The truth is beyond all philosophies.

The truth is beyond all philosophies. When we realize all our accumulation of knowledge from outer sources is inadequate and useless in quenching our spiritual thirst,than  we will start our inner [mental] journey on our own.  The journey is full of obstacles because we have to drop all the accumulated dross and all the conditioning [samskaras] to cross the ocean of duality or samsara. 

As one indulges in deeper self-search he will know somewhere he is going wrong, and it is for him to   overcome the entire obstacle on his own by knowing what is obstructing his realization.  The greatest hindrance is mixing religion, god, scriptures, and yogic theories and intellectual speculations and logical conclusions. Moreover, attachment to scriptures, personal god and religious code of conduct keeps one permanently in the grip of duality.

The Upanishads declare:- 

Katha Upanishad 1:2:23 The Soul cannot be realized through hearing scholarly explanation of the discourses, not even by the intellect.

Katha Upanishad 1:3:6 “Through the knowledge of the Soul, God, one is pure and clean constantly.” Neither by reading the book, nor by taking a bath at holy place has one become pure. Inner purity is possible when one remains in constant touch with the Soul. Constant Soul-Consciousness is the real purity.

Kena Upanishad 2:4 When it is known through every state of cognition, it is rightly known, for (by such knowledge) one attains life eternal. Through one's own self one gains power and through wisdom one gains immortality.

Kena Upanishad 2:5

 

If here one knows it, then there is truth, and if here one knows it not, there is a great loss. Hence, seeing the Real in all beings, wise men become immortal on departing from this world.

Mundaka Upanishad 1:2:8:- 

  “Remaining in the fold of ignorance and thinking “we are extremely wise and learned,” the fools with boastful nature ramble about like the blind led by the blind alone.”

Mundaka Upanishad 3:2:3:-
 

“The weak and timid cannot realize the Self. Self-Realization is not possible through intellect or hearing spiritual discourse. One who welcomes God in every activity, through a thorough controlled and disciplined life, to him also the Soul is revealed."

Mundaka Upanishad 3:2:3:- 
 

The Soul cannot be realized by the weak and timid.

RIG VEDA: - The famous utterance of Upanishad that Brahman cannot be attained by duality is in RV (5.12.2). The idea that Brahman cannot be attained by mere action or effort is in RV (8.70.3) and (5.48.5); Brahman cannot be approached by thought (RV.1.170.1 or Kena U., 1.3). [RV=RIG VEDA].

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 spend 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 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 in to deeper darkness. Instead   spend that time moving forward towards Self-knowledge, which is one’s prime goal.  

  The scriptures and theories and teaching based on the ego are not the yardstick. Using them as yardstick to understand and assimilate the truth will lead one towards pursuit of arguments. Seeker of truth has to discover on his own, the truth of his true existence by inquiring “what is mind?” and “what is substance of the mind?” and move forward.  

That is why Sri, Sankara says in Viveka Chudamani:- 

56. Neither by Yoga, nor by Sankhya, nor by work, nor by learning, but by the realisation of one's identity with Brahman is Liberation possible, and by no other means. 

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.

63. Without causing the objective universe to vanish and without knowing the truth of the Self, how is one to achieve Liberation by the mere utterance of the word Brahman ? — It would result merely in an effort of speech.

64. Without killing one’s enemies, and possessing oneself of the splendor of the entire surrounding region, one cannot claim to be an emperor by merely saying, ‘I am an emperor’.

The wisdom consists in knowing the truth, that everything [mind or physical existence] is consciousness. Freedom [truth] is always there yet one does not know it.  But to those whose reason is turned away from physicality and who have attained the serenity of the soul/self [consciousness] are quite near to the ultimate truth. 

The belief system preaches that God is one and the ways to God are many. It simply tries to lead them to darkness with its dogma and idea of many gods, which is apart from the self. 

The eternal truth within the universe [mind] and it is without the universe [mind]. Direct knowledge of self can be acquired by one through the Self while realizing the Self. Self- realization is the essence of human existence. Where there is unity, one without a second; there is world of non-dual reality. The non-dual truth is ultimate truth. And ultimate truth itself is God. 

The god and guru are part of the illusory world; therefore the devotee and disciple also are also part of the illusion. Accepting the birth, life and death as reality, is accepting the illusion as reality. Accepting illusion as reality is the cause of the ignorance. Ignorance makes one feel the duality as reality. The duality makes one feel he is an individual separate from the world.  This separation makes one feel the birth, life and death as reality.  The person who bases on the birth, life and death is trying to find the meaning of life. There is no meaning or purpose of the life, because the life is mere happening within the illusion.  Thus the karma based on the physical entity is based on the birth, life and death, which is part and parcel of the illusion. 

 All appearance has not appeared to the physical entity, but to the soul. Man and the world are mere appearance.  That is, the illusion is mere appearance. Thus man cannot be considered as witness, since man and his experience of the world are within the illusion.  Thus the witness of the illusion is within the illusion but it is apart from the illusion.  It is with is within the illusion as its formless substance and it is apart from the illusion as its formless witness.  The formless substance and witness is the soul/spirit. The soul/spirit is the true self. Realizing the soul as self is Self -Realization.  Therefore, the soul alone is real and all else is mere illusion. By Learning to view and judge the truth on the base of soul as self will lead one to realize the fact that the man and the world are mere illusion.  

Therefore, it is necessary to learn to view and judge the truth on the base of soul, to understand and assimilate the self-knowledge.  It is the though the soul one knows himself as a person and perceives the world.  It is the soul, which is the author/knower of the three states, not the person who is limited to waking/dream.  

A well-directed  self- search will lead one to find his non-dual destination. Trying to discover the truth on the false self [ego] is going round and round not reaching anywhere. 

One is ignorant and he asserts the blissful, ever-existent consciousness, which exits in all the three states as its formless substance and witness.   And it is also apart from the three states.  The witness is formless and it is not an entity and identity within the waking or dream. 

 Once the seeker accepts the fact that, the self is neither the ‘I’, nor the body then realizes the fact that, the consciousness is the true self, and he establishes himself in that conviction.  Once this conviction is established the then the waking experience is absolutely non-existent as reality.

Seeker has to try to know the fact that, with the help of inquiry, analysis and reasoning, the true self is not ‘ego’, but the soul, which is in the form of consciousness.  Holding the ego [waking entity] as self is cause of ignorance. The consciousness is knower of the   body and the universe.

It is very difficult for those who strongly believe the ‘I’, as self to realize the truth. Most of the spiritual paths hold the ‘I’, as self and spin their imagination on the base of ‘I’, which leads them to hallucination.  People mistake that self as “I” whereas the gross bodies are many. So ‘I’ cannot be self.

By sentimentally and emotionally getting involved with some teachings or teacher is great hindrance in pursuit of truth. People hold their guru as ultimate authority and drop their pursuit of truth and indulge in their glorifying and worshiping the gurus, which keeps them in the permanently in ignorance. 

Self-knowledge is the destroyer of ignorance.  The self is the inner guru, god, the all-pervading principle and the cause of all three states.

The serious seeker should constantly reflect on the true self constantly through inquiry, analysis and reasoning, which is in the form of consciousness because it is the only means to acquire Self-knowledge. Self-knowledge is the only tool for the acquisition of final freedom from experiencing the illusory duality as reality. 

Seeker has to have the indifference mentally to all the three states because the three states are mere mirage created out of consciousness. Holding the three states as reality is great hindrance in pursuit of truth. Thus one has to remove all the obstacles and mental barricade one by one by realizing the self is not the form but the self is formless.  

  The   three states are perishable in their nature because they are   mere mirage created out of consciousness. The consciousness, which is the formless substance and witness of the mirage, is real and eternal.  Thus the consciousness is the inner most self. And knowing and realizing consciousness as self is the means to the attainment of Self- Realization or Truth Realization.  

Consciousness is the true self is the formless substance and witness of the three states is alone real and permanent. The three states are an object opposed to it, which is transient – such a settled conviction is truly known as discrimination.

Turning attention completely from all the three states and concentrating only on consciousness which is the formless substance and the witness of the three states is the only means to acquire non-dual wisdom.

Intense urge to become free from the bonds of this birth, life deaths and world, leads one to indulge in pursuit of truth.

Only serious seekers who have an intense urge to acquire Self- Knowledge should have courage to discard the false-knowledge with a view to attaining non-dualistic wisdom. 

Self- Knowledge is not brought about by any other means than inquiry, analysis and reasoning on the true base. Trying to attain self-knowledge through other means is like trying to find fish in the desert sand.

If god is creator then it is foolish to worship anything as god from his creation

All the penances are external because they are based on the individuality. Investigating the mind, alone leads to self-realization. To know what is mind, profits much rather than searching the truth in external world moving from one ashram to another and one guru to another and one mountain to another.  When one starts investigating the universe that confronts him than he will mentally move inwards and will be able to  reach the ultimate end. And  he will become fully aware “What is truth?”  and “What is untruth?” in his own home or city without disturbing his family life.  and he will be able to  establish in  the truth by realizing what is untruth. 

Man is like caged animal. He cannot get out of the inherited conditioning very easily. Ignorance makes him experience duality as reality. The religion makes him to accept blind belief as truth pushes him in the prison of slavery to belief based ideas or theories. Scriptures and scholars of every belief system differ widely on every point and there is no universality in religion. Thus religion is a useless raft to cross the ocean of ignorance because the religion is based on individuality and it can yield only individual truth. individuality is falsehood from ultimate standpoint.   

When one is not aware of the fact that that, the true self is not waking entity but the formless knower of the three state than  how Can he  say  he  know the existence of  God which is mere assumption based on the false self within the false experience.  Thus whatever one see, knows, believes and experiences as a person of the world within the waking experience is bound to be false hood.   

Without the knowing the fact that self is not the form but the self is formless it is foolish to argue, judge and conclude on the base of the form [waking entity] , which is not the self. 

Without knowing what is Self, holding ‘I’ or ‘I AM’ as self because they have read it or someone has told them or they think it is ultimate truth without verification through deeper inquiry, analysis and sound reasoning is mere assumption or speculation. Such assumptions and speculation blocks one from realizing the non dual truth fueling the egocentricity.  

  

No one can honestly say that he knows the ultimate truth unless he is soul centric. Yet mystics’ god men glibly say, "I know God."  And “I AM GOD”. 

If there is Brahman-—prove it. If there is Atman--prove it right here right now. Religious so-called philosophy dogmatically assumes both. 

The god who appears to the mystic in meditation or penance is mere hallucination because whatever is known, seen, believed and experienced as a person within the waking experience is falsehood because waking experience itself is falsehood. From ultimate standpoint there is no value for such claim.   

When one does not know truth, than he can only guess, imagine, hence doubts and questions and discussions arise.

One says God is Light.  Again the light may take different colors, then which color is correct? Some people contend that God is sound and say one hears the Aum sound, sound inside in meditation, still others say God is in the form of fragrant smell and that beautiful scent comes in meditation as the presence of God. All these differences of opinion, they can be endless, show mutual contradiction and general error, i.e. lack of certain truth. Moreover if one sees a light he is seeing a second thing, or duality.  Where there is duality there is no reality. 

God is impotent, incompetent or lacking in intelligence--if he exists! But all god propagated by belief systems are nothing but imaginations.

There is nothing so absurd which men have not worshiped in religion, every imaginable face has been given to God.  If god is creator then it is foolish to worship anything as god from his creation because the creation is apart from the god.  

One has to know ‘What is truth?’ One cannot get rid of it by shutting his eyes to it. It is only by inquiry, analysis and reasoning one becomes aware of ‘what is truth?’ and “what is not truth’.  

Every belief system has its own idea and conviction of god.  Thus every belief system is based on the false self.  Therefore, whatever is based on the false self has to be falsehood? Thus the idea of god of any belief system has is mere assumption and speculation based on the false self.

It is foolish say I know god and he is everywhere because he has read it or heard from someone.  How does he know God and how does he know that he is everywhere?  Appearances and quotations have nothing to do with ultimate truth. 

The difference between knowledge: - that knowledge will be determined by the nature of the object to be known, whereas meditation will be determined by the nature of the meditator.

Rest in consciousness by recognizing it as our inner most self, which is god.

One does not find reflection of his self when he is standing in front  of a mirror but he finds his body and the background world in the mirror.  The one which is conscious of the body and the experience of the world is not the body but the consciousness, which is the inner most self. 

The relationship and love, hate happiness and misery of the practical life within the practical world are not connected to the soul [formless consciousness] which is his true identity. The true identity  is beyond form, time and space and beyond birth, life, death and world.  

Thus rest in consciousness by recognizing it as our inner most self, which is god.  And realize the practical life within the practical world is mere mirage created out of consciousness. Consciousness is ultimate truth and ultimate truth is God. 

Getting rid of the physical shackle is necessary to overcome the burden and bondage of the illusory samsara. Love and relationship seems reality in practical life within the practical world but they are mere illusion from ultimate standpoint.   Thus the game of life is mere passing show. 

It is not possible to get rid of the ignorance  through religious or yogic path. 

Katha Upanishad 1:2:23 The Soul cannot be realized through hearing scholarly explanation of the discourses, not even by the intellect.

Katha Upanishad 1:3:6 “Through the knowledge of the Soul, God, one is pure and clean constantly.” Neither by reading the book, nor by taking a bath at holy place has one become pure. Inner purity is possible when one remains in constant touch with the Soul. Constant Soul-Consciousness is the real purity.

Kena Upanishad 2:4 When it is known through every state of cognition, it is rightly known, for (by such knowledge) one attains life eternal. Through one's own self one gains power and through wisdom one gains immortality.

 

Kena Upanishad 2:5

If here one knows it, then there is truth, and if here one knows it not, there is a great loss. Hence, seeing the Real in all beings, wise men become immortal on departing from this world.

 

Mundaka Upanishad 1:2:8

“Remaining in the fold of ignorance and thinking “we are extremely wise and learned,” the fools with boastful nature ramble about like the blind led by the blind alone.”

 

Mundaka Upanishad 3:2:3

“The weak and timid cannot realize the Self. Self-Realization is not possible through intellect or hearing spiritual discourse. One who welcomes God in every activity, through a thorough controlled and disciplined life, to him also the Soul is revealed." 

Mundaka Upanishad 3:2:3

The Soul cannot be realized by the weak and timid.

 

That is why Sri, Sankara says in Viveka Chudamani:- 

56. Neither by Yoga, nor by Sankhya, nor by work, nor by learning, but by the realisation of one's identity with Brahman is Liberation possible, and by no other means. 

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.

63. Without causing the objective universe to vanish and without knowing the truth of the Self, how is one to achieve Liberation by the mere utterance of the word Brahman ? — It would result merely in an effort of speech.

64. Without killing one’s enemies, and possessing oneself of the splendor of the entire surrounding region, one cannot claim to be an emperor by merely saying, ‘I am an emperor’.

Until one knows the truth of his true existence, whatever he knows about god is mere belief. Belief   is individual whereas the ultimate truth is universal every belief system has its own idea of god thus there is no universality in the belief system.

“True 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. 

 True 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 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  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 or dream entity, is not the self, because the waking experience is also falsehood. Therefore, the self is the formless knower [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.      

 In the deep sleep there is neither waking nor dream experience.  The dream is parallel waking and waking is parallel dream. In the deep sleep experience the waking or dream too is dormant and consciousness alone is there. In deep sleep there is only non-dual tranquility and total ignorance of everything, as is proved by the fact that, when a person wakes up from sleep he or she says, “I slept deeply, I did not know anything”. This proves that the soul, which is in the form consciousness, exists in the deep sleep in its formless non-dual true nature. In deep sleep there is nothing but the consciousness. The waking or dream is only a mirage created out of consciousness. 

Due to ignorance the mirage is experienced as reality by the false self within the false experience. When self-knowledge arises, this ignorance is destroyed then the self, which is in the form of consciousness alone remains, which can never be negated. 

The division into castes and neither stages of life, nor the rules of conduct and duties of the various castes and stages of life apply to the false self within the false experience. Religion meditation or yoga rituals, scriptural studies and follow the spiritual laws are greatest obstacles in realizing the ultimate truth. Since the notions of ‘I’, ‘I Am’ and ‘Me’, ‘mine’ are of the false self within the false experience. If one is able to drop the identification with the ‘I’ or ‘I am’ then, the consciousness [true self] will remain free from experiencing the illusory duality as reality. 

In deep sleep there is neither birth, nor life, nor death, nor world, nor gods, nor is there total void, since consciousness alone   exists as free from experience of waking or dream.

The experience of birth, life, death and the world are based on the false self within the false experience.  On the base of the false self and the false knowledge, the waking experience is experienced as reality. But when that false knowledge is not there, such notions also do not exist, as in the state of deep sleep.

When the wisdom dawns than waking experience cease to be a reality, the dream ceases to be a reality; deep sleep ceases to be reality because there is no division in consciousness, because everything is consciousness. Thus three states are mere mirage created out of consciousness.  Thus consciousness alone is all else is illusion.  

 Neither the religious view, nor the yogic, nor the scientific view, nor the atheistic nor the intellectual view, etc., are tenable. Because of the realization of the part- less consciousness, ultimate truth is absolutely free from diversity. It always remains as the one self, free from all diversities when one is able to view from ultimate standpoint.

Consciousness  has no such thing as upper or lower (part), it has no inside or outside, it has no middle or any ‘across’, and it has no eastern or western direction, because it is all-pervading like space or pervades space also. It is one and without parts. It remains as the one self, free from all diversities.

Consciousness is formless and colorless; it is not tiny, nor big. It is neither short nor long. It is not knowable since it is of the nature of effulgence. It remains as the one self, free from dualities.

There is neither teacher nor teaching, neither student nor instruction, neither “Me” nor “you”, nor this universe. The knowledge of real nature of consciousness does not admit of different perceptions. It remains as the one auspicious self, free from all attributes.

Consciousness, which is the true self, does not have the state of waking, nor of dream, nor of deep sleep. These three states are only the products of ignorance. Consciousness is beyond these three states and it remains as the one self, free from all states.

Consciousness is all-pervading, is the desired goal, is self-existent, and is not dependent on anything else, while the entire universe which is different from it is unreal. Consciousness remains as the one self-free from all divisions.

 It is not one; how can there be a second different from it? It has neither absoluteness nor non-absoluteness. It is neither void nor non-void since it is devoid of duality.  It cannot be described that which is the formless essence of the all the three states.  

It is impossible to get rid of ignorance through path of karma or bhakti

Consciousness is ultimate truth. Without consciousness the mind, which is in the form of universe ceases to exist.  It is impossible to obtain self- knowledge without knowing the universe that confronts one. only after deeper self-search  it is possible to realize, the illusory nature of the mind which appears as universe.

Mind or universe is non-different from the soul, which is in the form consciousness. One should get wisdom to realize the fact  that, the self is free from experience of the birth, life, death and world.  and they are mere illusion created out of consciousness, which is the innermost self, which is God. Man alone cannot be god,  because the whole universe is god because it is created out of consciousness, which is god. Thus self-minus illusion is god.  Therefore man and his experience of the world are  mere illusion. Whatever exists without the illusion is ultimate truth or Brahman. Ultimate truth is God.

The release from illusion is possible only when seeker indulges in deeper self-search. The illusion appears in the form of the mind. And mind appears in the  form of universe. And universe appears in the form of waking or dream. The absolute merging of the mind in consciousness mentally is possible only through wisdom not by any other means.

For seekers of truth, the soul, which is consciousness, is ultimate truth or God. When one becomes aware of the fact that the self is not the form but formless consciousness, then he becomes aware  of the fact that , the universe creates  veil of ignorance, and the consciousness  is devoid of qualities, so it is impossible to get rid of ignorance through path of   Karma or Bhakti

Dream is parallel Waking experience and waking is parallel dream. Both are parallel illusory Reality, the one who is in illusion is neither the waking entity nor the dream entity but the formless witness of the three states.  

If ultimate truth is perceived then waking or dream would be like any insentient object like a rock”.  from the ultimate stand point the subject and object are one in essence.

Since wisdom is already present but is obstructed due to the veil of ignorance. If ignorance vanishes then   the veil also will vanish."

One which has the wisdom and which has the ignorance is not the waking entity but the formless witness of the three states.

Only through self-knowledge the veil ignorance vanishes. Consciousness is the ultimate truth and ignorance makes one experience the illusion as reality.

Universe is reality within the waking experience .But the waking is unreal from ultimate standpoint. Three states exist as reality only in ignorance of the true self. From the ultimate standpoint all the three states are mere mirage created out of consciousness.

They are mirage; it means they don’t even exist. Only in ignorance they are experienced as real but when the wisdom dawns they are unreal, because the substance and witness are one in essence.  That is the substance and witness both are one [consciousness]. Thus no second thing exist other than consciousness.

Consciously becoming aware of the true nature of the self /soul in the midst of the waking experience is awakening from the illusion.

People think that that their practical life within the practical world as reality, because they are ignorant of their true existence. They are charmed, deluded and intoxicated by the illusory experience of birth, life death and the world. 

They fail to understand mind, which is in the form of universe is mere an illusion which appears as waking or dream[duality]  and disappears as deep sleep[non-duality], on account ignorance of  the reality of their true existence. 

Due of this ignorance they believe in their experience of  birth, life, death and the world experienced on the false self or ego  as reality  and perish without realizing the  true self ,which consciousness. 

The three states are unreal on the ultimate standpoint,. If one indulges in deeper self-search, the waking is a long dream and dream is a short waking experience. The dream appears for a short period but does not exist in reality. Similarly the waking also is long dream in man exists. When the waking entity tries to know its true existence through deeper sell- search it becomes aware of the fact that it is neither the waking entity nor it is the dream entity but it is the witness that witnesses the waking and dream. When it is in its formless non-dual true nature it is without the waking or dream. When it is without the waking and dream the ignorant call it as deep sleep. Consciously becoming aware of the true nature of the self /soul in the midst of the waking experience is awakening from the illusion.  

For the ignorant the practical life within the particle world are quite real. For the Gnani or those who are endowed with discrimination and deeper self-search they are unreal.

From the ultimate standpoint, whatever one see as a person within the waking or dream is false. There is no doubt in this because the three states are mere mirage created out of consciousness, which is the true self.  

The thirsty animal sees water in the mirage when the sun is up and it run towards the mirage for drinking water. It does not find any water there. Similarly when one indulges in deeper self-search one does not find his body, ego and the experience of the universe in self-awareness. 

If one shoots his friend in his dream and experiences actual blood but when he wakes up he does not find his friend or his weapon and the dream world.  Similarly when the self, wakes up in its formless true nature it will not find the waking entity or waking world. 

Consciousness is the true self. Consciousness is the only Reality. Consciousness is eternal Just as a wave arises in the ocean, so also a mind arises as wave in consciousness. That mind is in the form of universe.

The universe is mere illusion. Therefore the individual experience of birth, life and death which take place within the universe also is illusion. 

The birth is birth of ignorance. Physical Life is life of ignorance. Death is death of ignorance. Whatever exists without the ignorance is reality.  

That which appears through ignorance is universe or mind which gives pain and births and deaths. The source for mind, which is in the form of universe, is soul, which is in the form of consciousness. If there is no mind, there is no universe. There is no mind apart from consciousness. There is no universe apart from mind. If the mind settles down in its source then it is freedom from experiencing the duality [illusion] as reality. 

This universe is unreal when compared to consciousness. It is a solid reality for the ignorant who thinks his practical life within the practical world as reality.  For Gnani   his body, ego and his practical life within the practical world are mere passing show. . It does not exist at all as reality for a Gnani who is above physical consciousness. 

A Gnani lives as of the world externally but not of the world internally.  Seeker of truth should not try to leave the world and enter into the monastery or take sanyasa and renounce the worldly life. But remain in this world indulging in all worldly life and activities doing well for the society in whatever possible way by always remain soul-centric.  

 Whole  life will be ruined and wasted if one enters monastery or takes sanyasa in order to acquire non-dual wisdom.   One should be established in the conviction that the universe, which is in the form of mind, is unreal and soul, which is in the form of consciousness, is real. This will help you to develop dispassion and a strong yearning for freedom from this illusion.  One has remain in the practical world but be not worldly.  Seeker has to Strive to acquire self-knowledge while leading active life in the practical world. 

The seeker of truth has to realize the fact that, Rituals, sacred feasts, intense meditations with the hata yoga, worships, and taking dip in the holy rivers and holy places the self-knowledge cannot be obtained. The self-knowledge can be obtained by deeper self –search and realizing the fact that, all the three states are mere mirage created out consciousness. And consciousness is the inner most self and ultimate truth.  

If one is aware of the fact that, the inner most self is god than:

v  What is the use of observing fasts?

v  What is the use of bathing in the rivers?

v  What is the use of bowing their heads to the belief of god?

v  What is the use of uttering prayers?

v  And what good is it for him to go on pilgrimages?

No one knows god is really there in temple or church but for believers god exist only in the form of belief.  That means the god cannot exist without the belief. And belief cannot exist without the believer.  It means the god cease to exist without the believer.

That is why BUDDHA SAID: - Believe nothing just because a so-called wise person said it. Believe nothing just because a belief is generally held. Believe nothing just because it is said in ancient books. Believe nothing just because it is said to be of divine origin. Believe nothing just because someone else believes it. Believe only what you yourself test and judge to be true. 

Mundaka Upanishad says: - The rituals and the sacrifices described in the Vedas deal with lower knowledge. The sages ignored these rituals and went in search of higher knowledge. ... Such rituals are unsafe rafts for crossing The sea of samsara, of birth and death. Doomed to shipwreck are those who try to cross The sea of samsara on these poor rafts. Ignorant of their own ignorance, yet wise In their own esteem, these deluded men Proud of their vain learning go round and round Like the blind led by the blind.

The soul is the innermost self. The soul is in the form of consciousness. The innermost self is god.

Ish Upanishad declares: - Those people who have neglected the attainment of Self-knowledge and have thus committed suicide. [10/11/12]

Self- Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana wipes out the ignorance. Mind is the product of ignorance. Only in ignorance the mind exits. The mind ceases to exist without ignorance. The ignorance is cause of experiencing the duality as reality. The duality exists only when the mind exists and it ceases to exist without the mind. The mind exists only when the universe exists and it ceases to exist without universe.    The universe exists only in waking or dream and it ceases to exist without the waking or dream.  The waking or dream exists because of the formless self, which is in the form of consciousness. Without the self the waking or dream are non-existent. Whatever exits without the waking and dream is the inner most self, which is God.   The god is within the three states and it is without the three states. 

Even if one takes cleansing baths at holy rivers, wanders over the hills and the mountains, and performs all the rituals of purification day and night, still, without the self –knowledge ignorance still prevails.

When the mind is there ignorance is there. If ignorance is there the illusion is there. If illusion is there the duality is experienced as reality. If duality is experienced as reality then the false self-[ego] is identified as real self and false experienced [universe] is considered as reality.  Therefore by washing the body, the ignorance will not go. Because of the intoxication of duality the illusion is experienced as reality.  Very rare are those who understand this.

What is the use of bathing at sacred rivers or pilgrimages, when the whole universe in man and everything exists is product of ignorance.   Stubborn arrogance fueled by religion and its dogmas   becomes hindrance in getting rid of the ignorance. 

 Gaudapada’s rational exposition of Advaita: - that whatever is seen, whether external or internal, whether by the ordinary persons or yogis, is unreal.

Soul or the Inner Self alone exists at all times. It is unchanging. the inner most self itself is god. There is no other god other than the soul,which is in the form of consciousness. The consciousness pervades in everything and everywhere in all the three states. Thus the self is not individual but it is universal.

Why one should bathe at holy rivers or visit pilgrimages, when the waking entity is not the self and the waking world is not reality.  When the god is formless, and nameless then what is the use of reciting god’s name. Reciting the name of nameless god means accepting the god with form and attributes and by accepting the god with form with attributes means accepting the duality as reality. By accepting the duality as reality, one remains in ignorance and experiencing the birth, life, death and world as reality.   If the birth, life, death and the world are taken as reality then the self in is in intoxication of illusion.  Thus by getting rid of the ignorance is the only way to get rid of illusion. Thus realizing the self is not the form but the self is formless consciousness is very much necessary to get rid of the ignorance.

In Isa Upanishad says:- 

MANTRA 10

Vidya and Avidya both are hindrances to Self-knowledge, but Vidya is even worse than Avidya. The word Vidya is used here in a special sense; here it means worshipping gods and goddesses. 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 spend 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 darkness.

Until and unless one overcomes physical shackle it is impossible to understand and assimilate the non-dual truth, which is beyond the physical existence or the universe.  Consciousness itself is lord of itself though not of the universe. And having nothing it has all. 

That is why Sri, Sankara says : - Talk as much philosophy as you like, worship as many gods as you please, observe ceremonies and sing devotional hymns, but liberation will never come, even after a hundred aeons, without realizing the Oneness.

Thus when we identity with our inherited belief system it with diverse belief than  it becomes difficult to know the whole humanity is created out of single stuff, which is consciousness. The consciousness is identified by different belief system with different names and forms. Until one goes deeper in search it becomes difficult for anyone to accept anything other than his inherited belief.  

Thus following any belief system will not lead one to the inner reality. Thus it is necessary to know the ultimate truth, and the truth will set one free from experiencing the duality as reality."

 Sri, Sankara:- “Illness is not cured by saying the word 'medicine,' but by taking medicine. Enlightenment is not achieved by repeating the word 'God' but by directly experiencing God. Talk as much philosophy as you like, worship as many gods as you please, observe as many ceremonies and sing devotional hymns, but liberation will never come, even after a hundred eons, without realizing Oneness, Wholeness."

Yoga Vasishtha: - "Teachers, interpretations of sacred texts, the force of religious merit--none of these lead to the realization of that Ultimate Truth which is revealed in the clear reflection of the heart, engendered from contact with the good."

Sri, Sankara says in VivekaChudamani   

56 . Neither by Yoga, nor by Sankhya, nor by work, nor by learning, but by the realisation of one's identity with Brahman is Liberation possible, and by no other means. 

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.

63. Without causing the objective universe to vanish and without knowing the truth of the Self, how is one to achieve Liberation by the mere utterance of the word Brahman ? — It would result merely in an effort of speech.

64. Without killing one’s enemies, and possessing oneself of the splendour of the entire surrounding region, one cannot claim to be an emperor by merely saying, ‘I am an emperor’.

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.

67. The question that thou hast asked today is excellent, approved by those versed in the Scriptures, aphoristic, pregnant with meaning and fit to be known by the seekers after Liberation.

Seeker of truth has to take the direct path and avoid losing precious time and effort loosing himself in philosophical studies.

Fools dwelling in darkness, but thinking themselves wise and erudite, go round and round, by various tortuous paths, like the blind led by the blind. [Ch II-5 P-14]

Seeker of truth has to avoid getting involved with the guru or teaching if wants acquire Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana  because emotionally getting involved with guru or teaching becomes great hindrance and one will permanently remain in the prison of physicality or duality.