Advaita says:~ One alone exists, and the rest is all superimposition on that One, due to ignorance.+

Swami Vivekananda aptly described Sage Sri Sankara’s Advaita as the fairest flower of philosophy that any country in any age has produced.

The Advaitic truth is a rational or scientific truth declared by Bhagwan Buddha and Sage Sankara centuries back, but unfortunately, the original essence of the rational Advaita is lost mainly because of orthodox adulteration and add-ons, which are based on the ego (waking entity), which is the false self within the false experience (waking).

The seeker has to first indulge in deeper self-search without scriptures and understand and assimilate the Advaitic truth, which leads to self-awareness. Thus, soulcentric thinking, reasoning, and judgment are very much necessary in the pursuit of truth.

Sage Gaudapada:~ The non-dual Atman is realized when the individual self (jiva) is awakened from its ignorance. Atman is unborn, dreamless, sleepless, and motionless, and is beyond duality. It is cognition at its purest. It is Brahman- Ayam Atma Brahma, this Atma is that Brahma; Thus epitomizing the core of Upanishad teachings.

Sage Sri, Gaudapada, expands further on these states of consciousness. The Self is AUM. It represents the manifest and unmanifest aspects of Brahman. It is the single syllable that symbolizes and embodies Brahman, the Absolute Reality. It is the Pranava that pervades all existence and is our very life-breath.

Vaisvanara in the waking state is the first part of AAUM. One who realizes this attains his desires.

Teijasa in the dream state is U, the second part of AUM. One who realizes this attains knowledge.

Prajna in deep sleep is M, the third part of AUM, concluding the sounds of the earlier two parts. One who realizes this attains a comprehensive understanding of all.

The Syllable AUM in its entirety stands for the fourth state, Turiya, the one beyond phenomenal existence, supremely blissful and non-dual.

AUM in its integral whole stands for the fourth state, which is transcendental, devoid of phenomenal existence, and is the source of all existence. AUM represents Ultimate Reality.

AUM is thus verily the Self itself. One who realizes this merges into that Self. Meditate on AUM as the Self.

Sage Sri, Sankara says:~ "Kuruthe Ganga sahar gamanam Vratha paripal mathva dhanam. Gyana Vihine.Sarva Mathene.”

Gnana is common to all religions. There is nothing like one Gnana for a Hindu and another for a Christian.

The entire philosophy of Sage Sri, Sankara can be summed up in the following statement:-

Brahma satyam, jaganmithya, jivobrahmaivanaparah: - Brahman alone is real; the world is non-real, and the individual Self is essentially not-different from Brahman.

This is the quintessence of Sage Sri, Sankara’s metaphysics.

Consciousness is the one single reality or Brahman. The individual self is a reality within the duality. There is no individual in the realm of the non-dual reality.

Advaita says:~ One alone exists, and the rest is all superimposition on that One, due to ignorance.

Through a systematic inquiry into the nature of the mind, which is present in the form of the universe, one arrives at the position that the soul, the innermost self, which is present in the form of consciousness, is the ultimate truth or Brahman.

The Soul, the innermost self, is constant and, therefore, real, while the phenomena constituting the universe are constantly changing and, therefore, unreal. The final conclusion is that the form, time, and space of the universe are one in essence. That essence is consciousness. Thus, no second thing exists other than the consciousness.

The seeker of truth has to take into account all three states of our existence, which are waking, dream, and deep sleep ~ in waking or dream, one experiences duality, and in deep sleep, there is only non-duality. In order to obtain a complete picture of our existential reality, we need to include evidence from all three states. This is the phenomenology of consciousness.

The consciousness is one only, without a second. One experience the manifold universe ignorance ~ led illusion “covers" the One and "projects" the Many. The illusion is the veil on the consciousness. In truth, only One, non-dual Reality is all there is. Consciousness is all-pervasive. It is intrinsically Real, self-effulgent, infinite, undifferentiated Pure.

When the soul, the innermost self, wakes up to its own formless nondual true nature, the ignorance ceases, and the illusion, which is present in the form of duality never again experienced as reality.

The show of the illusory duality, however, continues, as before. Only our identification with a particular actor's role is gone forever because the self is in its own awareness.

Self-awareness is Brahmic Bliss! This state is already ours, always in deep sleep in a "general" way. When the Self-Knowledge dawns, then one is awake to it in a "special" way in the midst of duality.

Atman=Brahman or the innermost Self, captures the essence of the immanent (Self) and the transcendent (Brahman) Reality. Humanity has not yet conceived a more lofty conception of its position in the universe.

Advaita only means negation of duality. The soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, is the ultimate truth or Brahman. Consciousness is the cause of the origin, maintenance, and withdrawal of the universe, which is Advaita (i.e., non-dual); it means that consciousness transcends all conceptions, positive and negative. Nothing positive can ever be imagined or said about it.

