Nature of the soul, the innermost self is like a deep sleep experience but deep sleep is not Brahmic awareness or Self-awareness

Bottom of Form

'I' is in the form of mind. The mind is in the form of universe. The universe appears as waking or dream and disappears as deep sleep.  The duality is present only when the Mind (I) is present. Mind (I) is present only when the universe is present. Universe is present only when the waking or dream is present.  The duality is present only in waking or dream. In deep sleep there is no duality.  The very absence of Mind (I) gives the sense of everlasting peace.

Deep sleep gives Everlasting peace. Therefore the experience of duality is the cause of the birth, life and death, pleasure and pain. Nature of the soul, the innermost self is like a deep sleep experience but deep sleep is not Brahmic  awareness or Self-awareness. Deep sleep is still the state of ignorance. Therefore, consciously experiencing the non-dual experience in the midst of waking experience by realizing the true fact, the body, ego and he world are one in essence.  That essence is formless consciousness (soul). 

To overcome the burden and bondage of duality one has to overcome the ignorance by realizing    the burden and bondage are reality within the illusion (universe or waking) .

Without realizing the soul as self, which the formless substance and witness of the three states, it is impossible to overcome the illusory duality (waking) which everyone experiences as reality.

The realization comes only when one becomes aware of the fact that the mind (universe) is an illusory parasite on the formless soul, the innermost self. Therefore it is necessary to know the soul or consciousness, the innermost self, to realize the true self is formless and ever independent and it pervades in everything and everywhere in all the three states.   

Consciousness is the formless substance and witness of the three states. Consciousness is within the three states but it is ever apart from three states. It is within the three states as their formless substance and it is apart   from the three states as their formless witness. It is apart because it is not and entity or identity within the waking or dream.  In the realm of truth the formless substance and witness are one in essence.  Thus there is no second thing exists other than consciousness. Thus the diversity is mere mirage created of consciousness the innermost self.  Thus consciousness (soul) is ultimate truth or Brahman.

Illusion will prevail as reality till one remains in the prison of his accumulating knowledge and intellectuality

People make their accumulated knowledge as a yardstick and argue on their own standpoint. Such discussion will not lead anywhere because all the accumulate knowledge are based on the ego and the truth is based on the soul.  Thus such discussion will not lead anywhere because they are totally based on different pole. Our reasoning and judgment has to be soul centric not egocentric.   It is foolish to accept the truth without verification.   

Only when one becomes aware of that he is in bondage, when he gets the idea of the soul. He tries to know the soul, which is inner most self.   When he becomes aware of the fact that, the inner most self is not the form but it is formless, then only the urge of liberation arises. Once this urge arises then it is impossible to get rid of it. Thus he becomes restless until he becomes aware of the truth he is seeking for.  

The soul, which is the innermost self, is in the form of consciousness. The self is prior to all, bondage and liberation, truth and falsehood. Its existence is self-proved, it cannot be doubted, for it is the essential nature of him who doubts it. 

It is known in immediate perception, prior to all proof. Self is eternal, immutable and complete. Bondage is its association with the three states through ignorance.  The self is neither the waking entity nor the dream entity but it is the formless witness of the waking or dream as the whole. Until one is ignorant he thinks on the base of his waking entity or ego as self and judges on the base of the ego or physical self. This is cause of ignorance and cause of all doubts and confusion. Therefore, his reasoning base has to be rectifies from form to formless in order to know what is truth and what is untruth.   

Soul is the true self. The true self is in the form of consciousness. Consciousness is something other than the physical existence because it cannot be traced as thing or an object. It pervades in everything and everywhere in the whole physical existence.  It is the cause of the physical existence and it itself is uncaused. 

Consciousness persists through all three states. One has to mentally negate all the three states in order to realize the fact that the witness is within the three states and it is without the three states. It is within the three states as their formless substance and it is without the three states as their formless witness. 

 The true existence is consciousness without the form, time and space. Therefore the self is nothing other than the consciousness. However, this consciousness is not the flux of states, a stream of consciousness. 

Consciousness is the knower, knowledge, the known. It is infinite, transcendent, the essence of absolute knowledge. And it is also -illumined, free, and real. Thus the consciousness is the knower of all and all else is known other than consciousness. The known is mere illusion created out of the formless knower.  Therefore, the knower and the known are one in essence.   In reality there is neither the knower nor the known but only oneness. 

The various thoughts rise because of ignorance. The ignorance is because of experiencing the illusion as reality. Illusion will prevail as reality  till one  remains in the prison of his accumulating knowledge and intellectuality. To much Intellectuality leads to perversity. The accumulated knowledge and intellectuality  makes one more and more egoic.  And the egoic attitude  blocks one from acquiring the non-dual wisdom.  The truth cannot be bought in the spiritual super market, but seeker has to acquire it with his own mental effort by constant reflecting on the subject.   Patience, humility and receptiveness are needed in pursuit of truth.  

Swami Vivekananda said:- 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? ..

Deeper self-search reveals the fact that,  the true Advaita expounded by Sri Sankara and his param guru, Goudpada is pure   Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atman Gnana leads one to Self-awareness whereas   the orthodox Advaita  more concerned with the practical life within the practical world indulging in Non-Vedic rituals barred by Vedas. Orthodoxy believes in birth,life,death and world as reality whereas  Sri, Sankara said :- the world is myth. That means the world in which birth,life and death takes place is myth.  Thus orthodoxy is based on the false self (ego or waking entity) and false experience[form,time and space)  is falsehood. Thus the religious orthodoxy is meant for those who are incapable  of grasping and realizing the non-dualistic  or Advaitic  truth or Brahman.      

When 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 than why so many gods and goddesses with different form and name are being propagated as Vedic gods. Why these conceptual gods are introduced when Vedic concept of god is free from form and attributes. 

Who introduced 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.

When Yajur Veda  itself declares that:- "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."  -- than why believe  and worship non-Vedic  Gods and fall into an awful hell of pain and sorrow.  

Ish Upanishad declares: - Those people who have neglected the attainment of Self-knowledge and have thus committed suicide

10/11/12

Those people who have neglected the attainment of Self-knowledge and have thus committed suicide, as it were, are doomed to enter those worlds after death.

This is a condemnation of people who do not try to attain Self-knowledge. They are, in a real sense, committing suicide, for what can be worse than being a slave to sense enjoyment, completely oblivious of the real purpose of life, which is to be one’s  own master? 

In order to be one’s own master he has to realize that mind is identical with soul, which is Pure Consciousness, ever free, without name and form, and unconditioned.

The soul the innermost self is not subject to any modification, without beginning and end, beyond thought and speech. Soul is Existence Absolute, Knowledge Absolute, and Bliss Absolute. When soul know this it is free from ignorance. It is no longer experiences the birth, life, death and the world as reality. 

 If one does not try to know the truth of his true existence, he indeed experiences the illusory birth, life, death and the world as reality. The soul or consciousness the innermost self, is one without a second, complete in itself.

 Soul never moves. Soul is always still, always the same. All the moments are within the illusion. Within the illusion one feels moves everything and it makes the whole world go the way it does. It gives those who mechanically perform rituals go into darkness that is like being blind. But those who worship gods and goddesses remain permanently in ignorance experiencing the illusory experience of birth, life, death and the world (waking) as reality. 

As per the Ish Upanishad: - those who worship gods and goddesses go into a deeper darkness because they seek rewards for their worship. 

As long as there is the sense of "I' and "mine' within us, there can be no Self-knowledge. When one says "me' and "mine' you automatically identify himself with his body or ego. This shows that he is ignorant of the innermost Self, which is soul or consciousness and which is also self of all.

An ignorant person uses the words "I' and "mine'. He says: "I am so and so. “I AM GOD”,' and so on.

An ignorant person has many desires in his mind, and because of these desires he remains in the realm of duality. He has to have a body; otherwise he cannot satisfy his desires. But the more he tries to satisfy them, the more they grip his ego. This goes on endlessly. But it is given to a human being to think, reason, and discriminate. Thus he soon comes to realize that the path he has been following cannot give him satisfaction. He understands that he has to choose another path the path of wisdom or path of truth. As long as he does not take the path of Gnana or wisdom, he gropes in the ignorance and experiences the illusory waking experience (universe) as reality.

Swami Vivekananda said:- 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 all the 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

Orthodoxy is path of ignorance.  And ignorant worships mechanically perform the prescribed sacrifices without any thought as to why they are doing them.  

 Sri, Sankara says in Brahma Sutras: that Brahman is the cause of the world, whereas in Mandukya he denies it. This is because he says that at the lower stage of understanding, the former teaching must be given, for people will get frightened as they cannot understand how the world can be without a cause, but to those in a higher stage, the truth of non-causality can be revealed.

Sri, Sankara himself has warned us not to use ambiguous words, and to practice semantic analysis in his book "Definition of one's own Self. [" Page 199, v.24 of "Sankara's Selected Works]

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)

 Sri, Sankara’s notion of Maya, the cosmic illusion [mind or matter], which must be transcended in order to realize the truth of Brahman, which means 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 [Ataman] is ultimate truth [Brahman]. 

The Sruti itself says: "This Atma is NOT to be attained by a study of the Vedas.  [Katha Upanishad I, 2, 23.] 

It means the seeker has to investigate on his own and realize the ultimate truth or Brahman.

In the ancient time, religious, Yogic or mystic disciplines, which were not an end in itself, considered to be means for self-realization. But such discipline is almost impossible task for the modern man to adopt. Day by day modern man is becoming aware of the fact that religion and yoga are nothing to do with pursuit of truth. .

 The modern mindset is pre-eminently scientific owing to the great progress that science has made. And the best method of freeing the one from his inaccurate ways of thinking is to imbue him as fully as possible with the scientific spirit. It is therefore only one who possesses a clear knowledge of its methods and results i.e., who is able to make reason the highest means of enquiry that would be fit for self-knowledge

The existence beyond limitations of form, time and space is known as Moksha or Nirvana.

 Orthodox  hold virtue is essential for the attainment of Moksha or freedom. But when  one realizes the self is not and individual this question is hardly a relevant one. It is not quite just to interpret the knowledge which brings freedom as if it were of the nature of a purely intellectual intuition. 

Non-dualistic orthodoxy is based on the form. Thus, it is conduct oriented and trying to prove the truth on the base of scriptural authorities, whereas the ultimate truth is based on the soul, the innermost self.  Ultimate truth has to be proved on the base of the soul centric reasoning without the scriptures.

Orthodoxy holds the caste, religious rites, god and guru glorification, scriptural studies, virtues, good deeds and physical conducts as the means to acquire the self-knowledge, whereas in pursuit of truth, only intense urge to know the truth, receptive mind, sharpness to grasp, courage to accept the truth and reject the untruth are necessary.

The guru is needed in only in religion and yoga.  In pursuit of truth there is no need for the guru. Gnani will never accept himself as guru nor does he claim himself as a Gnani.   One who accepts himself as guru does not know the truth. When one inquires in to the nature of the mind or universe    than the truth will start revealing on its own.

That is why 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.”

The religion, concept of god and scriptures are the greatest obstacle to acquire self-knowledge.  The scriptural knowledge fuels the ego. And ego makes one experience the duality as reality.  Duality makes one blind to the truth and makes one accept, the egocentric theories based on the false self as authority. 

Buddha said:-

Do not believe a spiritual teaching just because:-

 1.  It is repeatedly recited,

2. It is written in a scripture,
3. It was handed from guru to disciple,
4. Everyone around you believes it,
5. It has supernatural qualities,
6. It fits my beliefs anyway,
7. It sounds rational to me,
8. It is taught by a respectable person,
9. It was said to be the truth by the teacher,
10. One must defend it or fight for it.

However, only when it agrees with your experience and reason, and when it is conducive to the good and gain of oneself and all others, then one should accept the teachings, and live up to them." ....Buddha.

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.

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.  

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)

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).  

The action, love and   virtue are very much necessary in practical life within the practical world. But they are not qualification for self-realization.   The freedom arises only when one becomes aware of the true existence, which is beyond form, time and space. Thus whatever is based on the form is illusion from the ultimate standpoint. 

The one which is aware of the form, time and space is not the form but formless.  The intellectuality based on the form is not wisdom. Thus, one has to use his reason and base it on the formless self to understand, assimilate and realize the non dual truth, which is ultimate truth. Thus, all intellectual theories based on the form, time and space are mere imagination based on the form, which is the false self (ego) within the false experience (universe or waking).  

All religious theories are meant for those who believe in the practical life within the practical world as reality because they are not verified the truth of their true existence. When one verifies the fact  about his true existence through deeper self-search than he becomes aware of the fact that, the self is no form but self is formless consciousness than he becomes aware of the fact that the practical life within the practical world is mere illusion created out of consciousness. 

The practical knowledge within the practical world is meant is not wisdom but it is knowledge based on ignorance. The real wisdom is non-dual wisdom, which arise only when ignorance vanishes. 

By holding the blind belief of conceptual God and trying to get freedom by observing religious code of conduct and leading the orthodox oriented life within the waking experience  trying to get Moksha is like building the air castle in the sky because the waking experience itself is unreal. Same way as the dream becomes unreal when waking takes place the waking experience becomes unreal when wisdom dawns.  

Thus experience of birth, life, death and the world, pleasure and pain and all actions good deeds, ritual, faith, good or bad conducts, worships, prayers , belief in conceptual Gods, ancestor worship and yogic  Samadhi and practices    are not the qualification for Moksha, because the waking experience itself  is as false from the ultimate standpoint .     

People take to the belief system or of authoritarianism merely because they are the easiest ways. To seek for proof is troublesome and time-taking.

Belief system and mysticism are so much preferred to wisdom because one has only to imagine, not to inquire and reason. The first is easy, the second is hard.

Belief system and mysticism is a species of mesmerism affecting weaker or impressionable people. Thus the panoply of a religious guru's religious robes and religious oriented life style creates unconscious suggestion in weaker minds of a superior power or magical knowledge. Similarly visitors to ashrams are suggested into thinking they experience great peace because they are unconsciously hypnotized into believing that will happen. But when a strong disciplined rationalistic mind meets a yogi, religious guru or visits an ashram, he is entirely unaffected.

Scriptures are being added to from time to time. This process will go on. There is the final authority among them? One contradicts the other: duality reigns supreme. 

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad says: - In that unitive state there is neither father nor mother, neither worlds nor gods nor even Scriptures. In that state there is neither thief nor slayer, neither low caste nor high, neither Monk nor ascetic. The Self is beyond good and evil, beyond all the suffering of the human Heart.

Belief system is Successful in propagating the life after death theory.   What happens after death-- nobody can deny it because nobody has seen what happens after death it is mere assumption. When the self is formless than it birth less and deathless. This theory based on the physical self is false theory because true self is not physical. 

That is why Sri, Sankara says in VivekaChudamani :-   58. Loud speech consisting of a shower of words, the skill in expounding the Scriptures, and likewise erudition - these merely bring on a little personal enjoyment to the scholar, but are no good for Liberation.

59. The study of the Scriptures is useless so long as the highest Truth is unknown, and it is equally useless when the highest Truth has already been known.

60. The Scriptures consisting of many words are a dense forest which merely causes the mind to ramble. Hence men of wisdom should earnestly set about knowing the true nature of the Self.

61. For one who has been bitten by the serpent of Ignorance, the only remedy is the knowledge of Brahman. Of what avail are the Vedas and (other) Scriptures, Mantras (sacred formulae) and medicines to such a one?

62. A disease does not leave off if one simply utter the name of the medicine, without taking it; (similarly) without direct realisation one cannot be liberated by the mere utterance of the word Brahman.

There is nothing more rational, more intelligible and more un-dogmatic insights of Sri, Sankara, is to drop all the theistic nonduality or Advaita which is meant for those who are incapable and not receptive to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman. 

If one merely theories, tries to understand through his intellect and there contended he cannot become a Gnani but he becomes a scholar or pundit.   Seeker of truth must make what he has understood and assimilated has to be  realized, to get firm conviction of the non- dualistic truth or ultimate truth or Brahman,   than only it is possible for him to transcend all the limitations of the experience of form, time and space.    

The existence beyond limitations of form, time and space is known as Moksha or Nirvana. Spiritual freedom or self-realization is the goal of every seeker of truth.

As one goes in deeper self –search one becomes aware of the fact that, the Upanishads are self-contradictory. Different scholars give different conflicting interpretations of them. Final authority therefore is using our own reason. This does not mean one need to give up the scriptures, but he should apply his reason to them. Reason is common to all, whereas orthodoxy belongs to separatist.

The scriptures are for ignorant masses, who wholly accept the material world as it presents itself. Gnana is for those who have begun to realize that things are not what they seem.

Scriptural citations may be quoted only after one has shown the reality and proved the truth, for then he can point out that the texts teach the same thing. If one quotes them before having demonstrated truth, then it is scholasticism.

The Scriptures are of value only when dealing with persons who are incapable of understanding truth. They have no value as authority for those who use reason.

Reason is the common ground for all humanity, whereas the appeal to scriptural relations reaches only groups. Because all the religions are based on the false self and the false experience,  there are   so many conflicting ideas , many changes, divisions and subdivisions ,which leads to all sorts of  doubts and confusions.  When one meets with suffering and disappointment doubts arises. Doubts are absolutely necessary to make one inquire. Pursuit of truth is for getting rid of all doubts.  The pursuit of truth begins with doubt, that doubts one’s own self, one’s own beliefs.