Scholastic arguments and their orthodox attitude is out-dated and not fit for the modern mind-sets who are capable of thinking using their own reason.

 The orthodox non-dualistic  scholars  have not reached anywhere, because they also  hold the ‘I’ itself as a witness or self , therefore  they will never reach the ultimate end. 

Scholastic knowledge is not wisdom. Most of them write a big volume of books and indulge in self-glorification.   It is a waste of time and effort to indulge discussion with people who are conduct oriented and based on karma theory. It is meant for those who are not seeking truth but for those who are born in orthodox cult.   There is no need to condemn them because they are conditioned to accept whatever they inherited from one generation as ultimate truth.   

This non-dualistic scholars or pundits like dualist Sages could not distinguish between ‘I’ and ‘formless witness.’ The 'I' was the witness. Their highest was the Jiva. One is so much attached to the 'I' that he does not want to think that 'I' does not exist. Again one is unable to detach the ‘I’ from the Real witness.  

Scholastic arguments and their orthodox attitude is out-dated and not fit for the modern mind-sets who are capable of thinking using their own reason.  It is no use in arguing with people who live in self-imposed orthodox prison and who impose their false inherited baggage to the next generation.   It is high time for the orthodox cult to wake up and indulge is self-search their belief to realize the non-dualistic truth expounded by the great sage scientists, Sri, Sankara and Goudpada. 

It becomes difficult for the orthodox cult to accept anything else as truth other than their accepted belief, which they hold as truth. Although all religious followers are participants alike in the spiritual endeavor of the world, overzealous   followers of each religion are not prepared to accord equal status to other faiths and assert the superiority of their own. Thus the universal brotherhood is a total impossibility because it is difficult to accept anything other than their inherited belief system.          

Most of the pundits are egoic and they try to snub others who question them.  They think they are unquestionable authority.  They quote the citation from the scriptures as proof without verifying the validity.  All punditry is a great obstacle in realizing the Advaitic truth expounded by the Sri, Sankara and Goudapada.

The foreign disciple comes to India to study scriptures and write great books to feed the seeking crowd but all this bookish knowledge of ornamental words can satisfy only the emotions and feelings of an individual. The truth is beyond emotions and feelings because the formless self is not an individual. 

The religious path is emotional path and it is for those who has the conviction that the practical life within the practical world as reality.  Considering the traditional path as path of truth is a great mistake.  There is no need to condemn the traditional paths but seekers of truth have to realize the fact that, they are not the means for Self-Realization. Thus it is necessary to realize the fact that, traditional path which are based on the scriptural authority cannot transport the seeker to their non-dual destination as declared by the Upanishads. 

Self-realization cannot be bought in the spiritual supermarket because truth cannot be patented as individual property because the ultimate truth or Brahman is declared by the sage scientists Sri, Sankara and Sage Sri, Goudpada 1400 years back.  

Only the orthodoxy which is meant for the lower stage of understanding, who are incapable of grasping the non- dualistic truth, but to those who are capable must use their own reason.

Thus non-dual truth can be attained by scientific or rational inquiry and reasoning without guru, without scriptures by anyone who has urge to know the universal truth or Brahman. Thus if one is seeking  non-dual or Advaitic   truth he need not go anywhere because it is within his mind and it is without his mind. Thus perfect understanding is necessary to assimilate and realize it.     The Seeker of truth has to avoid getting involved with the guru or teaching if wants acquire Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana   because emotionally getting involved with a guru or teaching becomes great hindrance and one will permanently remain in the prison of physicality or duality. 

One finds lots of differences between traditional Advaitic preaching and practice. There is a need to bifurcate religion, the concept of god and scriptures from Advaitic philosophy to assimilate the essence of Advaita.     

Sri, Sankara says in Brahma Sutras: that Brahman is the cause of the world, whereas in Mandukya he denies it. This is because he says that at the lower stage of understanding, the former teaching must be given, for people will get frightened as they cannot understand how the world can be without a cause, but to those in a higher stage, the truth of non-causality can be revealed.  

Sage Sri, Sankara himself has warned us not to use ambiguous words, and to practice semantic analysis in his book "Definition of one's own Self. (" Page 199, v.24 of "Sankara's Selected Works) 

Sage Sri, Sankara founded his Advaita Vedanta either on reason independent of sruti or on sruti confirmed by reason."   Sri, Sankara's commentary on the Mandukya Upanishad, II, 1:  This [the unreality of duality] is borne out by the Srutis ... But it is possible also to show the unreality of the object world even from pure reasoning, and this second chapter is undertaken for that purpose. 

 Sage Sri, Sankara himself had often said that his philosophy was based on Sruti, or revealed scripture.  This may be because Sage  Sri, Sankara addressed the ordinary man, who finds security in the idea of causality and thus in the idea of God—and Revelation is indispensable to prove the latter.  He believed that those of superior intelligence, have no need of this idea of divine causality, and can therefore dispense with Sruti and arrive at the truth of Non-Dualism by pure reason.  

Sage Sri, Sankara, in debates with Buddhists and others who did not recognize the authority of the Vedas, had been obliged to prove the truth of the Advaita by means of reason alone.  Mandukya Upanishad, a scripture which appealed to reason to the exclusion of Revelation.  

Non-duality does not need the support of any Scripture or Revelation like the Veda. Since it is based, not upon the varying theological fancies, which are as numerous as the sands of the sea, but upon reason, the common heritage of all mankind, irrespective of colour or creed or clime. 

Thus, self-knowledge is meant only for those who have intense urge, and courage to accept the truth with humility and reject the untruth. Since people start comparing with their scriptural knowledge, it becomes impossible to assimilate and realize the non-dual truth.   Therefore, there is no need to convince anyone other than our own-selves to get the firm conviction. 

In pursuit of truth seeker has to use his reason in order to have knowledge and understanding.  First one must become aware of the fact that, ‘I’ is not the self and realize the fact that holding ‘I’ or ‘I AM’ as self is obstruction his realization.    This is possible only when one becomes aware of the fact that ‘I’ is not limited to the body but to the whole world confronting him.  

The Seekers only goal is to remove all the obstacles which his blocking his realization.  Thus whatever blocks his realization has to be mentally discarded to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman.    Orthodox or theist non-duality is no means to self-realization.  

That is why Sage Sri, Sankara says in Viveka Chudamani: -   61. For one who has been bitten by the serpent of Ignorance, the only remedy is the knowledge of Brahman. Of what avail are the Vedas and (other) Scriptures, Mantras (sacred formulae) and medicines to such a one? 

62. A disease does not leave off if one simply utters the name of the medicine, without taking it; (similarly) without direct realization one cannot be liberated by the mere utterance of the word Brahman. 

64. Without killing one’s enemies, and possessing oneself of the splendor of the entire surrounding region, one cannot claim to be an emperor by merely saying, ‘I am an emperor’.

Thus  Sage Sri, Sankara clearly suggests a direct realization of truth is not possible through punditry or orthodoxy.  Why to follow the traditional path, which does not yield any fruit.  Therefore, Seeker of truth has to take the direct path and avoid losing precious time and effort loosing himself in philosophical studies and traditional path.  

When Sri, Sankara declares: -  the world is a myth and Brahman alone is real then why worships the  guru and gods of this  unreal world .  That is why Veda bars such worships and people who indulge in such activities will suffer and sink into darkness.  And Upanishads says self-realization is the human goal. Therefore, one has to strive only for self-realization or truth realization.        

 When the self is formless there is no need for pada pooja (feet worship) of Advaitin gurus to get freedom. A guru, who preaches conduct as the means to freedom, believes in birth, life death and the world as reality, whereas the Advaitic Sage Sri, Sankara declares the world as unreal.  Therefore, how actions performed in unreal world can get moksha or freedom. Therefore there is need to know the fact that, the self is not physical in order to understand and assimilate and realize the truth beyond physicality. 


That is why Sage Sri, Gaudapada says : - The merciful Veda teaches karma and Upaasana to people of lower and middling intellect, while Jnana is taught to those of higher intellect. 

Thus Sage Sri, Goudapada suggest that the religious paths and worship of the guru and conceptual god are lower and middling intellect.  But in this modern world people are sharp enough to understand and assimilate the ultimate truth or Brahman or God. Thus people who want higher truth then it is high time to discard the lower knowledge and move ahead to realize the ultimate truth, which is Brahman or God.    

They alone in this world are endowed with the highest wisdom who are firm in their conviction of the sameness and birthlessness of Atman. The ordinary man does not understand their way. (Chapter IV — Alatasanti Prakarana 95-P-188 in Upanishads by Nikilanada)

Therefore, if one is seeking truth he has to know his true self is not physical but it is the Atman, which is in the form of consciousness.   

That is why Sri, Sankara says in Viveka Chudamani:- 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, followed by reflection, meditation and so forth, but not through perverted arguments. 

66. Therefore the wise should, as in the case of disease and the like, personally strive by all the means in their power to be free from the bondage of repeated births and deaths. 

Most people who write books on non-duality are borrowing ideas from punditry have commercial interest to sell their books or ideas. They have not expounded anything new other than    presenting the eastern concepts to suit the western seekers in ornamental words.   

Such arguments and orthodox attitude is out-dated and not fit for the modern mind-sets who are capable of thinking using their own reason.  It is no use of arguing with people who live in self-imposed orthodox prison and who impose their false inherited baggage to the next generation.   It is high time for the orthodox cult to wake up and indulge is self-search their belief to realize the non-dualistic truth expounded by the great sage scientists, Sri, Sankara and Goudpada.    

Mundaka Upanishad says:-  The rituals and the sacrifices described in the Vedas deal with lower knowledge. The sages ignored these rituals and went in search of higher knowledge. ... Such rituals are unsafe rafts for crossing The sea of Samsara, of birth and death. Doomed to shipwreck are those who try to cross The sea of samsara on these poor rafts. Ignorant of their own ignorance, yet wise In their own esteem, these deluded men Proud of their vain learning go round and round Like the blind led by the blind. 

When sages themselves found rituals are unsafe rafts for crossing The sea of samsara, of birth and death and ignored them and they the Mundaka Upanishad further suggest that, such rituals are unsafe rafts for crossing the realm of duality those who try to cross The realm of duality on these poor rafts are  Doomed to shipwreck are. Ignorant of their own ignorance, yet wise in their own esteem, these deluded people [pundits] proud of their vain learning go round and round like the blind led by the blind. 

Therefore, if one wants to acquire Atma Jnana or   Brahma Jnana or Self- Knowledge or knowledge of consciousness one has to drop all ritualistic and the orthodox baggage to move forward in their pursuit of truth.   

Until and unless one overcomes physical shackle it is impossible to understand and assimilate the non-dualistic or Advaitic  truth, which is beyond the physical existence or the universe.  Consciousness itself is lord of itself though not of the universe. And having nothing it has all.  

When the Sri, Sankara says in Viveka Chudamani: 63- Without causing the objective universe to vanish and without knowing the truth of the Self, how is one to achieve Liberation by the mere utterance of the word Brahman? — It would result merely in an effort of speech. 

Pundits do not even bother to go deeper in self-search what really Sri, Sankara declared because there can be no correct exposition in the Upanishads unless the guru has had realized of the truth. Otherwise it is merely adding words to words.  

That is why Sage  Sri, Sankara says in VivekaChudamani   :- 58. Loud speech consisting of a shower of words, the skill in expounding the Scriptures, and likewise erudition - these merely bring on a little personal enjoyment to the scholar, but are no good for Liberation. 

59. The study of the Scriptures is useless so long as the highest Truth is unknown, and it is equally useless when the highest Truth has already been known. 

60. The Scriptures consisting of many words are a dense forest which merely causes the mind to ramble. Hence men of wisdom should earnestly set about knowing the true nature of the Self. 

61. For one who has been bitten by the serpent of Ignorance, the only remedy is the knowledge of Brahman. Of what avail are the Vedas and (other) Scriptures, Mantras (sacred formulae) and medicines to such a one? 

62. A disease does not leave off if one simply utter the name of the medicine, without taking it; (similarly) without direct realization one cannot be liberated by the mere utterance of the word Brahman. 

Thus what is the use of holding the scriptures as proof or pramaaNa or source of knowledge? When Sri, Sankara instructed clear cut message it is foolish to hold scriptures as authenticated authority.  

Thus Sage Sri, Sankara clearly suggests direct realization of truth is not possible through punditry or orthodoxy.  Why to follow the traditional path, which does not yield any fruit.  Therefore, Seeker of truth has to take the direct path and avoid losing precious time and effort loosing himself in philosophical studies and traditional path.  

All the religionists  believe in god and goddesses (vidya) and performing rituals  and other sacrifices(Avidya) both are hindrance to self-knowledge according to Ish Upanishds,  then why the seeker of truth needs worshiping of  god and goddesses, when essence of Advaita  is Atman is Brahman (soul or self as ultimate reality).  

Therefore, if one is seeking truth he has to know his true self is not physical but it is the Atman, which is in the form of consciousness.   

Isa Upanishads indicates that: By worshiping gods and goddesses and going to the world of gods after death is of no use.  The time one spends in ritualistic practices is wasted; one can spend same time moving forward towards Self-knowledge, which is the main goal. One cannot reach the non-dual destination by glorifying god and goddesses and by doing that, one goes deeper and deeper into darkness. It surely indicates the fact that, the seeker of truth has to drop the worshiping god and goddess in order to get Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana pr Atma Gnana. 

It also indicates that, Religious Rituals (Avidya) is Karma (action) and therefore a hindrance. By performing Agnihotra and other sacrifices (Avidya) is a roundabout way of purifying the mind, and it is also groping in the dark.

In addition, it indicates the karma is limited only to the religious rituals, not on the whole human life. This karma theory based on the human conduct must have been adopted from Buddhism and other theories based on human conducts.  

When it says: Perform the obligatory karmas without any attachment to the fruits, and at the same time worship gods and goddesses, again without any desire to go to heaven - then you can get the benefit of both, liberation and bliss. For those who are not yet ready to renounce, this path is recommended, it mean that the religion and its  idea of god and goddesses and code of conducts, and its rituals are meant for the mass who are incapable of thinking of the beyond. 

In addition, it also speaks of heaven the abode of gods, where one goes after death, and it speaks of rebirth, this contradiction, seeker has to conclude that religion, rituals god and its code of conducts are meant for the mass that is not receptive to self-knowledge. 

When the self is not the form but self is formless soul, which is in the form of consciousness than how the physical conduct oriented orthodoxy can get self-knowledge.    

Sri, Sankara declares: - the world is myth and Brahman alone is real then why to worship the guru and gods based on the ego, which is false self of this   false world.  

 All the karmas performed by the orthodoxy are non-Vedic and barred by Vedas. That is why Veda bars such worships and people who indulge in such activities will suffer and sink into darkness.  And Upanishads says self-realization is the human goal. Therefore, one has to strive only for self-realization or truth realization.        

When the self is formless there is no need for pada pooja (feet worship)of Advaitin gurus to get freedom. A guru, who preaches conduct as the means to freedom, believes in birth, life death and the world as reality, whereas the Advaitic sage Sri, Sankara declares the world as unreal.  Therefore, how actions performed in unreal world can get moksha or freedom. Therefore there is need to know the fact that, the self is not physical in order to understand and assimilate and realize the truth beyond physicality. 

That is why Gaudapada says that: - The merciful Veda teaches karma and Upaasana to people of lower and middling intellect, while Jnana is taught to those of higher intellect. 

Thus Sage Sri,  Goudapada suggest that the religious paths and worship of guru and conceptual god are lower and middling intellect.  But in this modern world people are sharp enough to understand and assimilate ultimate truth or Brahman or god. Thus people who wants higher truth then it is high time to discard the lower knowledge and move ahead to realize the ultimate truth, which is Brahman or God.    

They alone in this world are endowed with the highest wisdom who are firm in their conviction of the sameness and birthlessness of Ataman. The ordinary man does not understand their way. (Chapter IV — Alatasanti Prakarana 95-P-188 in Upanishads by Nikilanada) 

Therefore, if one is seeking truth he has to know his true self is not physical but it is the Atman, which is in the form of consciousness.   

The Upanishads declares:-  

Katha Upanishad declares:

This Atman cannot be attained by the study of the Vedas, or by intelligence, or by much hearing of sacred books. It is attained by him alone whom It chooses. To such a one Atman reveals Its own form. (Katha Upanishad Ch-II -23-P-20) 

Mundaka Upanishad  :- This Atman cannot be attained through study of the Vedas, nor through intelligence, nor through much learning. He who chooses Atman—by him alone is Atman attained. It is Atman that reveals to the seeker Its true nature. (3 page70upanhsds by Nikilananda)  

When the Upanishad says:  the human goal is to acquire Self-Knowledge and they indicate the personal gods, scriptures, worship and rituals are not the means to Self –Knowledge, then why anyone should indulge in it. The religion, concept of individualized god and scriptures are greatest obstacle to realize non-dual truth or self-realization, because they are based on ego, which is the false self.  Therefore, one has to search the ultimate truth without losing himself in the labyrinths of philosophy, he should indulge in deeper, inquiry, analysis and reasoning and assimilate and realize it.   

Non-duality does not need the support of any Scripture or Revelation like the Veda. For it is based, not upon the varying theological fancies, which are as numerous as the sands of the sea, but upon reason, the common heritage of all mankind, irrespective of colour or creed or clime. 

The  Seeker of truth has to know that something is inadequate in Buddhist or Advaitic teachings to reach the non-dual destination because of the add-ons and adulteration. Thus it becomes difficult to reach destination directed by the Buddha, Sri, Sankara and Sri,Goudapada.  It is for the seeker to go on his own and remove the obstacle.  The greatest hindrance is mixing religion, god, scriptures, and yogic theories. Moreover, attachment to scriptures, personal god and religious code of conduct keeps one permanently in the grip of duality. 

For the same reason Raman Maharishi said:  fortunate are the one who do not lose themselves in the labyrinths of philosophy. Bhagwan says: Take Vedanta, for instance: it speaks of 15 pranas the names and functions of it   which the student is asked to commit memory. Will it not be sufficient if he thought, only one prana does the whole work of maintaining the body? Again the antakaran is said to think, to desire, to will, to reason etc. Why all these details? Has anyone seen antakarana, or all these pranas? Do they really exist? They are conceptual divisions invented by teachers of philosophy by their excessive analysis. Where do all these concepts end? Why should confusion created and then explained away? Fortunate is the man who does not lose himself in the labyrinths of philosophy, but goes straight to the source from which they all arise. (GURU RAMANA .By S.S Cohen -vii Danger of philosophy-Page -58-59) 

The duality is reality on the standpoint of the false self [ego or body as self].  The duality is mere mirage on the base of the true self, which is formless consciousness. This understanding comes only to the serious seeker, who has real urge to know the ultimate truth, which is beyond the all the teachings and teachers. There is neither teaching, nor teacher, nor student in the realm of truth.