Advaitic Gnana

Advaitic wisdom of Sage Sankara is like the air and the water, the common food to the whole humanity.+

Sage Sankara has declared non-dualistic or Advaitic truth centuries back. Sage Sankara says ~ “What is accepted without a proper inquiry will not lead to the final Goal. (Commentary on Vedanta Sutra)

Nothing has to be accepted as truth without verification.

Sage Sankara is the only Sage who has final authority on the Advaitic truth (nonduality). The Advaitic truth is rational truth and scientific truth without dogma.

Advaitic wisdom is nothing to do with orthodox Advaita, which is dualistic. Orthodox Advaita is a sect, which blindly accepts and follows dogmas and superstitions.

The Advaitic orthodoxy is not the means to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. Advaitic orthodoxy is meant for the ignorant populace that is unfit to grasp the highest truth. The Advaitic orthodoxy is nothing to do with the ultimate truth or Brahman.

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 a great obstacle to realizing non-dual truth or 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’s wisdom is not a teaching or philosophy but Advaita is the universal wisdom. Advaitic wisdom is neither a teaching nor a theory but it is merely guidance to those who are seriously seeking the ultimate truth or Brahman. Grasp the ultimate truth anytime, any age, if the seeker has the spiritual maturity and capacity to grasp it.

The seeker has to reach the destination with the scientific (rational) investigation, not through punditry or intellectuality.

Until one mentally reaches the conclusion, the conviction will not arise. Without the firm conviction, wisdom will not dawn. Therefore, there is a need to know consciousness is real all else is a myth, which Sage Sankara declared as the world is myth Brahman (God) alone is real.

Sage Sankara was a rationalist philosopher, in contrast to the most traditional image of him as a theologian.

Sage Sankara’s Advaitic wisdom is not a philosopher’s dish cooked to suit exclusively the palate of the particular sect or religion.

Advaitic wisdom of Sage Sankara is like the air and the water, the common food to the whole of humanity.

If rightly interpreted Sage Sankara’s wisdom as food for all humanity, the universal wisdom par excellence.

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.

All accumulated knowledge is mental Garbage is no use in the quest for truth. The seeker has to discard all the accumulated knowledge and start afresh.

A perfect understanding of ‘what is what’ through deeper thinking and reasoning helps to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

Reading and reflecting on my blogs and postings gradually, the seekers will start assimilating and realizing ‘what is the truth’ and what the untruth is. Repeated reading my blogs and postings make the seeker, Soulcentric, and the inner dialogue will start and clear all the doubts and confusion.

When there are no doubts and confusion, then they have realized the truth that the form, time, and space are one in essence. And that essence is consciousness. There is no use in wasting time in questioning and arguing the same time and effort has to be used to make the seeker more independent and without external spoon-feeding, he can reach the inner core, which is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

In the Atmic path discussion of the unimportant subject matter is a great hindrance. The path of truth is the path of verification. Nothing has to be accepted as truth without verification. Agreeing to disagree causes unnecessary friction.

Sage Sankara says: ~ VC-47- All the effects of ignorance, root, and branch, are burnt down by the fire of knowledge, which arises from discrimination between these two—the Self and the not-Self.

Advaitic wisdom is universal. Advaitic wisdom does not belong to a religion, but it is pure spirituality based on the Soul, the Spirit. Advaitic wisdom is not a philosophy, but a tool to unfold the truth hidden by ignorance.

Advaitic wisdom is not the dualistic science but the mother of all Science. Advaitic wisdom is the science of Spirit, which exposes the truth hidden by the form, time, and space.

Sage Sankara’s Advaitic wisdom is nothing to with Advaitic orthodoxy but the pure spirituality par excellence, wide and deep as the ocean which contains virtually all the water of the world and in which ignorance ultimately dissolves.

Advaitic 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 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 he gets a firm conviction of what is what. Words are needed until one gets a firm conviction of ‘what is what’.

People need reading and hearing the words of wisdom to think reason and reflect deeply and reach the ultimate end.

Sage Sankara in Bhaja Govindam says ~ (One without knowledge does not obtain liberation even in a hundred births, no matter which religious faith he follows.

Who am ‘I’ is not Self-inquiry. Self- inquiry is to realize the ‘Self’ is not ‘I’ but the Self is the Soul, which is present in the form of the consciousness.

Inquire into what? The Soul you can never see. So do not inquire into the Soul. Inquire into the world around you, which you can see. So do not inquire into them. Inquire into the world around you, which you can see.

Science tells you it is passing away every second. Everything is dying repeatedly. Where is it going? Thus, you follow up your inquiry into what you can lay hands on. How can you inquire into Atma which you cannot see? So first we deal with the known and seen, this inquiry leads up to the unknown in the end.

Sage Sankara says ~ VC 63- Without causing the objective universe to vanish and without knowing the truth of the Self how is one to achieve Liberation by the mere utterance of the word Brahman? — It would result merely in an effort of speech.

That is why Sage Sankara says: ~ VC 65- As a treasure hidden underground requires (for its extraction) competent instruction, excavation, the removal of stones and other such things lying above it, and (finally) grasping, but never come out by being (merely) called out by name, so the transparent Truth of the Self, which is hidden by Maya and its effects, is to be attained through the instructions of a knower of Brahman, followed by reflection, meditation and so forth, but not through perverted arguments.

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

Sage Sankara says you must first know what is before you. If you cannot know that, what else can you know or understand? If you give up the external world in your inquiry, you cannot get the whole truth.

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.

The universe is verily Consciousness. Without realizing ‘this truth is impossible to get Self- realization. The universe is not different from the Mind because the universe itself is the mind. The mind is not different from the Soul because the mind is the dualistic illusion created out of the Soul, which is present in the form of Consciousness.

Thus, the universe is nothing but Consciousness. The universe is unreal because it is not absolute and eternal like Consciousness.

It is impossible for any human being to challenge successfully the Advaitic position, as Sage Sankara says.

Sage Sankara ~ VC~ "this entire 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.

Sage Sankara: ~ VC In the dream state, even though there is no contact with the outside world, the Soul alone projects the entire dream universe of enjoyer, enjoyment, etc. Similarly, the waking state is no different. All this world of pluralistic phenomena is illusory projection.

Sage Sankara asks his opponents "How do you know there are separate individual Souls? Have you seen the Soul of a man? You can only say that you have seen different bodies. To say more is to misuse language. Therefore, I call you liars unless you give proof, which is impossible.

Sage Sankara: ~ VC "As layers of clouds generated by the sun's rays cover the sun and alone appear (in the sky), so egoism generated by the Self, covers the reality of the Self and appears by itself."

Sage Goudpada wrote his Manduka Karika to establish the truth of Non-duality by sheer reasoning alone. He begins by defining "What is real?" "What is unreal?" etc., because that is the right way to discuss or teach. People must first know what they are talking about.

Sage Sankara says: ~ “The exercise in discrimination between real and unreal and renunciation of the false is real meditation, then why you are indulging in other types of meditation.

Fortunate is the one who does not lose themselves in the finding meaning of the words indicate in the scriptures.

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 says Atman is Brahman and everything is Brahman is a scientific declaration not religious or yogic.

Sage Sankara is more scientific than anyone else in the world. Since the real Advaitic essence is hidden it cannot be got without the inner (mental) journey.

Fortunate is the man who does not lose himself in the labyrinths of philosophy, but he tries to get the direct realization of truth hidden by ignorance. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Sage Sankara’s Advaitic treasure hidden requires mental excavation, the removal of ignorance.+

Sage Sankara’s Advaitic treasure hidden requires mental excavation, the removal of ignorance, and finally grasping, but never come out by merely reading and collecting information.

If you are seeking truth nothing but the truth you must seek the truth independently. If you are sticking up to gurus, yogis and intellectuals then you are sticking up to ignorance. They do not have the truth which you are seeking for. They have plenty of information to seduce you to remain in ignorance forever.

Without discarding the religiously propagated truth it is impossible to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

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.

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.

All your egocentric accumulated cocktail knowledge is not Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana Soulcentric knowledge is not available in the spiritual supermarket.

All accumulated knowledge is mental Garbage is no use in the quest for truth. The seeker has to discard all the accumulated knowledge and start afresh.

A perfect understanding of ‘what is what’ through deeper thinking and reasoning helps to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

That is why Sage Sankara:~ VC~.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?

Sage Sankara:~ 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’ has already declared:~

‘What is the truth?’

~ Atman is Brahman ~ “Atman is the only one ultimate reality.

‘What is untruth?’

~ The universe is an illusion. ~ The universe is false.

Sage Sankara declared this truth centuries back Then why you are struggling to find out the truth.

Sage Sankara: ~ A buried treasure is not uncovered by merely uttering the words: “Come forth.” You must follow the right directions, dig, remove the stones and earth from above it, and then make it your own. In the same way, the pure truth of the Atman, which is buried under Maya and the effects of Maya, can be reached by meditation, contemplation, and other spiritual disciplines but never by perverted arguments.

Sage Sankara goes on to say: ~ “A sickness of not cured by saying the word “medicine.” You must take the medicine. Liberation does not come by merely saying the word “Brahman.” Brahman must be experienced. Until you allow this apparent universe to dissolve from your consciousness until you have realized Brahman, how can you find liberation just by saying the word Brahman? The result is merely noise. Until a man has destroyed his enemies and taken possession of the splendor and wealth of the kingdom, he cannot become a king by simply saying “I am a king.”

Advaita means the Soul, the Self, which is second to none. The Soul, which is present in the form of the Spirit or Consciousness, is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth.

Advaita is the nature of God, the Self. Advaita is God in truth. Advaita is the fullness of Consciousness.

Sage Sankara’s wisdom is very much in the tune with the essence of Vedas and Upanishad but Advaitic orthodoxy indulges in non-Vedic beliefs of God and non-Vedic rituals and practices. There is no need to condemn the Advaitic orthodoxy because it is a path meant for the ignorant as per Sage Sankara himself. Do not mix up the two and mess up your quest

The Soul, the Self, is present in the form of the Spirit or the Consciousness.

Sage Sankara says: ~ there is no need to study the Scriptures, in order to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman

~ then why you indulge in studying the scriptures.

Sage Sankara says: ~ there is no need to study philosophy, in order to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman

~then why you indulge in studying philosophy.

Sage Sankara says: ~ there is no need to indulge rituals, in order to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman

~then why you indulge in rituals.

Sage Sankara says: ~ there is no need to indulge in yoga, in order to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman

~then why you indulge in yoga.

Sage Sankara says:~ the transparent Truth of the Self, which is hidden by the illusion, is to be attained through the instructions of a knower of Brahman, (Gnani)

~ then why you are sticking a Guru who is not a Gnani.

Sage Sankara says: ~ “The exercise in discrimination between real and unreal and renunciation of the false leads truth realization.

Atman is Brahman. The Atman is the Self is non-dual because there is no second thing that exists other than the Atman. Atman is present in the form of Consciousness.

Consciousness is the only true reality, and everything else, which appears as form, time, and space is merely an illusion. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Advaita is the nature of the existence hidden by the illusory form, time and space.+

Some Gurus say “it is very simple; realize right here and right now, nothing is required. Only ignorant people with their half-baked knowledge say claim such a thing.

Without knowing what the ‘Self’ is in actuality holding the ‘Self’ as the ‘I’, you are not a wise seeker. You are simply an intellectual with accumulated dualistic knowledge.

Without realizing what the Self is in actuality and what ‘I’ is in actuality it is impossible to realize the truth hidden by ignorance.

By remembering ‘I AM, ignorance will not vanish because the ‘I AM it itself is ignorance.

Remember: ~

The Self is not you. You are not eternal because you are bound by the experience of birth, life, death, and the world. The Soul, the innermost Self is eternal. The Soul is birthless and deathless because it is ever formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.

It is foolish to say I AM THIS or I AM THAT’ because the ‘Self ‘is not ‘I’. The ‘Self is the Soul, which witnesses the ‘I’.

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.

Even after knowing the ‘Self’ is not ‘I’ people are stuck to ‘I-centric teaching and Gurus. Those who are stuck with ‘I’ or ‘I AM’ will never be able to get rid of ignorance.

Advaitic truth is very simple, but it is very difficult to realize because you have accumulated mental garbage from different sources in the name of Advaita.

Until you discard all the accumulated knowledge you will never be able to realize the Advaitic truth, which is beyond the form, time, and space.

The Advaita is the nature of the Soul, the innermost Self shines on its own awareness when wisdom dawns.

The Advaita is the Soul is the cause and the support of all that exists as the world in which we exist. Advaita is the nature of God, the Self.

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

Sage Sankara says: ~ “What is accepted without a proper inquiry will not lead to the final Goal. (Commentary on Vedanta Sutra)

Nothing has to be accepted as truth without verification.

Sage Sankara is the only Sage who has final authority on the Advaitic truth (nonduality). The Advaitic truth is rational truth and scientific truth without dogma.

It really depends on his inborn natural capacity to understand and assimilate it. Sage Sri, Sankara’s wisdom is a Self-examiner, to test oneself to discover how near to Gnana he has approached and what progress has already been made on the path, and what still remains to be done. It sets up a criterion for Self-judgement. There are millions in search of truth but one in million will be able to grasp it.

Without Sage Sankara, there is no Advaita (nonduality). Since it was mixed up with orthodoxy there is lots of confusion.

All the Gurus who propagate Advaita of east and west air their knowledge base Advaita on the dualistic perspective and orthodox perspective.

I am highlighting all the obstacles, which is blocking one from realizing the ultimate truth or Brahman. There are so many non-dualistic masters of the east and also from the west who expound Advaitic or non-dualistic knowledge but none of them are helpful to reach the ultimate end.

The seeker has to know and realize his Self is Soul and identify it as his true identity to find liberation from the bondage of the illusion of birth, life, death, and the world (duality). The goal of our life is to find and realize our identity with our Soul, which is the Self.

Sage Sankara said:~ Neither by the practice of yoga nor philosophy, nor by good works nor by learning, does liberation come, but only through the realization that Atman and Brahman are one in no other way. (1) Vivekachoodamani v 56, pg. 25

To come to a more precise understanding of what non-duality is or might mean, we must return to the original linguistic and philosophic backgrounds from which the word has been translated into English.

If we limit a probe of the meaning of non-duality to Hindu Sanskrit literature, we find that the most frequently used term is “Advaita.

Advaita” is not a religious concept. Advaita is the nature of the existence hidden by the form, time, and space. The seeker has to attempt to rule out from the start a false understanding of reality by perfect understanding of ‘what is what’.

The Advaita is hidden by the Dvaita. Advaita is the Soul, which is present in the form of Consciousness. Dvaita is the universe.

Advaita is basically a denial; it is literally the negation of the dvaita (duality). That means whatever remains by negating the universe by realizing the universe is created out of single clay and that clay is the Soul, which is present in the form of Consciousness, the hidden truth by dvaita uncovered. Consciousness is the cause of the universe and it itself is uncaused.

Thus, the path of wisdom is the only means. Then it is no use going a roundabout way, trace the Brahman which is the formless substance and the witness of the universe (mind).

By tracing the source of the mind or the universe one will be able to realize the Brahman or God in truth. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Awakening is nothing but a complete, perfect understanding. A clear cut understanding of ‘what is what’ is awakening.+

Advaita is not any type of teaching or philosophy. Advaita is the knowledge of the reality hidden by ignorance. Advaita is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. Advaita is the ultimate reality, Brahman, or God in truth.

That 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.

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.

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 Advaita by pure reason.

The intricate maze of the philosophy of different schools claims to clarify matters and reveal the Truth, but in fact, they create more confusion where no confusion needs to exist. To understand anything there is a need for perfect understanding and assimilation of ultimate truth or Brahman. Why worry about the physical body, ego, logic creation, creator, saints and sages, and the world, which are part and parcel of the illusion.

All conceptual divisions invented by teachers of philosophy by their excessive analysis. Where do all these concepts end? Why should confusion be created and then explained away? Fortunate is the man who does not lose himself in the labyrinths of philosophy but goes straight to the Source from which they all rise.

Assuming or speculating and coming to the logical conclusion on the base of physical self or ego is intellectuality. Therefore, intellectuality is egocentric. Egocentricity is a great obstacle in grasping the nondual truth.

There is no need to study philosophies of western and eastern philosophers; they are not the means to acquire Self-Knowledge or nondual wisdom. They are an obstacle in the pursuit of truth because they are based on the physical self/ego. There is no necessity to study the philosophy of any great thinkers to ensure firm realization.

There is no need for any philosophy to verify the truth of the self. All that is intellectual wealth, useful in explaining doubts and difficulties if others raise them if he, himself encounters them in course of thinking. But to attain realization, all that is not necessary. One wants fresh water to drink, but he does not require all the water of the whole lake to quench his quest.

Philosophical Authoritarianism merely assumes as true what another says, but what has yet to be proved. Lots of pundits will teach “Who am ‘I’”? but none have deeply analyzed it scientifically, none can prove it. Rational proof is needed in pursuit of truth so that one can arrive at knowing truth i.e. Wisdom; theirs is mere dogma, parrotism, repetition of what they read in scripture.

The philosophical argument leads nowhere. If the philosopher says “Self” is formless “another will reply, "No, the 'Self' has a form! If one says "his adopted philosophy has a higher value than all other philosophy” another will say, "No, that is lower and there are many philosophies higher than that." It is impossible to get anywhere with such talk because both sides are merely assuming and imagining.

Reality has no method. The illusion has many methods, many problems, and many concepts.

Awakening is nothing but a complete, perfect understanding. A clear cut understanding of ‘what is what’ is awakening. The reality is not to be achieved, it is there. After this thorough understanding, nothing is required. : ~Santthosh Kumaar

Sage Sankara’s Advaitic wisdom becomes very easy to grasp when one gains soulcentric vision of the universe.+

Sage Sankara’s Advaitic wisdom becomes very easy to grasp when one gains a soulcentric vision of the universe.

If you intend to preach or teach Advaita you will never be able to grasp the Advaitic truth. Advaitic wisdom continually shared with humanity without any expectation and helps humanity to wake up to reality. The more you share more inner grace you gain.

Swami Vivekananda says as below. Advaita encompasses everything. Since Advaita requires heavy-duty intellectualism, it had to be progressively simplified. (From 'The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda)

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, freedom from death and misery."

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 Soul, which is present in the form of the consciousness.

Ashtavakra Gita: ~ “Truly the dualism is the root of suffering. There is no other remedy for it than the realization that all this that we see is unreal and that the Soul, the innermost Self, is the one stainless reality, consisting of the consciousness”. 2:16

The sun, the moon, the stars, planets shine because of the Soul or Spirit. The Soul shines and all things else shine as a result. Everything in the universe reflects but that light of the Soul which is present in the form of consciousness. Merely knowing the truth is not enough to escape from the tangle of illusion.

The mind is in the form of the universe. From the standpoint of the Soul the innermost Self the universe is merely an illusion. The illusion arises from ignorance. Enlightenment comes with detachment from the illusion by realizing the experience of the form, time and space are one in essence.

Ashtavakra Gita: ~ “The Self is pure awareness though through ignorance the ‘Self has imagined itself to have additional attributes. By continually reflecting like this, the Self’s dwelling place is in the unimagined. 2:17

Ashtavakra Gita: ~ “For the Self, there is neither bondage nor liberation. The illusion has lost its basis and ceased. Truly all this exists in me, though ultimately it does not even exist in the Self. 2:18

By saying I know the truth; I know Brahman is not wisdom. The Truth is found only in the Unity of understanding that is the knowledge of both matter and spirit. That is the matter and the Spirit is one in essence. And that essence is the Spirit, which is present in the form of the Soul or Consciousness.

When one knows matter and spirit together, one has “Gnana or wisdom." One must have the humility to get to the very root of the matter.

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

Deeper self-search will reveal that all fault lies because of holding the ‘I’ as the Self. People refuse to accept anything other than their accepted truth because they have accepted some Gurus’ words or teaching as the ultimate truth.

These perceptions and attitudes block their realization of the Advaitic truth, which is beyond the form, time, and space. The seeker must be ready to correct wherever it is necessary and accept the truth and drop the untruth. This and change their attitude will change their perception of seeing the world from the dualistic perspective to the nondualistic perspective and then the world, in which they exist will never remain as reality again. Same way as a dream becomes unreal when waking takes place, the world, in which they exist becomes unreal when wisdom dawns. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Religion becomes a great obstacle is realizing the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth.+

The followers of Vedic Religion or Sanatana Dharma never worshipped idols because the Vedic God is Athma. The Vedas bars idol worship.

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.

Idolatry does not find any support from the Vedas.

All the idolized Gods are non-Vedic Gods. Vedas clearly mentions not to accept another God in place of the Atman nor worship other than the Atman.

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)

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 accept another God in place of the Atman or worship other than the Atman.

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.)

Thus, to acquire ‘Self’-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana, the seeker has to realize his inherited religion is adulterated in the past.

God is formless, timeless, and spaceless existence. Thus, 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.

On the Vedic perspective, Lord Krishna has been just a Mahan yogi and not God himself. Because in the Bhagavad Gita itself says: ~ Brahman (God) is considered the all-pervading Consciousness.

All Hindus indulge in non-Vedic practice barred by the Vedas introduced by the different founders of the different sects of Hinduism at a different time, whereas the Vedic religion or Santana Dharma is ancient and has no founder.

Hinduism is not Vedic religion or Santana Dharma. Hindus do idol-worship while Vedas bars idol worship.

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 Jainism.

Vedas speak of one God that is the supreme ‘Self’ in i.e. Atman or Soul but Hinduism indulges in worshiping 60 million Gods.

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

When the Vedic religion or Santana Dharma knows no idols then why so many Gods and goddesses with different forms and names are being propagated as Vedic Gods. Why these conceptual Gods 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 pervades in everything and everywhere.

People, who worship the belief of God, are hallucinating that they become one with such God because they believed the false God as God in truth.

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 ideologies, philosophies, and practices under the very broad umbrella of Hinduism.

Hindus indulge non-Vedic beliefs such as idolatry, ancestor worship, pilgrimages, priestcraft, offerings made in temples, the caste system, untouchability, and child marriages. All these lack Vedic sanctions, therefore, Hinduism is not Ancient Vedic Religion or Santana Dharma.

Religion becomes a great obstacle in realizing the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth. Religion becomes a great obstacle in realizing the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

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

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 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 illusory the form, time, and space.

Lord Krishna confesses that the oldest wisdom of India (Advaitic wisdom) has been lost: people misinterpret and falsify it today as they did then. It is not yoga but the philosophic truth. But nobody knows it. The teachers of philosophy and leaders of mysticism or religion do not want to inquire into truth and have no time for it. (Gita –Chap- IV-v.2)

In Gita Chap.IV where Lord Krishna says: ~ "This yoga has been lost for ages" the word yoga refers to Gnana yoga, not other yogas: the force of the word this is to point this out.

Lord Krishna describes some of the other yogas but devotes this chapter separately to Gnana Yoga. So one sees even in those ancient days people did not care for Advaita; they wanted religion; hence Advaitic Gnana got lost. That is why Lord Krishna calls it "the supreme secret."

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

Sage Sankara says that the Absolute Existence, Absolute Knowledge, and Absolute Bliss 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. Genuine spirituality must be independent of religion

Sage Sankara the Saguna Brahman or a personal God belongs to religion. Religion belongs to the 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 the 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.

The orthodox people are afraid to go deeper because it means being heroic enough to refuse to accept Sruti, 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 geniusly introduced some philosophy. If it is objected that a number of 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 philosophy, to the seeking world. He was great enough to be able to do so. His commentary on Mandukya is pure philosophy, but many of his other books are presented from a religious standpoint to help those who cannot rise up to Advaitic wisdom.

Orthodoxy is the home of mysticism and deification that is why they are not keen on the rational truth. Thus, Sage Sankara is the Jagadguru to the religious followers and he is a great Sage (Gnani) of the highest order to the seeking world. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar