Blind belief in personal Gods rituals, pada pooja, Guru worships, mantras, and prayers belong to religion, not Spirituality or Adyathma.+

One of Sage Sankara’s missions was to wean people away from a ritualistic approach advocated by Mimamsakas and to project wisdom (Gnana) as the means of liberation in the light of Upanishad teachings.

Sage Sankara criticized severely the ritualistic attitude and those who advocated such practices. However, the orthodox texts that combined rituals with wisdom (jnana_karma_samucchaya) more in favour of the Mimamsaka position came into vogue, projecting Sage Sri, Sankara as the rallying force of the doctrine.

That is why Adhyasa Bhashya of Sage Sankara:~ (11) As regards the rituals, Sage Sankara says, 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 all through 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 the Self with the body is a 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.

The rituals mentioned in the karmakanda of the Vedas are sought to be negated in the jnanakanda which is also part of the same scripture. While the karmakanda enjoins upon you the worship of various deities and lays down rules for the same, the jnanakanda constituted by the Upanishads ridicules the worshipper of deities as a dim-witted person no better than a beast.

This seems strange, the latter part of the Vedas contradicting the former part. The first part deals throughout with karma while the second or concluding part is all about jnana. Owing to this difference, people have gone so far as to divide our scripture into two sections: the Vedas (that is the first part) to mean the karmakanda and the Upanishads (Vedanta) to mean the jnanakanda.

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.

Sage Sankara gave religious, ritual, and 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

Blind belief in personal Gods rituals, pada pooja, Guru worships, mantras, and prayers belong to religion, not Spirituality.

When the Self is formless then there is no need to do Pada Pooja (feet worship) the Gurus to get freedom. A Guru who preaches conduct as the means to freedom believes in birth, life, death, and the world as a reality, whereas the Advaitic Sage Sankara declares the world as unreal. Therefore, how actions performed in the unreal world can get moksha or freedom. Therefore, there is a need to know the fact that the ‘Self’ is not physical in order to understand assimilate and realize the truth beyond physicality.

Vedas bars human worship: ~

Translation 3

"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 Prakriti -- the material cause of the world -- in place of the All-pervading God, But those who worship visible things born of the Prakriti, 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.)

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

By worshiping the Gurus as Gods, the wisdom will not dawn. The person who indulges in such activities will not be able to cross the thrash of dualistic illusion. One has to understand, assimilate and realize the truth, which is beyond the form, time, and space. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

The ‘I’ is the cause of the experience of birth, life, death, and the world because the ‘I’ itself is the experience of the birth, life, death, and the world.+

All those whose intelligence has been stolen by the intoxication of the illusory ‘I', stick to the ‘I’ based Gurus and their teachings.

Many have the childish and slavish mentality and accept statements merely because they are uttered by famous men or a popular guru or a yogi. They lack the scientific method of investigation.

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.

People are stuck with the reality of the ‘I’, which they take as real because some Gurus have propagated that the Self is the ‘I’. There is no need to convince such a mindset. The seeker of truth accepts only the truth nothing but the truth.

If you are seeking truth nothing but the truth then prepare yourself to unfold the truth which is hidden by the ‘I’.

Bhagavad Gita: ~ “You must first see the ‘I’ as illusory before you see others as illusory. ~ CH.2 v.16

Remember this:

The ‘I’ is the cause of ignorance because ‘I’ itself is ignorance.

The ‘I’ is the cause of the mind because ‘I’ itself is the mind.

The ‘I’ is the cause of the form, time, and space because the ‘I’ itself is the form, time, and space together.

The ‘I’ is the cause of the universe because the ‘I’ itself is the universe.

The ‘‘I’ is the case of the waking or dream because the ‘I’ itself appears as the waking or dream.

The ‘I’ is the cause of the experience of birth, life, death, and the world because the ‘I’ itself is the experience of the birth, life, death, and the world.

The ‘I’ is the cause of the duality because ‘I’ itself is duality.

The ‘I’ is the cause of the illusion because the ‘I’ itself is an illusion.

The ‘I’’ is the cause of all their ignorance, mistakes, and misunderstandings. Every man thinks "I know". He does not stop to ask first, "What is the meaning of what I believe I know? This ‘I’ know attitude blocks one from realizing the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space.

First, the seeker has to investigate ‘what is this ‘I’ supposed to be?”

Everyone says they know everything and all the facts. “No-one stops to doubt or to understand, or to inquire as to ‘what is the fact?’ or ‘what is the definition of experience?’.

The ignorant take the simplest path, that of the uninquiring mind, because the other way, the search for truth, is hard and difficult and laborious. The religionist, yogis, and the common people do not worry about finding the truth of their true existence. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Tattireya Upanishad: ~ “The Self in man and in the sun is one. Those who understand this see through the world and go beyond the various sheaths of being to realize the unity of life.+

Tattireya Upanishad: ~ “The Self in man and in the sun is one. Those who understand this see through the world and go beyond the various sheaths of being to realize the unity of life.

The path of wisdom has nothing to do with Japa or repetition of a mantra. All Japa or mantras based on mythical God will not yield fruits.

The path of wisdom is divided into three parts:~

First: hearing the truth--that consciousness is the only reality and that the universe along with you is merely an illusion or Maya.

Second: reasoning upon these words of wisdom of Sage Sankara from all points of view.

Third: giving up all further argumentation and realizing the truth. This realization comes from being certain that consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth.

If sowing neem seed and expecting a mango to grow on a neem tree is a hallucination. You must sow only mango seed to get a mango tree to get mangos from the mango tree.

Similarly, you must know what God is supposed to be in actuality and sow the right seed in your subconscious to realize God in truth.

Gradually, one becomes aware of God in truth by getting rid of ignorance and will be able to establish the Soul, the Self, which is God in truth.

All the forms and attributes based on gods are a myth. Worshipping such Gods is barred by Vedas.

God in truth is not tasty and it is a bitter pill to swallow. Religion made its God tasty with its mythical toppings.

Every religion has concocted its own myth and propagated its own God to the ignorant populace.

Religion is the cause of the separation of humanity. Today humanity is facing wars, violence, terrorism, in the name of religious God and religion.:~Santthosh Kumaar

It is very difficult for people to understand and assimilate and realize the Advaitic truth for those who adopted ‘I-centric’ teaching.

It is very difficult for people to understand and assimilate and realize the Advaitic truth for those who adopted ‘I-centric’ teaching.

All those whose intelligence has been stolen by ignorance hold the Self as the ‘I’ and refuse to accept the ‘I’ is an illusion, which appears and disappears.

You are the false Self (ego) within the false experience (waking). The one which is inquiring and trying to find an answer about the truth of the true existence is you within the dualistic illusion (waking).

The Self is not you because you are bound by the experience of birth, life and death, and the world. The Self is the invisible Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

The invisible and unborn Soul is birthless and deathless because it is a formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.

From the standpoint of the invisible Soul, the Self, the experience of birth, life, and death, and the world are merely an illusion created out of consciousness.

You are not the Self because you are the false self (ego) within the false experience (waking state). Thus, what is the use of saying ‘I AM THIS’ or ‘I AM THAT’ when ‘I’ itself is an illusion?

If the ‘I’ is an illusion then what is the use of inquiring ‘WHO AM I?’. One must realize ‘what is this ‘I’ first. If the ‘I’ is not the Self then it is time to realize the Self is not ‘I’ but the Self is the witness of the ‘I.:~ Santthosh Kumaar

Chandogya Upanishad - 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.+

Worshipping God without knowing what God is supposed to be in actuality is not of any use.

Remember, the religious God worshipped by you is not the real God according to your own scriptures.

First, realize what God is supposed to be in truth. Being ignorant of the truth is being ignorant of God.

Bhagavad Gita:~ All those whose intelligence has been stolen by material desires worship many Gods. (7- Verse -20)

Religious Gods are based on blind beliefs. God, based on blind belief, is not God in truth. Religious God cannot be considered as the cause of the universwe because the invisible Soul thw Self is the cause of the universe.

Without the invisible Soul, the Self, the universe in which you exist ceases to exist, which means the religious Gods are dependent on the universe for their existence. The universe is dependent on the invisible Soul, the Self for its existence. God in truth is only the invisib;le Soul, the Self which is present in the form of consciousness.

Even the Bhagavad Gita says: ~ 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).

When the Bhagavad Gita says, God is considered the all-pervading consciousness, which is the basis of all the animate and inanimate entities and material then nothing has to be accepted as God other than consciousness.

Even the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad: ~ Brahman (God in truth) is the form of the Athma, and it is indeed Athma itself.

Even Rig Veda: ~ The Atman 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)

The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad: "He who worships the deities as entities entirely separate from the Self does not know the truth. For the Gods, he is like a pasu (beast)". (1. 4. 10)

Kena Upanishad (6) Chapter I: ~ “That which cannot be apprehended by the mind, but by which, they say, the mind is apprehended-That alone know as Brahman, and not that which people here worship.

Kena Upanishad (7) Chapter I:~ That which cannot be perceived by the eye, but by which the eye is perceived-That alone know as Brahman and not that which people here worship.

Kena Upanishad (8) Chapter I:~ That which cannot be heard by the ear, but by which the hearing is perceived-That alone know as Brahman and not that which people here worship.

Kena Upanishad (9)- Chapter I:~ That which cannot be smelt by the breath, but by which the breath smells an object-That alone know as Brahman, and not that which people here worship.

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.

No use in going a roundabout way, trace the Brahman (God in truth), which is the formless substance and witness of the universe, which is in the form of mind. By tracing the source of the mind or universe, one will be able to realize the Brahman (God in truth). : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

On the other hand, Sage Sankara claims that the world is not absolutely false. It appears false only when compared to Brahman.+

Never confuse Advaitic Gnana with dualistic knowledge, you may be dualistically genius but, nondualistic you are ignorant.

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 invisible Soul,  the Self is the ultimate truth is the unchanging thing. Since the world is changing, it is not true.

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

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

The world is believed to be a superimposition on consciousness, which is  Brahman. Superimposition cannot be true.

On the other hand, Sage Sankara claims that the world is not absolutely 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)

• If the world were false, then with the liberation of the first human being, the world would have been annihilated. However, the world continues to exist even if a human attains liberation.

•

• Sage Sankara believes in Karma or good actions. This is a feature of this world. So the world cannot be false.

•

• The Supreme Reality Brahman is the basis of this world. The world is like its reflection. Hence, the world cannot be totally false.

•

• False is something that is ascribed to non-existent things, like Sky-lotus. The world is a logical thing that is perceived by our senses.

•

Consider scientific logic. A pen is placed in front of a mirror. One can see its reflection. To our eyes, the image of the pen is perceived. Now, what should the image be called? It cannot be true because it is an image. The truth is the pen. It cannot be false because it is seen by our eyes.

Brahman— The One Without A Second

The Atman is self-evident (Svatah-Siddha). It is not established by extraneous proofs. It is not possible to deny the Atman because It is the very essence of the one who denies It. The Atman is the basis of all kinds of knowledge, presuppositions, and proofs. Self is within, Self is without; Self is before, Self is behind; Self is on the right, Self is on the left; Self is above and Self is below. Brahman is not an object, as it is Adrisya, beyond the reach of the eyes. Hence the Upanishads declare: “Neti Neti—not this, not this....” This does not mean that Brahman is a negative concept, or a metaphysical abstraction, or a nonentity, or avoid. It is not another. It is all-full, infinite, changeless, self-existent, self-delight, self-knowledge, and self-bliss. It is Svarupa, essence. It is the essence of the witness. It is the Seer (Drashta), Transcendent (Turiya), and Silent Witness (Sakshi).

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.

Sage Sankara's commentary to Brahma Sutras: ~ A Gnani "should pass through life", not run away from life, and should take a middle course between seeking worldly honor and worldly abasement. (ch-3.4.50)

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. Sri, Sankara was extremely precise and careful in his choice of words.

Sage  Sankara gave religious, rituals, and dogmatic instruction to the mass 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 believed that those of superior intelligence, have no need of this idea of divine causality, and can, therefore, dispense with Sruti and arrive at the truth of Non-Dualism by pure reason. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

God in truth becomes the universe in the waking state(duality), and the universe becomes God in truth in deep sleep (nonduality). +

God in truth becomes the universe in the waking state(duality), and the universe becomes God in truth in deep sleep (nonduality).

Realize the God as the invisible Soul, the Self. The invisible Soul is present in the form of consciousness.

Thus, consciousness itself is God in truth. The universe in which we exist is created out of consciousness. Thus, consciousness (God in truth) alone is real and all else is merely an illusion.

Remember:~

God is the Supreme Being, the One eternal homogeneous essence, indivisible consciousness, and intelligence, which is beyond form, time, and space. To which the Sages describe in a variety of ways through diverse words.

Bhagavad Gita: ~ ‘All those whose intelligence has been stolen by material desires, they worship many God s. (7- Verse -20)

Only the path of wisdom leads the seeker of truth on his journey to the ultimate realization of the true nature of the Universal Essence, which is the invisible Soul. The invisible Soul is present in the form of consciousness.

Bhagavad Gita: 7: 19:~ "Such a man who has attained true knowledge, the knowledge of Self, the knowledge of Atman, worships ‘Self’ as~ Atman (God) alone exists~ everything is Atman, there exists nothing except Atman. Such a man is extremely rare."

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).

When the Bhagavad Gita says, God is considered the all-pervading consciousness, which is the basis of all the animate and inanimate entities and material then nothing has to be accepted as God other than consciousness.

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.

The dualistic worship of "God” is only for the ignorant populace. The God in truth is only Atman, the innermost Self. In reality, there are no dualities, no differentiation. Only Atman exists.

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad IV-13:~ ‘As a mass of salt has neither inside nor outside, but is entirely a mass of taste, thus indeed, has that Self neither inside nor outside but is altogether a mass of Knowledge. Just as a lump of salt has inside as well as outside one and the same saltish taste, not any other taste, so also that Brahman (consciousness) has inside as well as outside one and the same intelligence. Inside and outside are mental creations only. When the mind melts in silence, ideas of inside and outside vanish. The sages cognize one illimitable, homogeneous mass of consciousness only.

Causality taught in the Upanishads is only to enable us to understand the supreme truth of no-origination. The world is not different from the consciousness, and consciousness is not different from the invisible Soul, the Self, and the Soul is not different from the ultimate truth or Brahman. That consciousness appears as the diverse world is only an illusion. If it really became diverse then the immortal would become mortal.

The dualists who seek to prove the origination of the unborn, by that very enterprise, try to make the immortal mortal. The ultimate nature can never change - the immortal can never become mortal and vice versa.

Sage Goudapada quotes from the Upanishads: ~ "There's no plurality here"; "The Soul through its powers appears to be many"; "those who are attached to the creation or production or origination go to utter darkness"; "the unborn is never reborn, for what can produce it?”. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar