The Agamas do not derive their authority from the Vedas but are not antagonistic to them. They are all non-Vedic in spirit and character.+

The Agamas do not derive their authority from the Vedas but are not antagonistic to them. They are all non-Vedic in spirit and character. They are regarded as sacred by the priest-craft, who indulge in non-Vedic worship and practices.

Vedic religion or Santana Dharma has nothing to do with the Puranas, Mahabharata, and Ramayana too. There are myths in Hinduism, but those myths are contained in the Agamas.

The Agamas have their own myths about the gods and do not rely on the Puranic myths at all. Agamic myths are different from Puranic myths in the same stories.

For instance the birth of Lord Ganesha, where it is stated that Lord Shiva and Uma took the form of elephants and created Ganesha out of love, which is entirely different from the Puranic and Mahabharata versions.

Most people in the West also in India find it hard to digest the historical truth, but rather keep parroting that the Vedas and Upanishads are the source and pinnacle of Hinduism because they are unaware of the fact that, Hinduism has nothing to do with the Vedic religion and Santana Dharma.

The erroneous, but prevalent popular notion is that the Agamas ultimately derived from the Vedas or are an amplification of it. This is usually said to find comfort. But the fact is the Agamas preceded the Vedas. It does not derive from the Vedas, nor does it amplify anything from the Vedas. The Agamas have their own philosophy.

Hinduism, consisting of Saivism, Vaishnavism, and Saktism, comprising practically 98% of the Hindu believers, whether they know it or not, abide by the philosophy of the Agamas, and not that of the Upanishads.

Where does that leave the Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas, Mahabharata, Bhagavad-gītā, and Ramayana? At best as unrelated supplemental readings. These supplementary texts have nothing to do with the temples, festivals, sacraments, or philosophy, which is the core of the religious and spiritual life of the Hindu. Along with it, all of its teachings and philosophy, including Varna. For there is no varna in the Agamas!

It is better to hold the view that the Agamas, and the Vedas with their related texts the Upanishads, Puranas, Itihasas, and commentaries, were two parallel and independent streams with much conformity and similarity, except that the Veda stream was eventually replaced completely by the Agama stream. What exists today is the Agama tradition, with the Veda tradition only in name.

That is why Astavakra says: ~ My child, you may speak upon various scriptures or hear the sermons on the scriptures. But you cannot establish the ‘Self’ unless you forget all. 16-1 – p49. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

God in truth is universal. God in truth belongs to the whole of humanity. God in truth is Advaita. +

God must be independent of religion. Sage Sankara himself says the Saguna Brahman or a personal God is part of the illusory world and the Nirguna Brahman is the only eternal reality.

God is universal because God is impersonal. God does not belong to any religion because religious Gods are based on personal beliefs. God has to be realized not worshiped.

How can you see God without knowing what God is in actuality? When the ‘Self is not you how can you find God within you? God is not within you. Those who say God is within you just propagating half-baked knowledge.

First, realize the ‘Self is not within you. You are bound by the experience of birth, life, death, and the world whereas the ‘Self’ is birthless and deathless because it is ever formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.

The Soul is the Self. The Soul is present in the form of consciousness. Consciousness is the cause of the world in which you exist and it, itself is uncaused.

Consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God. From the standpoint of the Soul, the Self the world in which you exist is merely an illusion. Thus, the world that exists hides the Soul, which is the real God.

Till you think the ‘Soul, the Self’ is within you, you will never be able to realize God. God is not limited to you but it pervades in everything and everywhere in the world in which you exist.

Yajurveda – chapter- 32:~ God is Supreme Spirit.

The Bible says: ~ God is a Spirit, and they that worship God must worship God in spirit and in truth. (John 4:24)

The Spirit is the root element of the universe. The Spirit is present in the form of the Soul, the Self. The Soul is present in the form of consciousness.

From the Spirit, the universe comes into existence. In the Spirit, the universe resides. And into the Spirit, the universe is dissolved. The Spirit is the parent of all that is there is.

There is no God but God. There is no God because the world in which we exist is merely an illusion created out of God, the Spirit. Call it by any name God is universal. God belongs to the whole of humanity because God is Advaita.

Religion creates separation. God in truth is unity in diversity. God in truth is one which is the cause of the whole world in which humanity exists. There is no God but God in truth means the world in which we exist is an illusion God in truth is the cause of the world is real and eternal.

God in truth alone is real and all else is an illusion. There is no second thing that exists other than the Spirit or God in truth, God in truth is Advaita.

Religion belongs to you. The religious belief of God belongs to you. All religious code of conduct belongs to you. Religious rituals belong to you. But remember you belong to the dualistic illusion because the world in which you exist is an illusion created out of the Spirit, the God, which is present in the form of the Soul. The Soul is present in the form of consciousness.

God is divine, only held in the bondage of ignorance (matter); perfection will be reached when this bond will burst, and the word they use for it is, therefore, freedom, freedom from the bonds of imperfection, freedom from ignorance.

Know God in truth and realize God in truth.

Religious Gods are mere beliefs. Belief is not God. Religious God cannot be considered as the center because the Soul the ‘Self’ is the center of all that exists.

Without the Soul, the world in which you exist ceases to exist, which means the religious God is dependent on the Soul for his existence. God in truth is only the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

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

Religious Gods are mere beliefs. Religious God cannot be considered as the center because the Soul the innermost ‘Self’ is the center of all that exists.

Without the Soul the world in which you exist ceases to exist, it means the religious God is dependent on the Soul for his existence.

Even Rig Veda: ~ The Atman is the cause; Atman is the support of all that exists in this universe. May ye never turn away from the Atman, the Self. May ye never accept another God in place of the Atman nor worship other than the Atman?" (10:48, 5)

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad says:~ "He who worships the deities as entities entirely separate from him does not know the truth. For the Gods, he is like a pasu (beast)". (1. 4. 10)

Nirguna Brahman is nothing to do with religion because Nirguna Brahman is Atman, the real God is not the God people believe in and worship.

Atman is Brahman (God). The Atman is the innermost Self is non-dual because there is no second thing that exists other than the Atman. Atman is present in the form of consciousness. Consciousness is the only true reality, and everything else, which appears as form, time, and space is merely an illusion.

Your religion has nothing to do with the Soul, the Self because the Soul is a universal God.

The God you believe and worship is nothing to do with the Soul, the Self because the Soul itself is God.

God in truth is only the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Different Religions call God by different names. In Spirituality, the ultimate truth is called Brahman or God. The words and their meaning belonging to plurality are illusory. The words are necessary to indicate the truth. The word God is the best word to express because most of the populace is attached to the word God.

Religious people use the word God for their religious God based on blind belief. In Spirituality, we have to use the word God for the ultimate truth.

Words cause the mind to ramble. The seeker should earnestly try to mentally grasp the truth, which is beyond the form, time, and space, indicated by the words.

Brahman -The English use of the word real as applied to the material world, whereas we Advaitins use it as applied to unseen Atman or consciousness. Hence, many errors have arisen in translations from the Sanskrit.

Brahman ~ “The word Brahman or Sat has no proper equivalent in English. The nearest is the ultimate reality or ultimate truth. The West, however, applies reality to individual objects or the multiplicity of them all: whereas Advaitins apply it to the non-duality. Brahman is called "That" because it is something not known yet by the seeker.

The words are used for communication purposes. From the non-dualistic perspective, the words are meaningless. The words are used within the dualistic to indicate the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space.

Everything is consciousness and consciousness is everything. The consciousness encompasses everything.

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 the Bhagavad Gita itself 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.

Sage 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 non-self.

The path of wisdom is not for the religious populace. It is difficult for religious people to accept the truth because they already accepted something else as truth because of their samskara or conditioning. It is difficult for them to accept anything other than their inherited conditioning.

Even Sage Sankara appears personally and tells them what they have accepted as truth is not truth; they will never be able to accept anything other than their accepted truth.

