Mundaka Upanishad condemns rituals. The Para or Higher knowledge is the knowledge of the Supreme Being while the Apara or Lower Knowledge is that of following sacrificial rites and ceremonies.+

Sage Sankara gave religious, rituals, and dogmatic instruction to the orthodox populace, but Advaitic wisdom only to the few who could rise to it. Hence the interpretation of his writings by commentators is often confusing because they mix up the two viewpoints. Thus, they may assert that ritual is a means of realizing Brahman, which is absurd.

Sage Sankara pointed out those rituals could in no way bring about wisdom, much less Moksha.

Mundaka Upanishad condemns rituals. The Para or Higher knowledge is the knowledge of the Supreme Being while the Apara or Lower Knowledge is that of following sacrificial rites and ceremonies. (1/2/ 1 – 6)

Sage Sankara: ~ (11) As regards the rituals, Sage Sankara says, the person who performs rituals and aspires for rewards will view himself in terms of the caste into which he is born, his age, the stage of his life, his standing in society, etc. In addition, he is required to perform rituals all through his life. However, the Self has none of those attributes or tags. Hence, the person who superimposes all those attributes on the changeless, eternal Self and identifies Self with the body is confusing one for the other; and is, therefore, an ignorant person. The scriptures dealing with rituals, rewards, etc. are therefore addressed to an ignorant person. -Adhyasa Bhashya

Adhyasa Bhashya of Sage Sankara: ~ (11.1) This ignorance (mistaking the body for Self) brings in its wake a desire for the well-being of the body, aversion for its disease or discomfort, fear of its destruction, and thus a host of miseries(anartha). This anartha is caused by projecting karthvya(“doer” sense) and bhokthavya (object) on the Atman. Sankara calls this Adhyasa. The scriptures dealing with rituals, rewards, etc. are, therefore, he says, addressed to an ignorant person. -Adhyasa Bhashya

Sage Sankara: ~ (11.2) In short, a person who engages in rituals with the notion “I am an agent, doer, thinker”, according to Sage Sankara, is ignorant, as his behavior implies a distinct, separate doer/agent/knower; and an object that is to be done/achieved/known. That duality is avidya, an error that can be removed by Vidya.-Adhyasa Bhashya

Sage Sankara: ~ (12) Sage Sankara affirming his belief in one eternal unchanging reality (Brahman) and the illusion of plurality, drives home the point that Upanishads deal not with rituals but with the knowledge of the Absolute (Brahma Vidya) and the Upanishads give us an insight into the essential nature of the Self which is identical with the Absolute, the Brahman.-Adhyasa Bhashya

Sage Sankara: ~ Atman, the Self is verily Brahman (God), being equanimous, quiescent, and by nature absolute Existence, Knowledge, and Bliss. Atman is not the body that is non-existence itself. This is called true Knowledge by the wise.

Realizing the universe is created out of single stuff and that single stuff is the Soul which is present in the form of consciousness leads to non-dualistic or Advaitic Self-awareness.

Self-awareness is freedom or Moksha. Moksha is unity in diversity in the midst of the dualistic illusion.

Remember:~

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.

When sages themselves found rituals are unsafe rafts for crossing The sea of samsara, of birth and death and ignored them and they the Mundaka Upanishad further suggest that, such rituals are unsafe rafts for crossing the realm of duality those who try to cross The realm of duality on these poor rafts are Doomed to shipwreck are. Ignorant of their own ignorance, yet wise in their own esteem, these deluded people [pundits] proud of their vain learning go around and round like the blind led by the blind.

Therefore, if one wants to acquire Atma Jnana or Brahma Jnana or Self- Knowledge or knowledge of consciousness one has to drop all ritualistic and orthodox baggage to move forward in their pursuit of truth.

Until and unless one overcomes physical shackles it is impossible to understand and assimilate the nondual 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.:~Santthosh Kumaaar 

Attaining nondual Self-awareness in the midst of the dualistic illusion is real meditation.+

Meditation is not focusing the attention on the ‘I’. The ‘I’ is not limited to the ego because the ‘I’ is the whole universe. The ‘I’ is ignorance. Meditation is the total negation of ignorance, which is present in the form of the ‘I’.

Only in ignorance, there is conflict. There is no conflict in the nature of the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. The Soul is ever free is totally free from conflict. All the conflicts belong to the dualistic illusion.

Ignorance is the cause of the form, time, and space without ignorance the there is no division of form, time, and space in the consciousness. The nature of the ‘Self’ is the fullness of consciousness.

Meditation always means the critical analysis about the Self to get rid of ignorance.

For meditation, one need not sit and chant God's name or concentrate on some object. Anything you do will not be a meditation. If there is a doer then it is not meditation. As long as there is doing, there is ignorance. As long as the doer is present, the ego is present.

If the ego is present the whole world is present. If the world is present the duality is present. If the duality is present then there is an illusion. If the illusion is present the birth, life, death, and the world are experienced as reality.

By realizing the world in which you exist is created out of single stuff. That single stuff is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Knowledge of the single stuff is Self-knowledge. Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana leads to self-awareness.

In Self-awareness, the Soul, the Self, remains in its own awareness in the midst of the form, time, and space.

Attaining nondual Self-awareness in the midst of the dualistic illusion is real meditation. Self-awareness is real meditation. Mediation is the nature of the Soul, the Self. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

The Atmic path of Sage Sankara is the only path that helps the seeker to realize God in truth.+

The Atmic path of Sage Sankara is the only path that helps the seeker to realize God in truth.

It is time to free oneself from the prison of orthodoxy and strive to acquire the Advaitic wisdom of Sage Sankara.

Adyatma is nothing to do with religious sects or creeds and religious beliefs or any philosophy or thinkers teaching. Adyatma is pure spirituality. Knowledge of Atma is Adyatma. Advaita is Adyatma.

Adyatma is the knowledge of the truth beyond form, time, and space. Bifurcate religion, yoga, and theoretical philosophy and base the truth on the Athma it is Adyathma.

Adyatma is based on the ultimate truth which is based on the Atman or Spirit, which is the Self.

Sage Sankara's Advaitic wisdom is pure spirituality or Adyathma.

Look into the nature of the universe. And you will be able to see that universe by its very nature is illusory. The moment you understand that the universe is illusory, ignorance disappears and Self-awareness arises.

Self-awareness is the state of non-dual reality. That is the state of Advaita.

People never realize non-dualistic awareness through religion and yoga.

Self-awareness raises only by mentally transcending the dualistic illusion into non-dualistic reality.

The Soul is the Self. The Soul is present in the form of consciousness. Consciousness is the root element of the universe.

From consciousness, the universe comes into existence. In consciousness, the universe resides. And into consciousness, the universe is dissolved. Consciousness is the parent of all that is there is

Consciousness is Self-evident. It is not established by extraneous proofs. It is not possible to deny Consciousness because it is the very essence of the one who denies It. Consciousness is the basis of all kinds of knowledge, presuppositions, and proofs.

Consciousness is within, consciousness is without; consciousness is before, consciousness is behind; consciousness is on the right, consciousness is on the left; consciousness is above and consciousness is below. Consciousness is not an object because it is a formless subject.

The people‘s approach is more practical, and they are stuck with the reality of the world, they take it as real. If they take the world as a reality it means they have accepted the birth, life, death, which takes place in the unreal world as a reality.

If they accept birth, life, death, and the world as reality, it means they have accepted form, time, and space as reality.

If the form, time, and space are accepted as a reality then duality will prevail as a reality.

If the duality prevails as a reality then it is impossible to understand, assimilate and realize the Nondualistic or Advaitic truth.

Your body, your ego, your experience of the world are one in essence.

Till you consider your body as body your ego as ego, your experience of the world as the world you will remain in the realm of duality.

Till you remain in the realm of duality you are stuck with the reality of the experience of birth, life, death, and the world, which is merely an illusion from the ultimate standpoint.

Till you are stuck to the reality of the experience of birth, life, death, and the world you will not be able to know the mystery of the form, time, and space.

Without knowing the mystery of the form, time, and space you will not be able to realize the mind is a myth.

Without realizing the mind, is a myth you will not be able to accept the universe as an illusion.

Without realizing the universe as an illusion, you will not be able to know to achieve unity in diversity.

Repeated reading and reflecting on my posting and blogs is very much needed to make the subconscious accept what is the truth and discard the untruth. :~Santthosh Kumaar

Important points to remember and ponder-2.+

Only the Advaitic wisdom of Sage Sankara will help every serious seeker to reach the ultimate understanding and realization.

Repeated reading and reflecting on my posting and blogs is very much needed to make the subconscious accept what is the truth and discard the untruth.

 When mentally reach perfect understanding and realization of God in truth the reality of the illusory dualistic world in which you exist fades away.

When yourself is not the real Self but the Soul is the real Self then Knowing who you are through WHO AM 'I'?- inquiry is unnecessary.

The ego is the very basis of the world in which you exist. Without the ego, the world in which you exist ceases to exist.

The physical body, ego, and the world appear together and disappear together.

It is impossible to get rid of the ego alone because the ego exists only when the physical body and the world are present. The people who are trying to get rid of the ego will never succeed.

The world in which you exist is the product of ignorance. Thus, the seeker has to get rid of ignorance, not the ego.

A perfect understanding of ‘what is what leads helps to get rid of ignorance.

All accumulated knowledge becomes an obstacle in realizing the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space.

The Soul is the Self. The Soul is present in the form of consciousness. Consciousness is the root element of the universe.

Duality is present only in the domain of illusory form, time, and space.

Duality is present only when you hold yourself as a real Self.

Holding yourself as the real Self is an error, which blocks Self-realization.

Realize you are an individual. You are the ego. You are part and parcel of the illusory universe.

The Soul is the Self. The Soul is present in the form of consciousness. Consciousness is the root element of the universe.

By realizing yourself is the ego and the real Self is the Soul the error is rectified.

Duality is present only when the universe in which you exist is present.

Duality is present only in the domain of ignorance.

A Gnani sees the duality as non-duality because he sees Consciousness in everything and everywhere.

Realize Consciousness as God in truth with full and firm conviction and enter the kingdom of God in truth.

Nonduality is the kingdom of God in truth where God in truth alone shines.

No mantras will help you to realize God in truth other than remembering Consciousness, which is God in truth.:~Santthosh Kumaar

Important points to remember and ponder.+

 Important points to remember and pounder:~

The Atmic path of Sage Sankara is the only path that helps the seeker to realize God in truth.

The truth you are seeking is the truth of God hidden by ignorance.

The Atmic path of Sage Sankara is the only path that helps the seeker to realize God in truth.

The truth you are seeking is the truth of God hidden by ignorance.

Ignorance is present in the form of 'I'. The 'I' is present in the form of the illusory universe.

The illusory universe appears as waking or dream and disappears deep sleep.

The waking or dream are states of duality and deep sleep is the state of non-duality.

Nonduality is the nature of the Soul, the Self, which is present in the form of consciousness.

The duality is present only when the universe is present.

Consciousness appears as the universe in waking or dreaming. The universe disappears as consciousness is in deep sleep. All indeed is this Consciousness; This Atman is Consciousness.  

While Consciousness lies behind the sum total of the objective universe, some human minds boggle at any attempt to explain it with only the tools provided by reason. Consciousness is beyond the senses, beyond the mind, beyond intelligence, beyond imagination. 

Indeed, the highest idea is that Consciousness is beyond both existence and non-existence, transcending and including time, causation, and space, and thus can never be known in the same material sense as one traditionally 'understands' a given concept or object.

Consciousness is the ultimate reality or Brahman or God in truth. Do not accept any other God other than the Soul. The Soul is God in truth,  Nothing is real but the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. Nothing matters but realize  God in truth. God in truth is everywhere and in everything. Let these words be inscribed in your subconscious.

God in truth is hidden by the illusory universe. God in truth alone is real and eternal and all else is an illusion.

Brahman is merely a word to indicate the ultimate truth or God in truth.  The ultimate truth itself is God in truth. 

The path of wisdom is divided into three parts:~

First: hearing the truth--that the consciousness is the only reality and that the universe along with you is merely an illusion or Maya. 

Second: reasoning upon these words of wisdom of Sage Sankara from all points of view. 

Third: giving up all further argumentation and realizing the truth. This realization comes from being certain that consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth.  :~Santthosh Kumaar

A Gnani sees the duality as non-duality because he sees Consciousness in everything and everywhere.+

A Gnani sees the duality as non-duality because he sees Consciousness in everything and everywhere.

Duality is present only when the universe in which you exist is present.

Duality is present only in the domain of ignorance.

Duality is present only in the domain of illusory form, time, and space.

Duality is present only when you hold yourself as a real Self.

Holding yourself as the real Self is an error, which blocks Self-realization.

By realizing yourself is the ego and the real Self is the Soul the error is rectified.

Realize you are an individual. You are the ego. You are part and parcel of the illusory universe.

When yourself. body and the world in which you exist are nothing but an illusion created out of Consciousness then Consciousness, which is the ultimate reality or Brahman or God in truth.

Realize yourself, your body, and the world in which you exist is nothing but Consciousness and rest in Consciousness which is God in truth.

When yourself is not the real Self but the Soul is the real Self then Knowing who you are through WHO AM 'I'?- inquiry is unnecessary.

The ego is the very basis of the world in which you exist. Without the ego, the world in which you exist ceases to exist.

The physical body, ego, and the world appear together and disappear together.

It is impossible to get rid of the ego alone because the ego exists only when the physical body and the world are present. The people who are trying to get rid of the ego will never succeed.

The world in which you exist is the product of ignorance. Thus, the seeker has to get rid of ignorance, not the ego.

A perfect understanding of ‘what is what leads helps to get rid of ignorance.

All accumulated knowledge becomes an obstacle in realizing the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space.

When the illusory universe merges in Consciousness then God in truth alone shines as nondual reality.

No mantras will help you to realize God in truth other than remembering Consciousness, which is God in truth.

Realize Consciousness as God in truth with full and firm conviction and enter the kingdom of God in truth.

When mentally reach perfect understanding and realization of God in truth the reality of the illusory dualistic world in which you exist fades away.

Only the Advaitic wisdom of Sage Sankara will help every serious seeker to reach the ultimate understanding and realization.:~Santthosh Kumaar

Sage Sankara says:~ Holy men are not Gnanis because Sage Sankara says Gnani bears no outward mark of a holy man.+

Sage Sankara says:~  Holy men are not Gnanis because Sage Sankara says Gnani bears no outward mark of a holy man. 

Sage Sankara: ~ "Though I wear these robes of a Sanyasin, it is only for the sake of bread."

Sage Sankara: ~ A Gnani "bears no outward mark of a holy man" (Stanza 539).

Thus, it proves that the religious gurus and yogis are not Gnanis because they identified themselves as holy people.

A Gnani never claims himself as a Gnani, he guides the seekers, not posing himself as a Guru, and he does not force his wisdom on others.

All the Gurus and Saints belong to religion and yoga. Religion and yoga are nothing to do with spirituality. Religion and yoga are meant for the ignorant populace who are incapable of grasping the truth of their true existence. Advaitic wisdom of Sage Sankara is pure spirituality.

Until there is a separation between you and your Guru and the world in which you exist, ignorance dominates. In reality, there is no separation of any sort because the reality is non-dual.

For Gnani sees no separation between you and your Guru and the world in which you exist because there is oneness in his understanding.

That is why Sage Sankara says Holy men are not Gnanis because Sage Sankara says Gnani bears no outward mark of a holy man.

People think that their physical Guru or Guru's grace guides them and they have surrendered to their Guru and it is  Guru’s responsibility such blind acceptance leads to hallucination.

Those who think their physical Guru’s teaching the ultimate truth will never be able to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

Sage Sankara: ~ "Though I wear these robes of a Sanyasin, it is only for the sake of bread."

So he wore a Guru's robe only for the sake of the ignorant. So he was identified as Guru with parampara by religious people. For the truth seekers, Sage Sankara is a Brahma Gnani.

Sage Sankara says a Gnani "bears no outward mark of a holy man, thus, it proves that the religious Gurus and yogis are not Gnanis because they identified themselves as holy people. 

Those who recognize themselves as Guru or disciples of some Gurus are ignorant people.

Remember:~

People believe that a Guru or mystic or priest has got so many followers and therefore there must be some truth in their teaching, which is a common fallacy accepted by the mass due to their inherited samskara or conditioning. It proves only an ignorant can find a number of greater ignorant to follow him.

The path of love and humanism is the religious path. The path of love and humanism is not an Atmic path. The path of love and humanism are very valuable in practical life in the dualistic world. The path of love and humanism is not the Atmic path. The Atma is God one without the second. In reality, there is no second thing that exists other than Atma, God in truth.

First Mundaka - Chapter 2 (10)- Ignorant fools, regarding sacrifices and humanitarian works as the highest, do not know any higher good. Having enjoyed their reward on the heights of heaven, gained by good works, they enter again this world or a lower one.

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad: ~ In this state a father is no father, a mother no mother, Gods no Gods, no Vedas. In this state, a thief is no thief, the killer of a noble Brahmana no killer, a monk no monk, a hermit no hermit. This form of his is untouched by good work and untouched by evil work, for he is then beyond all the woes of his intellect. ~(4.3.22)

Many Gurus instead of encouraging seekers to seek the truth, they inject their own theories to keep them hallucinating of talking love and compassion, which belongs to the dualistic illusion. It escapes the mechanism and makes the seeker hopeless, helpless, and lazy to seek the truth he is seeking for.

A Gnani uses love and compassion for a practical purpose but he is fully aware they are not of any use to realize the truth hidden by the dualistic illusion (universe).

Love and compassion are needed in practical life within the practical world. However, from the ultimate standpoint, the practical life within the practical world is merely an illusion. In reality, there is only the Soul, the one without the Second.

The seeker of truth must know for his own information, the truth in God is not religious God, which they believe and worship. The beliefs propagated by the religion of their individualized God are superstitions. Such Gods have no place in truth. There is no need to condemn those who believe and follow. Until ignorance, dominate them they will not buzz from their inherited belief. Everyone is free to follow their chosen path, which makes them happy and gives them satisfaction.

Ishopanishad:~ "They are steeped in ignorance and sunk into the greatest depth of misery who worships the matter, instead of the All-Pervading God and those who worship things born of matter like trees, animals, man, etc. are sunk deeper in misery."

When Upanishads itself says they are steeped in ignorance and sunk into the greatest depth of misery who worships the matter, instead of the All-Pervading God (Atman) and those who worship things born of matter (illusion) are sunk deeper in misery then why worship God in place of the real God., which is Atman.

The dualistic worship of personal “Gods” is only for the ignorant populace. The God in truth is only Atman, the innermost Self. In reality, there is no duality, no differentiation. Only Atman exists.

The Vedas confirm God is Atman (spirit), the Self.

Rig Veda: ~ The Atman is the cause; Atman is the support of all that exists in this universe. May ye never turn away from the Atman the innermost self. May ye never accept another God in place of the Atman nor worship other than the Atman?" (10:48, 5)

How can you worship God? That implies two ~ the worshipper and the worshiped, whereas the God is nondual. One can worship his idea of God only or realize his unity with it when he can’t worship it as apart.

When Upanishads and Vedas declare that, “God is the form of the Athma, and God is indeed Athma itself” then why accept another God in place of the Atman or worship other than the Atman.

Why worship and glorify the Gurus and Yogis (human form) in place of God when Veda bars such activities and it also warns people who indulge in such activities 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

Vedas bars human worship: ~

Translation:~ "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.)

Sage Sankara says: VC- v6~ Let erudite scholars quote all the scripture, let Gods be invoked through sacrifices, let elaborate rituals be performed, let personal Gods be propitiated---yet, without the realization of one‘s identity With the Self, there shall be no liberation for the individual, not even in the lifetimes of a hundred Brahmas put together.

The seeker of truth has to accept the truth as God and reject the untruth to realize other than the Atman the real God alone is real and all else is an illusion created of the Atman, God in truth.

Atmic path is a very personal path. Without an intense urge, no one can tread this path. It cannot be forced on religious people. Moreover, religious people are not fit to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar