By accepting karma theory, one is accepting the unreal, as real, and permanently remains in the clutches of duality,

Karma is universal principle only on the base of false self (ego or waking entity), within the false experience (waking). The cause and effect is reality, only on the base of false self(ego or waking entity). The fact is the formless soul or consciousnesses,  is the innermost  self, and  the formless soul or consciousness is cause of everything that exist and it itself is   is uncaused.

 Buddhism says, there is nothing - nonentity. Advaita says there is some reality, even though things are not what they appear to be. If one knows the truth, he will know there is neither cause nor effect. Advaita is to know, what is it that is Real, and base the reasoning on that real.
 

When the self is neither the body nor the ego, neither the waking entity not the dream entity, then how the karma based on the false self within the false experience can yield fruits.  Therefore, karma is a religious fable. 

The karma theory is reality only for those who believe their present physical identity [ego] as real, and world as reality. When the Sri, Sankara declares the world itself is illusion, and Brahman is real, then what value the karma theory has when the world is illusion, because man is part and parcel of the illusory world. Therefore, one has to view and judge the worldview on the standpoint of soul or consciousness,  the innermost self,  in order to overcome the duality, which he is experiencing it as reality. 

  The individuality is reality within the illusory world. Therefore, all the theories created within the illusion on the base of false entity, within the false experience, has to be the part and parcel of the illusion.  Thus it is necessary to realize the fact that, formless  soul or consciousness   is the true self and all else is illusion, to overcome the illusory experience  of birth, life,death and the world.  Thus to understand and assimilate Sri, Sankara’s Advaitic truth, seeker  has to  do his own home work through inquiry, analysis and reasoning on the true base, without mixing religion, scriptures, theories  concept of god and yoga. 

Sri Sankara  says in Aparokshanubhuti:-

   88. When the whole universe, movable and immovable, is known to be Atman, and thus the existence of everything else is negated, where is then any room to say that the body is Atman?

   89. O enlightened one, pass your time always contemplating on Atman while you are experiencing all the results of Prarabdha; for it ill becomes you to feel distressed.

   90. The theory one hears of from the scripture, that Prarabdha does not lose its hold upon one even after the origination of the knowledge of Atman, is now being refuted.

   91. After the origination of the knowledge of Reality, Prarabdha verily ceases to exist, inasmuch as the body and the like become non-existent; just as a dream does not exist on waking.

   92. That Karma which is done in a previous life is known as Prarabdha (which produces the present life). But such Karma cannot take the place of Prarabdha (for a man of knowledge), as he has no other birth (being free from ego).

   93. Just as the body in a dream is superimposed (and therefore illusory), so is also this body. How could there be any birth of the superimposed (body), and in the absence of birth (of the body) where is the room for that (i.e., Prarabdha) at all ?

   94. The Vedanta texts declare ignorance to be verily the material (cause) of the phenomenal world just as earth is of a jar. That (ignorance) being destroyed, where can the universe subsist ?

   95. Just as a person out of confusion perceives only the snake leaving aside the rope, so does an ignorant person see only the phenomenal world without knowing the reality?

   96. The real nature of the rope being known, the appearance of the snake no longer persists; so the substratum being known, the phenomenal world disappears completely.

   97. The body also being within the phenomenal world (and therefore unreal), how could Prarabdha exist ? It is, therefore, for the understanding of the ignorant alone that the Shruti speaks of Prarabdha.

   98. “And all the actions of a man perish when he realizes that (Atman) which is both the higher and the lower”. Here the clear use of the plural by the Shruti is to negate Prarabdha as well.

   99. If the ignorant still arbitrarily maintain this, they will not only involve themselves into two absurdities but will also run the risk of forgoing the Vedantic conclusion. So one should accept those Shrutis alone from which proceeds true knowledge.

The above proves that the karma is reality only on the base of false self, where one thinks body and the universes as reality. When one becomes aware of the fact that, the true self is formless soul, then the karma becomes part and parcel of illusion.   My point is that, if one accepts the karma theory as reality, he will never be able to come out of the ignorance. And ignorance makes him believe the cycle of birth, life and death as reality.  Thus the freedom which one is seeking will remain distant dream. For the one who accepts the birth life and death as reality, Self-knowledge is impossible.

The true nature of the true self [consciousness] is not ego [I/my] but it is formless and non dual.

Until one is ignorant of the true self (consciousness), which is the formless substance and witness of the duality, he is bound to experience the duality as reality.   The dream becomes unreal when waking takes place. Same way the waking becomes unreal, when the non dual wisdom dawns in the midst of duality. When wisdom dawns in the midst of duality, one becomes aware of the fact that, the whole experience of diversity (illusion) is created out of consciousness, and sustained by consciousness , and finally dissolves as consciousness . Thus, the true nature of the true self (consciousness) is not ego (I or my) but  it is formless and non dual. 

The ignorant thinks that, the self is the waking entity (ego) and perceives the world without being aware of the fact that, the three states are mere illusory experience created out of consciousness. Thus they try to judge the truth on the false entity (waking entity or ego) within the false experience (waking). Until one makes sure of the true self, it is erroneous to judge and conclude the ultimate truth on mere intellectualism.  Thus one has to make sure of the fact that,    the self is neither the waking entity nor self is  the dream entity but the self is formless soul or consciousness, which witnesses the coming and going of the three states without the physical apparatus.

A Gnani has firm conviction that, the “Self” is definitely neither the waking entity nor the dream entity because the waking and dream both are illusory.  The true self is formless soul or   consciousness. Consciousness is    the existence and knowledge.

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 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.

Soul or innermost self is without properties and without any activity; self is permanent, forever free and imperishable.

The soul or consciousness is the subject. All the three states are an object to the formless subject.  And the three states are but transient experience.  The witness of the three states is soul or consciousness, the innermost self.  The Formless Witness, is unaffected by the individual experiences happening within the waking or dream because it can never be lost or lose anything in itself. Thus noting is lost or gained because everything is consciousness.  Therefore Gnani sees only consciousness in everything and everywhere in all the three states.  Thus for Gnani there is no second thing exists other than consciousness. 

Knowing the three states are one in essence and that essence is  consciousness, he no longer considers them  as an object such distinction exists only in ignorance. The ignorant man imagines he is related to objects, imagines there is causal relation with them and then imagines his sufferings because he stuck with the reality of practical life within the practical world.

World is both real and unreal. It is real because it is a manifestation of consciousness, but is unreal, in the sense, that it is not absolute and eternal like consciousness itself.

Peoples approach is more practical, and they stuck with the reality of the world, they take it as real. That is why all the confusion.

Soul or consciousness, the innermost self is without moment and limits, it is pure.  It is ageless   because it is formless, birth less and deathless.

The self is not ‘I’ but the self is the formless knower or witness of the ‘I’. ‘I’ is the mind and mind is present in the form of universe and universe appears as waking or dream.

Unity is here and now, always has been and always will be. So long as one is ignorant of this truth, he will not see unity only he sees diversity.

                                                                                                                                                       

“Soul ,the innermost Self” is neither five elements, nor any of the organs individually, nor all the elements or organs together as a whole

“Soul ,the innermost  Self” is neither five elements, nor any of the organs individually, nor all the elements or organs together as a whole. The body and universe exists within the waking or dream. Thus the body and the universe are limited to the waking or dream.  The self is within the universe, which appears as waking or dream and disappears as deep sleep. It is within the waking or dream as their formless substance and it is without the waking or dream as their formless witness.  If is within because the waking or dream are mere mirage created out of the self, which is in the form of consciousness. Thus forms and names within waking or dream have no value because the waking or dreams are mere mirage created out of the consciousness.  The waking or dreams are impermanent whereas the formless substance and witness of the waking or dream are permanent.

 ‘Self ‘is   beyond the waking or dream because it is neither the waking entity nor it is the dream entity.  The self exists by itself only in deep sleep without the limitation of sense of form, time and space.  The self is attribute- less, non-dual entity which alone prevails when all the three states are negated mentally.

The knower knowing and known is absent in in Self-Awareness or Brahmic -Awareness , since there is no duality (I or illusion). The duality consists of man, world and his desire for freedom. When the seeking mind gets enlightened of the fact of its non-dual true nature (soul or consciousness, the innermost self), it becomes aware of the fact that, the duality is mere illusion, on the standpoint of consciousnesses self.    Thus, birth, life and death are part of the illusion, on the standpoint of the  soul or consciousness, the innermost self .

Deeper investigation reveals the fact that, the individual self is limited to the waking entity , is not the self, because the waking experience is also falsehood

The view of materialists that there is no self or soul different from the body has to be rejected, because the consciousness itself is the soul, which pervades all the three states.  Materialists do not accept the existence of a soul different from the body but how can they find the soul within the body when it pervades in everything and everywhere in all the three states.  

All the confusion is because some thinkers’ people hold   the physical body itself is the self, another that the sense organs are the self, yet another that the mind is the self. All these are rejected when one becomes aware of the fact that, the soul, which is in the form of consciousness as true self. 

Many people hold on to the concept that there is no such thing as soul because their teacher said so or some teaching said so or some scriptures say so.  Thus they get stuck with the idea of no soul and remain as stagnant water dropping all the further investigation and trying to find answers for their shortcomings in their worldly life.   

Deeper investigation reveals the fact that, the individual self is limited to the waking entity , is not the self, because the waking experience is also falsehood. Therefore, the self is the formless knower or witness of the coming and going of the three states.  And also it is the formless substance of the three states. Thus, the soul is in the form of consciousness, is the true self. 

Consciousness is devoid of all qualities and is neither a doer nor an experiencer. In ignorance it appears as waking experience or dream. And in deep sleep it remains in its formless non-dual true nature.  Thus the one that appears as waking or dream and disappears as deep sleep is consciousness. Thus all the three states are consciousness because there is no second thing exists, other than consciousness.     

To think of the self is an object, as something that can be known and experienced is fallacy.

 

How is one to know the real self? To think of the self is an object, as something that can be known and experienced is fallacy. All that is known within the waking or dream is fallacy because the three states are an object to the soul [no one], which is the subject. The subject [soul] is within the object but it is without the object. It [soul] is always no one [formless] because it is not an entity or identity within the waking or dream but consciousness /soul [no one] pervades in everything and everywhere in all the three states.

People think that to withdraw from all sense-activity, from all thoughts, all life-experiences, i.e., to cease to be active, is the highest state.

All the senses, thoughts and individual experiences and the world are present only in waking or dream. Waking or dream (duality) disappears as deep sleep non-duality. Thus what becomes dual and non-dual experience is most impotent than inquiring ‘WHO AM I?’  or saying ‘I AM THAT’  or affirming I AM BRAHMAN.

The self is not an individual because ‘Self’ is formless. If the self is formless than where is the body, where are the senses, where is ego, where is universe. If the self is not physical body than it proves the fact that, man is not the self, but the formless knower of the man and the world is the true self.   Thus knowledge based on man as self is false knowledge within the false experience.

One has to go beyond Vedas means go beyond religion. Go beyond religion means, go beyond concept of god.  Thus, going beyond Veda, religion and conceptual god means going beyond illusion.   That is end of Vedas [Veda –antha]

When one goes into the annals of the history it looks like the Gnanic Advaita expounded by 

Sri Sankara and his param guru, Goudpada is not orthodox Advaita, which is adulterated with add-ons time to time. 

 It is necessary for the seeker to do his homework, and verify the validity of all the claims, rather than blindly believe, what others expound as knowledge, till; the un-contradicted truth is obtained.

The seeker must have the courage of Buddha to accept the truth and reject the untruth. Since Buddha rejected religion, idea of god and scriptures, therefore, it is evident that, he has gone through every aspect and verified and found them to be inadequate and useless for the pursuit of truth.