The world, filled with attachments and avrsions, and the rest, is like a dream: it appears to be real as long as one is ignorant, but becomes unreal when one is awake.

Sage Sri Sankara:-  "The world, filled with attachments and avrsions, and the rest, is like a dream: it appears to be real as long as one is ignorant, but becomes unreal when one is awake.

Sage Sri Sankara:-  "As fire is the direct cause of cooking, so knowledge, and not any other form of discipline, is the direct cause of Liberation; for Liberation cannot be attained without Knowledge." (Self-Knowledge).

The soul, the innermost  self   does not die. On the standpoint of the formless soul, the innermost self , the  duality never exists  The seeker has to learn to view and judge the  three states  on the standpoint of the formless soul, the innermost self. 

When one  knows that all these are the states created out of single formless clay and nothing exist other than that formless clay  then  he will realize the fact that,  the three states are a mere mirage created out of that formless clay.

First of all,  one must realize the fact that , the experience of birth,life,death and the world   are within the  waking experience (duality).  The soul is  the innermost self. The formless soul which is present in the form of consciousness  is  a mere witness of the coming and going of the  three states. the truth will not reveal  unless one learns to view and judge the three states  on the base of the soul, the innermost self.  

What is  it that witnesses  the  waking or  dreams  or visions?  Without realizing  'what is the mind?'  and 'what is the substance of the mind?'  it is difficult to proceed deeper  self-search. 

The seeker of truth should aspire for Self-Knowledge or Bramha Gnana or Atma Gnana above all else. The duality, absolutely without exception, is transient. One is born, one grows old, one has many experiences in the world, and then one dies but he fails to realize the fact that all these happenings are happened within the mirage. Thus, he believes in birth, life and death as reality because he is unaware of the fact that the duality is a  mere mirage. 

The Duality has a beginning and then an inevitable end. All physical and mental abilities and  the powers eventually fade because they are part and parcel of the duality (mirage). Psychic abilities and every kind of experience, supernatural are happening within the mirage.

What remains always present is the soul, the formless witness of the ‘I’ (mind or universe or mirage). The seeker has to inquire, analyze and the reason on the true base it involves a focusing the attention on the three states which appears and disappears in succession.  When the ‘I’ disappears as deep sleep and reappears along with waking  or dream. Thus one becomes aware of the fact that the formless knower of the three states which appear and disappear is apart. It is apart because it is not an entity or identity within the waking or dream. It is the inner essence of the three states which is Ataman(consciousness or spirit or soul). The words cannot fully grasp this approach. It is understood mentally only with constant effort and practice.

It is this practice which is known as the direct path. It leads to understand and assimilate the fact that,  the formless soul is the source and   from this source the  mind rises and subsides. The source of the three states and the substance and witness of the three states are one in essence. That essence is consciousness.  The consciousness  alone is real  all else is illusion.  There are no words to describe the Soul ,which is present in the form of consciousness. It knows nothing else other than It Self, there being nothing else to know.

The soul, the innermost self  is Knowledge, Existence, awareness  as one whole which gives light and life to the mind which is the myth(mind or universe).

When  one  analyzes the three states than he  finds the witness of the three states is apart formless and he mentally  became fully aware of the fact  that, the formless witness of the three states, itself is the substance of the three states, and realized the fact that, the formless witness is the  soul, which is present in the form of consciousness is the innermost  self. All the three states are a mere mirage created out of consciousness. Thus no second thing exists other than consciousness. Thus consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman. 

There is no need to study the philosophies of Berkeley, Kant, Hume, and other western and eastern philosophers; they are not the means to acquire Self-Knowledge or Bramha Gnana or Atma Gnana.

The intricate maze of philosophy of different schools claims to clarify matters and reveal the truth, but in fact they create more confusion where no confusion need exist. To understand anything there is a need for perfect understanding and assimilation of the truth. Why worry about the physical body, ego, logic creation, creator, saints and sages, and the world, which are part and parcel of the illusion.

People who are yearning for spiritual or Brahmic truth will not find it through intellectualism. Intellectual truth is individual truth.

 Love implies duality and love is individual feelings within the falsehood. Love is necessary and valuable in the stated of ignorance but it is not the means to acquire wisdom.  Love is a religious tool to lead harmonious and peaceful life in practical world. 

Religious truth is individual truth and it is not a universal truth because the religion is based on individuality.  Spiritual truth is universal truth. There is no scope for individuality in the realm of ultimate truth or Brahman.  In the realm of ultimate truth or Brahman the form, time and space are one in essence. The essence is formless consciousness (soul), the innermost self.   Thus consciousness alone is real and eternal and all else is mere illusion.

All the thoughts and words are experiences are part of the illusion. The truth is hidden within the illusion as its formless substance and it is apart from the illusion as its formless witness. It is apart because it is not an entity or identity within the illusion.  The formless substance and witness are one in their essence therefore there is no seconding exists other then the essence, which is in the form of consciousness.    

   

All conceptual divisions invented by teachers of philosophy by their excessive analysis. Where do all these concepts to 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 The source from which they all rise. 

Assuming or speculating and coming to the logical conclusion on the base of the physical self (waking entity or ego), is intellectually. Therefore, intellectually is egocentric. Egocentricity is the greatest obstacle in grasping the non-dualistic  truth.  

  

There is no need to study the philosophies of Berkeley, Kant, Hume, and other western and eastern philosophers; they are not the means to acquire Self-Knowledge or Bramha Gnana or Atma Gnana.  They are in fact an obstacle in pursuit of truth, because they are based on the physical self(waking entity or ego). There is no necessary to study philosophy of any great thinkers to ensure firm realization.   

There is no need of any philosophy to verify the truth of the self.  All that is intellectual wealth, useful in explain doubts and difficulties if others rise them if he himself encounter them in course of thinking. But to attain realization, all that is not necessary. One wants fresh water to drink, but he does not require all the water of the whole lake to quench his quest.

That is why BUDDHA SAID: - Believe nothing just because a so-called wise person said it. Believe nothing just because a belief is generally held. Believe nothing just because it is said in ancient books. Believe nothing just because it is said to be of divine origin. Believe nothing just because someone else believes it. Believe only what you yourself test and judge to be true.

The ignorance is the cause of experiencing the duality [universe or waking] as reality. Thus eradicating the ignorance completely is necessary. And this is possible only through self-knowledge.   Thus, there is no other road to freedom other than Gnana.  There is no other entrance other than except Gnana.  The ignorance will vanish only when the nondual wisdom dawns. Detachment to attachment is impossible without wisdom. Only when one realizes the fact that, the self is not form but self is formless, then only it is possible to detach the ‘self’ from the false attachment. 

That is why Sri Sankara says in Bhaja Govindam : - [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 wisdom is universal irrespective of any religion of faith one belongs.  Thus religion is not the means to self-knowledge.  Thus Sri, Sankara’s Advaita minus orthodoxy is true Advaita. 

Many intellectuals have a tremendous intellect; most will agree with their theories based on the ego, which is false self within the false experience. It does mean possesses Self –Knowledge or non-dualistic Gnana? And knowledge based on the false self within the false experience is limited to false experience (waking) therefore it is certainly not self-knowledge or Bramha Gnana or Atma Gnana.

Gnana is usually translated as "knowledge" but that is because there is no equivalent word in English. It is more accurately "contentless consciousness" or “self-awareness”.

Nondualistic wisdom  deals with the whole of experience. Science may give the scientific answers, religion the religious answers, but in pursuit of truth the seeker absorbs all views and he rejects them, if they are based on the false self and illusion. 

Science deals only with immediate causes, not the ultimate cause. Such process is on the physical plane, good for worldly life. 

Philosophical Authoritarianism merely assumes as true what another says, but what has yet to be proved.  Lots of pundit will teach “Who am ‘I’”? but none have deeply  analyzed it scientifically, None can prove it. Rational proof is needed in pursuit of truth, so that one can arrive at knowing truth i.e. Wisdom; theirs is mere dogma, parrotism, a repetition of what they read in scripture. 

