Seeker has to have the indifference mentally to all the three states because the three states are mere mirage created out of consciousness.

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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.

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The great sage Sri Ramana has indicated many ways to realize the self other than WHO AM "I? , therefore it is necessary for the seeker to go beyond WHO AM 'I'? inquiry to cross the trashold of duality.

Man is mislead by what confronts him   or influenced by what he experiences . Man exists  in the world ,which is mere illusion and  he experiences it as reality,  because  man thinks himself as self and  he  experiences the birth,life,death and the world as reality.  Thus self-knowledge is necessary to realize the fact that,  man and his experience of the world are  part of the illusion. And the soul,which is the innermost self  is not part of the illusion but the soul ,which is in the form of consciousness,  is the formless substance and witness of the illusion. the illusion is present as mind(I) or universe or waking experience.

Many seekers in this path of inquiry is still struggling even after long years and waiting for something to happen. Even after reading and inquiring deeply enough, still they are unable progress further.  Even they are unable to get any benefit in their spiritual pursuit through self - inquiry they are unable to give up the self-inquiry due to the attraction of  Sri,Ramana Maharishi.  

it is necessary for the seeker of truth  to realize the fact that,  the self-awareness is not some mystical experience propagated by yogis. Self-awareness comes only from Gnana or individualistic  wisdom.  

 That is why Sri, Sankara indicated in Viveka Chudamani : - 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.

Self -inquiry prescribed by Sri,Raman Mahrshi is a good tool  in  the beginning of the pursuit of truth. But seeker will find it inadequate to in latter stages. However, it creates lots of doubts and confusion.  The seeker has to find the answers on his own through deeper reasoning, then all his doubts and confusions will be cleared, and he will be able to move ahead in the path of inquiry, and he will be able to reach his non-dual destination.

When one is absorbed in thinking of anything, he forgets the subject, which consciousness,  the innermost self, that which witnesses all the coming and going of the three states in succession.

One may think for hundred hours continuously but it is all thoughts, hence not consciousness. But when one becomes aware the thinker of the thoughts are one is essence, one do get consciousness, the knower, the formless witness of the three states. Consciousness the innermost self is the eternal.

One has to get rid of his doubts, But that did not mean, simply go and believe everything he is told. The doubt is to be got rid of "by the sword of wisdom. 

WHO AM ‘I’ and ‘I AM THAT’ is only for a lower stage where one gives up externally in order expose the false nature of the ego, which is not full truth. To get ultimate truth one has to inquire into the nature of the mind, which is in the form of universe.  Inquiring into the nature the mind or universe is higher.  Thus ‘WHO AM ‘I’? and ‘I AM THAT’   will not reveal  the truth of the whole,  thus the journey is incomplete.

 ‘WHO AM ‘I’ and ‘I AM THAT’ serves only at starting point. What one has learnt from the teaching of the sages be understood through exercise of reason as far as the reason might go.  And what one has assimilated must be realized. There are stages in the seekers goal. 

Self-awareness does not mean one is transforming something into something else. In self –awareness there is no second thing exist other than consciousness in the midst of diversity.  The body and the world have become on in essence. There is no duality in the midst of duality.   There is not even the concept of real and unreal. Of course it does not mean that when one is involved in practical life within the practical world disappears. But in self-awareness one is consciously aware of ‘what truth’ is and ‘what is not truth’ in the midst of duality, because one sees his ego, his body and his experience the world as consciousness.  Thus for a Gnani there is no second thing exists other than consciousness even though he is in the midst of diversity.    

Nothingness is erroneous conclusion because every thought has its opposite every word is tied to its coordinate for all thought and speech can only operate under such dualism. Hence, taking the most fundamental word, existence its implied opposite non-existence is also there, and vice versa. So the nothingness or “non-entity" is meaningless without "entity". Both are there. 

The doubts and confusion in Self-Inquiry

Seeker has to overcome the doubts and confusion in later stages in self-inquiry, the seeker finds some doubts and confusion, which cannot be overcome if inquiry practiced on the present format prescribed in self-inquiry book. As per my personal research the self-inquiry in the present format will not yield any fruits. 

 If mind is same as Atman[consciousness], how can it vanish--when the mind appears and disappears as Waking or dream?

How can one be certain when one leave the external world--when the person is within the world?


Why leave the external world when everything is Brahman---when everything is Brahman why crate division between the world and its perceiver?

How can the world alone cease to exist if one do not look at it—how can the person remain without the world and where he will exist without the world?

Who has the subtle mind projecting through brain and senses? How can one see his subtle mind?--when the brain also piece of the gross matter? ---then how can the brain come into existence after the world is created if the later depends on the brain.


Heart is idea created by mind, how the mind can emerge from it---when the heart disappear along with the mind and reappears along with the mind, how the mind emerge from it.

In deep sleep, swoon and trance, the mind turns inwards and enjoys its natural state--if so why should one inquire if one gets Atman in sleep. With drug one can get sleep and peace or bliss.

If sleep gives Brahman then why trouble with inquiry--better get it through pills.
There are many seekers practicing inquiry for many years and waiting for something mystical to happen, why nothing happens and why their inquiry does not yield fruits.

Since Maharishi Ramana is not present physically to guide us, seeker to overcome these obstacle in the path of inquiry on his own. 

I was surprised to know David Godman’s interview with Mr. Sivapraksh Pillai that even after 50 long years he was unable to achieve his goal through inquiry, hats off to his sincere and honest statement. 

In my honest opinion with all the due respect to every soul which was involved in recording and publishing the self-inquiry which is greatest treasure and which opens the golden gate to the seeker to enter into spiritual world from religious world, still there is lots confusion and doubts which are impossible to get answer the way the inquiry is presented in the books. But one will be able to overcome the same after lots of research.  It is impossible to do research in the present framework of the Self-inquiry. Since everyone is waiting for some mystic experience to happen and refuse to verify and accept the truth because of their conservative outlook. Even the intellectual- classes who have authored many books are viewed and judged Ramana on mystic point of view were unable to deliver goods due to their inherited religious background. Sri, Ramana Maharshi  was mystic for the mass but he was Gnani for the class.

 It also becomes evident that different people who have interviewed Raman at different time had different back ground and mind set. Therefore it is necessary to bifurcate the religious views of Sri Raman from his spiritual views to get the hidden essence of Sri Ramana’s teaching.  The great sage Sri Ramana  has indicated many ways to realize the self other than WHO AM "I? , therefore it is necessary  for the seeker to go beyond  WHO AM 'I'?  inquiry to cross the trashold of duality.  

Sri, Ramana Maharishi said: scriptural knowledge is conceptual divisions invented by teachers of philosophy by their excessive analysis. Where do all these concepts end? Why should confusion created and then explained away? Fortunate is the man who does not lose himself in the labyrinths of philosophy, but goes straight to the source from which they all arise.

Ramana Maharishi indicated the direct path to the truth, is the source from which the false arises. thus one has to make sure 'what is real'  and "what is false" how and why?

 --

Thus the source is the soul or Atman, which is the true self. Atman itself is Brahman.  Thus it is necessary to view the three states  on the base of the source, which the true self.  And formless substance and witness of the mind or  universe or 'Ii' [false] . Thus through  deeper self -search one can acquire the self –knowledge in lesser time and effort.  The unity in diversity is possible only through self-knowledge or Atma Gnana or Brahma Gnana.   

 One has to do his own home work. I find not only inquiry but reasoning is most important in unfolding the mystery.

Nisargadutt Maharaj clears many doubts and hurdles but still one cannot reach the ultimate truth since there are little confusions for which the seeker will not find reasonable reasoning. Seeker needs to indulge in deeper self-search to reach the destination ,which is beyond form,time and space.

The one who thinks himself as guru and the one who thinks himself as chela [disciple] will not be able get Self-Knowledge because both of them accepted themselves as body.

The one who thinks himself as guru and the one who thinks himself as chela (disciple) will not be able get Self-Knowledge because both of them accepted themselves as body. And all their understanding, practices, knowledge are based on the false self.  Therefore, the Guru –Shishya concept is a great obstacle in pursuit of truth.  That is why Sri, Ramana Maharishi never accepted himself as a guru or accepted any one as his disciple, because he was fully immersed in his true self, which is formless consciousness. There was no division in his consciousness even though he was in the midst of division or duality.    

Thus by surrendering to any guru or god men is not the means to Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.  The self is the true guru. Seeker has to surrender to the self by realizing the fact that, the self is not physical but self is formless consciousness.

People born in the different sect and they remain as its follower. Most of the sect are founded by some gurus, thus Indian belief system is a Guru Cult, i.e. believes in the worship of the Guru as the Supreme Deity.

 When a seeker finds his inherited belief system and his accumulate knowledge from various sources are inadequate and useless in quenching his spiritual thirst, then only he searches elsewhere. And tries to get enlightened himself further to clear the cobwebs of his understanding and seeks guidance to his progress.

The path of religion, path of yoga and the path of wisdom were intended for different classes of people. The wisdom is for the advanced seekers of truth. It deals with the nature of the ultimate Truth and Reality. It is meant for superior aspirants who have inner urge to know the truth and it is not for those who are immersed in earthly desires.

Even Upanishads clearly declares:-

 Katha Upanishad:

  This Atman cannot be attained by the study of the Vedas, or by intelligence, or by much hearing of sacred books. It is attained by him alone whom It chooses. To such a one Atman reveals Its own form. (Katha Upanishad Ch-II -23-P-20)

Mundaka Upanishad  :-

This Atman cannot be attained through study of the Vedas, nor through intelligence, nor through much learning. He who chooses Atman—by him alone is Atman attained. It is Atman that reveals to the seeker Its true nature. (3 –page-70 Mundaka Upanishad  Upanishads by Nikilanada)

Upanishad declare:- the human goal is to acquire Self-Knowledge and they indicate the personal gods, scriptures, worship and rituals are not the means to Self –Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana, then why anyone should indulge in it. The religion, concept of individualized god and scriptures are greatest obstacle to realize non-dual truth or self-realization, because they are based on false self.  Therefore, one has to search the ultimate truth without losing himself in the labyrinths of philosophy, he should indulge in deeper self-search and assimilate and realize it.  

Seekers goal is towards Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana and noting other then it. Therefore, guru is needed in religious and yogic paths, path of love, path of humanity which are meant for the people who are not searching for truth but they are searching for worldly comforts and temporary peace in this physical existence.  They fear of losing their physical identity and all that is connected to the physical identity. When one realizes the physical identity (waking entity or ego is false self and the true identity is the soul, which is in the form consciousness, then he realizes that the fear factor is limited to the false self within the false experience. When the self is not form but formless consciousness all the burden and bondage of the duality is mere mirage created out of consciousness.

Thus perfect understanding and assimilation is required for realization of the truth.  Whatever One has read, heard and accumulated as truth has to be verified through deeper self-search. Nothing has to be accepted as truth without verification.

Self itself is the guru and guide. And the disciple also is the self ; therefore there is neither guru nor disciple, nor teaching because everything is self, which is in the form of consciousness.  Consciousness is ultimate truth or Brahman.

It becomes difficult for the orthodox cult to accept anything else as truth other than their accepted belief, which they hold as truth.

It was desperately important for the believers of their belief system for some reason that others shared their beliefs because they assume that their religious doctrine is literally true, and then justify their beliefs because "God says so in their doctrine ".

It is no use of arguing with someone who has faith in his belief system because for him there can be no possible refutation of what he believes, so rational argument is entirely useless. He clings to his belief so strongly that he makes no distinction between the truth and his belief. One has to know the fact that god cannot exist without his existence. The truth does not depend on gods’ existence but it entirely depends on man’s existence.   Thus it is foolish to venture in knowing the truth of gods existence without verifying the facts about his true existence.  

The Seeker has to have courage to accept the truth and reject the untruth. Most people will not be able to subscribe to path of truth because they sentimentally and emotionally involved with their inherited belief system and even if one does he has to overcome all his doubts confusion and despair.  These are problems for the seekers who are from religious back ground because of their conditioning and they are made to accept their blind belief as truth and their interest or insight is not deep. 

It becomes difficult for the orthodox cult to accept anything else as truth other than their accepted belief, which they hold as truth. Although all religious followers are participants alike in the spiritual endeavor of the world, overzealous   followers of each religion are not prepared to accord equal status to other faiths and assert the superiority of their own. Thus universal brother hood is total impossibility because it is difficult to accept anything other than their inherited belief system.        

Intense inner longing to know the ultimate truth will guide the seeker he needs no other guide. People who think by worshiping their gurus as God in human form in order to get self-realization are unaware of the fact that, accepting someone as guru and himself as disciple is greatest obstacle in the path of truth. The person who accepts himself as guru is not a Gnani, because he has already accepted self as body whereas the self is not the body. The person who accepts himself as disciple of some guru also considers his self as body thus; it becomes a great hindrance in path of truth. Guru is essential in religious and yogic path but not for Self-Realization

If God exists, as he does for religionists and yogis, and exists separately from them, then there is duality, which always implies contradiction. On ultimate point of view God is an mere belief or an idea, a thought, an object, therefore the self or witness, contradict God.

 When there are two, one thought contradicts another for one thought comes at one moment, and the other at another moment, both moments contradict; one cannot say they are identical. He cannot find non-contradiction in this universe.

One the ultimate point of view the individualized God does not exist, because his existence implies that one is different from Him. Any kind of difference means contradiction. Nothing whatsoever other than the consciousness exists thus for non-dualists the consciousness itself is ultimate truth and ultimate truth is god. Non-duality means the negation of all thought.

Truth is not only that which is beyond contradiction, but also that in which is no possibility of contradiction. Such a state can only be realized as non-duality, where there is no second thing other than consciousness. The illustration for that is deep sleep but sleep is not the ultimate reality. It is merely an analogy.

 Brihad Upanishads declares:~, "If you think there is another entity whether man or God there is no truth." This is the teaching since time immemorial of those who have inquired into truth.

Consciousness alone which is permanent and eternal, unchanging in the changing world is reality. People hear of Brahman or ultimate truth. People can only imagine it. One requires words only to distinguish between is there and not there, but he can’t posit either of Reality, because his saying so is only an idea, not reality. Ultimate truth is beyond words. Words are of use, however, as a thorn to pull out the thorn of other words that hinder knowledge.

Intellectually knowing the truth is only an imagination, whereas realizing the truth is knowing it as such.

Thus orthodoxy which misleads the seekers of truth, therefore seeker of truth has to verify the truth on his own by reason based on the consciousness[Atman] as self and only accept the uncontradictable truth.   

And also in Yajurved says:~

Translation 1.

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

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

[Yajurved 40:9]

Translation 2.

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

Translation 3.

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

So, Yajur Veda indicates that:~

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

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

When Yajur Veda declares that they are extremely foolish, fall into an awful hell of pain and sorrow, and suffer terribly for a long time."  

 When the religion of the Veda knows no idols then why so many gods and goddesses with different form and name are being propagated as Vedic gods. Why these conceptual gods are introduced when 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. Therefore, all these add-ons proves that the form and attribute based concepts are introduced by some sages of the past with new belief system and code of conducts in the name of Vedas.  

The Sruti is made the final or exclusive authority in apara Vidya and that for supporting the tenet of the CAUSAL relation or creatorship of Brahman, Nirguna Brahman = the "Absolute beyond qualities," which can be defined only in a negative way. For the Shankarian school = the Ultimate Reality, higher than the Lord. i.e. of Saguna or apara Brahman ... The support of Scriptural Revelation is, therefore, absolutely necessary for this hypothesis of cosmology, this Saguna or apara (= inferior) Brahman, but not for the absolute truth of Nirguna Brahman. 

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

Therefore, all the non- Vedic add-ons and attribute based knowledge, which are inferior, have to be bifurcated and excluded to know the ultimate truth.  The seeker of truth has to drop all the inferior knowledge based on the attributes and go beyond Vedas to understand assimilate and realize the ultimate truth or Brahman.   

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 true Advaita expounded by Sage Sri Sankara and his param guru, Sage Sri, Goudpada was lost or mutilated by the orthodox cult, because their preaching is based on non-duality and practices are based on duality.  

Sage Sri, Sankara says in Brahma Sutras: that Brahman is the cause of the world, whereas in Manduka 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. 

Sage 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) 

Buddha found religion in such a worthless state, with so many vile animal sacrifices, that he attacked religion. Sri, Sankara did not seek to destroy religion like Buddha but he advocated reforming it for better. He did this because he saw that the masses had to have some form of religion as they were not ripe intellectually for truth.

Paul Brunton modified the inquiry ‘WHO AM ‘I’? to ‘What am ‘I’. But still the enquiry: “What am ‘I’?” is half way***

All the mystic experience is based on yoga and religion. Yoga is necessary for preparatory stages and yoga is not meant for Self-realization. Religion is used in the past as a tool condition the mind to be, to behave, to believe, to live and create its own pedigree of mindset to  help the society to live in harmony with its own code of conduct. Religion is nothing to do  with spirituality. Spirituality is the tool to unfold the mystery of the mind, which is in the form of the universe. Therefore, religion and  glorifying of  Gods or Gurus, scriptural studies are not necessary for the pursuit of truth.  

The soul-centric reasoning  only will help the seeker to unfold the mystery of the mind or human experience. 

The seeker cannot sit expecting some mystic experience to happen and which will unfold the mystery and helps one to experience the bliss. 

The conservative religious background in which every Indian seeker is sentimentally involved is the main hurdle and obstacle in realizing the ultimate truth or Brahman. Therefore,  it is necessary for everyone to know how they are a hurdle and create fatter in truth pursuit. It is necessary for the seeker of the truth to have the courage to accept the truth and reject the untruth when the truth is unfolded through inquiry and reasoning and analysis. The inner grace will pour only when the seeker accepts the truth and rejects the untruth. 

The main hurdle one has to cross when one inquires “WHO AM ‘I’” and proceeds further as per the instruction in the book, one finds it difficult in the latter stage and finds something is inadequate and wrong somewhere. 

When one gets the answer I am not the body then the inquiry ends there. If ‘I’ is not the body then one cannot inquire on the physical base. Since the mind, ego senses whatever one experienced as a person of the world, god, religion, scriptures and whatever seen and known loses its meaning because ‘I’ itself cannot exist without the physical body.  Therefore,  there is no meaning in carrying out inquiry on the physical identity saying I am not the senses, I am not the mind, and I am not this I am not that etc. because along with body the mind sense and ego and the physical experience of the world is rejected along with the physical body. When the physical body is not ‘I’ there is no entity to the  practice Self inquiry. Then if you accept there is nothing further then it becomes Buddha’s emptiness. But it cannot be empty because still something remains to say it is empty as  Sage Sri, Gouadpada declares.  Therefore,  it becomes difficult to inquire on the physical base.  

Paul Brunton modified the inquiry ‘WHO AM ‘I’?    to ‘What am ‘I’. But still the enquiry: “What am ‘I’?” is half way.  

   Then “What is ‘I’?” takes the seeker further and he realizes the fact that ‘I’ is not “Self”.

·         “But what is ‘I’?  When ‘I’ is not “Self” then “What is ‘I’”.

v Even  after many years of practice inquiry one becomes aware that the Who am 'I'? inquiry alone will not yield any fruits but inquiry with soul-centric  reasoning and analysis will take the seeker towards reality of the true state of the mind.