Without getting rid of the ignorance it is impossible to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman

One has to get rid of ignorance. Without getting rid of the ignorance it is impossible to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman. Self –Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana can be acquired by mentally eradication the ignorance through deeper self-search.  The seeker having understood the self is neither the waking entity nor the self is dream entity but self is the formless soul or consciousness, which witnesses the coming and going of the three states. Only people who are confused think that, the consciousness is limited to the birth entity (physical body) whereas the consciousness pervades in all the three states as their formless substance. And it is apart from the three states as their formless witness. It is apart from the three states because it is not an entity or identity or thing within the three states but it is the cause of the three states and it itself is uncaused.    

The soul or consciousness, the innermost self is birthless and deathless because it is formless. The one which wakes up dreams and sleeps is not the self but the self is that which witnesses the coming and going of the three states without the physical apparatus.

The waking is parallel dream and dream is parallel waking.  The nature of the soul, the innermost self is without the waking or dream as in deep sleep.  The waking entity and waking world are within the waking and dream entity and dream world are within the dream but the self is neither the waking entity not the self is dream entity but the self is formless witness of the three states. Thus it is erroneous to view, judge and conclude the truth on the waking entity, which is not the self.  

Man and his experience of the world are reality within the waking or dream. The dream becomes unreal when waking takes place. Similarly the waking becomes unreal when waking entity realizes the fact that, it itself is not the self. The three states are mere illusion from the standpoint of the soul or consciousness, the innermost self. Because of inborn conditioning ,which is present as ‘I’ the waking entity thinks it is an individual separate from the world and world existed  prior to it and it is born in it afterwards. Till this deep rooted conviction is there it is difficult to eradicate the deep rooted ignorance from the subconscious.  Thus perfect understanding of what is what’ is very much necessary to understand, assimilate and realize the non-dualistic or Advaitic truth.  

People try to overcome their inherited religious conditioning but it by getting rid of the religious conditioning one will not be able to overcome the physical shackle.  One has to get rid of the inborn samskara or conditioning itself by realizing the fact that ‘I’ or ‘I AM’   is not the self.

Only by getting rid of the ignorance one can get rid of the inborn samskara or   conditioning.

v  What is the use of arguing on base of the birth entity, which is not the self?

v  What is the use of knowing what happens after death when the self is birthless? 

v  What is the use of thinking of the heaven and hell when the self is not an individual and it is never born and never dies?

But he is unaware of the fact that, he and his experience of the world are within the waking experience.  The waking experience appears and disappears, same way as the dream. When there is dream than there is no waking. When there is waking than there is no dream.  When there is neither the dream nor the waking it is identified as deep sleep in waking experience.   One is aware of the dream or deep sleep only in waking.  The one which is aware of the coming and going of the three states is neither the waking entity nor the dream entity but the formless witness of the three states.  

All the scriptures indicate that Atman is Brahman, and Brahman is ultimate truth. Therefore the soul, which is in the form of consciousness, is ultimate truth.  Thus to realize the ultimate truth is the prime goal.   A well-directed inquiry, analysis and reasoning will lead one to his non-dual destination.

The whole universe is consciousness.

The world confronts you is consciousness. The whole universe is consciousness.  Unless the world is there in one’s realization, there is no Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana or Self-Knowledge. It is not enough to see a mere blankness in Samadhi. One has to realize the body, ego and the world as consciousness. The soul, the innermost self is free from ignorance not when one sees nothing at all, as waking entity in Yogic Samadhi but only when one see all this universe including his body and ego as  consciousness. Hence you must ask the question “What is this universe?” The attention must be drawn to the outer world to realize the form, time and space which are present in the form of universe are also made of single stuff, which is consciousness.  

This universe is common to all of us, therefore one must include the universe his investigation in order to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman.   It is only after one has inquired into the nature of the objective universe, that he should inquire into who is the knower. If, however one   inquiries into the knower before the inquiry into the universe, then it is mere mysticism.  One must have the perfect understanding of what is what. 

• v  What is the universe?
• v  What is this ‘I’?

That is why Sri, Sankara indicated in (VC):- 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.

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 –Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana can be attained only if one totally accepts the Self is not ‘I’ but the self the formless soul (‘I’-less) or consciousness      with full conviction than one becomes aware of the fact that, the three states are mere illusion created out of consciousness. The soul or consciousness is the innermost self, which witnesses the coming and going of the three states. Through Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana, one realizes the three states are non-existent as reality.   

Self is that that which knows the coming and going of the three states. Thus holding ‘I’ or ‘I AM’ as self which is part of the witnessed (mind or universe) is erroneous. Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana– the nectar and by drinking nectar one becomes aware of the immortal nature of the formless soul, the innermost self. Thus a true seeker, by acquiring ‘Self –Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana’ transcends the illusory experience of the individual birth, life death and the world(waking)  and attains immortality

When the self is not the waking entity than all his claims of seeing God or talking to God as waking entity is bound to be falsehood, because the waking experience itself is falsehood.

Religion is individualized truth”; Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana is universal truth.  This means believers  takes the belief as truth whereas the Gnani takes his reasoned judgment, which will be the same under test everywhere in the universe. 

No one has seen God. They do not know God’s capacities, what He can do, and what he cannot do. Therefore any statement one might make about God would only be a lie. God is only a settled fact for believers, but for others His existence is problematic. It is impossible to prove the existence of God by any reasoning without belief system. Every belief- system has its own idea of god and idea of creation. Without belief the God ceases to exist. One must take rational position in order to unfold the mystery of his true existence. Thus the seeker of truth does not know whether God exists or not. He starts his quest without belief and belief system. 

Unless one gives up the religious ideas of individual God, karma, sin heaven and hell, self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana is impossible. Truth must be proved here and now, on this very life. If that cannot be done, one cannot consider any such idea, as existence of individual god, karma, sin heaven and hell, as true.

People see visions of Gods and Goddesses and adepts according to their own inherited samskara or conditioning. How does one know that God who tells about himself in meditation or vision is truthful! He may tell you a lie! His statements must therefore be tested. Supposing a mystic has a vision, which experience is true, but he must prove that it is really what it purports to be, and that he is not deluded. 

When the self is not the waking entity than all his claims of seeing God or talking to God as waking entity is bound to be falsehood, because the waking experience itself is falsehood. If the three states are illusion created out of the formless soul or consciousness, the innermost self, than all the visions are also mere mirage created out of consciousness. 

 Only in yogic paths such visions of God and saints are taken as reality because yogis’ approach is more practical, and they are stuck with the reality of the waking experience, and they take it as real.

That is why Buddha said:-   

Believe nothing because a wise man said it,
Believe nothing because it is generally held.
Believe nothing because it is written.
Believe nothing because it is said to be divine.
Believe nothing because someone else said it.
But believe only what you yourself judge to be true.

-Buddha

Authoritarianism merely assumes as true what another says, but what has yet to be proved.  One may believe in a position, but he is required to prove the truth of his belief. A belief is a feeling, truth is knowledge. 

Looking to all these diverse idea of every belief system Create the doubts and confusion. "Which belief system is the right and which belief system is wrong?" .There is the certainty that he is proceeding on right lines if takes path of belief?" Thus doubts arise and the inquiring spirit comes and impels to search elsewhere for truth where it will not be possible even to have doubt. The test is therefore in reasoning. Only through soul-centric reasoning one can reach the ultimate end of understanding. If one is soul-centric than there is no scope for argument about views or to have difference of opinion and one is in the realm of doubtlessness. 

If one seeking truth nothing but truth than he should not accept anything as truth without verification.

When wisdom dawns than one realizes there is no object at all because object is mere illusion created out of formless subject.

Once one understands the self is not the waking entity or ego,  than  he has understood and assimilated the real essence of Advaitic or non-dualistic truth. One must learn that in the realm of duality,   the mind  is different from soul (consciousness)   but in reality  mind and soul are one in essence.

Homogeneity is the natural condition of the soul. Through ignorance one creates dissociation within it. The first dissociation is the sense of ‘I’.  The sense of ‘I’ is the inborn samskara or conditioning. Soul or consciousness, the innermost “self" is not different from mind, which is in the form of universe. Limiting the soul or consciousness to the waking entity within the waking experience is cause of the ignorance.

It is the waking entity that thinks of the “self.” 

What is Self? 

That which is always aware of the coming and going of the three states is the soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.  The Self is within the three states but is ever apart from the three states. It is within the three states as their formless substance and it is apart from the three states as their formless witness.

The Witness is the subject.  The three states are an object to the formless subject. In reality the subject and object are one in essence, but in ignorance the subject is hidden within the object.  When wisdom dawns than one realizes there is no object at all because object is mere illusion created out of formless subject. Thus there is no second thing exist other than the formless subject, which is consciousness. Thus consciousness alone is real and all the three states are mere illusion created out of consciousness.

In spiritual sense the self means, the source of the whole existence.

People think the self is ego.  When one considers the mind to the physical entity then  it becomes ego.  In spiritual sense the self means,  the source of the whole existence. By limiting the self to the physical entity is cause of all sorts of doubts and confusion.

Science and modern thinkers limit the self to the ego.  The ego, body world, intellect are division created out of consciousness.  They all appear together and disappear together. All the energy, thought, world, ego body whatever accumulated dross and conditioning can be summed up and called with single word as mind, because they all exist when the mind exist, without the mind all these ceases to exist. Therefore, there is only a need to discriminate between mind and no mind experiences.  All the intellectual analysis is not required because it is beyond intellectuality. 

We have to use less word to get the truth.  That which one knows best in the waking, that which is nearest to him, that of which he can never be free, whose existence is supremely certain, is his consciousness which is the self. One may doubt anything else but he directly perceives his-self, which is consciousness. 

Hence one has to begin the pursuit of truth with the study of consciousness, not, as is mistakenly done by theologians, metaphysicians, with the supposed Absolute. 

All gold ornaments with different shapes are made of this same single material, so to explain the nature of the unknown self,one has start with something known and familiar, viz. consciousness, which one has in the three states, and proceed step by step from that onwards. One knows his -self as physical but it is mistake.  If one considers the self is physical then it becomes ego. The self is not the ego but the knower of the ego. This soul/self   is not physical but it is consciousness, which holds the whole physical existence. After knowing the fact that this consciousness is the self, one becomes aware the consciousness is ultimate truth. 

All the three states product of the consciousness which should enable anyone to understand everything [all the three states] is consciousness. Moreover everyone has and knows this consciousness; therefore it is a universal datum. It is something which everybody can grasp, not merely some occultist or mystic; therefore there is no mystery-mongering in the study of truth.