The Advaitic wisdom will not dawn by adopting ‘Who AM ‘I’? and ‘I AM THAT’ teachings because they are based on individuality.
The individual exists within the universe. The universe is the dualistic illusion or Maya. ‘Who AM ‘I’?’ and ‘I AM THAT’ teachings will not yield the truth hidden by ignorance.
All the ‘I-centric’ Gurus propagate that the Athma or the Soul or ‘Self’ is limited to an individual, but it is not so because the Athma or the Soul or Self pervades everywhere and everything in the universe.
The universe is merely an illusion created out of the Athma or the invisible Soul, the Self, which is present in the form of consciousness.
Sage Sankara asks his opponents, "How do you know there are separate individual Souls? Have you seen the Soul of a Man? You can only say that you have seen different bodies. To say more is to misuse language. Therefore, I call you liars unless you give proof, which is impossible.
Rig Veda: ~ The Atman is the cause; Atman is the support of all that exists in this universe.
So, it proves the Soul is not an individual, but it is the support of all that exists in this universe.
The Soul is not limited to an individual. The are many individuals, but the Soul is one. The individual exists within the universe. The invisible Soul is the cause of the universe, and it, itself, is uncaused.
The invisible Soul is not within the human body. The universe is created out of a single stuff. That single stuff is the invisible Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.
Thus, whatever universe contains is bound to be the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.
In the dream world, the dream people appeared together and disappeared together. Similarly, the waking world and waking people appeared together and disappeared together.
Thus, the dream is created out of single stuff, and that stuff is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. In the same way, the waking experience is also created out of single stuff. And that single stuff is consciousness.
The invisible Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, is the cause of the three states, and it, itself is uncaused.
The many soul theories are religious and yogic fables based on the false self (ego) and false experience (waking). Knowledge of the single stuff is Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.
Remember:~
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?
All these experiences as a father, son, Guru, and pupil, the world in which they all exist, were one and the same consciousness appearing differently.
All these distinctions disappear when one realizes the Self is not ‘I’ but the invisible Soul.
The invisible Soul is the cause of this world in which we exist, and it, itself, is uncaused.
Perfect understanding and realization of ‘what is what’ leads to Self-awareness.
By holding on to theories, one remains in the realm of duality. One has to mentally go on dropping what is not the truth through deeper Self-search.
Finally, when one becomes aware that his ego, his body, and the world are one in essence, then there is Self-awareness in the midst of duality.
Sage Sankara says: ~ V.63 ~ "Without knowing and examining the external world, one can’t know Truth, as the idea that the external world exists, won't go. It can only go by an inquiry into the nature of the external world.
In nondual Self-awareness, the ego is not considered as ego, even though the ego is present, the body is not considered as a body even though the body is present, the world which confronts him is not considered as the world even though the world is present, the duality ceases even though the duality is present, and because of wisdom, everything is considered as consciousness. Thus, there is conscious oneness.
Only in ignorance, the world in which we exist is an illusion created out of the Soul, the ‘Self’.
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.
What is the use of saying ‘I AM THAT’- without knowing what the Self is in actuality? Without knowing the truth of the Self, without realizing the truth of the world in which you exist, it is impossible to realize the truth beyond form, time, and space.
By a mere utterance of the word ‘I AM THAT', the truth will not be revealed.
Sage Sankara: ~VC~ If the universe is true, let it then be perceived in the state of deep sleep also. As it is not at all perceived, it must be unreal and false, like dreams.
Remember:~
In fact, Sage Sankara states a paradox- the world is and is not. It is neither real nor unreal. It leads us to recognize the existence of Maya (illusion). He thinks that the world is illusory from one perspective and from the second it is nothing but Brahman(God), Itself in manifestation. This apparent world is Maya and has its basis in Brahman, the Eternal. It looks as real. It has names and forms, and actually, it is not real. In the light of true knowledge, it disappears, and Self-alone shines as real. However, Sage Sankara's Mayavada has not been accepted by many preachers and philosophers.
When 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 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 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.
That is why Sage Sankara says:~ VC -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 come 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.
Therefore, the wise should personally strive with their power of reason to be free the Soul, the Self, from the bondage of dualistic illusion or Maya. Thus, one has to know what is real by realizing that our body and our experience of the world are an illusion created out of consciousness. The nature of the invisible Soul, the Self, is a formless, timeless, and spaceless existence. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar
