The soul is the inner most self , but due to ignorance it is in the bondage of the illusory duality***

The Soul is indeed the supreme Self but due to its association with ignorance it finds itself under the bondage of the illusory duality, which is the sole cause of  experiencing  birth,  life , death  and the world as a reality .

Sage Sri, Sankara says: - VC-47   All the effects of ignorance, root and branch, are burnt down by the fire of knowledge, which arises from discrimination between these two—the Self and the not-Self.

Sage Sri, Sankara says: - VC-162-  There is no liberation for a person of mere book-knowledge, howsoever well-read in the philosophy of Vedanta, so long as one does not give up the false identification with the body, sense-organs, etc., which are unreal.

The false identification of the Self with the non-Self is considered to be the root cause of the universe. When through deeper self-search this false identification removed, it is called liberation.

The soul, the innermost self is of the nature of the objectless awareness. This truth is self-existent and cannot be denied, for to deny one‘s self is to actually prove its existence! The experiential realization of this truth is the goal of the seeker of truth.

There is no difference between self-knowledge and self-realization, for to know the true self is to realize the true self is not the waking entity (ego) but the formless soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Since the ultimate goal of the seeker of truth is to attain liberation from experiencing the duality as reality. Through Self-Knowledge, leads to the liberating the soul, the innermost self from experiencing the form, time and space as reality.

Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana has been explored since time immemorial attests to its perennial interest and universal value.

Long before Socrates’ injunction: - “Know Thyself”, Indian sages have been exploring for long the question of the truth of the man and his experience of the universe. Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana is fundamental since all other knowledge is dependent upon this knowledge. It is important for one to know “what is truth” to realize “what is untruth”.

Without first knowing the true self, one can never understand truly where he stands in the cosmic scheme of things. Ignorance of the innermost self is seen as the root cause of experiencing the birth, life, death and the world as reality.

Due to ignorance of our true self and consequent lack of correct valuation of things, one is stuck with the illusory reality of the universe because they take it as real.

Without knowing the true self —the truth of one’s existence—one can never overcome the ignorance.

Advaita only means negation of duality. The soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, is ultimate truth or Brahman. The consciousness is the cause of the origin, maintenance, and withdrawal of the universe is Advaita (i.e. non-dual), it means that the consciousness transcends all conceptions, positive and negative. Nothing positive can ever be imagined or said about it.

The consciousness is existence absolute, awareness absolute.  Existence absolute means that consciousness is not unreal or non-existent. And it is not unconsciousness.  Nothing positive can be stated about consciousness.

In one of the Upanishads the disciple says to the Master: "Lord, tell me the nature of Atman". The Teacher remains silent. Again the question is asked, and again the answer is silence. By his silence the Teacher indicated that the nature of Atman is in inexplicable, indescribable and unimaginable.

The soul, the innermost self is the One without a second. There is not the least shadow of multiplicity in the soul, which is present in the form of consciousness." 

The consciousness is ultimate truth or Brahman. Non-dual Reality is All there is***

Questions: If Brahman is One only, without a second, how does one experience the manifold world?

Answer: - Due to ignorance led illusion “covers" the consciousness and "projects" the Many. There is no illusion in the realm of truth. If there is no illusion,  then there is no universe. If there is no universe,  then there is no waking. If there is no waking, then there is only the formless soul, which is present in the form of  the consciousness.

Thus,  in truth there is only the soul or the  consciousness. The consciousness is  the ultimate truth or Brahman. Non-dualistic  Reality is all there is.

It is called Brahman,  because it is all-pervasive. It is intrinsically Real, self-effulgent, infinite, undifferentiated pure consciousness.

When  the wisdom dawns then one realizes   the waking experience is mere illusion created out of  the consciousness.  The waking is  a parallel dream and dream is a  parallel waking. The dream becomes unreal when waking takes place. The waking becomes unreal when wisdom dawns. The wisdom dawns when waking entity becomes aware of the fact that,  it itself is not the self,  but the self is the formless soul, which witnesses coming and going of the three states. In the realm of truth the witness and the three states are one in essence. That essence is  The consciousness.  Thus,  there is no second thing exists other than  the consciousness.  The consciousness is second to none.  Thus,  there is only ONE.

In the realm of truth there is only self-awareness in the midst of the duality. The dualistic show, however, continues, as before. Only identification with ego (waking entity) is gone forever.

Self-knowledge is the essence of the immanent (soul) and the transcendent Reality or Brahman. Humanity has not yet conceived a more lofty conception of its position in the universe. 

The God is one and God is universal***

People make God and their master or Guru as the center of their existence.  They are hallucinating about their idea of God and Master or Guru. Such people will never be able to overcome the ignorance. The path of wisdom is not suitable for those who believe in their religion, their idea of God   and faith in the physical Guru or Master. Such people must tread their own chosen path, which gives them satisfaction. By mixing up religion and the religious idea of God and trying to impose their religious idea of God will make them permanent prisoners of ignorance.

One should not hold a God as the center of the existence without knowing ‘what God really is'.

Lord Krishna Says: ~ “Those who know me in truth.". The last two words (tattvataha) are usually ignored by pundits, but they make all the difference between the ordinary concept of God and the truth about God. (Ch~V) .

The Bhagavad Gita: ~ Brahmano hi pratisthaham Brahman (God) is considered the all-pervading consciousness (Spirit) which is the basis of all the animate and inanimate entities and material (Gita 14.27)

The religious Gods exist within the domain of the dualistic illusion (waking). The religious Gods exist separately from the world in which man exists. Separation implies duality.   The duality always implies a contradiction.  From the nondualistic perspective, the duality is mere an illusion.  Thus, the world in which man exists is within the domain of the duality. Thus, the world in which man exists is mere a dualistic illusion. The dualistic illusion is created out of a single stuff and that single stuff is the Soul, which is present in the form of the Spirit. Thus, the Spirit (consciousness) alone is real and eternal. The ‘Spirit’ is the ultimate truth. The ultimate truth is God.

 On the standpoint of the Soul, the innermost Self, the religious Gods ceases to exist because the Soul, which is the form of the ‘Spirit’ itself is God. All the religious Gods are imaginary Gods.

Religious Gods are an object, therefore, the Soul, the innermost self, contradict such imaginary Gods who depend upon the 'Spirit’ for their existence. Every religion has its own idea of God or Gods. When there are two, then there is a contradiction, one cannot find non-contradiction in this dualistic world.

A Gnani boldly declares that the religious God does not exist, because Such Gods existence implies that the Soul, the innermost Self   different from God.

The Bible says:~ “God is a Spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth (John 4:24)”.

In Yajurveda – chapter- 32:~,   It has been said that God Supreme or Supreme Spirit has no ‘Pratima’ (idol) or material shape. God cannot be seen directly by anyone. God pervades all beings and all directions. Thus,   Idolatry does not find any support from the Vedas.

The Vedas exclaim from time immemorial: ~     Ekam Sat Vipra Bahudha Vadanti, Existence is One Rig Veda, 1-164-146.

RIG VEDA: ~ The Atman (Soul) is the cause; Atman is the support of all that exists in this universe. May ye never turn away from the Atman the innermost self. May ye never accept another God in place of the Atman nor worship other than the Atman?" (10:48, 5)

The Upanishads say in effect that: ~ if you believe that the Soul is one and God (Brahman) is another you cannot understand Truth.

Brihad Upanishad: ~ “If you think there is another entity, whether man or God there is no truth."

The God is one and universal.  God is the Spirit.  The Spirit is the Soul, the innermost Self.  The God is the Soul, the innermost Self.  The Soul is the Supreme Being the One eternal homogeneous essence, indivisible consciousness   and intelligence, which is beyond the form, time, and space.   To which the Sages describe in a variety of ways through diverse words.

Any kind of difference means contradiction. Nothing exists other than the Soul, which is present in the form of the ‘Spirit’. Advaita means the negation of the second thing. "Neti, Neti," not this, not this means ~ Negation of second thing other than the ‘Spirit’, which is God.   Every word we utter we are uttering within the dualistic illusion. The dualistic illusion is not permanent.

The way of negating "It is not this, not that" is also a way of defining, of conveying the meaning of Reality as much as any positive definition.  One has to mentally distinguish the real from the unreal.

The seeker has to go on negating the unreal world in which we exist by the realizing the Soul, which is present in the form of the Spirit (consciousness), which is real and eternal. The ‘Spirit’ is the cause of the universe in which we exist and it itself is uncaused.

 To find the Advaitic truth, which is beyond the form, time and space is to eliminate  the form, time and space mentally by  realizing the form, time and space are mere an illusion created out of the  ‘Spirit’.  The form, time, and space are ‘Spirit’ in their essence.  Thus, ‘Spirit’ alone is real and eternal.   The ‘Spirit’ is the ultimate truth and ultimate truth is God. .