Sage Sankara's wisdom has not been taken seriously by many in India because most of the followers of Sage Sankara are religious orthodox.+

Sage Sankara was an independent thinker. Sage Sankara's wisdom has not been taken seriously by many in India because most of the followers of Sage Sankara are religious orthodox.

It is that philosophy in India was for centuries more an exposition of the ancient classics than the independent thought of individual thinkers, as in ancient Greece or modern Europe and America.

Sage Sankara and Sage Goudpada are independent thinkers; other schools of Indian philosophy are mere theologies. Advaitic wisdom is the only tool to unfold the mystery of the ‘I'. The dualistic philosophy cannot escape the charge of dogmatism.

Intelligence and thought do not apply to Advaitism; intelligence and thought are based on a false ‘Self’ (waking entity) within the false experience (waking).

The whole Advaitic philosophy is an attempt to transcend the limitations of intelligence and thought.

The two points of view, A Gnani is not cut off from the experience of practical life within the practical world because Advaitic truth is neither realism nor idealism; it is beyond both of these.

Sage Sankara said: - Talk as much philosophy as you like, worship as many Gods as you please, observe ceremonies, and sing devotional hymns, but the liberation will never come, even after a hundred aeons, without realizing the Oneness.

The Advaitic wisdom does not begin with the ultimate truth. The ultimate truth has to be proved, not assumed. Hence, so-called philosophers who take Brahman for granted are not philosophers at all.

Lots of Advaitin scholars will teach that all is yourself, but none of them can show that this is so, none has analyzed it scientifically, and none can prove it. The rational proof is required so that one arrives at knowing the ultimate truth or Brahman, i.e., Gnana.

Theirs is mere dogma, parrotism, repetition of what they read in scripture. Authoritarianism merely assumes as true what another says, but what has yet to be proved.

Sage Sankara endeavored to establish the Vedic religion, overthrowing Buddhism. But even he was not able to avoid the influence of Buddhism. The influence of the revolutionary atmosphere of Buddhism has reappeared in the Advaita of Sage Sankara. His inability to revive the Vedic religion that flourished before the Buddhist revolution in its pure form is discernible.

Sage Sankara gave out what was of most use to the greatest number of people. Therefore, in the commentaries on the Upanishads, such as the famous Manduka Upanishad, he gave the highest non-dual message of the identity of Atman and Brahman, revitalizing the philosophy and practice of Advaita, while in the commentaries on the Brahmasūtra he gave lesser teaching, positing both higher and lower Maya and higher and lower Brahman (Ishvara) to explain creation for those of lesser intellects until they were ready for the highest truth.

Only through Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana, negation of duality is possible. The Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, is the ultimate truth, or Brahman or God in truth.

Consciousness is the cause of the origin, maintenance, and withdrawal of the universe is Advaita (i.e., non-dual), which means that consciousness transcends all conceptions, positive and negative. Nothing positive can ever be imagined or said about it.

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Consciousness is the existence absolute, awareness absolute. The existence of absolute means that consciousness is not unreal or non-existent. And it is not unconsciousness. Nothing positive can be stated about consciousness.

The nature of the invisible Soul, the Self, is the non-dualistic silence. Non-dualistic silence is like a deep sleep state. The silence indicates that the nature of the invisible Soul, the Self, is inexplicable, indescribable, and unimaginable. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Advaitic wisdom is for those who have begun to realize that things are not what they seem.+

The seeker must have the courage of Buddha to accept the truth and reject the untruth. Since Buddha rejected religion, the idea of God, and scriptures, therefore, it is evident that he has gone through every aspect and verified and found them to be inadequate and useless for the pursuit of truth.

Even Buddhism is mixed up with regional culture and traditions of the local religion, wherever it exists. Thus, getting the full essence of Buddhism is very difficult.

The scriptures are for the ignorant masses, who wholly accept the material world as it presents itself. Advaitic wisdom is for those who have begun to realize that things are not what they seem.

The seeker should take to Soul-centric reasoning and discriminate between dual and non-dual experiences to realize ‘what the truth?’ is and ‘what is untruth?’.

The seeker who has an intense urge to know the truth and sharp grasping, skills in understanding and assimilating without the scriptures, the one who has got these characteristics, is the fit recipient of the ‘Self’- knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

A Gnani is certain; he does not need any authority to support or confirm. A Gnani does not require scripture. Gnanis quote the verified citation of scriptures or Sages of the past just to inspire the seekers who hold scriptures are the ultimate authority to show that the scriptures or Sages are saying the same thing.

People who have not become firm in their power of reason quote someone else as authority to support their reasoning because they do not have the fullest confidence in their own powers. To appeal to others' views indicates his reasoning is incomplete. Thus, the seeker has to do his homework independently.

The first requirement in the pursuit of truth is that the seeker must not tell a lie.” What he likes in practical life is not concerned with. The seeker must keep his intuitions and instincts at a distance and stick to known facts.

Sharpness to grasp the truth is necessary for the pursuit of truth. By merely hearing the truth mentioned, they will grasp it. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar 

'I' is present in the form of the mind. The mind appears as the universe.+

Chandogya Upanishad: - One who meditates upon and realizes the 'Self' discovers that everything in the cosmos-- energy and space, fire and water, name and form, birth and death, mind and will, word and deed, mantram and meditation--all come from the Self.

The ‘I’ hides the truth of the whole. The realization of ultimate truth or Brahman is possible only when the seeker inquiries into the nature of the ‘I’.

 'I' is present in the form of the mind. The mind appears as the universe.

There was no mind in deep sleep. As soon as waking takes place the mind appears. The mind is present in the form of the universe. 

The universe appears as the waking or dream. The waking is a parallel dream, and the dream is a parallel dream.

The man – confronts the universe in the waking or in a dream. The waking or the dream appears as a whole and disappears as a whole. 

To examine it closely, one has to analyze the three states and mentally trace the witness of the three states. The witness of the three states is formless and apart. The witness is hidden within the three states as their formless substance and it is apart from the three states as their formless witness.

The witness is the invisible Soul, the  Self. The invisible Soul, the  Self is present in the form of consciousness. In the realm of truth, the formless substance and witness are one in essence. That essence is consciousness. 

Thus, there is no second thing other than consciousness. Thus, consciousness alone is real and the universe is merely an illusion created out of consciousness.

The universe (mind), which appears and disappears, is only form and shape is created out of consciousness and nothing else. Consciousness alone is positive proof.

From the standpoint of the invisible Soul, the Self, one becomes aware of the falsity of this mind (universe), which is a mere appearance. 

The one which appears as the mind (universe) and disappears as no mind (Soul) is consciousness alone. Therefore, the mind and Soul are one in essence.

The mental analysis shows that, the existence of the formless witness, which witnesses the coming and going, of the three states without a break. 

On deeper analysis, is found to be that changeless, Soul or consciousness itself. : ~Santthosh Kumaar

Meditation is not focusing attention on the ‘I’, but focusing on the invisible Soul, the Self, which is the cause of the 'I'. +

People dip into meditation, but they do not understand that that is only one-half of the truth and that this dipping is also a mental discipline for them to understand the true nature of the external universe, which understanding they must next get if they are to become a Gnani.

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 another type of meditation.*

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

Ashtavakra says: - "This is your bondage, that you practice Samadhi or meditation.”

Meditation on an object is not helpful. The seeker must learn to realize that the subject and object are one. In meditating on an object, you are destroying that sense of oneness and creating duality. 

Remember:~

Meditation is not focusing attention on the ‘I’, but focusing on the invisible Soul, the Self, which is the cause of 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 ‘I’.

Only in ignorance there is conflict. There is no conflict in the nondual nature of the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

The invisible Soul is ever free and is totally free from conflict.

All the conflicts belong to the dualistic illusion.

Ignorance is the cause of form, time, and space; without ignorance, there is no division of form, time, and space in consciousness.

The nature of the ‘Self’ is the fullness of consciousness, without the illusory division of consciousness.

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

Advaitic truth of the whole, not a part, was declared by Sage Sankara 1200 years ago and imparted only to those of higher intellect who are receptive.+

Existence is nondual. Nonduality cannot be described through words, for all uses of language fail to express it. Nonduality is sought to be indicated mentally negation of duality (all attributes and characteristics).

If people have believed false Gods propagated by religion over millions of years, the length of time does not prove it is God in truth.

Sage Sankara says:~ How can the talk of diversity, dvaita, apply to the Supreme Reality, which is one and homogeneous, Advaita? Who has ever observed diversity, dvaita, in the unmixed bliss of the state of profound sleep?

Advaitic Gnana here is knowledge uncontradictable truth or scientific truth. This Advaitic truth of the whole, not a part, was declared by Sage Sankara 1200 years ago and imparted only to those of higher intellect who are receptive.

Karma and Upasana, yoga, and orthodoxy have to be bifurcated in order to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman.

That is why Sage Sankara indicated in Bhaja Govindam says: ~ (Jnana Viheena Sarva Mathena Bajathi na Muktim janma Shatena) - One without knowledge does not obtain liberation even in a hundred births, no matter which religious faith he follows.

Then it is no use going a roundabout way, trace the Brahman, which is the formless substance, and witness of the universe, which is in the form of the mind.

By tracing the source of the mind or the universe, one will be able to realize the Brahman.

Self-knowledge is meant only for those who have an intense urge and the courage to accept the truth with humility and reject the untruth. Since people start comparing their scriptural knowledge, it becomes impossible to assimilate and realize the non-dual truth. Therefore, there is no need to convince anyone other than our own selves to get a firm conviction. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Consciousness is everything. Consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman, or God in truth.+

Do not search for solitude in the world in which you exist. The solitude is hidden by the world in which you exist. Solitude is the nature of the invisible Soul, the Self.

When you realize the Self is not you, but the Self is the invisible Soul, then the formless, timeless, and spaceless solitude reveals itself.

You are afraid to realize the truth of true existence because you fear losing the world in which you exist. The world in which you exist will not disappear when Advaitic wisdom dawns.

It is always present, but the unreal nature of the world in which you exist is exposed.

You will be able to observe the invisible Soul, the Self, as it is in the midst of the world in which you exist.

There is no second thing to exist other than the invisible Soul because you and the world in which you exist are nothing but an illusion created out of the invisible Soul, the Self, which is present in the form of consciousness.

The illusion has no value. You and the world in which you exist are the illusory nature of the invisible Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Mentally reduce you and the world in which you exist into consciousness by realizing that you and the world in which you exist are nothing but an illusion created out of consciousness.

There is no reason behind the illusion! From the ultimate standpoint, there is no illusion at all! Everything is nothing but consciousness.

Whatever you have seen, known, believed, and experienced as a person within the world in which you exist is bound to be an illusion created out of consciousness.

Thus, the invisible and unborn 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. Consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman, or God in truth.

Remember:~ If one feels the ecstatic or exalted peace in the presence of a Yogi or Godmen is not wisdom.

Troubled people, unhappy in their life, probably over health, wealth, or women, find solitude at Ashrams, pilgrimages, and temples because there is an uneasy disturbance of the mind; they find peace because their attention is diverted from the present problem temporarily. They had no peace of mind, but the Ashram, pilgrimages, and temples cured it for the time.

By visiting the ashrams, pilgrimages, and temples, one gets dualistic peace.

The dualistic peace is not permanent like the Atmic peace. It merely indicates the state of mind possessed on arrival at Ashram pilgrimages and temples.

There was no permanent cure, however, without Advaitic Gnana. Visiting Ashram, pilgrimages, and temples will not help one eliminate ignorance.

Without getting rid of ignorance, the present life will be experienced as a reality.

When wisdom dawns, the world in which we exist becomes unreal. In the same way as the dream becomes unreal when waking takes place.

Thus, when you become Soulcentric, the present life becomes a passing show. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar 

The seeker has to independently strive to realize the truth, which is hidden by ignorance.+

There is no need to condemn any Gurus or their teaching, but for those who are seeking truth nothing but the truth, this Gurudom business becomes a great hindrance to the truth they are seeking for.

The seeker has to independently strive to realize the truth, which is hidden by ignorance.

Swami Vivekananda: ~ “The wicked are always looking for defects. Flies come and seek the ulcer, and bees come only for the honey in the flower. Do not follow the way of the fly but that of the bee.

The Advaitic wisdom is not suited for the unsettled mind, which is stuck to religion, yoga, and all non-~Vedic worship and activities. There is no use in convincing such a mindset.

Everyone is free to move on their chosen path. The ignorant (unsettled mind) will not be able to grasp the esoteric truth, which is beyond form, time, and space. There is no use in convincing the unsettled mind because they are unfit to tread the Atmic path.

Bhagavan Buddha: ~ “There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth: not going all the way... and not starting.

That is why Bhagavan Buddha said: ~ “Believe nothing just because a so-called wise person said it. Believe nothing just because a belief is generally held. Believe nothing just because it is said in ancient books. Believe nothing just because it is said to be of divine origin. Believe nothing just because someone else believes it. Believe only what you, yourself, test and judge to be true.

The goal of the truth-seeker is to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana, is inherent in every seeker of truth.

Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana does not come from outside; it is hidden within the world in which we exist.

Self-knowledge cannot be attained by the study of the scriptures and intellectual understanding or by bookish knowledge. There is no use in studying the scriptures and other scriptures to acquire non-dual wisdom.

That is why Bhagavan Buddha rejected the scriptures, and even Sage Sankara indicated that the ultimate truth lies beyond religion, the concept of God, and the scriptures.

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. Thus, Bhagavan Buddha got enlightenment only after he gave up Yoga. (Page.70/71 "Buddhism In Translation” by Warren)

Unless one exercises his Buddhi--reason--there is no chance of getting the ultimate truth or Brahman.

Bhagavan Buddha: ~ “We live in illusion and the appearance of things. There is a reality. We are that reality.

When you understand this, you see that you are nothing, and being nothing, you are everything. That is all.

The invisible Soul is the universe because the universe is an illusion created out of the invisible Soul, the Self.

The physical Guru and the disciple are part of that illusion. The invisible Soul is within the dualistic, but it is apart from the dualistic illusion.

The invisible Soul is within the dualistic illusion neither as an entity nor as an identity nor as a thing but it is the formless substance of the dualistic illusion and it is apart because it is the formless witness of the dualistic illusion.

The dualistic illusion is present in the form of the ‘I’, perfect understanding of ‘what is what' is needed, not the Guru or the Guru's teaching.

Advaita is not any type of teaching or philosophy. Advaita is the knowledge of your true existence. Advaita is the invisible Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. Advaita is the ultimate reality, Brahman, or God in truth.

That is why Sage Sankara said:~ Talk as much philosophy as you like, worship as many Gods as you please, observe ceremonies, and sing devotional hymns, but liberation will never come, even after a hundred aeons, without realizing the Oneness.

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

By sticking to any physical Guru, or by identifying yourself with any Guru’s disciple, your spiritual journey is incomplete.

Sticking to physical Guru is sticking to ignorance. If you hold yourself as a follower or disciple of a Guru, then you are stuck by accepting the dualistic illusion as a reality.

The seeker's main aim is to transcend dualistic illusion into Advaitic reality. The dualistic illusion is created out of single stuff. That single stuff is invisible Soul, which is the Spirit or consciousness. The knowledge of the invisible Soul is Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

Thus, by sticking to the Guru, you will not be able to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. Come out of the old, outdated idea of having a Guru.

Identifying as a Guru or some Guru’s disciple keeps one in the cage of ignorance. A person who identifies himself as a Guru or disciple will never be able to get Advaitic Gnana.

The Guru and disciple, and the world in which Guru and disciple exist, are created out of a single stuff. That single stuff is consciousness. Consciousness is the ultimate truth of Brahman.

Ashtavakra Samhita: ~ "The man of knowledge (Gnani), though living like an ordinary man, is contrary to him, and only those like him understand his state. A Gnani can point at the sky, but the seeing of the star is the seeker's own work.

The truth-seeker seeks only truth. The inner Sage will guide you with love. Your sincerity and seriousness lead you to your inner core. The sincere and serious seekers are not excluded.

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 stick to a Guru who is not a Gnani and whose teaching is not Advaitic Gnana.

That is why Swami Vivekananda 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.”

Swami Vivekananda: ~Jñāna Yoga is divided into three parts. First: hearing the truth--that the Atman is the only reality and that everything else is Maya. Second: reasoning upon this philosophy from all points of view. Third: giving up all further argumentation and realizing the truth. This realization comes from being certain that Brahman is real and everything else is unreal.

Yogis and Gurus are not Gods.

This idea of worshiping the Guru as God is not a Vedic idea but was adopted from Jainism and Buddhism.

Vedas bars human worship: ~

Yajur Veda:~"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.)

Then 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. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar