If one accepts the karma theory as a reality, he will never be able to come out of the ignorance.+

 As per Sage Sankara: ~ The karma theory is merely a religious and yogic fable. The path of religion, the theory of karma, the path of yoga, and the path of wisdom were intended for different classes of people.

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

Sage Sankara says in Aparoksh Anubhuti:~

88. When the whole universe, movable and immovable, is known to be Atman, and thus the existence of everything else is negated, where is then any room to say that the body is Atman?

89. O enlightened one, pass your time always contemplating on Atman while you are experiencing all the results of Prarabdha; for it ill becomes you to feel distressed.

90. The theory one hears of from the scripture, that Prarabdha does not lose its hold upon one even after the origination of the knowledge of Atman, is now being refuted.

91. After the origination of the knowledge of Reality, Prarabdha verily ceases to exist, inasmuch as the body and the like become non-existent; just as a dream does not exist in waking.

92. That Karma which is done in a previous life is known as Prarabdha (which produces the present life). But such Karma cannot take the place of Prarabdha (for a man of knowledge), as he has no other birth (being free from ego).

93. Just as the body in a dream is superimposed (and, therefore, illusory), so is also this body. How could there be any birth of the superimposed (body), and in the absence of birth (of the body) where is the room for that (i.e., Prarabdha) at all?

94. The Vedanta texts declare ignorance to be verily the material (cause) of the phenomenal world just as the earth is of a jar. That (ignorance) being destroyed, where can the universe subsist?

95. Just as a person out of confusion perceives only the snake leaving aside the rope, so does an ignorant person see only the phenomenal world without knowing the reality?

96. The real nature of the rope being known, the appearance of the snake no longer persists; so the substratum being known, the phenomenal world disappears completely.

97. The body also being within the phenomenal world (and, therefore, unreal), how could Prarabdha exist? It is, therefore, for the understanding of the ignorant alone that the Shruti speaks of Prarabdha.

98. “And all the actions of a man perish when he realizes that (Atman) which is both the higher and the lower”. Here the clear use of the plural by the Shruti is to negate Prarabdha as well.

99. If the ignorant still arbitrarily maintain this, they will not only involve themselves in two absurdities but will also run the risk of forgoing the Vedantic conclusion. So one should accept those Shrutis alone from which proceeds true knowledge.

The above proves that karma is a reality only on the base of the false Self, where one thinks body and the universes as reality. When one becomes aware of the fact that, the true Self is the nondual Soul, then karma becomes part and parcel of illusion.

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

First Mundaka - Chapter 2 (10) - Ignorant fools, regarding sacrifices and humanitarian works as the highest, do not know any higher good. Having enjoyed their reward on the heights of heaven, gained by good works, they enter again this world or a lower one.

My point is that, if one accepts the karma theory as reality, he will never be able to come out of ignorance. And ignorance makes him believe the cycle of birth, life, and death as a reality. Thus, the freedom which one is seeking will remain a distant dream.

For the one who accepts the birth life, death, and the world as reality, Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana is impossible. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Brahman and Atman are things you can never see. So do not inquire into them.Inquire into the world around you.+

Most of the religious Saints of the past are mostly social reformers, thus, they are more concerned with humanism rather than the truth. Their contribution is very valuable to humanity. Thus, humanism is limited to practical life within the practical world.

The path of love is the path for humanity; therefore, it is the individualized path. Thus, the path of love is limited to the physical structure; it cannot transport one to the ultimate end.

Thus, the seeker has to realize the fact that, from the ultimate standpoint the practical life within the practical world is merely an illusion created out of the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. Thus, love, hate, the world, in which you exist, cease to exist as a reality in self-awareness.

The simple reason is that the average person may have a desire for knowledge, but when the whole society is immersed in the belief system and feeling himself out of place because of societal fear and surrounding circumstances and he thinks, it unfits him, to pursue the path of truth.

Upanishads say humanitarian works as the highest; do not know any higher good. That is because from the ultimate standpoint the world in which humanity exists is the dualistic illusion.

Humanitarian works and services done within the dualistic illusion are bound to be an illusion. Thus, it does not qualify one for Self-realization.

First Mundaka - Chapter 2 (10) - Ignorant fools, regarding sacrifices and humanitarian works as the highest, do not know any higher good. Having enjoyed their reward on the heights of heaven, gained by good works, they enter again this world or a lower one.

First Mundaka - Chapter 2 (8) - Fools, dwelling in darkness, but wise in their own conceit and puffed up with vain scholarship, wander about, being afflicted by many ills, like blind men led by the blind.

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

Yoga Vasistha:- The greatest Gnani: “His state is indescribable yet he will move in the world like anybody else," ..." Though acting after every feeling such as love, hate, fear and the like, he who stands unaffected within is said to be real jivanmukta."

Yoga Vasistha says of the Gnani: "He is a great worker." It also so says, that he keeps his body healthy, does not starve it.

The essence of Mundaka is:- Do not be satisfied with rituals, yoga, etc. which are good in their own way but inquire. Into what? Brahman and Atman are things you can never see. So do not inquire into them. Inquire into the world around you, which you can see. Science tells you it is passing away every second.

Everything is dying repeatedly. Where is it going? Thus you follow up your inquiry into what you can lay hands on. How can you inquire into Atma which you cannot see? So first we deal with the known and seen, this inquiry leads up to the unknown in the end.

When Sage Sankara says the world is an illusion, it includes birth, life, and death, which happens within the world. Thus, the seeker's main aim is to mentally trace the formless substance of the illusion, which is also the witness of the illusion. The formless substance and witness of the illusion (world), is the Atman, and this Atman itself is Brahman.

This Brahman cannot be attained by indulging in egocentric religious orthodoxy.

The knower of Brahman is Brahmin, not the Brahmin who indulges in priestcraft, which leads one to utter darkness as per Yajur Veda. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Religion, sect, cult, yoga is nothing to do with the Advaitic wisdom.+

 

Q:~ R.L.:~ “ Let me get this straight. You are suggesting that only those who choose the Advaitic path and belief will have eternal life? Isn't that pretty much what every other CULT states? So what happens to all those others Souls? Since we are all "one" regardless, how can non-advaitas not have immortality? “

Santthosh Kumaar: ~ Firstly, the religion, sect, cult, yoga is nothing to do with the Advaitic wisdom.

As per the scriptures, the three "Ashrams" or stages in life were originally intended for three grades of intelligence thus:~

 Religion: low intellects had to do 'karmas' works, ritual actions, chanting of mantras and indulging in Bajans and prayers, etc.

 Middle intellects: Yoga: taking yellow robes, going to caves, ashrams, etc.

 High intellects: wisdom who wanted the truth is concerned with no external rites or sanyasa but depend solely on the intelligent inquiry for their path.

You are not the ‘Self’ because you are mortal. You are mortal because you are bound by the experience of birth, life, death, and the world. The ‘Self’ is the Soul, which is present in the form of the consciousness is immortal because it is ever formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.

The one that is in ignorance is the Soul; the one that has to wake up from the sleep of ignorance is the Soul, the innermost Self.

The world in which you exist is the product of ignorance. When ignorance vanishes the world in which you exist is merely an illusion created out of consciousness.

Without the illusion, the Soul, which is present in the form of the consciousness alone will prevail as the ultimate reality or Brahman or God. Thus, the Soul is the ultimate truth or Brahman.

Self-realization is necessary to realize ‘what is truth and ‘what is the untruth.

Remember:~

The Soul, the 'Self' is neither Advaitin of non-Advaitin because it is the ever formless timeless and spaceless existence.

If you had said the same thing in the dream ~ The dream becomes unreal when waking takes place.

Similarly, the waking becomes unreal when the Soul, the 'Self', wakes up in its own awareness in the midst of the dualistic illusion (waking).

The waking experience itself’ is an illusion of how can the mortal become immortal without realizing the whole world in which they exist is created out of immortal stuff, that immortal stuff is the consciousness. Thus, the Soul, the Self is real and eternal and immortal.

When the 'Self’ is not ‘you’ because you are mortal and you are bound by birth, life, death, and the world. Your existence is limited to the domain of the form, time, and space.

The mortal existence is within the dualistic illusion or Maya. Thus, the birth, life death takes place within the dualistic illusion or Maya. Thus, your views and wisdom are based on the dualistic perspective.

From the non-dualistic perspective, there is only the immortal Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. ~ Santthosh Kumaar

“If everything is consciousness, what will happen after death?

 

Q; “If everything is consciousness, what will happen after death?

If you had asked the same question to me in a dream, the dream becomes unreal when the waking takes place. In the same way, the waking becomes unreal when wisdom dawns. You are the waking entity. You are not the Self. The world in which birth, life, and death take place is merely an illusion created out of consciousness.

The world in which you exist appeared as the waking experience (duality) and disappears as deep sleep (nonduality). The one which appears as waking or dream (duality) and one that disappears as deep sleep (nonduality), is the consciousness.

Wisdom dawns when you realize the ‘Self’ is not you, but the ‘Self’ is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. The one, which is born, lives, and dies in the world, is not the ‘Self. The ‘Self is the Soul is birthless and deathless because it is the ever formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.

If the Self is not you but the Soul then why you worry about what happens after death because your present experience of birth, life, death, and the world itself is merely an illusion.

If you think this world is real then:

A person, who stamped his foot on the ground to refute to show the world, is real, ignore that in the dream he would do exactly the same--stamp his dream foot on the ground and assert it to be real.

When you finally realize the ‘Self ‘ is not you, but the ‘Self’ is the Soul then you will realize the world in which you exist is merely an illusion created out of the Soul, which is present in the form of the consciousness.

Thus, you, your experience birth, life, death, and the world mere an illusion created out of the consciousness, the consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God.

The world is both real and unreal. It is real because it is a 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 are stuck with the reality of the world, they take it as real. That is why all the confusion.

In Self-awareness-- the witness and witnessed are one in essence. That essence is consciousness. There is no second thing that exists other than consciousness.

Thus, whatever you have seen, known, believed, and experienced as a person is a reality within the waking experience (duality) but waking experience (duality) itself is merely an illusion created out of the consciousness. Without or without the waking, consciousness will prevail as consciousness. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Thoughtlessness is not wisdom and thoughtlessness is not Gnanic or Brahmic truth.+

Where people cannot and do not think, they follow others. A Gnani will see the world and get to know it is the only appearance. He is not blind; he sees three states or objects as it is, but he knows it is only falsehood. Just as you see a mirage, the Gnani sees the mirage of this universe too; but he is not deceived by it.

So long as one is ignorant, he will have the idea that God has created this world because the causal notion will be there. Nobody wants to suffer, and while the notion that suffering can be got rid of by appealing to God, these wishes will sway the mind to believe in God. For them, religion will arise, but for the man who wants truth, religion offers no consolation.

One has to inquiry into the mind or the world and its nature i.e. matter, there can be no such thing as non-dual wisdom or Gnana without understanding what is mind or universe. Seeker of truth will not be able to find answers in the path of religion and yoga are based on blind belief or imagination because they think the mind is within the body.  

The yogi or religionists may Just by saying “I know” and not explain how one knows the ultimate truth. Because he has read it in the book or scriptures or his guru may have told him “yogic Samadhi is liberation.

The self-deluded believers tell others the same because he has not investigated if it is right. People give lectures and write books on yoga and eastern philosophy. 

Some may say for many years they are enjoying mystic exaltation, trances, meditations, and peace but they have verified what they experienced is really the truth. . Then this state is not permanent because when this state passes away again they enter into duality. This state which is impermanent is not Gnana or self—awareness.  This proves he had attained a yogic condition, but not Gnana. 

Yogic Samadhi vanished because it was not the highest insight. The Gnani, however never loses his Gnana. Dislodging a Gnani from his insight is an impossibility. Once he has thoroughly seen the truth he simply can't fall away from it. 

Many enjoying a similar sort of mystic exaltation and peace, but whether it passes away soon or endures the whole of life, it is not Gnana, because it did not come through striving to investigate the nature of the mind or world, it came only through meditation on the self; that is the yogic reward for such meditation but it is only one half. 

The Gnani not only gets inner peace but also truth because he also has grasped the truth about the matter, which is as much consciousness as his- innermost self. 

It is not possible to stop thought for more than a moment whilst in the waking experience. If one succeeds in controlling thought and then banishes it, one passes into yogic Nirvikalpa Samadhi, which is identical with deep sleep. The only difference between ordinary deep sleep and Samadhi, therefore, is that the ordinary man falls asleep involuntarily whereas the yogi has the satisfaction of knowing that he has passed into sleep by his own effort of will in banishing thoughts. 

Thoughtless states, not wisdom because thoughts arise to the false self within the false experience.  There is no use of struggling to stop the thoughts which belong to the falsehood? One has to trace the source of the falsehood which is not the form of mind or universe to unfold the reality of the true existence.

Thoughtlessness is not wisdom and thoughtlessness is not Gnanic or Brahmic truth.:~Santthosh Kumaar  

It is necessary to repeat the same truth again and again till it becomes reality.+

It is necessary to repeat the same truth again and again till it becomes reality. One needs to constantly reflect on the subject until he gets a firm conviction of what is what. Words are needed until one gets a firm conviction of ‘what is what’. People need reading and hearing the words to think deeply and reach the ultimate end.  

Sage Sankara's commentary to Brahma Sutras [Chap.3.4.50] shows that the Gnani "should pass through life", not run away from life, and should take a middle course between seeking worldly honor and worldly abasement. 

Sage Sankara varied his practical advice and doctrinal teaching according to the people he was amongst. He never advised them to give up their particular religion or beliefs or metaphysics completely; he only told them to give up the worst features of abuse: at the same time, he showed just one step forward towards the truth.  Sri, Sankara was extremely precise and careful in his choice of words. 

That is why 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 which is detrimental to our spiritual progress. 

Sage Goudpada: ~ To establish the truth of Non-duality by sheer reasoning alone. He begins by defining "What is real?" "What is unreal?" etc, because that is the right way to discuss or teach. People must first know what they are talking about. (Mandukya Karika)

 Seeker of truth should not believe blindly in traditional orthodox nonduality without verifying all the facts from every angle. One has to reflect through reasoning over and over again without getting tired of the process

The words are needed until one gets a firm conviction of ‘what is what. People need reading and hearing the words of wisdom to think deeply and reach the ultimate end.  

My blogs and postings help the seeker to remove the mental blockade, which is blocking his realization. And it also helps to dispel all the inborn and inherited conditioning or samskara from the subconscious.

My blogs will help not only as information to move in the right direction to reach the ultimate end of understanding but also helps as subconscious suggestions, which is very much necessary to establish in non-dualistic reality.  By repeated reading and reflecting on my posts and blogs helps the seeker.  My blogs and posts and blogs are not teaching or theory. It only helps the seeker to remove all the obstacles in the path of truth and reach the ultimate end in lesser time and effort. 

Remember:~

The wisdom will dawn only when you start reasoning yourself on the base of the Soul, the Self.

The inner dialogue will start and the subconscious will start judging ‘what is the truth?’ and ‘what is the untruth? and it starts discarding the untruth.

Till you hold your accumulated knowledge as a yardstick and try to interpret it in your own way, it is difficult to tread the Atmic path. All the accumulated knowledge accumulated from different sources becomes an obstacle in the Atmic path.

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

Thus, it is necessary to read again and again till the subconscious starts accepting and judging the truth from the non-dualistic perspective.

The seeker must do his homework by deeper thinking and reflect on the subject umpteen time, then only he will be able to get a firm conviction. The external spoon feeding are mere signposts are to direct him towards reality, which is within the form, time, and space, but it is beyond the form, time, and space.

When the seeker independently starts thinking and reasoning then the truth will start unfolding. The inner satisfaction comes only when one gets a firm conviction of the truth, which is beyond the form, time, and space.

Upanishads All this is full /from fullness, fullness comes when fullness is taken from fullness/ fullness still remains. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Religious people think God is somewhere, up there, monitoring every act of the people, guiding the lost and uplifting the poor.+

Adyatma is nothing to do with religious sect or creed and religious belief. Adyatma is pure spirituality. Knowledge of Atma is Adyatma. Advaita is Adyatma.

Adyatma is the knowledge of the truth beyond the form, time, and space. Bifurcate religion, yoga, and theoretical philosophy and based the truth on the Athma it is Adyatma.

Adyatma is based on the ultimate truth which is based on the Atma or Spirit, which is the Self. The Spirit is Brahman or God in truth. 

Sage Sankara's Advaitic wisdom is pure spirituality or Adyathma.

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

No religious God can exist, apart from consciousness.  Religious people think God is somewhere, up there, monitoring every act of the people, guiding the lost, and uplifting the poor. God is the one who punishes the evil and rewards the benevolent.

Some people even claim of seeing them in stone idols or some conceptual belief, in inanimate or living things. Is it our faith that makes us believe that there is some supreme power above us or is it a reality, can never be answered.  Until this conviction is there one is in the grip of ignorance.

Due to ignorance, the dualistic illusion (the world in which we exist) is experienced as a reality.  Therefore, there is a need to verify the fact that, the Self is not you but it is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Even 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)

If God is Spirit, then how does the man know God created the world? There is no proof. If the man had seen God creating the world, he could admit it, but how could he have seen God before he came into existence? (i.e. were created).

He who thinks God is one and the Soul is another can never be able to understand, assimilate realize the non- dualistic or Advaitic truth.  

It is not the man, who has to be free, but it is the Soul, the innermost 'Self ' has to be free by realizing it is not the man perceiving the world.

People want to get freedom but freedom comes only when the Soul wakes up without the illusory body and the illusory world (duality).  It is the Soul, the innermost ‘Self’ is in the cage of illusion. It is the Soul that wants to get out of the illusion because the illusion and the reality are one in essence. That essence is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. 

Thus, all that man experiences within the dualistic illusion of practical life within the practical world and seeing the vision, speaking to God, seeing God are a reality within the dualistic illusion.

From the non-dualistic perspective, there is no second thing exists other than consciousness (spirit). Thus, consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God. From the standpoint of Brahman or God, everything is Brahman or God in truth.

Sage Sri, Goudpada quotes from the Upanishads: ~"There's no plurality here"; "The Soul through its powers appears to be many"; "those who are attached to creation or production or origination go to utter darkness"; "the unborn is never reborn, for what can produce it?”

People are not aware of the fact that there is no individual God can exist, apart from the Soul, which is in the form of consciousness. Thus, the Soul is the true Self.   If there is no Soul, then there is no physical body, no ego, no universe, no religion, and no conceptual God.

People think that there must be a creator of this universe. if one thinks physical entity or the ego as self, then there is a creator, but if one thinks, the Soul as the Self, then there is nothing exists other than the  Soul, which is present in the form of the consciousness.

If one objectifies and sees a universe, then he is bound to see many things besides himself and postulate a God, the creator. The body, the idea of the God and world rise and set together from, and into, the Soul, the ‘Self’. If God is apart from the ‘Self ‘, then he would be self-less, that is, outside existence, that is, non-existent. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar