Through soul, the innermost self he gains strength and through its knowledge immortality.

The purpose of self inquiry is not theorizing, but to get the un-contradicted truth, which lies beyond all the theories.

When the inquiry reveals that 'I' is not the body, then there is no use of saying I am not the sense, I am not the brain, I am not the mind. If 'I' is not the body all other thing including the 'I', is non-existent. Thus it is erroneous to view and judge the worldview, if 'I', is not the physical body, and take the authorship as a person. The inquiry revels the fact that the body is a mere experince not an experiencer. Thus the experiencer of the body is the formless entity. Therefore, it is relevant to view and judge the worldview on the base of the formless entity, not create theories and spin the web of imagination on the base of physical body as self , which is a mere experience.

The physical based inquiry is for the beginners to focus their attention on the 'I'. In latter stages of inquiry, when seekers thinking and reasoning goes deeper, he realizes the fact that 'I', is not the self.

‘I AM' is not Self and Self is not 'I AM'. 'I AM' is bound by form, time and space. Without the form, time and space 'I AM' cease to exist. Holding ' I Am as Self one remains in clutches of duality. When there is duality than there is ignorance. Ignorance is cause of experiencing the duality (illusion) as reality. The person who identifies Self as 'I AM' will not be able to cross the threshold of duality. There is no point in saying 'I AM' this or 'I AM THAT' because the 'self' is that which witness the 'I AM' and the world together without the physical apparatus.

The earliest ancient sages used the word ‘I’ to the witness of the three states not to the ego as moderns use it and think the ‘I’ without the body is self. The seeker has to understand the fact that the fact that ‘i’ is not the self but the witness of the ‘I’ is the true self, which is eternal. 

People think that the ‘soul’ or ‘spirit’ is something different from the mind. They believe that the mind is really two. This is the confusion among religionists and intellectuals. If ‘Soul’ has any meaning, if ‘spirit’ has any meaning, so long as one thinks of them, they are merely ideas. No, Mind is the highest: it is consciousness, non-dual wisdom.

The individual is a bundle of memories, desires within the waking or dream. The memories and desires are part of the duality. Therefore the individual self is entirely part and parcel of the mirage. Peoples ideas of that they will go to some world after death, some astral plane or religious heavens will disappear as nonsense with the disappearance of belief in the reality of the ‘I’.  

The 'I', represents duality. 

The duality is there only, when the experince is there.

The experince is there only, when the 'I', is there.

Absent of 'I' ,absent of experience.

Absent of experince, absent of duality.

Absent of duality, there is only non dual reality.

Therefore all the theories are reality within the 'I', until one realizes the fact that 'I' is not the self,and 'I', is mere illusion on the standpoint of the formless soul , the innermost self. Therefore the main aim of the inquirer is, to find the  self beyond form,time and space and discard the falsehood.

Self-inquiry is very essential tool to start the spiritual pursuit. The secret of self inquiry is no revealed by the masters, because the seeker has to find all the obstacle and fatter on the way, on his own, and assimilate the knowledge, to have a firm conviction.

Sage, 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. 


When the ultimate truth is rightly known and one attains eternal life thereby. Through soul, the innermost self he gains strength and through its knowledge immortality.