The word Self is a misnomer to indicate Athma. Athma is not you but the cause of the whole universe.+

The word Self is a misnomer to indicate Athma. Athma is not you, but the cause of the whole universe.

Athma is a Sanskrit word. The word Athma has no proper equivalent in English. English translators used the word 'Self' for Athma. Athma means existence. Athma is the ultimate reality or ultimate truth, or Brahman.

All the Gurus of the East and West, however, apply the word Self to the individual. Sages apply it to non-duality. Athma is Brahman. Brahman, or the ultimate truth, is called "That" because it is something not known yet by the seeker.

Brahman ~ “The word Brahman or Sat has no proper equivalent in English. The nearest is the ultimate reality or the ultimate truth.

From the non-dualistic perspective, the words are meaningless. The words are used within the illusory world to indicate the truth, which is hidden by ignorance.

The word Self is not the best word to express because people are attached to the word Self. After all, all the translators used the word Self. The Self really means not you, but the Self means Athma in Adyathma or Spirituality.

Remember this:~

In Sanskrit literature, the word Brahman is philosophically used in the neuter gender as "It." But when the language comes down to religion, the Brahman is referred to as “Him.”

BRAHMAN: Brahman has no equivalent whatever in English, as it has never been thought of in the West. Do not confuse the word "Absolute" with Brahman. "Absolute" is opposed to "relative", whereas Brahman is opposed to nothing, to no second thing.

The Absolute, says Hegel, becomes the universe. This is ignorance from our standpoint. Brahman has not become anything that would involve change.

The best translation, therefore, is "non-duality". It also means the 'non-limited or the 'indescribable.' Brahman is that of which we can form no idea whatever, to which we can ascribe no meaning, and which therefore is beyond the reach of thinking. Hence, there is no Western equivalent word. :~Santthosh Kumaar 

All those whose intelligence has been stolen by an ‘I' know attitude become stagnant in the pond of ignorance.+

All those whose intelligence has been stolen by an ‘I' know attitude become stagnant in the pond of ignorance.

Fools dwelling in darkness but thinking they are wise and erudite, refuse to accept anything other than their accepted truth, and they mislead others. People who accept the ‘I’ based Gurus are like the blind led by the blind.

The seeker has to awaken to the reality of his true existence by realizing the world in which he exists is an illusion created out of the consciousness through Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana, or Atma Gnana.

The seeker must first see the world before him as illusory before he sees his as illusory. When the seeker realizes the world is illusory, then he also realizes his existence within the world is also illusory.

Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana frees the invisible Soul, the Self, from the cage of the dualistic illusion.

To attain truth realization, studying the Advaita Vedanta is not necessary. You want fresh water to drink, but you do not require all the water of the river to quench your thirst. : :~Santthosh Kumaar

Theology is based on imagination; scholasticism upon logic.+

In the Brahma Sutras, Sage Sankara takes for granted and assumes that a world was created; He there mixes dogmatic theology with philosophy.

That God created the world is an absolute lie; nevertheless, you will find Sage Sankara (in his commentary on the Vedanta Sutras) clearly says this! He has to adapt his teachings to his audience, reserving the highest for philosophical minds.

The text of the Brahma Sutras is based on religion and dogmatism, but in the commentary, Sage Sankara cleverly introduced some philosophy. It is objected that many Upanishads are equally dogmatic because they also begin by assuming Brahman, but a few Upanishads do not, but prove Brahman at the end of a train of proof.

The causality and creation are for religious people only. Religion is only for those who are unable to understand the truth beyond form, time, and space. Religion is not final. It only gives satisfaction to the populace. Self-knowledge is for the whole of humanity to free them from experiencing birth, life, death, and the world as reality.

People of small intelligence follow religion and believe that the world was created by God. But how do they know that He did so? When a pot is created, one can see both the pot and its maker, but not in the case of the world.

Remember:~

Theology is based on imagination; scholasticism upon logic. The Advaitic truth can be obtained only through soulcentric reasoning and not by millions of karmas (actions) as the scriptures declare.

Since man, the world, and the universe are part and parcel of the illusion. Therefore, karma based on the false self within the false experience has no value.

Unfortunately, people agree that the body is not the self, but they refuse to accept the fact that the karma theory is based on the false self (ego), since they are still slaves of their inherited samskara or conditioning.

Karma (Action) will not dispel ignorance itself. Karma itself is based on ignorance. Only Self-Knowledge, or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana, will destroy ignorance.

The person who is based on the experience of birth, life, death, and the world is trying to find the meaning of life. There is no meaning or purpose of life because life is merely happening within the universe, which is a dualistic illusion for Maya.

The invisible Soul, the Self, has no karma because it is an ever-formless, timeless, and spaceless existence. The invisible Soul, the Self, has no sorrow. The invisible Soul, the Self, has no craving. The invisible Soul, the Self, is unchanging awareness.

The invisible Soul, the Self, is present in the form of consciousness, is everywhere and in everything, in all three states.

Thus, the Karma Theory, based on the physical entity, is based on birth, life, and death, which are part and parcel of the dualistic illusion.  :~Santthosh Kumaar 

Religious people argue God is different from consciousness have to prove whether their God based on blind belief, exists without consciousness.+

Religious people argue that God is different from consciousness have to prove whether their God, based on blind belief, exists without consciousness.

Rig Veda: ~ 'Prajnanam Brahma'- Consciousness is the ultimate reality or Brahman or God in truth.

Do not accept any other God other than the invisible Soul. The invisible Soul is God in truth. Nothing is real but the invisible Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Nothing matters but realizing God in truth. God in truth is everywhere and in everything. Let these words be inscribed in your subconscious.

God, in truth is hidden by the illusory universe. God in truth alone is real and eternal, and all else is an illusion.

Brahman is merely a word to indicate the ultimate truth or God in truth. The ultimate truth itself is God in truth.

Remember:~

If God is the formless Spirit, then how does man know God created the world? There is no proof.

If man had seen God creating the world, he could admit it, but how could he have seen God before he came into existence? (i.e., were created).

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

All the moments are within the dualistic illusion. Whatever happens within the dualistic illusion is bound to be an illusion created out of consciousness. Thus, consciousness alone is real and all else is merely an illusion. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar 

The individual experience of birth, life, death are happening within the illusory world.+

The individual experience of birth, life, and death is happening within the world. From the ultimate standpoint, the world is merely an illusion.

Due to ignorance, the illusion is experienced as a reality. The illusion is present in the form of ‘I’ or the mind. The mind is present in the form of the universe.

The universe appears as waking or dream, and disappears as the invisible Soul in deep sleep.

The three states are one in essence, and that essence is consciousness. Consciousness (Soul) is the Self. From the standpoint of the Self, the three states are illusory.

Thus, experiencing the birth, life, death, and the world within the illusion (waking or universe) with the illusory ‘Self’ (waking entity or ego), within the illusory experience (waking), has to be an illusion.

The illusion is created and sustained, and finally dissolves as consciousness, which is the Self. Since there is no second thing other than consciousness (Soul), consciousness itself is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth.

The one who has realized this truth for himself, this illusion is a passing show because he is fully aware of the fact that his body, his ego, and his experience of the world are consciousness.

People's approach is more practical, and they are stuck with the reality of the practical life within the practical world; they take it as real, whereas Gnani sees his body as his ego and his experience of the world as consciousness.:~Santthosh Kumaar 

I AM represents gender. The Soul, the Self is genderless. I AM- implies duality whereas the Soul is ever nondual.+

I AMNESS represents gender. The invisible Soul, the Self, is genderless. I AMNESS implies duality, whereas the invisible Soul is ever nondual.

When the Self is genderless, then it is not He/She. Therefore, using the word ‘I AM’ for the Self is erroneous.

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

The invisible Soul is genderless because it is a formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.

You are part of the illusory world. The invisible Soul, the Self, is the cause of the illusory world, and it itself is uncaused.

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The one who holds the ‘I’ as the Self will never be able to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana, or Atma Gnana.

Thus, it is necessary to realize first that the ‘I’ is not the Self, but the invisible Soul, which is the formless witness of the ‘I’ is the Self.

The ‘I-centric’ teaching and teachers are not a yardstick in the path of wisdom. The ‘I-centric teaching will not lead the seeker to the ultimate end of his inner journey.

Inborn conditioning is the cause of ignorance. Ignorance is the cause of experiencing the duality as reality.

The inborn conditioning is present in the form of ‘I’. The ‘I’ is present in the form of the mind. The mind is present in the form of the universe.

The universe appears as waking or dream (duality) and disappears as deep sleep (nonduality).

Thus, it is necessary to get rid of the inborn conditioning to get rid of ignorance. Thus, only through Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana is it possible to get rid of the ignorance.

Thus, it is necessary to get rid of the inborn conditioning to get rid of ignorance. Thus, only through Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana is it possible to get rid of the ignorance. : ~Santthosh Kumaar

Ashtavakra Gita: ~ Know the Self to be One and in this way enter into the state of dissolution.+

Ashtavakra Gita: ~ “The universe rises from the Soul, the Self like bubbles from the sea. Thus, know the Self to be One and in this way enter into the state of dissolution."

Sage Sankara said: ~A.A~ 88. When the whole universe, movable and immovable, is known to be Atman (consciousness), and thus the existence of everything else is negated, where is then any room to say that the body is Atman?

That is why Sage Sankara says: ~ VC-63. Without causing the objective universe to vanish and without knowing the truth of the Self, how is one to achieve Liberation by the mere utterance of the word Brahman? — It would result merely in an effort of speech.

What is the use of saying ‘I AM THAT-’ without knowing what the Self is in actuality? Without knowing the truth of the Self, without realizing the truth of the world in which you exist, it is impossible to realize the truth beyond form, time, and space. By a mere utterance of the word ‘I AM THAT', the truth will not be revealed.

Sage Sankara: ~VC~ if the universe is true, let it then be perceived in the state of deep sleep also. As it is not at all perceived, it must be unreal and false like dreams.

That is why Sage Sankara's declaration: ~ “Brahman is the truth, the world is unreal. Everything is truly Brahman, and nothing else has any value.

Sage Sankara says: ~ ‘What is accepted without a proper inquiry will not lead to the final Goal. (Commentary on Vedanta Sutra)

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.

Those who tell you that Brahman is unity, that you can get it only by intuition, that you should not reason, you should not question or inquire, are deluding you. Verification must come by thought. : : ~ Santthosh Kumaar