A scholar will go on and on about the immortality of the soul, but when death approaches you will find him trembling and weeping and wailing

Jesus said, "Know what is in front of your face, and what is hidden from you will be disclosed to you.

It means one has to know the world which confronts him confronts to realize his body and world are made of the same essence and that essence is Spirit (father). 

Sage Sri, Sankara says: one 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.

Sage  Sri, Sankara says:- VC-[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.

Jesus said, "Those who seek should not stop seeking until they find. When they find, they will be disturbed. When they are disturbed, they will marvel, and will reign over all. [And after they have reigned they will rest.]"

When the seeker indulges in deeper self-search becomes aware of the fact that, the experience of birth, life, death and the world are mere illusion created out of spirit, he  will be in fear of losing their physical identity  and the experience of the world which  he dearly attached.   But gradually his conviction grows about the innermost self the mid becomes still and rests in consciousness, the innermost self, which is God or Christ.  

Modern man appears to have acquired admirable knowledge in various fields of investigation into the material world. Man has to accept the fact that, what has been acquired as scientific knowledge is but infinitesimal or superficial nothing considering to the mystery of his true existence. Above all, the acquired scientific knowledge and power does not quench his inner thirst, to know the spiritual realities of his true existence.

Kabir lived in Kashi, a place abounding in scholars. They believed it was enough to read, to accumulate knowledge from books. They were well versed in the Vedas, in the Upanishads and the other scriptures, and  they looked upon Kabir as ignorant, as an  illiterate man. In one sense, you can say Kabir was illiterate. If you consider a scholar as literate, as a well-educated man, then Kabir was definitely illiterate. But of what value is the scholar’s knowledge? A scholar will go on and on about the immortality of the soul, but when death approaches you will find him trembling  and weeping and wailing. All this talk of immortality will crumble into nothingness because he has not known it..    --Osho -The Great Secret, ch. 2

 Kabir knows. What he is talking about is not an explanation, what he is talking about is an experience – he is sharing his joy, he is sharing something that he has known, he is singing the song about the unsung.  Remember it, that whenever Kabir talks about God it is not a belief; he knows it, it is his experience. He is talking out of his experience; hence he can be of immense help to you...   --Osho --The Guest, ch. 1

Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana has to be acquired in order to unfold the mystery of the mind, which is present in the form of the universe.   The universe appears as waking or dream and it disappears as deep sleep.

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.

 Not by intellectual   speculation but only by an awakening to the reality of his true existence he gets soulcentric vision. Soul, the innermost self’s nature is like state of deep sleep.

The waking experience is but the illusory an expressive imprint of the journey of the Soul or Spirit in its search for the knowledge of itself. The truth manifests in stages according to the receptivity of the aspirant. On the mental plane it manifests as self, which only the realized mind (Gnani) could observe it. On the physical plane it is as an advanced seeker or perfect man of knowledge. His very presence among men awakens them to the awareness of what they should and may become.

Gaudapada’s rational exposition of Advaita:- that whatever is seen, whether external or internal, whether by the ordinary persons or yogis, is unreal. 

The Self knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana comes acquired through soul-centric reasoning, not by intuition, love and inspiration. It is the soul-centicity makes one transcend the dominion of egocentric intellect and gain the state of complete annihilation of the false self (waking entity) and false experience (waking), and it is the state that ends in the union with the true self, which is the soul or Atman or spirit or consciousness.

Soul-centric  reasoning makes one remember the eternal true identity and making him feel less bound, in his onward march, by the trammels of physical limitation, till he reaches where he can raise himself  to the realization of the ultimate truth or Brahman. When the self makes itself free from all the manifoldness of the experience of diversity, it is able to view and the judge the illusory experience of duality on the base of the its formless nondual true nature. Then only it is possible to realize there is no second thing other then the Ataman or consciousness in the whole experience of diversity. Thus one can conclude that, the whole waking experience is only a mental state, which disappears and reappears.

The first begin with gnosis and ends with the complete passing away of total annihilation of the waking experience (universe or mind or I).

The second begins with at the moment of the annihilation of the experience of diversity (I) succeeded by abiding or the union of the mind (I)its nondual substance, which is the true self. The union with the substance is the self realization or self knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

The aspirant who gets the Self knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana becomes an emblem of perfection and able to view and judge the three states  from the standpoint of the formless nondual true identity, and realizes the fact that there is no second thing other then the Ataman or spirit in the whole experience of diversity. The whole experience is a mere mirage created out of the single substance therefore  the  waking experience has no reality in it, when it is viewed and judged on the base of  the  formless soul, the innermost self . 

The third journey begins from the base of the soul, the innermost  self and ends with the state of the perfect nondual-hood. He who comes to the final journey becomes the center of the experience of diversity form where it has been erupted. Thus he becomes free from the burden and bondage of the experience of diversity (I) in the midst of the experience of diversity consciously.

The aspirant while undergoing all these stages in the pursuit of truth has to pass through various level of understanding and cross all the fatter and obstacles to real his nondual destination. 

Subject--object relation has to be determined not within the waking experience (duality) but between the three states and its formless witness.

Subject--object relation has to be determined not within the waking experience (duality) but between the three states  and its formless witness.

Whatever determined between false physical identity and the object, within the experience of diversity, will reveal only the objective knowledge not the knowledge of the subject.

"MEHER BABA Said:-A true aspirant is not content with the knowledge of spiritual realities based on hearsay... he insists on the direct knowledge."

Therefore, the seeker of truth has to verify the fact through his own reasoning, before accepting anything as truth. The seeker has to accept the only uncontradicted truth.

"Nirakara said: - before indulging in pursuit of truth, seeker has to make sure, whether the self is the form, or self is the  formless, through inquiry and reasoning, and have the firm conviction about the true self.

If one finds form is the self, then the religion, yoga, atheism, theories and practices hold good for him, not the pursuit of truth.

If one finds the formless is the self, then he is fit to venture in pursuit of truth."

Seekers of truth should not indulge in arguing with the people, who have different mind set. But they have to listen to them carefully without passing any comment. And quietly through inquiry reasoning mentally on the formless true base, except if it is un-contradicted truth, and reject, if it is not the truth.

Truth pursuit is a very personal journey and, it is not for arguing with others and condemning them. But it is about making sure what the truth is, and have a firm conviction of truth for himself.

The truth revels only when one knows the real subject, and the nature of the object. When one becomes sure mentally the subject is formless object is  the form, he becomes aware of the fact, that the whole objective experience is mere mirage. And the whole objective experience is created out of the subject which is formless.

Therefore, there is no duality in subjective awareness, because everything is created and witnessed by the subject. Hence there is no second thing other then the formless subject.

There is no proof needed to know about the formless subject. The bulb cannot be powered without the electricity. The same way the experience of duality (dream or waking) cannot be powered without the formless subject.

For communication purposes they call and identify with many names and words such as: - spirit, Ataman, consciousness, awareness, self, over self, god, Brahman etc... Therefore it not correct to hold a particular word and argue. The words have no meaning in subjective awareness. The words and all the theories hold good in objective awareness (waking experience)

It is very much necessary to realize the fact that the subject is formless and object is the form in pursuit of truth.

The idea of God propagated by belief system hold water only in duality but the duality is mere illusion from the ultimate standpoint

The rituals and japa and worship hold good only when one thinks himself as a person and perceives the world as reality. When one becomes aware of the fact that, the self is not the physical body, then whatever is practiced on the false physical entity is part of the falsehood.

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 Sage Sri, Sankara says, the world is a myth, and Brahman is real. Therefore it is better to find and realize; how the world is a myth? and on what base it is a myth? and what is Brahman, which is real? Mere imagining this truth or that is truth on the false physical entity will not yield any fruits.

Sage, Sri, Sankara clearly says: the truth lies beyond religion and the scriptures and the concept of god. If so, it is better to look beyond, rater to find scientific explanation, since science can unfold only the mystery of an object, within the mind, not the mind as a whole.

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 said:- Talk as much philosophy as you like, worship as many gods as you please, observe ceremonies and sing devotional hymns, but liberation will never come, even after a hundred aeons, without realizing the Oneness.

All rituals and worship are good for the mass, but they are not the means to know the truth.Buddha, Sri, Sankara and Sri, Goudpada have declared non-dual truth centuries back but one has to reach the destination with scientific [rational] investigation not through punditry and intellectuality. One has to mentally reach the final conclusion, than only the conviction becomes firm. Without the firm conviction the wisdom will not dawn. Therefore, there is a need to know consciousness is real all else is myth, which Sri, Sankara declared as the world is myth Brahman alone is real.

Sri, Sankara says Atman is Brahman and everything is Brahman is scientific declaration not religious or yogic. Sri, Sankara and Goudpada are more scientific than anyone else in the world. Since, the real Advaitic essence is hidden it cannot be got without the inner [mental] journey.


Brihadaranyaka Upanishad declares that:-Brahman is the form of the Athma, and it is indeed Athma itself. 

Sage Goudpada says that:- The merciful Veda teaches karma and Upasana to people of lower and middling intellect, while Jnana is taught to those of higher intellect. 

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. 

Mundaka Upanishad:-  Ignorant fools, regarding sacrifices and humanitarian works as the highest, do not know any higher good. Having enjoyed their reward on the heights of heaven, gained by good works, they enter again this world or a lower one.-- First Mundaka -10-   Chapter I [Source: "the upanishads - a new translation" by swami nikhilananda in four volumes

Mundaka Upanishad :- The study of the Vedas, linguistics, Rituals, astronomy and all the arts Can be called lower knowledge. The higher Is that which leads to Self-realization. The eye cannot see it; mind cannot grasp it. The deathless Self has neither caste nor race, Neither eyes not ears nor hands nor feet. Sages say this Self is infinite in the great And in the small, everlasting and changeless, The source of life.

 When the world is unreal and consciousness alone is real than what is the use of praying and worshiping the God of belief within the unreal world.  form ultimate standpoint nothing exists other than consciousness. Thus consciousness is ultimate truth or Brahman. Brahman is God. The idea of God propagated by belief system hold water only in duality but  the duality is mere illusion from the ultimate standpoint. From ultimate standpoint there no second thing exists other than consciousness. hence it is non-duality 

Buddhism has not proved the truth of Non-duality.  There is no doubt Buddha pointed out unreality of world. He told people they were foolish to cling to it. But he stopped there. He came nearest to Advaita in speech but not to Advaita fully. 

Advaitin disagree with Buddhists who say, there is nothing - nonentity. Advaitin believe there is some reality, even though things are not what they appear to be. If one knows the truth, he will know what to do to find inspiration for action. Seeker of truth‘s subject is to know what is it that is Real.

    

Sage Sri, Sankara says :-  VC-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.

Gnana here is knowledge un-contradictable truth or scientific truth. Thus their scientific truth of the whole not part is declared by Sri,Sankara 1400 years back and thought only to those of higher intellect. Thus karma and upasana, yoga and orthodoxy has to be bifurcated in order to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman.  

Wisdom is for those are capable of inquiring into their own existence to know and realize the ultimate truth or Brahman.

Sage Gaudapada’s rational exposition of Advaita: - that whatever is seen, whether external or internal, whether by the ordinary persons or yogis, is unreal. 

A permanent view of world as unreal can come only after soul centric reasoning; such knowledge cannot change. Were the seeker who is sufficiently sharpness he could grasp the unreal nature of the world by soul-centric reasoning alone.  To know whole truth, one must know the whole universe, otherwise he gets only half-truth. 

Renouncing the worldly life and accepting sanyasa or monk-hood means incapacity to think deeper, an impotency to inquire and reason. 

People speak of getting rid of conditioning or samskara but they themselves are unaware of the fact that, the universe in which they exist is product of the inborn samskara or conditioning.  The ignorance is cause of the inborn samskara or conditioning which present as ‘I’ or ‘I AM’. 

 The real Moksha or freedom is   to realize the fact that ‘I’ consciousness is mere physical awareness. Physical awareness is not self-awareness. The self –awareness is  when the formless soul or consciousness remains aware of its own non-dual   true nature.