Snake and the rope.+

Snake and the rope.

This whole universe, which through ignorance appears as of diverse forms, is nothing but the invisible Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. Consciousness is absolutely free from all the limitations of the illusory form, time, and space.

Consciousness alone is real since there is nothing else but consciousness. In Self-awareness, there remains no other independent entity.

A permanent view of the world as unreal can come only after soul-centric reasoning; such knowledge cannot change.

Where the seeker is sufficiently sharp enough, he could grasp the unreal nature of the world by Soul-centric reasoning alone. To know the whole truth, one must know the whole universe; otherwise, one gets only half-truth.

The world in which we exist (waking) is a mere superimposition, like seeing a snake superimposed on a rope on a dark night.

The snake has no independent existence, apart from the rope; it exists because of the rope, and it ceases to exist as soon as a light is brought. The snake then dissolves into the rope. In the same way, when the Soul remains in its own awareness, the mind (I) merges into it.

The mind and Soul are one in essence. To attain this knowledge is the goal of the truth seeker. The three states then cannot taint the Soul, the Self.

Why does the snake appear to be existing, one cannot say a snake does not exist unless you see it as only a rope.

Similarly, the universe in which one exists appears to be existing; one cannot say the universe in which one exists does not exist unless one realizes the cause of the universe is the invisible Soul, the Self, which is present in the form of consciousness

The ‘I’ is the snake, the invisible Soul is the rope. Until you become aware of the invisible Soul, the ‘I’ remains as a snake.

The universe is the snake, the invisible Soul is the rope. Until you become aware of the invisible Soul, the universe remains as a snake.

The waking is the snake, the invisible Soul is the rope. Until you become aware of the invisible Soul, the waking remains as a snake.

The form, time, and space are the snake; and the invisible Soul is the rope.

Until you become aware of the invisible Soul in the illusory form, time and space remain as a snake.

The duality is the snake; the invisible Soul is the rope. Until you become aware of the invisible Soul, the duality remains as a snake.

When you become aware of the rope, there is no more snake.

Similarly, the invisible Soul wakes up from its sleep of ignorance there is no ‘I’.

If there is no ‘I’, there is no ignorance.

If there is no ‘I,’ there is no mind.

If there is no ‘I,’ there is no universe

If there is no ‘I,’ there is no waking

If there is no ‘I,’ there is no form, time, and space

If there is no ‘I’, there is no duality.

If there is no duality, there is only the Advaitic reality.

The invisible Soul is the Self. The invisible Soul is present in the form of consciousness. Consciousness is Self-evident. It is not established by extraneous proofs. It is not possible to deny consciousness, because it is the very essence of the one who denies it.

Consciousness is the basis of all kinds of knowledge, presuppositions, and proofs.

Until one thinks of his body as the body, the ego as the ego, the universe as the universe, he remains in ignorance because he is still in ignorance, and he is unaware that they too are consciousness.

The seeker has to grow from the inside out. None can teach him, none can make him spiritual. There is no other Guru but the invisible Soul, the Self.”

Consciousness is not an object, but it is the subject. Within the dualistic illusion, it is the subject and object together. It is not another. It is all-full, infinite, changeless, Self-existent, Self-delight, Self-knowledge, or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

It is the essence. It is the essence of the knower. It is the formless substance and the Witness of the dualistic illusion (universe). : ~Santthosh Kumaar 

Sage Goudpada: ~ To establish the truth of Non-duality by sheer reasoning alone.+

Mango seeds cannot produce an apple tree. Similarly, a false seed collected from different sources, different Gurus sowed in the subconscious as a true seed can only produce falsehood. 

Thus, verification is necessary before sowing the seed to get the right fruit.

Accepting knowledge from different sources and different Gurus without deeper verification, is allowing all sorts of weed-growth which obstructs the realization of the self, which is beyond form, time, and space.

Katha Upanishad (1.2.5) says: ~ "Caught in the grip of ignorance, self-proclaimed experts consider themselves learned authorities. They wander about this world befooled, like the blind leading the blind."

Only a perfect understanding of 'what is what’ leads to truth realization. The truth realization is Self-realization. Self-realization is God realization.

If you are seeking truth nothing but truth then you must not get stuck to any Guru or yogi. Those who are seeking truth need not follow any Guru or any teaching.

Yoga Vasistha says:~ Self-knowledge or knowledge of truth is not had by resorting to a Guru (preceptor) nor by the study of scripture, nor by good works: it is attained only through inquiry inspired by the company of wise (Gnani). One’s inner light alone is the means, naught else. When this inner light is kept alive, it is not affected by the darkness of inertia.

There is no need to condemn Gurus, but there is need highlight how they become an obstacle in realizing the ultimate truth or Brahman.

Swami Vivekananda said: ~ “You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher but your own Soul.”

The Guru is useless so long as the ultimate truth is unknown, and the Guru is equally useless when the ultimate truth or Brahman has already been known.

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 discuss. People must first know what they are talking about. (Mandukya Karika) : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Sage Sankara: ~Though I wear these robes of a Sanyasin, it is only for the sake of bread.+

Sage Sankara: ~Though I wear these robes of a Sanyasin, it is only for the sake of bread." (Select Works of Sage Sankara, also his commentary on the Brihad)

Thus, the above passage proves that all those who wear the sanyasin robes are wearing them for the sake of bread and belong to the religion; they have nothing to do with the Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana, or Atma Gnana.

There is no need to criticize and condemn the Gurus, yogis, and swamis because they are needed for the welfare of the ignorant masses in the dualistic world.

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 to a Guru who is not a Gnani?

That is why Swami Vivekananda said: ~ “You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher but your own Soul.”

Yogis and Gurus are not Gods.

This idea of worshiping the Guru as God is not a Vedic idea but was adopted from Jainism and Buddhism.

Vedas bars human worship: ~

Yajur Veda:~

"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.)

Why to worship and glorify the Gurus and Yogis (human form) in place of God when 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.

No one has ever seen God by practicing religion or yoga or indulging in glorifying the religious God and Goddesses because God 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 nondual nature of the invisible Soul, which is the real God. Thus, the 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. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar 

Consciousness is not temporary. Consciousness is permanent and eternal.+

Consciousness is not temporary. Consciousness is permanent and eternal.

Consciousness is formless, timeless and spaceless, and changeless existence.

The ‘I’ is an illusion upon consciousness, which appears and disappears. Thus, it is necessary to know what this ‘I’ is supposed to be in actuality.

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.

People say I AM THAT ~ I am God, I am Brahman. But when Brahman is, how can "I" remain? Only Brahman remains, not I.

It is erroneous to use the word ‘I’ for the Self, because ‘I’ represents the form, time, and space, whereas the invisible Soul, the Self, is a formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.

Bhagavad Gita: ~ The permanent is always there, only the transient ‘I’ comes and goes. (2.18)

The ‘I’ disappears as deep sleep, so what is the use of being attached to it? It is impermanent and illusory because ‘I’ is physical awareness.

Physical awareness is not Self-awareness. ‘I-less awareness is Self-awareness.

It is erroneous to identify the invisible Soul, the Self, as 'I' or 'I AM' because the invisible Soul, the Self, is not 'I' or I AM’. The invisible Soul, the Self, is the cause of the 'I'.

To understand the false nature of the ‘I’, the Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana, or Atma Gnana, is necessary.

The Self is not ‘I’, but the Self is the invisible Soul which is the cause of the ‘I’. Holding the ‘I as the Self leads to hallucination based on the imagination.: ~ Santthosh Kumaar 

Till you hold the Self as the ‘I’, you will never be able to get Self-realization.+

Till you hold the Self as the ‘I’, you will never be able to get Self-realization. ‘I’ hides the invisible  Soul, which is the  Self.

I’ is ignorance.

‘I’ is the duality.

‘I’ is the form, time, and space.

‘I’ is the universe.

‘I’ is the waking.

‘I’ is the dream.

‘I’ is the illusion.

‘I’ is the experience of birth, life, death, and the world.

But remember:~

Without the ‘I’, there is no ignorance.

Without the ‘I,’ there is no duality.

Without the ‘I,’ there is no form, time, or space.

Without the ‘I,’ there is no universe.

Without the ‘I,’ there is no waking.

Without the ‘I’, there is no dream.

Without the ‘I’, there is no illusion.

Without the ‘I’, there is no experience of birth, life, death, and the world.

The ‘I’ hides the truth of the whole. The ‘I’ hides the truth.

That is why 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.

Bhagavad Gita: ~ The permanent is always there, only the transient ‘I’ comes and goes. (2.18)

It is time to discard the ‘I’. Never use the word ‘I’ or I AM for the Self. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

A person who declares himself as Self-realized is not Self-realized.+

A person who declares himself as Self-realized is not Self-realized, because he is unaware of the fact that he is not the Self, but the Self is the invisible Soul.

A person who has realized the ultimate truth or Brahman will never declare he is self-realized. If a person says he is Self-realized, he is still ignorant.

If you think you are self-realized, but you still say 'I', and if you feel the ‘Self’ is the ‘I’, you are not a Gnani. You are simply ignorant with your accumulated dualistic intellectual knowledge, accumulated from here and there.

Upanishad says:~ "He who thinks he knows, does not know." This means that to know anything implies a second, an object of knowledge, hence duality, i.e., no Gnana.

Ashtavakra Samhita: ~ "The man of knowledge (Gnani), though living like an ordinary man, is contrary to him, and only those like him understand his state.

A person who realized the ultimate truth or Brahman will throw off his religious robe and all religious identity and live like a commoner. He never identifies himself as Gnani, nor does he identify himself as superior to others. He only shares his knowledge with his fellow seekers.

A Gnani never identifies himself as a Guru or a Yogi, or someone's disciple. The one who accepts himself as a Guru or someone’s disciple is not a Gnani.

There is no liberation for a person of mere bookish knowledge, however well-read in the philosophy of Vedanta, so long as one does not give up the false identification with the body, sense organs, etc., which are unreal.

Even friends and family members of a Gnani will not know him as the Gnani. Due to ignorance, people will not be able to recognize a Gnani. Outwardly, the Gnani behaves as an ordinary person behaves.

A Gnani talks and jokes like others, but he is not understood as he really is. People may regard him as an exceptional person, but only a few can recognize him as a Gnani.

Sage Sankara himself said: ~ A Gnani "bears no outward mark of a holy man" (Stanza 539).

Thus, it proves that the intellectual who declares himself to be self-realized, the religious Gurus and yogis, are not Gnanis because they identify themselves as holy people: ~ Santthosh Kumaar

The thoughts that arise to the false self (ego) within the false experience(waking) are bound to be a falsehood.+

Thoughts like 'I ' and 'I AM ' will not cease until one understands ‘what is this ‘I’.

One has to realize the fact that the thought will not rise without the waking or the dream, therefore, the waking or the dream has to be there prior to the real thought process.

Thus, thoughts have nothing to do with the invisible Sou, the witness of the waking or the dream.

Thoughts are connected to the individual, not to the invisible Soul, the Self. Thus, whatever is part of the mind has to be a falsehood.

The thoughts that arise to the false self (ego) within the false experience(waking) are bound to be a falsehood.

Thus, it is erroneous to trace the source of the thought; instead, one has to first realize the fact that the ‘I’ is not the Self. And ‘I’ is not limited to the physical entity, but ‘I’ is the whole universe, which appears as waking or dream and disappears as deep sleep.

If the ‘I’ is there, then only the mind is present. If the mind is there, then only the universe is present. And the universe is present only when the waking or the dream is present.

One sees differences between things because of ignorance; all these differences would vanish when one gets wisdom, and the various thoughts arise because one considers the ‘I’ as the Self.

Individuality is a reality within the falsehood. All the great sages existed within the illusory duality (universe).

The duality is impermanent because it appears and disappears. The duality is merely an illusion from the ultimate standpoint.

The individuality names and forms are a reality within the unreality (duality).

The unreality (duality) is created out of a single stuff. That single stuff is consciousness (spirit).

Thus, what is the use of talking about unreality while we are seeking reality?

The seeker's aim is to realize the ultimate truth. It is no use discussing the unimportant subject in the Atmic discussion. :~ Santthosh Kumaar