Most people awaken gradually, often imperceptibly, over a long period of time.

Dream becomes unreal when waking takes place.  The one that  witnessed the dream is not the waking entity but the formless soul. The one which is aware of the three states, which appears and disappears in succession is formless soul. the soul is within the three states but is apart from the three states.  The soul is present in the form of consciousness.  The consciousness is within the three states as their formless substance. And it is apart from the three states as their formless witness. in the realm of truth, the formless substance and witness of the three states are one in essence.  thus the three states are mere mirage created out of consciousness. On the standpoint of the formless soul, the innermost self , the three states are non-existent.  Thus the soul alone is real and all the three states are unreal.

Whatever happens within the dream is noting to do with the witness, because  the dream is   witnessed as a whole without the physical apparatus. Similarly the waking also is witnesses as a whole .  the dream entity and dream world were within the dream. Similarly, the waking entity and waking world are within the waking experience. Thus, the witness of the waking and dream is always apart. Due to ignorance  one tries to judge the truth on the waking entity ,which is erroneous.   Thinking the waking entity is the witness of the three states is cause of the ignorance. Deeper self-search  revels the fact that, the the three states are mere mirage, the formless substance of the three states is the witness of the three states.    

Waking  reality also has to  be viewed from dream perspective; a dream from which one has to be  awaken to realize that waking too is unreal. 

Waking  seems to be  apparent reality because one is still not awaken to  the reality of his true existence. Once one becomes aware of the fact that the self is not physical, but it is the formless spirit, then the question arises who dreamt, who slept and who woke up.  

People imagine that "getting enlightened" is like flipping a button,  but it is impossible to get enlightened on the base of false self. Enlightenment is not gain from physical practice our some theoretical understanding.  Enlightenment is overcoming the ignorance by realizing the fact that the self is not physical, but it is formless spirit,  and realizing the physical existence is mere mirage, on the standpoint of the spirit.    

Most people awaken gradually, often imperceptibly, over a long period of time. Or they awaken through a series of "opening" experiences, each one revealing just a little more, but not the whole picture.

Even the most awakened people  are not floating around in a cloud of bliss. They still live in the world, lead a householders life, without claiming themselves as gurus or teacher, guiding the fellow seekers. 
 

Whatever have appeared (birth, life, death and world) has appeared on its own and it disappears on its own.  Whether a person takes it as reality or illusion it all depends on his mental and intellectual conditions will determine the phenomenal world observed and experienced. The look of an object will depend upon the medium through which the observer views it. A Gnani viewing the universe (practical life within the practical world) different from the ignorant is viewing the same universe (practical life within the practical world). Each one of them interprets the universe he sees in term of his existing knowledge.   The Gnani sees his body, his ego and his experience of the world as mere mirage created out of consciousness whereas the ignorant sees his body as body, his ego as ego and his experience of the world as world. 

Thus experiencing the pain and pleasure within the illusion with the illusory self, within the illusory experience, has to be illusion. The illusion is created, and sustained, and finally dissolves as consciousness, which is the innermost Self.  Since, there is no second thing other than the consciousness (soul); the consciousness itself is ultimate truth or Brahman.   The one who has realized this truth for him this illusion is passing show because he is fully aware of the fact that his body, his ego and his experience of the world to be consciousness. Practical peoples approach is more practical, and they are stuck with the reality of the practical life within the practical world, they take it as real whereas for Gnani has the firm conviction that:-

Formless soul or Consciousness is the witness that experiences the action, the actor, and the world of separate things. It is like a light that illuminates everything in a theatre, revealing the master of ceremonies, the guests, and the dancers with complete impartiality. Even when they all depart, the light shines to reveal their absence.

What is not consciousness (formless) in the experience of diversity (universe or waking)?  The waking and the dream cease to exist without consciousness.  The seeker, seeking and his destination   all are one in essence.

Believing in The karma theory is a greatest obstacle in pursuit of truth

Believing in The karma theory is a greatest obstacle in pursuit of truth , because it is based on the physical self . The word "karma" means "action. Karma willful action, through thoughts, words and deeds. Everyone is creating karma every minute, and the karma they  create affects them  every minute. It’s common to think of "my karma" as something one  did in his  last life that seals his fate in this life. Karma is an action, not a result. The future is not set in stone. One  can change the course of his life right now by changing his  volitional acts and self-destructive patterns.

When the self is not physical but formless spirit (contagiousness) , how can the karma theory which is based on the false physical entity holding the illusion as reality can be true. The dream entity does karmas within the dream and the dream becomes unreal when the waking takes place.   Deeper inquiry, analysis and reasoning reels the fact that, the waking also is unreal. Thus, whatever action  happened with in the illusion cannot be real.  Therefore, the karma theory is false theory based on the false self, within the false experience. 

When the self is neither the body nor the ego, neither the waking entity not the dream entity, then how the karma based on the false self within the false experience can yield fruits.  Therefore, karma is a religious fable.

The karma theory is reality only for those who believe their present physical identity (ego)as real, and world as reality. When the Sri, Sankara declares the world itself is illusion, and Brahman is real, then what value the karma theory has when the world is illusion, because man is part and parcel of the illusory world. Therefore, one has to view and judge the worldview on the standpoint of Brahman (soul or consciousness) in order to overcome the duality, which he is experiencing it as reality.  

 The individuality is reality within the illusory world. Therefore, all the theories created within the illusion on the base of false self(waking entity or ego)  within the false experience(waking), within the false experience, has to be the part and parcel of the illusion.  Thus it is necessary to realize the fact that,  formless  soul or consciousness  , the innermost self  is real and all else is illusion, to overcome the illusory experience of cycle of birth, life ,  death and the world.  To understand and assimilate  Sage Sri, Sankara’s Advaitic truth, seeker  has to  do his own home work through self-search  without mixing religion, scriptures, theories  concept of god and yoga.

Sage Sri Sankara  says in Aparokshanubhuti:-

   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 on 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 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 into 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 the karma is reality only on the base of false self, where one thinks body and the universes as reality. When one becomes aware of the fact that, the true self is formless soul, then the karma becomes part and parcel of illusion.   My point is that, if one accepts the karma theory as reality, he will never be able to come out of the ignorance. And ignorance makes him believe the cycle of birth, life and death as reality.  Thus the freedom which one is seeking will remain distant dream. For the one who accepts the birth life and death as reality, Self-knowledge is impossible.

Accepting illusion as reality is accepting the birth, life and death and the world as reality.

The theory  of  reincarnation as the transmigration of a soul into a new body after the old body dies, is based on physical self. When the self is not physical but it is the formless spirit or consciousness  , then this theory holds no water. 

According to theory  of rebirth, it is the energy or conditioning created by one life that is reborn into another, not a soul. "The person who dies here and is reborn elsewhere is neither the same person, nor another, but all this theories are based on the false self holding the illusion  as reality.  Therefore there is a need to analyze the three states  and trace the formless witness of the three states in order  to realize the three states are mere illusion. And the formless witness of the three states is the true self. On the standpoint of the formless true self the birth, life and death are part of the illusion. Thus on the ultimate standpoint the birth, life and death are mere illusion therefore the rebirth  theory also imaginary theory based on the false self.  Believing in rebirth theory is accepting  the illusion as reality.  Accepting  illusion as reality is accepting the birth, life and death and the world as reality.   

Understanding the self requires going beyond physical existence/mind.

If mind is illusion then what is reality.   What is it that  is aware of the mind, which comes and goes?  One has to have  understanding of how these  three states  exist. One has to be aware of the fact that,  the physical existence is mere mirage , which appears  as waking  or dream and disappears as deep sleep. It is wrong to conclude there is no existence at all, because the formless  substance and witness of the mirage prevails eternally.  The substance and witness are one in essence. The essence is the soul or  spirit or consciousness. 

The idea of  "nothing exists" beyond the physical existence  comes from a understanding based on the physical self.   Only when one discovers the fact that self is not physical but it  is formless spirit , then one becomes aware the true existence is not physical but it is non-dual.  Because one understands existence in a limited, one-sided way, that is on the physical base , it becomes difficult understand the reality. Soul or consciousness , the innermost Self is  one with everything.

 

It was incorrect to say that the self is finite, but it is also incorrect to say that the self is infinite. Because self is finite on the physical point of view and self is infinite on ultimate point of view. One should  not to hold on to views about whether the self is this or that, because  the physical existence is mere mirage created out of single stuff. The  individual self is false and only the formless witness  of the three states, is the true  self. Understanding the self requires going beyond physical existence or universe or mind.

The individual experience within the dream is reality with in the dream. Therefore waking reality is also is reality within the waking. This waking is parallel dream and dream is parallel waking. Only when self-wakes up in waking the dream becomes unreal. When the self, consciously wakes up in its formless non-dual true nature in the midst of waking experience then all the three states are mere mirage created out of its formless non-dual true nature.

The form time and space within the dream are falsehood when waking takes place. Similarly the form, time and space of the waking are also falsehood when wisdom dawns. The wisdom dawns only when one realize the self is neither the waking entity nor the dream entity. Thus it is erroneous to judge and reason and conclude the ultimate truth on the base of waking entity and waking world because waking experience itself is illusion.

Suppose you were holding the same view in the dream, all your experiences and views are reality within the dream. The dream becomes unreal when waking takes place. Similarly the waking becomes unreal when you become aware the fact that, the self is not an individual.  Thus whatever individual experiences experienced within the waking is as unreal as dream.

 Till   one thinks body as body and world as world it is impossible to grasp non-dual truth, because his views and judgments are bases on physical self with the physical existence.  The individuality is reality with the waking experience but the waking experience itself is false hood. Thus holding the view as an individual within the false experience is erroneous on the ultimate point of view.  The waking is parallel dream and dream is parallel waking experience.

In waking the universe comes: in deep sleep   the waking goes. In waking is one born; in waking one dies.

In waking one lives, in Waking one suffers. In Waking one earns, in Waking one enjoys. In Waking is one truthful or lies like a liar. In Waking one reflects on Virtue and Sin. In Waking do one lands in Heaven and Hell. In Waking is one happy, in Waking in sorrow. In Waking does one lose the distinctions of caste and creed. In Waking is one wise; in Waking is one unwise.

In Waking one has an urge to know the truth. In Waking one is in the illusion; in Waking is one shadowed by Doubts and confusion, in waking one thinks of reincarnation and rebirth.  In waking one thinks that he is born in this world and world existed prior to him. In waking one is in ignorance of the true self, which is consciousness. If one spots out the true self within the three states, one realizes the way to freedom.

One is in action in Waking. In Waking one is bound by form, time and space. Waking is in the form of mind. Mind appears and disappears as waking or dream.  If there is no mind then there is no waking or dream. Waking or dream is born out of ignorance of the true self. Getting rid of the ignorance through wisdom is   the way to the release. In Waking or dream, one follows the Writ of habit. Waking or dream is a chronic malady; but within it also is its remedy.

The formless  soul or consciousness, the innermost self is not perceptible to the senses. It is perceived by Reason. It is not perceptible as a thing with form and attributes. To those whose attention is fixed on the body and the world, it is very difficult to attain Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. It is also very difficult for them to see the consciousness as self. The attention towards the universe (mind) should be lessened by realizing the self is not the body. The attention has to be focused on the formless substance and witness of the universe [mind] should be increased. So long as the attention is directed towards the universe, the experience of birth, life and death will prevail as reality. But when the attention is directed towards the formless substance and witness of the mind, the ignorance vanishes and the sense of reality of the duality will disappear. Then there is unity in diversity.

The ultimate truth does not belongs to religion, because the religion is built on physical foundation

The ultimate  truth does not belongs to  religion,  because the religion is built on physical foundation. Form ultimate standpoint physical existence (universe or waking)  is falsehood. Living   religious way  is not the means to truth realization; one has to  have the courage to go into the unknown on his  own, not by  following anybody or any religion, simply but indulging in deeper self-search. If one has  the courage, to accept the truth and reject the untruth, then  one reaches the ultimate truth on his own.

Religion is based on belief . The blind belief, and belief  is an obstacle in pursuit of truth. Religion is made for the crowd.  By simply following  the crowd, one goes with the ignorant mob. In pursuit of truth the seeker has to go alone, he has to be alone. Truth has no religion and no tradition. Seeker of truth is a rebellion.

The truth is based on formless soul, that is why , the pursuit of truth is ’the formless path’. It is a path, but not like other paths. It has a very different quality to it the quality of freedom, the freedom from illusory reality.

Imposing religious or yogic a discipline on oneself, one will remain prisoner of physicality. The truth has to arise out of the physical awareness, then he will be a Gnani. If one impose an order on his physical  self  this will be just a pretension: the disorder is the cause of the conditioning. The disorder will be  only on the physical plane, at the core there will be always order.  Therefore one becomes restless and he is in quest of something which brings everything in order.  The unknown thing he is searching is the truth. The truth of his true existence.

The real order not  arises not  in the physical existence[mind], but from the bottomless source of the physical existence[mind]. Thus tracing the source of the mind  mentally, leads one to realization of truth

The truth  is virgin;  and it is second-to none. The religion is based on false self and conceptual god. God  is reality only on the base of false self. Thus, the belief is based on the false self. But the truth is based on the formless source of the false hood.   

Without knowing what truth is, how can one know what is untruth? Mere bookish knowledge or knowledge based on speculation and assumption is mere playing with the words not non-dual wisdom. Intellectuality is   based on the false self thus it will not yield any fruits.   

How can one look on the conscious level when his body, ego and universe are an object to the true self, which is in the form of consciousness.  Until one traces the formless substance and witness of the mind, which is in the form of universe, the non-dual wisdom will not dawn.

The lengthy explanation in depth is very much needed in pursuit of truth, which helps the seeker think and helps the seeker to divert his attention from form to formless.

  The scriptures and theories and teaching based on the ego are not the yardstick. Using them as yardstick to understand and assimilate the truth will lead one towards pursuit of arguments. Seeker of truth has to discover on his own, the truth of his true existence by inquiring “what is mind?” and “what is substance of the mind?” and move forward.  

The wisdom consists in knowing the truth, that everything (mind or physical existence) is consciousness. Freedom [truth] is always there yet one does not know it.  But to those whose reason is turned away from physicality and who have attained the serenity of the soul, the innermost self (consciousness)are quite near to the ultimate truth. 

To think once own body and his experience of the world is an illusion is difficult matter, unless one realizes the self is not physical but it is formless soul it is difficult to have glimpse of truth.

When one realizes the fact that, the self is not physical but the formless soul, naturally the body and universe becomes illusion.

The mind (universe) is emanating from soul (consciousness) means the mind is being effect from consciousness is not different from it. Deeper analysis shows it. Analysis needs deeper thinking and reasoning. Mind is whole universe thus it has a form. But where is the form in consciousness (soul) because consciousness is like an ocean and mind is like wave.  The universe is same consciousness, as the ocean produces the wave, so the consciousness produces the mind (universe).

The moment one knows the mind (universe) is consciousness, and then there is no ignorance. If one knows consciousness as self then everything is consciousness, the consciousness is second to none.  The mind is consciousness but due to ignorance one mistakes it for something else. One thinks the self is within the body; but the self is without the body and the world.

Mind ceases to exist without the matter. Without the matter mind ceases to exist as mind but it exists as matter- less awareness or consciousness. Without the mind neither the world nor its perceiver can exist.

Without the matter there is no duality. Without duality there is no experience. Without experience it is non-dual reality. Therefore, whatever prevails without the mind is ultimate reality.

The true nature of the soul (consciousness) is camouflaged by the illusion or duality.  To know the truth one has to discover and realize the formless substance of the mind or illusion. One has to learn to view and judge the worldview on the standpoint the formless soul as self.   Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana  is the prime goal of the truth seeker. This goal is hidden within the mind as its invisible substance and witness. Therefore, it is necessary inquiry, analyze and reason in to the nature of mind or  duality or illusion in order to unfold the mystery of mind or duality or illusion.

 

To be on the formless path is to be at the goal.

To be on the formless path is to be at the goal. Hence there is no goal because the goal is formless, therefore,  there is no scope for form, time and space. It is free don from form, time and space.  One have to cross over  from based path to formless path to abide in the formless existence or Soul.

Things become a little more complicated because the formless path has no map, the path  is not char ted, the path  is not such that one  can follow somebody and discover  it. The path is not like a express highway; the path is more like a  eagle  flying in the sky – it leaves no marks behind. The eagle  has flown but no marks are left; nobody can follow. So the path  is a formless path. It is a path, but it is a formless path.

It is not ready-made, available; one cannot just decide to walk on it, he will have to find it through mental effort through deeper thinking . And he will have to find it through deeper inquiry, analysis and reasoning. No other path is going to function . one has to realize the fact that,  Self is soul  and self is not  individual. Only by realizing and assimilating the self is formless soul, one  will find  the  formless path towards the formless reality.

The wisdom is based not on the physical self but on soul or consciousness , the innermost self. When wisdom dawns then  there is neither the person, nor his experience of world ,nor his belief of god remain  as reality. Therefore, it is necessary to find and realize the fact that, the the self is not physical but it is formless spirit. 

The waking entity  cannot operate itself as a person and perceive the world without the soul. Waking entity  itself is not the experiencer of the itself.  The soul or consciousness, the innermost self   experiences itself as physical body and  perceives the world within the illusion or mind. Till  and unless this mystery is unfolded it is impossibility to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.