The ‘Self’ is not ‘you’ because the ‘Self’ is God. You are not the ‘Self’ therefore, you are not God.+*****

By thinking I am not the body, I am formless, I am Brahman or I am God, the ignorance will not vanish.

People say Aham Brahmasmi -- I am not the body, I am formless, I am God, I am Brahman. But when Brahman is, how can "I" remain? Only Brahman remains, not I. But there is no other way to express it.

The Ultimate truth itself is God.  When the Upnishdic quote:  Ahum Brahmasmi is physicalized it gives wrong interpretation – I AM BRAHMAN.  But the Self is not ‘I AM’. 

The Self is the formless Soul which is in the form of the Spirit.   Ahum Brahmasmi, = the Soul the Self is Brahman – that is Atman is Brahman.  Thus, it is wrong to say ‘I AM’ Brahman because the Self is not ‘I’ or ‘I AM’ but the Self is the witness of the ‘I’ or ‘I AM’.

Yoga Vasistha:~ "Teachers, interpretations of sacred texts, the force of religious merit--none of these lead to the realization of that Ultimate Truth which is revealed in the clear reflection of the Self, engendered from contact with Gnanis."

Sage Sri, Sankara: ~ ‘Reality can be realized only with the eye of understanding, not just by a scholar. What the moon is like must be seen with one's own eyes. How can others do it for you?"~Vivekachoodamani

When the ‘Self’ is not ‘I’ or ‘you’ but the ‘Self is the Soul then what is the use of saying I am not the body, I am not the mind, I am not this or I am not that.  What is the use of saying ‘I AM THAT’ without knowing what the ‘Self’ is in actuality?

Without knowing the truth of the Self, without realizing the truth of the world in which you exist it is impossible to realize the truth hidden by the illusory form, time, and space. By a mere utterance of the word ‘I AM THAT', the truth will not be revealed.

The ‘Self’ is not ‘you’ because the ‘Self’ is God. You are not the ‘Self’ therefore, you are not God. The world, in which you exist, is the dualistic illusion. Whatever belongs to dualistic illusion is bound to be an illusion, not God. God cannot be brought down to the domain of the duality. The Soul is the innermost ‘Self’ therefore the Soul is real God. 

Remember:~ 

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

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)

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

The Bible says: ~ “God is a Spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth (John 4:24)”,

Mythreyi Upanishad 2:26 says: ~ “All those who desire to have salvation without taking several births, should worship God in spirit and truth”. 

The Bhagavad Gita: ~. brahmano hi pratisthaham - Brahman is considered the all-pervading consciousness which is the basis of all the animate and inanimate entities and material. (14.27) 

The Religious Gods are mere belief. Religious God cannot be considered as the center because the Soul and the innermost ‘Self’ is the center of all that exists. Without the Soul the world in which you exist ceases to exist, it means the religious God is dependent on the Soul for his existence. 

Mythological stories are a myth. Mythological Gods are a myth. By worshipping mythological heroes as God produces only myth. There is a need to realize ‘what God supposed to be in actuality. Religion has been very influential. Mythology is a synthesis. They are more concerned with synthesis than with truth. The attraction for synthesis is so strong that people accept it blindly without verifying their validity. 

Mythology is a hodgepodge containing everything; hence it suits everyone because there is something in it for everyone. It is difficult to find any tradition whose voice is not found in the mythology. It is difficult to find anyone who does not take solace from mythology. But for such people ‘Self’-Realization will prove very difficult. 

Brihad Upanishad: ~ “If you think there is another entity whether man or God there is no truth."

Thus, there is no other God other than Atman. Thus, on the Vedic perspective, the Atman alone is God; never accept another God in place of the Atman nor worship other than the Atman?"

The Upanishads say in effect that: ~ if you believe that you are one, and God is another you cannot understand Truth.

No conceptual God can exist, apart from consciousness. People are not aware of the fact that there is no individual God can exist, apart from the soul, which is in the form of consciousness. Thus, the soul or consciousness is the true self. If there is no consciousness, then there is no physical body, no ego, no universe, no religion, and no conceptual God. 

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

That is why Sage Sri, 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?

Sickness is not cured by saying the word “medicine.” You must take the medicine. Ignorance will not vanish does not come by merely saying the word “God nor by worshiping God of belief. First one must know what God supposed to be. God must be realized. One must know God in truth. 

Perfect undemanding and assimilation of ‘what is what’ leads to TAruth realization, truth realization itself is Self-realization. Self-realization itself is God-realization. God-realization itself is real worship. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar