The goal of every human being is to realize God in truth.+

To realize the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth is the prime goal. All the scriptures indicate that Atman is Brahman, and Brahman is the ultimate truth. Therefore, the Soul, which is in the form of consciousness, is the ultimate truth. Thus, to realize the ultimate truth is the prime goal.

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

Do not accept any other God other than the Soul. The Soul is God in truth,  Nothing is real but the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. Nothing matters but realize  God in truth. God in truth is everywhere and in everything. Let these words be inscribed in your subconscious.

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

Brahman is merely a word to indicate the ultimate truth or God in truth.  The ultimate truth itself is God in truth.   

As indicated in ISH Upanishads: ~ “By worshipping Gods and Goddesses you will go after death to the world of Gods and Goddesses. But will that help you? The time you spend there is wasted because if you were not there you could have spent that time moving forward towards Self-knowledge, which is your goal. In the world of Gods and Goddesses, you cannot do that, and thus you go deeper and deeper into darkness. 

It clearly indicates that:-If the human goal is to acquire Self-Knowledge then why indulge in rituals and glorify the conceptual Gods, Goddesses, and Gurus to go into deeper darkness. Instead spend that time moving forward towards Self-knowledge, which is one’s prime goal. 

There is no higher or lower goal within the dualistic illusion ( universe). There is only one goal that is  Self-Realization.  

India is the ancient land, where wisdom made its home India whose soil has been trodden by the feet of the greatest sages of truth like Bhagavan Buddha, Sage  Sankara, and Sage Goudpada. 

India is the fountainhead of Advaitic wisdom. Advaitic wisdom is brighter, greater which unfolds the mystery of the universe, which contains the whole of humanity. 

Today humanity needs universal brotherhood and peace for the whole of humanity to live with love and harmony not to indulge in the blood bath in the name of protecting religion and its religious Gods. 

The goal of every human being is to realize God in truth. The truth is inherent in every seeker of truth. The truth does not come from outside, it is hidden within the world by which we exist. Thus, humanity has to wake up and seek the truth. 

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

The path of Knowledge is nothing to do with Japa or the repetition of a mantra. All the Japa and Japa or mantras based on mythical God will not yield fruits. 

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

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

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

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

God in truth is not tasty and it is a bitter pill to swallow. Religion made its God tasty with its mythical toppings. Every region has created its own myth and propagated its own God to the ignorant populace. Religion is the cause of the separation of humanity. Today humanity is facing wars, violence, terrorism, in the name of religious God and religion.

Remember:~ 

Democracy and religion will not go hand in hand. Democracy has its own code of conduct and religion has its own. So there is always conflict. Religion is outdated to suit modern society. 

The whole of humanity has to be made aware of what God suppose to be in truth, not what we believe and worship. 

God in truth is not religious. God in truth is universal and belongs to the whole of humanity. All Gods based on blind faith or blind belief are mere imaginary. 

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

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. 

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

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

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

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

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. 

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) 

It is time; humanity has to become fanatics of the truth to bring universal brotherhood and universal peace. The truth is the only thing that can cure all myths propagated by the belief system, which has become the cause of concern for humanity. : ~Santthosh Kumaar

From the Vedic perspective, Jyotisha means astronomy is not astrology.+

There are no references in Veda about Astrology. Vedas have cryptic references which can be interpreted in any way. It has some reference to Nakshatra which has been named in various ways. Therefore, Vedas do not have astrological techniques but they do mention planets and asterisms in a poetic way.

From the Vedic perspective, Jyotisha means astronomy is not astrology. The astrologers hold astronomy as astrology or  Jyotisha and call it Vedic astrology to give it a divine look for their advantage.

From the standpoint of the Soul the Self, the Astrology, and Planetary positions belong to the dualistic illusion or Maya. The experience of birth, life, death, and the world, are within the dualistic illusion or Maya.

Astrology is based on the birth entity (form). Astrology is a reality within the domain of form, time, and space. Without form, time, and space there is no astrology. It is impossible to make a horoscope of the unborn Soul, which is the cause of the world in which you exist and it itself is uncaused.

Astrological calculations are based on the birth entity. The birth entity is the false self (waking entity or ego) within the false experience (waking) whereas the Soul, the innermost Self is the birthless, and deathless, because, it is the ever formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.

From the standpoint of the birthless and deathless Self ~ form, time, and space cease to exist. Without form, time, and space the whole cosmos ceases to exist. Thus, the planetary strength does not arise because it is part of the illusion.

Astrology is meant for the ignorant mass, who believes that form, time, and space as reality.

From the non-dualistic perspective, dualistic Astrology has no value. Advaitic wisdom has nothing to with Astrology which is based on birth entity because Advaitic wisdom is based on the Soul, the unborn eternal.    

It is no use of arguing on the base of the birth entity, which is not the Self.

Remember: ~

From the dualistic perspective, the planetary positions are a reality. From the non-dualistic perspective, they are merely an illusion because the whole cosmos is created out of single stuff. That single stuff is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

From the standpoint of the Soul, the Self the cosmos ceases to exist, because, the illusory cosmos has merged as the consciousness, in reality, there is no second thing that exists other than the consciousness.

If you had asked the same question within the dream and many agree and disagree within the dream. The dream becomes unreal when the waking takes place. Similarly, the waking experience (in which we exist) becomes unreal when you realize the Self is not you but the Soul. 

If the ‘Self is the Soul then the whole cosmos becomes an illusion created out of the Soul. Whatever good and bad happen with the illusion is bound to be an illusion. Thus all the planetary position is within the dualistic illusion because the whole cosmos itself is an illusion.

My observation is based on a nondualistic perspective not very tasty for those who have a firm belief in Astrology, which is based on the birth entity, which is the illusory self within the illusory universe.  

The look of an object will depend upon the medium through which the observer views it. In fact, our mental and intellectual conditions determine the universe observed and experienced. The commoner viewing the universe will see differently from a Gnani viewing the same universe. Each one interprets the three states that they see in terms of their existing knowledge. The commoner sees everything based on the ego, therefore, the universe in which he exists as a reality, whereas a Gnani sees the universe as the consciousness and he is fully aware of the fact that, there is no second thing that exists other than the Soul or consciousness (subject).

Therefore, whether I agree or disagree with the illusion has no value from the ultimate standpoint. Within the world in which we exist, whatever is reality is bound to be an illusion, from the standpoint of the Soul, the unborn Self.

Thus, the effect on human beings by the planetary position, negative or positive is part of the illusory reality.

Thus, all the objective observation is based on the false self and has to be bifurcated to realize what I am saying.:~Santthosh Kumaar

It is no use arguing Bhagavan Buddha is wrong or Sage Sri Sankara is right, but where we are going wrong in our understanding the non-dualistic or Advaitic truth.+

It is no use arguing Bhagavan Buddha is wrong or Sage Sankara is right, but where we are going wrong in our understanding the non-dualistic or Advaitic truth, propagated by the great Sages of the past. Some say, that without the sunyavada, Advaita philosophy could not have come into existence because Advaita starts from where sunyavada ends. That is why they say it is an extension of Buddhism. If Advaita existed prior to Bhagavan Buddha, he would not have advocated sunyavada at all because Advaita is the final and ultimate truth.

Since the Buddhist and the Vedic scriptures have been passed down by hearing, they were written down only relatively late, so one wouldn't know whether to rely on the times they give. Also, a lot depends on the translation. Each 'Sloka' or sutta is open to many layers of interpretation.

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 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’s Supreme Brahman is Nirguna (without the Gunas), Nirakara (formless), Nirvisesha (without attributes) and Akarta (non-agent). He is above all needs and desires.

Sage Sankara says:~ "This Atman is self-evident. This Atman or Self is not established by proofs of the existence of the Self. It is not possible to deny this Atman, for it is the very essence of he who denies it. Atman is the basis of all kinds of knowledge. The Self is within, the Self is without, the Self is before and the Self is behind. The Self is on the right hand, the Self is on the left, the Self is above and the Self is below".

Satyam-Jnanam-Anantam-, are not separate attributes. They form the very essence of Brahman. Brahman cannot be described because the description implies a distinction. Brahman cannot be distinguished from any other than He.

The objective world-the world of names and forms have no independent existence. The Atman alone has real existence. The world is only phenomenal.

Sage Sankara was the exponent of Advaita wisdom. Sage  Sankara's Advaitic wisdom can be summed up in the following words:~

Brahma Satyam Jagat Mithya,

Jeevo Brahmaiva Na Aparah

Brahman alone is real, this world is unreal; the Jiva is identical with Brahman.

As one indulges in deeper self-search he becomes aware: - As per the religious archaeologists' view: the date of Sage Sri, Sankara may be taken most correctly as that of the 9th century. Some claims are made in India that he lived two thousand years ago, but there is absolutely no proof for this claim. They do not go back farther than the 12th century A.D. and that all so-called evidence for Sage Sri Sankara having lived two centuries before Christ are either were conjectures or orthodox fabrication.

Regarding the question of Sage Sankara's death, one may dismiss the legend that he did not die, at the age of 32, but disappeared into a cave. This is another orthodox story which is quite unfounded. He did really die in the Himalayas at that age.

As one goes into the annals of history, one becomes aware of the fact that; the spiritual Advaita is mixed up with punditry. Therefore, there is a need to do his own research in order to know the true essence of Advaita propounded by Sage Sankara, and Sage Gudapada, and the emptiness of the Bhagavan Buddha.

How it was possible for Sage Sankara to have written so many books during such a short term of existence. The fact is that he wrote very few books. Those actually written by him were Commentaries on Brahma Sutras and the Upanishads and on the Gita. All other books ascribed to him were not written down by his own hand.

Sage Sankara wrote his Manduka commentary first, and then as this revealed that he thoroughly understood the subject, his gurus requested him to write the commentary on Badarayana's Brahma Sutras, which was a popular theological work universally studied throughout India. That is why his commentary is written from a lower dualistic point, for those who cannot rise higher, save that here and there Sage Sankara occasionally has strewn a few truly Advaitic sentences.

Sage Sankara had only four fully trained disciples, although he advised some kings. His doctrines spread after his lifetime. Sage Sankara’s books were dictated to secretaries as he traveled, therefore, only a few were capable of understanding his philosophy.

Nearly all orthodox hold views of Maya which are entirely incorrect and untenable. They do not know Sage Sankara's Upanishad Bashyas, but only the Brahma Sutra Bashya.

Sage  Sankara varied his practical advice and doctrinal teaching according to the people he was amongst. He never told them to give their particular religion or beliefs or metaphysics completely; he only told them to give up the worst features of abuse: at the same time, he showed just one step forward towards the truth.

In Brahma Sutras, Sage Sankara says that Brahman is the cause of the world, whereas in Manduka he denies it. This is because he says that at the lower stage of understanding, the former teaching must be given, for people will get frightened as they cannot understand how the world can be without a cause, but to those in a higher stage, the truth of non-causality can be revealed.

Brahma Sutras, i.e. "Vedanta Sutras" by Badarayana, are intended for those of middling intellects, not for those who have the best brains: it is a semi-theological, semi-philosophical work; it starts with the assumption that Brahman exists.

The opening sentence is "All this is Brahman." But nobody knows or has seen Brahman.

If one says "All this is gold" and shows a piece of gold, the words are understandable. Suppose one has never seen gold. Then what is the use it becomes meaningless when the object indicated is seen by none.

Hence, the Brahma Sutra opening is equivalent to "All this is Brahman". Both have no meaning so long as they are not understood if we take them as the data to start from. It is for this reason, the Brahma Sutra is intended for theological mindsets because it begins with dogma although its reasoning is close. For it starts with something imagined.

Critics who declare Sage Sankara's Advaitic wisdom as negative (because of his Neti, Neti) do not know that this is applied only to the witnessed (three states), the critic ignorantly believes that it is also applied to the formless witness (soul). The seeker should never negate the formless witness, only witnessed.

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.

Scriptural mastery is not wisdom:~

That is why Mundaka Upanishad:~ This Atman cannot be attained through the study of the Vedas, nor through intelligence, nor through much learning. He who chooses Atman—by him alone is Atman attained. It is the Atman that reveals to the seeker Its true nature. (3 page-70- Mundaka Upanishad. Upanishads by Nikilanada)

The Veda serves only at the starting point. What one has to learn from Veda must be understood through the exercise of reason, as far as reason might go. And what one has understood must be realized in one’s life.

It is not that one should pore over the ancient scriptures. There is no need to study first then realize. One has to realize first then only he will know ‘what is truth’ and ‘what is untruth’.

There are hundreds of commentaries on the Bhagavad Gita. Each one goes on spinning yarns imagining as he likes what the meaning may be. But once one acquires Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana he will know what they really meant, he will see that there is only one possible interpretation, irrespective of his opinion or imagination.

A permanent view of the world as unreal can come only after soul-centric reasoning; such knowledge cannot change. Were the seeker who is sufficiently sharpness 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.

According to Advaita Vedanta, the Veda addresses itself to two kinds of audiences - the ordinary ones who desire the transitory heaven and other pleasures obtained as a result of ritual sacrifices, and the most 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. However, the Vedanta, with its emphasis on the jnana kanda, is meant for those who wish to go beyond such transient pleasures.

As one goes deeper in the subject one becomes aware of the fact that the religion, scriptures, and concept of God is nothing to do with the religious side of Advaita, the present religious-based Advaitic knowledge and theories are meant for the ignorant mass, who hold the religion as high, not the ultimate truth because religion is based on the form (waking entity) and they view and judge and argue on the base of the waking entity(ego) as the Self, but Gnanic Advaita is based on the formless (Soul) and it negates everything other than the formless Soul, the Self.

All the conceptual divisions were invented by different philosophers by their excessive analysis.  all these concepts are never-ending.  they create more confusion and then they try to explain in their own way. Fortunate is the seeker who does not lose himself in the labyrinths of philosophies. 

Ignorance is the cause of experiencing the duality (universe or waking) as reality. Thus, eradicating ignorance completely is necessary. And this is possible only through self-knowledge. Thus, there is no other road to freedom other than Gnana. There is no other entrance other than Gnana. The ignorance will vanish only when the nondual wisdom dawns. Detachment to attachment is impossible without wisdom. Only when one realizes the fact that the 'Self' is not the form but the 'Self' is formless, then only it is possible to detach the ‘Self’ from the false attachment.

That is Sage Sankara, in Bhaja Govindam says:~ [Jnana Viheena Sarva Mathena Bajathi na Muktim janma Shatena] - One without knowledge does not obtain liberation even in a hundred births, no matter which religious faith he follows.

Thus, it proves that wisdom is universal irrespective of any religion of faith one belongs to. Thus, religion is not a means to Self-knowledge. Thus, Sage Sankara’s Advaita minus orthodoxy is true Advaita. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar 

A Gnani is not recognized by the people because he does not identify himself with religion nor he wears a religious robe.+

A Gnani is not recognized by the people because he does not identify himself with religion nor does he wear a religious robe.

Even friends and family members of a Gnani will not know him as the Gnani. Due to ignorance, people will not be able to recognize a Gnani. Outwardly the Gnani behaves as an ordinary person behaves.

A Gnani talks and jokes like others, but he is not understood as he really is. People may regard him as an exceptional person, but only a few can recognize him as a Gnani.

Manduka Upanishads:~It is not possible to recognize who is a Gnani because he bears no external mark. Neither nudity nor the yellow robe has anything to do with him.

Sage Sankara says:~ Gnani wears no signs. Gives up the insignia of a monk's life…his signs are not manifest, nor his behavior." When the knower of Brahman wears no signs -- it means he does not identify himself as a Guru or a teacher.

Sage Sankara says: - A Gnani~ “Sometimes he appears to be a fool, sometimes a wise man. Sometimes he seems splendid as a king, sometimes feeble-minded. Sometimes he is calm and silent. Sometimes he draws men to him. Sometimes people honor him greatly, sometimes they insult him. Sometimes they ignore him.

A Gnani never identifies himself as a swami, Guru, pundit, or yogi.

Remember:~ 

The Advaita propagated by the Gurus of the east and the west is not the Advatic wisdom of Sage Sankara.

I respect all the Gurus of the past who contributed their own way to the seeking world and ‘I’ highlights good points in their teaching and I also highlight how their teaching becomes an obstacle, which blocks the realization of the ultimate truth or Brahman.

The seeker's aim is to move forward not to get emotionally stuck with some Guru or their teaching

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.

Sage Sri 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.

As one goes deeper self-search the seeker himself becomes aware of ‘what is the truth’ and ‘what is untruth’. The seeker should not bother to know who is enlightened or who is not enlightened. The seeker's aim is Self-realization.

Jesus said: ~"Those who seek should not stop seeking until they find. When they find, they will be disturbed. When they are disturbed, they will marvel, and will reign over all." (Gospel of Thomas 2)

It is necessary for the seeker to do his homework, and verify the validity of all the claims, rather than blindly believe, what others expound as knowledge, till; the un-contradicted truth is obtained.

The seeker must have the courage of Bhagavan Buddha to accept the truth and reject the untruth. Since Bhagavan Buddha rejected religion, the idea of God and scriptures, therefore, it is evident that he has gone through every aspect and verified and found them to be inadequate and useless for the pursuit of truth.

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

Swami Vivekananda: ~ Worship your Guru as God, but do not obey him blindly; love him all you will, but think for yourself. No blind belief can save you, work out your own salvation. Have only one idea of God - that God is an eternal help.

Vivekananda himself said: ~ “You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher, but your own Soul.”

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

The inner Soul, the Self is the inner Guru revels ‘what is real’ and ‘what is unreal” when the seeker is receptive and ready.

Do not believe in a thing because you have read about it in a book. Do not believe in a thing because a wise man has said it was true. Do not believe in words because they are hallowed by dualistic knowledge Find out the truth for yourself. Use Soulcentric reason, which leads to the realization of the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space.

Advaitic wisdom can never be gained by argument and provocation. Discard all the accumulated dualistic knowledge by realizing the world in which you exist, exists because of ignorance.

Get rid of the ignorance by realizing 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. Realizing the ‘Self’’ is not you but the Soul is Self-realization. The Soul is the cause of the universe and it itself is uncaused. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Everyone is qualified to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. No one is unworthy to know the truth of his true existence.+

Everyone is qualified to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. No one is unworthy to know the truth of his true existence.

Your urge is at the seed level. As you go on reading the words of wisdom it will start growing. As you go on reading reflecting on the words of wisdom your understanding matures the truth will start revealing on its own.

It takes time for the seeker to gain the perfect understanding of ‘what is truth’ and ‘’what is untruth’.

It takes time for the Soul, the innermost Self to wake up from the sleep of ignorance, and it takes time for one realizes the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space.

Start your journey even you may find it difficult at first but as you go on reading the words of wisdom your subconscious will start dropping the dualistic egocentric knowledge and start accepting the Soul-centric Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

 Everyone’s inner work is on. The Soul, the inner guru (Self) guides us all till we get the stillness of its non-dual true nature.

As you raft upon which you cross the swift river to get to the other side; once you are on the other side of the shore; there is no longer any need to carry the raft.

The far shore is the reality when you reach it, you can see quite clearly that there was never any river at all.

The seeker of truth has to constantly reflect on the subject to get a firm conviction of the truth. The seeker has to reflect on the same truth again and again until it becomes 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 to read and hear the words to think deeply and reach the ultimate end.

My blogs and postings help the seeker to remove the mental blockade, which is blocking his realization. And it also helps to dispel all the inborn and inherited conditioning or samskara from the subconscious.

My blogs and postings will help not only as information to move in the right direction to reach the ultimate end of the understanding. And they also help as subconscious suggestions, which are very much necessary to establish in the non-dualistic reality.

By repeated reading and reflecting on my blogs and postings helps the seeker. My blogs and postings are not any type of teaching or theory. It only helps the seeker to remove all the obstacles in the path of truth and reach the ultimate end in lesser time and effort.

Remember:~
Most people are stuck with their accumulated knowledge and their Gurus teaching. They cultivated the habit of judging everything within the framework of their accumulated knowledge and Gurus teaching. They do not accept anything other than their accepted truth. They are so egoic, stubborn and they think their Guru is the final authority and what they know is the ultimate truth. Such people are unfit to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

Upanishads:~ Fools dwelling in darkness, but thinking they wise and erudite, go round and round, by various tortuous paths, like the blind led by the blind. (Upanishads Nikilanada - Ch II-5 P-14)

Sage Sri, 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.

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.

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

That is why Buddha rejected the scriptures, and even Sage Sankara indicated that the ultimate truth lies beyond religion, the concept of God, and the scriptures.

There is only one Reality to be known, the same for all seekers, but the ways to it, are hidden by the religion. Self-discovery is the only way, towards non-dual Absolute without any religious doctrines, which will help the seekers to unfold the mystery of the illusion in which we all are searching for the truth of our true existence.

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.

Remember, Accumulated knowledge and the teaching of different Gurus from different sources become an obstacle in realizing the ultimate truth or Brahman. Nothing has to be accepted without deeper verification.

Swami Vivekananda said: ~ “You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher, but your own Soul.”

Accumulated knowledge and the teaching of different Gurus from different sources are useless so long as the ultimate truth is unknown, and they are equally useless when the ultimate truth or Brahman has already been known.

A Guru is needed in the religious and the yogic path. There is no need for a Guru to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

It is for every seeker, who is on the Atmic path to realizing himself “What is the truth, “and “What is untruth?” to assimilate the Self –Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. My postings are only signposts. The seeker needs to reflect constantly on the subject until the cobwebs of his doubts and confusion get cleared.

It takes time for the seeker to gain the perfect understanding of ‘what is truth’ and ‘’what is untruth’. It takes time for the Soul, the  Self to wake up from the sleep of ignorance, and it takes time for one realizes the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

The religion blocks one from realizing God in truth because religion is based on myth whereas Spirituality is based on the truth.+

Religion is regarded as sacred and real by the common people, by the wise as false, and by the politicians as useful. Religion injects false belief as reality and makes hallucinate with its dogmas.

Religion is always successful in brainwashing its followers with its imaginary ideas of ‘what happens after death, which nobody can deny. And also, if any religious head claims that he has seen God by intuition~ the religious believers never disprove it? The onus of proof is on those who make an assertion. Religionists and mystics are required to prove; the burden to disprove is not on their critics. Why have there been so many conflicting religions, or so many divisions and subdivisions of religion, if it is true?
Religion blocks one from realizing God in truth because religion is based on myth whereas Spirituality is based on the truth.
God in truth is not based on your inherited blind faith or belief. The Religions are based on personal God whereas Sage Sankara’s Supreme Brahman (God) is impersonal, Nirguna (without Gunas or attributes), Nirakara (formless), Nirvisesha (without special characteristics), immutable, eternal, and Akarta (non-agent). God is above all needs and desires. God is always the Witnessing Subject. God can never become an object as God is beyond the reach of the senses. God is non-dual, one without a second. God has no other beside it. God is destitute of difference, either external or internal. God cannot be described because the description implies a distinction. God cannot be distinguished from any other than God. In God, there is not a distinction between substance and attribute. Sat-Chit-Ananda constituted the very essence or Svarupa of God, and not just God's attributes. The Nirguna Brahman of Sage Sankara is impersonal.

The Soul, the Self is unborn and undifferentiated consciousness is God in truth.

The Vedas confirm God is Atman (Spirit), the Self.

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 itself says: May ye never accept another God in place of the Atman nor worship other than the Atman? Thus, to know the real God Self-realization is necessary. Self-realization is God-realization. Self-realization itself is real worship.

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

Religion makes it complicated to realize the God in truth hidden by the ignorance obscures from human vision.

Sage Sankara: ~VC- ‘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

The PURANAS, including Vishnu Purana and Siva Purana, is based on a false idea of personal God because the writers have thought of Him as a glorified man and woman.

The translations made till now of Indian philosophical works have represented religion and mythology, not philosophy. The greatest pundits do not understand it, for they do not understand science. What has this mythological teaching done for India? Look at its state today. Look at the conversions. Imagining that God has ashes on his forehead or blazing like the sun-- that is all poetry and depends only on faith.

The Saiva Siddhanta sect is a dualistic, unphilosophical religion like Ramanuja's sect.

Why did not Ramanuja and Madhva write commentaries on the Upanishads (as Sankara did to establish Brahman) but stop, content with writing a commentary on Vyasa Sutras, and culling some paras only from the Upanishads with convenient vagueness to establish their God and Theology?

Indians are more religious than other people. The six systems of Indian Philosophy are really six systems of Indian speculation. For there is only one Truth.

The ancient Hindu tenet borrowed by theosophists of universe appearing and dissolving, days and nights of Brahma, entering into pralaya, etc. is intended for mediocre intellects who cannot rise to the truth. It is a convenient fable representing the philosophic truth that the whole universe dissolves in your mind in deep sleep, thus entering pralaya, and rises again the next morning, i.e. it is all imagination, idea. The Brahma-God has nothing to do with it.

That is why Swami Vivekananda said:~

THE MASSES IN INDIA CRY TO SIXTY MILLION GODS AND STILL DIE LIKE DOGS. WHERE ARE THESE GODS?

Knowing this, stand up and fight! Not one step back, that is the idea. ... Fight it out, whatever comes. Let the stars move from the sphere! Let the whole world stand against us! Death means only a change of garment. What of it? Thus fight! You gain nothing by becoming cowards. ... Taking a step backward, you do not avoid any misfortune. You have cried to all the gods in the world. Has misery ceased? The masses in India cry to sixty million gods and still die like dogs. Where are these gods? ... The gods come to help you when you have succeeded. So what is the use? Die game. ... This bending the knee to superstitions, this selling yourself to your own mind does not befit you, my soul. You are infinite, deathless, birthless. Because you are 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. You are the entire world. Who can help you? - Swami Vivekananda (Delivered In San Francisco, on May 28, 1900) The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda/Volume 1/Lectures And Discourses/The Gita II

Advaitic Orthodoxy misinterpreted Sage Sankara and presented only the religious side of his teaching as the highest doctrine. Thus, people are misled.  Orthodoxy is based on rituals and mythical Gods and Karma. Advaitic wisdom of Sage  Sankara is nothing to with Advaitic orthodoxy.

Let Advaitic wisdom annihilate ignorance (I) and reveal Soul, the Self God in truth.  Let your ears become deaf to the untruth propagated by the religion as a reality; enable you to realize the truth hidden by the ignorance (I).  Let your eyes become blind to illusion to receive the Soul as the Self as it is in the midst of the dualistic illusion.

All the orthodox ideas were rejected by Sage Sankara. There is no need to indulge in rituals, to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman. There is no need to study philosophy, to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman then why do you indulge in studying philosophy.

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)

Sage Sankara pointed out those rituals could in no way bring about wisdom, much less moksha.

Sage Sankara says the rewards of the rituals are not a matter of direct realization. Advaitic wisdom is based on personal realization.

The orthodox Advaitin believes that rituals alone would lead one to higher levels of attainment. Further, the deities would reward only those entitled to perform the rituals alone. The entitlement involved the caste, creed, and other parameters.

The scriptural authority and value of rituals are part of the Advaitic orthodoxy, which is meant for ignorant people.

The Advaitic wisdom of Sage Sankara is nothing to do with religion, caste, rituals, worships, yoga, and other practices. Therefore an obvious disparity between Sage  Sankara‘s path of Gnana and the path of Karma. 

The path of Gnana is meant for the advanced seeker of truth and the path of Karma is meant for the ignorant populace.

Even Sage Sankara appears and tells the orthodox people the path of orthodoxy is the path of ignorance they will not be able to drop their inherited samskara or conditioning, which they think is the only way to reach heaven and reap a happy life in the next life.

As regards the rituals, Sage  Sankara says, the person who performs rituals and aspires for rewards will view himself in terms of the caste into which he is born, his age, the stage of his life, his standing in society, etc. In addition, he is required to perform rituals all through his life. However, the Self has none of those attributes or tags. Hence, the person who superimposes all those attributes on the changeless, eternal Self and identifies the ‘Self’ with the body is confusing one for the other; and is, therefore, an ignorant person. The scriptures dealing with rituals, rewards, etc. are therefore addressed to an ignorant person.-  (11- Adhyasa Bhashya)

First Mundaka - Chapter 2 (10) - Ignorant fools, regarding sacrifices and humanitarian works as the highest, do not know any higher good. Having enjoyed their reward on the heights of heaven, gained by good works, they still remain in ignorance of the Atman the real God.

As a person, one performs rituals throughout his life.  The person who performs rituals and aspires for rewards will view the world in which he exists as a reality. However, the Soul, the Self unborn eternal hidden by the world in which he exists.  From the standpoint of the Soul, the world in which he exists is merely an illusion.

The scriptures dealing with rituals, rewards, etc. are therefore addressed to an ignorant person.

First Mundaka - Chapter 2 (9) - Children, immersed in ignorance in various ways, flatter themselves, saying: We have accomplished life's purpose, because, these performers of karma do not know the Truth owing to their attachment, they fall from heaven, misery-stricken when the fruit of their work is exhausted.

First Mundaka - Chapter 2 (8) - Fools, dwelling in darkness, but wise in their own conceit and puffed up with vain scholarship, wander about, being afflicted by many ills, like blind men led by the blind.

Ish Upanishad declares: - Those people who have neglected the attainment of Self-knowledge and have thus committed suicide 10/11/12

The religious orthodox people who have neglected the attainment of Self-knowledge and have thus committed suicide, as it were, are doomed to enter those worlds after death.

This is a condemnation of people who do not try to attain Self-knowledge. They are, in a real sense, committing suicide, for what can be worse than being a slave to sense enjoyment, completely oblivious of the real purpose of life, which is to be one’s, own master?:~Santthosh Kumaar