Whatever appeared as ‘I’ is merely an illusion. The Soul, the Self is hidden by the ‘I’.+

No second thing existed before the appearance of the ‘I’ and ‘I’ never exists now and also ‘I’ never exists in the future. Whatever appeared as ‘I’ is merely an illusion or Maya.

Let you be clear on one thing. The ‘I’ is merely a dualistic illusion created out of the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. but in reality, ‘I’ neither exists in the past nor exists now, nor going to exist in the future.

Whatever existed in the past, whatever exists now, and whatever is going to exist in the future is merely an illusion created out of consciousness.

Whatever has appeared as ‘I’ is nothing but consciousness? The ‘I’ has no value because it is merely an illusion.

If you search for the truth you will find only the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. If you search for the Soul then you will find only the truth, which is beyond the form, time, and space.

Freedom means freedom from ignorance. It is not you who is seeking freedom. It is the Soul, the Self which seeks freedom from ignorance.

Shun the ignorance which is present in the form ‘I’ and think the ignorance is like poison.

Turn your attention to the Soul, the Self, which is present in the form of consciousness. The Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth. Free the Soul, the Self from the illusory prison of form, time, and space.

When you realize the ‘Self is not you but the ‘Self’ is the Soul automatically the world in which you exist loses its luster of reality.

Remember: you are the false self within the dualistic illusion, which is present in the form of the ‘I’. without the ‘I’ you, and the world in which you exist ceases to exist. So do not limit the ‘I’ to an individual because the ‘Self is not ‘I’ because the ‘I’ is a whole dualistic illusion.

If you are not the ‘Self’ but the ‘Self’ is the Soul, then how can you say ‘I AM THAT’ when the Self is not you but the Soul.

A perfect understanding of ‘what is what’ leads to Self-realization.

Holding ‘I-centric’ Gurus and their teaching as final blocks of Self-realization.

If you are the seeker of truth, then you must accept only the truth, not the ‘I-centric or you-centric knowledge, which is half-baked knowledge. The ‘I-centric or ‘you-centric’ is not Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

The ‘I’ hides the reality of existence. The nature of existence is a formless, timeless, and spaceless existence. There is no ‘I’ in reality. The ‘I’ is merely an illusion. Whatever belongs to the ‘I’ is an illusion.

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.

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

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 three states, are bound to be an illusion.

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

If 'I’ is an illusion then the individual experience of birth, life, and death 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 is this ‘I’ supposed to be? The seeker has to make sure the unreal nature of the ‘I’ comes and goes to realize the truth, which is beyond the form, time, and space.

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

That is why Bhagavad Gita: ~ The permanent is always there, only the transient ‘I’ comes and goes. (2.18)

The ‘I’ hides the Soul, the Self, which is present in the form of consciousness. The ‘I’ itself is ignorance. The ‘I’ itself is a dualistic illusion.

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 'I' as real because some Gurus have propagated that 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.

That is why Sage 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.

People refuse to accept anything other than their Guru's words. For them, their Guru's 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 a mindset is not fit to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Athma Gnana. The seekers of truth accept only the truth nothing but the uncontradictable truth.

The Advaitic wisdom of Sage Sankara has dynamic, direct, universal appeal.: ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Those who are propagating the Self as you are propagating ignorance, not Sage Sankara’s Advaitic wisdom.+

The ‘Self’ is not you because you are the false identity within the dualistic illusion. The dualistic illusion hides the ‘Self’. How can you identify the Self as you or 'I' when you belong to the dualistic illusion?

Those who are propagating the Self as you are propagating ignorance, not Sage Sankara’s Advaitic wisdom.

What is this ‘I’?

The ‘I’ is not a thought. The ‘I’ is the mind. The mind is the whole universe. The universe appears as a waking or dream (duality and disappears as deep sleep (non-duality).

The one that appears as waking or dream (duality) and disappears as deep sleep (nonduality) is the Soul, the Self.

The Soul is present in the form of consciousness. consciousness pervades everything and everywhere in all three states.

Without knowing what is the mind, it is impossible to realize the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space.

People think the mind is within the body, but deeper self-search reveals the fact that the world in which you exist itself is the mind.

When the ‘I’ is there then only the mind is there. If the mind is there then only the universe is present.

If the universe is there then only the waking is there. Thus, it is very much necessary to realize the ‘what ‘I’ is in actuality.

Without knowing ‘what is this ‘I’ it is impossible to realize the ‘I-less’ truth, which is beyond form, time, and space.

Until you hold the ‘Self ‘as the ‘I’ you will never be able to get Self-realization.

‘I’ hides the Soul, which is the Self.

'I’ is ignorance.

‘I’ is the duality.

‘I’ is the form, time, and space.

‘I’ is the universe.

‘I’ is the waking.

‘I’ is the dream.

‘I’ is the illusion.

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

Remember:~

Without the ‘I’ there is no ignorance.

Without the ‘I’ there is no duality.

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

Without the ‘I’ there is no universe.

Without the ‘I’ there is no waking.

Without the ‘I’ there is no dream.

Without the ‘I’ there is no illusion.

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

The ‘I’ hides the Soul, the Self, which is the cause of the 'I'.

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.

The Bhagavad Gita: ~ The permanent is always there, only the transient ‘I’ comes and goes. (2.18)

Attachment to the ‘I’ is an attachment to ignorance. Ignorance is the cause of experiencing the dualistic illusion as a reality.

Remember the ‘Self’ is not 'I' but the ‘Self’ is Soul. Realization of the Soul as the Self is detachment from the ‘I’, which is ignorance. Holding the Self as 'I' is holding the dualistic illusion (world) as a reality.

Detachment from ignorance is freedom for the Soul, the Self from the prison of the dualistic illusion.: ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Holding ‘I-centric’ Gurus and their teaching as final, blocks Self-realization.+

How can you check within without knowing what is within? Without knowing what ‘Self is how can you know the truth hidden by the ‘I’.

Freedom means freedom from ignorance. It is not you who is seeking freedom. It is the Soul, the Self which seeks freedom from ignorance.

Shun the ignorance which is present in the form ‘I’ and think the ignorance is like poison.

Turn your attention to the Soul, the Self, which is present in the form of consciousness. The Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth. Free the Soul, the Self from the illusory prison of form, time, and space.

When you realize the ‘Self is not you but the ‘Self’ is the Soul automatically the world in which you exist loses its luster of the reality.

Remember:~ you are the false self within the dualistic illusion, which is present in the form of the ‘I’. without the ‘I’ you, and the world in which you exist ceases to exist. So do not limit the ‘I’ to an individual because the ‘Self is not ‘I’ because the ‘I’ is a whole dualistic illusion.

If you are not the ‘Self’ but the ‘Self’ is the Soul, then how can you say ‘I AM THAT’ when the Self is not you but the Soul.

A perfect understanding of ‘what is what’ leads to Self-realization.

Holding ‘I-centric’ Gurus and their teaching as final blocks of Self-realization.

If you are the seeker of truth, then you must accept only the truth, not the ‘I-centric or you-centric knowledge, which is half-baked knowledge. The ‘I-centric or ‘you-centric’ is not Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

The ‘I’ hides the reality of existence. The nature of existence is a formless, timeless, and spaceless existence. There is no ‘I’ in reality. The ‘I’ is merely an illusion. Whatever belongs to the ‘I’ is an illusion.

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.

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

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 three states, are bound to be an illusion.

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

If the 'I’ is an illusion then the individual experience of birth, life, and death 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 is this ‘I’ supposed to be? The seeker has to make sure the unreal nature of the ‘I’ 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 Soul, the Self, which is present in the form of consciousness. The ‘I’ itself is ignorance. The ‘I’ itself is a dualistic illusion.

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 'I' 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 truth nothing but the truth.

That is why Sage 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.

People refuse to accept anything other than their Guru's words. For them, their Guru's 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 a mindset is not fit to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Athma Gnana. The seekers of truth accept only the truth nothing but the uncontradictable truth.

The Advaitic wisdom of Sage Sankara has dynamic, direct, universal appeal.: ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Consciousness is prior to all that exist (universe).+

Q: ~ Life is prior to consciousness. Without life, there cannot be consciousness. Consciousness can be graded into degrees. Life is absolute. Please comment.

Santthosh Kumaar: ~ As per my conviction: ~

From the dualistic perspective, dualists’ thinkers think that Life is prior to consciousness.

But deeper self-search reveals the fact that life itself is consciousness. There is no second thing that exists other than consciousness.

The Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, is the ultimate truth or Brahman. Consciousness is prior to all that exists ( universe). Consciousness is the cause of the universe and it, itself is uncaused. The universe is nothing but consciousness because the universe is created out of a single clay. That single clay is consciousness.

The Soul is the Self. The Soul is present in the form of consciousness. Consciousness is Self-evident. It is not established by extraneous proofs. It is not possible to deny consciousness because it is the very essence of the one who denies it. Consciousness is the basis of all kinds of knowledge, presuppositions, and proofs.

Until one thinks of his body as the body, the ego as the ego the universe as the universe he remains in ignorance because he is still in ignorance and is unaware that they too are consciousness.

The seeker has to grow from the inside out. None can teach him, none can make him spiritual. There is no other Guru but the Soul, the Self.”

Consciousness is not an object, but it is the subject. Within the dualistic illusion, it is the subject and object together. It is not another. It is all-full, infinite, changeless, Self-existent, Self-delight, Self-knowledge, or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. It is the essence.

It is the essence of the knower. It is the formless substance and the witness of the dualistic illusion (universe).

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

When Bhagavad Gita says, 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.

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

Even Rig Veda: ~ The Atman (consciousness) 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 declares: "He who worships the deities as entities entirely separate from the Self does not know the truth. For the Gods, he is like a pasu (beast)". (1. 4. 10)

That is why Sage Sankara VC- v6~ Let erudite scholars quote all the scripture, let Gods be invoked through sacrifices, let elaborate rituals be performed, let personal Gods be propitiated---yet, without the realization of one‘s identity With the Self, there shall be no liberation for the individual, not even in the lifetimes of a hundred Brahmas put together.

Thus, it is necessary to realize the ‘Self’ is not you, but the Self is the Soul to realize the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space. in reality, the form, time, and space are one in essence. That essence is consciousness.

Without consciousness, the worlds in which we exist cease to exist. Thus, consciousness is the only real thing in the illusory universe. : ~Santthosh Kumaar

There are no two ‘I’ as propagated by some Gurus. There is only one ‘I’, which appears and disappears.+

There are no two ‘I’ as propagated by some Gurus. There is only one ‘I’, which appears and disappears. There is only one Soul.

The Soul, the Self is not ‘I’ but the Soul, the Self is the witness of the coming and going, of the ‘I’. Thus, that appears and disappears as ‘I’ is not the Self.

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 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 Soul, the Self, which is present in the form of consciousness. Consciousness is the cause of the 'I'.

People think the ‘I’ without the body is the Self. The seeker has to realize 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 'I' 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 truth nothing but the truth.

That is why Sage 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.

People refuse to accept anything other than their Guru's words. For them, their Guru's 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 mindsets are 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

You cannot transcend the ‘I’ without knowing ‘what ‘I’ is in actuality.+

 It is very hard to acquire Advaitic Gnana. Advaitic Gnana is for the courageous and most daring who are ready to drop all the accumulated knowledge and accept the ‘Self’ as it is and reject the untruth based on form, time, and space.

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

The Soul, the Self is hidden by the ‘I’. The Soul is hidden within the ‘I’ but it is without the ‘I’.

You cannot transcend the ‘I’ without knowing ‘what ‘I’ is in actuality. The ‘I’ is ignorance. To get rid of the ignorance, you must realize the Self is not ‘I’ but the ‘Self is the Soul, the witness of the ‘I’.

That is why Bhagavad Gita: ~ “The permanent (consciousness) is always there, only the transient ‘I’ comes and goes. (2.18)

The ‘I’ hides the Soul, the Self, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Remember this: ~

The Self is not within the body because this body is not the Self but the ‘Self’ is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. The body is bound by birth, life, death, and the world whereas, the Soul is birthless and deathless because it is ever formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.

Consciousness pervades the form, time, and space together.

Thus, limiting consciousness only to the body is erroneous because the world in which the body exists is merely an illusion created out of consciousness.

The Soul, the Self is not the body but it is the cause of the world in which the body exists.

Thus, it is necessary to realize the body and the world in which the body exists are created out of a single clay and that single clay is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Knowledge of the single clay is Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

The Soul, the ‘Self’ has neither father nor mother nor friends and foes the Soul has none because they are nothing but an illusion created out of consciousness.

Until you hold the Self as ‘I’ you will never be able to cross the threshold of ignorance. Without getting rid of the ignorance the dualistic illusion will prevail as a reality. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Who is not a Gnani.+

The Knower of the ultimate truth or Brahman or God is Brahma Gnani. A Brahma Gnani has realized knowledge beyond form, time, and space.

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

Many people are struck with awe or reverence at the outer indications of renunciation, and thus blindly accept a religious Guru or Godmen to be a Gnani. The two have no connection. Because he has no wife, no family, and no possessions" they think a man who has merely repressed these desires as though these things had anything to do with the wisdom, he is a religious man.

People are quite incompetent to judge who is a Gnani between Godmen, intellectuals, and yogis. A Gnani is neither a godman, nor a yogi, nor an intellectual.

A Gnani vision of the world, in which he exists, is, beyond time and space, embracing the Soul, the ultimate reality. The universe in which you exist is within the Soul.

A Guru who speaks about religious God, scriptures, rituals, and religion is not a Gnani.

A yogi who is immersed in yogic samadhi is not a Gnani.

A Godman who indulges in miracles is not a Gnani.

An intellectual who argues on his own speculated theories is not a Gnani.

A man who has mastered scriptural knowledge is not a Gnani.

A man who propagates sex as the means to liberation is not a Gnani.

A Gnani is the one who shares knowledge and guides the seeker toward the source of the mind (I) is real Gnani. A Gnani never claims himself a teacher nor does he accept anyone as a disciple.

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

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 a 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.

Sage Sankara was a Gnani. The modern Gurus are not Gnanis. And you have to understand that to be a Gnani is one thing; to be a Guru is totally different.

Out of a million people perhaps one is a Gnani. Most Self-realized decide to remain silent – seeing the difficulty, that whatever they have realized is impossible to convey in any possible way to others; seeing that not only is it difficult to convey, but it is bound to be misunderstood too.

A Gnani never claims himself as a Gnani, he guides the seekers, not posing himself as a Guru, and he does not force his wisdom on others.

People cannot distinguish between reasoning and intellect as Gnani does. Egocentric reason applied only to practical life within the practical world is called logic, and intellect.

Soulcentric reason is the Spiritualistic reason that is necessary to unfold the truth of the whole.

A Gnani knows both egocentric reason (logic) and Soulcentric reason. He uses egocentric reason (logic) in practical life within the practical world and uses Soulcentric reason to know the truth beyond form, time, and space.

Logic is very much necessary for a practical purpose. But logic cannot be applied to discover the truth because logic implies duality and the ultimate truth is based on the non-dualistic perspective.

A Gnani is not a religious person. A Gnani does not depend on the scriptures. A Gnani is the fountainhead of Gnana. The Advaitic Gnana is the only indication to recognize a Gnani.

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 you are sticking a Guru who is not a Gnani.

For Gnani the world is an illusion. Viewed from the absolute, there's neither birth nor life nor death, neither appearance nor disappearance, neither production nor destruction, neither bondage nor liberation. There's none who neither seeks freedom nor is there any who is liberated - this is the highest truth.

A Gnani knows that there's neither unity nor plurality - the world is neither one nor many. Just as a piece of rope is mistaken for a snake, the Atman is mistaken as this diverse world. The duality is an illusory appearance and the non-dual Atman is the real truth.

Manduka Upanishads: - It is very difficult to find out who is a Gnani because he bears no external mark. Neither nudity nor the yellow robe has anything to do with him.

A Gnani cannot have the idea of renouncing the world or giving up something of the practical world because that would connote the idea of duality. Duality is merely an illusion from the ultimate standpoint. Knowing no second thing at all there remains nothing to be given up.

The one who identifies himself as a swami, a Guru or yogi, is not a Gnani. A Gnani never identifies himself as a swami, Guru, pundit, or yogi. Swami, Guru, pundit, or yogi belongs to the religious or the yogic path not to the path of wisdom. : ~Santthosh Kumaar