Only the ignorant says I AM not the body, or I AM not this ‘I AM THAT.+

The ‘Self’ is not you because the Self is the Soul. The Soul is ever formless, timeless, and spaceless existence. It is erroneous to say I AM not the body because the Self is not the ‘I’ but the ‘Self’ is the witness of the ‘I’.

Only the ignorant say I AM not the body or I AM not this ‘I AM THAT.

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

That is why Sage Sankara's commentary:~ "The knower of Brahman wears no signs.

The seeker can't discard the ‘I’ because they are stuck up with the idea that the ‘I’ itself is the Self. In the past, some famous Gurus and their teachings glorified the ‘I’, and people took it as a final and accepted it as the ultimate truth.

Such acceptance without verifying the fact about the ‘I’, their journey is incomplete. Blind acceptance and reverence for the guru will not help the seeker get rid of ignorance.

Read repeatedly, think and reason deeply reflect constantly only of the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Nothing is real but the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. Nothing exists other than consciousness. The consciousness is everywhere and it is everything.

The consciousness alone is and the world in which you exist is an illusion. Let these words be inscribed in your subconscious.

As the conviction about the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, becomes firm in the subconscious, the Soul becomes free from the cage of the dualistic illusion.

Only your intense urge to know the truth will take you to the ultimate end, but your accumulated knowledge will block you from realizing the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space.

Getting sentimentally or emotionally involved with the Gurus and yogis and glorifying the Gurus blocks the realization of the ‘Self’.

The Atmic path or the path of wisdom is not the religious and yogic path. Guru is not required in the path of wisdom.

Getting sentimentally or emotionally involved with the Gurus and yogis and their teaching and glorifying the Gurus blocks the realization of the ‘Self’. Worshiping and glorifying the Gurus will keep one in the domain of the illusory form, time, and space.

The Guru who pretends to be Self-realized and plays with the emotions and sentiments of the seeker is a fraud, not a Gnani.

Katha Upanishad (1.2.5) says: ~ "Caught in the grip of ignorance, self-proclaimed experts consider themselves learned authorities. They wander about this world befooled like the blind leading the blind."

Only a perfect understanding of what is what leads to truth realization. The truth realization is Self-realization. Self-realization is God-realization.

If you are seeking truth nothing but truth then you must not get stuck to any Guru or yogi. Those who are seeking truth need not follow any Guru or any teaching.

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 by means of 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.”

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

Sage Gaudapada: ~ ‘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. (Manduka Karika)

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. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar