First, realize what is the truth to realize what is the untruth to understand Sage Sankara' Advaita.+

First, realize what is the truth to realize what is the untruth to understand Sage Sankara' Advaita.

All the religious scriptures and holy books are irrelevant -- God's greatest book is just in front of you.

Advaitic wisdom rises gradually by the weakening of ignorance as understanding and realization of ‘what is what’ matures.

If the inquiry does not include the universe then it is incomplete. The universe itself is what God is all about. The totality of the universe is what God is all about.

You just study the nature of the universe with all the seriousness and sincerity to unfold the mystery of the universe. That is all you have to do. The universe is the seeker's school.

A scholar is proud that he has accumulated so much knowledge. A Gnani is humble that he knows no more. A Gnani is neither anyone’s guru nor anyone’s disciple.

Some people pass their opinion based on their accumulated knowledge thinking their accumulated knowledge as the ultimate truth but their ‘I’ know attitude merely brings on a little personal enjoyment to them but it is not good for Self-realization.

The Atmic path is not the path of exchange of views and opinions but the path of realization of the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space.

Swami Vivekananda:~ The wicked are always looking for defects. Flies come and seek for the ulcer, and bees come only for the honey in the flower. Do not follow the way of the fly but that of the bee.

Some people just want to exhibit their accumulated knowledge accumulated from here and there. They think what they know is the ultimate truth.

They think whatever they propagate is the ultimate truth. The question never occurs to them, “Is what I know is really the truth?

Mundaka Upanishad 1:2:8:~ “Remaining in the fold of ignorance and thinking “we are extremely wise and learned,” the fools with boastful nature ramble about like the blind led by the blind alone.”

No one can teach anybody. Wisdom is hidden within the world in which you exist. A Gnani can only show the way that much is the work of a Gnani.

A Gnani only guides the seekers to apply their own reason and realize the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space.

When the seeker learns to view judge and reason the three states on the base of the Soul, the truth will start unfolding on its own.

First, the seeker may find it difficult to use soulcentric reason but gradually it will become easy.

Instead of finding fault first realize what the Self is in actuality. Honest introspection will reveal that all fault lies with “you” and “your "own perceptions and attitudes.

If there is an error in understanding what 'Self' is in actuality it is in “you". Correcting this and changing to a Soulcentric attitude will change your perception and then the Soul; the 'Self' will reveal its formless, timeless, and spaceless true nature.

If you are unable to grasp the truth hidden by the ‘I’ then you will never be able to grasp nonduality or Advaita. :~Santthosh Kumaar

A Gnani is not a churchgoer or temple visitor. A Gnani never forces others to follow his way.+

Gnanis have ignored the opinions of whole peoples in their independent search for truth and questioned all beliefs, all scriptures, and all authorities until they could be proven to be true.

Even the arguments that religions have been followed since time immemorial make no difference to them because if people have believed a false thing over thousands of years, the length of time does not prove it true.

The ultimate truth does not belong to the religion because the religion and its blind belief-based God and its scriptures are a reality within the scope of form, time, and space whereas the ultimate truth is beyond form, time, and space.

The Gnani will follow whatever occupation he wishes according to circumstances. There are no prohibitions for him. He may be a peasant or a billionaire.

Gnanis do not perform miracles to attract attention to the truth. If anyone performs Miracles in a dream, the dream becomes unreal when the waking takes place. Similarly, the waking becomes unreal when wisdom dawns.

Remember:~

A Gnani who knows reality interprets everything according to its light.

It is not enough to read books and discuss to bring people into the realization of non-duality or Advaita but perfect understanding, assimilation, and realization are very much necessary

A Gnani is not a churchgoer or temple visitor. A Gnani never forces others to follow his way.

By visiting ashrams and meeting gurus and yogis’, the wisdom will not dawn. There is no need to discuss the truth with people who are not yet ready to receive Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

A Gnani helps the seekers on their appropriate level. He, however, makes known that the higher stages exist and that the others are but steps. Hence, he does not discourage them.

A Gnani always does something that would elevate others who are in search of the ultimate truth. :~Santthosh Kumaar

Satsangha is not attending the sermons and retreats of Gurus.+

One may speak upon various scriptures or hear the sermons of the Gurus, but he cannot establish in the ‘Self.

Satsangha is not attending the sermons and retreats of Gurus. A true seeker is not content with the knowledge of spiritual realities based on hearsay... he insists on the direct knowledge.

All those Gurus who preach Advaita are based on the dualistic perspective or orthodox perspective. Such preaching has nothing to do with the Advaitic wisdom of Sage Sankara.

Your inner work is on. There is no need to neglect practical life within the practical world. There is no need to indulge 24/7 in Spirituality but use your spare time for that.

Do not neglect your family and personal life and spend money on your pursuit of truth. Be happy like any other human being and enjoy life with humility and dignity in the practical world.

Self-realization does not depend upon books or upon the existence of any religion and books perish when ignorance perishes.

The Advaitic truth is hidden by the dualistic illusion or Maya. No books or gurus can transmit Gnana to you.

Even without Guru, you can realize the truth hidden by the dualistic illusion or Maya.

You have to show gratitude for the wisdom and Sages of truth without bondage to them.

Do not blindly believe anything as truth without deeper verification. Think and reason for yourself.

No blind belief can save you, work out your own salvation. Having only one idea of ‘Self’ is an eternal help.

Chandogya Upanishad: ~ One who meditates upon and realizes the 'Self' discovers that everything in the cosmos-- energy and space, fire and water, name and form, birth and death, mind and will, word and deed, mantrams and meditation--all come from the Self.

Remember:~

Satsanga is thinking and reflecting on the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth. the Soul, the Self is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God.

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

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)

To be aware of the Athama or the Soul, at all times is Satsanga. Constant reflecting on the nature of the Soul is Satsanga or association with Gnani is Satsanga.

Satsanga is neither hearing the sermons of the Gurus or priests nor indulging in religious activities nor hearing the stories of mythological stories by Swamis nor reading biographies of Saints and Sages or intellectual discussion but Satsanga is to discover and realize the truth of our true existence. :~Santthosh Kumaar 

Sage Sankara’:~ VC ~293 The whole objective world is non-real.+

Sage Sankara’:~ VC ~293 The whole objective world is non-real. Neither is the ego real, for it is seen to be momentary. How then can the apparent notion "I know all" be true when the ego etc., are themselves momentary?

Viewing judging and concluding the ultimate truth on the base of the ego (false self) will not unfold the mystery of the 'I'. The 'I' is present in the form of the universe.

The Soul is hidden by the illusory universe. The Soul is hidden by the illusory universe because the illusory universe is created out of the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

There is no need for religion, the belief in religious Gods and scriptures in pursuit of truth. Belief or faith is no truth but a myth injected by religion.

Since the religious God based on blind belief is not the cause of the universe but the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness is the cause of the universe.

The Soul is the Self. The soul is present in the form of consciousness. Consciousness is the cause of the dual (waking or dream) and nondual (deep sleep) experiences and it, itself is uncaused.

Consciousness is one and it appears as many (universe or waking). And the many disappear as one (Soul). Thus, the Soul the Self, and the universe are one in essence.  :~Santthosh Kumaar 

Never use the word ‘I’ or ‘I AM’ for identifying the Soul, the Self because the ‘I’ represents ignorance, illusion, physicality, and duality.+

Never use the word ‘I’ or ‘I AM’ for identifying the Soul, the Self because the ‘I’ represents ignorance, illusion, physicality, and duality.

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

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

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

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

People think the ‘I’ without the body is the Self. The seeker has to understand the fact that ‘I’ is not the Self, but the witness of the ‘I’ is the true Self, which is eternal.

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 

From the ultimate standpoint, The waking experience is merely an illusion.+

All the pleasure and suffering are a reality within the waking experience. All the success and failure are a reality within the waking experience.

Love and hate are part and parcel of the waking experience. From the ultimate standpoint, The waking experience is merely an illusion. 

Whatever riches one has whatever riches he has lost are within the waking experience. The birth, life, death, and the world are within the waking experience.

From the standpoint, of the Soul, the Self, the waking experience is merely an illusory experience.

Thus all the happening within the waking experience are happenings within the illusion.

Thus other than the Soul, the Self, all else is an illusion the Soul is present in the form of consciousness and is real and eternal. :~Santthosh Kumar

From a Vedic perspective, Lord Krishna has been just a Mahan yogi and not God himself.+

From a Vedic perspective, Lord Krishna has been just a Mahan yogi and not God himself because Rig Veda says:~ May ye never accept another God in place of the Atman nor worship other than the Atman?"

Bhagavad Gita says: ~ “Brahmano hi pratisthaham” ~ Brahman (God in truth) is considered the all-pervading consciousness, which is the basis of all the animate and inanimate entities and material. (14.27).

When Bhagavad Gita says, that God is considered the all-pervading consciousness which is the basis of all the animate and inanimate entities and material then nothing has to be as God accepted other than consciousness.

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

Hinduism is not a Vedic religion or Santana Dharma. Hindus do idol worship, while Vedas bar idol worship. God pervades everything and everywhere in all three states.

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.

To be considered an orthodox Hindu one need only accept the authority of Shruti, however, there is no universal agreement among Hindus on what constitutes Shruti. Vedantins consider the Vedanta, i.e., the Upanishads as Shruti but also include the Bhagavad Gita and Brahma Sutras as authoritative. For some Vaishnavas, the Bhagavata Purana is to be considered Veda. Some consider the Tantras to be Veda. Thus we find that there is ample scope for different philosophies and practices under the very broad umbrella of Hinduism. Hindus indulge non-Vedic beliefs such as idolatry, ancestor worship, pilgrimages, priestcraft, offerings made in temples, the caste system, untouchability, and child marriages. All of these lack Vedic sanctions, therefore, 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 is realizing the ultimate truth or Brahman.

The seeker's aim is the search for the Ultimate Truth or Brahman. The search to find the non-dualistic or Advaitic truth that in actuality never was lost, only hidden.

Upanishad aspiration is best expressed in the following sutra:-

OM Asato ma sad gaMaya, tamaso ma jyotir gaMaya, mrityor ma aamritaam gaMaya. Shanti, Shanti, Shanti

"OM Lead me from ignorance to truth, from darkness to light, from death to immortality. Peace, Peace, Peace" (Brhadaranyaka Upanishad (1/3/28)).

The belief system was coherent because they had a transcendent God as a central doctrine, whereas in the realm of truth, a religious God with form and name cannot be considered as a cause of the universe because the Soul, the Self is the cause of the universe.

First, one should not hold a God as the center of existence without verification. Both the theist and atheist are theories, with nothing to do with ultimate truth or Brahman.: ~Santthosh Kumaar