meaning: ~

All indeed is this Brahman; This Atman is Brahman; God, 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.

Imagine a person who is blind from birth and has not seen anything. Is it possible for us to explain to him the meaning of the color red? Is any amount of thinking or reasoning on his part ever going to make him understand the sensation of the color red? Similarly, the idea of Brahman cannot be explained or understood through material reasoning or any form of human communication. Brahman is like the color red; those who can sense it cannot explain or argue with those who have never sensed it.

Bhad Upanishad: ~ “This Self is dearer than a son, dearer than wealth, dearer than everything else because It is innermost. If one holds the Self dear were to say to a person who speaks of anything other than the Self as dear, that he, the latter, will lose what he holds dear—and the former is certainly competent to do so—it will indeed come true. One should meditate upon the Self alone as dear. He who meditates upon the Self alone as dear—what he holds dear will not perish”. (Bhad Upanishad -8-p- -211)

Taittiriya Upanishad (II.1):~ where Brahman is described in the following manner: Satyam Jnanam Anantam Brahman - "Brahman is of the nature of truth, knowledge, and infinity". Thus, Brahman is the origin and end of all things, material or otherwise. Brahman is the root source and Divine Ground of everything that exists and does not exist. It is defined as unknowable and Sat chit ananda (Truth-Consciousness-Bliss).

The ultimate truth or Brahman is God. God in truth is not the religious God that people believe in and worship. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

A great majority of Hindus are not in contact with their religious history therefore, they believe their inherited beliefs as the ultimate truth.+

Dr. S, Radhakrishnan has observed: ~The Hindu civilization is so-called since its original founders or earliest followers occupied the territory drained by the Sindhu (the Indus) river system corresponding to the North-West Frontier Province and Punjab. This is recorded in the Rig Veda, the oldest of the Vedas, the Hindu scriptures which give their name to this period of Indian history.

The people on the Indian side of the Sindhu were called Hindu by the Persians and the later Western invaders. That is the genesis of the word `Hindu'. (The Hindu View of Life by Dr. Radhakrishan, p.12).

Confronted by this difficulty, Dr. Radhakrishan realized that Hinduism seems to be a name without any content. Is it a museum of beliefs, a medley of rites, or a mere map, or a geographical expression? (The Hindu View of Life by Dr. Radhakrishan, p.11

Remember:~

A great majority of Hindus are not in contact with their religious history therefore, they believe their inherited beliefs as the ultimate truth.

Hinduism is not an Ancient Vedic religion or Santana Dharma. All Hindus indulge in non-Vedic practices barred by the Vedas introduced by the different founders of the different sects of Hinduism at different times, whereas the Vedic religion, or Santana Dharma is ancient and has no founder.

To acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana, the seeker has to realize his inherited religion is adulterated in the past and it becomes a great obstacle to realizing the ultimate truth or Brahman.

While they do not accept the texts past the Vedas, they are still monists and uphold other Hindu views. In their reformations, they rejected Brahminical control and they were open to all castes and women.

Hinduism is based on myths and thus, the people of India are unaware of their inherited religious history. The Vedic Culture and Vedas are complete in themselves but Hinduism which is a non-Vedic belief system with all its ritual and conduct-oriented practices has been contributed largely by the orthodox priests to suit their convenience!

Supreme Court of India:~ Hinduism, as a religion, incorporates all forms of belief without mandating the selection or elimination of any one single belief,“ It is a religion that has no single founder, no single scripture, and no single set of teachings. It has been described as Santana Dharma, namely, eternal faith, as it is the collective wisdom and inspiration of the centuries that Hinduism seeks to preach and propagate,” ---Hinduism has no single founder or scripture: SC, The Times of India (Delhi) Dec 17, 2015

Hindus are idol worshipers of a large number of Gods and Goddesses whereas in Vedas the God has been described as:-

Max Müller says ~ "The religion of the Veda knows no idols; the worship of idols in India is a secondary formation, a degradation of the more primitive worship of ideal Gods."

In Vedas God has been described as:~

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

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)

The Vedas as a body of scripture contain many contradictions and they are fragmentary in nature. For Hindus, scriptures like the Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana, Mahabharata, and Puranas are more attractive and appealing than the Vedas. And also the Gods and Goddesses they worship differ considerably from the Vedic ones. The collection of hymns called Vedas written in praise of certain deities by poets over several centuries does not seem to have much significance for the Hindus.

Remember:~

Hindu religious literature is full of such aphorisms as ' there is no higher deity than the Guru; the Guru is the ultimate Truth and Deity. God and Avatars (incarnations) are secondary to the Guru in importance; there is no higher refuge, no higher target, no higher destination than the Guru; the Guru is God Himself; God and the Guru are one; he who makes a distinction between the Guru and God is ignorant and stupid, and scores of similar others. They abound both in Sanskrit and in modern Indian languages

People are born into different sects and remain followers. Most sects are founded by gurus; thus, the Indian belief system is a Guru Cult, i.e., it believes in the worship of the Guru as the Supreme Deity.

When a seeker cannot get full enlightenment from his inherited belief system, then only he searches elsewhere. And tries to enlighten himself further to clear the cobwebs of his understanding and seek guidance in his progress.

The paths of religion, yoga, and wisdom were intended for different classes of people. 

The path of wisdom is for the advanced seekers of truth. It deals with the nature of the ultimate Truth and Reality. It is meant for superior aspirants who have an inner urge to know the truth and it is not for those who are immersed in earthly desires.:~Santthosh Kumaar