The higher knowledge is Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana is that which leads to Self-awareness.+

Religious Gods are based on blind faith or blind belief.  God, based on blind belief, is not god in truth. The religious God cannot be considered as the center because the invisible Soul and the Self are the cause of all that exists as the universe.  

The Upanishad says that the person who worships the deities as entities entirely separate from the 'Self' does not know the truth. He is like a beast (ignorant). 

Till you believe the religious Gods as real God and religion as finality, you are not qualified to acquire Self-knowledge, Brahma Gnana, or Atma Gnan. Self-knowledge,e Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana, is the knowledge of  God in truth.

The study of the scriptures, rituals, yoga, karma, and love can be called lower knowledge meant for the ignorant populace. The higher knowledge is Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana, is that which leads to Self-awareness. 

The invisible Soul is God in truth. The invisible  Soul is the Self. The invisible Soul is present in the form of consciousness. The birthless and deathless Self is the ever formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.   

The invisible Soul, the Self, is infinite. The invisible Self is everlasting and changeless. The invisible  Self is the cause and the source of the universe in which we exist, is the invisible Soul; the Self itself is uncaused. 

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad says: ~ Brahman (God in truth) is the form of the Athma, and it is indeed Athma itself. 

The Vedas and Upanishads confirm that God is Atman (Spirit), the  Self. 

Even 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 Self. May ye never accept another God in place of the Atman nor worship other than the Atman?" (10:48, 5)  

Rig Veda: ~ 'Prajnanam Brahma'- 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 invisible Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. Nothing matters but realizing 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.  

Without the invisible Soul, the world in which you exist ceases to exist, which means the religious God is dependent on the invisible Soul for his existence. God in truth, is only the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. 

Even the Bhagavad Gita says: ~ Brahmano hi pratisthaham ~ Brahman (God in truth) is considered the all-pervading consciousness, which is the basis of all the animate and inanimate entities and material. (14.27). 

When the Bhagavad Gita says, God is considered the all-pervading consciousness, which is the basis of all the animate and inanimate entities and material, then nothing has to be accepted as God other than consciousness. 

Even the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad: ~ Brahman (God) is the form of the Athma, and it is indeed Athma itself. 

Religious Gods are based on myths. The religious God cannot be considered as the cause of the universe because the invisible  Soul and the Self are the cause of the universe. 

Without the invisible  Soul, the world in which you exist ceases to exist, which means the religious God is dependent on the invisible Soul for his existence. 

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad declares: "He who worships the deities as entities entirely separate from him does not know the truth. For the Gods, he is like a pasu (beast)". (1. 4. 10) 

No mantras help to get rid of ignorance. All the mantras and rituals are meant for the ignorant populace, which strongly believes, the world in which they exist is a reality. For one who wants to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana, the mantras will not help to realize the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space. 

That is why Sage Sankara VC~.61. For one who has been bitten by the serpent of Ignorance, the only remedy is the knowledge of Brahman. Of what avail are the Vedas and (other) Scriptures, Mantras (sacred formulae), and medicines to such a one? 

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 

Sage Sankara goes on to say: ~A sickness not cured by saying the word “medicine.” You must take the medicine. Liberation does not come by merely saying the word “Brahman.” Brahman must be experienced. Until you allow this apparent universe to dissolve from your consciousness until you have realized Brahman, how can you find liberation just by saying the word Brahman? The result is merely noise. Until a man has destroyed his enemies and taken possession of the splendor and wealth of the kingdom, he cannot become a king by simply saying, “I am a king.” 

A buried treasure is not uncovered by merely uttering the words: “Come forth.” You must follow the right directions, dig, remove the stones and earth from above it, and then make it your own. In the same way, the pure truth of the Atman is buried under Maya and the effects of Maya. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Religion can never make you know God in truth. Only an intense urge to know what God is supposed to be in truth can make you realize God in truth.+

Every religion has its own idea of God. Different religions call God by different names. In Spirituality, the ultimate truth is called Brahman or God in truth.

The invisible Soul, the ‘Self, which is present in the form of consciousness, is the Infinite God.

Rig Veda: ~ 'Prajnanam Brahma'- Consciousness is the ultimate reality or Brahman or God in truth.

Do not accept any other God other than the invisible Soul. The Soul is God in truth. Nothing is real but the invisible Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. Nothing matters but realizing 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 invisible Soul, the Spirit, is the spiritual God. The invisible Soul is the Self. God in truth, is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. God in truth is the fullness of consciousness without the illusory division of form, time, and space. Therefore, there is nothing apart from it.

The God in truth is Self-evident. God in truth is not established by extraneous proofs. It is not possible to deny God in truth because God in truth is the very essence of the one who denies it. God in truth, is the basis of all kinds of knowledge, presuppositions, and proofs. God in truth is by the illusory universe in which you exist; God in truth is without the universe in which you exist.

Religious people use the word God for their Gods based on blind belief. In spirituality, we have to use the word God for the ultimate truth.

Religion can never make you know God in truth. Only an intense urge to know what God is supposed to be in truth can make you realize God in truth. The invisible Soul, the Self, is the Infinite God.

Words of wisdom are merely a cause for the mind to ramble. The seeker should earnestly try to mentally grasp the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space, indicated by the words.

The words and their meaning belonging to plurality are illusory. The words are necessary to indicate the truth. The word God is the best word to express because most people are attached to the word God.

Brahman -The English use of the word real as applied to the material world, whereas we Advaitins use it as applied to unseen Atman or consciousness. Hence, many errors have arisen in translations from Sanskrit.

Brahman ~ The word Brahman or Sat has no proper equivalent in English. The nearest is the ultimate reality or the ultimate truth. The West, however, applies reality to individual objects or to the multiplicity of them all; whereas Advaitins apply it to the nonduality. Brahman is called "That" because it is something not known yet by the seeker.

The words are used for communication purposes. From the non-dualistic perspective, the words are meaningless. The words are only used within the dualistic illusion to indicate the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar 

Self-Realization is for realizing, the experience of birth, life, death, and the world is merely an illusion created out of the Soul, the Self, which is present in the form of consciousness. +

Every religion has its own idea of God. Different religions call God by different names. In Spirituality, the ultimate truth is called Brahman or God in truth.

The invisible Soul, the Self, which is present in the form of consciousness, is the Infinite God.

Rig Veda: ~ 'Prajnanam Brahma'- Consciousness is the ultimate reality or Brahman or God in truth.

Do not accept any other God other than the invisible Soul. The Soul is God in truth. Nothing is real but the invisible Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. Nothing matters but realizing 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 invisible Soul, the Spirit, is the spiritual God. The invisible Soul is the Self. God in truth, is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. God in truth is the fullness of consciousness without the illusory division of form, time, and space. Therefore, there is nothing apart from it.

The God in truth is Self-evident. God in truth is not established by extraneous proofs. It is not possible to deny God in truth because God in truth is the very essence of the one who denies it. God in truth, is the basis of all kinds of knowledge, presuppositions, and proofs. God in truth is by the illusory universe in which you exist; God in truth is without the universe in which you exist.

Religious people use the word God for their Gods based on blind belief. In spirituality, we have to use the word God for the ultimate truth.

Religion can never make you know God in truth. Only an intense urge to know what God is supposed to be in truth can make you realize God in truth. The invisible Soul, the Self, is the Infinite God.

Words of wisdom are merely a cause for the mind to ramble. The seeker should earnestly try to mentally grasp the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space, indicated by the words.

The words and their meaning belonging to plurality are illusory. The words are necessary to indicate the truth. The word God is the best word to express because most people are attached to the word God.

Brahman -The English use of the word real as applied to the material world, whereas we Advaitins use it as applied to unseen Atman or consciousness. Hence, many errors have arisen in translations from Sanskrit.

Brahman ~ The word Brahman or Sat has no proper equivalent in English. The nearest is the ultimate reality or the ultimate truth. The West, however, applies reality to individual objects or to the multiplicity of them all; whereas Advaitins apply it to the nonduality. Brahman is called "That" because it is something not known yet by the seeker.

The words are used for communication purposes. From the non-dualistic perspective, the words are meaningless. The words are only used within the dualistic illusion to indicate the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space.  : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

The Self is not you but the Self is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.+

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

The invisible Soul, the Self, has nothing to do with you and the world in which you exist.

You and the world in which you exist are merely an illusion created out of the invisible Soul, the Self, which is present in the form of consciousness.

All the Gurus and scriptures interpreters in the past propagated that the 'Self' resides within the human heart. This was an error.

You and the world in which you exist have nothing to do with the invisible Soul, the Self, because from the standpoint of the invisible Soul, the Self, you and the world in which you exist are non—existent as reality.

In reality, the invisible Soul, the Self alone exists, and you and the world in which you exist have no value because the world in which you exist is the dualistic illusion or Maya. The dualistic illusion or Maya is present in the form of the universe.

The invisible Soul, the Self, is not limited to you because the invisible Soul, the Self, which is present in the form of consciousness, pervades the whole universe.

Sage Sankara said: ~A.A~ 88. When the whole universe, movable and immovable, is known to be Atman (consciousness), and thus the existence of everything else is negated, where is then any room to say that the body is Atman?

That is why Sage Sankara says: ~ 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.

Sage Sankara: ~ VC~.63: "Without knowing and examining the universe, one can’t know the Truth, as the idea that the external world exists won't go. It can go only by an inquiry into the nature of the external world.

Sage Sankara: ~ “VC~ All this universe, which through ignorance appears as of diverse forms, is nothing else but Brahman (Consciousness,) which is absolutely free from all the limitations of Maya.

When you finally realize the Self is not you but the Self is the invisible Soul, then you will realize the world in which you exist is merely an illusion created out of the invisible Soul. The invisible Soul is present in the form of consciousness.

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 clearly, the universe is not real. He says that Brahman and Atman are one. The ultimate and the Absolute Truth is the Self, which is one though appearing as many in different individuals. The individual has no reality. Only the invisible Soul, the Self, is Real; the rest, mental and physical, are but passing appearances. Then it indicates the form (waking or duality or mind) is unreal, and the formless Soul (consciousness or Soul) is real. Therefore, only Atman is real because there is no second thing that exists other than Atman, which is in the form of consciousness.

Remember: ~ All is consciousness. The whole universe is consciousness. From consciousness, the universe comes. When the universe disappears, the consciousness still remains without form, time, and space.

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 a reality. Until the universe prevails as a reality, religion thrives. : ~Santthosh Kumaar 

What is this universe? What is this illusion? to the birthless Soul the Self.+

Man has a firm conviction that he is an individual separate from the world and the world that existed prior to him, and he is born in it afterward. This conviction makes him remain in ignorance. And ignorance makes him accept the illusion as a reality.

Thus, he is caught up in the web of illusion, experiencing birth, life, death, and the world as a reality.

What is this universe? What is this illusion? To the birthless, invisible Soul, the Self. Ultimately, the invisible and unborn Soul, which is present in the form of the consciousness and the universe both is one in essence.

Thus, the form, time, and space are made of a single stuff, which is the invisible Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Only people who are stuck to the reality of the universe think of the body as the body, the ego as the ego, and the world as the world. It never strikes them that the waking experience in which they exist, along with their world, is also as unreal as a dream.

The dream becomes unreal when the waking takes place, and the waking state becomes unreal when Advaitic wisdom dawns. The Advaitic wisdom dawns when one realizes the Advaitic truth, which is beyond form, time, and space.

Remember:~

In the context of Advaita Vedanta, ~ Jagat (the world) is not different from Brahman (Soul); however, Brahman (Soul) is different from Jagat.

It has not been possible to preach Advaitic Truth entirely free from the settings of dualistic weakness; it has not been more operative and useful to mankind at large because only a few will be able to grasp and realize it.

To realize the Advaitic Truth, a freer and fuller scope, the seeker has to realize that form, time, and space are one, in essence. And that essence is the invisible Soul, the Self is present in the form of consciousness.

To realize the Advaitic truth, the seeker has to be free from all superstitions and orthodox contaminations. The seeker has to be dedicated to acquiring Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana alone.'

A Gnani will easily appreciate that the high flights of Sage Sankara’s Advaitic wisdom are one of the most majestic structures and valuable products of the Genius of man in his search for Truth. ~ Santthosh Kumaar

The duality is present only when the form, time, and space are present. The form, time, and space are present in the form of the universe.+

The duality is present only when the form, time, and space are present. The form, time, and space are present in the form of the universe.

The form, time, and space are one, in essence. The ego, body, and the world are one, in essence. That essence is consciousness. Thus, there is no division in consciousness in reality.

Sage Goudapada quotes from the Upanishads: ~ "There's no plurality here"; "The Soul through its powers appears to be many"; "those who are attached to the creation or production or origination go to utter darkness"; "the unborn is never reborn, for what can produce it?”

Sage Goudapada’s rational exposition of Advaita:~ Whatever is seen, whether external or internal, whether by the ordinary persons or yogis, is unreal.

Thus, whatever you have seen, known, believed, and experienced as a person within the waking experience is bound to be an illusion created out of consciousness.

Thus, the invisible Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness alone, is real and eternal.

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 or God in truth.

The invisible Soul, the Self, is the fullness of consciousness without the division of form, time, and space. The thinker, thought, and the world are one, in essence. When the Self is realized, then there is no division of form, time, and space.

A Gnani is fully aware of the fact that his body, his ego, and his experience of the world are merely an illusion created out of consciousness, whereas the ignorant think that the experience of birth, life, death, and the world is a reality. The ignorant view everything from a dualistic perspective, whereas a Gnani views everything from a non-dualistic perspective.

So long as one is in the realm of duality, one has to explain how or why one thing came from another, and contradictory views are expressed. But when a Gnani shows, there is no second, there is no production, and the contradictions do not arise at all when the ultimate thing is consciousness alone. Thus, consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth.

The dualists’ arguments are based on the dualistic perspective (ego). They are at their wits' end to explain to show the weakness of the position of the dualistic viewpoint.

From the non-dualistic perspective, the duality itself is an illusion. There is no division in reality. All the dualistic viewpoints are a reality within the dualistic illusion.

From the dualistic standpoint, Existence cannot be a cause and effect at the same time, but from the non-dualistic perspective, the Existent is not two, and causality can’t arise at all.

The dualistic theory says that whatever was in the cause was also in the effect. They say that the gold brick, the gold medal, the gold ornaments -are in the seed ~ the gold.

From the non-dualistic perspective: If cause and effect are one, what is the difference between the two? The effect is merely an illusion. Thus, from a nondualistic perspective, there is neither the cause nor the effect.  : ~ Santthosh Kumaar 

Anubhav in the Advaitic context is not an experience but is the realization of the 'Self' hidden by the illusory universe or Maya.+

The look of an object will depend upon the medium through which the observer views it. In fact, our mental and intellectual conditions determine the world, observed and experienced.

The commoner viewing the world will see it differently from a Gnani viewing the same world. Each one interprets the world that they see in terms of their existing knowledge.

The commoner sees everything based on the ego; therefore, he experiences the birth, life, death, and the world as a reality, whereas a Gnani sees everything as consciousness, and he is fully aware of the fact that there is no second thing that exists other than the invisible Soul or consciousness.

Thus, all the egocentric knowledge has to be bifurcated to realize the ultimate truth, which is beyond form, time, and space.

Anubhav, in the Advaitic context, it is not an experience but is the realization of the 'Self' hidden by the universe, which is the dualistic illusion or Maya.

Remember:~

The Self, not an individual but the Self, the invisible Soul, which is a formless, timeless, and spaceless existence. The experience is possible only in the domain of form, time, and space. In reality, the form, time, and space are one in essence.

Sage Sankara himself has warned us not to use ambiguous words, and to practice semantic analysis (“Definition of one's own Self. Page 199, v.24 of "Sankara's Selected Works”

Sage Sankara strongly advocated the study of Upanishads, and at the same time, cautioned that the study of Upanishads alone would not lead to moksha. In matters such as spiritual attainment, one’s own realization was the sole authority, and it cannot be disputed

Sage Sankara also said the study of the Upanishad was neither indispensable nor a necessary prerequisite for attaining the human goal, the moksha.

Sage Sankara pointed out; even those who were outside the Upanishad fold were as eligible to moksha as those within the fold were. He declared that all beings are Brahman, and therefore the question of discrimination did not arise. All that one was required to do was to get rid of ignorance (Avidya or duality).

Sage Sankara: ~ 'Like a servant who carries a lamp in front of you to find your way, and you have found it, so becomes the Veda to that person. What is the Veda? ~ utterances of those who have known the Truth. Here is one who has known the Truth; why should he or she depend upon the Veda further? Actual realization takes you beyond books. At a certain stage, books become a botheration. The Upanishad itself says that the 'words are only so much of a distraction for such minds'

Upanishads:~They alone in this world is endowed with the highest wisdom who are firm in their conviction of the sameness and birthlessness of Atman. The ordinary man does not understand their way. (Chapter IV — Alatasanti Prakarana 95-P-188 in Upanishads by Nikilanada)

Sage Sankara himself says: ~ VC 59. The study of the Scriptures is useless so long as the highest Truth is unknown, and it is equally useless when the highest Truth has already been known.

60. The Scriptures, consisting of many words, are a dense forest that merely causes the mind to ramble. Hence, men of wisdom should earnestly set about knowing the true nature of the Self.

61. For one who has been bitten by the serpent of Ignorance, the only remedy is the knowledge of Brahman. Of what avail are the Vedas and (other) Scriptures, Mantras (sacred formulae), and medicines to such a one?

It is not that one should pore over the ancient scriptures. There is no need to study first and then realize. One has to realize first, then only he will know ‘what is the truth’ and ‘what is untruth’. One has to make their discoveries through the process of rational thinking.

That is why Sage Sankara says:~ V C:~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.

It is not that one should pore over the ancient scriptures. There is no need to study first and then realize. One has to realize first, then only he will know ‘what is truth’ and ‘what is untruth’. One has to make their discoveries through the process of rational thinking.

Sage Sankara says: ~ What is accepted without a proper inquiry will not lead to the final Goal. (Commentary on Vedanta Sutra).

The Self cannot be experienced because the experience is possible only in the realm of duality. There is neither experience nor experiencer in reality. In Self-awareness, the body, ego, and the world are not considered different from consciousness.

The experience and experiencer exist within the domain of form, time, and space. The form, time, and space are within the domain of the dualistic illusion.

To experiencer must have a form; without the form, the experience is impossible? The experience is impossible without form, time, and space. The experiencer and the experience are one, in essence. The essence is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

The invisible Soul, the Self, is the fullness of consciousness without the division of form, time, and space. All the division in consciousness is merely an illusion.

Thus, other than consciousness, all else is merely an illusion. The illusion is also consciousness because it is created out of consciousness.

The Atmic path has nothing to do with religion and the yogic path. Atmic path is the path of wisdom. All your accumulated knowledge has nothing to do with the Atmic path.

Atmic path is not a path of discussion or exchange of views and opinions, but the direct realization of the 'Self' hidden by the universe, which is the dualistic illusion or Maya.

The seeker must have the patience to open the blogs and post, and read. It will not only help you to clear all your cobwebs of doubts and confusion, but without reading the blogs, trying to argue on your own yardstick is not of any use.

Whatever you have read, whatever you have heard, and accumulated becomes a hindrance in realizing the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space.

All your egocentric accumulated cocktail knowledge is not Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana, soul-centric knowledge, is not available in the spiritual supermarket.

All accumulated knowledge is mental Garbage is of no use in the quest for truth. The seeker has to discard all the accumulated knowledge and start afresh.

Reading and reflecting on my blogs and postings gradually, the seekers will start assimilating and realizing ‘what is the truth’ and what the untruth is.

Repeated reading of my blogs and postings makes the seeker Soulcentric, and the inner dialogue will start and clear all the doubts and confusion.

Perfect understanding of ‘what is what’ through deeper thinking and reasoning helps to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

In the Atmic path, discussion of the unimportant subject matter is a great hindrance. The path of truth is the path of verification.

When there are no doubts and confusion, then they have realized the truth that form, time, and space are one in essence. And that essence is consciousness.

There is no use in wasting time in questioning and arguing same time and effort has to be used to make the seeker more independent, and without external spoon-feeding, he can reach the inner core, which is the invisible Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.: :~Santthosh Kumaar