Consciousness is existence absolute, awareness absolute. Existence absolute means that consciousness is not unreal or non-existent. And it is not unconsciousness. Nothing positive can be stated about consciousness."~Samtthosh Kumaa

Religious people use the word Dharma to signify the religion. But in ancient days the Sages of truth used it to signify the Athma+.

A person who realizes the ultimate truth or Brahman will throw off his religious robe and his religious identity and becomes Avadhuta and live as he wishes.

Many times we get insights in a mysterious way, from mysterious people and in mysterious circumstances. The advanced seekers will be able to grasp the non-dualistic or Advaitic truth. The Advaitic truth is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God.

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

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. You are the chosen one.

Millions are searching for truth, but one in a million will realize it. If you are the truth seeker, then you are one of a million.

The realization of the ultimate truth or Brahman is possible only to the seeker who learns to view and judge the three states based on the Soul, the Self.

The ‘Self’ is not within you. But the world in which you exist is within the Soul. Till you think the ‘Self is within your body, you will not be able to realize the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space.

The world in which you exist is a falsehood. Thus, you are the false Self within the falsehood. The falsehood appears as waking or dream (duality) and disappears as deep sleep (nonduality). Therefore, realize ‘what is real’ and ‘what is unreal’ in order to realize the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space.

Perfect understanding of ‘what is what’ helps to get rid of the ignorance, which is the cause of experiencing the dualistic illusion (world) as a reality.

The world in which we exist is both real and unreal. It is real because it is a manifestation of the consciousness, but it is unreal, in the sense that it is not absolute and eternal like the consciousness itself.

People's approach is more practical, and they stick with the reality of the world; they take it as real. That is why all the confusion.

When the seeker has the firm conviction that the form, time, and space are made of a single stuff and that single stuff is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, then the Soul, the innermost Self, will be able to remain in its own awareness in the midst of the form, time, and space.

Sage Sankara says: Keep the scriptures for children, but throw them on the fire for wise seekers.

Bhagavad Gita 2:46:~ "A man of true knowledge who has attained enlightenment has the same use for all the scriptures as one has for a small reservoir of water in a place flooded on all sides."

By becoming a sanyasi or monk, one will not get Self-realization, truth realization, or God realization. What is the use of becoming a sanyasi or monk when the ‘Self ‘is not you? You are the false ‘Self.’

The ‘I’ is not the witness. The Soul, the innermost Self, is the witness. The Soul, the innermost Self, witnesses the coming and going of the ‘I’. Holding the ‘I’ or ‘I AM’ as the witness is an error because the Self is not the ‘I’ but the Self is the ‘I-LESS Soul.

In Tattireya Upanishad:~ "satyaM vada. DharmaM Cara." Speak the truth, practice dharma. Now, if you want to practice dharma, you should first know what it means. (1.11.1)

The word “dharma “found in the karikas means Atma in Advaita Vedanta.

Religious people use the word Dharma to signify the religion. But in ancient days, the Sages of truth used it to signify the Atma. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Those Gurus who propagate the ‘Self’ as ‘you’, are propagating ignorance.+

Bhagavad Gita says: ~ Among thousands of men, scarcely one strives for perfection; and of those who strive and succeed, scarcely one knows the ‘Self’ in truth.

The path of wisdom attracts only those who are in search of truth, and they appreciate it greatly. The ignorant are not spiritually mature to receive Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana, or Atma Gnana. Ignorant indulge in argument and provocation and personal attack, which hinders their own realization of the ultimate truth or Brahman.

That is why Jesus said: ~ - Do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you. (Matthew -7:6)

~ He meant knowledge of the Spirit or Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

Bhagavad Gita says: ~ “Don't unsettle the minds of the ignorant by revealing the esoteric truth."

As the conviction of the Soul, the Self becomes firm, and all the inherited religious conditioning false on its own.

First, realize the ‘Self’ is not you, but the ‘Self’ is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. Mentally hold on to the Soul and mentally reduce the world in which you exist as consciousness by realizing that the world in which you exist is nothing but an illusion created out of consciousness.

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.

Katha Upanishad says: ~ This Atman is attained by him alone whom It chooses. (II -23-P-20)

Thus, those who have taken the path of wisdom are chosen ones. The chosen one will get the grace of the Soul, the inner Guru. The path of wisdom is the soulcentric path, whereas all other paths are egocentric. All egocentric paths lead to hallucination.

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

Until you hold the Self as you, you will remain ignorant. Those Gurus who propagate the ‘Self’ as ‘you’ are propagating ignorance. Following such Gurus is following the path of ignorance.

You have nothing to do with the Soul, the ‘Self’, because your existence is a reality within the illusory form, time, and space. Without the illusory form, time, and space, you cease to exist.

You are the birth entity bound by death, whereas the Soul is birthless and deathless because the Soul is an ever-formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.

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.

Remember: ~

There is only one Reality to be known, the same for all seekers, but the ways to it are hiddenine religion. Self-discovery is the only way towards the non-dualistic absolute without any religious doctrines, which will help the seekers to unfold the mystery of the illusion in which we all are searching for the truth of our true existence.

There is no higher or lower Self. There is only one Self that is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. The world in which we exist is merely an illusion created out of the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Thus, the Soul alone is real and all else an illusion. Mentally hold on to the Soul and drop the illusion. And rest in the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Realizing the Self is not you, but the ‘Self is the Soul as the Self is Self-realization. Realizing the Self is not you, but the ‘Self is the Soul as the Self is Self-realization. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

People, who hold the ‘Self’ as ‘I’, are the dualists because the duality exists only in the domain of the ‘I’.+

People who hold the Self as ‘I’ are dualists because the duality exists only in the domain of the ‘I’. The duality ceases without the ‘I’. The dualists are ignorant people.

Dualists could not distinguish between ‘I’ and ‘Self.’ They hold the Self as 'I'. Their highest understanding is that 'I' is the Self.

You are so attached to the 'I' that you do not want to think that 'I' does not exist. Again, you are unable to detach the ‘I’ from the Real ‘Self’.

Dualist Sages have written big volumes about the Soul. Yet they are quite ignorant of the fact that the ‘I’ about which they write itself comes and goes and has no permanent existence, is only an idea after all.

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.

Until you hold the Self as ‘I’, ignorance will prevail as a reality. Till ignorance is there, the universe prevails as a reality.

Sage Sankara says: ~ “The exercise in discrimination between real and unreal and renunciation of the false is real meditation, then why are you 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 w, when you become aware of the fact that our ego, your body, and the world are one in essence, then there is Self-awareness in the midst of duality.

The Soul, the Self, is entrapped in the dualistic illusion in the waking experience. In deep sleep, the Soul is free from the dualistic illusion. The dualistic illusion is the product of ignorance. Without ignorance, the dualistic illusion ceases to exist as a reality.

The dualistic illusion is present in the form of the ‘I’.

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

The mind is present in the form of form, time, and space.

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

The universe appears as waking or a dream.

The dream is a parallel waking experience.

The waking experience is a parallel dream.

The individual experience of birth, life, death, and its place in the world is a dualistic illusion.

Only when the Soul, the Self w, wakes from its sleep of ignorance i, can it entangle itself once and for all. But it is possible only after acquiring Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

The Soul, the Self, is hidden by the dualistic illusion. It is not possible to realize the Self by judging it from the dualistic perspective.

Only by getting rid of the ignorance by acquiring Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnan, the true nature of the Soul, the ‘Self’ will be revealed.

Perfect understanding and assimilation of what is truth and what is untruth will help the seeker to mentally hold on to the truth and negate the untruth.

Everyone wants to realize the truth, but truth cannot be known without knowing what the untruth is. The truth is hidden by ignorance unless one realizes the ‘I’ itself is ignorance. Thus, there is a need to realize what this ‘I’ is supposed to be in actuality.

Hence, arises the importance of understanding what this ‘I’ sis upposed to be in actuality to unfold the mystery hidden by the ‘I’.

The ‘I’ is present only when the mind is present. The mind is present only when the world is present. The world is present only when there is a waking experience.

Deeper self-search reveals the fact that the waking experience is not considered different from the world. The world is not considered different from the mind. The mind is not considered different from the’ I’. This truth has to be assimilated.

The ‘I’ is merely an illusion created out of the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. ‘I’ is not the subject. The ‘I’ is an object to the Soul, which is the formless, timeless, and spaceless subject.

If the ‘I’ is an illusion, then the world in which you exist is bound to be an illusion.

If the ‘I’ is an illusion, then the three states are bound to be an illusion.

If the ‘I’ is an illusionthenn the form, time, and space are bound to be an illusion.

If the ‘I’ is an illusion, then the individual experience of the birth, life, deand ath is bound to be an illusion.

If the ‘I’ is an illusion, then the words and thoughts are bound to be an illusion.

If the ‘I’ is an illusion, then the duality is bound to be an illusion.

The seeker has to make sure what this ’ I ’ is 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 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 truth of the whole.

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 as real because some Gurus have propagated that the Self is the ‘I’. There is no need to convince such a mindset. The seeker of truth accepts only the uncontradictable truth, nothing but the uncontradictable truth.

Unless the seeker drops all his accumulated knowledge and strives to realize the truth with patience and humility, it is not possible to realize the ‘Self’ hidden by the dualistic illusion. In the path ofwisdom discussingof unimportant subject matter and it creates a hindrance. The path of truth is the path of verification. Nothing has to be accepted as truth without verification.

The seeker has to read umpteen times, think deeply, and reflect repeatedly until his reasoning base becomes Soulcentric. Once he becomes Soulcentric, the truth will start revealing on its own. As the seeker digs into old and new posts, he will gradually start understanding and assimilating the Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

We have to discard all the accumulated knowledge from different Gurus and their teachings itorealize the truth hidden by ignorance. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Why you are sticking to a Guru who is not a Gnani.+

Someone posing as a Gnani is not a Gnani. If someone poses himself as a direct disciple of some guru cannot be a Gnani. Those who pose themselves as Gnanis are not Gnanis.

A Gnani never poses himself as a Guru, a swami, a sadhu, a yogi, or some Guru’s disciple.

Sage Sankara clearly indicates in Viveka Chudamani (2) ~ Knower of the Atman (A Gnani) "bears no outward mark of a holy man" (Stanza 539).

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

So Sage Sankara wore a Guru's robe only for the sake of the ignorant. So he was identified as Guru with parampara by religious people. For the truth seekers, Sage Sankara is a Brahma Gnani.

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

Thus, it proves that Sage Sankara meant, taking sanyasa and wearing the religious robes to earn bread. Sanyasa is not a qualification to acquire Self-knowledge, Brahma Gnana, or Atma Gnana

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

~ ‘Then why are you sticking to a Guru who is not a Gnani? : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Swami Vivekananda: ~None can teach you, none can make you spiritual.+

People think that their physical Guru or Gurus grace guides them, and they have surrendered to their Guru, and it is the Guru’s responsibility; such blind acceptance leads to hallucination. Those who think their physical Guru’s teaching the ultimate truth will never be able to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

Sage Sankara: ~ "Though I wear these robes of a sanyasin, it is only for the sake of bread."

So, he wore a Guru's robe only for the sake of the ignorant. So, he was identified as Guru with parampara by religious people. For the truth seekers, Sage Sankara is a Brahma Gnani.

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.

Even Swami Vivekananda was Ramakrishna Paramahansa’s disciple. Swami Vivekananda himself said: ~ You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you; none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher but your own Soul.”

The Guru is useless so long as the ultimate truth is unknown, and the Guru is equally useless when the ultimate truth or Brahman has already been known.

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

Those who are stuck with the idea that without Guru and Guru's grace it is impossible to get self-realization are not seeking truth but are stuck with their orthodox ideas. Such a mindset is unfit to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. Those who are stuck with the idea that without Guru and Guru's grace it is impossible to get self-realization are not seeking truth but are stuck with their orthodox ideas. Such a mindset is unfit to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

It is not you who has to be free. It is the Soul, the Self that has to be free from you and your experience of the world.+

It is not you who has to be free. It is the Soul, the Self, that has to be free from you and your experience of the world. Till you hold the Self as you, the Soul, the ‘Self’ -will remain in the cage of ignorance.

You and the world in which you exist are the product of ignorance. Only the ignorant will say you become free. You are the false identity within the dualistic illusion or Maya.

The Soul, the self is nothing to do with you and your world in which you exist because the world in which you exist is merely an illusion created out of the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Ignorance is the cause of experiencing the illusion as reality. Ignorance is the root cause of our bondage. So tooo put an end to our bondage and attain liberation from experiencing the illusion as a reality, ignorance, which is the root cause, has to be destroyed; and ignorance can be destroyed only by attaining Self-knowledge, discriminating it from the illusion.

Wisdom is the means by which Self -Realization is desired to be attained. Self-realization is the highest end of man since it destroys the root of ignorance, the cause of the universe.

Only the Self -knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana destroys the ignorance. Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana, or Atma Gnana, eradicates the foundational ignorance.

Self -Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana alone is the means to the attainment of liberation from the dualistic illusion.

He who has realized the ultimate truth or Brahman transcends the dualistic illusion where he sees no second thing other than consciousness.

The look of an object will depend upon the medium through which the observer views it. In fact, our mental and intellectual conditions determine the world observed and experience. The commoner viewing the world will see it 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; therefore, he experiences the birth, life, death, and the world as a reality, whereas a Gnani sees everything as the Soul, and he is fully aware of the fact that there is no second thing that exists other than the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. Thus, all the egocentric (religious) adulteration has to be bifurcated to realize the ultimate truth, which is beyond form, time, and space.

A Yogi who sees the universe as reality may try to deny it because he thinks thoughtlessness is Brahman. The yogi sees the universe as a second thing, and he wants to banish the universe in Samadhi because he does not know that in nonduality, there is no need to deny the universe. But he has to realize the fact that the universe is not something different from the ‘Self’, which is consciousness.

Those who cannot grasp and realize this position misunderstand it and wrongly hold it to be yogic Samadhi, where there is only blankness. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar