Many people are not even aware what is Ataman; though knowing of it, many do not comprehend. Only few expound the knowledge of Ataman and very rare assimilate and realize it. It is all because of their inherited religious and social background and grooming.
There is a need to dismantle the inherited physical structure mentally to overcome the duality. The whole physical structure is built on the foundation of the ‘I’. Since they think the ‘I’ as Ataman/self, it becomes difficult to grasp and assimilate and realize the non dual truth.
The ‘I’, appears and disappears as mind [waking/dream] is impermanent, hence it is not the self. The formless knower of the ‘I’ [waking/dream] is the true self. Since people think whatever is propagated by the guru/yogi as ultimate truth and blindly accept it as truth, without verifying the validity of their preaching. This blind acceptance becomes a big hindrance in pursuit of truth. If one is seeking truth, one has to verify the validity of any claim through inquiry, analysis and reasoning on the true base, and accept only un -contradictable truth.
Self-knowledge when taught by an unqualified person is not easily comprehended, because it is diversely regarded by disputants. But when it is taught by him who has become one with Ataman, there can remain no more doubt about It. Ataman is subtler than the subtlest and not to be known through argument.
Self- Knowledge cannot be attained by reasoning based on the ‘I’ [physical based]. Ataman becomes easy of comprehension, when taught by another. One has to attain self- Knowledge right now in this very life not in next world or next life.
Gnani, by means of concentration on the true Self, realizes that ancient, effulgent hidden and which dwells and pervades in everything and everywhere in all the three states as its formless substance and witness.
The knowing the true Self is not born; It does not die. It has not sprung from anything; nothing has sprung from It. Birthless, eternal, everlasting and ancient, it is not killed when the body is killed or when the world disappears. If the murderer thinks he kills and if the killed man thinks he is killed, neither of these apprehends aright. The Self kills not, nor is it killed.
Ataman exists in smaller than the small, greater than the great, and is hidden in the three states as its formless substance and witness. A man who is free from viewing and judging the worldview on the base of ‘I’ beholds the Self through tranquility and becomes free from experiencing the duality as reality.
Gnani, having realized Ataman as dwelling within impermanent states is bodiless, pervades the three states as its formless substance and witness and permanent and eternal.
Self-knowledge cannot be acquired by the study of the scriptures, or by intelligence, or by much hearing of sacred books. It is attained by him alone whom It chooses. To such a one Ataman reveals its own form.
He who has not rectified his seeking base from the ‘I’[form] base to soul[formless] base , who does not have the intense urge to know the non dual truth and who is not tranquil and subdued and whose mind is not receptive , cannot acquire Self-Knowledge . It is realized only through inquiry, analysis and reasoning on the true base.