Religious people must follow their chosen path which makes them happy and gives them satisfaction. Without an intense urge to acquire Self-knowledge, it is impossible to tread the path of wisdom.

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 the receive Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. The ignorant indulge in argument provocation and personal attack, which hinders their realization of the ultimate truth or Brahman.

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

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

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

Humanity has to awaken to the reality of its true existence by realizing the world in which humanity exists is merely an illusion created out of consciousness through Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana frees the Soul, the innermost Self from the cage of the dualistic illusion.

Sage 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.

People dwelling in ignorance but thinking themselves wise and erudite, go round and round by various blind beliefs and tortuous paths and practices, like the blind led by the blind.

Swami Vivekananda said:~ "The Vedas teach that the Soul is divine, only held in the bondage of matter; perfection will be reached when this bond will burst, and the word they use for it is, therefore, Mukthi - freedom, freedom from the bonds of imperfection, freedom from death and misery."

The Advaitic truth is very simple, but it is very difficult to grasp because of ignorance. You have to only realize the world in which you exist is created out of a single clay. And that single clay is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Thus, you and your body and the world in which you exist are nothing but consciousness because they are merely an illusion created out of consciousness. A perfect understanding of ‘what is what’ is needed.

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

It is necessary to reflect on the same truth again and again till it becomes a 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 to read and hear the words of wisdom to think reason, reflect deeply, and reach the ultimate end.

It takes time for the seeker to gain the perfect understanding of ‘what is truth’ and ‘’what is untruth’. It takes time for the Soul, the Self to wake up from the sleep of ignorance, and it takes time for one to realize the truth, which is beyond the form, time, and space.

The Soul, the Self is the only Ancient One. Realize the ‘Self’ is not you but the ‘Self is the Soul. God is not a belief that you worship because the Soul itself is God. in truth : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Some Gurus say the Self is not the body but they speak of five senses which belong to the body.+

Some Gurus say the Self is not the body but they speak of five senses which belong to the body.

The body belongs to you because you are bound by birth, life, and death whereas the Soul is birthless and deathless. After all, the Soul is a formless, timeless spaceless existence.

Sage 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.

You, your body, and the world in which you exist are created out of single clay and that clay is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

The Self is not 'you' means the ‘Self’ is not the body. If the self is not the body then what is the use of controlling the sense organs.

It is necessary to realize the ‘Self’ is not you but the Self is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. The Soul has no organs because the Soul is a formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.

Some gurus propagate by control of the senses leads to Self-realization. By controlling the senses ignorance will not vanish. Without getting rid of ignorance of the world in which you exist prevails as reality.

The universe is the product of ignorance. The five senses (body) have nothing to do with the Soul the Self because the Soul, the Self is ever formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.

From the standpoint of the Soul, the Self, the universe in which the body (you) exists is merely an illusion or Maya.

The Soul, the ‘Self’’ is not visible to the physical eyes. The Soul, the ‘Self’ is not to be found in the world as a thing or as an entity or an object. The Soul, the ‘Self ‘is above these, and has neither beginning nor ending because it is a formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.

The dream universe and the five senses (dream body) become unreal when the waking takes place. Similarly, the waking experience in which you and the waking world exist becomes unreal when wisdom dawns. The wisdom dawns when the Soul remains in its own awareness in the midst of the duality.

Sage 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.

People dwelling in ignorance but thinking themselves wise and erudite, go round and round by various blind beliefs and tortuous paths and practices, like the blind led by the blind.

Deliberate exercise in discrimination between real and unreal and renunciation of the false is real renunciation. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Advaita is the next step higher than Buddhism because it gives the missing reason.+

 Buddhist Sutra and Sage Sankara’s Advaita.

Bhagavan Buddha was a Gnani, not his followers. Bhagavan Buddha’s wisdom was lost, it is because Buddhism was mixed up and messed up with other religions in Asia wherever it existed.

Bhagavan Buddha started the quest and Sage Sankara completed the journey.

You must bifurcate Bhagavan Buddha from Buddhism and Sage Sankara from Hinduism then only it is possible to trace the wisdom of the great Sages of truth.

There is no need to argue whether Bhagavan Buddha is right or Sage Sankara is wrong. Such an argument will not yield wisdom. The seeker must discover where he is wrong in understanding Advaita or nonduality.

Buddhism has not proved the truth of Nonduality. Bhagavan Buddha pointed out the unreality of the world but 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.

Buddhism rejects the existence of the Athma. So without the Atama, it is impossible to prove nonduality or Advaita. thus, Buddhist nonduality is only in words.

Advaita is the next step higher than Buddhism because it gives the missing reason, viz. unity, non-difference from others, and because it explains that it used the concept of removing the sufferings of others, of lifting them up to happiness, only as we use one thorn to pick out another, afterward throw both away. Similarly, Advaita discards both concepts of misery and happiness from the ultimate standpoint of non-duality, which is indescribable.

Buddhists say that a thing exists only for a moment, and if that thing has still some of the substance from which it was produced, how then can they deny that its cause is continuing in the effect; hence its existence is more than a moment. Vedanta is concerned with whether it is one and the same thing which has come into being, or has it come out of nothing.

The distinction between Sage Sankara's Advaita, and Vijnanavadin Buddhism is that the former is mentalism i.e. mind is the real, whereas the latter is idealism, i.e. ideas are real. We follow the former.

Buddhism did not graduate its teaching to suit people of varying grades; hence it failed to affect society in Asia.

Bhagavan Buddha's teachings that all life is misery belong to the relative standpoint only. You cannot form any idea of misery without contrasting it with its opposite, happiness. The two will always go together. Buddha taught the goal of cessation of misery, i.e. peace, but took care not to discuss the ultimate standpoint for then he would have had to go above the heads of the people and tell them that misery itself was only an idea, that peace even was an idea (for it contrasted with peacelessness). That the doctrine he gave out was a limited one, is evident because he inculcated compassion. Why should a Buddhist sage practice pity? There is no reason for it. Advaita is the next step higher than Buddhism because it gives the missing reason, viz. unity, non-difference from others, and because it explains that it used the concept of removing the sufferings of others, of lifting them up to happiness, only as we use one thorn to pick out another, afterward throw both away. Similarly, Advaita discards both concepts of misery and happiness from the ultimate standpoint of non-duality, which is indescribable.

Buddhists say that a thing exists only for a moment, and if that thing has still got some of the substance from which it was produced how then can they deny that its cause is continuing in the effect; hence its existence is more than a moment. Vedanta is concerned with whether it is one and the same thing which has come into being, or has it come out of nothing.

Even the Sunyavada ultimate of the "void" is really a breath, and therefore, an imagination and not truth.

Bhagavan Buddha as a constructive worker committed an error in failing to give the masses a religion, something tangible they could grasp something materialistic, if symbolic that their limited intellect could take hold of, in addition to his ethics and philosophy.

Sage Sankara gave religion; such as rituals, worship, etc.--to the ignorant populace, as well as Advaitic wisdom to those who are capable of grasping it

Bhagavan Buddha gave as the central feature of his doctrine the great law of Karma in order to reiterate its ethical meaning. He did more good in this to uplift the people than the ritualists.

Even in 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.

Dalai Lama said:- Buddhism need not be the best religion though it is the 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-Gulburga).

Sage Sankara disagrees with Buddhists who say, there is nothing - nonentity. Sage Sankara believes there is some reality, even though things are not what they appear to be. If one knows the truth, he will know what to do to find inspiration for action. The seeker of truth‘s subject is to know what is it that is Real.

Buddhism says: that all things are illusory and nothing exists. However, Advaita avers that it is not so. It says that the universe, of course, is illusory, but there is Brahman (consciousness), that exists forming the very substratum of all things (illusion or universe).

Only when we independently search for the truth without religion and its doctrine then we will be able to realize the truth beyond form, time, and space.

There is no need to study neither Advaita Vedanta nor Buddhism to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman. It is no use going roundabout way; trace the Brahman.

Heart sutra: ~ “Gate, gate para gate parasamgate Bodhi svaha”

The heart sutra is a great sutra. Yes, it takes us to the inner realm but all the Buddhist sutras are limited to form alone not to the entire form, time, and space, we have to go beyond form, time, and space by a perfect understanding of ‘ what is what’.

Since the Self is not the form but the ‘Self’ is formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.

All the Skandas are in the physical realm (Form, feeling, perception, mental formation, and consciousness). The Self is not limited to physicality, but it pervades everything and everywhere in the entire form, time, and space. Thus, the heart sutra yields only half-truth.

The Buddhist scriptures were completely distorted by the time of Sage Sankara; therefore, it is not possible to get the pure essence of Bhagwan Buddha’s teaching. Buddhism is mixed up and messed up with other religions wherever it existed in Asia.

Sage Sankara had to criticize the Buddhist literature prevailing then as the Buddhists themselves were confused as to what Shunyata is.

Dalai Lama said: ~ Buddhism need not 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-Gulburga)

Dalai Lama was right in pointing out Buddhism need not be the best religion though it is the most scientific and religion and inquisitive. But Buddhism has no answer to certain questions like the existence of Atama (Soul) and rebirth.

Buddhism has not proved the truth of Non-duality. There is no doubt 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.

The distinction between Sage Sankara’s Advaita, and Vijnanavadin Buddhism is that the former is mentalism i.e. mind is the real, whereas the latter is idealism, i.e. ideas are real. Advaitins follow the former.

Buddhism did not graduate its teaching to suit people of varying grades; hence it failed to affect society in Asia.

Bhagavan Buddha as a constructive worker committed an error in failing to give the masses a religion, something tangible they could grasp something materialistic, if symbolic that their limited intellect could take hold of, in addition to his ethics and philosophy. Here Sage Sage Sankara was wiser and gave religion; such as Bhakti, worship, etc.- to the ignorant masses, as well as wisdom to those of higher intellect.

Sage Sankara gave religious, ritual, or dogmatic instruction to the populace, but pure philosophy only to the few who could rise to it. Hence, the interpretation of his writings by commentators is often confusing because they mix up the two viewpoints. Thus, they may assert that ritual is a means of realizing Brahman, which is absurd.

The Upanishads have the answer for the existence of the Atama.

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

Advaita is the next step higher than Buddhism because it gives the missing reason, viz. unity, non-difference from others, and because it explains that it used the concept of removing the sufferings of others, of lifting them up to happiness, only as we use one thorn to pick out another, afterward throw both away. Similarly, Advaita discards both concepts of misery and happiness from the ultimate standpoint of non-duality, which is indescribable.

Sage Sankara disagrees with Buddhists who say, there is nothing - nonentity. Sage Sankara believes there is some reality, even though things are not what they appear to be. If one knows the truth, he will know what to do to find inspiration for action. The seeker of truth‘s subject is to know what is it that is Real.

Buddhism says: that all things are illusory and nothing exists. However, Advaita avers that it is not so. It says that the universe, of course, is illusory, but there is Brahman (consciousness), that exists forming the very substratum of all things (illusion or universe). : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

In Spirituality or Adyathma, the ultimate truth or Brahman is God in truth.+

In Spirituality or Adyathma, the ultimate truth or Brahman is God in truth.

The word Brahman means ultimate truth or reality which cannot be indicated by any word. The Brahman can be expressed through silence because it is beyond the experience of form, time, and space. Therefore, the word Brahma clearly stands for the essence of the three states, which is consciousness only. The final stage pursuit of truth is to know that the ‘Self’ is consciousness.

The nature of the Soul is the fullness of consciousness without the division of form, time, and space. The fullness of consciousness is emptiness.

Religious Gods are religious truths. In spirituality the ultimate truth or Brahman is God.

The religious truth is the dualistic truth. Spiritual truth is the universal truth.

Religious Gods are based on the belief and without the belief they cease to exist.

Spirit is the Spiritual God and Spirit is universal. Spirit is the cause of the universe and it, itself is causeless.

Yajurveda – chapter- 32:~ God is Supreme Spirit.

Vedas confirm the Atma (Soul), the innermost Self, is present in the form of the Spirit or consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth. Thus, the Vedic God is Spiritual.

Rig Veda: ~ The Atman (Soul or Spirit) is the cause; Atman is the support of all that exists in this universe. May ye never turn away from the Atman, the Self. May ye never accept another God in place of the Atman nor worship other than the Atman?" (10:48, 5)

The Spirit is the root element of the universe. The Spirit is present in the form of the Soul, the Self. The Soul is present in the form of consciousness.

From the Spirit, the universe comes into existence. In the Spirit, the universe resides. And into the Spirit, the universe is dissolved. The Spirit is the parent of all that is there is.

One has to go beyond Vedas means going beyond the religion. Going beyond religion means, going beyond God based on blind belief. Going beyond the Vedas, the Religion, and God based on blind belief is going beyond the illusion. That is the end of the Vedas (Veda –antha).

The realization of the ultimate truth or Brahman itself is God-realization. God-realization itself is real worship. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

When God is present, then man and his world are absent. When man and his world are present then God is absent.+

Mundaka Upanishad 1.3:~ “Complete knowledge includes knowledge of the phenomenal world, the spirit behind it, and the source of both of them. When the cause of all causes becomes known, then everything knowable becomes known, and nothing remains unknown.”

Meher Baba: ~ "There is no higher or lower goal. There is only one goal, Self-Realization."

The Soul is the Self. The Self is God. The Soul remains in its own awareness which we identify as deep sleep in the waking experience. The waking is the state of ignorance. When ignorance vanishes, then the Soul remains in its own awareness in the midst of duality (waking).

Man cannot see God (Spirit), because man and the world in which he exists, is the product of ignorance. Man cannot see God because God is prior to anything that exists.

When God is present, then the man and his world are absent. When man and his world are present then God is absent.

Meher Baba: ~ “When the reality appears this ignorance which one thinks as reality becomes unreal.

Kabir: ~ There is nothing but water in the holy pools. I know, I have been swimming there. All the Gods sculpted of wood or ivory can’t say a word. I know, I have been crying out for them. The Sacred Books of the East are nothing but words. I looked through their covers one day sideways. What Kabir talks of is only what he has lived through. If you have not lived through something, it is not true.

When the Soul the 'Self' stabilizes in its own awareness, then it will transcend the illusion of form, time, and space and reveal its formless, timeless, and spaceless true nature.

The realization of Brahman is possible in this very life not in the next life or next world. The serious and sincere seeker who has patience, humility, and an intense urge to know the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space, will be able to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman.

One, who has realized the ultimate truth, or Brahman, is a Gnani. A Gnani sees the world in which he exists as the consciousness.

All Gurus and paramparas belong to the orthodoxy. Orthodoxy has nothing to do with Sri Sage Sri, Sankara’s Advaitic wisdom.

Identifying the Atman as Self is the most important in the Atmic path. Consciousness is the substratum in which the dualistic illusion is experienced. Consciousness is hidden by the dualistic illusion. Consciousness dwells in everything and everywhere in the universe, which is the dualistic illusion or Maya.

The Atman, the real Self. Atman is present in the form of consciousness. The universe, which is the dualistic illusion or Maya is nothing but consciousness, consciousness alone is real and eternal.

The Soul is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth. The Soul is in the form of consciousness. The Soul is the Self -evident. It is not established by extraneous proofs. It is not possible to deny the Soul because it is the very essence of the one who denies it. The Soul is the basis of all kinds of knowledge, presuppositions, and proofs. The Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness (spirit), is the ultimate truth or Brahman. Brahman is God in truth. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

The Atmic path is straight. One travels from ignorance to wisdom by a perfect understanding of ‘what is what’.+

Advaitic truth means nondualistic existence. The real existence is nondual hidden by the dualistic illusion or Maya.

The dualistic illusion is present in the form of the ‘I’. Realizing the ‘I’ is the untruth lead to the realization of the truth hidden by the ‘I’.

The ‘I’ is the cause of the bondage of the illusory form, time, and space. Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana frees the Soul from the cage of the ‘I’, which is an illusion.

People think of the ‘Self’ as the ‘I’ and they think it is not possible to function without the ‘I’ as a person because they think ‘I’ is limited to the body and ‘I’ is within the body. This is an error. The ‘I’ is the whole universe in which you exist.

People refuse to accept the world is an illusion. But they must think the world in which they exist appears as the waking and disappears as deep sleep (non-duality).

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

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

Thus, people and their experiences of birth, life, death, and the world are merely an illusion created out of consciousness. Consciousness alone is real and all else is an illusion. Thus, consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth.

Many Gurus in the past glorified the ‘I’. People got emotionally stuck with their Gurus worshipping them and got entangled with studying the life and happenings of their guru when their Gurus were alive. They forgot their main goal of discovering the truth of their true existence. This following Gurudom trend is still continuing.

Yoga Vasistha says: ~ ‘Self’-knowledge or knowledge of truth is not had by resorting to a Guru (preceptor) nor by the study of scripture, nor by good works: it is attained only through inquiry inspired by the company of wise (Gnani). One’s inner light alone is the means, naught else. When this inner light is kept alive, it is not affected by the darkness of inertia.

There is no need to condemn Gurus, but there is a need to highlight how they become an obstacle in realizing the ultimate truth or Brahman.

Swami Vivekananda 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.”

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

There are two kinds of audiences - the ordinary ones who desire the transitory heaven and other pleasures obtained as a result of ritual sacrifices, and the most advanced seekers who seek to know the truth beyond form, time, and space. Gurudom is meant for the first audience, to help lead its followers along the way. The Atmic path is meant for those who wish to go beyond the domain of form, time, and space

Sage Sri, Sankara gave religious, ritual, or dogmatic instruction to the masses but pure philosophy only to the few who could rise to it. Hence the interpretation of his writings by commentators is often confusing because they mix up the two viewpoints. Thus, they may assert that ritual is a means of realizing Brahman, which is absurd.

The Atmic path is straight. One travels from ignorance to wisdom by perfect understanding of ‘what is what’?

The search for the truth of our true existence ends in the discovery of the Soul, the ‘Self’’. When form, time, and space are created out of single stuff then there is no division in consciousness. The Soul is the fullness of consciousness without the illusory division of form, time, and space.

It is erroneous to identify the Soul, the innermost ‘Self’ as 'I' or 'I AM' because, the Soul, the ‘Self’ is not 'I' or I AM’. The Soul, the ‘Self’ is that witness of the 'I'.

The ‘I’ is not the expression of the fullness of consciousness.

The ‘I’ is the cause of the division within consciousness.

The ‘I’ is ignorance.

The ‘I’ is the cause of experiencing the dualistic illusion as a reality.

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

The ‘I’ is the cause of the form, time, and space.

The ‘I’ is the cause of the universe.

The ‘I’ is the cause of the three states.

The ‘I’ is the cause of the mind.

Remember:~

Without The ‘I’, it is the fullness of consciousness.

Without The ‘I’ there is no division within consciousness.

Without the ‘I’ there is no ignorance.

Without the ‘I’ there is no dualistic illusion or Maya.

Without the ‘I’ there is no experience of birth death and the world.

Without the ‘I’ is there is no form, time, and space.

Without The ‘I’ there is no universe.

Without the ‘I’ there are no three states.

The ‘I’ is the cause of the mind which is present in the form of the illusory universe or Maya.

People try all kinds of paths and practices to get ‘Self-realization. Realizing the ‘Self’ is not you but the ‘Self’ is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, is Self-realization. Consciousness is the cause of the world in which you exist and it, itself’’ is uncaused.

Consciousness is pure, flawless, and full, beyond form, time, and space. Consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth. Consciousness is beyond all limitations of form, time, and space. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar