As we keep digging deeper and deeper, the truth will shine as nondual awareness in the midst of the duality (waking).+

As we keep digging deeper and deeper, the truth will shine as nondual awareness in the midst of the duality (waking).

The Soul, the Self is our ultimate teacher. It is only our inner teacher that will walk with us to the goal, for the Soul is the goal.

Millions are searching for truth but one in a million will realize it.

Deliberate daily exercise in discrimination between real and unreal and renunciation of the false is real renunciation.

Truth is One; It is called by different names. All people are seeking the same Truth...

Everyone is going toward the ultimate goal. They will all realize the ultimate truth or Brahman if they have sincerity and longing to realize it.

Bhagavan Buddha: ~It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles. Then the victory is yours. It cannot be taken from you, not by angels or by demons, heaven or hell.

Inner longing to know the truth, sharpness to grasp, and courage to accept the truth leads one to Self-awareness.

People are immersed in ignorance and experience the illusion as reality, and they do not exert themselves to know the reality of their true existence.

By clinging to things of the unreal world they think of their experience of birth, life, death, and the world as reality.

Remember:~

Blinded with the illusion very few grasp the non-dualistic or Advaitic truth. Only a few escape from the web of illusion, and only a few will be able to acquire nondualistic or Advaitic wisdom.

The non-duality has to be grasped in the midst of the waking experience (duality or mind or universe).

Being aware of the truth and untruth, reality and unreality. And able to establish himself in the truth and able to view and judge, the three states, on the base of the Soul, the Self, which is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth.

Unfortunately, people are stuck with their accumulated ideas based on the false self, imagine nonduality and say nothing exists and call it emptiness.

A Gnani says everything exists (illusion) but everything is created out of the Soul or consciousness.

Everything rises from the Soul and subsides as the Soul (Spirit or consciousness).

Thus, the whole diversity has no relevance, from the standpoint of the Soul as the Self.

Everything (illusion or matter) is nothingness (Spirit or consciousness) realizing the three states are created out of nothingness.

Nothingness is the nature of the Soul because there is no second thing that exists other than the Soul, the Self.

Thus, consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth.: ~Santthosh Kumaar

A donkey with a load of holy books is still a donkey. A person who mastered scriptural knowledge is still a scholar, not a Gnani.+

A donkey with a load of holy books is still a donkey. A person who mastered scriptural knowledge is still a scholar, not a Gnani.

By studying the holy books and sacrifices to the gods, performing rituals, and worshiping the deities, there is no freedom without the realization of one’s identity with the Soul, the Self, which is present in the form of consciousness.

There is no hope of immortality through riches. Action or inaction cannot be the cause of freedom because inaction also is action and action and inaction are part of the duality.

People think by using lesser words or by keeping silent the truth emerges on its own, but they keep hoping and remain in the prison of dualistic illusion or Maya.

The seeker of truth has to strive his best for freedom from experiencing the illusion as reality and fix his attention on the Soul, the Self, which is the cause of the illusory universe.

The Soul is present in the form of consciousness and is the cause of the illusory universe.

Consciousness alone is real and eternal, and it is the source of the illusory universe from where it rises and subsides.

The seeker of truth has to give up all physical-based theoretical practices.

The seeker will realize the waking experience in which the individual experiences birth, life, death, and the world as reality are also as unreal as the dream.

By realizing the formless substance and witness of the three states as consciousness one becomes free from experiencing the duality as reality.

Remember:~

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

That is why 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.

You have to study the book of the universe carefully and find and realize God hidden in it.

All religions claim that their books are not man-made? Hindus claim that the Vedas are Aporsheya: not made by man but revealed by God himself; and Sanskrit is the divine language, not human.

All religions have the same type of claim. Muslims say the Koran has descended from God, and so with Jews and Christians.

Everybody is trying to claim that their book is the sacred book and nobody bothers to look at the real divine book.

This is what the real Veda, the real Koran, the real Bible is. This is the book, and all other books are man-made. Only this universe is the book that is authored by God because God is hidden by the universe.

The universe is the real Veda, the real Koran, the real Bible is. The universe is the book, and all other books are man-made.

Only when you open the book of the universe the God hidden in the book will be revealed. When you finish reading the book of the universe then the universe will become an illusion and God alone prevails as the ultimate reality.

Sage Sankara says: ~ “What is accepted without a proper inquiry will not lead a person to the final goal. On the contrary, such acceptance will result only in evil, in something detrimental to our spiritual progress.

You are also part of the divine book of the universe! And whatever you have seen, known, believed, and experienced as an individual is part of it. :~Santthosh Kumaar

The goal of the true seeker is to acquire the Advaitic wisdom of Sage Sankara.+

The goal of the true seeker is to acquire the Advaitic wisdom of Sage Sankara itself is Self –Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. The Advaitic wisdom of Sage Sankara is the end of all egocentric knowledge.

People always need some sort of hope when their minds are not yet enlightened. "Self is closer to man than his own veins." "With the Self-Knowledge, one will begin to know the ultimate truth, to finally realize that the Self is not the form and becomes conscious that the ‘Self’ is the ‘Spirit’.

Most people lack the patience and perseverance to investigate and collect all the data before judging: hence they assume Guru or Godmen are great because other people say so, or that he is wise because he, himself says so, or that what he teaches is true because it attracts them. Such an attitude and easy assumptions become an obstacle to unfolding the truth and it requires some trouble to put into effect.

 

'I-centric' gurus and their teaching is not the Advaitic wisdom of Sage Sankara. Those who want Advaitic Gnana will not hold anything as real of the illusory world because they will not be able to transcend the dualistic illusion.

 

Accept nothing on the authority of a Godman or genius of the past or present but only if it proves true after the examination. Sticking to a physical Guru or yogi sentimentally and emotionally will block Self-realization. No Guru can transmit wisdom to you. You have to do your own homework.

 

Vedas bar human worship: ~

 

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

 

Then why worship and glorify the Gurus and Yogis (human form) in place of God when Veda bars such activities and it also warns people who indulge in such activities to 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.

No one has ever seen God by practicing religion or yoga or indulging in glorifying the religious God and Goddesses because God exists prior to the form, time, and space. The form, time, and space cease to exist as a reality when wisdom dawns. 

Gods and Gurus have no place in the domain of the Advaitic reality. Advaita is the nature of the Soul, which is God in truth. Thus, Self-realization is the only way to God-realization.:~Santthosh Kumaar 

 

Glorifying Guru, Guru’s Grace, and Guru's blessings belong to religion and yoga. In path wisdom, all these are not required.+

Glorifying Guru, Guru’s Grace, and Guru's blessings belong to religion and yoga. In path wisdom, all these are not required.

The seeker of truth must keep away from this gurudom business.

You do not require the grace of the physical Guru. You and your physical guru belong to the dualistic illusion, therefore, the grace of the physical Guru is bound to be an illusion.

Glorifying and worshipping the physical Guru as God keep you in the domain of ignorance because the physical Guru belongs to the dualistic illusion.

If you are seeking truth nothing but the truth then you must not indulge in such activities. All such activities create an obstacle to realizing the truth, which is hidden by ignorance.

The Guru is useless so long as the ultimate truth is unknown, and 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 in to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

Remember:~

Sage Sankara: ~ "Though I wear these robes of a Sanyasin, it is only for the sake of bread." (Select Works of Sage Sankara" also his commentary on Brihad)

Thus, the above passage proves that all those who were the sanyasin robes are wearing them for the sake of bread belong to the religion; they are nothing to do with the Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

There is no need to criticize and condemn the gurus, yogis, and swamis because they are needed for the welfare of the ignorant masses in the dualistic world.

Sage Sankara himself said: ~ A Gnani "bears no outward mark of a holy man" (Stanza 539).

Thus, it proves that the religious gurus and yogis are not Gnanis because they identified themselves as holy people. 

Remember:~

A person who realized the ultimate truth or Brahman will throw off his religious robe and all religious identity and live like a commoner. He never identifies himself as Gnani nor does he identify himself as superior to others. He only shares his knowledge with his fellow seekers.

A Gnani never identifies himself as a Guru or a Yogi or someone disciple.  The one who accepts himself as a Guru or someone’s disciple is not a Gnani.

Ashtavakra Samhita: ~ "The man of knowledge (Gnani), though living like an ordinary man, is contrary to him and only those like him understand his state.

A Gnani can point at the sky, but the seeing of the star is the seeker's own work.

The truth seeker seeks only truth. The inner Sage will guide you with love. Your sincerity and seriousness lead you to your inner core.  The sincere and serious seekers are not excluded.

All the chosen ones will get freedom from experiencing the illusion (duality) as a reality.  All the seekers of truth are chosen ones.

Katha Upanishads: ~ This Atman is attained by him alone whom It chooses. To such a one Atman reveals Its own form. (II -23-P-20)

All the chosen ones will get freedom from experiencing the illusion (duality) as a reality.  All the seekers of truth are chosen ones. 

Millions are searching for truth, but one in a million will realize it.  If you are the truth seeker then you are, one from that million. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Advaita is the nondual nature of the Soul, the Self. The Soul is one without the second.+

Advaita is the non-dual nature of the Soul, the Self. The Soul is one without the second. The Soul is present in the form of the Spirit or consciousness.  

The Soul is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth. Advaita is the nature of God in truth, the  Soul, the Self. Advaita is  God in truth. Advaita is the fullness of consciousness.

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

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

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

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

Remember this: ~ 

The ‘I’ is not limited to you. ‘I’ is the whole universe in which you exist. Without the ‘I’ the universe in which you exist ceases to exist.  

The universe in which you exist appears when ‘I’ appears and the world in which you exist disappears when ‘I’ disappears. 

The invisible Soul, the  ‘Self is the whole hidden by the ‘I’. 

The ‘I’ is present in the form of the mind, therefore; ‘I’ is the mind. 

The mind is present in the form of form, time, and space. together; therefore, the form, time, and space together are the mind. 

The duality is present only when the form, time, and space are present, therefore, the form, time, and space together are the duality. 

The form, time, and space are present in the form of the universe, therefore, the form, time, and space together are the universe. 

The universe appears as the waking or dream, therefore, the waking or dream is the universe. 

The waking is a parallel dream and the dream is a parallel waking.  

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 ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth. 

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. 

Remember this: ~ 

Without the ‘I’ there is only the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. 

Without the mind, there is only the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. 

Without form, time, and space, there is only the Soul, the fullness of consciousness. 

Without the universe, there is only the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. 

Without the waking or the dream, there is only the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. 

Without the individual experience of birth, life, and death, there is only the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. 

Remember this: ~ 

From the standpoint of the Soul, the ‘I’ is an illusion.  

From the standpoint of the Soul, the mind is an illusion. 

From the standpoint of the Soul, form, time, and space are an illusion. 

From the standpoint of the Soul, the universe is an illusion. 

From the standpoint of the Soul, the waking or dream is an illusion. 

From the standpoint of the Soul, the individual experience of birth, life, and death is an illusion. 

The Soul is the cause of all that exists as an illusion and the Soul itself is uncaused. 

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

Realize, ‘what is this ‘I’ supposed to be in actuality and what is hidden by the ‘I’ will be revealed.  

If you realize the ‘Self ‘is not the ‘I’ but the Soul then whatever is hidden by the ‘I’ will be revealed. Realizing the Soul is not the ‘I’ but the Soul is the Self, is Self–realization. 

The Soul, which is present in the form of 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.   

The dualistic illusion or Maya hides the truth of the Advaita. 

The Soul becomes an illusion in waking (duality) and waking becomes the Soul in deep sleep (nonduality). 

The one that becomes the duality (waking or dream) and one that remains nonduality in deep sleep,  is the Soul, the Self. 

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 accepted as truth other than consciousness. : ~Santthosh Kumaar

 

Sages of truth restrained themselves from parting the Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana was hidden from the people who were not qualified and receptive to it.+

Astavakra: ~ “My child you may speak upon various scriptures or hear the sermons on the scriptures. But you cannot establish in the ‘Self’ unless you forget all. 16-1 – p49

Sages of truth restrained themselves from parting the Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana to the masses and shared it with only a selected few. It was hidden from the people who were not qualified and receptive to it.

Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana was not written down but was imparted orally to the chosen few. Thus, religion was given to the masses, and knowledge of the Spirit was given to only a selected few. Thus, we find traces of the knowledge of the spirit in the religious books in the form of parables.

Swami Vivekananda: ~ “Advaita encompasses everything. Since Advaita requires heavy-duty intellectualism, it had to be progressively simplified. (From 'The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda)

Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana is not based on any teaching or teacher. The Pursuit of truth is the pursuit of verification not the pursuit of an argument. Intellectual discussion is a great hindrance in the pursuit of truth.

Katha Upanishad 1:3:6:~ “Through the knowledge of the Soul, God, one is pure and clean constantly.” Neither by reading the book nor by taking a bath at the holy place has one become pure. Inner purity is possible when one remains in constant touch with the Soul. Constant soul consciousness is the real purity.

It takes time to become receptive to receive Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana because it is Soulcentric knowledge whereas all accumulated knowledge is egocentric.

All accumulated knowledge is of no use in the path of wisdom. Without realizing “What is the truth it is impossible to realize “What is untruth?” Without realizing what is truth and what is untruth it is impossible to assimilate the Self –Knowledge of Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

The seeker must know with full and firm conviction what truth is.

Swami Vivekananda: ~Jñāna Yoga is divided into three parts. First: hearing the truth--that the Atman is the only reality and that everything else is Maya. Second: reasoning upon this philosophy from all points of view. Third: giving up all further argumentation and realizing the truth. This realization comes from being certain that Brahman is real and everything else is unreal.

Sage Sankara says: ~ “Of what avail are the Vedas and (other) Scriptures, Mantras (sacred formulae) and medicines to such a one?

For one who wants to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana, the mantas will not help to realize the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space.

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?

Let erudite scholars quote all the scripture, let Gods be invoked through sacrifices, let elaborate rituals be performed, let personal Gods be propitiated---yet, without the realization of one‘s identity With the Self, there shall be no liberation for the individual, not even in the lifetimes of a hundred Brahmas put together.

A sickness of not cured by saying the word “medicine.” You must take the medicine. Liberation does not come by merely saying the word “Brahman.” Brahman must be experienced. Until you allow this apparent universe to dissolve from your consciousness until you have realized Brahman, how can you find liberation just by saying the word Brahman? The result is merely noise.

Until a man has destroyed his enemies and taken possession of the splendor and wealth of the kingdom, he cannot become a king by simply saying “I am a king.”

A buried treasure is not uncovered by merely uttering the words: “Come forth.” You must follow the right directions, dig, remove the stones and earth from above it, and then make it your own. In the same way, the pure truth of the Atman, which is buried under Maya and the effects of Maya, can be reached by acquiring Advaitic wisdom.

Katha Upanishad says:~ Fools dwelling in darkness, but thinking themselves wise and erudite, go round and round, by various tortuous paths, like the blind led by the blind. (Ch~ II-5 P-14)

There is no need to follow anyone. There is no need to practice anything but perfect understanding and assimilation of ‘what is what’ leads to realizing the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space.

The Soul the ’Self’ reveals ‘what is real’ and ‘what is unreal” when the seeker is receptive and ready.

Sage Sankara said: ~ Talk as much philosophy as you like, worship as many Gods as you please, observe ceremonies, and sing devotional hymns, but the liberation will never come, even after a hundred aeons, without realizing the Oneness.

The seeker of truth must shed prejudices and get disentangled from all that is not needed to acquire Self-knowledge. You must tread the path to a formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.

Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana is the knowledge that unfolds the mystery of the universe.

The universe is created out of single stuff. And that single stuff is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

The world in which you and your guru exist is the product of ignorance. If there is no ignorance, then the world in which you and your guru exist ceases to exist as a reality.

When reality appears this ignorance that one thinks as reality becomes unreal.

Sage Sankara: ~ VC Neither sacred baths nor any amount of charity nor even Hundreds of pranayamas* can give us knowledge about our own Self. The firm experience of the nature of the Self is seen to proceed from inquiry along the lines of the salutary advice of the wise. (13)

Fortunate is the man who does not lose himself in the labyrinths of philosophy, but he tries to get the direct realization of truth hidden by ignorance.

The ultimate truth has to be realized first without any philosophy, then only it is possible to know what the scriptures are saying.

The Reality is simply the loss of ignorance. Until ignorance is there the body, ego and the world exist as a reality.

When ignorance vanishes, then the Soul, the Self, remains in its own awareness.

In Self-awareness there is unity in diversity, thus there is only oneness.: ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Sage Sankara's Advaituc wisdom does not need the support of any Scripture or Revelation like the Veda.+

Sage Sankara's Advaituc wisdom does not need the support of any Scripture or Revelation like the Veda. The Srutis may all disappear, yet will his wisdom stand. Since it is based, not upon the varying theological fancies, which are as numerous as the sands of the sea, but upon reason, the common heritage of all mankind, irrespective of color or creed or clime.

The tenet of Nirguna Brahman is true for Sage Sankara, not because it is taught by the Sruti, but because it is based on the realization though it is also supported by the Sruti...

The Advaitin knows that a legitimate doubt may have here to arisen. The Rishis may have truly spoken, but they may have been deluded themselves. How are we certain that what the Rishis cognized is the Reality or Truth? This can be proved according to the Advaita, only by the realization of truth hidden by the illusory universe.

Remember:~

Scriptures are of value only when dealing with persons who are incapable of understanding the truth. They have no value as authority for those who use reason.

It has been clearly told in the Shruti: ‘Know that One and give up other talks’ (Mundaka Upanishad)

‘A wise man should restrain his speech and keep it within the mind’. (Katha Upanishad)

Sage Sankara says in Viveka Chudamani:~

58. Loud speech consisting of a shower of words, the skill in expounding the Scriptures, and likewise erudition - these merely bring on a little personal enjoyment to the scholar but are no good for Liberation.

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.

Without the scriptures, one has to move ahead in his pursuit of truth.

The reason is the common ground for all humanity, whereas the appeal to scriptural relations reaches only groups. Because all religions are based on the false self and the false experience, there are so many conflicting ideas, many changes, divisions, and subdivisions, which leads to all sorts of doubts and confusion.

When one meets with suffering and disappointment doubts arise. Doubts are absolutely necessary to make one inquire. The pursuit of truth is for getting rid of all doubts.

This is because he says that at the lower stage of understanding, the former teaching must be given, for people will get frightened as they cannot understand how the world can be without a cause, but to those in a higher stage, the truth of non-causality can be revealed.

Sage Sankara himself has warned us not to use ambiguous words and to practice semantic analysis in his book "Definition of One's Own Self. [" Page 199, v.24 of "Sankara's Selected Works]. :~ Santthosh Kumaar