If the ‘I’ be true, let it then be perceived in the state of deep sleep also. As it is not at all perceived, it must be unreal.+

If the ‘I’ be true, let it then be perceived in the state of deep sleep also. As it is not at all perceived, it must be unreal.

If the ‘I’ be true, let it then be perceived in the state of deep sleep also. As it is not at all perceived, it must be unreal and false like a dream.

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

Sage Sri, Sankara says: - VC-47 All the effects of ignorance, root, and branch, are burnt down by the fire of knowledge, which arises from discrimination between these two—the Self and the not-Self.

Sage Sri, Sankara says: - VC-162- There is no liberation for a person of mere book-knowledge, howsoever well-read in the philosophy of Vedanta, so long as one does not give up the false identification with the body, sense organs, etc., which are unreal.

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 in order 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 truth of the Soul, the Self, which is present in the form of consciousness.

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 it as real because some Gurus have propagated 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.

The one who holds the ‘I’ as the Self never will be able to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. Thus, it is necessary to realize first the ‘I’ is not the Self, but the Soul the formless witness of the ‘I’ is the Self.

The ‘I’ based teaching and teachers are not a yardstick in the path of wisdom. ‘I’ based teaching will not lead the seeker to the ultimate end of his inner journey.

Different Gurus and teachers are pointing out the understanding of the Advaitic truth on different standpoints. All such understanding of Advaita is on a dualistic perspective accumulated from here and there.

Advaita is not a theory or a philosophy. Advaita is the nature of the Soul the innermost Self. There is no need for any theory or philosophy or scriptures to acquire Self-knowledge. Only a perfect understanding of ‘what is what’ is needed.

The citations from scriptures are not proofs. The ultimate truth has to be proved without the scriptures. The ultimate truth is the universal truth and it does not belong to any religion. The religion causes diversity in unity, whereas, the ultimate truth brings unity in diversity.

It is not that one should pore over the ancient scriptures. There is no need to study first, then realize. One has to realize first, then only he will know ‘what is truth’ and ‘what is untruth’.

One has to make his discoveries through the process of rational thinking.

That is why Sage Sri, 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 Gurus words. For them, their Gurus 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 mindset is not fit to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. The seekers of truth accept only the truth nothing but the uncontradictable truth.: ~ Santthosh Kumaar

When ‘I’ disappears then God appears and when ‘I’ appears then God disappears.+

When ‘I’ disappears then God appears and when ‘I’ appears then God disappears.

God is hidden by the ‘I’. When ‘I’ disappears then God appears and when ‘I’ appears then God disappears. Thus, it is very much necessary to know what this ‘I’ supposed to be in actuality and what God supposed to be in actuality.

The Soul is the ‘Self’’. The Soul is present in the form of consciousness. If the Soul is the Self then whatever based on ‘I’ is bound to be a falsehood. The ‘I’ is not limited to the physical body, because, ‘I’ the whole world in which you exist.

Without the ‘I’, the world, in which you exist cease to exist. WHO AM ‘I’? - inquiry is inadequate and useless to unfold the mystery of the ‘I’. Thus, it is necessary to know what this ‘I’ in actuality.

Know What is this ‘I’: ~

The ‘I’ is ignorance.

The ‘I’ is duality.

The ‘I’ is an illusion.

The ‘I’ is the mind.

The ‘I’ is the universe.

The ‘I’ is the waking.

The ‘I’ is the dream.

The ‘I’ is form, time, and space together.

The ‘I’ is the experience of the birth, life, death, and the world.

Through deeper self-search, the seeker realizes the Self’ is not the ‘I’ but the Soul. Thus, all the ‘I’ based teaching has no value for the seeker who has crossed the boundaries of the ‘I’.

If you cross the boundary of the ‘I’ then the ignorance vanishes.

If the ignorance vanishes the falsity of the ‘I’ is exposed.

If the falsity of the ‘I is exposed than the ‘I’ becomes an illusion.

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

If the form, time and space are an illusion then the world in which we exist is an illusion.

If the world in which we exist is an illusion then the experience of the birth, life, death, and the world.

It is only the sincerity and earnestness of the seeker helps him to realize the truth to unfold the truth hidden by the ‘I’.

The truth beyond the ‘I’ starts revealing on its own if seeker moves in the right direction with a perfect understanding of ‘what is what’.

Anyone who has humility and patience and is sincere and ready to drop their accumulated dross and receptive to accept the truth will be able to acquire Self=knowledge or Braham Gnana or Atma Gnana.

Some of the so-called Gurus hold the ‘I’ as the center, and they think ‘I’ is bodiless and they imagine the truth, which makes them hallucinate. And also they mix all religions, yoga, and scriptures citation and make a good cocktail with their ornamental words.

What is the use of following such teaching which makes you hallucinate? First, know ‘what truth is’ when subconscious accept the truth, which is formless, timeless, and spaceless existence it will start discarding the truth based on the form, time, and space. The subconscious needs a yardstick to analyze ‘what is truth and ‘what is the untruth, then only it is possible for it to discard ‘what is not the truth.

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

The consciousness is the real God rest all is an illusion.

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

When Bhagavad Gita says 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 God other than consciousness.

Vedas, Upanishad and Bhagavad Gita confirm the Soul, the Self, is present in the form of the Spirit or the consciousness is Brahman or God.

The real God is stolen by ignorance and people worship ignorance as God because the religion propagated false God as real God. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Sage Sri, Sankara introduced Who AM I? for the beginners. As the seeker progresses in his quest for the truth he has to discard and go deeper to reach the ultimate realization.+

Who am I? - is not Self-inquiry. The ‘Self-inquiry’ is finding out the ‘Self’ which is hidden by the ‘I’.

The Advaitic wisdom will not dawn by adopting ‘Who AM ‘I’? teachings because they are based on individuality. The individual exists with the illusory universe or Maya. ‘Who AM ‘I’?  teachings will not yield the truth hidden by the illusory universe or Maya. The illusory universe or Maya is a product of ignorance.

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

All the ‘I-centric’ Gurus propagate that the Athma or the Soul or ‘Self’ is limited to an individual but it is not so, because, the Athma or the Soul or ‘Self’ pervades everywhere and everything in the universe. The universe is merely an illusion created out of the Athma or the Soul or ‘Self’, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Remember:~

Sage Sri, Sankara introduced Who AM I? for the beginners. As the seeker progresses in his quest for the truth he has to discard and go deeper to reach the ultimate realization.

WHO AM ‘I’? AND ‘I AM THAT’ is only for a lower stage where one gives up externally in order to expose the false nature of the ego, which is not the full truth. To get ultimate truth one has to inquire into the nature of the mind, which is in the form of the universe.

Inquiring into the nature of the mind or the universe is higher. Thus, ‘WHO AM ‘I’? is not complete wisdom, and the journey is incomplete.

The ‘WHO AM ‘I’?’ inquiry is good at the starting point of the pursuit of truth but later stages it created lots of confusion. 

When the Self is genderless then it is not He/She. Therefore, using the word ‘I AM’ for the ‘Self’ is erroneous. Deeper self-search reveals the fact that the self is not the ‘I’, therefore ‘WHO AM I? will not help to unfold the truth beyond the form, time, and space.

Not by listening to the sermons of the pundits, nor by the study of the scriptures, not by meritorious deeds, nor by any other means can one attain Self-awareness, which is attainable only through association with the Gnanis and the clear quest of the Self.

People from all over the world come to India to get guidance from Gurus and their teaching and get stuck up emotionally with their chosen Guru and end up by glorifying the Gurus and their teaching. So, they forget their quest of truth. So, their quest is incomplete hanging to the Gurus and their teaching.

After studying their Gurus teaching many become Gurus and start propagating what they know as the ultimate truth.

Many write books on Advaita. But such books are based on the borrowed knowledge from here and there. Such knowledge is not Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

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 the untruth, it is impossible to assimilate the Self –Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. Thus, one must know with full and firm conviction what truth is.

Fortunate are the one who does not lose themselves in the ‘I-centric’ Gurus and their teachings. Fortunate is the man who does not lose himself in glorifying and worshipping Gurus and personal Gods but goes straight to the source from where the ‘I’ arise.

First, one has to mentally detach the ‘I’ from the Soul, the Self. The Soul is the formless witness is unaffected by coming and going, of the ‘I’.

Remember: ~

Advaitic wisdom of Sage Sri, Sankara reveals both the real and the unreal nature of the existence.

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

People's approach is more practical, and they stuck with the reality of the world, they take it as real. That is why all the confusion.  .: ~ Santthosh Kumaar

The Vedas confirms God is Atman, which is present in the form of Spirit or consciousness.+

Religions blocks one from realizing God in truth because religion is based on myth whereas Spirituality is based on the truth.

God in truth is not based on your inherited blind faith or belief. The Religions are based on personal God whereas Sage Sri, Sankara’s Supreme Brahman (God) is impersonal, Nirguna (without Gunas or attributes), Nirakara (formless), Nirvisesha (without special characteristics), immutable, eternal, and Akarta (non-agent). God is above all needs and desires. God is always the Witnessing Subject. God can never become an object as God is beyond the reach of the senses. God is non-dual, one without a second. God has no other beside it. God is destitute of difference, either external or internal. God cannot be described because the description implies a distinction. God cannot be distinguished from any other than God. In God, there is not a distinction between substance and attribute. Sat-Chit-Ananda constituted the very essence or Svarupa of God, and not just God's attributes. The Nirguna Brahman of Sage Sri, Sankara is impersonal.

The Soul, the Self is unborn and undifferentiated consciousness is  Brahman or God in truth.

The Vedas confirms God is Atman (Spirit), the Self.

The Vedas bar polytheism thus, it proves that the Hinduism believes in polytheism is not Vedic Religion or Santana Dharma.

The Hindus believed in polytheism, believing all of their Gods to be separate individuals, which were introduced much later by the founders of Hinduism which contains diverse beliefs caste and creed.

The Vedas bar polytheism thus, it proves that the Hinduism believes in polytheism is not ancient Vedic Religion or Santana Dharma.

Bhagavad Gita: ~ “All those whose intelligence has been stolen by material desires, they worship many gods. (7- Verse -20)

The Vedas confirms God is Atman, which is present in the form of  Spirit or consciousness.

Rig Veda: ~ Prajnanam Brahma: - Consciousness is the ultimate reality.

Rig Veda: 1.164.46: ~ Ekam Sat Vipra Bahudha Vadanti” -” The Reality (Truth or God) is One.

Rig Veda 1/164/46: ~ “They call him Indra, Mitra, Varuna, Agni or the heavenly sunbird Garutmat. The seers call in many ways that which is One; they speak of Agni, Yama, Matarishvan.

Rig Veda 8/58/2: ~ Only One is the Fire, enkindled in numerous ways; only One is the Sun, pervading this whole universe; only One is the Dawn, illuminating all things. In very truth, the One has become the whole world.

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 innermost self. May ye never accept another God in place of the Atman nor worship other than the Atman?" (10:48, 5)

Rig Veda declares God is ‘ONE’ and God is Atman, then why believe and worship in place of real God.

In Yajurveda – chapter- 32: ~ It has been said that God Supreme or 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.

Vedas itself says: May ye never accept another God in place of the Atman nor worship other than the Atman? Thus, to know the real God Self-realization is necessary. Self-realization is God-realization. Self-realization itself is real worship.

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 innermost self. May ye never accept another God in place of the Atman nor worship other than the Atman?" (10:48, 5)

Religion makes it complicated to realize the God in truth hidden by the ignorance obscures from human vision.

People of small intelligence follows the religion and believe that the world was created by God. But how do they know that God did so?

In Brahma Sutra Sage Sri, Sankara takes the position that there is another entity outside us, i.e. the wall really exists separately from the mind. This is, because, Sage Sri, Sankara explains in Manduka that those who study the Sutras are religious minds, intellectual children, hence his popular viewpoint to assist them. These people are afraid to go deeper because it means being heroic enough to refuse to accept Shruti, and God's authority, in case they mean punishment by God.

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

In Brahma Sutras Sage Sri, Sankara takes for granted, assumes that the world was created: He there mixes dogmatic theology with philosophy.

That God created the world is an absolute lie; nevertheless, you will find Sage Sri, Sankara (in his commentary on Vedanta Sutras) clearly says this! He has to adapt his teachings to his audience, reserving the highest for the philosophical mindset.

The text of Brahma Sutras is based on religion, dogmatism, but in the commentary Sankara cleverly introduced some philosophy. If it is objected that a number of Upanishads are equally dogmatic because they also begin by assuming Brahman, but a few Upanishads do not but prove Brahman at the end of a train of proof.

The causality and creation, but these are for religious people only. Religion is only for those who are unable to understand truth beyond the form, time, and space. Religion is not final. It only gives satisfaction to the populace. The Self - knowledge is for the whole of humanity to free them from experiencing the birth, life, death, and the world as reality.

People of small intelligence follow religion and believe that the world was created by God. But how do they know that God did so? When a pot is created, one can see both pot and its maker, but not in the case of the world.

Hence, in Vivekachoodamani Sage Si, Sankara says:~ V.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.

The seeker has to begin his analysis with the world first, not with the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. The world in which you exist,  consciousness is the finality. 

A Gnani sees the world in which he exists as the consciousness." But to know this they must be examined and studied.

The yogi does not care to know about the world" and for a Gnani nothing remains to be known for him because he is fully aware of the fact that the universe in which he exists is nothing but an illusion created out of the consciousness.

The Pundits do not know the true nature of the world in which we exist. Scriptures deal only with the Objects, not with the Witness of the objects.

If one starts with the idea that Samsara (universe) exists, he can never see the Soul, which is present in the form of the consciousness, because Samsara (world) is an illusion and only ignorant people read it as a reality.: ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Nirvana is nondualistic awareness is ultimately beyond all concepts and language, even beyond the Buddhist teachings.+

Nirvana is  nondualistic  awareness is ultimately beyond all concepts and language, even beyond the Buddhist teachings.

Buddhism: ~ Buddhist teaching has itself become a kind of interactive and Self -evolving process, much like its idea of pratityasamutpada. However, the end goal is still Nirvana, which is an experience ultimately beyond all concepts and language, even beyond the Buddhist teachings. In the end, even the attachment to the Dharma, the Buddhist teaching, must be dropped like all other attachments. The tradition compares the teaching to a raft upon which one crosses a swift river to get to the other side; once one is on the far shore; there is no longer any need to carry the raft. The far shore is Nirvana, and it is also said that when one arrives, one can see quite clearly that there was never any river at all.

Bhagavan Buddha said: ~” Believe nothing just because a so-called wise person said it. Believe nothing just because a belief is generally held. Believe nothing just because it is said in ancient books. Believe nothing just because it is said to be of divine origin. Believe nothing just because someone else believes it. Believe only what you yourself test and judge to be true.

Even Buddhism is mixed up with regional culture and traditions of the local religion, wherever it existed. Thus, to get the full essence from Buddhism is very difficult.

Dalai Lama said: ~ Buddhism need not to be the best religion though it is most scientific and religion and inquisitive. But Buddhism has no answer to certain questions like the existence of Atama (Soul) and rebirth. Dali Lama said that as an individual he believes in rebirth as he had come across a few cases of rebirth. Modern science, Dalai Lama hoped would unearth the mystery behind the rebirth. (In DH –dec-212009-Gulbarga).

Buddhism and its relationship with Science is like that of water and wine, one cannot say there is no water in wine, but when you drink it, it would not be the water but wine... thus Einstein’s view is water in the wine, because, modern science does not believe in the matter but in this religion, everything is the matter only.

"

Bhagavan Buddha: ~ “There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth: not going all the way... and not starting.

Dali Lama: ~ If the scientific analysis ware conclusive to demonstrate certain claims in Buddhism to be false, then we must accept the findings of science and abandon those claims.

Thoughtless awareness comes only when there is oneness in awareness in the midst of dualistic illusion. The dualistic illusion exists as a reality until the ignorance is there. Ignorance will vanish only when the nondualistic or Advaitic wisdom dawns. The wisdom dawns only when one becomes aware of the fact that the world in which you exist is a dualistic illusion created out of single stuff that is the consciousness.

Thus, by realizing the consciousness alone is and all the three states are merely an illusion created out of consciousness leads to nondual self-awareness.

Buddhist Sunyavada is incongruous because every thought has its opposite every word is tied to its coordinate for all thought and speech can only operate under such dualism. Hence, taking the most fundamental word, existence its implied opposite non-existence is also there, and vice versa. Therefore, the Sunya "non-entity" is meaningless without "entity". Both are there.

Buddhist Idealism speaks only of ideas.

What about the knower of these ideas?

Buddhist Nihilism does not ask, "What is meant by Nihilism?

It is a thought. There must be a thinker of this thought.

Bhagavan Buddha kept silent, refusing to answer questions on the ultimate. Therefore, he was the wisest man in refusing to commit himself.

Zen is quite OK in mentioning non-duality: it is the nearest to Advaita, but it is still inferior because:~

(1)  It fails to prove non-duality,

(2) It illogically gives ‘Koan’ exercises as a means of attaining that which is beyond attainment, because always here,

(3) It talks of insight or intuition to see the reality when sight involves a second thing, duality.

When you say "Nothing is" what is the meaning of "is"? "Sunya" is something which exists: you cannot prove that consciousness does not exist.

Zen Buddhism gives a highly important place for meditation practice. The truth is that Zen advocates the necessity of meditation for those of its adherents who cannot grasp the absolute truth.

Zen Buddhism is also on this lower stage of Yoga because it depends on flashes of Intuition gained by meditation, not by reasoning.

Has the Void a meaning? If so then it is only your imagination.

Bhagavan Buddha gave up yoga after practicing it for six years. He saw it could not yield truth.

Bhagavan Buddha gave up his austerities of yoga as impossible and useless. (Page.70/71 "Buddhism in Translation” by Warren)

Bhagavan Buddha got enlightenment only after he gave up Yoga. Unless you exercise your Buddhi--reason--there is no chance of getting the truth, which is beyond the form, time, and space. Buddhism is based on the form alone, and it does not include the time and space in its investigation.

Buddhism has not proved the truth of Nonduality. Bhagavan Buddha pointed out the unreality of the world. He told people they were foolish to cling to it. But he stopped there. He came nearest to Advaita in speech but not to Advaita fully.

Zen Buddhism Satori is not Advaitic wisdom because it comes as flashes, it does not depend on seeing the world and does not depend upon mental sharpness so much as intuition.

Zen Buddhists are only mystics ~ they do not offer proof. How is their main method different from that of Christian mystics, Hindu mystics, all of whom do not seek to prove by reason, but by "I know," intuition? : ~ Santthosh Kumaar