You cannot destroy the mind because the universe in which you exist itself is the mind.+

Sage Goudpada: ~ To establish the truth of Non-duality by sheer reasoning alone. He begins by defining "What is real?" "What is unreal?" etc, because that is the right way to understand and assimilate. (Manduka Karika)

How to destroy the mind?

You cannot destroy the mind because the universe in which you exist is the mind.

How to destroy the ego?

You cannot get rid of the ego because you are the ego. You and the world in which you exist cease to exist without the ego.

You, ego, and the world in which you exist are created out of a single clay. That single clay is consciousness. Knowledge of the single clay is Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

Ignorance is the cause of experiencing the world in which you exist as a reality. Only through Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana, the ignorance vanishes.

Perfect understanding and realization of ‘what is what’ helps you to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

The world in which you exist will not disappear, but the unreal nature of the world in which we exist is exposed by realizing that the world in which we exist is merely an illusion created out of the invisible Soul, the Self. The invisible Soul is present in the form of consciousness.

Thus, the invisible Soul alone is real, and the world in which we exist is a dualistic illusion is a superimposition of consciousness. Thus, the world in which we exist is nothing but consciousness.

The person within the dualistic illusion recognizes his body as the body, his ego as the ego, his experience of the world as the world; he is unaware that he is the product of ignorance.

Once the ignorance vanishes through the wisdom, then the body will not remain as a body, the ego will not remain as the ego, the world will not remain as the world, because everything merges into the substance from which they are created. That substance is the invisible Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. Consciousness is the ultimate reality or Brahman, or god in truth.

It is necessary to drop all accumulated knowledge that is blocking our realization. A perfect understanding and realization of ‘what is what’, leads to Advaitic awareness. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Bhagavad Gita Krishna says: ~It is only one amongst thousands of people who strive for spiritual salvation. +

Bhagavad Gita Krishna says: ~It is only one amongst thousands of people who strive for spiritual salvation. Even amongst such seekers, it is only the rare person who gets to know Self  correctly.’ (7.3) 

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 by the illusory world in which we exist. 

Realize with firm conviction that the Self is not you, but the Self is the invisible Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Right here and right in this very life, if you realize with firm conviction that 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, which is present in the form of consciousness.

To realize the Self is not you but the invisible  Soul profits much rather than searching for the truth in an external world, moving from one ashram to another, and one Guru to another, and one mountain to another.

To realize the Self is not you, but the Self is the invisible Soul, there is no need for a Guru, there is no need to study scriptures, there is no need to go to the mountain, there is no need for the Guru's blessing or grace. There is no need to waste your fortune and the precious time of your life. There is no need to follow anyone.

If you have an intense urge and are ready to drop all your accumulated knowledge and start afresh, then you are fit and ready to take this mental journey.

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.

So-called spiritual paths are useless unless they cause us to seek the truth of our true existence. 

All controversies about creation, the nature of the universe, evolution, the purpose of God, etc., are useless in 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.

Throw the mental garbage and start now.

Swami Vivekananda: This bending the knee to superstitions, this selling yourself, to your own mind, does not befit you, the  Soul. The self is infinite, deathless, and birthless. Because the Self is infinite Spirit, it does not befit you to be a slave. ... Arise! Awake!

Sage Sankara said: ~ Neither by the practice of yoga nor philosophy, nor by good works nor by learning, does liberation come, but only through the realization that Atman and Brahman are one in no other way. (1) Vivekachoodamani v 56, pg 25

Why are you waiting? Conquer the truth on your own, independently. That is what the Sages of truth want you to do. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar 

Unless religion is discarded, wars and violence, terrorism, humanity will suffer.+

Religion and the caste system are causes of concern to humanity. The wars and violence, and terrorism are going on in the name of God and religion. Unless religion is discarded, wars and violence, terrorism, humanity will suffer.

Unless and until all the governments of the world give up the manufacturing of weapons of mass destruction and educate people about the falsity of their religion and the idea of a religious God, it is impossible to stop the wars and violence, terrorism going on in the name of God and religion.

Democracy has to be secular. Secular means free from religious interference in administration. Religious laws and religious sentiments were kept away from the democratic setup.

Religion has to be replaced by spirituality. The Advaitic wisdom of Sage Sankara is pure Spirituality.

Advaitic wisdom of Sage Sankara has nothing to do with any religion or caste, or sect, because it is universal.

Sage Sankara’s Advaitic wisdom will one day replace all the religions of the world because Advaitic wisdom is the knowledge of God in truth.

Sage Sankara’s Advaitic wisdom brings universal brotherhood and unity in diversity.

Until Sage Sankara’s Advaitic wisdom is propagated effectively, many generations will suffer violence, wars, and terrorism, which is going on in the name of religion and God.

Sage Sankara’s Advaitic wisdom is the power that can lead to universal peace and brotherhood.

Remember:~

Although all religious followers are participants alike in the spiritual endeavor of the world, overzealous followers of each religion are not prepared to accord equal status to other faiths and assert the superiority of their own.

Universal brotherhood is a total impossibility because it is difficult to accept anything other than their inherited belief system.

Most of the pundits are egoic, and they try to snub others who question them. They think they are the unquestionable authority. They quote the citation from the scriptures as proof without verifying the validity.

All punditry is a great obstacle in realizing the Advaitic truth expounded by the Sage Sankara and Sage Goudapada.

The foreign disciple comes to India to study scriptures and write great books to feed the seeking crowd, but all this bookish knowledge of ornamental worlds can satisfy only the emotions and feelings. The truth is beyond emotions and feelings.

The religious path is the emotional path, and it is for worldly people. Considering the traditional path as the path of truth is a great mistake.

There is no need to condemn the traditional paths, but seekers of truth have to realize the fact that they are not the means for Self-Realization. It is necessary to realize that a traditional path that is based on scriptural authority cannot transport the seeker to their non-dual destination as declared by the Upanishads.

Self-realization cannot be bought in the spiritual supermarket because truth cannot be patented as individual property. After all, it is universal.

If one is seeking non-dual or Advaitic truth, he need not go anywhere because it is within his mind and it is without his mind. A perfect understanding is necessary to assimilate and realize it. ~Santthosh Kumaar

The waking becomes deep sleep and deep sleep become a dream but the Soul, the ‘Self’ remains unaffected witnessing the illusory passing show.+

The waking state becomes deep sleep and deep sleep become a dream, but the invisible Soul, the Self, remains unaffected witnessing the illusory passing show.

You are not the witness because you are not the Self. The invisible  Soul is the witness of the ‘I’, which appears and disappears.

Do not make the mistake and say ‘I AM THIS' or 'I AM THAT' without knowing what this ‘I’ is in actuality.

However many books you read. However many gurus you follow, However, many Gods you worship what good will they do you if you do not realize that the Self is not you but the invisible Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

You have to drop all your accumulated knowledge accumulated from different sources as inadequate and useless.

You will realize the truth hidden by ignorance only after you drop your accumulated knowledge, which is blocking your realization of the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space.

The Advaitic truth has to be proved not assumed. The gurus of the East and West have not proved Sage Sankara’s Advaitic truth because their knowledge of Advaita is based on the dualistic perspective. 

Seekers of truth have to realize how this practical life within the practical world is unreal. And on ‘what standpoint it is unreal.

It is foolish to cling to the unreality because the reality is hidden by the unreality. The people have stuck by the reality of the world and they stop there.

Only when we independently search the truth without religion, yoga, and its doctrine then we will be able to realize the truth beyond form, time, and space.

Unless you exercise your reason (Buddhi) -there is no chance of getting the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Psychology is limited to individuality, and it will not help to unfold the mystery of the universe.+

People demand proof, but they are unaware that their own existence is dependent on the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

The onus is on them to prove that the world in which they exist exists without consciousness.

Scientists now conclude that you are not the brain (body). Consciousness requires the joint operation of the brain, body, and the world. "You are not your brain. The brain, rather, is part of what you are."

Max Planck - The father of quantum physics says:~ Science has no answer to it. Science cannot solve the ultimate mystery of nature.

And that is because, in the last analysis, we ourselves are part of the mystery that we are trying to solve.

Remember:~

Thoughts are also objects because it is part of the objective universe. The thoughts will not rise without the form, which is an object. Whether the objects are there or not, consciousness will always be there, even in deep sleep.

Psychology is based on the individual. An individual is part and parcel of the illusory universe. Psychology is limited to individuality, and it will not help to unfold the mystery of the universe.

,

Psychologists say that if the object is not there to draw one's attention, then there is no consciousness. The latter, therefore, insists on consciousness being a relation between one who is aware and an object of which he is aware. It is obvious that we differ in the meaning of the term consciousness.

Ultimate truth means the knowledge of the non-relation, and the relation, whereas psychology, as well as in religious or pseudo-Vedanta Consciousness, is only witnessing.

Psychologists have analyzed as far as the subject-object relation, i.e., the mind plus object equals the consciousness, and then stopped. But they have to analyze still further in the direction of noting that all objects are constantly changing, an illusion, which implies that there is a constant standard of reference, something that notes the changes because it remains unchanged itself. That something is consciousness.

The idea of change presupposes the existence of something unchanging. How does one distinguish this change from changelessness? By what means does one have to know that change has occurred? There is, there must be a changeless knower of the ever-changing; whilst all changes, the consciousness remains unchanged.

Thoughts are arising within the mirage and pass away every moment. Every object is an idea within the dualistic illusion. Hence, every object has no more value than that of thought because both are part of the dualistic illusion.

The moment is time. Time creates division in consciousness (Soul), which is the Self. The past, present, and future exist within the myth, and so also this and that.

Therefore, Self-Realization is necessary to know what truth is and what the untruth is: ~ Santthosh Kumaar 

Prohibition of Idol Worship in the Vedas and Upanishads +

Prohibition of Idol Worship in the Vedas and Upanishads

Svetasvatara Upanishad: ~ There is no likeness of God in truth" (Chapter 4, Verse 19)

Svetasvatara Upanishad: ~ God in truth cannot be seen, No one can see God in truth with the eyes" (Chapter 4, Verse 20)

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.

Prohibition of idol worship in Yajurveda: ~

Yajur Veda – chapter- 32:~ God is the Supreme Spirit, has no ‘Pratima’ (idol) or material shape. God cannot be seen directly by anyone. God pervades all beings and all directions.

Yajurveda: ~ There is no image of God in truth. God in truth is unborn and eternal. (Chapter 32, Verse 3)

Yajurveda: ~ God in truth is nondual and pure."

Yajurveda: ~ "They are entering darkness, those who worship the natural things (like air, water, fire, etc.), they are sinking more in darkness who worship created things." (Chapter 40, Verse 9)

Thus, Idolatry does not find any support from the Vedas.

Yajur Veda – chapter- 32:~ God is the Supreme Spirit, has no ‘Pratima’ (idol) or material shape. God cannot be seen directly by anyone. God pervades all beings and all directions.

Yajurveda: ~ There is no image of God in truth. God in truth is unborn and eternal. (Chapter 32, Verse 3)

Yajurveda: ~ God in truth is nondual and pure."

Yajurveda: ~ "They are entering darkness, those who worship the natural things (like air, water, fire, etc.), they are sinking more in darkness who worship created things." (Chapter 40, Verse 9)

Thus, Idolatry does not find any support from the Vedas.

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

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).

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad:~ "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)

Swami Vivekananda: ~ “The masses in India cry to sixty million gods, and still die like dogs. Where are these gods?

Kabir: ~ “There is nothing but water in the holy pools. I know, I have been swimming there. All the Gods sculpted of wood or ivory can’t say a word. I know, I have been crying out to them. The Sacred Books of the East are nothing but words. I looked through their covers one day sideways. What Kabir talks of is only what he has lived through. If you have not lived through something, it is not true:~Santthosh Kumaar

In respect to this, what does Bhagavad Gita say about idol worship?+

With respect to this, what does the Bhagavad Gita say about idol worship?

About the impersonal mode of worship, the Bhagavad Gita says that the progress for those who worship the “unmanifest” is very troublesome and hard. They have to undergo severe tests and austerities, whereas one who worships Krishna's form makes progress very easily and naturally.

Similarly, why do we worship idols? Why do people worship idols when they know there's a true God who created them? People who ”worship idols" believe that they are worshipping their God, not an object, whether they believe that God is present in that object or that the graven image is a focal point for their worship.

In this regard, what do Hindus say about idol worship?

Idol actually means the statue of Inspiration, spirituality, and true faith. The Hindus who worship idols are actually worshiping god's divine form. Hindus concentrate on the Faith that imagining god's form enlightens spirituality in us. These are just ways of remembering one's form to describe his glorious personality.

How did idol worship start in Hinduism?

It probably started long after the Greeks and Indians came into contact with each other. Greeks worshiped their Gods and Goddesses' likenesses in stone. The cultural interaction between the Greeks and Indians brought the concept of idol worship.

With respect to this, what does the Bhagavad Gita say about idol worship?

About the impersonal mode of worship, the Bhagavad Gita says that the progress for those who worship the “unmanifest” is very troublesome and hard. They have to undergo severe tests and austerities, whereas one who worships Krishna's form makes progress very easily and naturally.

Similarly, why do we worship idols? Why do people worship idols when they know there's a true God who created them? People who ”worship idols" believe that they are worshipping their God, not an object, whether they believe that God is present in that object or that the graven image is a focal point for their worship.

In this regard, what do Hindus say about idol worship?

Idol actually means the statue of Inspiration, spirituality, and true faith. The Hindus who worship idols are actually worshiping god's divine form. Hindus concentrate on the Faith that imagining god's form enlightens spirituality in us. These are just the ways of remembering one's form to describe his glorious personality.

How did idol worship start in Hinduism?

It probably started long after the Greeks and Indians came into contact with each other. Greeks worshiped their Gods and Goddesses likeness of stone. The cultural interaction between the Greeks and Indians brought the concept of idol worship.

Bhagavad Gita: - All those whose intelligence has been stolen by material desires worship many gods. (7- Verse -20)

Bhagavad Gita: 7: 19:~ "Such a man who has attained Self-knowledge, realized Atman, which is the Self, is God in truth. Atman alone exists~ everything is Atman, there exists nothing except Atman.

Remember:~

The Vedas confirm God is Atman (Spirit), the Self. Thus, reject the Puranas and believe in the Vedas. The Puranas are just a myth.

The Essence of Vedas:~ if you want to know God is in truth, then accept Athma as God and reject all other Gods.

The Vedas do not talk about idol worship; the followers of the Vedic Religion or Santana Dharma never worshipped idols.

Thus, all the Puranic Gods, which are of the form and attributes, are not Vedic Gods.

Temple worship was not of the Vedic religion. Vedic religion or Santana Dharma is the world's oldest religion.

All the idol worship and temple worship were introduced by different saints and different founders of the sect, propagating as their final authority. Hindus do idol worship, while the Vedas bar idol worship.

The Yajurveda – Chapter- 32:~ God is the Supreme Spirit has no ‘Pratima’ (idol) or material shape. God cannot be seen directly by anyone. God pervades all beings and all directions.

Thus, Idolatry does not find any support from the Vedas.

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

When the Upanishads and Vedas declare that “God is in the form of the Athma, and it is indeed Athma itself,” then why accept another God in place of the Atman or worship other than the Atman?

anything

Yajur Veda indicates that: ~ They sink deeper in darkness those who worship sambhuti. (Sambhuti means created things, for example, table, chair, idol, etc. - (Yajurved 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."- (Yajur Veda 40:9.)

The Vedas do not talk about idol worship. In fact, till about 2000 years ago, followers of Vedism never worshipped 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, in i.e., Atman or soul, but Hinduism indulges in worshiping 60 million Gods. All these 60 million Gods are non-Vedic Gods based on the beliefs.

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

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)

Rig-Veda 1-164-46 and Y.V 32-1 clearly mention that God is “One”.

Rig Veda declares God is ‘ONE’ and God is Atman, then why believe and worship in place of the real God?

Brihad Upanishad: ~ “If you think there is another entity, whether man or God, there is no truth."

Chandogya Upanishad says: ~ Sarvam khalvidam Brahma ~ All this (universe) is verily Brahman. By following back all of the relative appearances in the world, we eventually return to that from which it is all manifest – the non-dual reality. :~Santthosh Kumaar