Sage Sankara founded his Advaita Vedanta either on reason independent of Sruti or on Sruti confirmed by reason.+

In chap. 10 of in Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna says: ~ "I have given you the most secret teaching, now reflect over it all" Krishna plainly says reflect, think. (Verse 63 of Chap. 18)

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 is the only sage who has final authority on the Advaitic truth. The Advaitic truth is rational truth and scientific truth without dogma.

Sage Sankara himself has warned us not to use ambiguous words and to practice semantic analysis in his book "Definition of one's own Self. (Page 199, v.24 of "Sankara's Selected Works)

Sage Sankara founded his Advaita Vedanta either on reason independent of Sruti or on Sruti confirmed by reason."

Sage Sankara, in debates with Buddhists and others who did not recognize the authority of the Vedas, had been obliged to prove the truth of Advaita by means of reason alone.

Sage Sankara, in debates with Buddhists and others who did not recognize the authority of the Vedas, had been obliged to prove the truth of Advaita by means of reason alone.

Remember:~

Bhagavad Gita: ~ Reason as a means to reality. (Chap.18 verse 37)

In chap. 10 of the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna says: ~ I cannot save you, but I can give you Buddhi (reason). (chap. 10)

Mundaka Upanishad says: ~ Both states are harmful and take you away from the path of inquiry into truth. (Page 234)

Ashtavakra Gita: ~ It is not the absence of Buddhi (Reason) that can grasp Advaita but the man who possesses the highest intellect. Brains are necessary. Such a man, by merely hearing the truth mentioned will know it. (Page~ 224).

The mystic must become a constant slave to some line of "thought" or rather imagination, and then he will really see visions confirming his imaginations.

The mystic who sees God in vision has seen Him during the waking state. The waking experience itself an illusion. Thus, whatever seen within the illusion is bound to be an illusion. Thus, it is necessary for the mystic to realize his existence is a reality within the illusion.

Whatever belief of God one is familiar with through his inherited conditioning or samskara that he will see in his visions. When the man is the false self within the false experience, then whatever he believes is bound to be a falsehood.

God is The Soul, the Self. The Soul is present in the form of consciousness. God is not within you, but you and your experience of the world are within God. Self-realization is God-realization because The Soul, the Self itself is God. When you and your experience of the world disappear, then God alone prevails as a formless, timeless, and spaceless existence. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

The truth will not reveal by searching the source of the thoughts.+

The truth will not reveal by searching the source of the thoughts. The thoughts, thinker and the world in which thinker exists are within the dualistic illusion or Maya. The dualistic or Maya illusion is present in the form of the ‘I’.

Some Gurus hold the ‘I’ as the thought but ‘I’ is not a thought but ‘I’ is the mind. The mind is present in the form of the universe. The universe appears as waking or dream (duality) and disappears as deep sleep (nonduality).

The thinker and the thoughts and the world in which thinker gets the thoughts are nothing to do with the Soul, the ‘Self.

The Soul, the Self is ever formless, timeless, and spaceless existence. Without the form, time, and space the thought will not be formed.

The thought rises only to the waking entity or dream entity. Without the waking entity or dream entity, the thoughts will not arise.

Deeper self-search reveals the fact that the self is neither the waking entity nor the self is the dream entity but the ‘Self’ is the Soul, which witnesses the coming and going of the three states. The three states are nothing to do with the ‘Self’ because they are merely an illusion. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

By visiting the Ashram, ignorance will not vanish. By glorifying the Guru or surrendering to the Guru you will not get Advaitic Gnana.+

If one feels ecstatic or exalted peace in the presence of Yogi or Godmen is not wisdom.

People who are troubled, unhappy in their life probably over health, wealth, or women find solitude at Ashrams, pilgrimages, and temples because there was an uneasy disturbance of the mind, they find peace because their attention is diverted from the present problem temporarily. They had no peace of mind the Ashram, pilgrimages, and temples cured it for the time.

By visiting the ashram, the pilgrimages, and the temples one gets dualistic peace. The dualistic peace is not the Atmic peace. It merely indicates the state of mind possessed on arrival at Ashram pilgrimages and temples.

There is no permanent cure without Advaitic Gnana.

By visiting Ashram, retreats, pilgrimages, and temples will not help one to get rid of ignorance.

Without getting rid of ignorance, the present life will experience as reality. When wisdom dawns the world in which we exist becomes unreal. The same way as the dream becomes unreal when the waking took place. Thus, when you become Soulcentric the present life becomes a passing show.

Remember:~

You go to the mountains only to enjoy the beauty and serenity of the mountains but not for acquiring the Advaitic wisdom of Sage Sankara.

Remember you are a truth seeker you will not accept anything other than the truth.

By visiting the Ashram, ignorance will not vanish. By glorifying the Guru or surrendering to the Guru you will not get Advaitic Gnana. All religious and yogic paths meant for the ignorant crowd, not for those who are searching for the truth of their true existence.

By practicing kundalini you will remain in ignorance permanently. Meeting holy people you will not get the grace.

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

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

So he wore a Guru's robe only for the sake of the ignorant. So he was identified as Guru with parampara by religious people. For the truth seekers, Sage Sri, Sankara is a Brahma Gnani.

Thus, it proves that the religious gurus and yogis are not Gnanis because they identified themselves as holy people.

Tripura Rahasya: ~ Second-hand knowledge of the Self-gathered from books or Gurus can never emancipate a man until its truth is rightly investigated and applied; only direct realization will do that. Realize yourself, turning the mind inward. (18: 89) : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Advaitic wisdom has been lost for ages because it was hidden from the general populace by the Sage Sankara. Advaitic wisdom was kept as Supreme secret.+

Sages Sankara restrained himself parting the Advaitic wisdom to the masses and only parted with a selected few. It was hidden from the people who were not qualified and receptive to it. Advaitic wisdom was not written down but was imparted orally to the chosen few. Thus, religion was given to the mass, and Advaitic wisdom was given only selected a few. Thus, we find traces of the Advaitic wisdom in the religious books in the form of parables.

Remember:~

Advaitic wisdom has been lost in the labyrinth of philosophy. People misinterpret and falsify it today because they propagate Advaita on the dualistic perspective. The knowledge-based on dualistic perspective is intellectual knowledge based on imagination, not Advaitic wisdom.

Advaitic wisdom is not yoga but the truth beyond the form, time, and space. The teachers of philosophy and Gurus and yogis do not want to inquire into truth and have no time for it. They only want to propagate their accepted truth.

Advaitic wisdom has been lost for ages because it was hidden from the general populace by the Sage Sankara. Advaitic wisdom was kept as a Supreme secret.

Even in ancient days, people did not care for Advaitic wisdom they wanted religion; hence Advaitic wisdom Gnana got lost. That is why Krishna calls it "the supreme secret.

Instead of discussing religion, religious Gods, karma, and yoga, the seeker should dive into deeper self-search.

There are so many obstacles if one tries to reach the non-dual destination because of orthodox adulteration. Advaitic wisdom and orthodox or theistic Advaita are not the same.

Mixing the Advaitic orthodoxy with Advaitic wisdom is like mixing oil and water. Most of the scholars are sentimentally and emotionally involved with orthodoxy because both Advaitic orthodoxy and Advaitic wisdom are propagated by the same founder Sage Sankara. They mix-up two viewpoints together, therefore, it becomes difficult to get the Advaitic truth expounded by Sage Sankara.

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 advanced seekers who seek to know the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth.”

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. However, the Vedanta, with its emphasis on the jnana kanda, is meant for those who wish to go beyond the form, time, and space.

Thus, those who are seeking truth have to discard the orthodox Advaita without mercy in order to realize the Advaitic truth, which is beyond the form, time, and space.

It is very difficult to understand and assimilate the ultimate truth or Brahman without discarding the religion, scriptures, philosophies, and idea of individualized God. Ultimate truth or Brahman directly realized without Advaitic philosophy and Buddhism by Soulcentric reasoning.

There is nothing more rational, more intelligible, and more un-dogmatic insights of Sage Sankara is to drop all the theistic nonduality or Advaita which is meant for those who are incapable and not receptive to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman.

That is why Sage Sankara says:~ 58. Loud speech consisting of a shower of words, the skill in expounding the Scriptures, and likewise erudition - these merely bring on a little personal enjoyment to the scholar but are no good for Liberation.

VC:~ 59. The study of the Scriptures is useless so long as the highest Truth is unknown, and it is equally useless when the highest Truth has already been known.

60. The Scriptures consisting of many words are a dense forest that merely causes the mind to ramble. Hence, men of wisdom should earnestly set about knowing the true nature of the Self.

61. For one who has been bitten by the serpent of Ignorance, the only remedy is the knowledge of Brahman. Of what avail are the Vedas and (other) Scriptures, Mantras (sacred formulae), and medicines to such a one?

62. A disease does not leave off if one simply utters the name of the medicine, without taking it; (similarly) without direct realization one cannot be liberated by the mere utterance of the word Brahman.

If one merely theorizes, tries to understand through his intellect, and there contended he cannot become a Gnani but he becomes a scholar or pundit. Seeker of truth must make what he has understood and assimilated, has to be realized, to get a firm conviction of the non-dualistic truth or ultimate truth or Brahman, then only he can transcend all the limitations of the experience of form, time, and space.

The existence beyond limitations of form, time, and space is known as Moksha or Nirvana. Spiritual freedom or Self-realization is the goal of every seeker of truth. :~

Santthosh Kumaar

Consciousness is ‘One’, and all divisions of the form, time, and space are illusory.+

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

Consciousness is ‘One’, and all divisions of the form, time, and space are illusory. Be established in this Advaitic Truth, which is eternal.

Consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman. Brahman is God in truth. Thus, there is no devotee, devotion and deity, worship, and the world in Nondualistic reality, because everything is the Soul which is present in the form of consciousness. The Soul is the Self. The Soul or consciousness is God in truth. Thus, Atman is Brahman or God in truth.

Remember:~

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

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.

The universe hides the Soul, the Self. If you realize the nature of the universe then you will know the truth hidden by the universe.

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

In deep sleep there is nothing to observe when there is only the observer left, then the observer itself becomes the observed -- because there is nothing else to observe. Deep sleep is still a state of ignorance because we become aware of the deep sleep experience only in waking experience, which is the state of ignorance.

Only through Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana Self-awareness is possible.

Thus, God in truth is the Soul, the Self.

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

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

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

Even Rig Veda: ~ The Atman is the cause; Atman (Soul) 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 world in which you exist is the dualistic illusion created out of the ‘Self’ which not you but the Soul, which is present in the form of the consciousness. Whatever you have seen, known, believed, and experienced is within the dualistic illusion. Thus, your existence is bound to an illusion created out of consciousness(God), which is real and eternal.

Like an ornament made from gold is Gold, that which is born out of consciousness is consciousness. Like gold is the permanent thing, in ornaments made of gold, similarly, the mind, which is in the form of the universe is born out of the consciousness, is consciousness in its essence. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Do not accept any other God other than Atman not worship other than Atman. Let these words be inscribed in your subconscious.+

You are being conditioned by the religious myth which has made you a non-thinker. Come out of the religious myth by realizing God in truth.

God in truth is the Atman, the Self. Atman is present in the form of consciousness. Do not accept any other God other than Atman not worship other than Atman. Let these words be inscribed in your subconscious.

Nothing is real but God. Nothing Matters but love for God in truth. God in truth is everywhere and in everything.

God in truth is hidden by the illusory universe. God in truth alone is and all else is an illusion.

All Gods propagated by religion are myths based on blind faith or belief not God in truth. There is nothing so absurd which men have not worshipped in religion, every imaginable face has been given to God. If God is the creator then it is foolish to worship anything as God from his creation because the creation is apart from God.

Every Religion has its own idea of God. Thus, every religion is based on the false ‘Self’. Therefore, whatever is based on the false ‘Self’ has to be a falsehood. Thus, the idea of God of any religion is an imagination based on the false ‘Self’.

Vedas say God is Supreme Spirit, the Godin truth is not Pratima’ (idol) God in truth cannot be seen directly by anyone. God pervades all beings and all directions.

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

Mythological God and Goddesses based on the belief. The belief is no God. The belief implies duality. From the ultimate standpoint, duality is merely an illusion. Thus, whatever one sees, knows, believes, and experiences within the dualistic illusion are bound to be an illusion.

Mythological stories are a myth. Whatever is based on myth is merely a superstition. Mythology was introduced in the past for the ignorant masses. It has to be discarded as one progresses in his spiritual advancement.

All the mythological Gods are worshipped in the form of idols. The belief system which propagated ideas of many Gods and Goddesses Bhakti is the only way to God is simply trying to lead the people to darkness with its dogma and idea of many Gods, which is apart from the ‘Self’.

Mythology breeds superstition, blind belief, and senseless rituals, and most irrational and gives them a divine outlook. Mythological stories are a myth. Whatever is based on myth is merely a superstition. Mythology was introduced in the past for the ignorant masses. It has to be discarded if one has to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth.

Through deeper self-search, one gains a new understanding of certain dogmas.

Idea injected by religion about the literal heaven where people immersed in pleasure in a literal hell where people suffer are fables.

God is not up there to judge and decides our good and bad deeds. All the mythological stories mythological Gods are the religious injected fable.

Hell is merely a metaphor for the isolated soul, which like all souls ultimately will be united in love with God.”

The seeker of truth must remember the fact that religion is not spirituality. Religion is based on the ego, which is the false self (ego) within the false experience (waking). Spirituality is nothing to do with religion.

The Spirituality is based on the Spirit, which is present in the form of the Soul, the innermost Self.

The Vedas are based on the Spirit because they hold God as the Spirit.

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

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.

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

Rig Veda: ~ The Atman (Soul or Spirit) is the cause; Atman is the support of all that exists in this universe. May ye never turn away from the Atman the innermost self. May ye never accept another God in place of the Atman nor worship other than the Atman?" (10:48, 5)

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

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

There is a clear-cut idea of God in the Vedas, Upanishad, and Bhagavad Gita. And also, there is a clear-cut idea of what not to worship as God in place of real God. Thus, it proves on Vedic perspective the Puranic Gods are not Vedic Gods.

Vedas says never accept another God in place of the Atman nor worship other than the Atman.

.

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

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

India takes pride in being the descendants of the Sages of truth who gave the Advaita the ultimate truth. The Advaitic truth is the truth beyond the form, time, and space.

All the mythological Gods existence are a myth. Such Gods can exist only within the dualistic illusion. Thus, the existence of such Gods is illusory.

Mythological God and Goddesses based on the belief. The belief is not God. The belief implies duality. From the ultimate standpoint, the duality is merely an illusion. Thus, whatever one sees, knows, believes, and experiences within the dualistic illusion are bound to be an illusion.

Mythological stories are a myth. Whatever is based on myth is merely a superstition. Mythology was introduced in the past for the ignorant masses. It has to be discarded as one progresses in his spiritual advancement.

Swami Vivekananda:~ This bending the knee to superstitions, this selling yourself to your own mind does not befit you, the Soul. Self is infinite, deathless, and birthless. Because the Self is infinite Spirit, it does not befit you to be a slave. ... Arise! Awake! Stand up and fight! Die if you must. There is none to help you. Self is the entire world. Who can help you?

Mythology breeds superstition, blind belief, and senseless rituals, and most irrational and gives them a divine outlook.

Swami Vivekananda: ~ If superstition enters, the brain is gone. Superstition is our great enemy, but bigotry is worse.

Mythological stories religious are fables, yet are taken seriously by pundits. All these stories are a reality within the dualistic illusion. The waking experience is the dualistic illusion. Thus, whatever belongs to the dualistic illusion is bound to be a falsehood. In reality, there is no duality because there is only Oneness.

That the ancient sages had miraculous occult power and books relate stories of their feats, are fairy tales were meant for children and those whose minds had not developed.

That is why 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. : ~

Santthosh Kumaar

The ‘Self’ is prior to the appearance of the ‘I’. The ‘Self’ is prior to the world in which you exist.+

The ‘Self’ is prior to the appearance of the ‘I’.

The ‘Self’ is prior to the world in which you exist.

The ‘Self’ is hidden by the world in which you exist.

The ‘Self’ is the cause of the world in which you exist and it itself is uncaused.

Realize the ‘Self is not the ‘I’ but the witness of the ‘I’, which appears and disappears.

Realize the witness is not you but the Soul, which is present in the form of the consciousness.

The ‘I’ hides the Soul. Therefore, the seeker has to realize ‘what is this ‘I’ supposed to be in actuality.

If the Self is not ‘I’ but the Self is the Soul then from the standpoint of the Soul, the  Self:~

Where is the ‘I’?

Where is the ego?

Where is the body?

Where is the mind?

Where is the world in which you exist?

Where are the form, time, and space?

Where is the waking experience?

Where is the duality?

Where is void?

They are or have become one with the Soul which is present in the form of the consciousness. The consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman.

The ‘I’ is present only when the mind is present. The mind is present only when the world is present. The world is present only when there is the waking experience.

Deeper self-search reveals the fact that the waking experience is not considered different from the world. The world is not considered different from the mind. The mind is not considered different from the’ I’. This truth has to be assimilated.

The ‘I’ is merely an illusion created out of the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. ‘I’ is not the subject. The ‘I’ is an object to the Soul, which is the formless, timeless, and spaceless subject. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Sex-based enlightenment is merely a hallucination based on the false self within the illusory universe or Maya.+

S E X is not the means to ‘Self’-realization. Sex cannot give you the answer to the truth you are seeking.

Sex is the most interesting thing within the practical life within the practical world. But the practical life within the practical world is merely an illusion. Thus, whatever sexual acts within the illusion give only illusory fruits.

Having sex or not having sex is nothing to do with the Soul, the ‘Self’. Sex is possible only in the domain of form, time, and space. On the standpoint of the Soul, the  ‘Self’, the form, time, and space are merely an illusion. The Soul, the Self is sexless because it is the ever-formless timeless and spaceless existence.

Many Self-declared Guru and Yogis are always talking about sex, but they themselves involved in raping their own disciples. Religious Gurus always suppress their sexual desire. Sex a natural instinct, the hidden desire is always there even one suppresses it.

Some modern Gurus say sex is the life force sex is the way to Samadhi or nirvana or moksha. Such sex-based moksha is merely a hallucination.

Remember:~

Sex to Samadhi is a theory based on the false self (ego). The world in which you indulge in sex itself is an illusion. Therefore, sex within the unreal world will not yield the truth.

Until one realizes on what standpoint the world in which he exists is an illusion it is difficult to understand, assimilate, and realize the truth.

Without a perfect understanding of 'what is what' it is difficult to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

When ‘Self ‘is not ‘I’ then it is erroneous to judge the truth on the base of the ‘I’.

The ‘Self is the Soul, which is the cause of the world in which you exist and it itself is uncaused.

How can the ever formless, timeless, and spaceless ‘Self' can indulge in sexual activities?

Sexual activities are possible within the domain of form, time, and space. Sex is an individual act between two individuals.

The Soul the Self’ is not an individual. Sex is beautiful within the domain of duality which gives some temporary release from worldly stress, but the sex will not bring enlightenment.

Sex-based enlightenment is merely a hallucination based on the false self within the illusory universe or Maya. : ~

Santthosh Kumaar