The religion, yoga or modern science is no way related to pursuit of truth or “Self Realization.

The journey of “Self Realization “begins with the first step. It is very much necessary to discuss the basics, whether “Self Realization” is related to religion, yoga and modern science or any other subject. The religion, yoga or modern science is no way related to pursuit of truth   or “Self Realization.

In the formative years, the religious propensities of an individual are shaped and formed initially by parents, which is substantial. These inherited religious samskaras or conditioning  handed down as a precious legacy from one generation to the next generation.

Religion conditions the mind into man. Man into personality, to be, to behave, to believe and to live as a person in the world, which is duality. Therefore religion is only a mind game. Thus with religious worship, rituals, prayers, way of living it is impossible to unfold the truth of the true existence, because religion is based on the false self within the false experience.

Leading life of religious orthodoxy in strict accordance with moral and ethical conduct is only good and helpful lead a life within the world, which is part of the illusory Waking experience. Orthodox way of life is not a qualification for realization of truth. All these religious and yogic conducts like faith, belief, devotion, service, and yogic-Samadhi will make the seeker of truth lull into spiritual inactivity.

Ultimate reality is not religious propagated belief of God but it is  the formless soul,which is present in the form of consciousness.  Consciousness  the formless substance and witness of the mind. mind is present in the form of universe . Universe   appears as  waking or dream(duality) and disappears as deep sleep(non-duality).

The religion is built on the imaginary divine entity called God for creating faith to inspire and promote the belief.  It introduced its code of conduct and rituals to help people who are not fit enough to think beyond. Thus religion creates its own pedigree to help people to live in harmony and build a cultured society. But religion, scriptures and its beliefs are nothing to do with spirituality or truth seeking. 

The consciousness exists as the substance and witness of the mind or  universe. The three states are mere mirage created out of consciousness.  Therefore, the person, universe, god, and religion are part and parcel of that mirage. The mirage is dependent on consciousness whereas the consciousness independent.  Thus consciousness is ultimate truth or Brahman. The individual god is mere imagination based on the false self within the false experience.  

Thus starts the quest for Ultimate Truth.

Finding freedom in this life, The seeker takes nothing to heart, Neither duty nor desire. He has nothing to do But to live out his life. The master lives beyond the boundaries of desire. uncompromising uncompromising uncompromising  Delusion or the world, Meditation on the truth, Liberation itself-- What are they to him? - Ashtavakra Gita 18: 13-14

Everyone is basically dreamers. The individual comes to realize, through the experiences of biological birth, physical pain and agony, dying and death, that no matter what he does in life, he cannot escape the inevitable: he will have to leave this world bereft of everything he has accumulated and achieved and to which he has been emotionally attached.

 The similarity between birth, life and death- the startling realization that the beginning of life is the same as its end prompt the opening up of areas of spiritual and religious experiences. These appear to be intrinsic part of the human personality and are independent of the individual’s cultural and religious background and programming.

 One gradually develops convincing insights in to utmost relevance of the spiritual and religious dimensions in the universal scheme of things. Even hard-core materialists, scientists, skeptics, cynics, atheists and anti-religionists suddenly become interested in a quest of truth after they confront these queries in themselves. Having thus discovered the truth in the depths of his own core of existence, the awakened then embarks on a journey to find truth in all life. Thus starts the quest for Ultimate Truth.

Yoga belongs to illusion, not truth.

Yogi takes for granted that there is an Iswara--God, gives it to people for concentration purposes, and then they naturally find God in their meditations. But it is only his imagined God.

Mystics see what they are looking for or that whose existence they presuppose. Therefore Yoga belongs to illusion, not truth.

God is mere belief; no one has proved that there is a God. No one has proved that the individual is God or Brahman.  Personal experience which is not universally valid is no proof, neither is ecstatic feeling.

What one knows must be tested, to see if it be true or not. Experience must be taken, checked, analyzed and corrected. It is the characteristic of all human beings to believe they understand, even when they do not. Otherwise he may be merely imagining as he like.

The reasoning base has to be rectified from form to formless to get faultless judgement.  The defective interpretation is to apply it only to waking state. The correct interpretation is to apply it to the three states. The latter leads to final settlement of the problems because it takes all data into consideration.  Opinions belong to scholasticism. And opinions are of no use in pursuit of truth.

If one has a belief, it is because somebody else believes it; or the majority believes it--or it is his own experience. Is it religious authority or religious sanction or is it based upon a feeling of certainty.

People believe it merely because it is for them to believe and very difficult for them to reason.  The belief makes one more and more ignorance of the true self. Without realizing the true self is not the physical but the formless soul, the true will not be revealed.  The belief system rests on the belief because it is based on the belief. The truth is based on the reason not on the belief.  Nearly all people want their own imagination, not truth.