Sage Sankara says :~Brahman and Atman are one.+

The universe is the dualistic illusion or Maya. The Maya is present in the form of the universe. The dualistic illusion is the product of ignorance.

Self-realization is necessary to get rid of ignorance. Without ignorance, the invisible Soul, the Self, which is present in the form of consciousness alone, exists.

Bhagavad Gita says: ~ Brahmano hi pratisthaham ~ Brahman (God) is considered the all-pervading consciousness, which is the basis of all the animate and inanimate entities and material. (14.27).

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

Do not accept any other God other than the Soul. The Soul is God in truth. Nothing is real but the 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.

Consciousness, the God in truth, is Self-evident. It is not established by extraneous proof. It is not possible to deny God in truth because God in truth is the very essence of the one who denies God in truth. God, in truth, is the basis of all kinds of knowledge, presuppositions, and proofs.

Sage Sankara: ~ “VC~ All this universe, which through ignorance appears as of diverse forms, is nothing else but Brahman (Consciousness), which is absolutely free from all the limitations of Maya.

Due to ignorance, the universe has arisen. The universe is the dualistic illusion or Maya.

Without ignorance, the invisible Soul, the Self, which is present in the form of consciousness alone, shines as the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth.

Remember:~

In fact, Sage Sankara states a paradox- the world is and is not. It is neither real nor unreal. It leads us to recognize the existence of Maya (illusion). He thinks that the world is illusory from one perspective and from the second it is nothing but Brahman (God in truth), Itself in manifestation. This apparent world is Maya and has its basis in Brahman, the Eternal. It looks real. It has names and forms, and actually, it is not really in the light of true knowledge; it disappears, and Self-alone shines as real. However, Sage Sankara's Mayavada has not been accepted by many preachers and philosophers.

When Sage Sankara says clearly, the universe is not real. He says that Brahman and Atman are one. The ultimate and absolute truth is the Self, which is one, though appearing as many in different individuals. The individual has no reality. Only the Soul, the Self, is Real; the rest, mental and physical, are but passing appearances. Then it indicates the form (waking or duality or mind) is unreal, and the formless soul (consciousness or soul) is real. Therefore, only Atman is real because there is no second thing that exists other than Atman, which is in the form of consciousness. , :~Santthosh Kumaar

Sage Sankara: ~The idea that the external world exists can go only by an inquiry into the nature of the external world.+

Sage Sankara: ~ “VC~ All this universe, which through ignorance appears as of diverse forms, is nothing else but Brahman (Consciousness,) which is absolutely free from all the limitations of Maya.

When you finally realize 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. The invisible Soul is present in the form of consciousness.

The whole universe is nothing but the invisible Soul. Therefore, there is no second thing that exists other than the invisible Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. The invisible Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, is the ultimate truth or Brahman.

Sage Sankara: ~ VC~.63: "Without knowing and examining the external world, one can’t know the Truth, as the idea that the external world exists won't go. It can go only by an inquiry into the nature of the external world.

After verifying through deeper inquiry if one finds the world is the reality within the illusion, then he cannot again say the world is not an illusion.

If one is frightened to accept the world is an illusion (waking), then he is unfit to acquire ‘Self’-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

Those who are stuck with the reality of the world are stuck with the reality of the individual experiences of birth, life, and death, which take place within the unreal world. Thus, the pursuit of truth is for those who have the courage to accept reality as it is, that is, the reality without form, time, and space.

All is consciousness. The whole universe is consciousness. From consciousness, the universe comes. When the universe disappears, consciousness still remains without form, time, and space.

Sage Sankara: ~VC~All this universe, which through ignorance appears as of diverse forms, is nothing else but Brahman (Consciousness), which is absolutely free from all the limitations of Maya.

When you finally realize the Self is not you, but the Self is the Soul, then you will realize the world in which you exist is merely an illusion created out of the Soul. The Soul is present in the form of consciousness.

Sage Sankara says: - VC-47 All the effects of ignorance, root and branch, are burnt down by the fire of knowledge, which arises from discrimination between these two—the Self and the non-Self.

Until you think you are an individual separate from the world and the world that existed prior to you, and you are born in it afterward, ignorance will prevail as a reality. Till ignorance is there, the universe prevails as reality. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

The invisible subject, as such, remains immortal. It can never die for it never changes.+

The invisible Soul, the Self, is the invisible subject. The invisible Soul, the Self, is present in the form of consciousness. The subject remains unchanged.

The invisible subject, as such, remains immortal. It can never die for it never changes.

The universe is a visible object and goes, but the invisible subject of the visible universe can never go. The seeker has to take this principle as his guiding thread, and non-dual truth becomes easy to grasp.

The invisible Soul, the witness, can never be subject to the changes of the object; it is unchanged. The mistake usually made is that the subject becomes the object, or that the object is the subject.

The invisible Soul is the Self. The invisible Soul is present in the form of consciousness. The invisible Soul, the Self, is without you and your experience of the world.

The invisible Soul, the Self, is prior to the world, in you, and is a formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.

The world, in which you exist, is impermanent, whereas the invisible Soul, the Self, is eternal. The world in which you exist is dependent on the Self for its existence.

From the standpoint of the Soul, the Self, the world in which you exist is merely an illusion. The invisible Soul, the Self, can remain with or without the illusion.

As the firebrand, when not in motion, is free from all appearances and remains changeless, so the invisible Soul, the Self which is present in the form of consciousness, when not in motion, is free from all appearances and remains Changeless.

Sage Sankara says causality is only for the sake of those who, afraid of non-creation, assert the reality of external objects because they perceive such objects and also because they cling to various social and religious duties.

Those who, because of their fear of the truth of absolute non-creation and also because of their perception of external objects, deny non-creation are not affected by the evils consequent on the belief in creation. This evil, if there is any, is insignificant.

When the firebrand is set in motion, the appearances that are seen in it do not come from elsewhere. When it is still, the appearances do not leave the motionless firebrand and go elsewhere, nor do they enter into the firebrand itself.

As the line made by a moving fire-brand appears to be straight, crooked, etc., so the invisible Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, when set in illusory motion, appears as the perceiver, the perceived, and the like.

The appearances do not emerge from the firebrand because their nature is not that of a substance. This applies likewise to The Invisible Soul, because of the similarity of the appearances. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Worship of non-~Vedic Gods, the idol worship, temple worships introduced many centuries later is not of the Vedic origin. +

Worship of non-Vedic Gods, the idol worship, temple worship, introduced many centuries later, is not of Vedic origin.

Hinduism is not a religion but more a way of life. The term "Hinduism" is used to label the entire Indian people.

Hinduism indulges in non-Vedic beliefs such as idolatry, ancestor worship, pilgrimages, priest craft, offerings made in temples, the caste system, untouchability, and child marriages. All these lack Vedic sanctions; therefore, Hinduism is not the Ancient Vedic religion or Santana Dharma.

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.

Hinduism is not Santana Dharma or the Vedic religion. Hinduism is not a religion. Rather, it is a group of religions found within India that share common beliefs while still remaining very different.

The ancient peoples of India belong to the Vedic religion or the Santana Dharma; therefore, they have nothing to do with present-day Hinduism. The ancient peoples of the Indus Valley of Undivided India were called Hindus by Muslim invaders.

Hindu idols or deities or the temples have nothing to do with the Vedic religion or the Santana Dharma. Vedic people ate beef. The Hindu practices of idol worship, temple worship, and the ban on beef-eating were introduced many centuries later.

As one peeps into the annals of religious history, he finds that Hinduism, which exists today, is not a continuation of the Vedic religion, 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.

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 ideal Gods.

Remember:~

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.

Hinduism is not the ancient Vedic religion or the Santana Dharma. Hindus do idol worship, while the Vedas bar idol worship.

The Vedas do not talk about idol worship. In fact, until 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 their 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: ~ 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 (Chandogya Upanishad).

One must remember that for all periods the Vedas are the final goal and authority, and if the Puranas differ in any respect from the Vedas, the Puranas are to be rejected without mercy.

If you feel the Puranas say something and the Vedas say something else, reject the Puranas and believe in the Vedas. The Puranas are just a myth.

Even Sage Sankara declares: ~ Supreme Brahman (God in truth) is impersonal, Nirguna (without Gunas or attributes), Nirakara (formless), Nirvisesha (without special characteristics), immutable, eternal, and Akarta (non-agent). It is above all needs and desires. It is always the Witnessing Subject. It can never become an object as it is beyond the reach of the senses. Brahman is non-dual, one without a second. It has no other beside it. It is destitute of difference, either external or internal. Brahman cannot be described because description implies a distinction. Brahman cannot be distinguished from any other than It. In Brahman, there is no distinction between substance and attribute. Sat-Chit-Ananda constitutes the very essence or Svarupa of Brahman, and not just its attributes. The Nirguna Brahman of Sage Sankara is impersonal.

God is a formless, timeless, and spaceless existence. Thus, according to the Vedas, God neither has any image nor does God reside in any particular idol or statue. God cannot be seen directly by anyone. God pervades all beings and all directions.

From a Vedic perspective, Lord Krishna has been just a Mahan yogi and not God himself. Because the Bhagavad Gita itself says: ~

The Bhagavad Gita: ~ brahmano hi pratisthaham ~ Brahman (God in truth) is considered the all-pervading consciousness, which is the basis of all the animate and inanimate entities and material. (14.27)

Lord Krishna says Ch ~V: ~ “Those who know the Self in truth." The last two words (tattvataha) are usually ignored by pundits, but they make all the difference between the ordinary concept of God and the truth about God.

So, from a Vedic perspective, Lord Krishna is not a Vedic God because the Rig Veda says: May ye never accept another God in place of the Atman nor worship other than the Atman?"

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.

Hinduism is not a Vedic religion or the Santana Dharma. Hindus do idol worship, while the Vedas bar idol worship.

Sage Sankara: ~"That which permeates all, which nothing transcends and which, like the universal space around us, fills everything completely from within and without, that Supreme non-dual Brahman (God in truth). : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Without the form and space, the NOW cease to exist.+

 

Without the form and space, the NOW ceases to exist. NOW is the time.

Without the past, the NOW will not appear. Every moment, the NOW becomes past.

The NOW moves towards the future. The time appears along with form and space.

The form, time, and space are merely an illusion created out of the invisible Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Thus, one cannot remain in the NOW. Time is the product of ignorance; therefore, every moment is the product of ignorance.

Thus, the theory of NOW is based on the false self (waking entity) within the false experience (waking).

From the standpoint of the invisible Soul, the Self, the form, time, and space are merely an illusion; thus, the theory of the NOW belongs to the illusion.

The past, present, and future of the world are created out of a single stuff. That single stuff is consciousness.

Thus, consciousness alone is real and all else is an illusion.  : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

The individual is part and parcel of the universe, which is a dualistic illusion.+

There are no separate individual Souls. Individuals are many, but the Soul is one.

The invisible Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, is the cause of the universe. The individual is part and parcel of the universe, which is a dualistic illusion.

Many Souls theory is a dualistic theory. All the dualistic theories are egocentric.

Egocentric theories are based on ignorance. ignorance is the cause of experiencing the illusory world as a reality.

The invisible Soul is not an individual because the Soul is present in the form of consciousness, and is an ever-formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.

The invisible Soul is present in the form of consciousness. The invisible Soul is the formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.

The invisible Soul is the cause of the universe, which contains the whole of humanity. Thus, limiting the invisible Soul to an individual is erroneous.

Sage Sankara asks his opponents, "How do you know there are separate individual Souls? Have you seen the Soul of a Man? You can only say that you have seen different bodies. To say more is to misuse language. Therefore, I call you liars unless you give proof, which is impossible.

The invisible Soul, the Sefis, in the form of consciousness without the division of form, time, and space. The form, time, and space are merely an illusion created out of consciousness.

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The invisible Soul, the Self, is the fullness of consciousness. In the cloud, there is nothing other than the water, so too consciousness is nothing other than itself. Consciousness is absolute without a second.

The moon reflecting on the water and appearing as many, the Self is just like the reflection of the moon on the water, which increases with the volume of water and decreases with its reduction, which moves when the water moves, and which differs as the water differs. The moon seems to conform to the characteristics of water, but in reality, the moon never has these increasing or decreasing qualities. So also, from the highest point of view, the consciousness always retains its sameness; it seems to conform to such characteristics as increase and decrease of the limiting adjunct, owing to its entry into such an adjunct as a universe.

The thread is drawn from cotton and is woven into cloth. But the reality of cotton is in both of these forms, viz., thread and cloth. Similarly, the projections of names and forms of this material universe on consciousness do not alter the nature of consciousness. It remains as it is without any change. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

The realization of the ultimate truth or Brahman is possible only when the seeker inquires into the nature of the ‘I’.+

The ‘I’ hides the invisible Soul, the Self. The realization of the ultimate truth or Brahman is possible only when the seeker inquires 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 the 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.

Remember:~

 When the Soul, the Self remains in its own awareness then: ~

What are you?

What is this body?

What is the ego?

What is this world?

What is the 'I'?

What is duality?

What is existence, nonexistence, unity, or duality?

What needs us there to say more? Noting from the Soul because whatever seems to emanate from it, is non-different from itself. There is no second thing other than the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. One should not mistake the Self (Soul) for the ‘I’. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar