By knowing the fact that, the consciousness as the true self of which all three states becomes known?

The consciousness is the maker and the preserver of the mind, which is in the form of universe, and it appears as waking and dream and disappears as deep sleep. The Self-Knowledge is the foundation of all physical based knowledge. 

Two kinds of knowledge must be known. They are the spiritual Knowledge and the physical knowledge.   Of these two, the physical knowledge is of the worldly life.    And the spiritual [self] Knowledge is that by which the ultimate truth is attained. 

By means of the Self- Knowledge, the Gnani behold everywhere consciousness, which otherwise cannot be seen or seized, which has no root or attributes, no eyes or ears, no hands or feet; which is eternal and omnipresent, all—pervading and extremely subtle; which is imperishable and the source of the mind, which appears as waking and dream and disappears as deep sleep.

As the spider sends forth and draws in its thread, as plants grow on the earth, as hair grows on the head and the body of a living man—so does mind, which is   in the form of  universe arise from the Imperishable consciousness. 

Ignorant , dwelling in darkness, but the intellectuals  in their own conceit and puffed up with vain scholarship, wander about, being afflicted by many ills, like blind men led by the blind. 

People, immersed in ignorance in various ways, flatter themselves, saying: We have accomplished life's purpose. Because these performers of karma do not know the Truth owing to their attachment, they fall from heaven, misery— stricken, when the fruit of their work is exhausted. 

Ignorant, regarding religious rituals and humanitarian works as the highest, do not know ultimate truth. Thinking of their good work, with a motive to get reward for it in the next life or next world    they remain ignorant of higher truth.

Let a seeker, after having examined the mind and its substance that are gained by inquiry, analysis and reasoning, acquire freedom from experiencing the illusion as reality: nothing that is eternal can be produced by what is not eternal. In order that he may understand assimilate and realize that Eternal consciousness. 

The  seeker who has intense urge to know the truth , whose has the humility to listen  and whose is receptive, who does not use his accumulated knowledge as yardstick,  will be able to understand ,assimilate and realize the Self- Knowledge, through which one knows the consciousness, which is formless and non-dual in its nature. 

Consciousness is the self—luminous and formless soul, uncreated and existing both within and without. Consciousness is devoid of life, devoid of mind, pure and higher than the supreme Imperishable. 

From consciousness are born the three states.   From consciousness come mind, which contains the oceans and the mountains, rivers of every kind of plants and flavors.

The mind alone is the universe.  And consciousness is the substance and witness of the mind. The consciousness, hidden within the three states — He who knows this ultimate truth will be able to cross the threshold of duality. 

There is neither meditation nor meditator, when one becomes aware of the fact that, soul or consciousness is the true self.

Meditation is not the means to acquire   wisdom. There is neither meditation nor meditator, when one becomes aware of the fact that, soul or consciousness is the true self. The meditation is not possible without the physical entity.

In higher realm of pursuit of truth the question of “WHO” does not arise, because one becomes aware of the fact that, the person and his perceived world appears as whole.  

The mind itself arises from the consciousness.   The man and the world are within the mind. Until one thinks the mind is within the body he will not be able to go beyond duality.  Therefore, there is a need to understand what is mind which appears as whole waking or dream [duality] and disappears as deep sleep (non-duality). 

Knowing consciousness as self, mind becomes known.  Knowing consciousness as self nothing else remains to be known. Knowing consciousness as self one attains to immortality that is the beginningless ultimate reality.

A Gnani is fully aware, and sees the consciousness in all beings and in everything, existing equally and deathless in the living and the dying.

Consciousness is present within all the three states but without the three states. Consciousness is present in all the moving and unmoving, incomprehensible, far and near, impartible, sustaining everything in the waking and dream experiences.

Until one recognizes the source of the mind, one is bound to believe his birth entity as real self and his experience of universe as reality. This body one is so proud of is not the self.  The body and universe exist within the mind. Therefore there is a need to know the source of the mind. The body and the world are within the waking experience.  And the waking experience also will permanently vanish same way as dream, which is called death.   

Human goal is to acquire Self-Knowledge

As  one goes deeper research in the annals of history then he becomes aware of the fact that:   Sri, Sankara started the revival process of Sanatana Dharma or Vedic Religion, when he saw people turning towards other religions like Christianity and Islam which came to India after the death of the Christ and also after St. Thomas came to India which is obviously in A.D. and we are in A.D.2010. Therefore, the Advaith Math and Advaith philosophy came into existence in and around 8th century A.D.

Sri,Sankara is regarded as the greatest sage  in India's history because he sought to unify the country by placing his institutions and teaching from every corner of the Indian continent , impressing oneness as a nation on all the people. This oneness is not to be restricted to religion for it includes its practical application to life such as politics and sociology; and he accepted and encouraged all the prevailing religions but merely purified them of their immoralities. It is false to say he attacked or persecuted Buddhism. This was an interpretation by pundit-followers who came afterwards and never understood his message. He has never said that a certain caste or community or that Sanyasa only could attain Brahman; he always taught universality.

Sri, Sankara was not combating Buddhism and Jainism. The entire subcontinent was at that time almost fully Buddhist. Sri, Sankara walked the length and breadth of the country and revived Sanatana Dharma in a new form by introducing Advaita on the base of Vedas and Brahma sutras to suit the mass mind set of that time.

 As one goes in deeper research one finds the fact that, the Advaitic philosophy is extension of Buddhism. The Advaita came into existence by Sri, Sankara in 8^th century and Dwaita by Madvacharya in 12^th century.  And qualified Advaita came after 12^th century; it means they were not in existence prior to 8^{TH   century.} 

  The new form of belief system  was introduced by some Indian sages in the past   with different ideologies   Advaita, Dwaita and Vishita -Advaita claiming to be based on Vedas  but indulges in non-vedic rituals are called present day Hinduism. 

 The Sanatana Dharma or Vedic religion prior to Sri,Sankara was different. Most of the rituals and ideas of the Hinduism are adopted from Buddhism, Jainism and Abrahamic religion to suit the mindset of those days. 

As one goes deeply in annals of history he finds:  Beef eating Brahmins. All yagnas required beef and cow sacrifice. It was the Jainist influence that made most of vegetarian, especially the Brahmins.

Whatever came into existence after Sri, Sankara is a new religion based on Vedas not old Sanatana Dharma, which was rejected by Buddha.   Thus the present day Hinduism is mixer of all ideologies of different sages of different regions accepted by people of India.  

One finds lots of differences between Advaita preaching and practice. There is need to bifurcate religion, 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.

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]

Buddha found religion in such a worthless state, with so many vile animal sacrifices, that he attacked religion. Sri, Sankara did not seek to destroy religion like Buddha but he advocated reforming it for better. He did this because he saw that the masses had to have some form of religion as they were not ripe intellectually for truth.

Sankara's sex experience in Benares and occupying the body of another man and then having sex intercourse with his wife, is a story created by pundits hiding the real fact. Sri, Sankara had the scientific spirit and when told by Saraswathi the woman that he was talking freely about sex, being a Sanyasi, he wanted to know the truth by having actual intercourse himself and thus learning by experiment and observation. Thus, this has to be viewed by the seeker on the rational standpoint, because the sex is part of the illusion on the ultimate standpoint.   Sri, Sankara stressed the great importance of freeing our use of words from all ambiguity.

Buddhists and Jains did not believe in the Vedic positions, did not accept the scriptures. Hence, Sri,  Sankara had to meet their objections also.  Biographical anecdotes about his persecution of Jains and Buddhists or of his challenges to self-immolation for the loser of a debate are all foolish tales fabricated after his lifetime either by his own followers who took him to be a religious propagator but  not as a  philosopher or by the dualistic cult.

The religious pundits of  orthodox Advaitic sect relate boastfully pseudo-historic stories of how Sri, Sankara's school put down, persecuted end exterminated the Buddhists, as though this was something to be proud of. However these stories are either exaggerations or false stories fabricated by pundits or priest craft. The orthodox  pundits are mere followers of religion, never having understood the depth of Advaitic philosophy. Sri, Sankara gave religion and scholasticism and yoga no less than philosophy, to the world.

His commentary on Mandukya is pure philosophy, but many of his other books are presented from a religious standpoint to help those who cannot rise up to philosophy.  North India is the home of mysticism and deification and South India of keen rational truth.

Sri, Sankara had only four fully trained disciples, although he advised some kings. His doctrines spread after his lifetime. His books were dictated to secretaries as he travelled. So, only few were capable of understanding his philosophy.

Sri, Sankara always traveled and he never lived in a monastery. He simply instructed his disciples to   build one here and there " and then left because he was busy spreading his doctrines.

Some who followed Sri, Sankara are mere followers of religion, never having understood the Advaitic philosophy are religious scholars not Gnanis, and they are unable to grasp the non-dual -truth.

Sri, Sankara says seeker must first know what is before him. If he cannot know that, what else can he know or understand? If he gives up the external world in his inquiry, he cannot get the whole truth.

Some thinkers hold views of Maya which are entirely incorrect and untenable. They do not know Sankara's Upanishad Bashyas, but only the Brahma Sutra Bashya.  The followers of Sri Sankara have constituted a religious sect. Thus all movements ultimately degenerate.

In commentary to "Brahma Sutras Sri, Sankara writes." "The highest beatitude is not to be attained by Yoga."(Sacred Books of East Series page 298 Vol.1.)   And he also says Samadhi is the same as sleep (p.312). ---this indicates that yoga is not the means to self realization.  And yogic Samadhi is not non dual wisdom.

Sri, Sankara's commentary to Brahma Sutras (Chap.3.4.50) shows that the Gnani "should pass through life", not run away from life and should take a middle course between seeking worldly honor and worldly abasement.

Sri, Sankara varied his practical advice and doctrinal teaching according to the people he was amongst. He never advised them to give up their particular religion or beliefs or metaphysics completely; he only told them to give up the worst features of abuse: at the same time he showed just one step forward towards the truth.  Sri, Sankara was extremely precise and careful in his choice of words.

Sri, Sankara did more than write books or initiate Sanyasins: He brought India into a unity as a nation. He advised the mass: Worship what they wish, remain in their particular religion, but remember also they are part of a larger whole.

Few Pundits have caught the spirit; they are merely fond of his words. Sri, Sankara’s spirit is that of an appeal to reason, with scripture dragged in as a second and lesser support afterwards.

Sri, Sankara' gave religious, ritual or dogmatic instruction to the mass but pure philosophy only to the few who could rise to it. Hence the interpretation of his writings by commentators is often confusing because they mix up the two viewpoints. Thus they may assert that ritual is a means of realizing Brahman, which is absurd.

Centuries have passed since Sri, Sankara appeared; yet it is very hard to find his true teachings understood anywhere in the world today. It is because so few could rise to his level. Hence dualistic cults and devotional sects came in existence prospered.

It may not have been possible for him to have written so many books during such a short term of existence of 32 years. The truth is that he wrote very few books. Those actually written by him were Commentaries on Brahma Sutras and the Upanishads and on the Gita. All other books ascribed to him were not written down by his own hand. They are merely collections of notes recorded by his disciples from his sayings, talk and discussions.

Sri, Sankara wrote his commentaries on Mandukya commentary first, and then as this revealed that he thoroughly understood the subject, his gurus requested him to write the commentary on Badarayana's Brahma Sutras, which was a popular theological work universally studied by Advaitins. That is why his commentary is written from a lower dualistic point, for those who cannot rise higher, save that here and there Sri, Sankara occasionally has strewn a few truly Advaitic sentences.

Since, the Hinduism is mixer of many ideologies one gets confused which is true philosophy, because the dual, non-dual and qualified non-dual philosophies are based on Vedas.  And many believe their inherited beliefs of their forefathers are pure and sacred without verifying the facts. All rituals and individualized gods are added time to time.  Only when one tries to go deeper in all of history one will be able to find that all the present days’ beliefs and rituals are not part of the Santana Dharma  or Vedic religion.

Yajurved says:-

Translation 1.
They enter darkness, those who worship natural things (for example air, water, sun, moon, animals, fire, stone, etc).
 
They sink deeper in darkness those who worship sambhuti. (Sambhuti means created things, for example table, chair, idol etc.)
[Yajurved 40:9]

Translation 2.
"Deep into shade of blinding gloom fall asambhuti's worshippers. They sink to darkness deeper yet who on sambhuti are intent."
[Yajurveda Samhita by Ralph T. H. Giffith pg 538]

Translation 3.
"They are enveloped in darkness, in other words, are steeped in ignorance and sunk in the greatest depths of misery who worship the uncreated, eternal prakrti -- the material cause of the world -- in place of the All-pervading God, But those who worship visible things born of the prakrti, such as the earth, trees, bodies (human and the like) in place of God are enveloped in still greater darkness, in other words, they are extremely foolish, fall into an awful hell of pain and sorrow, and suffer terribly for a long time."

[Yajur Veda 40:9.]

So, Yajur Veda indicates that:-

They sink deeper in darkness those who worship sambhuti. (Sambhuti means created things, for example table, chair, idol etc [Yajurved 40:9]

Those who worship visible things born of the prakrti, such as the earth, trees, bodies (human and the like) in place of God are enveloped in still greater darkness, in other words, they are extremely foolish, fall into an awful hell of pain and sorrow, and suffer terribly for a long time." [Yajur Veda 40:9.]

The religion of the Veda knows no idols

Max Müller says:- "The religion of the Veda knows no idols; the worship of idols in India is a secondary formation, a degradation of the more primitive worship of ideal gods."

Therefore, there was no individual god or temples and worships in Vedic religion, which exited prior to Buddhism.  Thus the individualized gods and temples must have been built later on, when the worships of idol were introduced.  Thus the Vedic religion which existed in the past was free from idol and nature worship and idol worshiping rituals. 

Thus, the present day worship of individual gods, created things, nature and human are against Vedic teachings, and it looks like it has been fabricated and introduced by priest craft. Since it, has passed on from one generation to the next it is hard for the people to believe the truth of their own religion, because they have sentimentally and emotionally involved in it and  they refuse to accept anything else other then their inherited beliefs.   

Looking at the increasing number of fake god men and gurus and their scandals, it is high time for the truth seekers, who are capable of thinking must do deeper research and know the fact that, their inherited religious belief is mixed and messed up in the past and people are made to believe that it is their duty to protect their religion and their belief and tradition, which is the hotchpotch ideology and not the real non- dual philosophy. The ultimate truth lies beyond all religion, scriptures beliefs and philosophies.

It is impossible to find and realize the truth via religion and scriptural study. Even Upanishads conform this. 

Katha Upanishad:-

  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 –page-70 Mundaka Upanishad  Upanishads by Nikilanada]

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 false self.  The seeker of truth has to search the ultimate truth without losing himself in the labyrinths of philosophy, through deeper, inquiry, analysis and reasoning and assimilate and realize it. 

Gurus and Swamiji’s are forced to observe celibacy, which is against human nature.

As one goes deeper in research one finds the fact that - Celibacy and living in a monastery was always strange to Vedic religion. In fact, almost all the great sages of Puranas and Vedas were householders. Observing celibacy and the monastery system in the Vedic religion is the influence of Buddhism and Jainism. Hinduism is a mixture of Vedic, Jain and Buddhist, and many other ideologies.  The pure essence of Sanatan Dharma is lost by adopting the ideology of many other ideologies.   

Sri, Sankara who wanted to drive away these religions was the first great sage who recommended celibacy to sanyasis and also established monasteries. Later saints followed this trend. People think that to be a Hindu sage has to observe celibacy but this concept was not there in Vedic religion.  Thus the Hindu religion has become hotchpotch of many ideologies.  

People believes that if a Swamiji, indulges in sex activity he is doing a sin. And they also believe that a Swamiji and gurus should never marry and observe celibacy. If they fail to do so they are not fit to continue as Sanyasis.

Sex is human instinct like hunger. The Swamiji’s are forced to observe celibacy, which is against human nature. Only few will succeed in this venture and others carry on secretly indulge in their sexual venture until it comes to limelight. 

   

Many Swamijis in the past got married after resigning from swamis’ order. Many times this became public debate but these people were soon forgotten. There are many self declared Swamijis with religious robes and indulge in accumulation of wealth and indulging in sex and all sorts of immoral and criminal activities happenings in their Ashrams and retreats.  Many Swamijis indulge in sex with their disciples. Once this is brought to the knowledge of people, people start reacting negatively.  Public memory is very short. People talk about all scandals for some time and later they forget about it.

There is a need to do deeper research on Vedic religion and bifurcate the present Hindu religion, which is mixed-up with Buddhism, Jainism and also idea adopted from other ideologies to know the pure essence of Vedas. It is also necessary to verify validity of dual and non-dual ideologies, which are based on Vedas to know they are mere add-ons. The original Sanatan Dharma was without all these ideologies.     

Swamis or gurus who claim themselves to be God and people worship and glorify them as God in human form.  They are trying to establish a regular religious sect of their own by  taking advantage of the mass mind set, which accept to believe any one who are propagating about their religion and god as avatars.  This is an unhappy development of the Hindu religious movement. Even Gandhiji resisted such deification of himself.

There can be no correct exposition in the Upanishads unless the guru has had experience of the truth. Otherwise it is merely adding words to words.  The sage will not do immoral things that are impossible.

It is difficult for people to understand such texts as, “God, Guru and the Self are one." No on rises   voice against the practice of deifying the Guru they think it is against their religion and tradition.

 If god, guru and self are one -- it means the self is Atman and Atman is god and guru not the body.  Thus, one who thinks himself as guru is   considers the  self as body and allows people to worship his body as god , thus he is not God because he  is not aware of the fact that, the self is the formless  Atman or consciousness or spirit.

There are few people who are able to think beyond physicality voice against the practice of deifying the Guru.

The traditional Hindu attitude towards the Guru is glorifying him as god. It is necessary to verify the facts on this subject at some length. This not referred to anyone in particular.  The present verification of facts is general and irrespective of any particular person and their beliefs.

Hindu religious literature is full of such aphorisms as

There is no higher deity than the Guru'

The Guru is the ultimate Truth and Deity

God and Avatars (incarnations) are secondary to the Guru in importance

There is no higher refuge, no higher target, no higher destination than the Guru

The Guru is God Himself

God and the Guru are one

He who makes a distinction between the Guru and God is ignorant and stupid and scores of similar others.  Some celebrated philosopher-saints like Jnandev, Eknath and so many others all over India have offered their first salutations to the Guru in their various books.

A good deal of chaos prevails in Hinduism. It has an ever increasing number of Avatar as and Gurus installed as God Himself, with the support and sanction of scriptures and teachings of saints and sages in the past.  The crooks take advantage of the innocence of the masses and pretend to be god or god men.

Denunciation of practice of glorifying the guru as god is impossibility because people are sentimentally and emotionally involved with their inherited religious belief.

Brahmacarya, monastic celibacy, is the complete abstinence from sex, which is only incumbent upon monastics. Householders practice monogamy as a way to uphold Brahmacarya in spirit.

"Non-possession", is the renunciation of property and wealth, before initiation into sanyasa, without entertaining thoughts of the things renounced. This is done so one understands how to detach oneself from things and possessions, including home and family, so one may reach moksa.

 For householders, non-possession is owning without attachment, because the notion of possession is illusory. The reality of life is that change is constant; thus, objects owned by someone today will be property of someone else in future days. The householder is encouraged to discharge his or her duties to related people and objects as a trustee, without excessive attachment.

Since, the guru is bound to follow by some ethics and code of conducts prescribed in scriptures; the immoral acts of gurus are harmful, as it might cause doubt and confusion in the minds of many people, who strive with simple faith and earnestness to practice the discipline for enlightenment and self- development. Thus, gurus have to be accountable to all his acts and actions because they are bound by religion and their religious code of conducts.

Isa Upanishad says:- By worshipping gods and goddesses you will go after death to the world of gods and goddesses. But will that help you? The time you spend there is wasted, because if you were not there you could have spent that time moving forward towards Self-knowledge, which is your goal. In the world of gods and goddesses you cannot do that, and thus you go deeper and deeper into darkness.
 

Thus the Upanishads indicates that true goal is to acquire self knowledge.

Katha Upanishad says:

[Upanishads Nikhilananda]

Fools dwelling in darkness, but thinking themselves wise and erudite, go round and round, by various tortuous paths, like the blind led by the blind. [Ch II-5 P-14]

It indicates that the one who is ignorant [darkness] of the true self [formless witness/Ataman] searches truth by accumulating knowledge of every path and practice and uncertain about the truth, and thinks every path leads towards reality. The ignorance of the true self leads one towards unreality or hallucination.

 This Ataman 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 Ataman reveals Its own form. [Katha Upanishad Ch-II -23-P-20]

This Ataman cannot be attained through study of the Vedas, nor through intelligence, nor through much learning. He who chooses Ataman—by him alone is Ataman attained. It is Ataman that reveals to the seeker Its true nature. [    3 –page-70 Mundaka Upanishad. Upanishads by Nikilanada]

The above passages further prove that: self-knowledge cannot be attained by study of the Vedas and intellectual understanding or by bookish knowledge.  Therefore there is no use of studying the Vedas and other scriptures in order to acquire the non-dual wisdom.  That is why Buddha rejected the scriptures, and even Sri, Sankara indicated that, the truth lies beyond religion, concept of god and scriptures. 

For those who are incapable of inquiring and not yet ready for Self-Knowledge, the worship and glorifying of god and gurus is recommended.

Even, Mundaka Upanishad: -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.

Even in Vedas:-

Translation 1.
They enter darkness, those who worship natural things (for example air, water, sun, moon, animals, fire, stone, etc).
They sink deeper in darkness those who worship sambhuti. (Sambhuti means created things, for example table, chair, idol etc.)
[Yajurved 40:9]

Translation 2.
"Deep into shade of blinding gloom fall asambhuti's worshippers. They sink to darkness deeper yet who on sambhuti are intent."
[Yajurveda Samhita by Ralph T. H. Giffith pg 538]

Translation 3.
"They are enveloped in darkness, in other words, are steeped in ignorance and sunk in the greatest depths of misery who worship the uncreated, eternal prakrti -- the material cause of the world -- in place of the All-pervading God, But those who worship visible things born of the prakrti, such as the earth, trees, bodies (human and the like) in place of God are enveloped in still greater darkness, in other words, they are extremely foolish, fall into an awful hell of pain and sorrow, and suffer terribly for a long time."
[Yajur Veda 40:9.]

"Na tasya pratima asti"
"There is no image of Him."[Yajurveda 32:3]

"Ekam evadvitiyam"
"He is One only without a second." [Chandogya Upanishad 6:2]

"Na casya kascij janita na cadhipah."
"Of Him there are neither parents nor lord." [Svetasvatara Upanishad 6:9]

"Na tasya pratima asti"
"There is no likeness of Him." [Svetasvatara Upanishad 4:19]

"shudhama poapvidham"
"He is bodiless and pure." [Yajurveda 40:8]

"Na samdrse tisthati rupam asya, na caksusa pasyati kas canainam."
"His form is not to be seen; no one sees Him with the eye." [Svetasvatara Upanishad 4:20]

The religion of the Veda knows no idols

"The religion of the Veda knows no idols," says Max Müller; "the worship of idols in India is a secondary formation, a degradation of the more primitive worship of ideal gods."


The stone idols have drowned the world

Kabeer, some buy idols and worship them; In their stubborn- mindedness, they make pilgrimages to sacred shrines.

They look at one another, and wear religious robes, but they are deluded and lost.
Kabeer, someone sets up a stone idol and the entire world worships it as the Lord.
Those who hold to this belief will be drowned in the river of darkness.
Kabeer, the paper is the prison, and the ink of rituals are the bars on the windows.
The stone idols have drowned the world, and the pandits, the religious scholars, have plundered it on the way. [Sri Guru Granth Sahib (Shaloks Of Kabeer Jee:, p. 1371.]


People are unaware of the fact that, the god is the soul itself; they are going the wrong way by worshiping the individual gods.  People act like blind and mute to know the truth. The ignorant worship individualized god and guru without being aware of the fact that, the god and guru is self /soul itself.

Sri Ramana Maharshi:-  

The intricate maze of philosophy of different schools claims to clarify matters and reveal the Truth, but in fact they create confusion where no confusion need exist. To understand anything there must needs be the understanding being. Why worry about his bodies, his ahankar, his buddhi, creation, God, Mahatmas, world – the not-Self – at all? Why not remain yourself and be in peace?

Take Vedanta, for instance: it speaks of the fifteen pranas, the names and functions of which the student is asked to commit to memory. Will it not be sufficient if he is taught that only one prana does the whole work of maintaining life in the body? Again, the antahkarana is said to think, to desire, to will, to reason, etc. Why all these details? Has anyone seen the antahkarana, or all these pranas? Do they really exist? They are all conceptual divisions invented by teachers of philosophy by their excessive analysis. Where do all these concepts end? Why should confusion be 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 rise. 

Looking at all these facts it makes one clear that, the Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana  is main goal of the every human being. Indulging in god and guru glorification is meant for the mass that is incapable of grasping the truth.   Thus, people who are capable and have urge to know the ultimate truth/Brahman has to realize the truth is beyond religion, god and scriptures.  By glorifying the fake gurus and indulging in rituals one will not be able to overcome the duality, which is mere mirage.  

One cannot know the truth until one knows the formless stuff from which the waking or dream is created out of. The goal of pursuit of truth is to realize the true self and the nature of the true self.  

Yogic Samadhi is not self-realization

When Yogi comes out of Samadhi and immediately duality confronts him again. His peace goes, it was depended Samadhi-sleep. Hence no yogi attains true peace, but he imagines it.  

It is not possible know that a Yogi is self-realized because the yogic Samadhi is not self-realization.  One must first find out that what he has got is Samadhi or wisdom. Only through non-dual wisdom one gets self realization.  The yogic Samadhi cannot be considered as non-dual wisdom. Therefore there is need to verify the facts.

 If a god men claims “I am god “No one can disapprove. Similarly with all other yogis who assert they know Brahman in Samadhi. There is no possibility of proof or disproof. Hence these yogis assume or imagine they are god and   they cheat themselves or others without knowing what god is in reality.

When one cannot know the world in front of him then how can he know the God? He will only know his imagination of a God. How can he say his God is all-merciful, when the god is formless and cannot be perceivable from physical eyes?

Sanyasins are enjoined not to accept anything or ask for anything in order to get established in Atman. Religion propagates that only Sanyasis can have Atma Gnana, but it is not so, anyone who    trains himself to reason on the base of the true self will be able to acquire non-dual wisdom.  Blessings are religious fable. Only pretenders give blessings. A Gnani neither blesses nor curses.

The yogi fail to see non-duality in Samadhi, because he believes there is bliss to come to him from Samadhi. That shows he does not know truth, but still seeks bliss as something apart from himself.

It is no use seeing God everywhere. One must see Atman, the same consciousness, the same self, everywhere, and then he will be able  to accept all the three states  alike(as consciousness), with sameness. 

 

 Sri, Sankara says in Viveka Chudamani indicated that:-

56. Neither by Yoga, nor by Sankhya, nor by work, nor by learning, but by the realisation of one's identity with Brahman is Liberation possible, and by no other means.

Sri Sankara clearly indicated that: - yoga, intellectualism, scriptural mastery is not the means to self-knowledge.  But by the realisation of one's identity with consciousness, which is ultimate truth or Brahman, freedom from experiencing the illusion as reality is possible, and by no other means.

 

BRIH. UPANISAD( page 32):- "Yoga does not yield truth or liberation."

Brihad Upanishad  declares:-  Yoga cannot give you truth.

 

BRIHAD UP. Page 133 1st para points out that:- even yoga cannot give perfect concentration and that the only way to gain it is philosophical realization. This confirms Mandukya's statement that:-  yoga can no more succeed than the ocean can be emptied with a blade of grass. 

When the yogi enters this highest Nirvikalpa (effort-less) Samadhi, he will at once enter deep sleep. This will make plain to him after he wakes, that the inner self he sought and found, the Atman, is reached only when all his ideas are refunded into it, when there is then all the features of non-duality, one without a second. However the yogi must later wake up, emerge from Samadhi and there is duality again, for world of objects confronts him. So now he has to work on the next stage which is to find consciously in the waking experience the same non-duality that he unconsciously knew in sleep. This is done by learning that the universe is idea or object for the formless subject, and then refunding the universe -idea back into its source, which is consciousness. Only at this final stage dare he say "Atman (soul or consciousness) is the same as Brahman (ultimate truth)." Now he is fully aware of it.