Atman the real God***

 

People are not aware of the fact that there is no God can exist, apart from the Soul. The Soul is present in the form of the consciousness.  Without the consciousness, the worlds in which you exist cease to exist.

They think that there must be a creator of this universe. If you think the ego as the Self, then there is a creator, but if you think the Soul as the true Self, then there is nothing exists other than the Soul, which is present in the form of the consciousness.

If one objectifies and sees a universe, then he is bound to see many things besides himSelf and postulate a God, the creator. Body, God and world rise and set together from, and into, the Soul, the innermost ‘Self’.  The Soul is the source from where the mind (universe) rises and subsides.

If God is apart from the Soul, the innermost Self, then God would be Self-less, that is, outside existence, that is, non-existent. The mind (universe) and its substance and its source are one in essence.  That essence is the consciousness. Thus, the consciousness alone is real all else is mere an illusion created out of the consciousness. Thus,   the consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God. 

From the-the ultimate standpoint, the creation is  an impossibility. The creation and the creator theory is false theory based on the false Self. Whatever is based on the false Self is bound to be an illusion. 

The creation is the very nature of the Soul, the innermost Self. It is his inherent nature which simply emanates and flows from Soul. But even this is only an appearance for in truth there's no creation at all. 

God is not physical. God is present in the form of the Spirit. The Spirit is the cause of the world and the Spirit itself is uncaused.

On the standpoint of the Spirit, the form, time, space and name are mere an illusion. The spirit alone is real and all else is an illusion.  In reality,  the spirit (God) matter (the world in which we exist) are one.

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. (14.27).

When Bhagavad Gita says, God is considered the all-pervading consciousness (Spirit) which is the basis of all the animate and inanimate entities and material  then  nothing has to be accepted  other than consciousness a God. 

Lord Krishna Says Ch ~V: ~ “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.

The dualistic worship of "God” is only for the ignorant populace. The God in truth is only Atman, the innermost Self.   In reality, there is no dualities, no differentiation. Only Atman exists.

The Vedas confirms God is Atman (spirit), the innermost Self.

Rig Veda: ~ The Atman (Soul or Spirit) 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)

Rig-Veda 1-164-46 and Y.V 32-1 clearly mention that God is “One”.

Rig Veda declares God is ‘ONE’ and God is Atman, then why believe and   worship in place of real God.

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

When Upanishad itself declares: ~   Sarvam khalvidam brahma ~ all this (universe) is verily Brahman. By following back all of the relative appearances in the world, we eventually return to that from which it is all manifest – the non-dual reality (Chandogya Upanishad). 

Sage Sri, Sankara’s Supreme Brahman (God) is impersonal, Nirguna (without Gunas or attributes), Nirakara (formless), Nirvisesha (without special characteristics), immutable, eternal and Akarta (non-agent). It is above all needs and desires. It is always the Witnessing Subject. It can never become an object as It is beyond the reach of the senses. Brahman is non-dual, one without a second. It has no other beside it. It is destitute of difference, either external or internal. Brahman cannot be described because description implies distinction. Brahman cannot be distinguished from any other than It. In Brahman, there is not the distinction of substance and attribute. Sat-Chit-Ananda constitutes the very essence or Svarupa of Brahman, and not just Its attributes. The Nirguna Brahman of Sage Sri, Sankara is impersonal.

Sage Sri, Sankara: ~"That which permeates all, which nothing transcends and which, like the universal space around us, fills everything completely from within and without, that Supreme non-dual Brahman  (God)."

Adyathmic Discussion -365

• Trev Light Bown The point of the false sense of self is just that.
  A vortex of gathering accumulated thought within consciousness that is momentarily not here present to see.

  13 hours ago · Like
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  Santthosh Kumaar When the whole universe is falsehood then why to hold on the thought which comes to the human being within the false universe. Thus it is necessry to realize  the truth of the whole(universe) not of the part to unfold the mystery of the mind(I).

Adyathmic Discussion -364

• Trev Light Bown "By activating Kundalini power one does not get non-dual wisdom.".
  Who is the "one" not able to get Non Dual wisdom.?
  "One" does not exist in Non Duality."

  
  

  
  

  15 hours ago · Like
• 

  Santthosh Kumaar The one who is born,lives and dies is not the self. The self is the formless substnce and witness of the illusion.In reality the substence and witness are one in essence. That essence is conciousness(soul). When the soul, the innermost wakes up in its formless nondual true nature in the midst of duality then the waking experince is mere an illusion. Thus only through wisdom the soul the innermost self wakes up in to reality no other means. Thus the seeker ,seeking and the destination are made of the same essence.There is no secondthing exists other than that essence .That essence is conciousness. the conciousness(Atman) is Brahman or God.

  18 minutes ago · Like

Adyathmic Discussion-362

• Trev Light Bown " The one who is able to grasp this truth is a Gnani."

  
  

  Sorry, Santthosh Kumaar but a Gnani is the formless being when "one" is gone.

  15 hours ago · Like

  
  

  
  

  
  
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  Santthosh Kumaar Illusion’s "concealing power" merely means that when one looks at an ice block he thinks only of the ice block. But a Gnani will think of the substance of the ice block too. That is a wise man has the knowledge of the substance plus of the ice block. Similarly a Gnani has the knowledge of the universe and its formless substance also. The consciousness is concealed because of ignorance. As a man one is not aware of the fact that, his body, ego and his experience of the world are mere mirage created out of consciousness. When one becomes aware of the fact that, the universe is mirage then there is no body no ego and no world than there is only the formless soul or consciousness, which is the innermost self. 

  
  

  
  

  One has to get firm conviction that, the Self is definitely not the waking entity because the waking experience itself is an illusion. The self is the formless substance and the witness of the three states. The formless substance and witness is the soul or consciousness. The soul or consciousness is the innermost self. The innermost self is without change, without any form, without any blemish and without any decay, without disease, beyond all comprehension, beyond any change and consciousness is all pervading.

  a few seconds ago · Like

The beliefs in God, religion, yoga are based on the false self, is nothing to do with the mental (inner) journey.*****

Yajur Veda says:~   "Those who worship visible things, born of the prakrti, such as the earth, trees, bodies (human and the like), in place of God are enveloped in still greater darkness. Therefore, all these add-ons prove that the form and attribute based concepts are introduced by some sages of the past with a new belief system and code of conducts in the name of Vedas, which is present today in the form of Hinduism. Hinduism is nothing to do with Vedas and Vedic religion because Hinduism is indulging in all the activities barred by Vedas under the banner of Vedas and Vedic religion. 

Upanishads clearly indicates that the human goal is to acquire Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. If the human goal is to acquire Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana then why one has to indulge in rituals and glorifying the conceptual gods and goddesses to go into deeper darkness. Instead,    spend that time moving forward towards Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana, which is one’s prime goal.  

Since it is eternal and infinite, it comprises the only truth. The goal of Vedic religion, through the various yogas, is to realize that the consciousness (Atman) is actually nothing but Brahman.

The Vedic pantheon of gods is said, in the Vedas and Upanishads, to be only higher manifestations of Brahman. For this reason,- "ekam sat" (all is one), and all is Brahman.

Thus, the goal is to realize the Atman (consciousness).  If the Atman (consciousness) is nothing but Brahman and by realizing Atman (consciousness) as Brahman (ultimate truth) is truth realization or Self-Realization, then there is no need to follow the religion, study the scriptures or glorifying the Gods and the Gurus and follow the path of doubts and confusion by losing oneself in the labyrinths of philosophy, when there is an easier path.  By mentally tracing the source of the mind from where it rises and subsides one becomes aware of the fallacy of the mind, which rises as waking or dream and subsides as deep sleep.  The mind raises form consciousness and subsides as consciousness.

Sruti is made the final or exclusive authority in apara Vidya and that for supporting the tenet of the CAUSAL relation or creatorship of Brahman, Nirguna Brahman = the "Absolute beyond qualities," which can be defined only in a negative way. For the Sankarian school = the Ultimate Reality, higher than the Lord. i.e. of Saguna or apara Brahman ... The support of Scriptural Revelation is, therefore, absolutely necessary for this hypothesis of cosmology, this Saguna or apara (= inferior) Brahman, but not for the absolute truth of Nirguna Brahman.  The Sruti itself says: "This Atma is NOT to be attained by a study of the Vedas.  (Katha Upanishad I, 2, 23.)    

           

Therefore, all the add-ons and attribute based knowledge, which are inferior, have to be bifurcated and excluded to know the ultimate truth. 

Gaudapada 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.

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; the mind cannot grasp it. The deathless Self has neither caste nor race, neither eyes nor 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.

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.

This clearly indicates that religion, which is based on individual conduct, prescribes karma and Upaasana to people of lower and middling intellect, therefore religion is for the lower intellect. And wisdom is for those are capable of inquiring into their own existence to know and realize the ultimate truth, which is Brahman.

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

Sage Sri, Sankara’s notion of Maya, the cosmic illusion, which must be transcended in order to realize the truth of Brahman, which means the ultimate truth.  

If Brahman is considered the all-pervading consciousness then, it is necessary to realize, the consciousness as self, which pervades all the three states, to realize the fact that there is no second thing exists other the consciousness. Thus, consciousness (Atman) is the ultimate truth (Brahman).  

As indicated in ISH Upanishads:~ By worshipping gods and goddesses you will go after death to the world of gods and goddesses. But will that help you? The time you spent there is wasted because if you were not there you could have spent that time moving forward towards Self-knowledge, which is your goal. In the world of Gods and Goddesses, you cannot do that, and thus, you go deeper and deeper into the darkness.

It clearly indicates that:-If the human goal is to acquire Self-Knowledge then why one has to indulge in rituals and glorifying the conceptual Gods, Goddesses, and Gurus to go into deeper darkness. Instead,   spend that time moving forward towards Self-knowledge, which is one’s prime goal.  

Since it is eternal and infinite, it comprises the only truth. The goal of Vedic religion, through the various yogas, is to realize that the consciousness (Atman) is actually nothing but Brahman.

The Vedic pantheon of gods is said, in the Vedas and Upanishads, to be only higher manifestations of Brahman. For this reason, "ekam sat" (all is one), and all is Brahman.

Thus, the goal is to realize Atman (consciousness).  If Atman (consciousness) is nothing but Brahman and by realizing Atman (consciousness) as Brahman (ultimate truth) is truth realization or Self-Realization , then there is no need to follow religion, study scriptures or glorifying gods or  gurus and  follow the path of doubts and confusion by losing oneself in the labyrinths of philosophy, when there is an easier path.  By mentally tracing the source of the mind from where it rises and subsides one becomes aware of the fallacy of the mind, which rises as waking or dream and subsides as deep sleep.  The mind raises form consciousness and subsides as consciousness.

They alone in this world are endowed with the highest wisdom who are firm in their conviction of the sameness and birthlessness of Atman. The ordinary man does not understand his way. (Chapter IV — Alatasanti Prakarana 95-P-188 in Upanishads by Nikilanada)

Therefore, if one is seeking truth he has to know his true self is not physical but it is the Atman, which is in the form of consciousness. 

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

There is only one Reality to be known, the same for all the seekers, but the ways to it, are hidden by the religion.  Self-discovery is the only way, towards non-dual 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.

The beliefs in  God, religion, yoga are based on the false self, is nothing to do with the mental (inner) journey.   The religious, rituals, worship, prayers god and guru glorification may be useful in the worldly life, for those who believe in the birth, life, death, and the world as reality, but they are not useful tools in realizing the ultimate truth. On the base of consciousness (soul) as self, everything other than the consciousness is a mere mirage.  Thus, man and his experience of the world and his belief in religious Gods and religion are part and parcel of the mirage created out of consciousness. 

Arguing with believers is fruitless. Belief in tradition and scripture as if they were true or factual quite clearly is delusion, but the payoff for holding such delusions is, for those who hold them, extremely compelling--the avoidance of the "wrath of God," the hope of heaven or salvation, or the imagined "end of suffering."

When Sage Sri, Sankara says the world is an illusion, it includes birth, life,  and death, which happens within the world.  Thus, seekers main aim is to mentally trace the formless substance of the illusion, which is also the witness of the illusion. The formless substance and witness of the illusion (world),  is the Atman, and this Atman itself is Brahman.  This Brahman cannot be attained by indulging in egocentric religious orthodoxies. The knower of Brahman is Brahmin,  not the Brahmin who indulges in priestcraft, which leads one to utter darkness as per Yajur Veda. :~Santthosh Kumaar 

The goal of Vedic religion, through the various yogas, is to realize that the consciousness (Atman) is actually nothing but Brahman***

The orthodoxy accepts the concept of god in many forms. Sages of truth declare the Atman is Brahman.  That is the soul, which is in the form of consciousness is ultimate truth or Brahman.  That is the ultimate truth is God.  And the ultimate truth itself is worthy of godhood. 

Sage Sri Sankara:~ VC~"this entire universe which through ignorance appears as of diverse forms, is nothing else, but Brahman which is absolutely free from all the limitations of human thought.

"It is this Supreme Oneness which alone is real, since there is nothing else but the Self. Verily, there remains no other independent entity in the state of realization of the highest Truth."

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)

That is why Swami Vivekananda:~

The masses in India cry to sixty million gods, and still die like dogs. Where are these gods?

 Knowing this, stand up and fight! Not one step back that is the idea. ... Fight it out, whatever comes. Let the stars move from the sphere! Let the whole world stand against us! Death means only a change of garment. What of it? Thus fight! You gain nothing by becoming cowards. ... Taking a step backward, you do not avoid any misfortune. You have cried to all the gods in the world. Has misery ceased? The masses in India cry to sixty million gods, and still die like dogs. Where are these gods? ... The gods come to help you when you have succeeded. So what is the use? Die game. ... This bending the knee to superstitions, this selling yourself to your own mind does not befit you, my soul. You are infinite, deathless, birthless. Because you are infinite spirit, it does not befit you to be a slave. ... Arise! Awake! Stand up and fight! Die if you must. There is none to help you. You are the entire world. Who can help you? - Swami Vivekananda (Delivered In San Francisco, on May 28, 1900) -The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda/Volume 1/Lectures And Discourses/The Gita II

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad:~  The Self is indeed Brahman, but through ignorance people identify it with intellect, mind, senses, passions, and the elements of earth, water, air, space, and fire. This is why the Self is said to consist of this and that, and appears to be everything. 

Yajurveda says: - if one worships conceptual  God:~

Translation 1.

They enter darkness, those who worship natural things (for example air, water, sun, moon, animals, fire, stone, etc.).

They sink deeper in darkness those who worship sambhuti. (Sambhuti means created things, for example table, chair, idol etc.) -(Yajurveda  40:9)

Translation 2.

"Deep into shade of blinding gloom fall asambhuti's worshippers. They sink to darkness deeper yet who on sambhuti are intent.("Yajurveda Samhita by Ralph T. H. Giffith pg 538)

Translation 3.

"They are enveloped in darkness, in other words, are steeped in ignorance and sunk in the greatest depths of misery who worship the uncreated, eternal prakrti -- the material cause of the world -- in place of the All-pervading God, But those who worship visible things born of the prakrti, such as the earth, trees, bodies (human and the like) in place of God are enveloped in still greater darkness, in other words, they are extremely foolish, fall into an awful hell of pain and sorrow, and suffer terribly for a long time." (Yajur Veda 40:9.)

So, Yajur Veda indicates that:-

They sink deeper in darkness those who worship sambhuti. (Sambhuti means created things, for example table, chair, idol etc _(Yajurved 40:9)

Those who worship visible things born of the prakrti, such as the earth, trees, bodies (human and the like) in place of God are enveloped in still greater darkness, in other words, they are extremely foolish, fall into an awful hell of pain and sorrow, and suffer terribly for a long time." (Yajur Veda 40:9.)

When the religion of the Veda knows no idols then why so many gods and goddesses with different form and name are being propagated as Vedic gods. Why these conceptual gods are introduced when the Vedic concept of God is free from form and attributes.

Who introduced the concept of God with attributes and attributeless gods, when Yajur Veda says: ~   those who worship visible things, born of the prakrti, such as the earth, trees, bodies (human and the like), in place of God are enveloped in still greater darkness. Therefore, all these add-ons prove that the form and attribute based concepts are introduced by some sages of the past with a new belief system and code of conducts in the name of Vedas. 

It clearly indicates that: -If the human goal is to acquire Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana then why one has to indulge in rituals and glorifying the conceptual gods and goddesses to go into deeper darkness. Instead   spend that time moving forward towards Self-knowledge, which is one’s prime goal.  

Since it is eternal and infinite, it comprises the only truth. The goal of Vedic religion, through the various yogas, is to realize that the consciousness (Atman) is actually nothing but Brahman.

 The Vedic pantheon of gods is said, in the Vedas and Upanishads, to be only higher manifestations of Brahman. For this reason,- "ekam sat" (all is one), and all is Brahman.

Thus, the goal is to realize the Atman (consciousness).  If the Atman (consciousness) is nothing but Brahman and by realizing Atman (consciousness) as Brahman (ultimate truth) is truth realization or Self-Realization, then there is no need to follow the religion, study the scriptures or glorifying the Gods and the Gurus and follow the path of doubts and confusion by losing oneself in the labyrinths of philosophy, when there is an easier path.  By mentally tracing the source of the mind from where it rises and subsides one becomes aware of the fallacy of the mind, which rises as waking or dream and subsides as deep sleep.  The mind raises form consciousness and subsides as consciousness.

All religions of the world and all philosophies of the world are based on the individuality or ego; find no answers for many questions***

All religions of the world and all philosophies of the world are based on the individuality or ego; find no answers for many questions. Truth seekers all over the world are trying to find answers for themselves, and they imagine and write articles and books of their ideas and others will read and blindly accept them as truth. The spiritual truth was hidden by the sages and only to few  it has been given to know the secrets of the Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana  but for the mass  they are in parables, so that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand’.

Even in Christianity the self-knowledge or truth was hidden and initiated only to few.  

While speaking to the multitude in a veiled manner, ‘privately to his own disciples he explained everything’ (Mark, 4:34), and advised them not to ‘throw your pearls before swine’ (Matthew, 7:6).

Long before Socrates’ injunction: - “Know Thyself”, Indian sages  of truth 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.

Sage restrained themselves parting the Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana to the mass and it was given only selected few.   It was hidden from the mass who were not qualified and receptive to it. Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana was not written down but was imparted orally to the chosen few.  Thus, religion was given to the mass and knowledge of the spirit is given only selected few.  Thus, we find traces of knowledge of the spirit in the religious books in the form of parables.

 There is no need to condemn any ones’ views and ideas or writing, but without being judgmental, seeker has to verify whether the author is speaking on the standpoint of ego, or whether he is speaking on the standpoint of the soul, the innermost self.  If his views are based on the standpoint of the waking entity or ego, then there is many doubts and confusion. If his views are based on the soul as self then there is no confusion and doubts of any sort.  
 

Nothing has to be accepted without verifying the validity of any claim in pursuit of truth. Only uncontradictable truth has to be accepted as truth.  There is no need to condemn any religion or any saints or sages, but seeker has to think beyond the  religion, the  scriptures and the individualized gods.    

The look of an object will depend upon the medium through which the observer views it. In fact, our mental and intellectual conditions determine the three states, observed and experienced.  The commoner viewing the three states will see differently from a Gnani viewing the same three states. Each one interprets the three states that they see in terms of their existing knowledge. The commoner sees everything based on the ego therefore experiences the birth, life, death and the world as reality whereas a Gnani sees everything as consciousness and he is fully aware of the fact that there is no second thing exists other than consciousness. Thus, all the egocentric (religious) adulteration has to be bifurcated to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman to know the truth propagated by the ancient sages of the truth. The sages of truth are not religious gurus or saints.   

   

Sage Sri, Sankara himself had often said that his philosophy was based on Sruti, or revealed scripture.  This may be because Sage  Sri, Sankara addressed the ordinary man, who finds security in the idea of causality and thus in the idea of God ~ and Revelation is indispensable to prove the latter.  He believed that those of superior intelligence, have no need of this idea of divine causality, and can therefore dispense with Sruti and arrive at the truth of Non-Dualism by pure reason. 

Gaudapada 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.

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.

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.

That is why Sage Sri, Sankara indicated:~ 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.

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.

Orthodoxy accepts the concept of god in many forms. Sages of truth declare the Atman is Brahman.  That is the soul, which is in the form of consciousness is ultimate truth or Brahman.  That is the ultimate truth is God.  And the ultimate truth itself is worthy of godhood. 

Sage Sri Sankara:~ VC~"this entire universe which through ignorance appears as of diverse forms, is nothing else, but Brahman which is absolutely free from all the limitations of human thought.

It is this Supreme Oneness which alone is real, since there is nothing else but the Self. Verily, there remains no other independent entity in the state of realization of the highest Truth.