Sage Sankara endeavored towards establishing the Vedic religion, overthrowing Buddhism. +

Sage Sankara endeavored towards establishing the Vedic religion, overthrowing Buddhism. However, even he was unable to escape 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.

As one peeps into the annals of religious history, he finds that Hinduism, which exists today, is not a continuation of the Vedic religion or Santana Dharma, and it has no real historical foundation. Hinduism is of a much later origin.

As per the researchers, the two faiths, the Hindu belief system, have drifted miles away from the Vedic faith so that the two seem to be two distinct faiths. It is not difficult to discover that there is no noticeable continuity of Hinduism from the Vedic religion or the Santana Dharma.

The distinctive characteristics of the Hindu belief system cannot be traced in the Vedic literature. Besides, although the Vedas are revered as sacred texts, there are many people in India who do not know what ‘belief in the Vedas’ means. In most cases, the acquaintance of the Hindus with the Vedas is limited to the few hymns that are recited in temples and household liturgies.

It is for every seeker who is seeking truth must first know what God is supposed to be in actuality according to the Vedas and Upanishads, and reject all non-Vedic Gods, to realize the Atman is the real God.

Bhagavad Gita:~ “All those whose intelligence has been stolen by material desires, they worship many Gods. (7- Verse -20)

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

Thus, it refers to a formless and attributeless God, which is the Atman (Soul), the Self within the false experience. Thus, it indicates clearly that all the Gods with form and attributes are mere imagination based on the false self. Thus, Atman or Soul, the ‘Self’ is God.

The Vedas do not talk about idol worship. In fact, till about 2000 years ago, followers of Vedism never worshiped idols. Idol worship was started by the followers of Buddhism and Jainism. There is logic to idol worship. Vedas speak of one God that is the Supreme Self, i.e., Atman or Soul, but Hinduism indulges in worshiping 60 million Gods.

It indicates clearly that all the Gods with form and attributes are mere imagination based on the false self.

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

A great majority of Hindus are not in contact with their religious history; therefore, they believe their inherited beliefs as the ultimate truth.

Hinduism is not an Ancient Vedic religion or Sanatana Dharma. And all Hindus indulge in non-Vedic practices barred by the Vedas introduced by the different founders of the different sects of Hinduism at different times, whereas the Vedic religion, or Santana Dharma, is ancient and has no founder.

Thus, to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana, the seeker has to realize that his inherited religion is adulterated in the past, and it becomes a great obstacle to realizing the ultimate truth or Brahman.

While they do not accept texts past the Vedas, they are still monists and uphold other Hindu views. In their reformations, they rejected Brahminical control, and they are open to all castes and women.

Hinduism is based on myths and thus, people of Indian are unaware of the facts of their inherited religious history. The Vedic Culture and Vedas are complete in themselves, but Hinduism, which is a non-Vedic belief system with all ritual and conduct-oriented practices, has been largely contributed to by the orthodox priests to suit their convenience!

Supreme Court of India:~ Hinduism, as a religion, incorporates all forms of belief without mandating the selection or elimination of any one single belief. “ It is a religion that has no single founder, no single scripture, and no single set of teachings. It has been described as Santana Dharma, namely, eternal faith, as it is the collective wisdom and inspiration of the centuries that Hinduism seeks to preach and propagate,” ---Hinduism has no single founder or scripture: SC, The Times of India (Delhi) Dec 17, 2015

Hindus are idol worshipers of a large number of Gods and Goddesses, whereas in the Vedas God has been described as:-

Max Müller says: ~ "The religion of the Veda knows no idols; the worship of idols in India is a secondary formation, a degradation of the more primitive worship of idol Gods."

In the Vedas, God has been described as:-

Yajurveda – chapter- 32: - God Supreme or Supreme Spirit has no ‘Pratima’ (idol) or material shape. He cannot be seen directly by anyone. He pervades all beings and all directions. Thus, Idolatry does not find any support from the Vedas.

Rig Veda: ~ The Atman (Soul or Spirit) 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)

The Vedas, as a body of scripture, contain many contradictions, and they are fragmentary in nature. For Hindus, scriptures like the Bhagavad-Gita, Ramayana, Mahabharata, and Puranas are more attractive and appealing than the Vedas. And also the Gods and Goddesses they worship differ considerably from the Vedic ones. The collection of hymns called the Vedas has been written in praise of certain deities by poets over several centuries, and does not seem to have much significance for the Hindus

Yajur Veda says:~

Translation 1

They enter darkness, those who worship natural things (for example, air, water, sun, moon, animals, fire, stone, etc).

They sink deeper in darkness those who worship sambhuti. (Sambhuti means created things, for example, table, chair, idol, etc.) (Yajurveda 40:9)

Translation 2

"Deep into the shade of blinding gloom fall asambhuti's worshippers. They sink to darkness deeper yet who on sambhuti is intent." (Yajurveda Samhita by Ralph T. H. Griffith pg. 538)

Translation 3.

"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.)

So, Yajur Veda indicates that:~

They sink deeper in darkness those who worship sambhuti. (Sambhuti means created things, for example, table, chair, idol, etc (Yajurveda 40:9)

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." (Yajurveda 40:9.)

Then why worship and glorify the non-~Vedic Gods in place of the Vedic God when the 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.

,

God in truth exists prior to form, time, and space. The form, time, and space cease to exist as a reality when wisdom dawns.

Thus, the Gods and Gurus have no place in the domain of the Advaitic reality. Advaita is the nature of the Soul, which is the real God. Thus, Self-realization is the only way to God-realization.

By worshipping the religious Gods and Gurus, one will not get Self-realization or God-realization.

The invisible Soul, the inner Guru, reveals ‘what is real’ and ‘what is unreal” when the seeker is receptive and ready.

The Upanishad says: the human goal is to acquire Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana, and they indicate the personal gods, scriptures, worship, and rituals are not the means to Self–Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana, so why should anyone indulge in it? The religion, concept of individualized god, and scriptures are the greatest obstacles to Self-realization because they are based on the false self.

The seeker of truth has to search for the ultimate truth without losing himself in the labyrinths of philosophy, through deeper inquiry, analysis, and reasoning, and assimilate and realize it.

That is why Sage Sankara, indicated in Bhaja Govindam, says: ~ “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 the witness of the universe. The universe is present in the form of the mind. By tracing the source of the mind (universe), one will be able to realize the Brahman or God.

The Vedas talk about Brahman, which refers to the ultimate truth or ultimate reality. Consciousness is the ultimate truth; therefore, consciousness is Brahman, and Brahman or God in truth.

Vedas do not permit idol worship. All the idols are of the Puranic Gods. Priests are referring to the Puranic Brahma as God; they are ignorant of the God in the Vedas, even though they speak of the Vedas.

Priests do not know who understands the meaning of the Brahman, which is present in the form of consciousness.

The scientists and their invention are based on the physical Self and its experience world as a reality, whereas the truth lies beyond physical existence.

Until Scientists discover the truth beyond form, time, and space, the mystery of the universe will not be unfolded.

Mundaka Upanishad: - The study of the Vedas, linguistics, Rituals, astronomy, and all the arts can be called lower knowledge. The higher is that which leads to Self-realization. The eye cannot see it; the mind cannot grasp it. The deathless Self has neither caste nor race, neither eyes nor ears nor hands nor feet. Sages say this Self is infinite in the great and in the small, everlasting and changeless, the source of life.

The Spirit is the root element of the universe. The Spirit is present in the form of the invisible Soul, the Self. The invisible Soul is present in the form of consciousness.

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

The inherited religion is adulterated in the past becomes a great obstacle to realizing the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth.+

Religion is regarded as sacred and real by the common people, by the wise as false, and by the political class as useful.

If you are a truth seeker, then you must first realize that Hinduism is not the means to realize the truth of Advaita.

If you hold Hinduism as a means to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana, then you will be caught up in the museum of different theories and dogmas and superstitions and non-Vedic beliefs, and myth.

The world’s oldest religion, Sanatana Dharma or the Vedic religion of India, is lost and buried under the different founders of caste and sects. Santana Dharma, or Vedic religion, has nothing to do with a caste and sect-dominated populace.

Sanatana Dharma, or the Vedic religion ancient religion of India that emphasizes Self-realization. The inherited religion that was adulterated in the past becomes a great obstacle to realizing the ultimate truth, or Brahman or God in truth.

A great majority of Hindus are not in contact with their religious history; therefore, they believe their inherited beliefs as the ultimate truth.

Hinduism is not an Ancient Vedic religion or Sanatana Dharma. And all Hindus indulge in non-Vedic practices barred by the Vedas introduced by the different founders of the different sects of Hinduism at different times, whereas the Vedic religion, or Santana Dharma, is ancient and has no founder.

Thus, to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana, the seeker has to realize that his inherited religion is adulterated in the past, and it becomes a great obstacle in realizing the ultimate truth or Brahman.

While they do not accept the texts past the Vedas, they are still monists and uphold other Hindu views. In their reformations, they rejected Brahminical control, and they are open to all castes and women.

Hinduism is based on myths, and thus, the people of India are unaware of the facts of their inherited religious history.

The Vedic Culture and Vedas are complete in themselves, but Hinduism, which is a non-Vedic belief system with all rituals and conduct-oriented practices, has been largely contributed to by the orthodox priests to suit their convenience!

The vast ocean of Vedic religion or Santana Dharma was consistently steady and calm for a very long period. It appears that as a consequence of the rage of the Buddhist revolution, it got suddenly disturbed and flowed down to us in disorder.

Even today, Vedic religion or Santana Dharma has not recovered from the onslaught of Buddhism and Jainism and is not able to settle in people's hearts in its original form in the same old measure.

The Buddhist influence is seen in a great measure in the Vedic philosophy, which is followed by the majority of Indians.

Thus, it is clear that the Vedic religion or Santana Dharma has not retained its original form, but has been influenced by other religions that have undergone a sea change. Thus, the influence of Buddhism on Santana Dharma is extraordinary.

Even Kumarila Bhatta, who fought with great heroism for the revival of the Vedic religion, was so much influenced by Buddhism that he established for the first time in the country, an atheist Vedic religion or Santana Dharma.

There is no room for any doubt to assert that the Kumarila Bhatta School was influenced by atheist Buddhism because the school, which is based on the validity of the Vedas and rituals, refutes the existence of God. :~Santthosh Kumaar

The truth will become clear only when you are able to have the soulcentric vision of the universe.+

Dattatreya's Song of the Avadhut 1.36-42- Non-duality is taught by some; some others teach duality. They don't understand that the all-pervading Reality is beyond both duality and non-duality.

The Gurus who speak of ripeness and effort, of merits and achievements, of destiny and grace, love compassion; all these are fables of the Gurudom.

Only a sentimentally addicted mindset falls into these sentimental traps; instead of helping the seeker to progress, they obstruct.

The truth will become clear only when you can have the soulcentric vision of the universe.

The egocentric vision keeps the invisible Soul, the Self, in the grip of ignorance, and ignorance is the cause of experiencing the dualistic illusion (universe) as a reality.

The ‘I’ is inborn samskara or conditioning. Because of this inborn samskara or conditioning, one has accepted the ‘I’ as the Self; he is ignorant that he has accepted illusion as reality.

The ‘I’ itself is an illusion. And whatever is connected to the ‘I’ is bound to be an illusion. The Self is not an individual because the Self is the invisible Soul is birthless because it is a formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.

The Soul, the Self, is not limited to waking experience alone because it pervades all three states.

Thus, identifying the Self without the form alone is erroneous. The Self is without the illusory form, without time, and without space.

Thoughts have nothing to do with the invisible Soul, the Self, which is an ever-formless, timeless, and spaceless existence, because without form, time, and space, the thought will not be formed.

The thought rises only to the waking entity or dream entity. Without the waking entity or dream entity, the thoughts will not arise.

Deeper self-search reveals that the Self is neither the waking entity nor the Self is dream entity, but the Self is the invisible Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

The invisible Soul, the Self, witnesses the coming and going of the three states. The three states have nothing to do with the Self because they are merely an illusion.

Till one realizes the truth beyond form, time, and space, the duality will prevail as a reality. : : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

There is a need to repeat the same truth again and again until it becomes a reality.+

There is nothing to realize other than realizing the universe in which you exist is nothing but consciousness.

Consciousness alone is real and eternal; the universe is merely an illusion. Consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman, or God in truth.

When you realize you and your experience of the world are made of the single stuff and that single stuff is consciousness with full and firm conviction, then there is unity in diversity in your understanding. There is no second thing that exists other than consciousness.

It is ignorance that creates illusion, and it is the ‘Soul, the Self’ that gets free of it. The words may aggravate ignorance; words may also help dispel it.

There is a need to repeat the same truth again and again until it becomes a reality.

The seeker has to reflect on the nondual nature of the invisible Soul constantly until the conviction of the truth becomes firm. The seeker needs to hear the words of wisdom until he realizes that form, time, and space are one in essence.

It takes time for the seeker to gain the perfect understanding of ‘what is truth’ and ’what is untruth’.

It takes time for the invisible Soul, the Self, to wake up from the sleep of ignorance, and it takes time for one to realize the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space.

The Soul has to wake up from the sleep of ignorance, and then only it is possible to realize that form, time, and space are one in essence. That essence is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

If the form, time, and space are one in essence, then there is no division in consciousness. If there is no division in consciousness, then there is no duality; if there is no duality, then there is unity in diversity.

Ignorance is the cause of experiencing the dualistic illusion as reality. Realizing invisible Soul as the Self leads to Advaitic Self-awareness.

The invisible Soul, the Self, is Absolute Knowledge, which cannot be negated. The nature of the invisible Soul is Advaitic awareness. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

There is nothing to realize other than realizing you and the world in which you exist is created out of the Soul, the Self.+

A Gnani is neither anyone’s guru nor anyone’s disciple. A Gnani respects all the Sages of the past and highlights good points in their teaching, and he also highlights how their wisdom obstacles, which block the realization of the ultimate truth.

A Gnani does not transmit Gnana, but he shares the pointers to realize the truth. These pointers help the seekers to realize the truth that is hidden by ignorance.

There is no need for a guru to know that you and your guru and the world in which you exist are created out of single stuff and that single stuff is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Knowledge of that single stuff is the Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. Gnana is given neither from outside nor from another person.

There is no need to follow anyone. There is no need to practice anything. Perfect understanding and assimilation of ‘what is what’ leads to the realization of the Advaitic truth, which is beyond form, time, and space.

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 a Guru who is not a Gnani?

Sage Sankara says: ~ there is no need to study the Scriptures, to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman

~ then indulge in studying the scriptures?

Sage Sankara says: ~ there is no need to study philosophy, to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman

~then why indulge in studying philosophies?

Sage Sankara says: ~ there is no need to indulge in rituals, to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman

~then indulge in rituals.

Sage Sankara says: ~ there is no need to indulge in yoga, to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman

~then why indulge in yoga?

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

There is nothing to realize other than realizing the fact that you and the world in which you exist are created out of a single stuff and that single stuff is the Soul, the Self. The Soul is present in the form of consciousness.

Thus, you and the world in which you exist are nothing but consciousness. Thus, by realizing this truth, the Soul becomes free from the cage of the illusory form, time, and space. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

These pointers are helping the seekers to think on their own and assimilate the Self- knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.+

To realize the ultimate Truth or Brahman demands deeper thinking and reasoning. For those who require mental spoon feeding, for them, it is difficult to grasp. It is only possible to finger point to the reality and indicate the direction.

It is not possible to make one realize the truth; it is for the seeker to verify on through, Soulcentric reasoning and realize it.

A Gnani can point at the sky, but the seeing of the star is the seeker's own work.

It is necessary to reflect on the same truth again and again till it becomes a reality.

One needs to constantly reflect on the subject until he gets a firm conviction of what is what. Words are needed until one gets a firm conviction of ‘what is what’.

People need to read and hear the words of wisdom to think, reason, and reflect deeply and reach the ultimate end.

It takes time for the seeker to gain the perfect understanding of ‘what is truth’ and ‘’what is untruth’.

It takes time for the invisible Soul, the Self to wake up from the sleep of ignorance, and it takes time for one realizes the truth, which is beyond the form, time, and space

The seekers who will approach with receptiveness as they should be approached may conceivably pause at any time and say, these pointers are helping them to think on their own and assimilate the Self- knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana is a proper and perfect way. : ~Santthosh Kumaar

First, the seeker has to know ‘what is the subject’ and ‘what is the object’.+

First, the seeker has to know ‘what is the subject’ and ‘what is the object’. Deeper Self-search reveals that the world in which we exist is an object to the invisible subject. The invisible subject is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Deeper verification reveals the fact that the object and the subject are one in essence. That essence is consciousness. The object is only an illusion created out of the invisible subject. Thus, in reality, the subject is real and exists eternally.

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 object (three states), observed and experienced. The commoner viewing the object (three states) will see it differently from a Gnani viewing the same three states. Each one interprets the three states that they see in terms of their existing knowledge. The commoner sees everything based on the ego; therefore, object (the world in which he exists 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, the Self, which is present in the form of consciousness (subject).

Thus, all the objective observation has to be bifurcated to realize the ultimate truth, which is beyond form, time, and space. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar