There is no place for a personal God in pursuit of truth

There is no place for a personal God in pursuit of truth, because personal  God  is also is part of the illusion. Illusion appears as real because of the curtain of ignorance. Just as the dream world  is reality until waking takes place, similarly, waking world  is also reality until ignorance prevails.

The difference between the  the  soul  and the mind  decreases and upon true knowledge, liberation occurs.

 That is why swami Vivekananda said :- 

 

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, which is a part of Vedas, Declares that:-Brahman is the form of the Athma, and it is indeed Athma itself. 

Thus the soul or Atman is ultimate truth or Brahman. ultimate truth or Brahman is God. 

The Soul is self-evident

 

The Soul  is self-evident. It is not established by extraneous proofs. It is not possible to deny the soul, because it is the very essence of the one who denies it. The soul  is the basis of all kinds of knowledge, presuppositions and proofs. The soul is the innermost self.  The innermost  Self is within, the innermost  Self is without; the innermost self is present  in the form of consciousness. Consciousness is before, consciousness is behind; consciousness  is on the right, consciousness  is on the left; consciousness is above and consciousness  is below. Thus everything is consciousness. Thus no second thing exists other than consciousness.

Soul is not an object, as it  is invisible , beyond the reach of the eyes. It is not another. It is all-full, infinite, changeless, self-existent, self-delight, self-knowledge. It is essence. It is the essence of the knower. It is the formless substance and  Witness of the illusion or universe or physical existence. 

Soul is  impersonal, and without attributes, formless, without special characteristics, immutable, eternal and 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 physicality. soul is in the form of consciousness or spirit. Soul is the subject and illusion is an object to the the soul. The soul is permanent and illusion is impermanent.  Soul pervades in everything and everywhere in illusion. 

 Soul, the innermost Self  is non-dual, one without a second. It has no other beside It. It is destitute of difference, either external or internal. Soul  cannot be described, because description implies distinction. Soul cannot be distinguished from any other than it. In the soul , there is not the distinction of substance and attribute. Non dual awareness constitute the very essence of the soul , and not just its attributes.  The soul  is impersonal. It becomes a personal only through its association with the three states or illusion.

The the truth has to be searched not between the man and his experience of the world ,but between the the illusion and its formless witness.

Words! the Way to ultimate reality is beyond language. From ultimate standpoint There is no life, no birth, and no death no world.

We need very less words to understand  and assimilate the ultimate truth but because of inborn conditioning using of more  words are inevitable in order to grasp the reality beyond form,time and space.   There is no each of us but all of us   including  the world[illusion]  is not different from the consciousness . Consciousness is the formless substance and witness of the three states.    Because   inborn conditioning and    conviction one is ignorant of the reality,which is beyond form,time and space. Because of the inborn conditioning   one thinks he is and individual separate from the world, therefore,  he is unable to cross the threshold of duality. The soul is the innermost self. The soul is in the form of consciousness.

When ‘Self’  is within the three states as its formless substance   and it is  without the three states. Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana  clears all the  doubts and  confusions and dispels the ignorance.

Experience means duality. Man and his experience of the world are with in the experience(waking or dream) . Man and his experience of the world together forms the mind.  thus mind is mere an experience. The experience is always illusion. 

Only in the  illusion the duality is possible. Since, the man is the  illusory identity within the illusion. Therefore, man is not the “Self”. Considering man as self and trying to assimilate Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana leads to intellectuality.    Therefore, there is a need to understand the fact that ,  the the truth has to be searched not between the man and his experience of the world ,but between the the illusion and its formless witness.  Then only one will be able to trace the non-dual reality. 

  

Any experience involves two – the one who experiences, and what is being experienced both are part of the illusion. The non-dual  truth is hidden within the illusion as its formless substance and witness. 

The wisdom is not an experience but it is realization of the truth.  One realizes the  body and world are mere illusion  created out of the soul(consciousness or spirit) .  Therefore, the diversity is mere illusion created out of single stuff.  Thus, one should not get fooled by the experiences experienced on the waking entity, but one has to realize the fact  that,  the waking entity itself is illusory,  because the waking experience itself  is illusion. Therefore, man and his world does not exist in reality ,what exists is the non-dual existence, which is without the man and his world.  Therefore, one has to come out of the idea of the body and world disappearing . The body and world never disappears  but in the midst of the waking experience the non-dual wisdom dawns. When the wisdom dawns then the body and the world becomes unreal for the Gnani.

 Gnani sees the world not on the physical base, but on the base of the soul, thew innermost self. Thus he is fully aware of the fact that,  his body and world are also consciousness or  spirit.  Therefore, there is neither body, nor the world but only the spirit ,which is the true self.  Therefore, there is no second-thing exists for Gnani other then consciousness.   

 A true seeker drops all his idea of individual experiences ,which lead him to investigate  the meaning  of his experiences.  the formless soul or consciousness remains eternally  and the illusory three states comes and goes are  impermanent.   Therefore seeker has to focus his attention on on the permanent and become one with it  in order to mentally drop the three states . 

It is impossible to experience  ultimate truth the on the physical self. The physical self is individual self  within the world . Individual self and the world are part of the illusion.  Thus whatever is experienced on the base of individual self is mere illusion. 

 The formless soul or consciousness, the innermost self pervades the whole illusion and  soul  is beyond illusion.  Therefore, giving importance to individual experiences within the illusion keeps one in grip  of the illusion(duality).  Therefore, seeker of truth has to come out of the grip of illusion(duality) by realizing the fact that, the  self is not physical  but it is the formless soul or spirit.   On the base of the soul  the innermost self ,  no experience is possible, thus all experiences are mere illusion.

Through meditation or yoga it is  impossible to acquire non-dual wisdom, because they are practiced on the the base of physical self,which is the false self(ego or waking entity) within the false experience(waking).   Whatever achieved on the base of physical self is bound to be illusion.  Therefore, there is need to know how the physical existence is illusion and what is reality to enter the non-dual kingdom.   Therefore, I , you ,others and the world are part of the illusion. What exists without I , you , others and the world is reality.

Where are the three states? It can never be seen or even apprehended. It is like a magical illusion. Searching for their truth, unable to see it, a person looks for its origin. The soul is the source of the mind from where it rises and subsides. Mind does not arise without the soul, the innermost self. The physical eye cannot look at itself. Just as the blade of a sword cannot cut itself, so  the soul , the innermost self cannot see itself, because it is formless and there is no second thing exists to see  other then itself.

With the aid of Self-Knowledge, the seekers will be able to cross the threshold duality or illusion.   Through  the Self –Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana  gets rid of the ignorance, which is the cause for experiencing the duality as reality.

The manner in which the fire burns down the firewood, same way the fire of Self –Knowledge will reduce the illusion into ashes. The Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana is capable of liberating the seekers from the shackles of physicality. 

There is no knowledge is higher then the Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.  The seeker who has urge to know the truth seriously and sincerely will be able to acquire Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

Seeker of truth has to strive mentally not physically for the achievement of Self-Knowledge in order to get freedom from experiencing illusion/duality as reality.   

The body and the world are not apart from the mind.

The body and the world are not apart from the mind. If mind is there then only  the body and the world are present. Absent of mind, is absent of body and world. Therefore, limiting the mind to the physical entity alone creates the sense of separation. Separation is the cause of egocentricity. The egocentricity  is the cause of ignorance. Ignorance is cause of experiencing the illusion(duality) as reality.

Till one thinks he is and individual separate from the world, he will remain in the grip of duality/illusion, and he will not be able to assimilate Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. The one who bases himself on the birth entity will think,he is born in this world and world existed prior to him.

For the soul is the innermost  self. the soul is present in the form of consciousness.   Soul is birthless and deathless.  Nor having once been, does it ever cease to be. It is unborn and eternal, ever existing, undying and primeval. It is does not die when the body and the world dies. The true “ Soul, the innermost Self” is hidden within the three states as their formless substance and witness. In reality the formless substance and witness are one in essence.

Mind (body and world) and soul are one in essence. The mind rises from the formless  soul or consciousness, the innermost self and subsides as soul or consciousness. There is neither body nor the world in the realm of the soul, the innermost self. 

The body and the world is part of the waking experience, which is present in the form of mind. Same way as the dream body and the world are part of the dream. The body and the world of the dream or waking appear together and disappear together. The one which is aware of the appearance and disappearance of the three states is not body but the formless soul. Thus, on the standpoint of the soul, the innermost self, the three states are unreal, because the three states are  mere mirage created out of the formless soul, the innermost self. Therefore, there is neither the body nor the world exists when one becomes aware of the fact that, the  the soul, the innermost self.

The meaning of the words meaningless in the realm of truth.

The meaning of words  are meaningless in the realm of truth. The words have meaning only in physical existence.  The words are only for communication purpose until one enters the wordless existence.  If one calls it, soul or spirit or Brahman or consciousness or ultimate truth or self, it is one and same thing.   By using the word soul  or spirit need not belong only to the belief system.   

Soul means the center on which the whole physical existence(universe) is based on. One cannot acquire self knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana  without analyzing "What is truth" and "What is untruth".   To get rid of all accumulated dross and reach the ultimate truth, one has to indulge in deeper self-search Without deeper self-search  one will not be able to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana  .  

Deeper self-search revels that, the self is not form, but it is formless.  The thoughts cannot rise without the form. The form exists within the illusion. Thus all thoughts and forms are part and parcel of the illusion. Therefore, whatever is seen, known, believed and experienced as a person is bound to be illusion.  The formless substance and witness of the illusion is real and eternal. the formless substance and witness is soul or consciousness. formless soul or consciousness  is the innermost  self and ultimate reality.  Therefore, the formless substance and witness, which is the innermost  self is real  and all else is falsehood. 

One has to realize  the fact that, the thoughts cannot rise without the illusion.  The illusion is apart from the soul or consciousness, the innermost self. The illusion appears as waking or dream  and disappears as deep sleep.  The substance and witness of the three states is the consciousness. Thus the consciousness is within the three states and it is apart from the three states. It is within the three states as their formless substance and it is apart from the three states as their formless witness.In realm of truth the formless substance and witness  of the three states are one in essence.

 Some of the great thinkers think that,  there is no difference between the ‘thinker’ and ‘thought’; the ‘observer’ and the ‘observed’ emphasizing the correlation between the internal and external worlds, for a complete understanding of Truth. This understanding would bring about a radical transformation of the mind, by the mutation in our brain cells and would change our perception of the world.

But they fail to understand the thinker and the thought are part of the illusion or duality. There is neither thinker nor thought in reality.  The thought will not rise without the form; therefore the thought will rise only when the physical self is present. The physical self is present only when the   waking experience or dream is present. The waking or dream is present only when the mind is present. Therefore, there is a need to understand all these facts, before moving ahead in pursuit of truth. 

 When the self is not physical then there is no question of basing it on brain cells psychology, because they are based on physical self.  The physical self is false self . If thinker and thought of the dream and observer and observed of the dream disappears along with the dream. Same way the waking ‘thinker’ and ‘thought’; the ‘observer’ and the ‘observed’ disappears in deep sleep.  It is not the waking entity which is aware of the coming and going of the three states but it is the formless soul, the innermost self.

The formless witness of the three states is apart from the three states. The three states are unreal on the standpoint of the formless witness of the three states. And the formless witness is also the substance of the three states.   Therefore, the one which is aware of the three states is not physical; therefore, question of mutation of brain cells does not arise. 

Since the thinker and the thought exist with in the duality and thinker and the thought both are object to the formless witness. Therefore, one need to understand the fact that ,the subject(soul or spirit) is formless and the object is form (three states).  The subject and the object is one in essence,because the object is created out of the formless subject. 

Since, scientific inventions are based on the physical self and physical existence; there invention will not go beyond the physical existence. And they can only discover the truth of the fragments within the consciousness, not of the whole. Until and unless they discover the fact that, the self is not physical, their understanding will not go beyond physicality. When the self is not physical but it is the formless spirit, searching truth within the physical body or brain cells is of no use. 

To assimilate the self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana  effectively, seeker needs to be receptive.  He has to have patience and humility and allow the person to speak freely express himself about the Self-Knowledge, without hindrance or interruption. In return, seeker will receive free expression and then, try to grasp what he is saying. Seeker should not be judge on the base of his accumulated knowledge and simply argue on his own point of view. Seeker has to accept others views, if finds them un-contradictable truth.

 Seeker has to verify the validity of all claims by using his own reason. Seeker has to get all the doubts cleared by questioning patiently, and point out all the doubts and confusion with humility. Argument is greatest obstacle in pursuit of truth, therefore never indulge in arguments.   Therefore, discussion with humility is the way towards the ultimate truth.    This will enable him to provide understanding and to see the fellow seekers perspective that is not to say that, he has to agree to their point of view, however it will offer or enable one to consider another option. And it helps seeker to think deeper when he is not satisfied with the answers and find answer on his own reasoning, till un- contradictable answer is found.  

If one can truly understand “what is Mind”? “What is substance of the mind?” it would lead to resolving a lot of perhaps unnecessary trouble, and conflict.

If we look closely at the nature of the mind, what it is really, how it has come into being, and what constitutes it, it will become clear of the fact that, mind is mere illusion; the formless substance of the mind, which is the spirit, is real and eternal.