The non-dual Atman is realized when the individual self is awakened from its ignorance***

Sage Sri, Gaudapada: - The non-dual Atman is realized when the soul the innermost self is awakened from its ignorance. Atman is unborn, dreamless, sleepless, and motionless, and is beyond duality. It is cognition at its purest. It is Brahman- Ayam Atma Brahma, this Atma is that Brahma; Thus epitomizing the core of Upanishad teachings.

There is no moment when the soul or   the  consciousness does not exist, nor can the witness remains apart from consciousness because the consciousness itself is the witness. 

A Gnani does not see his body as  the body, his ego as  the ego and his experience of the world as the world, but he sees them all as  the consciousness. the soul or the consciousness  is the innermost self. He sees the consciousness   like a jeweller estimating gold in various ornaments. For a Gnani the whole universe including his body and his ego is nothing,  but the consciousness.  Thus, he is fully aware of the fact that there is no diversity in reality, but there is only unity.      

The soul seems to be different from the ego or the waking entity,  because it is prior to the appearance of anything that exists, but they are one in essence. The soul is not an entity or identity or a thing within the universe, which appears as  the waking or  the dream. The soul, which is in the form of the  consciousness, is the very basis of the three states , because it pervades in everything and everywhere in all the three states,  as their formless substance and  the witness.  Thus, the universe or the  mind is  the consciousness in its substance.

The soul is only a mental picture or an idea within the waking experience. Even if one say that,  the self is immortal and exist eternally, it the ego or  the waking entity,  that must tell him this, i.e. to the mind that,  it is only an idea.

Ego never reaches  the soul or the consciousness. The ego never knows it. He who says he has a vision of the highest or describes it as supra-mental etc. does not understand  the consciousness, because it is free from imaginations.  It is free from imagination,  because it is formless. To imagine anything the form has to be there.  Without the form there is no ego. Without the ego there is no thinker. Without the thinker the imagination is  impossible. 

Ordinarily knowledge arises from experience of the object by  the subject; that all knowledge of objects will only lead to more thinking,  but never gives you the  ultimate reality.

Intellectuals think by thinking more and more of objective experience one may get the reality. The intellectuality is based on individuality and individuality is based on the form. When the self is not the form, but self is the  formless consciousness, then what is the use of thinking on the base of the form, which is the false self (you)  within the false experience(waking).It is impossible to know and realize nondualistic reality, without rectifying the reasoning base.

Intellectuals can never get at ultimate truth that way because it leads to endless thoughts and because it ignores the formless witness of the three states, intellectuals must first realize the existence of the formless witness,  in order to find the ultimate reality or Brahman.

The nature of the formless soul, the innermost self is non-dualistic silence***

The silence is not keeping mum. By keeping mum the thought process will not stop.  Nondualistic silence is nature of the soul, the innermost self. Nondualistic silence is like deep sleep state where the waking experience is absent.  If the waking experience is absent then there is neither thinker nor thought nor the world.  Nondualistic silence is possible only in self-awareness. Self-awareness is possible only when wisdom dawns. Wisdom is possible only when the waking entity realizes it itself is not the self but the self is the formless soul, which witnesses the coming and going of the three states. In reality the witness and the witnessed are one in essence. Just because some guru or teacher said to observe silence it only means to imitate the formless self, but it does not lead one to self-realization. ~Santthosh Kumaar

 One has to begin to discriminate first with his words,  then with his ideas,  then with his outlook and attitude, then with his practical life within the practical world,  and lastly with soul, which is present in the form of the  consciousness, which is the innermost self.

Only through Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana negation of  the duality is possible. The soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, is ultimate truth or Brahman. The consciousness is the cause, maintenance, and withdrawal of the universe is Advaita (i.e. non-dual), it means that the consciousness transcends all  the conceptions' positive and negative. Nothing positive can ever be imagined or said about it.  The consciousness is existence absolute, awareness absolute.  The existence absolute means that  the consciousness is not unreal or non-existent. And it is not unconsciousness.  Nothing positive can be stated about  the consciousness.

The nature of the formless soul, the innermost self is non-dualistic silence. Nondualistc silence is like deep sleep state.  The silence indicates that the nature of the formless soul, the innermost self is in inexplicable, indescribable and unimaginable.  The formless soul, the innermost self is the one without a second. There is not the least shadow of multiplicity in the formless soul, which is present in the form of consciousness."

A   person, seeing a rope in dim light, mistakes it for a snake. He is as much frightened as he would have been if there had been a real snake there.  The snake is said to have ‘illusory reality’.  The illusory snake is described as a superimposition on the rope. The snake is not real, because, it is found on examination with a light that,  it never existed there. At the same time, it was experienced as reality till ignorance prevailed. Similarly, this waking experience experienced as  a reality due to ignorance. When the  wisdom dawns then the unreal nature of the waking experienced is exposed.

At the dawn of Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana the waking experience has no existence apart from the  consciousness.  The soul or the  consciousness is ultimate truth or Brahman. The waking experience is therefore said to be superimposed on the  consciousness,  same way as the dream is superimposed on the consciousness.  The  waking experience   is the practical   reality, because  it  is  real  until  the  attainment  of  Self-realization. the consciousness alone has absolute reality; because it is absolutely changeless,  because it is formless.       

By action or inaction or observing silence one do not get at ultimate truth or Brahman. One has to think deeper to remove the ignorance.

The rope does not give birth to the snake. The rope is that which causes apprehension of the snake. That is all. Objects of imaginations alone have birth and death and not the formless consciousness because the  consciousness is not an object of imagination.

One has to discriminate between formless witness (subject) and three states (object)    becomes aware of the fact that both formless witness (subject)   and three states (object)   are consciousness, not formless witness alone.

The soul or the consciousness never changes.  The nature of consciousness is this: It can never be changed under any circumstances. It may be misrepresented. It must apply to the whole of existence, to the whole of the universe.

Deeper self-search reveals fact that:~ all the three states are an object to the formless subject.   It is in the waking or dream alone that one has all changes. The formless witness remains unchanged. The formless witness, as such remains immortal. It can never die for it never changes.

The body and the world are seen, and goes, but the formless witness or seer or knower of the body and the world, can never go. The seeker has to take this principle as his guiding thread and self-knowledge becomes easier to understand, assimilate and realize. The formless witness or seer can never be subject to the changes of the seen (waking or dream); it is unchanged. The mistake usually made is that the witness (seer)  becomes waking or dream entity which is within waking or dream or seen whereas the witness is the one which witnesses the coming and going of the three states.

If one wants to have an absence of contradictions, absence of duality, there must be one entity, one being. If one has a thought, an idea, there is a contradiction between the witness and witnessed, for "thought" is of the duality. Distinction implies contradiction. Distinction mean two things are not the same, hence duality exists there.

There is no moment when the Self as consciousness does not exist, nor can the seer remain apart from consciousness.

Where is the ‘I’? Where is the ego? Where is the body? Where is mind? Where is the universe?***

Swami Vivekananda said:~ “You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher but your own soul.”

Ashtavkara Gita:~ The universe rises from the soul, the innermost self like bubbles from the sea. Thus know the Self to be One and in this way enter into the state of dissolution."

Ashtavkara Gita:~ the soul, the innermost self is perfect and the same in misery and happiness, hope and despair, and life and death, therefore in this way enter into the state of dissolution.

Sage Sri, Gaudapada:~ The non-dual Atman is realized when the individual self (jiva) is awakened from its ignorance. Atman is unborn, dreamless, sleepless, and motionless, and is beyond duality. It is cognition at its purest. It is Brahman- Ayam Atma Brahma, this Atma is that Brahma; Thus epitomizing the core of Upanishad teachings.

Where is the ‘I’? Where is the ego? Where is the body? Where is the mind? Where is the universe? Where is the waking experience? Where is the duality? Where is void; or despair?, in taintless soul, the innermost Self,  they are or have become the formless consciousness, which is ultimate truth or Brahman.

People say there is mind when they are in waking experience, but waking experience is not considered different from consciousness, which is ultimate truth or Brahman, then where is the division into self, mind and the universe.   The soul or the consciousness is second to none. Nothing can exist other than consciousness because everything is a mere mirage created out of consciousness, thus everything is consciousness. 

Sunya or Void implies duality: no material universe may exist, but the thought of the second is there. If one knows there is Sunya or void or nothingness, then there is something there to be known and to know. They are or have become consciousness.

What is the scripture, what is the self- knowledge or Bramha Gnana or Atma Gnana, what is contentment, what is the desirelessness, what are three states for the formless true self, which is ever devoid of sense of duality or ‘I’.  The duality means the existence of the second thing as a reality, as independent of the innermost self or the  consciousness.

Only the ignorant person seeks to know the  ultimate truth of his true existence, or speaks of acquiring knowledge.  

What is knowledge? what is ignorance? What is ‘I’?and where is me or mine? where is bondage? where is liberation? , what is definableness? ,  to the true self, which is ever formless soul or the   consciousness.

All the three states are coming and going; hence meaningless to the self, which is in the form of the  soul or the consciousness. Self-knowledge is not dualistic knowledge based on the waking entity and the waking world. The self –knowledge is the knowledge of the  spirit or soul.

  In reality, the subject and the object are one in essence, therefore there is no second thing exists other than the  consciousness. Hence it is nondual. 

The duality remains as reality till there is ignorance. When ignorance vanishes there is only self-awareness. In self-awareness there is only objectless awareness in the midst of duality.

A Gnani sees only unity in diversity, just like a goldsmith estimating the gold in various items of jewellery sees only gold. When one identifies the self with the form then only the form, time and space are present. But when one   transcends form, time and space the duality never remain as reality. :~ Santthosh Kumaar

Perfect understanding of what is what is needed. Nothing else is need other than realizing the fact that, the form, time and space are one in essence and that essence is the soul, which is present in the form of consciousness in order to get nondualistic self-awareness. 

 

Self-knowledge cannot be attained by study of the scriptures and intellectual understanding or by bookish knowledge.  Therefore, there is no use of studying the scriptures and other scriptures in order to acquire the non-dual wisdom.  That is why Buddha rejected the scriptures, and even Sage Sri, Sankara indicated that, the ultimate truth lies beyond religion, concept of god and scriptures.

There is only one Reality to be known, the same for all seekers, but the ways to it, are hidden by the religion.  Self-discovery is the only way, towards non-dualistic absolute without any religious doctrines, which will help the seekers to unfold the mystery of the illusion in which we all are searching the truth of our true existence.

Sage Sri, Sankara:~  VC~ 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.

'To realize the Advaitic Truth a freer and fuller scope the seeker has to realize the form, time and space are one in essence. And that essence is consciousness. And the soul, the innermost self is present in the form of consciousness.   

To realize the Advaitic truth the seeker has to be free from all superstitions and orthodox contaminations. The seeker has to be dedicated to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana   alone.'