A Gnani lives within the world but he is not of this world.+

There is no need to step out of the illusion. A Gnani lives within the world, but he is not of this world. At the dawn of the Advaitic wisdom, life will go on as usual within the dualistic illusion, but the conscious awareness of reality is always there.

For Gnani, whether there is a dualistic illusion or there is no dualistic illusion makes no difference because he is free from experiencing the individual experience of birth, life, death, and the world as a reality.

A Gnani sees the world in which he exists as the consciousness, just as the goldsmiths view the ornaments as nothing but the gold.

A Gnani never considers his body, and his experience of the world is not different from consciousness.

A Gnani considers the world in which he exists as the Soul. And the Soul is present in the form of consciousness. Consciousness is the witness that experiences the action, the actor, and the world of separate things. It is like a light that illuminates everything in a theatre, revealing the master of ceremonies, the guests, and the dancers with complete impartiality. Even when they all depart, the light shines to reveal their absence.

Remember:~

For a Gnani, the world is both real and unreal. It is real because it is a manifestation of consciousness, but it is unreal in the sense that it is not absolute and eternal like consciousness itself.

The common people's approach is more practical, and they are stuck with the reality of the world; they take it as real. That is why all the confusion.

In Self-awareness, the witness and the witnessed are one in essence. That essence is consciousness. There is no second thing that exists other than consciousness.

A Gnani is fully aware that whatever is seen, known, believed, and experienced as a person is a reality within the waking experience (duality), but waking experience (duality) itself is merely an illusion.

Remember:~

The universe will not vanish when wisdom dawns; only the ignorance disappears, and the unreal nature of the universe is exposed, in the same way as the unreal nature of the dream is exposed when the waking takes place.

The Advaitic wisdom dawns in the midst of duality because, in reality, there is no duality. Nothing is needed other than a perfect understanding of ‘what is what’..

The ultimate truth or Brahman cannot be experienced because it is prior to any experience. The experience belongs to individuality. And individuality is a falsehood. There is neither an individual nor his experience in the Advaitic reality.

The world in which you exist cannot exist without waking experience. Whatever we are discussing, we are discussing within the waking experience, but from the ultimate standpoint, the waking experience itself is an illusion.

Whatever is known, seen, believed, and experienced as a person within the dualistic illusion is bound to be an illusion.

Remember:~

Nothing ever is really born. The entire universe is only an illusion. The universe in which you exist is merely an illusion created out of consciousness.

What exists is the invisible Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness only. Consciousness cannot be expressed in words because it is existence itself. It is eternal, self-effulgent, and unblemished.

The illusion has no value. The universe is the illusory nature of the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Mentally reduce the universe into consciousness by realizing the universe is nothing but an illusion created out of consciousness.

There is no reason behind the illusion! From the ultimate standpoint, there is no illusion at all! Everything is nothing but consciousness. There is no reason behind the illusion! From the ultimate standpoint, there is no illusion at all! Everything is nothing but consciousness. :~ Santthosh Kumaar

When you will start thinking independently then the inner revelation will start clearing all the obstacles.+

Even for simple crafts, such as masonry or carpentry, a preliminary course of training is required before a person is allowed to handle the instruments; but in the field of Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana, the science of the Soul, the Self, the highest and the most difficult of all sciences.

Most people think they are competent and entitled to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana, but their egocentric intelligence and accumulated knowledge block them from acquiring Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

Katha Upanishad: ~ This Knowledge cannot be attained by common sense or by reasoning. Brahman-Atman is easy to comprehend when taught by one who knows. [1.2.9]

Katha Upanishad says: ~ This Atman is attained by him alone whom It chooses. To such a one, Atman reveals its own form. ( II -23-P-20)

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)

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1.3.28:~ “oṁ asato mā sad gamaya ~`tamaso mā jyotir gamaya~ mṛtyor mā amṛtaṁ gamaya~ oṁ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ” ~

~Lead Us From the Unreal To the Real, Lead Us From Darkness To Light, Lead Us From Death To Immortality, Let There Be Peace, Peace, Peace.

The truth is very simple. It is very difficult to realize because it is lost in the dualistic knowledge we inherited, collected from different sources, different masters, different gurus, different philosophies, different ideologies, different books, and scriptures. All this accumulated knowledge is a mere hill of Garbage.

Nothing is needed other than realizing the knowledge of the single stuff. The single stuff is the cause of the world in which we exist. And that single stuff itself is causeless. That single stuff is the invisible Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

The invisible and unborn Soul is the Self. Knowledge of the invisible Soul, the Self, is Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. Atma Gnana is knowledge of God.

Realizing God in this very life is your goal. God-realization itself is real worship.

A perfect understanding of ‘what is what’ is needed. Only an intense urge to know the truth, humility, sincerity, and patience are the only qualifications to realize God in this very life and in this very world.

Drop all your accumulated knowledge, drop all the physical Gurus, the invisible Soul, the inner Guru, is waiting for you to take the first step, for you to realize there are no more steps.

When you start thinking independently, the inner revelation will start clearing all the obstacles that were blocking your realization.

Deeper thinking and reasoning is very much needed in the pursuit of truth. : ~ Santthosh Kummar

Until one thinks he is an individual separate from this world he remains in the realm of dualistic illusion.+

The ego, body, and the world in which you exist are created out of a single stuff. That single stuff is the invisible Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Till we have a firm conviction about this single stuff, it becomes difficult to grasp the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space.

Until one thinks he is an individual separate from this world, he remains in the realm of dualistic illusion or Maya. The dualistic illusion or Maya is the product of ignorance.

When the Advaitic wisdom dawns, then ignorance vanishes. When ignorance vanishes, then the duality never remains as a reality.

From the standpoint of the invisible Soul, the Self, the world in which we all exist is merely an illusion.

Rest in consciousness by realizing the world in which you exist is nothing but an illusion created out of consciousness.

The invisible Soul is the fullness of consciousness without illusory division of form, time, and space.

Thus, consciousness alone is real and eternal; all else is merely an illusion created out of consciousness.

It takes time for the seeker to gain the perfect understanding of ‘what is truth’ and ’what is untruth’.

It takes time for the invisible Soul, the Self, to wake up from the sleep of ignorance, and it takes time for one to realize the truth, which is hidden by the illusory form, time, and space. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

At the dawn of the Advaitic wisdom, life will go on as usual within the dualistic illusion,n but the conscious awareness of the nondual reality is always there.+

There is no need to step out of the illusion. A Gnani lives within the world, but he is not of this world. At the dawn of the Advaitic wisdom, life will go on as usual within the dualistic illusion, but the conscious awareness of the nondual reality is always there.

For Gnani, whether there is a dualistic illusion or there is no dualistic illusion makes no difference because he is free from experiencing the individual experience of birth, life, death, and the world as a reality.

A Gnani sees the world in which he exists as the consciousness, just as the goldsmiths view the ornaments as nothing but the gold.

A Gnani never considers his body, and his experience of the world is not different from consciousness.

A Gnani considers the world in which he exists as the invisible Soul. And the invisible Soul is present in the form of consciousness.

Consciousness is the witness that experiences the action, the actor, and the world of separate things. It is like a light that illuminates everything in a theatre, revealing the master of ceremonies, the guests, and the dancers with complete impartiality. Even when they all depart, the light shines to reveal their absence.

Remember:~

For a Gnani, the world is both real and unreal. It is real because it is a manifestation of consciousness, but it is unreal in the sense that it is not absolute and eternal like consciousness itself.

The common people's approach is more practical, and they are stuck with the reality of the world; they take it as real. That is why all the confusion.

In Atmic-awareness-- the witness and the witnessed are one in essence. That essence is consciousness. There is no second thing that exists other than consciousness.

A Gnani is fully aware of the fact that whatever is seen, known, believed, and experienced as a person is a reality within the waking experience (duality), but waking experience (duality) itself is merely an illusion.

Remember:~

The universe will not vanish when Advaitic wisdom dawns; only ignorance disappears, and the unreal nature of the universe is exposed, in the same way as the unreal nature of the dream is exposed when the waking takes place.

The Advaitic wisdom dawns in the midst of duality because, in Atmic reality, there is no duality. Nothing is needed other than a perfect understanding of ‘what is what’.

The ultimate truth or Brahman cannot be experienced because it is prior to any experience. The experience belongs to individuality. And individuality is a falsehood. There is neither an individual nor his experience in the Advaitic reality.

The world in which you exist cannot exist without waking experience. Whatever we are discussing, we are discussing within the waking experience, but from the ultimate standpoint, the waking experience itself is an illusion.

Whatever is known, seen, believed, and experienced as a person within the dualistic illusion is bound to be an illusion.

Remember:~

Nothing ever is really born. The entire universe is only an illusion. The universe in which you exist is merely an illusion created out of consciousness.

What exists is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness only. Consciousness cannot be expressed in words because it is existence itself. It is eternal, self-effulgent, and unblemished.

The illusion has no value. The universe is the illusory nature of the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. Mentally reduce the universe into consciousness by realizing the universe is nothing but an illusion created out of consciousness.

There is no reason behind the illusion! From the ultimate standpoint, there is no illusion at all! Everything is nothing but consciousness. There is no reason behind the illusion! From the ultimate standpoint, there is no illusion at all! Everything is nothing but consciousness. :~ Santthosh Kumaar

Mentally reduce the universe into waking experience and waking experience into mind and mind into consciousness.+

The universe in which you exist, your thoughts, and your world are made of a single stuff. Knowledge of that single stuff is the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space.

Mentally reduce the universe in which you exist into waking experience and waking experience into mind and mind into consciousness by perfect understanding of ‘what is what’.

When you realize’ what is what,’ you will realize everything is nothing but consciousness. There is no second thing that exists other than consciousness.

The invisible Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, is the ultimate Truth or Brahman or God in truth.

It is the invisible Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, which appears as the whole universe in which we exist owing to ignorance, just as a shell appears as silver. When the illusion gets dispelled, the silver dissolves into the substratum, the shell. Similarly, when ignorance is erased, the whole world dissolves into its substratum, which is the invisible Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. The invisible Soul, the Self, is the cause and also the source of the universe.

Knowledge of the Soul, the real Self, is Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana is the supreme knowledge, as also Moksha. Moksha is liberation from experiencing the illusory experience of birth, life, death, and the world

Sage Sankara’s Advaitic wisdom itself is Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Learn yourself, make everyone aware of the truth of their true existence, call upon the sleeping Soul and see how it awakes.+

Sage Sankara’s Advaita is the fairest flower of wisdom that the world in any age has produced.

Learn yourself, make everyone aware of the truth of their true existence, call upon the sleeping Soul, and see how it awakes.

Power will come on its own, glory will come on its own, grace will come, purity will come on its own, and the truth which is hidden by the ‘I' will be revealed when the invisible Soul, the Self, wakes up from its sleep of ignorance. This sleeping Soul is roused only through Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

Sage Sankara’s Advaitic wisdom is universal. The whole of humanity owns it because it is the knowledge of their true existence.

The Atmic path of the Path of wisdom is not meant for those who are strongly attached to Advaitic orthodoxy. Atmic path is not suited for orthodox people.

Orthodox people must continue with their inherited path because they are sentimentally and emotionally involved with their Orthodox; there is no hope that they will adopt anything new. The orthodoxy is a self-imposed prison. It is very difficult for orthodox people to come out of their religious outfit.

For those who want to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman, there is no need for this orthodox baggage; they have to discard it as useless because it blocks the realization of the ultimate truth or Brahman.

Theistic Advaita has to be bifurcated to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman.

Theistic Advaita is based on the ego, whereas the Advaitic wisdom is based on the Atman.

Theistic Advaita is based on the experience of the birth, life, death, and the world as reality, whereas Sage Sankara declared the world in which we exist is an illusion. The Atman, the cause of the world in which we exist, is real and eternal.

Sage Sankara said:~ Talk as much philosophy as you like, worship as many gods as you please, observe ceremonies and sing devotional hymns, but liberation will never come, even after a hundred aeons, without realizing the Oneness.

According to Advaita Vedanta, the Veda addresses itself to two kinds of audiences - the ignorant people who desire the transitory heaven and other pleasures obtained as a result of ritual sacrifices, 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. Thus, all theistic Advaita is meant for the ignorant populace.

The serious seeker who is seeking truth, nothing but the truth or Brahman or God, the Vedanta, with its emphasis on the jnana kanda, is meant for those who wish to go beyond form, time, and space to realize their true existence is a formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.

All theistic Advaita belongs to religion; it has nothing to do with Sage Sankara’s Advaitic wisdom

Sage Sankara's Advaitic wisdom is purely based on soulcentric reason and independent without the support of any scriptures.

Sage Sankara:~ “This (the unreality of duality) is borne out by the Srutis ... But it is possible also to show the unreality of the objective world even from pure reasoning. (Commentary on the Manduka Upanishad, II, 1)

Sage Sankara himself had often said that his philosophy was based on Sruti, or revealed scripture. This may be because Sage Sankara addressed the ordinary man, who finds security in the idea of causality and thus in the idea of God—and Revelation is indispensable to prove the latter. He believed that those of superior intelligence have no need for this idea of divine causality and can, therefore, dispense with Sruti and arrive at the truth of Non-Dualism by pure reason.

Sage Sankara gave out what was of most use to the greatest number of people. Therefore, in the commentaries on the Upanishads, such as the famous Manduka, he gave the Advaitic message of the identity of Atman and Brahman, revitalizing the philosophy and practice of Advaita, while in the commentaries on the Brahmasutra he gave lesser teaching, positing both higher and lower Maya and higher and lower Brahman (Ishvara) to explain creation for those of lesser intellects until they were ready for the highest truth.

Remember:~

Sage Sankara says: - Whatever thing remains eternal is true, and whatever is non-eternal is untrue. Since the world is created and destroyed, it is not true.

The Truth is the unchanging thing. Since the world is changing, it is not true.

Whatever is independent of space and time is true, and whatever has space and time in itself is untrue.

Just as one sees dreams in sleep, he sees a kind of super-dream when he is waking. The world is compared to this conscious dream.

The world is believed to be a superimposition of the Brahman. Superimposition cannot be true.

On the other hand, Sage Sankara claims that the world is not false. It appears false only when compared to Brahman. In the pragmatic state, the world is completely true, which occurs as long as we are under the influence of Maya. The world cannot be both true and false at the same time; hence, Sage Sankara has classified the world as indescribable. The following points suggest that, according to Sage Sankara, the world is not false (Sage Sankara himself gave most of the arguments)

Maya, or illusion, is the most important contribution of Sage Sankara. Maya or illusion is the complex illusory power of the Atman (Soul), which is present in the form of consciousness.

This Māyāvāda of Sage Sankara was highly criticized and misunderstood. Bhaskaracharya described Sage Sankara as being indebted to the Buddhists for his concept of Maya. The term Maya, however, appears in the Bhagavad Gita 7.14 and also in many Upanishads.

The concept of Māyā seems to be a hypothesis. Since, according to the Upanishad, only Brahman is real, but we see the material world to be real, Sage Sankara explained the anomaly by the concept of this illusory power Māyā.

Sage Sankara:~ “The world, filled with attachments and aversions, and the rest, is like a dream: it appears to be real as long as one is ignorant, but becomes unreal when one is awake.

Sage Sankara: ~ “As fire is the direct cause of cooking, so knowledge, and not any other form of discipline, is the direct cause of Liberation; for Liberation cannot be attained without Knowledge." (Self-Knowledge)

Sage Sankara:- As the moon appears to be moving when the clouds move in the sky, so also to the non-discriminating. Atman appears to be active when in reality the senses are active.

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 indicated in Bhaja Govindam says: ~ (Jnana Viheena Sarva Mathena Bajathi na Muktim janma Shatena) - one without knowledge does not obtain liberation even in a hundred births, no matter which religious faith he follows.

Sage Sankara believed that those of superior intelligence have no need for this idea of divine causality and can, therefore, dispense with Sruti and arrive at the truth of Non-Dualism by pure reason.

Remember:~

Sage Sankara’s supreme Brahman is Nirguna (without the Gunas), Nirakara (formless), Nirvisesha (without attributes), and Akarta (non-agent). He is above all needs and desires.

Sage Sankara says:~"This Atman is Self-evident. This Atman or Self is not established by proofs of the existence of the Self. It is not possible to deny this Atman, for it is the very essence of he who denies it. Atman is the basis of all kinds of knowledge.

Satyam-Jnanam-Anantam-Anandam is not a separate attribute. They form the very essence of Brahman. Brahman cannot be described because the description implies the distinction. Brahman cannot be distinguished from any other than He.

The objective world-the world of names and forms-has no independent existence. The Atman alone has real existence. The world is only phenomenal.

Sage Sankara was the exponent of the Advaitc wisdom. His Advaitic wisdom can be summed up in the following words:

Brahma Satyam Jagat Mithya,

Jeevo Brahmaiva Na Aparah

Brahman alone is real; this world is unreal; the Jiva is identical with Brahman.

Sage Sankara: ~ Just as the snake is superimposed on the rope, this world and this body are superimposed on Brahman or the invisible Soul, the Self. If one gets knowledge of the rope, the illusion of the snake will vanish. Even so, if he gets knowledge of Brahman, the illusion of the body and the world will vanish.

The snake is only an idea: it disappears on inquiry, but deeper Self-search reveals that the rope is also an idea, and its reality will be exposed when wisdom dawns. There is neither snake nor the rope in reality because from the ultimate standpoint, the duality is merely an illusion created out of consciousness.

Sage Sankara’s Supreme Brahman 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 the 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.: ~ Santthosh Kumaar

When the truth is rightly known and realized then the truth will shine on its own.+

All fault lies with your ‘I’ know attitude and perceptions. Instead of finding fault and maligning others, dive into deeper thinking and reasoning, to realize the Self is not you, but the Self is the invisible Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. Amazingly, an honest introspection will reveal the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space.

If there is any fault, it is because your wrong understanding is based on the dualistic perspective.

Correcting this and changing your ‘I’ know’ attitude and developing patience and humility will change your perception, and then the invisible Soul reveals its true nature.

When the truth is rightly known and realized, then the truth will shine on its own.

The world in which you exist is nothing but an illusion created out of consciousness. Due to ignorance, you are unaware that the world in which you exist is an illusion created out of consciousness.

All the Gods sculpted out of stone or metal are born out of imagination. People have been worshiping them from one generation to the next. The Sacred Books are nothing but words.

The scholars believed it was enough to read, to accumulate knowledge from books. They were well versed in the Vedas, in the Upanishads, and the other scriptures, and they looked upon others who had not studied scriptures as ignorant, as illiterate people.

A Gnani may be illiterate or a literate person. A scholar mastered all knowledge of the Scriptures. But of what value is the scholar’s knowledge? A scholar will go on and on about the immortality of the Soul but when death approaches, you will find him trembling and weeping and wailing.

All his knowledge of immortality will crumble into nothingness because he has not known it.

A Gnani knows what he is talking about is not an explanation, what he is talking about is his realization ~ he is sharing his joy, he is sharing something that he has known, he is singing the song about the unsung song of the invisible Soul.

Remember it, that whenever Gnani, speaks of God it is not a belief; he knows it, it is his conviction. He is speaking of the truth, which he has realized; hence, he can be of immense help to the seeking world.

Sage Sankara said:~ Talk as much philosophy as you like, worship as many gods as you please, observe ceremonies and sing devotional hymns, but liberation will never come, even after a hundred aeons, without realizing the Oneness.

The truth is very simple, but it is very difficult to grasp because of ignorance.

You have to only realize the world in which you exist is created out of single clay. And that single clay is the invisible Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Thus, you and your body and the world in which you exist are nothing but consciousness because they are merely an illusion created out of consciousness. A perfect understanding of ‘what is what’ is needed.

A Gnani can point at the sky, but the seeing of the star is the seeker's own work.

It is necessary to reflect on the same truth again and again till it becomes a reality. One needs to constantly reflect on the subject until one gets a firm conviction of 'what is what'. Words of wisdom are needed until one gets a firm conviction of ‘what is what’.

People need to read and hear the words of wisdom to think reason, reflect deeply, and reach the ultimate end.

It takes time for the seeker to gain the perfect understanding of ‘what is truth’ and ’what is untruth’.

It takes time for the invisible Soul, the Self, to wake up from the sleep of ignorance, and it takes time for one to realize the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space.

The oneness is not the state. Oneness is the invisible Soul itself. Oneness is Turiya, the invisible Soul.

From the standpoint of the invisible Soul, the three states are non-existent as reality because the three states are merely an illusion created out of consciousness.

If people think that there is a fourth state, then they are hallucinating. When the three states are merely an illusion created out of a single clay, the question of the fourth state does not arise.

Sage Sankara says ~ VC-162- There is no liberation for a person of mere book knowledge, howsoever 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.

People dwelling in ignorance, but thinking themselves wise and erudite, go round and round by various blind beliefs and tortuous paths and practices, like the blind led by the blind.

Swami Vivekananda said:~ "The Vedas teach that the Soul is divine, only held in the bondage of matter; perfection will be reached when this bond will burst, and the word they use for it is, therefore, Mukthi - freedom, freedom from the bonds of imperfection? : ~ Santthosh Kumaar