The philosophical argument leads nowhere. If philosopher says “Self” is formless “another will reply, "No, self has a form! If one says "his adopted philosophy   has higher value then all other philosophy” another will say, "No, that is lower and there are many philosophies higher then that." It is impossible to get anywhere with such talk because both sides are merely assuming and imagining. 

the wisdom will not dawn  just by holding some philosophical declaration as truth, truth has to be proved, not assumed. People who take philosophies for granted are mere scholars who have mastered philosophy without verifying the validity and parroting their philosophical knowledge not the truth. People think philosophical mastery is wisdom but it is a mere play of words. The philosophical knowledge is not the means to non-dualistic  wisdom.

The seeker has to mentally grasp the true “Self “or “consciousness” which is beyond the reach of words and thought, and it is the formless substance and witness of all the three states.

The means to the attainment of Self- Knowledge are: discrimination between things permanent (real or nonduality) and impermanent (unreal or duality), and the urge for spiritual freedom.

 A Gnani who on account of his being free from experiencing the illusion as reality and he expounds the essence of the non- duality to the fellow seekers.

The theory that the three states are illusion is better than theory of   creation and creator, but it also is erroneous from the highest standpoint. It should be adopted along with the subject –object theory, as a preliminary step, until one understand and assimilates  non-causality, but once the latter is grasped then the illusion theory has to be  given up.

In the realm of truth the object (mind or the universe or waking) and subject (soul) are one in essence.

In the realm of truth the object (mind or the universe or waking) and subject (soul) are one in essence.  Without the subject there is no object.  The subject remains without the object as in deep sleep.

The object is both real and unreal. It is real because it is a manifestation of consciousness, but is unreal, in the sense, that it is not absolute and eternal like consciousness itself.

Intellectual approach is more practical, and one is stuck with the reality of the object, he takes it as real.

The soul, the innermost self has to be free from experiencing the duality as reality.  To overcome the duality, the waking entity has to know it itself is not the self, but the self is the soul, which witnesses coming and going of the three states.  Thus self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana is necessary to realize ‘what is truth’ and ‘what is untruth’ to reject the untruth by accepting the truth.  

Lust, anger, greed are part of the duality. From ultimate standpoint the duality is mere illusion. If duality is mere illusion than the form, time and space are mere illusion. If form, time and space are mere illusion than the universe is mere illusion. If the universe is mere illusion, than the three states are mere illusion. If the three states are mere illusion than   the experience of birth, life, death and the world are mere illusion.  If birth, life, death and the world are mere illusion than the individualized god, heaven, hell, sin, and karma are part of the illusion.   Therefore it is necessary to realize ‘what is illusion’ and ‘what is reality’ in order to get freedom from falsehood.   

By inquiring WHO AM I?  it unfold the fallacy of the form thus only half the truth is revealed. The ignorant who fail to apprehend the ‘self’ are caught in the web of illusion experience, the birth, life, death and world as reality.  The people who think the ‘I’ or ‘I AM’ as self are caught up in the web of duality experiences the pain and pleasure as reality.     

As the waking entity or ego becomes more and more inward turned, it becomes gradually free from experiencing the duality as reality.  When the soul, the innermost self becomes freed from all the obstruction by fully eliminating the ignorance it remains in its own awareness.  When the soul, remains in its own awareness in the midst of duality then the duality is mere illusion created out of the soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

So long the soul, the innermost self identifies itself with the waking entity it remains in ignorance of its formless non-dual true nature. Therefore it is necessary to realize the fact that, the ‘self’ is neither the waking entity nor the ‘self’ is dream entity but the self is the formless soul, which witnesses the coming and going of the three states.

Just as the sun is the direct cause of the daylight, so without the self-knowledge no emancipation can be had. Compared to all other forms discipline self-knowledge is the only direct means for freedom from experiencing the illusion as reality.

Only when the wisdom dawns the soul, the innermost self can remain in its own awareness in the midst of duality.