In the ancient time, religious and Yogic and mystic discipline, which were not an end in itself, considered to be means for Self-Realization, but such discipline is almost impossible task for the modern man to adopt.

In the ancient time, religious and  Yogic  and mystic discipline, which were not an end in itself, considered to be means for Self-Realization,  but such discipline is almost impossible task for the modern man to adopt. Day by day modern man is becoming aware of the fact that,  religion and yoga are nothing to do with Self-Realization.

 The modern mindset is pre-eminently scientific owing to the great progress that science has made. And the best method of freeing the mind from its inaccurate ways of thinking is to imbue it as fully as possible with the scientific spirit. It is therefore only one who possesses a clear knowledge of its methods and results i.e., who is able to make reason the highest means of enquiry that would be fit for self-knowledge.

Vedanta itself admits its highest Truth that is Atman or Brahman cannot be reached by any path other than that of reason and unless the reason is sharper than the ‘Edge of a razor'.

Reason on the true base is the highest means of attaining self- knowledge.  Religion, theology, mystic practice and yoga are not the means to acquire non-dual wisdom.  Absence of reason is absence of wisdom.

Both modern science and religion offer hypotheses and theories but there is one vital difference--science begins with facts which it collects; religion begins with fancies. Science evolves its hypotheses from such facts, religion from fancies.

Science declares that oxygen combines with hydrogen to give water. And it also declares oxygen is protons or electrons. But in pursuit of truth the whole physical existence [universe or mind] is considered as illusion and science and their inventions, which are based on the physical existence is limited to physical existence. The truth is within but it is beyond the physical existence.  The science demands physical proof.  But the physical proof is part of the illusion. Hence science cannot go beyond physicality because the truth cannot be traced with laboratory conditions.  Deeper Inquiry, analysis and reasoning  is required if one  wants to push its quest deeply enough.

Common people and primitive minds fall into faulty thinking through their inherited conditioning , such faulty thinking and reasoning  makes them accept the experience of birth, life and death as reality ; taking what one sees through  the senses  as real, taking what is apparent obvious and superficial as true because it is less troublesome.

Many People adopt the attitude that what   they know is truth. And what others say id false. This attitude makes them not to verify anything other then what they know.   One needs to be rational, not merely logical. Logic is has its value only in physical plane.

As one advances towards spiritual plane he sees the logic underlying experience and becomes more rational. His reasoning is two-fold--implicit and explicit.

There is a need of facts of physical proof in scientific invention, whereas in pursuit of truth the proof has to be grasped mentally and realized.  Therefore, the truth is realized only by few who take this mental pursuit.  “Whatever facts revealed, which is un-contradictable has to be accepted as truth.

The truth based on the formless soul/self is worthwhile; without it, one has something else, not truth.  Most people refuse to venture into pursuit of truth; because they do not want to go into the root of things.

The seeker of truth has to study, inquire and reason in the beginning of the pursuit of truth, because it is absolutely necessary in pursuit of truth.

One has to know the true self is not physical but the formless spirit.  The spirit or soul or the self is in the form of consciousness. Consciousness gives one the awareness of the three states. 

The ignorance of the true self is the cause of experiencing the duality as reality.  The ignorance vanishes through realization of the true Self, which is the soul or consciousness or spirit.

The  formless soul, the innermost self does not lie in our body or in our brain but it is the essence of the dual and non-dual experiences, which comes and goes as waking dream and deep sleep.  The three states are one in essence.  And that essence is consciousness. thus there is no second thing exits other than consciousness because everything is made of consciousness.Consciousness is real and eternal. Consciousness is eternal truth or Brahman.  

Truth is bitter pill. It becomes very difficult for the seeker to accept it at first; because of his inherited conditioning. Gradually he will be able to grasp it as he moves on.

Prayers and sacrifices belong to a premature stage of development. However when no answers come to prayers, struggle for existence presses man, and doubt arises again.  Faith in religion weakens as the man pays more attention to the facts of life and this world.

Reason is the common ground for whole humanity in the modern age, whereas the appeal to scriptural relations reaches only the sects.  Those who argue that truth is only in their religion are vain logicians, depending on mere ideas, speculations and imaginations.

The practical life within the practical world, which is present as waking experience, is mere illusion. If waking experience is mere illusion than the individual experience of birth, life, death and the world are mere illusion.   If the experience birth, life death and the world are mere illusion, it means the form; time and space are mere illusion.  If form, time and space are mere illusion, it means the past, present and future is mere illusion. Thus it is necessary for the seeker to realize the fact that,   form, time and space are one in essence, in order to realize the three states are one in essence. That essence is consciousness. Thus all the diversity is created out of   formless consciousness. Thus no second thing exists other than consciousness, the innermost self. Seeker of truth has to constantly reflect on the subject in order to get a firm conviction of the truth.  The seeker has to reflect on the same truth again and again until it becomes reality. One needs to constant reflect on the subject until he gets a firm conviction of what is what.

Truth is bitter pill. It becomes very difficult for the seeker to accept it at first; because of his inherited conditioning. Gradually he will be able to grasp it as he moves on.

The illusion is present only in ignorance where, 'I' and you are separate entities. In truth, there is neither 'I' nor you, nor, the illusion. Therefore there is no teaching, no teacher, and no student in reality.

Truth pursuit is a very personal journey. The seeker has to verify minutely on his own, “what is truth”, and “what is not truth”, before accepting anything as truth. The illusion exists as reality, only on the base of the ego, which is he false self within the false experience.

For  a Gnani, who is aware of the fact that the self is not physical but self is consciousness, there is no illusion, even though; he is in the midst of illusion, because he is fully aware of the fact that, all the three states are consciousness.  Therefore he is conscious of consciousness in the midst of the illusion. 

The language of the duality, invented by the 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 soul, which is in the form of consciousness.

Words are needed until one gets a firm conviction of ‘what is what. People need to read and hear the words to think deeply and reach the ultimate end. 

Non duality is the state of oneness of existence and there is no scope for anything like non-existence in the realm of non-dual truth. 

Intellectually knowing the truth is only an imagination, whereas realizing the truth is knowing it as such.

Formless soul or consciousness,  the innermost is only which is permanent, unchanging in the ever changing three states is reality. Everyone hears of Soul or Consciousness but they can only imagine it. 

One requires words only to distinguish between is there and not there, but he can't posit either of Reality, because he's saying so is only an idea within the experience of duality (waking). The duality is not reality.  The reality is beyond words. Words are of use, however, as a thorn to pull out the thorn of other words that hinder knowledge.

Intellectually knowing the truth is only an imagination, whereas realizing the truth is knowing it as such.

People think that, by keeping out their thoughts will give the experience of the soul or consciousness, the innermost self. How can one keep out a portion of consciousness because the consciousness pervades in everything and everywhere in all the three states.

It is utterly impossible. Such thoughtless experience is mere hallucination.   It is impossible to   experience any of the three states without consciousness, because the consciousness pervades in all the three states.

Soul or consciousness is the  formless substance and the witness of the three states. Thus all the three states are mere mirage created out of consciousness.  The substance and witness of the consciousness are one in essence. Thus everything is consciousness.  Therefore, no second thing exists other than consciousness .   Knowing and realizing  the diversity is created out of single stuff, which is consciousness, brings unity in diversity.

The thoughts arise only in waking or dream, and are non-existent in deep sleep. Thus the experience is prior to thought.

99% people will not show interest in the path of wisdom. And  the path of wisdom is for those who found the path of religion, the path of yoga and all theoretical philosophy and scriptural studies inadequate and useless in quenching their inner thirst.

  

People are searching for remedies for their problems of practical life within the practical world.  The path of love is very valuable in practical world. A Gnani follows path of love in practical world and he loves the whole humanity but he inwardly he is fully aware of the fact that, the practical life within the practical world are part mere mirage. 

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)

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. 

 It is for every seeker who is in the path of truth to prove himself to know “What is truth, “and “What is untruth?” to assimilate the Self -knowledge or Bramha Gnana or Atma Gnana. 

All the Kosha are mere imagined theory based on the ego, which is the false self, within the false experience.

All  the Kosha are mere imagined theory based on the ego, which is the false self, within the false experience. Because everyone thinks the mind is within the body, whereas the body is within the mind, which is in the form of the universe.

 If mind is there then only the universe is there.  If the universe is there then only the all its contents are there. Absence of mind is absent of the universe and its contents. Absent of the universe is absent of individual experience of birth, life and death.  The universe appears as waking or dream and disappears as deep sleep. The formless witness of the appearance of waking and dream is consciousness, which is the true self.
  

 On the base of consciousness as self, the universe or mind is mere mirage.  The formless witness itself is the substance of the mind. Thus the mind  or the universe and the soul, the innermost  self, which is present in the form of  consciousness, are one in essence because the mind, which is in the form of the universe, is erupted out of the formless soul or  consciousness.  Thus everything within the mind or the universe  is created out of consciousness. Thus everything is consciousness. Therefore, there is no scope for second thing other than consciousness because the body and the universe are also  the consciousness. Therefore the universe, which is in the form of mind, is a mere mirage created out of consciousness. 

 Therefore, Kosha are mere divisions imagined and assumed because, when the self is not the body (form) but self is consciousness (formless)   there is no scope for division.  Only when one thinks the physical body as self then only there is scope for division within the consciousness.

One has to stay totally in the awareness of the soul, which is in the form of consciousness within the waking experience. The world, the body, relationships – all are external to the true self /soul, which is consciousness.

Thus all these scriptural theories hold no water when one becomes aware of the fact that the body is not the self. Thus all the theories based on the body as self-hold no water.

When the Vedas and Upanishad declare that Consciousness or Atman is actually nothing but Brahman, then why go round and round, by various tortuous paths, like the blind led by the blind. One has to realize the fact that, the mind is in the form of the  universe.  Trace the source of mind and realize that source is consciousness. The mind arises from consciousness as waking or dream and subsides as deep sleep.  

In Mandukya Upanishad Brahman and Atman are defined as same:-

सर्वं ह्येतद् ब्रह्मायमात्मा ब्रह्म सोयमात्मा चतुष्पात् / sarvam hyetad brahmaayamaatmaa brahm soyamaatmaa chatushpaat –

Mandukya Upanishad, verse-2

Translation:

sarvam(सर्वम्)- Whole/All/Everything; hi(हि)- Really/Just/Surely/Indeed; etad(एतद्)- This here/This; brahm(ब्रह्म)- Brahm/Brahman; ayam(अयम्)- This/Here; aatmaa(आत्मा)- Atma/Atman; sah(सः)- He; ayam(अयम्)- This/Here; chatus(चतुस्)- Four/Quadruple; paat(पात्)- Step/Foot/Quarter

Fragmented Verse:-

सर्वम् हि एतद् ब्रह्म अयम् आत्मा ब्रह्म सः अयम् आत्मा चतुस पात् / sarvam hi etad brahm ayama aatmaa brahm sah ayam aatmaa chatus paat

Simple Meaning:-

All indeed is this Brahman; This Atman is Brahman; He, this Atman has four steps/quarters.

While Brahman lies behind the sum total of the objective universe, some human minds boggle at any attempt to explain it with only the tools provided by reason. Brahman is beyond the senses, beyond the mind, beyond intelligence, beyond imagination. Indeed, the highest idea is that Brahman is beyond both existence and non-existence, transcending and including time, causation and space, and thus can never be known in the same material sense as one traditionally 'understands' a given concept or object.

Imagine a person who is blind from birth and has not seen anything. Is it possible for us to explain to him the meaning of the colour red. Is any amount of thinking or reasoning on his part ever going to make him understand the sensation of the colour red? In a similar fashion the idea of Brahman cannot be explained or understood through material reasoning or any form of human communication. Brahman is like the colour red; those who can sense it cannot explain or argue with those who have never sensed it.

Brahman is considered the all-pervading consciousness which is the basis of all the animate and inanimate entities and material. (brahmano hi pratisthaham, Bhagavad Gita 14.27)

In Advaita Vedanta: - Brahman is without attributes and strictly impersonal. It can be best described as infinite Being, infinite Consciousness and infinite Bliss. It is pure knowledge itself, similar to a source of infinite radiance. Since the Advaitins regard Brahman to be the Ultimate Truth, so in comparison to Brahman, every other thing, including the material world, its distinctness, the individuality of the living creatures and even Ishvara (the Supreme Lord) itself are all untrue. Brahman is the effulgent cause of everything that exists and can possibly exist. Since it is beyond human comprehension, it is without any attributes, for assigning attributes to it would be distorting the true nature of Brahman. Orthodox Advaitins believe in the existence of both Saguna Brahman and Nirguna Brahman; however they consider Nirguna Brahman to be the absolute supreme truth.

Chandogya Upanishad:- One who meditates upon and realizes the self discovers that everything in the cosmos-- energy and space, fire and water, name and form, birth and death, mind and will, word and deed, mantram and meditation--all come from the Self.

So, it clearly says the one who meditate upon the self [consciousness] discovers that everything in the cosmos-- energy and space, fire and water, name and form, birth and death, mind and will, word and deed, mantram and meditation--all come from the Self. Therefore , there is a need to know the fact that ,the true self is not physical but the soul in order to realize the fact that :  the cosmos-- energy and space, fire and water, name and form, birth and death, mind and will, word and deed, mantram and meditation--all come from the Self, which is in the form of consciousness.

Ataman is Brahman. Brahman /Christ/the Absolute is alone real; this waking is unreal; and the three states are non-different from Brahman/Christ.

Whatever is, is Brahman/Christ. Brahman/Christ itself is absolutely homogeneous. All difference and plurality are illusory."  Brahman/Christ is not a person, as the Absolute is not this. But if one wants to call it God/Paramataman, then fine. But it is not a person. Personifying it can make it easier to understand.

The real journey begins inwardly when one finds all the outer journeys are inadequate and useless in quenching his spiritual thirst.

Yoga and meditation is beginning of one’s spiritual journey.  The real journey begins inwardly when one  finds all the outer journeys are inadequate and useless in quenching his spiritual thirst.  The real renunciation is renouncing the ignorance.  Ignorance is the cause of experiencing illusory duality as reality. Yoga and meditation and god and guru glorification are not the means to acquire non dual wisdom. Without wisdom freedom from duality is impossible. 

 A real spiritual retreat is where there is no compulsion of any sort: no set programme to be followed, no meetings of saints, no god glorification and prayers or worship so that the seeker is spared from the unnecessary strain which is of no  use in the pursuit of truth.

In pursuit of truth there is no need to frame rules and regulation and code of conduct to control the mind of the seeker, because these rules and regulations and code of conducts are useful only in practical  life, not in the pursuit of truth. The seeker can attain the highest wisdom without common enforced discipline and discover the self evident truth, through deeper  inquiry and reason and analysis on the base of the soul,which is in the form of consciousness. The consciousness is the innermost self.  The realization surges up by a free impulse when the seeking mind becomes receptive enough to accept the truth.

While it is true that not all the seekers are ripe enough thus need for constant reflection on the true self, which is  Consciousness,which is the innermost self ,through inquiry and reasoning  on the base of soul as self until the mind is capable and receptive to receive the knowledge of true self, which is the soul.

The religious theory that : This seemingly boundless universe stretching far beyond human imagination and consisting billions of stars, planet, solar systems and galaxies has not come into existence all by itself. It has to have a creator, and that creator is God.

Every nook and corner of this entire universe is governed by identical laws of nature. Hence there are no many gods but only one god. This creation and creator theory seems to be true when man is unaware of the true self and views and judges the three states  as `I' as self which is false self within the illusory Waking experience.

It is the formless soul, the innermost  Self that is in illusion and it is the self that gets free from the bondage of the illusion. The illusion is present in the form of mind. The mind is in the form of the universe. The universe appears as waking or dream and disappears as deep sleep.  The individual experiences of birth, life, death and the world are within the waking experience.  The dream is a parallel waking experience and waking is parallel dream.

Deeper self-search reveals the fact that the, self is neither the waking entity nor the self is the dream entity but the self is formless soul, which witnesses the coming and going of the three states in succession without the physical apparatus.  This has to be mentally grasped and assimilated to realize the formless soul, the innermost   self is nothing to do with the three states. On the standpoint of the three states, the three states are mere illusion.

The practical life within the practical world, which is present as waking experience, is mere illusion. If waking experience is mere illusion than the individual experience of birth, life, death and the world are mere illusion.   If the experience birth, life death and the world are mere illusion, it means the form; time and space are mere illusion.  If form, time and space are mere illusion, it means the past, present and future is mere illusion. Thus it is necessary for the seeker to realize the fact that,   form, time and space are one in essence, in order to realize the three states are one in essence. That essence is consciousness. Thus all the diversity is created out of   formless consciousness. Thus no second thing exists other than consciousness, the innermost self. Seeker of truth has to constantly reflect on the subject in order to get a firm conviction of the truth.  The seeker has to reflect on the same truth again and again until it becomes reality. One needs to constant reflect on the subject until he gets a firm conviction of what is what.

Real rebirth is dying from the matter into the Spirit. This is the significance of the crucifixion of Jesus*****

The cause of thirst for life and a thirst for rebirth is ignorance of the reality hidden by the ‘I’. the ‘I’ is the dualistic illusion.

The ‘I’ hides the Soul, the Self, which is present in the form of the consciousness.   The ‘I’ is the matter whereas the ‘Self’ is the Soul, the Spirit.  The matter is nothing but an illusion created out of Spirit.  The universe is nothing but matter hides the Spirit because the universe is created out of the Spirit.

Real rebirth is dying from the matter into the Spirit. This is the significance of the crucifixion of Jesus. 

Whenever identification with the body and the world exists, a body and the world are always available, whether in the dream or waking or vision or astral, till the duality disappears by merging into the Source – the Spirit, or the Soul, Self.

The stone which is projected upwards remains in constant motion, till it returns to its source, the earth, and rests. Pain continues to give trouble, till the pre-pain state is regained.

The quest for self-knowledge is inherent in the very nature of life, which is Absolute Existence – truth. Although indestructible by nature, by false identification with its destructible instrument, the body, consciousness imbibes a false apprehension of its destructibility within the dualistic illusion; hence it tries to perpetuate that instrument, which results in believing the experience of birth, life, and death as a reality. But however long these experiences may last; they eventually come to an end and yield to the Soul the Spirit, which alone eternally exists.

The seeker has to give up identification with the ‘I’ which is the world in which you exist. The world in which you exist is a dualistic illusion.  Remember, the world in which you exist cannot exist without the Soul, the Self, whereas the   Soul, the Self can exist without the world in which you exist; in fact, it is always without it.

People think human being may take an animal birth in some other life. These ideas are based on accepting the present birth as a reality. When the present birth which happens within the world itself is an illusion then the future birth is bound to be an illusion.  The seeker has to realize the fact that, the experience of birth, life and death are a reality within the dualistic illusion. part of the illusion, therefore, the birth rebirth and reincarnation which happens within the illusory world is bound to be an illusion.  The Self is the Soul hidden by the dualistic illusion. The Soul is the cause of the dualistic illusion (universe) and it itself is uncaused.

How can you identify the Self as you when the Soul, the ‘Self’ is birthless and deathless because, the Soul is formless, timeless and spaceless existence.

'I' or waking or dream or mind or duality or universe is one and the same thing.

For a   Gnani, the experience of  birth, life, death and the world is a mere mirage, because he is fully aware of the fact that all the three states are mere illusion created out of consciousness. All the three states they appear and disappear in succession. The formless witness  and  three states are one in essence. And that essence is consciousness.  Consciousness is the soul. The formless soul is the innermost self. 

When one is “awake,” he incessantly thinks, and when he goes to sleep and dream, he does not think any the lesser. But when he  passes from dreamful to dreamless sleep, his  thoughts cease and he enjoys undisturbed peace, till he  wakes again and resume his  thinking and with it his  restless, peace-less state. But all these are happening within the three states and he is aware of theses  experiences only in the waking experience.

Birth, life and death are part of the waking experience. The waking experience is present in the form of 'I'. 'I' is present in the form of  mind.  When the mind exists, then only the duality prevails. Absence of mind absent of duality. Therefore 'I' or waking or dream or mind or duality or universe  is one and the same thing.

People think life is miserable because they are not aware of the fact that ‘I’ is not the self and all the three states are unreal on the standpoint of the formless  soul,  the innermost self.

Waking  or dream  is nothing but experience. In deep sleep the waking and dream disappears and the experience -Free State prevails.  But soon experience appears again in the dream or astral or vision and continues till a full “waking” takes place in a new body, after another dreamless lull. This daily cycle of waking and sleeping is a miniature of the cycle of birth, life and death.

 Man and the universe are part of the illusion, which exists as waking/dream. The substance of the waking and dream  and deep sleep is  the formless soul or consciousness from which these three states arise. To transcend birth, life, death and the world ,  one has to transcend the three states and abide in the eternal substance which is the formless soul, the innermost  self.

The terrible fear of death is absent only in deep sleep.  The fear seizes only in deep sleep. Fear is present only when sees his body and the world in waking/dream. But in dreamless sleep, or when one is under Anastasia.  Fear haunts one only when one is fully “awake” and perceive the world, including his body. 


If one becomes aware of the true self and learns to view and judge the three states on the standpoint of the formless soul, the innermost self, the fear becomes part of the mirage. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze the three states and become aware of the fact that, the true self, which witnesses the three states, is apart from the three states.

If one traces this fear to the object, the loss of which gives rise to it, he will find that that object exists within the waking or dream which exists in the form of the mind.

The attractive world and the senses that are touch, taste sights, sounds, smells, etc are within the waking or dream(duality).

People would be too glad to be rid of worldly life and all the problems and inconvenience it creates for them if continued awareness were vouchsafed to them. It is the awareness, the consciousness, and not the body, he fears to lose. Everyone loves existence because it is eternal awareness, which is their own Self.

The seeker of truth has to hold on to the pure awareness right now, while in this  body and be free from all fear which is created out illusion.

People want to know about rebirths. Theosophy speaks of 50 to thousands-year intervals between death and rebirth. But all these are imaginations based on the false self. There is no relation between the standard of measurements of one state of consciousness and another. 


All such measurements are hypothetical. It must be distinctly understood that it is not the soul that comes and goes, but the three states which appear and disappear. The three states are mere illusion on the standpoint of the formless witness which is the formless  soul, the innermost  self.

On the plane of duality that is in the waking the waking world a waking body exists, in the dream, dream world a dream body exists. In dreamless sleep or in death, it remains worldless and bodiless therefore illusion less.

The Gnani, the Self- Realized person, whose mind has already ceased to act, remains unaffected by birth, life death (duality): it has dropped never to rise again as reality. The chain of illusions has snapped forever for him.

It is now clear that there is neither real birth, nor real death. It is the illusion that creates the sense of reality in duality. The sense of reality of the duality will prevail till it is destroyed by Self-Realization.

Wisdom can only remove one’s own ignorance; it does not bring a new thing. Wisdom is for realizing the truth here and now.

The seekers of truth should follow the path of Brahman not the path of the orthodox priest- craft. Only by dropping all the accumulated priest crafted baggage, one has to move forward to reach the non-dual destination in lesser time and effort.   

Sage Sri Sankara, in Bhaja Govindam says: - (Jnana Viheena Sarva Mathena Bajathi na Muktim janma Shatena) - one without knowledge does not obtain liberation even in a hundred births, no matter which religious faith he follows. 

Thus it proves that religion is not the means to self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.  

Sage Sri, Sankara:- VC- 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 realisation one cannot be liberated by the mere utterance of the word Brahman.

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.

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.

The experience of Birth, life, death is happening within the world. From the ultimate standpoint the world is mere illusion.  Due to ignorance, the illusion is experienced as reality. The illusion is present in the form of ‘I’ or mind. The mind is present in the form of the universe. The universe appears as waking or dream and disappears as deep sleep.   The three states are one in essence and that essence is consciousness. The consciousness (soul) is the innermost self. On the standpoint of the innermost self the three states are illusory.

Everything is consciousness, which Sage Sri Sankara declared 1200 years back:-  everything is Atman because Atman is ultimate truth or Brahman. Brahman is present  in the form of consciousness. 

Wisdom can only remove one’s own ignorance; it does not bring a new thing.  Wisdom is  for realizing the truth here and now. 

Self-realization is the highest and is the only tool to freedom. Non duality is the truest wisdom. In non-dual wisdom there is no second. One has to realize the fact that the self is not the form but self is formless.

The test of truth is to be able to realize the fact that, all the three states are mere mirage created out of consciousness. Constant reflection is necessary during the early stages of this path.  One has to learn to view and judge the three states  on the base of the formless [soul] as self, and drop the old habit of viewing and judging it on the base of form [‘ego’], which is the false self.  

The soul is in the form of consciousness. The consciousness pervades in everything and everywhere in the universe, which is in the form of mind. The mind appears as waking and dream and disappears as deep sleep. Consciousness is in the rock which is crumbling, in the grass which is growing and then decaying, in the yogi who is meditating, the religious believers  who is immersed in devotion; there is consciousness because the whole universe is created out of consciousness. 

Natural state or Sahaj Samadhi is being in the formless and  non-dual nature of the soul, the innermost  self. To capture the essence of Natural State or Sahaj Samadhi, it is better to say that in the natural state knower and the known are identical. It is only pure consciousness that by which its very nature is self-revealing and self-knowing.

Natural state of the soul, the innermost  self is “without the experience of duality. It is the absence of duality and presence of fullness of consciousness in Sahaja Samadhi which allows for the clear recognition of the soul the innermost  self.

Soul, the innermost Self is the Knower and the Known, the Seer and the Seen, without any duality.  Self, being one without a second, is always the self-knowing. There is no “other” for it to know. That is why it refers to the  soul, the innermost self as the Sahaja  or natural. The reference to Sahaja implies the non-dual nature of the formless soul, the innermost  self.

While deep sleep is a state of complete unconsciousness, Sahaja Samadhi is the state of Full and Complete Consciousness. Deep sleep and Sahaja Samadhi are the two sides of the same coin. In a very real and true sense Sahaja Samadhi is the state of “deep awake”. One is fully asleep to the world of perceptions and fully awake in the Self, which is non-dual self-awareness.

Sahaja Samadhi cannot be understood without Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. But it is not impossible to understand it. People who speak about Sahaja Samadhi without the knowledge of the true self can only speculate about its nature. Because such people are confused about Sahaja Samadhi, their statements create confusion for others.

The experience of duality can continue to exist and function after Sahaja Samadhi. But for Gnani all the three states are unrelated, because he has become one with the witnessing consciousness.

After Self-Realization, the duality is seen as existing but not separate from the Self. The Self knows itself even though the duality still exists.  The duality exists as a condition that arises from the soul, the innermost self and then is absorbed back into it. It is due to the presence of the duality, (until it  disappears by death), that Knowledge of the self can be passed on by the Realized beings to others who seek such knowledge.