Ego is not the self but the Consciousness is the true self.

The three states have no separate existence apart the source from where they arise and subside.  The source itself is the  self. The source is the formless soul or consciousness. Soul or consciousness is the formless  witness of three states , which comes and goes in succession.    

Ego is  the false self within the false experience. soul,which is present in the form of  Consciousness is the true self. Many people are not even aware what is Consciousness; though knowing of it, many do not comprehend. Only few expound the knowledge of Consciousness and very rare assimilate and realize it.  It is all because of their inherited religious and social background and grooming.

 There is a need to dismantle the inherited physical structure mentally to overcome the duality. The whole physical structure is built on the foundation of the ‘I’. Since they think the ‘I’ as Consciousness, it becomes difficult to grasp and assimilate and realize the non-dual truth. the 'i' is inborn samskara or conditioning. 'I' itself is illusion.

The ‘I’, appears and disappears as mind. Mind is in the form of universe. universe appears as  waking or dream. the three states are  impermanent; hence  they are not real. The formless witness of the ‘I’ or waking or dream is the soul or consciousness, the innermost  self. Since people think whatever is propagated by the guru or yogi as ultimate truth and blindly accept it as truth, without verifying the validity of their preaching. This blind acceptance becomes a big hindrance in pursuit of truth. If one is seeking truth, one has to verify the validity of any claim through deeper  self-search , and accept only un-contradictable truth.

Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana Atma Gnana  when taught by an unqualified person is not easily comprehended, because it is diversely regarded by disputants. But when it is taught by him who has become one with Consciousness, there can remain no more doubt about It. Consciousness is subtler than the subtlest and not to be known through argument.

Self- Knowledge or Brahma Gnana Atma Gnana  cannot be attained by egocentric reasoning. Consciousness becomes easy of comprehension, soul-centric reasoning. One has to attain self- Knowledge right now in this very life not in next world or next life.

Gnani, by means of concentration on the true Self, realizes that ancient, effulgent hidden and which dwells and pervades in everything and everywhere in all the three states as its formless substance and witness.

The knowing the consciousness is not born; It does not die. It has not sprung from anything; nothing has sprung from It. Birthless, eternal, everlasting and ancient, it is not killed when the body is killed or when the world disappears.  If the murderer thinks he kills and if the killed man thinks he is killed, neither of these apprehends aright. The Self kills not, nor is it killed.

Consciousness exists in smaller than the small, greater than the great, and is hidden in the three states as its formless substance and witness. A man who is free from viewing and judging the worldview on the base of ‘I’ beholds the Self through self-awareness  and becomes free from experiencing the duality as reality.

Gnani, having realized Consciousness as dwelling within impermanent states is bodiless, pervades the three states as its formless substance and witness and permanent and eternal.

Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana Atma Gnana cannot be acquired by the study of the scriptures, or by intelligence, or by much hearing of sacred books. It is attained by him alone whom It chooses. To such a one Consciousness reveals its own form.

He who has not rectified his reasoning  base from the ‘I’(form) base to soul(formless) base , who does not have the intense urge to know the non-dual truth and who is not tranquil and subdued and whose mind is not receptive , cannot acquire Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana Atma Gnana  . It is realized only through inquiry, analysis and reasoning on the true base.

Consciousness is not known by those who know it; it is known by those who do not know it.  That is when one says he knows Consciousness; he is saying it as a person. The Consciousness cannot be applied only to the individuality but to the whole experience [three states]. But in reality the person and world created out of Consciousness, thus nothing exits other than Consciousness. Thus if one says he knows Consciousness as a person, he is making a wrong statement. One must know Consciousness as the formless clay of the three states [whole].

Consciousness is known when it is realized in every state of mind; for by such Knowledge one attains Immortality. By Consciousness one obtains strength; by Knowledge, Immortality

If a man knows Consciousness here, he then attains the non-dual goal of his mission. If he does not know it here, he remains ignorance experiencing the cycle of birth, life and death as reality. Having realized the Self in every being, the wise relinquish the world and become immortal.

No God can exist, apart from consciousness.

People are not aware of the fact that,   no God can exist, apart from consciousness. If there is no consciousness, then there is no body, world and their belief of god. They think that there must be a creator of this universe. If one thinks body  or waking entity or ego  as self, then there is a creator, but if one thinks the soul  consciousness as the true Self, then there is nothing exists other then the consciousness.

If one objectifies and sees a universe, then he is bound to see many things beside himself and postulate a God, the creator. Body, God and world rise and set together from, and into, the Self or consciousness. If God is apart from the Self or consciousness, then He would be Self-less, that is, outside existence, that is, non-existent.

The language of the duality, invented within the duality, for use in the dualistic world, when used to describe non-duality, produces these apparent contradictions, because there no apparatus in non-duality, because noting exist other than the consciousness. 

Non-duality is the state of oneness of existence and there is no scope in its philosophy for anything like non-existence.

Consciousness  the true Self is hidden and pervades in everything and everywhere in the three states as their formless substance and witness; but it is seen by Gnanis through their one—pointed and subtle intellects.

The serious seeker becomes aware the fact that, the experiences of the three states are created out of consciousness when he realizes the self is not form but self is formless. 

Without knowing  the self is not the form but self is  formless, there is no unity in diversity. The path of truth is like the sharp edge of a razor, so it is hard to tread and difficult to cross without perfect understanding and without deeper investigation.  

Having realized consciousness as self, which is soundless, intangible, formless, undecaying and likewise tasteless, eternal and odourless; having realized that which is without beginning and end, beyond the Great and unchanging—one is freed from experiencing the duality as reality.

It is through consciousness that one perceives all objects in sleep or in the waking experience. Having realized the vast, all—pervading consciousness, one enters into non dual tranquility.

He who knows the consciousness as true self, the formless substance and witness of the three states, is free from experiencing the past, present and the future as reality.

True self   is undistorted Consciousness. He who reflects on consciousness becomes free from experiencing the pain and pleasure as reality, liberated from the bonds of ignorance; he becomes free from experiencing the diversity as reality.

The consciousness, when identifies with the body and dwelling in it by experiencing the duality as reality. If it is torn away from the body and its experience of the universe, is freed from it, what then remains?  Whatever prevails is non-dual Atman or consciousness.

The Atman/consciousness , which remains awake while the sense—organs are asleep, shaping one lovely form after another that indeed is the Pure, that is consciousness  and that alone is called the Immortal. All three states are contained in Atman and none can pass beyond.

Man becomes aware of himself and the world only in waking experience.

Yoga is intended to remove the hindrance in pursuit of truth such as sexual desire, worries, anxieties, desire for wealth etc. Also to enable the one to keep out irrelevant thoughts whilst making inquiry, analysis and reasoning.

 All this has to be done before indulging in pursuit of truth. Therefore yoga has only a negative value and is a preparatory stage. Pursuit of truth starts from what is seen, i.e. the three states.  Wisdom comes from both knowing the three states and the formless witness of the three states.

To leave out one of these parts is to prevent attainment of wisdom. "Who am I” is useful no doubt, it has certainly a value in its place, and gives some knowledge of self as, the Witness. But what about the witnessed? The three states are mere object to the witness. It must also be looked at. If the witnessed [three states] is ignored, then "Who am I” cannot give the full truth.

“Who am ‘I’” is   yogic enquiry; not the spiritualistic; the latter deals with the whole of life whereas the former deals with a part only.

"Who am I” inquiry limits only to the physical entity, because there, is no person in truth but only in the illusion of mystics.  ‘It should be "What is I?"

 

The question "Who am I” is a physical, not a spiritualistic question. It is a most selfish one. It is on a par with "What shall I be after death?" and "What shall I get in return for my good karma in next life?" It is purely egocentric and it is based on the false self.

Only the people who are serious in knowing the truth can lift their thoughts above ego and ask "What is the mind."  All  the three states  put together make the soul/self, not merely the ego questioning itself ''What is  I.”

People are most interested in themselves before they gets interested in the world therefore, the "Who am I?" inquiry leads only to reveal half truth.    The “Who am I? – Inquiry is useful as a first stage to show the illusoriness of ego and thus help seeker to get rid of it. It helps the seeker to prepare him to consider the higher question: What is the world, what is mind, what is “Self” the truth about which cannot be learnt by those attached to their ego, with its prejudices against idealism, etc. 

If one has doubts about why there are so many different animals and natural objects in the world he may regard them as teachers, there are lessons to be learnt from them by using reason. Why did Brahman produce all these varied forms? It is so that the ignorant man may study them and get wisdom. One has to study the all the three states and realize the fact that, so many different animals and natural objects and the world exists only in waking and dream.

The people who are on the path of “Self-Inquiry”  "Who am I?" may succeed in finding the common factor in all ‘I’s, the I-ness but they have to come back to the world. Their task is incomplete. They do not know the world is mere mirage created out of the Ataman and Ataman is ultimate truth.  

"What Am l?" revels only illusory nature of the ego/physical self.

“What is mind?” and “What is the substance of the mind?” revels the truth of the whole.  In pursuit of truth deeper understanding and sharpness to grasp the truth is necessary.  

The three states have to be analyzed and examined separately; and realize the fact that, the witness of the three states is formless and apart.  The three states are mere mirages is arisen from the soul and witnessed by the soul and finally it dissolves as the soul or consciousness. So the experience of diversity is mere mirage created out of the soul, which is the true self and it dissolves as the soul. Therefore there is no second thing other then the soul exits, which is in the form of spirit or consciousness.

The deeper inquiry, analysis and reasoning revels the truth that, the self is not physical and on the standpoint of formless self, the mind or  diversity is mere mirage.  Therefore, the mirage cannot be considered as reality but the formless substance and witness of the mirage is real and eternal.   

Meditation on the formless witness is the best meditation: meditation on the parts is only steps towards that.  Man becomes aware of himself and the world only in waking experience. With what one becomes aware of the waking and dream and deep sleep, when the waking entity is limited to waking experience. What witnesses the dream as a whole without the physical eyes because the dream does not arise until the waking entity and waking world disappears. The, one which is aware of the three states, which comes and goes in succession is apart and eternal.

The mystic and religionist disregard this in order to think of self.  Yogis, who jump at once to Atman disregarding to include the world in their inquiry will not be able to get wisdom.  Mystics or religionists are based on their belief not truth.  If one does not see the objects or one gets thoughtlessness, it does not mean he has wisdom.

Whoever looks at objects alone, at the external world, he is wholly ignorant. But he, who looks at both the outside and inside, inquires, analyzes and reasons; he is led towards knowledge. 

One has to analyze both mind and matter to get at truth. Two things are necessary to get the non-dual truth: -

 (1) Knowledge of the mind

(2) Knowledge of the substance of the mind which is the true self or the subject.

 When one starts inquiry he does it to please himself, not for truth; hence he asks "Who am I?" It is an elementary stage of discipline because it is   based on ego/physical self, but aiming at eliminate the ego.  It is impossible to eliminate the ego, because ego is false self within the false experience. Therefore, there is need to understand “What is mind” in order to assimilate the true self-knowledge.

The formula "What is I?" presupposes the existence of an ‘I’. But this is only an assumption. Before proceeding to act on such a formula one ought first to inquire whether there is such a thing as an ‘I’.

Those who have been baffled by unsuccessful enquiry, reading, intellection, have to find out what are the obstacles on the way what is blocking them from grasping ,understanding and assimilating the non-dual truth.

Yoga is intended to remove the hindrance in pursuit of truth such as sexual desire, worries, anxieties, desire for wealth etc. Also to enable the one  to keep out irrelevant thoughts whilst making inquiry, analysis and reasoning .

 All this has to be done before indulging in pursuit of truth. Therefore yoga has only a negative value and is a preparatory stage. Pursuit of truth starts from what is seen, i.e. the three states.  Wisdom comes from both knowing the three states and the formless witness of the three states.

To leave out one of these parts is to prevent attainment of wisdom. "Who am I” is useful no doubt, it has certainly a value in its place, and gives some knowledge of self as, the Witness. But what about the witnessed? The three states are mere object to the witness. It must also be looked at. If the witnessed [three states] is ignored, then "Who am I” cannot give the full truth.

“Who am ‘I’” is   yogic enquiry; not the spiritualistic; the latter deals with the whole of life whereas the former deals with a part only.

"Who am I” inquiry limits only to the physical entity, because there, is no person in truth but only in the illusion of mystics.  ‘It should be "What is  I?"

 

The question "Who am I” is a religious, not a spiritualistic question. It is a most selfish one. It is on a par with "What shall I be after death?" and "What shall I get in return for my good karma in next life?" It is purely egocentric and it is based on the false self.

Only the people who are serious in knowing the truth can lift their thoughts above ego and ask "What is the mind?"  All  the three states  put together make the soul/self, not merely the ego questioning itself ''What is  I.”