The ‘I’ itself is the dualistic illusion or Maya. The ‘Self’ is hidden by the dualistic illusion or Maya.+

The past, present, and future belong to you. It is foolish to say I have no past, present, or future.

The past, present, and future belong to the domain of form, time, and space. The form, time, and space belong to the dualistic illusion or Maya.

The ‘I’ itself is the dualistic illusion or Maya. The Self is hidden by the dualistic illusion or Maya.

It means the ‘I’ hides the truth. Thus, it is necessary to realize what this 'I' is supposed to be in actuality.

The ‘I’ hides the truth of the whole. The realization of the ultimate truth or Brahman is possible only when the seeker inquires into the nature of the ‘I’. The ‘I’ is present in the form of the mind.

The mind is present in the form of the universe, and the universe appears as waking or dream (duality) and disappears as the invisible Soul in deep sleep (nonduality).

The one that appears as the duality and disappears as nonduality is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Do not try to know who you are? By inquiring ‘Who am ‘I’, you will never reach the ultimate end of understanding. ‘Who am ‘I? ’ inquiry is inadequate to realize the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space.

Try to find out what this ‘I’ is that appears and disappears. What is it that knows this appearance and disappearance of the ‘I’?

Bhagavad Gita: ~ The permanent is always there, only the transient ‘I’ comes and goes. (2.18)

That is why Ashtavakra Gita 16:10:~ If you desire liberation, but you still say 'I', if you feel the Self is the ‘I’, you are not a wise man or a seeker. You are simply a man who suffers.

Remember:~

The ‘I-centric’ knowledge is not the Advaitic wisdom of Sage Sankara. ‘I-centric’ Guru and their teachings are half-baked, knowledge-based on imagination.

It is very difficult for those who strongly believe the Self as the ‘I’, to realize the truth. All the Gurus of the East and West hold the ‘I’, as the Self and spin their imagination on the base of ‘I’, which leads them to hallucination.

People mistake the Self as 'I’, whereas the gross bodies are many. So I' cannot be self because the ‘I’ is the universe.

By sentimentally and emotionally getting involved with ‘i-centric’ Gurus and their teachings is a great hindrance in the pursuit of truth.

People hold their Guru as the ultimate authority and drop their quest for truth and indulge in glorifying and worshiping the Gurus, which keeps them permanently in ignorance of the Self, hidden by the ‘I’.

Remember: ~

First, realize the ‘Self is not within you. You are bound by the experience of birth, life, death, and the world, whereas the ‘Self is birthless and deathless because it is an ever formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.

The invisible Soul is the Self. The invisible Soul is present in the form of consciousness. Consciousness is the cause of the world in which you exist, and it itself is uncaused. Consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman, or God in truth.

From the standpoint of the invisible Soul, the Self, the world in which you exist is merely an illusion. Thus, the world in which we exist hides the Soul, which is God in truth.

Till you think the invisible Soul, the Self, is within you, you will never be able to realize God. God is not limited to you, but it pervades everything and everywhere in the world in which you exist.

You are with the body. You are born in this world. You are living in this world, and you are going to die in this world. The world itself is an illusion.

When the ‘Self’ is not you but the Self is the invisible Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, then what is the use of discussing the birth, life, death, and the world, because the one that is born, lives, and dies is not the ‘Self.

The Soul is birthless and deathless because it is an ever-formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.

You are the birth entity. Your existence is limited to form, time, and space. Your religion, your religious Gods, your beliefs, your religious rituals and prayers, your race, your nationality are nothing to do with the invisible Soul, the Self, because the invisble Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness itself, is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth.

It is not that you have to establish in consciousness, but by realizing you, and your experience of the world is nothing but an illusion created out of consciousness, the Self-awareness rises in the midst of the dualistic illusion or Maya.

Mentally reduce the world in which you exist into consciousness by realizing that the world in which you exist is nothing but consciousness. If everything is consciousness, then how can anything exist that is not consciousness?

When the conviction about consciousness becomes firm, then everything falls into the right slot.

Self-realization is very much necessary to realize that the world is an illusion. Until and unless you realize the Self is not you but the Self is the invisible Soul, Self-realization is an impossibility. :~Santthosh Kumaar 

First, realize the truth you are searching for is hidden by the ‘I’. The Soul is hidden by the ‘I’, which is the Maya. Maya means the dualistic illusion.+

Realize the Self is not you but the invisible and unborn Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

The moon reflecting on the water appears as many, the self is just like the reflection of the moon on water, which increases with the volume of water and decreases with its reduction, which moves when the water moves, and which differs as the water differs.

The moon seems to conform to the characteristics of water, but in reality, the moon never has these increasing or decreasing qualities. So also, from the highest point of view, consciousness always retains its sameness; it seems to conform to such characteristics as increase and decrease of the limiting adjunct, owing to its entry into such an adjunct as a universe.

Thread is drawn from cotton and is woven into cloth. But the reality of cotton is in both of these forms, viz., thread and cloth. Similarly, the projections of names and forms of this material universe on consciousness do not alter the nature of consciousness. It remains as it is without any change.

One can also illustrate the uniqueness of consciousness by analyzing the phenomenon of dreams. The dream is a parallel waking experience. And the waking experience is parallel.

The three states are an object to the subject, which is consciousness. Consciousness is the formless substance and witness of the three states. One is unaware of the subject because he considers the waking entity as self and views and judges the three states, which is erroneous.

The waking entity is limited to the waking experience, and the dream entity is limited to the dream experience. In deep sleep, the waking or dream experiences are absent; thus, the witness remains in its formless nondual true nature, but due to ignorance of the true self, which is the substance and witness of the three states, one experiences the three states as reality.

When one becomes aware of the formless witness of the three states, then one becomes aware of the fact that the three states are merely an illusion from the standpoint of the true Self, which is consciousness.

Thus, whatever is seen, known, believed, and experienced within the waking experience is falsehood. The experience of the universe and birth, life, and death are myths. Thus, gods based on blind belief, heaven, hell, paradise, sin, karma, rebirth, and reincarnation are a myth.

Thus, by worshiping individualized gods and following religion, studying scriptures is for those who are incapable of realizing the truth of their true existence.

Remember:~

First, realize the truth you are searching for is hidden by the ‘I’. The Soul is hidden by the ‘I’, which is the Maya. Maya means the dualistic illusion.

The dualistic illusion or Maya is present in the form of the universe. The universe appears as waking or dream (duality) and disappears as deep sleep (nonduality).

The invisible Soul, the Self, remains without the waking and without the dream in deep sleep. It means the invisible Soul, the Self, remains without you and your experience of the world.

We speak about the deep sleep experience only in the waking experience. The waking experience is the state of ignorance. The dream is a parallel waking experience, and the waking experience is a parallel dream.

The one that becomes waking and the one that becomes a dream, and one that remains without the waking and dream in deep sleep, is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

The Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, is the substance and witness, and the source of the three states.

In reality, the substance, witness, and source are one in essence. Therefore, there is no second thing that exists other than consciousness. Thus, consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth.  : ~ Santthosh Kumaar 

Until you think you are an individual separate from the world and the world that existed prior to you and you are born in it afterward ignorance will prevail as a reality.+

The Seeker of truth should not become attached to words as being in perfect conformity with meaning, because the ultimate truth is not in the letters.

When a man with his finger-tip points to something, the finger-tip may be mistaken for the thing pointed at; in like manner, the ignorant are unable, even to the day of their death, to abandon the idea that in the fingertip of words, there is the meaning itself. They cannot realize ultimate reality because of their intent clinging to the words, which were intended to be no more than a pointing finger.

The words and their discrimination bind one to the duality or illusory birth, life, and death; meaning stands alone and is a guide to non-dual freedom. Meaning is attained by much learning, and much learning is attained by becoming conversant with meaning and not with words; therefore, seekers of truth have to avoid the sticklers for particular words."

The man is ignorant of the invisible Soul, the Self, which is present in the form of consciousness. And he asserts the blissful, ever-existent consciousness, which is hidden by the three states

Consciousness is present in all three states as its formless substance and witness. And it is also apart from the three states because it is not an entity or identity within the waking or dream.

It is not an entity or identity within the three states because it is an ever-formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.

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

Holding the ego (you ) as the Self is the cause of ignorance. Consciousness is the knower of the body and the universe together.

Until you think you are an individual separate from the world and the world that existed prior to you, and you are born in it afterward, ignorance will prevail as a reality. Till ignorance is there, the universe prevails as reality.

Remember:~

Sage Sankara says: - VC-47 All the effects of ignorance, root, and branch, are burnt down by the fire of knowledge, which arises from discrimination between these two—the Self and the non-Self.

Sage Sankara says: ~ “The exercise in discrimination between real and unreal and renunciation of the false is real meditation, then why are you indulging in other types of meditation.

Perfect understanding and realization of ‘what is what’ leads to Self-awareness. By holding onto theories, one remains in the realm of duality.

You have to mentally go on dropping what is not the truth through deeper Self-search. Finally, when you become aware that your ego, your body, and the world are one in essence, then there is Self-awareness in the midst of duality. ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Accepting the birth, life, death, and the world as reality is accepting the illusion as reality.+

God and Guru are part of the illusory world; therefore, the devotee and disciple also are part of the illusion. Accepting the birth, life, death, and the world as reality is accepting the illusion as reality.

Accepting the dualistic illusion or Maya as a reality is the cause of ignorance.

Ignorance makes one feel the dualistic illusion or Maya as reality. The dualistic illusion makes one feel he is an individual separate from the world. This separation makes one feel the birth, life, death, and the world as a reality.

A person, who stamped his foot on the ground to refute to show the world, is real, ignores that in the dream he would do exactly the same--stamp his dream foot on the ground and assert it to be real.

The person who bases on birth, life, death and the world is trying to find the meaning of life.

There is no meaning or purpose of life because life is merely happening within the dualistic illusion or Maya. Thus the karma based on the physical entity is based on birth, life, death, and the world which is part and parcel of the illusion.

Remember:~

Sage Sankara says the transparent Truth of the ‘Self’, which is hidden by the illusion, is to be attained through the instructions of a knower of Brahman, (Gnani) then why you are sticking a Guru who is not a Gnani.

Sage Sankara says: ~ “The exercise in discrimination between real and unreal and renunciation of the false is real meditation, then why you are indulging in other types of meditation.

The truth is hidden by ignorance. The ignorance is present in the form of the ‘I’. the ‘I’ is present in the form of the universe. The universe appears as waking or dream (duality) and disappears as deep sleep(nonduality).

The seeker has to find out: ~

‘What is it that appears as the waking?’

“What is it that appears as a dream?’

‘What is it that disappears as deep sleep?’

Deeper self-search reveals the fact that whatever appears and disappears is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

The witness of the appearance and disappearance of the three states is also the Soul.

All three states are created out of single clay. And that single clay is consciousness. in reality, the witness (Soul) and the witnessed (three states) are one in essence.

The knowledge of the single stuff is Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.: ~ Santthosh Kumaar 

You are not you but consciousness; your body is not the body but consciousness, the world in which you exist is not the world but consciousness.+

You are not you but consciousness; your body is not the body but consciousness, the world in which you exist is not the world but consciousness.

Everything is known, seen, believed, and experienced by you is nothing but the consciousness then what else remains, which is not the consciousness. There is nothing else to realize other than to realize that consciousness alone is, everything else is merely an illusion created out of the consciousness.

By realizing everything is consciousness is the Advaitic wisdom dawns. A perfect understanding and assimilation of ‘what is what’ leads to Advaitic awareness.

Without the world, in which you exist God alone exists. When God disappears the world, in which you exist appears. The world, in which you exist disappears God appears. Thus, realize the God to be the Soul.

The Soul is the Self. Thus, the Soul which is present in the form of consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth.

If you stick to the ultimate truth then the world in which you exist is merely an illusion created out of the consciousness. If you realize this truth you will live in this world but not of this world. Thus, consciousness alone is real and eternal.

Remember:~

The Soul, the ‘Self’ which is formless as the cloudless and stainless sky. The Soul is present in the form of consciousness. Consciousness shines in everything and everywhere in the universe in which we exist. The Soul is the cause of the illusory universe in which we exist and it itself is uncaused.

The Soul is the Self. The Soul, the Self is verily consciousness. The Soul the ‘Self’ is being equanimous, quiescent, and by nature absolute Existence, Knowledge.

The Soul, the Self is neither the body nor the ‘I’ which are non-existence in their essence. This is called true Knowledge by the Gnani.

Consciousness is without any change, without any form, without time, and without space. Free from all blemish and decay. Consciousness is not subjected to any disease, and it is beyond all comprehension, free from all alternatives and all-pervading because it is ever formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.

Consciousness is without any attribute or activity. Consciousness is eternal, ever free, and imperishable.

Consciousness is free from all diversity. The consciousness is immovable, unlimited, undecaying, and immortal.

Consciousness is ever-present. Without consciousness, the world, in which you exist ceases to exist. 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 everything. Thus, consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman. : ~Santthosh Kumaar 

The Soul, the witness of the knower and known is formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.+

Thoughts arise to the person within the waking or dream. The thinker is the form. Without the form, thinking is an impossibility. Thus, thinker and thoughts are part of the known. The Soul, the witness of the knower and known is formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.

Thoughts and thinker are nothing to do with the formless witness. The witness is that witnesses the thoughts, thinker, and the world together and remains always in the within the waking or dream as their formless substance.

People think that the more they think, the more they will get; but it is really an error. It remains only a thought and gives them back only thoughts. Anything seen, observed, cannot be the Self or the Witness.

Thoughtless awareness comes only when there is oneness in awareness in the midst of dualistic illusion. The dualistic illusion exists as a reality until ignorance is there. Ignorance will vanish only when the non-dualistic or Advaitic wisdom dawns. 

The Advaotoc wisdom dawns only when one becomes aware of the fact that the world in which you exist is a dualistic illusion created out of single stuff that is the consciousness. Thus, realizing the consciousness alone is and all the three states are merely an illusion created out of consciousness leads to non-dual Self-awareness.

Buddhist Sunyavada is incongruous 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 is implied opposite non-existence is also there, and vice versa. Therefore, the Sunya "non-entity" is meaningless without "entity". Both are there.

Buddhist Idealism speaks only of ideas.

What about the knower of these ideas?

Buddhist Nihilism does not ask "What is meant by Nihilism?

It is a thought. There must be a thinker of this thought.

Buddha kept silent, refusing to answer questions on the ultimate. Therefore, he was the wisest man in refusing to commit himself.

When you say "Nothing is" what is the meaning of "is"? "Sunya" is something that exists: you cannot prove that consciousness does not exist. 

Remember:~

Zen is quite OK in mentioning non-duality: it is the nearest to Advaita, but it is still inferior because:~

(1) It fails to prove non-duality.

(2) It illogically gives ‘Koan’ exercises as a means of attaining that which is beyond attainment, because always here.

(3) It talks about insight or intuition to see Reality when sight involves a second thing, duality.

When you say "Nothing is" what is the meaning of "is"? "Sunya" is something that exists: you cannot prove that consciousness does not exist.

Zen Buddhism gives a high important place to meditation practice. The truth is that Zen advocates the necessity of meditation for those of its adherents who cannot grasp the absolute truth.

Zen Buddhism is also on this lower stage of Yoga because it depends on flashes of Intuition gained by meditation, not by reasoning.

Has the Void a meaning? If so then it is only your imagination.

Remember:~

Bhagavan Buddha gave up yoga after practicing it for six years. He saw it could not yield truth.

Bhagavan Buddha gave up his austerities of yoga as impossible and useless. (Page.70/71 "Buddhism in Translation” by Warren)

Bhagavan Buddha got enlightenment only after he gave up Yoga. Unless you exercise your Buddhi--reason--there is no chance of getting the truth, which is beyond the form, time, and space. Buddhism is based on form alone, and it does not include time and space in its investigation.

Buddhism has not proved the truth of Nonduality. Buddha pointed out the unreality of the world. He told people they were foolish to cling to it. But he stopped there. He came nearest to Advaita in speech but not to Advaita fully.

Zen Buddhism Satori is not Advaitic wisdom because it comes as flashes, it does not depend on seeing the world and does not depend upon mental sharpness so much as intuition.

Zen Buddhists are only mystics ~ they do not offer proof. How is their main method different from that of Christian mystics, Hindu mystics, all of whom do not seek to prove by reason, but by "I know," intuition? : ~ Santthosh Kumaar 

Gurus, Swamis, and Yogis who identify themselves as holy people are not Gnanis.+

Sage Sankara in Viveka Chudamani (2), states that the Knower of the Atman (i.e., a Gnani) "bears no outward mark of a holy man" (Stanza 539).

It means the Gurus, Swamis, and Yogis who identify themselves as holy people are not Gnanis.

Sage Sankara:~ Those who identify themselves as holy people are not Gnanis.

Sage Sankara: ~ "Though I wear these robes of a Sanyasin, it is only for the sake of bread." (Select Works of Sage Sankara" also his commentary on Brihad)

Thus, the above passage proves that all those who were the sanyasin robes are wearing it for the sake of bread belongs to the religion; they are nothing to do with the Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. There is no need to criticize and condemn the Gurus, yogis, and swamis because they are needed for the welfare of ignorant masses in the dualistic world.

Those who are seeking truth need not follow any Guru or any teaching.

The one who thinks of himself as a Guru and the one who thinks of himself as a chela (disciple) will not be able to acquire Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana because both of them accepted themselves as the body. And all their understanding, practices, knowledge are based on the false Self (ego or you).

There are so many in the guise of Gurus and Godmen with criminal records who indulge in cheating rapes, murders. Whoever identifies himself as Guru or Goldman is not A Gnani.

The Gurus and Godmen who promise instant enlightenment or Self-realization are not Gnanis. Mixing religion with the Atmic path is like mixing oil in the water.

Seekers from the west mistake whoever calls them as gurus are Gnanis, thus their mission of seeking the truth is misguided by such Gurus.

Remember:~

Religious Gurus are not Gnanis, they propagate only religion. Religion is not spirituality.

Religious Gurus do not propagate wisdom, but they are meant for guiding the ignorant populace in practical life within the practical world.

Many Religious Gurus are serving humanity by giving free education and maintaining love and harmony in society, but they are nothing to do with the Advaitic path of wisdom. The guru is nothing to do with Advaitic wisdom. A Gnani never identifies himself as a Guru.

Swami Vivekananda himself said: ~ “You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher, but your own Soul.”

There are two kinds of audiences - the ordinary ones who desire the transitory heaven and other pleasures obtained as a result of ritual sacrifices, and the more advanced seeker who seeks to know the ultimate truth or Brahman. The Guru and Guru Paramparas are meant for the first audience, to help lead its followers along the way. However, there is no need to follow any parampara and follow any Guru those who wish to realize the truth which is beyond the form, time, and space. We should not mix religion with spirituality because religion is based on the ego and spirituality is based on the Soul.

Religion is concerned with its paramparas, not truth whereas spirituality is concerned only with the truth, which is hidden by the illusory form, time, and space. Religion is not spirituality. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar