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.

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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

The doctrine of No-Self .+

Look upon the world,” says the Buddha, “as void, having destroyed the view of oneself as really existing, so one may overcome death; the king of death will not see him who thus regards the world.”

The doctrine of No-self means two things:

(i) The Self is an aggregate of impermanent mental and bodily processes;

(ii) The world is unsubstantial and void; it is an aggregate of impermanent qualities devoid of substances.

The Self is impermanent. It is an aggregate. It is a series of successive mental and bodily processes which are imperma­nent. There is no permanent Self. The self is a stream of cognitions (vijanasantana). There is a continuity of constantly changing mental processes in it. Sometimes they are intermittent.

So the self is sometimes compared to sleep and adream. The course of organic life is compared to dreamless sleep, in which consciousness is evoked by external stimuli, which is compared to dream. Conscious processes break in upon the stream of the subconscious processes.

The Self is an aggregate of the body and four kinds of mental processes: feeling, perception, dis­position, and self-consciousness. The body is not permanent. It is an aggregate of vital organs and their functions. It is an aggregate of changing qualities.

The Buddha is emphatic on the denial of the permanent self in the following texts.

‘The world is empty of a self, or of anything of the nature of a self. The five seats of the five senses, and the mind, and the feeling that is related to mind: all these are void of a self or of anything that is Self-like.’ “When one says ‘I’, he refers either to all the aggregates combined or any one of them and deludes himself that that was T. One could not say that the body was T or that the feeling was T- or any other aggregate was ‘I’.

There is nowhere to be found in the aggregates ‘I am’. ‘Since neither Self nor aught belonging to Self can really and truly exist, the view that holds that this I who am world, who am self, shall hereafter live permanent, persisting, eternal, unchang­ing, abide eternally; is not this utterly and entirely a foolish doctrine ?’ ‘This Self of mine is the knower, the enjoyer of the fruits of my good and bad actions: it is eternal and immutable, it will continue for infinite time: this thought is very childish’, ‘The body is not-self j feeling is self; perception is not-self; disposition is not-self; self-conscious­ness is not-self. All dharmas are not-self.

The five aggregates are impermanent. They are not the so-called permanent Self. Belief in a permanent Self is a wrong view of the self (satkayadrsti). The last text does not mean that the Self is eternal and transcendental. It clearly means that the five aggregates constitute the not-self. There is no permanent Self. The Self is an empirical aggregate. There is no Self beyond them. This is the unique and original teaching of the Buddha.

Once, the Buddha kept silent on the existence or non­existence of the Self. The wandering monk Vacchagotta said, “Is there the ego?” Buddha was silent. Again he said, “Is there not the ego?” Still, Buddha kept silent.

When the monk departed, the Buddha said to Ananda that the affirmative answer would lead to externalism (sasvatavada), and that the negative answer would lead to annihilationism (ucchedavada). But both are wrong views.

The ego or Self is not eternal nor is the Self non-existent. If the self is non-existent, there can be no transmigration and reaping of the fruits of actions. The truth lies in the middle of the two extreme views. The phenomenal or empirical self exists.

The doctrine of No-Self means also that the world is unsubstantial and soulless. All external things are aggregates of changing qualities. There is no permanent substance apart from impermanent qualities. The permanent identical substance is a fiction of the imagination. All forms of existence, material and psychical, are impermanent and soulless. They are subject to the inexorable law of becoming. ;`Santthosh Kumaar

 ;`Santthosh Kumaar 

Intellectuals are using dualistic lenses and they think they know the non-dualistic truth. This ‘I know business blocks their realization of Advaita.+

In the context of Advaita Vedanta, ~ Jagat (the world) is not different from Brahman; however, Brahman 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 consciousness. And 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 dedicated himself to acquiring Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana alone.

A scholar is proud that he has accumulated so much knowledge; Gnani is humble that he knows no more.

Sage Sankara was a rationalist philosopher. The orthodoxy projected him as a theologian.

Sage Sankara’s Advaitic wisdom is not even a philosopher's dish cooked to suit exclusively the palate of one particular religion. Advaitic wisdom of Sage Sri, Sankara is like the air and the water, the common food for the whole humanity.

Advaitic wisdom is the Science of the Spirit. If rightly interpreted, Sage Sankara’s Advaitic wisdom is spiritual food for the whole of humanity. The Advaitic wisdom is the universal wisdom par excellence. Advaitic wisdom is not just a not a philosophy, but not a science, but the Science of Truth.

Sage Sankara gave religious, ritual, or dogmatic instruction to the masses but pure philosophy only to the few who could rise to it. Hence, the interpretation of his writings by commentators is often confusing because they mix up the two viewpoints. Thus, they may assert that ritual is a means of realizing Brahman, which is absurd.

The Upanishads declare:~

Mundaka Upanishad 1:2:8:~ “Remaining in the fold of ignorance and thinking 'we are extremely wise and learned,' the fools with boastful nature ramble about like the blind led by the blind alone.”

Mundaka Upanishad 3:2:3:- “The weak and timid cannot realize the Self. Self-realization is not possible through intellect or hearing spiritual discourse. One who welcomes God in every activity, through a thoroughly controlled and disciplined life, to him also the Soul is revealed

Katha Upanishad 1:2:23:~ The Soul cannot be realized through hearing a scholarly explanation of the discourses, not even by the intellect.

Katha Upanishad 1:3:6:~ “Through the knowledge of the Soul God, one is pure and clean constantly.” Neither by reading the books nor by taking a bath at the holy place has one become pure. Inner purity is possible when one remains in constant touch with the Soul. Constant Soul Consciousness is the real purity.

Kena Upanishad 2:4:~ When it is known through every state of cognition, it is rightly known, for (by such knowledge) one attains life eternal. Through one's oneself, one gains power, and through wisdom, one gains immortality.

Kena Upanishad 2:5:~ If here one knows it, then there is the truth, and if here one knows it not, there is a great loss. Hence, seeing the Real in all beings, wise men become immortal on departing from this world.

The scriptures are being added to from time to time. This process will go on. There is no final authority among them? One contradicts the other: duality reigns supreme.

The Upanishads are Self-contradictory. Every pundit even gives conflicting interpretations of them. The final authority, therefore, is using one’s own reason. One should apply their reason to them.

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

The Scriptures are of value only when dealing with persons who are incapable of understanding the Advaitic truth. They have no value as authority for those who use reason.

I quote only verified citations from the scriptures. I need no scriptures, but I quote them to help the seekers realize that the scriptures are saying

People who were not able to mentally digest Advaitic wisdom think that awareness is prior to the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

The invisible Soul or consciousness, or awareness, is one and the same thing. Those who are stuck with their intellectual wealth will never be able to cross the ocean of ignorance.

Intellectuals are using dualistic lenses, and they think they know the non-dualistic truth. This, I know, business blocks their realization of Advaita.

Upanishads:~ Fools dwelling in darkness, but thinking they are wise and erudite, go round and round, by various tortuous paths, like the blind led by the blind. (Upanishads Nikilanada - Ch II-5 P-14)

Nondual Awareness is the nature of the invisible Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

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

Do not believe in a thing because you have read about it in a book. Do not believe in a thing because a wise man has said it was true. Do not believe in words because they are hallowed by dualistic knowledge. Find out the truth for yourself. The seeker has to use Soulcentric reason, which leads to the realization of the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space.

'

Advaitic wisdom can never be gained by argument and provocation. Discard all the accumulated dualistic knowledge by realizing that the world in which you exist exists because of ignorance.

Get rid of ignorance by realizing the world in which you exist is created out of a single clay and that single clay is the invisible Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. Realizing the Self is not you, but the invisible Soul is Self-realization.

The invisible Soul is the cause of the universe, and it itself is uncaused. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

If you mix Advaitic orthodoxy with Advaitic wisdom create confusion, because they mix up the two viewpoints.+

Sage Sankara gave religious, ritual, and dogmatic instruction to the populace, but Advaitic wisdom only to the few who could rise to it.

If you mix Advaitic orthodoxy with Advaitic wisdom create confusion, because they mix up the two viewpoints.

Thus, they may assert that ritual is a means of realizing Brahman, which is absurd.

Indulging in Non-Vedic rituals(Puranic Rituals) in place of Vedic rituals is 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."

Thus, Puranic karmas are not Vedic karmas as per the Yajur Veda.

The Puranic karmas are introduced to suit the mass mindset of that time by the founders of present-day Hinduism, keeping the Vedas as their base. They also introduced a new modified belief system on Puranic Gods with a new code of conduct to revive the Vedic religion, which was in ruins in the hands of Buddhism and Jainism.

Thus, the present-day Hinduism with diverse beliefs is not a pure Vedic religion.

Thus, this hotchpotch ideology is the greatest obstacle to the realization of the ultimate truth. That is why Buddha rejected the Vedas.

Sage Sankara says: ~ 11. As regards the rituals, the person who performs rituals and aspires for rewards will view himself in terms of the caste into which he is born, his age, the stage of his life, his standing in society, etc. In addition, he is required to perform rituals throughout his life. However, the Self has none of those attributes or tags. Hence, the person who superimposes all those attributes on the changeless, eternal Self and identifies Self with the body is confusing one for the other; and is, therefore, an ignorant person. The scriptures dealing with rituals, rewards, etc., are therefore addressed to an ignorant person. (Adhyasa Bhashya)

Sage Sankara says:~ 11.1 ~The scriptures dealing with rituals, rewards, etc., are, therefore, he says, addressed to an ignorant person. (Adhyasa Bhashya)

Sage Sankara:~ 11.2. In short, a person who engages in rituals with the notion “I am an agent, doer, thinker”, according to Sage Sri, Sankara, is ignorant, as his behavior implies a distinct, separate doer/agent/knower; and an object that is to be done/achieved/known. That duality is Avidya, an error that can be removed by Vidya. (Adhyasa Bhashya)

Sage Sankara viewed this as a distortion of the Upanishad ideals. To play down the prominence given to rituals by the Mimamsakas, Sage Sankara relied on the idea of Avidya. He bracketed the ritualistic approach with Avidya and called it an “error”.

Thus, Advaitic orthodoxy has to be discarded to realize the ‘Self’ hidden by the ‘I’, which is ignorance.

Sage Sankara states that wisdom (Vidya) can eliminate ignorance (Avidya), but the ignorance it eliminates is not real, because it has no existence of its own. Once the error is removed, the Brahman (God) will reveal itself of its own accord.

Remember:~

Religious rites and ceremonies, yagnas and homa-havans, or any other forms of ritual, are meant for the ignorant populace. In the Atmic path, the seeker has to discard.

All worship and the ceremonial rituals performed on the base of non-~Vedic Gods will not yield any fruits. Deeper self-search reveals that the worshiper, the worship, and the worshiper and the world are merely an illusion created out of consciousness.

Religious rites and ceremonies, yagnas and homa-havans, or any other forms of ritual formal observance have long since set in.

Sage Sankara says: ~ The scriptures dealing with rituals, rewards are therefore addressed to an ignorant person.

The orthodox Advaitins consider birth, life, death, rebirth, heaven, hell, sin, karma, and the world as a reality, whereas Sage Sankara declares the world in which we exist is merely an illusion. If the world is an illusion, then birth, life, death, rebirth, heaven, hell, sin, karma, and the world are bound to be an illusion.

Without Sage Sankara, there is no Advaita (non-duality). Since it was mixed up with orthodoxy, there is a lot of confusion.

Sage Sankara’s quotes (selected verified) are quoted in my blogs and postings to show what Sage Sankara meant, and what is blocking the seekers from realizing the ultimate truth or Brahman. There are so many non-dualistic masters of the East and also from the West who expound Advaitic or non-dualistic knowledge, but none of them are helpful in reaching the ultimate end.

According to Advaita Vedanta, the Veda addresses itself to two kinds of audiences - the ordinary ones who desire the transitory heaven and other pleasures obtained as a result of ritual sacrifices, and the most advanced seeker who seeks to know Brahman. Thus, the Purva mimam. sa, with its emphasis on the karma kanda of the Vedas, is meant for the first audience, to help lead its followers along the way. However, the Vedanta, with its emphasis on the jnana kanda, is meant for those who wish to go beyond such transient pleasures.

Sage Sankara's commentary to Brahma Sutras (Chap. 3.4.50) shows that the Gnani "should pass through life", not run away from life, and should take a middle course between seeking worldly honor and worldly abasement.

Sage Sankara varied his practical advice and doctrinal teaching according to the people he was amongst. He never advised them to give up their particular religion or beliefs or metaphysics completely; he only told them to give up the worst features of abuse: at the same time, he showed just one step forward towards the truth.

Sage Sankara was extremely precise and careful in his choice of words. Sage Sankara gave religious, ritual, or dogmatic instruction to the masses, but pure philosophy only to the few who could rise to it. Hence, the interpretation of his writings by commentators is often confusing because they mix up the two viewpoints. Thus, they may assert that ritual is a means of realizing Brahman, which is absurd.

Sage Sankara says in the commentary on the Vedanta Sutra that what is accepted without a proper inquiry will not lead a person to the final goal. On the contrary, such acceptance will result only in evil, in something detrimental to our spiritual progress.

Seekers of truth should not believe blindly in traditional orthodox Advaita without verifying all the facts from every angle.

Orthodoxy has nothing to do with spirituality, which is based on the Soul or spirit. One has to reflect through reasoning over and over again without getting tired of the process: ~Santthosh Kumaar