What God is like? God cannot be seen directly by anyone. God pervades all beings and all directions.+

What God in truth is like? God in truth is the formless, timeless, and spaceless existence. According to the Vedas God neither has any image nor God resides in any particular idol or statue. God cannot be seen directly by anyone. God pervades all beings and all directions.

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

Avatara (‘descent’) of God s, caste system, were absent in the Vedic religion. Only when the Vedic religion with its own as distinct from its own sacred texts, rites, rules of social life, beliefs, and practices without interlinking it with Hinduism the true essence of Vedas will be revealed.

Some scholars believe that Lord Krishna has been just a Mahan yogi and not God himself. Hinduism is not Vedic religion or Santana Dharma.

Bhagavad Gita: ~ 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)

People, who worship the blind  belief based  God, are hallucinating that they become one with such God

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 innermost Self. May ye never accept another God in place of the Atman nor worship other than the Atman?" (10:48, 5)

Yajurveda – chapter- 32:~  God is Supreme Spirit has no ‘Pratima’ (idol) or material shape. God cannot be seen directly by anyone. God pervades all beings and all directions. Thus, Idolatry does not find any support from the Vedas.

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

When Upanishads and Vedas declare that, “God is present in the form of the Athma, and it is indeed Athma itself then why to accept another God in place of the Atman or worship other than the Atman.

People, who worship the belief of God, are hallucinating that they become one with such God

The Vedas do not talk about idol worship. In fact, till about 2000 years ago followers of Vedism never worshipped idols. Idol worship was started by the followers of Buddhism and Jains. 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.

Yajur Veda indicates that: ~ They sink deeper in darkness those who worship sambhuti. (Sambhuti means created things, for example, table, chair, idol, etc. - (Yajurved 40:9)

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."- (Yajurveda 40:9.)

The Hindus believed in polytheism, believing all of their God s to be separate individuals, which were introduced much later by the founders of Hinduism which contains diverse beliefs caste, and creed.

When the religion of the Veda knows no idols then why so many God s and Goddesses with different forms and names are being propagated as Vedic God s. Why these conceptual God s are introduced when the Vedic concept of God is free from form and attributes.

Hindus do idol-worship, while Vedas bars idol worship. According to Vedas, God in truth pervades in everything and everywhere.

To be considered an orthodox Hindu one need only accept the authority of Shruti, however, there is no universal agreement among Hindus on what constitutes Shruti. Vedantins consider the Vedanta, i.e., the Upanishads as Shruti, but also include the

Bhagavad-Gita and Brahma Sutras as authoritative. For some Vaishnavas, the Bhagavata Purana is to be considered Veda. Some consider the Tantras are considered Veda. Thus, we find that there is ample scope for different philosophies and practices under the very broad umbrella of Hinduism. And all Hindus indulge in non-Vedic practices barred by the Vedas introduced by the different founders of the different sects of Hinduism.

The vast ocean of the Vedic religion or Santana Dharma was consistently steady and calm for a very long period. It appears that as a consequence of the rage of the Buddhist revolution it got suddenly disturbed and flowed down to us in disorder. Even today Vedic Religion or Santana Dharma has not recovered from the onslaught of Buddhism and Jainism and is not able to settle in people's hearts in its original form in the same old measure.

The Buddhist influence is seen in a great measure in the Vedic philosophy which is followed by the majority of Indians. Thus, it is clear that Vedic Religion or Santana Dharma has not retained its original form, but been influenced by other religions has undergone a sea change. 

Thus the influence of Buddhism on Santana Dharma is extraordinary. Even Kumarila Bhatta, who fought with great heroism for the revival of Vedic religion, was so much influenced by Buddhism that he established for the first time in the country, an atheist Vedic Religion or Santana Dharma. There is no room for any doubt to assert that the Kumarila Bhatta School was influenced by atheist Buddhism because the school which is based on the validity of the Vedas and rituals refutes the existence of God.

Sage Sankara endeavored towards establishing the Vedic religion overthrowing Buddhism. But even he was not able to avoid the influence of Buddhism. The influence of the revolutionary atmosphere of Buddhism has reappeared in the Advaita of Sage Sankara. His inability to revive the Vedic religion that flourished before the Buddhist revolution in its pure form is discernible.

Many thinkers since his time have said about Sage Sankara that he made use of many important tenets of Buddhism and presented to the people the very Buddhism in the guise of Vedic religion. Though the Vedic religion represented by Sage Sankara is, like a conglomeration of many things he deserves the credit of having turned the Hindu mind which was once averse to Vedas -the root of Hinduism, towards the Vedas once again. For this, the followers of the Vedic religion should be grateful to Sage Sankara.

The brilliance shown by Sage Sankara, a man of wonderful genius and an extraordinary dialectician is really a great spectacle in history. In his time, there was a severe conflict between Buddhism and the atheist Vedic religion of Kumarila Bhatta. Utilizing this opportunity Sage Sankara intervened in the conflict and making use of some concepts and methodology of both the Kumarila Bhatta School and Buddhism presented a new coalition religion before people.

Sage Sankara gave an extraordinary charisma to this religion with the help of his methods of logic and style of exposition. Its influence was so much that both the Bhatta School and Buddhism had to flee from India without leaving a trace. The absence, even today, of a single follower of the Kumarila Bhatta School as well as of Buddhism, is proof enough for the great achievement of Sage Sankara. This indeed is a historical miracle.

One can see in the Vedic religion expounded by Sage Sankara a different version of the Kumarila Bhatta School and Buddhism. That is why the tradition of following Kumarila Bhatta's methodology in expounding the Advaita thought at the empirical level gained ground in the Advaita School.

Different types of the methodology of Buddhism were absorbed into the Advaita thought, of course, under new labels. There is a very clear similarity between the Vedic religion of Sage Sankara and Buddhism and the Advaita School has given the world a common message. The essence of both schools is:-

The whole world which one perceives is illusionary; it is just an appearance of unreality and there is only one indeterminate and attributeless Sat at the root of this world".The whole world which one perceives is illusionary; it is just an appearance of unreality and there is only one indeterminate and attributeless Sat at the root of this world".:~Santthosh Kumaar

Manduka Upanishads: ~ “Those that want Brahman will not practice control of the mind. That is Yoga for duffers.+

Some gurus propagate by control of the senses leads to Self-realization. By controlling the senses the ignorance will not vanish. Some yogis say control the mind.

By controlling the senses the ignorance will not vanish. It is foolish to venture control g the mind without knowing ‘what is this mind’ in actuality.

Manduka Upanishads: ~ “Those that want Brahman will not practice control of the mind. That is Yoga for duffers. The others will inquire and practice discrimination. (p.231)

Without getting rid of the ignorance the world in which you exist prevails as a reality.

Thus, it is necessary to realize the ‘Self’ is not you but the Self is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. The Soul has no organs because the Soul is a formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.

Ashtavakra Gita: ~ “The fool tries to control the mind with the mind - what folly! The wise one delights in the Self alone. There is no mind to master.

Yogis say they control the Mind. They think the mind is an organ within the body. Thus, yoga is limited to the form, time, and space, whereas the truth is beyond the form, time, and space. It is high time for them to realize the mind is not within the body, but their body and the world are within the mind.

Without knowing what is mind it is impossible to realize the truth, which is beyond the form, time, and space.

The ‘I’ is present only when the mind is present. The mind is present in the form of the universe. The universe appears as the waking or the dream (duality) and disappears as deep sleep (nonduality). The one that becomes dual and nondual is consciousness. Thus, all three states are nothing but consciousness.

Consciousness alone is real and all the three states are merely an illusion. When the conviction about the consciousness becomes firm, then it leads to Advaitic awareness in the midst of the duality.

Thus, it is necessary to have a perfect understanding of ‘what is ‘what’ to realize the truth, which is beyond the form, time, and space. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Those who follow the Karma theory are not qualified for Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.+

Those who follow the Karma theory are not qualified for Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

The karma theory belongs to religion and yoga and it is nothing to do with Spirituality or Adyathma.

Advaitic wisdom is pure spirituality. The karma theory is based on the individual experience of birth, life, death, and the world as a reality whereas Sage Sankara says the world is an illusion.

Thus, whatever karma performed within the illusory world is bound to be an illusion. The karma theory is meant for the ignorant who are the followers of the Advaitic orthodox path. Advaitic orthodox path is meant for the ignorant populace. Those who follow the Karma theory are not qualified for Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

According to Advaita Vedanta, the Veda addresses itself to two kinds of audiences:~

1. The ordinary ones who desire the transitory heaven and other pleasures obtained as a result of ritual sacrifices,

2. The more advanced seeker who seeks to know Brahman.

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.

The Vedanta, with its emphasis on the jnana kanda, is meant for those who wish to go beyond such transient pleasures.

Sage Sankara: ~ “Action (karma) cannot destroy ignorance, for it is not in conflict with or opposed to ignorance. Knowledge does verily destroy ignorance as light destroys deep darkness. -Atma Bodha

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.

In the theistic analysis, human life and behavior are explained on the basis of the theory of karma, which sets the cycle of rebirths into motion. All actions, good or bad, create their own karmic residues called vasanas, which exhibit their results over a period of time.

The karma which has already started taking fruit is called Prarabdha Karma. This is the karma that is responsible for the current birth. The accumulated karma which is yet to take fruit is called sanchit karma. As long as the cycle of rebirth continues, more karma will be done in the future, and this is called Agamin karma. Liberation (moksha) is the way out of this endless cycle.

The most valuable contribution of Sage Sankara is that he gained general consciousness on the issue that the authoritative explanation of Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, and Brahma Sutra was the final say in the matter of religion. Anything that goes contrary to the trio is not authentic. He also made a clear distinction between Vedas and Upanishads in his commentary on Gita. He stated that the Karma Kanda of the Vedas deals with the injunctions relating to the performance of duties and actions. These are for ordinary householders.

The path of religion, the path of yoga, and the path of wisdom were intended for different classes of people. The wisdom is for the advanced seekers of truth. It deals with the nature of the ultimate Truth and Reality. It is meant for superior aspirants who have the inner urge to know the truth and it is not for those who are immersed in earthly desires.

Sage Sankara’s whole teaching can be summed up in one sentence, ‘There is nothing else but Brahma. He says that the Absolute Existence, Absolute Knowledge, and Absolute Bliss are real. The universe is not real.

Sage Sankara - Brahma and Atman are one. The ultimate and the Absolute Truth is the Self, which is one though appearing as many in different individuals. Individua l has no reality. Only the Self is real; the rest, mental and physical are but passing appearances.

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.

Sage Sankara gave religion, ritual, karma to the ignorant masses, as well as Advaitic wisdom to those who are seriously seeking the truth of their true existence.

Those who have taken the Path of wisdom or Atmic path should discard the karma theory which is meant for the orthodox ignorant populace.

The person who bases on the individual experience of birth, life, and death, is trying to find the meaning of life. There is no meaning or purpose of life because life is merely happening within the dualistic illusion. 

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

You must realize the ‘Self, not experience the ‘Self’.+

One need not renounce worldly life and become a sanyasi or monk. One need not retire from his business or corporate job and become a Guru all these religious and yogic propagated outdated ideas has to be discarded in order to realize the truth of the true existence.

Do not become a slave of all these outdated religious and yogic ideas they are not meant for those who seriously seeking the truth. There is no need to follow anyone. Self –realization becomes easy if you independently walk your path.

Atmic path is your own path. You have to tread the path alone to reach it alone finally nothing remains as reality other than the Athma the Soul.

Stop emotionally and sentimentally getting stuck with the Gurus.

That is why Bhagavan Buddha: ~ Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders.

Sage Sankara was a Brahma Gnani. Most of the modern masters are not Gnani. And you have to understand that to be a Gnani is one thing; to be a Guru is totally different.

Out of a million people perhaps one is a Gnani. Most of the Self- realized decide to remain silent – seeing the difficulty, that whatever they have realized is impossible to convey in any possible way to others; seeing that not only is it difficult to convey, it is bound to be misunderstood too.

A Gnani never claims himself as a Gnani, he guides the seekers, not posing himself as a Guru, and he does not force his wisdom on others. A Gnani is not a religious person or Yogi.

One need not roam one mountain to another, one ashram to another, or meeting gurus or yogis in order to get Gnana. One can get Gnana and become a Gnani wherever he lives.

We all are searching truth within the illusion, not being aware of the fact that the illusion is created out of single stuff which is the Soul, the Self. The Soul is present in the form of consciousness.

Thus, searching the truth within illusion with the illusory self, within the illusory experience, has to be an illusion. The illusion is created and sustained, and finally, dissolves as consciousness. There is no second thing that exists other than consciousness. Consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman. Brahman is God in truth.

No one becomes a Gnani by taking sannyasa or wearing religious robes or by mastering the scriptures or by identifying with the religious symbol. Religious robes and religious symbols are not the means to Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

Blind faith is an obstacle in the pursuit of truth. The seeker should not waste his time on, he should primarily reflect on the Soul, the Self; not on the ‘I’.

The Soul, which is present in the form of the Spirit (consciousness), is ever formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.

Sruti says: ~ "brahmavit brahmaiva bhavati":~ He who knows Brahman becomes Brahman Itself. In the Advaita understanding of this statement, the "becoming" is only metaphorical. It is not as if something that was not Brahman suddenly becomes Brahman. Rather, "realizing Brahman" means a removal of the ignorance about one's own essential nature as Brahman. Thus, to "know Brahman" is to "be Brahman".

The one who has realized the Soul is the Self is a Gnani. Gnani is the one who is liberated even while embodied. Such a realization should not and cannot just be a literal understanding of Upanishadic Mahavakyas.

Remember:~

A Gnani is one who has realized the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth. Thus, moksha is not a result of ritual action (path of karma a) or of devotional service (path of bhakti). These paths are egocentric paths, therefore, they will not help anyway to get rid of the ignorance. In fact, moksha is not a result of anything, for it always exists.

All that is required is the removal of ignorance. The path of wisdom helps the seeker to acquire the Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

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

Thus, moksha is not a result of ritual action (path of karma) or of devotional service (path of bhakti). : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Why go round and round by various tortuous paths when there is clear cut truth declared by Sage Sankara.+

Why go round and round by various tortuous paths when there is clear cut truth declared by Sage Sankara.

Sage Sankara says: ~ Atman is Brahman (God). Thus, the Soul the 'Self’’ is God. Therefore, all the Gods with form and attributes are mere imagination based on the false ‘Self'. Thus, there is adulteration and add-ons in the past, which has to be bifurcated if one wants pure Vedic essence.

Wen the Vedas and Upanishad declare that the Soul which is present in the form of the consciousness is actually nothing but Brahman, then why to go round and round, by various tortuous paths, like the blind led by the blind.

One has to realize the fact that, the mind is in the form of the universe. Trace the source of mind and realize that source is consciousness. The mind arises from consciousness as the waking or the dream and subsides as deep sleep.

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 innermost ‘Self’. May ye never accept another God in place of the Atman nor worship other than the Atman?" (10:48, 5)

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

Yajurveda – chapter- 32:~ God is the Supreme Spirit.

Vedas and Upanishad confirm the Soul, the ‘Self’, is present in the form of the Spirit or the consciousness.

The Soul is the root element of the universe. The Soul is present in the form of the Soul, the ‘Self’. The Soul is present in the form of consciousness. From the Soul, the universe comes into existence. In the Soul, the universe resides. And into the Soul the universe is dissolved. The Soul is the parent of all that is there is.

When the Upanishad says: the human goal is to acquire ‘‘Self’’-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana and they indicate the personal Gods, scriptures, worship, and rituals are not the means to ‘‘Self’’ –Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana, then why anyone should indulge in it.

Realize right now right here the Soul, the Spirit is God. There is nothing to realize other than realizing the ‘Self’ is not you but the ‘‘Self’ is God the Spirit, which is present in the form of consciousness. Knowledge of God is Advaita because God is Advaita, the one without the second

In Manduka Upanishad Brahman and Atman are defined as the same:~

सर्वं ह्येतद् ब्रह्मायमात्मा ब्रह्म सोयमात्मा चतुष्पात् / sarvam hyetad brahmaayamaatmaa brahm soyamaatmaa chatushpaat ~

Manduka Upanishad, verse-2

Translation:~

sarvam(सर्वम्)- Whole/All/Everything; hi(हि)- Really/Just/Surely/Indeed; etad(एतद्)- This here/This; brahm(ब्रह्म)- Brahm/Brahman; ayam(अयम्)- This/Here; aatmaa(आत्मा)- Atma/Atman; sah(सः)- He; ayam(अयम्)- This/Here; chatus(चतुस्)- Four/Quadruple; paat(पात्)- Step/Foot/Quarter

Fragmented Verse:~

सर्वम् हि एतद् ब्रह्म अयम् आत्मा ब्रह्म सः अयम् आत्मा चतुस पात् / sarvam hi etad brahm ayama aatmaa brahm sah ayam aatmaa chatus paat

Simple Meaning: ~

All indeed is this Brahman; This Atman is Brahman; God, this Atman has four steps/quarters.

While Brahman lies behind the sum total of the objective universe, some human minds boggle at any attempt to explain it with only the tools provided by reason. Brahman is beyond the senses, beyond the mind, beyond intelligence, beyond imagination. Indeed, the highest idea is that Brahman is beyond both existence and non-existence, transcending and including time, causation, and space, and thus can never be known in the same material sense as one traditionally 'understands' a given concept or object.

Imagine a person who is blind from birth and has not seen anything. Is it possible for us to explain to him the meaning of the color red? Is any amount of thinking or reasoning on his part ever going to make him understand the sensation of the color red? In a similar fashion, the idea of Brahman cannot be explained or understood through material reasoning or any form of human communication. Brahman is like the color red; those who can sense it cannot explain or argue with those who have never sensed it.

Bhad Upanishad: ~ “This ‘Self’ is dearer than a son, dearer than wealth, dearer than everything else because It is innermost. If one holds the ‘Self’ dear were to say to a person who speaks of anything other than the ‘Self’ as dear, that he, the latter, will lose what he holds dear—and the former is certainly competent to do so—it will indeed come true. One should meditate upon the ‘Self’ alone as dear. He who meditates upon the ‘Self’ alone as dear—what he holds dear will not perish”. (Bhad Upanishad -8-p- -211)

Taittiriya Upanishad (II.1):~ where Brahman described in the following manner: Satyam Jnanam Anantam Brahman - "Brahman is of the nature of truth, knowledge, and infinity". Thus, Brahman is the origin and end of all things, material or otherwise. Brahman is the root source and Divine Ground of everything that exists and does not exist. It is defined as unknowable and Sat-chit- ananda (Truth-Consciousness-Bliss).

The ultimate truth or Brahman is God in truth. God in truth is not the religious God that people believe and worship. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Through Advaitic wisdom the seeker will have a yardstick unmistakably know what to accept as the truth and what to discard as untruth.+

Through perfect understanding and assimilation, Advaitic wisdom will naturally dawn. Through Advaitic wisdom, the seeker will have a yardstick unmistakably know what to accept as the truth and what to discard as untruth.

By cultivating the soulcentric vision of the worldview, the egocentric vision of the worldview diminishes and there is self-awareness in midst of the dualistic illusion or Maya (universe).

In Self-awareness, the universe becomes one with its essence. That essence is the Soul is present in the form of consciousness.

When one realizes the nature of the universe then he is no longer affected in any way by the dualistic illusion.

Self- Awareness is the nature of the Soul, the innermost Self. The Soul is unaffected by the dualistic illusion because the dualistic illusion is created out of the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Realizing the Soul does not die nor is it born. The universe and Mukthi or nirvana belong to the dualistic illusion. The dualistic illusion arises momentarily, it is impermanent, because the dualistic illusion appears and disappears.

The reality is beyond the form, time, and space. The form, time, and space are essential materials for the dualistic illusion. Without the form, time, and space the dualistic illusion cease to exist. The dualistic illusion is present in the form of the ‘I’.

The reality is hidden by the ‘I’. The seeker of truth should not cling to the ‘I’ if he is interested in realizing the truth, which is beyond the 'I'.

By sticking to ‘I’ is sticking to ignorance.

By sticking to ‘I’ is sticking to the dualistic illusion.

By sticking to ‘I’ is sticking to the body or the ego and the mind.

By sticking to ‘I’ is sticking to the universe.

By sticking to ‘I’ is sticking to the form, time, and space.

By sticking to ‘I’ is sticking to the three states.

Remember:~

Without the ‘I’, there is no ignorance.

Without the ‘I', there is no dualistic illusion.

Without the ‘I’, there is no physical body or ego and the mind.

Without the ‘I’, there is no universe.

Without the ‘I', there is no form, time, and space.

Without the ‘I’ there are no three states.

A permanent view of the world as an illusion can come only after Soul centric reasoning; such knowledge cannot change. Were the seeker who is sufficiently sharp, 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, he gets only half-truth.

Bhagavan Buddha: ~ “There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth: not going all the way... and not starting. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Sage Sankara:- The individual has no reality. Only the Self is real; the rest, mental and physical are but passing appearance.+

India is the home of mysticism and deification and very few are keen on rational Advaitic truth. Indian populace is most interested in their caste and creed propagated by different founders in different regions of India.

Very few people are interested in Advaitic wisdom. In Atmic path has no place for an extra-cosmic God or for anything supernatural.

Without Sage Sankara, there is no Advaita. Without Advaitic wisdom, it is impossible to realize the truth, which is hidden by the form, time, and space.

Sage Sankara’s whole wisdom can be summed up in one sentence, ‘There is nothing else but Brahman”.

Sage Sankara says that Absolute Existence, Absolute Knowledge, and Absolute awareness are real. The universe is not real.

Sage Sankara says that Brahma and Atman are one. The ultimate and the Absolute Truth is the Self, which is one though appearing as many different individuals. The individual has no reality. Only the Self is real; the rest, mental and physical are but passing appearances.

Sage Sankara says clearly, the universe is not real. He says that Brahman and Atman are one. The ultimate and the Absolute truth is the ‘Self’, which is one though appearing as many in different individuals.

The individual has no reality. Only the ‘Self’ is Real; the rest, mental and physical are but passing appearances, then it indicates the form (waking) is unreal the formless is real (Soul). Therefore, only Atman is real because there is no second thing other than Atman.

Remember:~

Genuine spirituality or Adyathma must be independent of religion, that in Sage Sankara himself the Saguna Brahman or a personal God is only a part of the phenomenal (if not illusory) world, and the Nirguna Brahman is the only reality and has nothing to do with religion.

Sage Sankara pokes fun at ascetics and points out that all their austerities do not cause desires to go (Altar Flowers" Page 205, v.2 P.207 v.4)

The Brahma Sutras together with Sage Sankara's commentary thereon do not contain the higher wisdom. They are intended for those who are incapable of thinking rationally.

Sage Sankara's commentary on the Brahma Sutras is not on a philosophical basis, but on an orthodox and mystic basis, with an appeal to the Vedas as a final authority.

In Brahma Sutra Sage Sankara takes the position that there is another entity outside us, i.e. the wall really exists separately from the mind. This was because, Sage Sankara explains in Manduka that those who study the Sutras are orthodox minds, intellectual children, hence his popular viewpoint to assist them.

These people are afraid to go deeper because it means being heroic enough to refuse to accept Shruti, and God's authority, in case they mean punishment by God.

A Gnani says the scriptures for children, but wise seekers will think rationally.

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

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

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

Scholars' translation of Brahma Sutras in Sacred Books of East must be read cautiously as he has not understood its highest sense, e.g. for Advaita, they wrongly put "Unity" instead of “Non-duality."

Sage Sankara gave religion and scholasticism and yoga no less than the Advaitic wisdom, to the seeking world. He was great enough to be able to do so. His commentary on Manduka is pure Advaitic truth, but many of his other books are presented from a religious standpoint to help those who cannot rise up to philosophy.

Orthodoxy is the home of mysticism and deification that is why they are not keen on the rational truth.

Sage Sankara is the Jagadguru to the religious followers and he is a Brahma Gnani to the seeking world.

Advaita is not a religion. Advaita is not philosophy. Advaita is not yoga. Advaita is the nature of the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. Advaita is the Soul itself. Advaita is the ultimate truth. Advaita is Brahman. Advaita is God itself.

That is why Sage Sankara says:~ “VC-v6- Let erudite scholars quote all the scripture, let Gods be invoked through sacrifices, let elaborate rituals be performed, let personal Gods be propitiated---yet, without the realization of one‘s identity with the Self, there shall be no liberation for the individual, not even in the lifetimes of a hundred Brahmas put together.

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’s Advaitic wisdom is Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana is knowledge of the Spirit or God in truth.

Sage Sankara means Advaita and Advaita means Sage Sankara. If the seeker is seeking truth nothing but the truth then he has to drop all the theistic Advaita and different versions of Advaita created by eastern and western masters without mercy, in order to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. Such teaching instead of helping the seeker blocks them from realizing the truth, hidden by the ‘I’.

Sage Sankara alone is Brahma Gnani the humanity has to bow with gratitude to the great Sage.

People who go round and round in search of truth still have to walk around the mountains and face other difficulties. The seekers who have come to a conclusion the outer path is inadequate and useless to find the truth which they are seeking will take up the Atmic path.

Atmic path is the inner path or mental path. The Atmic path takes the seeker straight to the source and is not obstructed by any obstacles on the way. One also reaches the destination faster if he is sincere and serious in his quest for truth.

Upanishad says: ~ “The human goal is to acquire Self-Knowledge and they indicate that belief in the personal Gods, yoga scriptures, worship, and rituals are not the means to Self –Knowledge, then why anyone should indulge in it.

The religion, concept of individualized god and scriptures are the greatest obstacle to Self-realization because they are based on false Self. The seeker of truth has to search for the ultimate truth without losing himself in the labyrinths of philosophy, through deeper Self-search and assimilate and realize it.

Sage Sankara: ~ VC- Neither sacred baths nor any amount of charity nor even Hundreds of pranayamas* can give us the knowledge about our own Self. The firm realization of the nature of the Self is seen to proceed from inquiry along the lines of the salutary advice of the wise. (13)

All accumulated knowledge is of no use in the path of wisdom. Without realizing “What is the truth it is impossible to realize “What is untruth?” Without realizing what is truth and what is the untruth, it is impossible to assimilate the Self –Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. The seeker must know with full and firm conviction what truth is.

That is why Bhagavan Buddha said: ~ “Believe nothing because a wise man said it, Believe nothing because it is generally held. Believe nothing because it is written. Believe nothing because it is said to be divine. Believe nothing because someone else said it. But believe only what you yourself judge to be true

The wisdom consists in knowing the truth, that everything (mind or physical existence) is the consciousness. The freedom (ultimate truth) is always there yet one does not know it. But to those whose reason is turned away from physicality and who have attained the serenity of the Soul or consciousness, the Self, is quite near to realizing the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth.

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.

Deeper thinking and Soulcentric reasoning help the seeker to unfold the truth which is hidden within the form, time, and space.

Bhagavan Buddha: ~ “There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth: not going all the way... and not starting. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar