Sage Sankara strongly advocated the study of Upanishads and at the same time cautioned that study of Upanishad alone would not lead to moksha.+

The Upanishads are Self-contradictory. Every pundit even gives conflicting interpretations of them. The final authority, therefore, is using one’s own reason. One should apply his reason to them.

Sage Sankara strongly advocated the study of Upanishads and at the same time cautioned that study of Upanishad alone would not lead to moksha. In matters of such as spiritual attainment, one’s own realization was the sole authority and it cannot be disputed.

Sage  Sankara also said the study of Upanishad was neither indispensable nor a necessary prerequisite for attaining the human goal, the moksha.

Sage  Sankara pointed out; even those who were outside the Upanishad fold were as eligible to moksha as those within the fold were. He declared that all beings are Brahman, and therefore the question of discrimination did not arise. All that one was required to do was to get rid of ignorance (Avidya or duality).

Of the 120 or so Upanishads which are extant, about twelve Upanishads are considered to be major Upanishads.

Almost every religious Gurus and pundits have commented on most of these major Upanishads. They are all discourses and dialogues on spiritual experiences and pursuits. Long or short, in prose or poetry, they are expositions and theses on fundamental questions transcending the phenomenal realities of day-to-day life.

However, the one under-current of everything in the Upanishads would seem to be the concept of one Godhead, amidst the plethora of names and forms that confront us in nature as well as in the mental universe in each one of us.

The word ‘Brahman’ is used by the Upanishads to refer to the ultimate truth or ultimate Reality.

The essence of the Upanishads:~ Atman is the ultimate reality or Brahman. Atman is the Self hidden by the universe. Atman pervades everything animate and inanimate. Atman is the One and only One intangible power behind all tangible forces. Atman is the vast boundless ocean of which everything that is experienced is only a wave.  Everything that appears as the universe(I) is only a fragment of that wave.

The seeker with all earnestness to delve beneath the form, time and space and seek the Infinite Atman hidden by the universe(I). All the doubts and confusion prevails till the Atman, the Self hidden by the ignorance is realized.

Atman is Brahman or God. God is everywhere because the universe in which we exist is merely an illusion created out of Atman God.   God pervades everywhere and everything in the universe.  There is no second thing other than Atman, the God.

This implication of the Upanishadic teaching is missed by all but the true Seer. To say that there is nothing but God means we must be able to see God hidden by the universe.

A Gnani sees only the Atman, the Self. Atman is the immanent Reality in hidden by the universe.  For Gnani, the universe in which he exists is only a dualistic illusion or Maya. To attain this equanimous vision is the goal of every seeker.

To bring home this point the Sages  of the Upanishads get into elaborate dialectical arguments, competitive discourses, provocative dialogues, revealing reminiscences of spiritual experiences, descriptions of tentative conclusions after initial experimentations, numerous questions and varied answers to each of them, meditative searches after truth, joyous declarations of the Advaitic  Wisdom and last of all, very involved comparisons and analogies some of them very complicated and involved as to defy our understanding and some of them as elementary as may verge on the naïve. However, much we may write about it we shall still be floating only on the TIP! It is the experience that is the Iceberg!

Even if one master the four Vedas, then the Vedangas, the various sastras in spite of all this knowledge he has not learned about the Ultimate Truth or Brahman.

Infinite is nondual. the Finite is the dualistic universe.  A Gnani sees Atman as it is in the midst of the dualistic illusion. nothing else hears nothing else, is aware of nothing else, that is the Infinite.

Chandogya Upanishad 7.24.1: ~ The Infinite is immortal while the Finite is mortal.

The ultimate is non-dual. Any presence or awareness of duality makes the awareness finite. The Infinite is the fullest expression and manifestation of the ultimate truth or ultimate Reality.

Kenopanaishad 1 – 4: ~ That is everywhere. That is above, that is below, that is in front of you, behind you. That is Atman, the immanent Reality. That is brahman, the Transcendent Reality. What you see before you physically, is not Brahman, but what makes you see is Brahman.

It cannot be heard by your ears, because it is what makes you hear. It cannot be thought of as an object of thought by your mind, but it is what makes your mind think. Such profound descriptions abound everywhere in the Upanishads.

Remember:~ 

Sage Sankara strongly advocated the study of Upanishads, and at the same time cautioned that study of Upanishad alone would not lead to moksha. In matters of such as spiritual attainment, one’s own realization was the sole authority and it cannot be disputed

Sage  Sankara also said the study of Upanishad was neither indispensable nor a necessary prerequisite for attaining the human goal, the moksha.

Sage  Sankara pointed out; even those who were outside the Upanishad fold were as eligible to moksha as those within the fold were. He declared that all beings are Brahman, and therefore the question of discrimination did not arise. All that one was required to do was to get rid of ignorance (Avidya or duality).

That is why Sage Sankara says: ~ VC 56- Neither by Yoga, nor by Sankhya, nor by good work, nor by learning, but by the realization of one's identity with Brahman is Liberation possible, and by no other means.

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.

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 which 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.

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.

64. Without killing one’s enemies, and possessing oneself of the splendor of the entire surrounding region, one cannot claim to be an emperor by merely saying, ‘I am an emperor’.

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 comes 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.

66. Therefore, the wise should, as in the case of disease and the like, personally strive by all the means in their power to be free from the bondage of repeated births and deaths.

Then there is no need for the scriptures, religion, and idea of God. One has to be more rational to realize the Advaitic truth, which is the ultimate truth or scientific truth.

Remember:

The dualistic knowledge of the ‘Self ‘gathered from scriptures holy books or Gurus can never emancipate a man until its ‘Self’ is rightly investigated and applied; only direct realization of the ‘Self ‘will reveal the truth hidden by the ‘I’.

Sage Sankara says: ~ “What is accepted without a proper inquiry will not lead a person to the final goal. On the contrary, such acceptance will result only in evil, in something which is detrimental to our spiritual progress.

Sage Sankara regards personal realization as independent and convincing evidence.

Sage Sankara says that an individual’s experience cannot be disputed because the experience he went through was real to him; though that may not be real from the absolute point of view.

Sage Sankara makes a distinction between the absolute view and the relative view of things.

The seeker's aim is the search for the Ultimate Truth or Brahman. The search to find the non-dualistic or Advaitic truth that in actuality never was lost, only hidden.

The scriptures are for ignorant masses, who wholly accept the material world as it presents itself. Gnana is for those who have begun to realize that things are not what they seem.

The Scriptures are of value only when dealing with persons who are incapable of understanding the truth. They have no value as authority for those who use reason.

I quote only verified citation form the scriptures. I need no scriptures but I quote them to help the seekers to realize that religion, scriptures, and the belief of God is nothing to do with the ultimate truth or Brahman.

Upanishads say: ~ It is impossible to find and realize the truth via religion and scriptural study. :~Santthosh Kumaar

Sage Sankara the one who realize Atma, the Self hidden by the ignorance realizes the Atman is Brahman.+

Advaitic Wisdom is the direct means to the attainment of Self-realization, it is necessary to keep in mind the means-end relation. The tool that one chooses must be suitable and appropriate to the end, which he wants to attain. It is not the case that through any tool any end can be attained. On the contrary, what tools has to be chosen and how far it is relevant and appropriate to the end we have in view, must be considered from the point of view of the nature of the end which is to be attained.

 The tool must be warranted by the end. In other words, the choice of the tool as well as its suitability and appropriateness is determined by the end. This point must be borne in mind in understanding and assimilation of nondual truth.

Sage Sankara's complete cessation of bondage and of its cause results in the renunciation of ignorance.

Sage Sankara Self-knowledge itself is the means to realize the Self hidden by the dualistic illusion or Maya.  

A Gnani is the one who has attained the highest.

Sage  Sankara the one who realizes Atma, the Self hidden by ignorance realizes the Atman is Brahman and the universe is merely an illusion created out of Atman, which is present in the form of the consciousness.

Those who possess a clear knowledge of the Self and the non-self, who renounce ignorance, who determine the nature of the universe in the light of the Advaitic wisdom, who belong to the highest class is a Brahma Gnani, whose thought ever dwells on Brahman only.

As distinguished from this, the other path, namely karma-yoga, or the path of action is suited to the Yogis who look upon the Self as the agent and enjoyer. It is not the case that anybody is competent to resort to Advaitic wisdom. While distinguishing jnana-yoga from karma-yoga, Sage Sankara sets forth clearly the qualifications necessary for the pursuit of wisdom.

The qualifications are:~

 (1) the ability to distinguish between the Self and the not-self, the ability, that is to say, to distinguish the eternal and the ephemeral,

(2) renunciation of the worldly pleasures here and hereafter,

(3) steady, uninterrupted contemplation on Brahman. A person who fulfills these requirements will be able to acquire Advaitic wisdom or Self-knowledge or Bramha Gnana or Atma Gnana.

Sage Sankara one must have an intense urge to realize the truth to pursue the path of wisdom. knowledge -gathered from books or Gurus can never emancipate the seeker until its truth is rightly investigated and applied; only direct realization will do that. Realize the Self is not you but the Soul is hidden by the dualistic illusion or Maya.

Sage Sankara’s Advaitic wisdom is Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

The Vedas and the Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita speak of the truth with a weak voice and they do not have the majesty found in the Sage Sankara’s Advaitic wisdom ~ it is simply unparalleled. 

The influence of Sage  Sankara’s wisdom has nothing to do with Advaitic orthodox belief systems.

The Advaitic wisdom has been lost: people misinterpret and falsify it, Advaitic wisdom is not yoga but it is the truth, which is hidden within the form, time, and space, but nobody knows it. 

The teachers of philosophy and religious Gurus and yogis do not want to inquire into the hidden truth and have no time for it.

Neither by the practice of yoga nor philosophy, nor by good works nor by learning, does freedom from experiencing the dualistic illusion come, but only through the Advaitic wisdom.

The most important thing is that neither society nor politics nor any other institution of human life have had any influence on the Sage Sankara’s Advaitic wisdom.

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 Advaitic wisdom there shall be no freedom for the Soul, which is caught up in the dualistic illusion.

The ultimate Truth which has no basis is usually religion or a mere catalog of ignorant opinions; people prefer it, because, it can be obtained more easily. 

All religious doctrines are based on the ego. Whatever is based on the ego is worthless because the truth is based on the Soul, the 'Self.

Sage Sankara’s Advaitic wisdom is such a pure expression ~ transcending form, time and space ~ there is nothing comparable.

Religion has been very influential. The first reason is that religion is a synthesis. Religion is more concerned with synthesis than with truth. 

The desire for synthesis is so strong that if necessary religion doesn't mind sacrificing the truth to propagate the belief.

Religion is a hodgepodge containing everything; hence it suits everyone because there is something in it for everyone.

The truth does not belong to any religion. Religious truth is individual truth based on the false ‘‘Self’’.

The ignorant populace takes solace in their inherited religion. For the religious people Sage Sankara’s Advaitic wisdom will prove very difficult.

The seeker has to know God in truth. The truth is ignored by religion. The difference between the religious concept of God, which is based on the blind belief and the truth about God, is based on the core of the existence.: ~ Santthosh Kumaar

The time you spend worshiping Gods and Goddesses is wasted because you could have spent that time to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.+

All the religious worship and prayers are based on the religious Gods. The religious Gods are not God in truth. 

The seeker must know the difference between religious Gods and Spiritual god.

Religious Gods are based on blind belief whereas the Spiritual God is the Spirit, the existence.  

Blind belief in religious belief hides the truth. So, people are immersed in their belief system. People who escape from the truth will never find God in truth.

Religion causes one to become crippled, Self-mortifying and Self-deprecating is not a religion, but the social system of controlling the populace through psychological deformation and retardation.

Your religion and religious belief in God are an escape from realizing the actual God. Spirituality is not an escape from actuality but realizing the fact that the world, in which you exist, is merely an illusion created out of the Spirit, the real God

By worshipping Gods and Goddesses, you will remain in the domain of the dualistic illusion. Worshiping Gods and Goddesses will not help you to realize the real God. The real God is the Soul, the Self. 

The time you spend worshipping Gods and Goddesses is wasted because you could have spent that time to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. 

Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana is your goal. By worshiping Gods and Goddesses, you cannot you will remain in ignorance of the ultimate truth or Brahman or real God. 

Upanishads clearly indicate that the human goal is to acquire Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. 

Mundaka Upanishad condemns rituals: ~ The Para or Higher Knowledge is the knowledge of the Supreme Being while the Apara or Lower Knowledge is that of following sacrificial rites and ceremonies. (1/2/ 1 – 6) 

First, you must know what God is supposed to be. There is a clear-cut idea in the scriptures, of what is supposed to be God. And what not to worship in place of God then why worship the belief of God, which is not God. 

That is why Lord Krishna Says Ch ~V: ~ “Those who know me in truth.". The last two words (tattvataha) are usually ignored by pundits, but they make all the difference between the ordinary concept of God and the truth about God.

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

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

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

Remember:~ 

Bhagavad Gita: ~ ‘All those whose intelligence has been stolen by material desires, they worship many Gods. (7- Verse -20)

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)

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. 

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 realizing 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.

People are not aware that there is no religious God that exists, apart from the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

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)

How can you worship God? That implies two ~ the worshipper and the worshiped, whereas God is non-dual. One can worship his idea of God only or realize his unity with it when he can’t worship it as a part.

When Upanishads and Vedas declare that “God is in the form of the Athma, and God is indeed Athma itself” then why accept another God in place of the Atman nor worship other than the Atman.

God is the Supreme Being the One eternal homogeneous essence, indivisible consciousness, and intelligence, which is beyond the form, time, and space. To which the Sages describe in a variety of ways through diverse words.

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

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.

In Yajurveda says if you worship what is not God: ~

Yajurveda: ~ 

Translation 1.

They enter darkness, those who worship natural things (for example air, water, sun, moon, animals, fire, stone, etc).

They sink deeper in darkness those who worship sambhuti. (Sambhuti means created things, for example, table, chair, idol, etc.) (Yajurveda 40:9)

Translation 2.

"Deep into the shade of blinding gloom fall asambhuti's worshippers. They sink to darkness deeper yet who on sambhuti are intent." (Yajurveda Samhita by Ralph T. H. Giffith pg 538)

Translation 3.

"They are enveloped in darkness, in other words, are steeped in ignorance and sunk in the greatest depths of misery who worship the uncreated, eternal Prakriti -- the material cause of the world -- in place of the All-pervading God, But those who worship visible things born of the Prakriti, 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." (Yajur Veda 40:9.)

So, Yajur Veda indicates that: ~  Those who worship visible things, such as the earth, trees, and bodies (humans and the like) in place of God are enveloped in still greater ignorance. 

If the religious Gods and goddesses are not real Gods 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. 

That is why Sage Sankara: ~ VC ~ 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.  (verses-6)   

Remember:~ 

The religious belief, actions, conduct, love, virtue, scriptural mastery, religion, rituals, and prayers which are mere theories based on the false Self, are great hindrances in realizing the non-dual truth, which is the ultimate truth. 

All religious theories are meant for those who believe in the practical life within the practical world as a reality because they are unable to verify the truth of their true existence. 

The religion is based on the birth entity (you). The birth entity is the false self within the false experience (waking). Thus, the religion is based on falsehood, because the religion accepts the experience of birth, life, death, and the world as a reality. 

It is very much necessary to realize the self is the formless Soul, which is birthless and deathless because it is unborn and eternal. 

The Soul, the Self has no religion. All religious theories are based on the birth entity is bound to be a falsehood. 

Sage Goudpada says: ~ The merciful Veda teaches karma and Upasana to people of lower and middling intellect while jnana is taught to those of higher intellect. 

So they clearly indicate rituals and theories are not meant for those who are searching for higher knowledge or wisdom. The path of wisdom is the only means. 

All the orthodox Advaitins indulge and immerse themselves in a ritualistic-oriented lifestyle and follow the path of karma and Upaasana which is meant for lower and middling intellect and not for realizing the Advaitic truth.

Many chose these orthodox scholars as their gurus. But these gurus are good for learning the conceptual Advaita meant for those orthodox who believe their conduct-oriented lifestyle leads to Moksha [liberation]. But the theistic Advaita is not the means to acquire Self–knowledge or non-dualistic or Advaitic wisdom. 

Those who are seeking the truth have to do their own homework to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. : ~Santthosh Kumaar

Self-realization destroys the root of ignorance. Ignorance is the main cause of the illusory universe in which you exist.+

Mistaking one thing for another or superimposing the attributes of one thing on another is due to ignorance. 

The real nature of the  Soul, the Self is ever non-dual. The Soul is existence, knowledge, and infinitude, which is free from attributes, which is free from activity, which is neither an agent nor an enjoyer,  ignorance is superimposed on it.

Ignorance is the cause of experiencing the illusory universe as reality.  Ignorance is the root cause of our bondage. 

To put an end to our bondage and attain liberation from experiencing the illusory universe as a reality, ignorance is the root cause that has to be destroyed; and ignorance can be destroyed only by attaining Self-knowledge, discriminating it from the illusion. 

Advaitic wisdom is the only means to Self-realization Self-realization destroys the root of ignorance. Ignorance is the main cause of the illusory universe in which you exist.  

Through deeper self-search, one has to eradicate the foundational ignorance, Self -Knowledge alone is the means to the attainment of liberation from illusion. Only Self-knowledge destroys ignorance. 

Remember:~ 

You must study the universe carefully and find and realize God hidden by the universe.

That is why Jesus said: ~ "Know what is in front of your face, and what is hidden from you will be disclosed to you.

It means one has to know the world that confronts him to realize his body and the world in which he exists world are made of the same essence and that essence is Spirit or consciousness (father).

Sage  Sunkara says: ~ One must first know what is before him. If he cannot know that, what else can he know or understand? If he gives up the external world in his inquiry, he cannot get the whole truth.

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.

All religions claim that their books are not man-made? Hindus claim that the Vedas are Aporsheya: not made by man but revealed by God himself; and Sanskrit is the divine language, not human.

All religions have the same type of claim. Muslims say the Koran has descended from God, and so with Jews and Christians. Everybody is trying to claim that their book is the sacred book and nobody bothers to look at the real divine book.

This is what the real Veda, the real Koran, the real Bible is. This is the book, and all other books are man-made. Only this universe is the book that is authored by God because God is hidden by the universe.

The universe is the real Veda, the real Koran, the real Bible. The universe is the book, and all other books are man-made.

Only when you open the book of the universe the God hidden in the book will be revealed. When you finish reading the book of the universe then the universe will become an illusion and God alone prevails as the ultimate reality.

Sage Sankara: ~ VC~.63- "Without knowing and examining the universe, one can’t know the 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.

Sage Sankara says: ~ “What is accepted without a proper inquiry will not lead a person to the final goal. On the contrary, such acceptance will result only in evil, in something detrimental to our spiritual progress.

You are also part of the divine book of the universe! And whatever you have seen, known, believed, and experienced as an individual is part of it.

The Koran, the Vedas the Bible, and all the holy books are meant for the crowd but the book of the universe is meant for the seeker of God in truth. The Book of the universe is imprinted in every living being.

That is why Sage  Sankara says: ~ Of what avail are the Vedas and (other) Scriptures, Mantras (sacred formulae), and medicines to such a one?

For one who wants to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana, the mantas will not help to realize the truth, which is beyond the form, time, and space.

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?

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.

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.”

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 perverse arguments.

The universe is nothing but matter. The matter is merely an illusion created out of the Soul, the Spirit. Just like ice is created out of water the universe is created out of the Soul or Spirit, which is present in the form of consciousness. 

The ice is not different from the water the same way the universe is not different consciousness.

The universe is the Avatara of the Soul, which is God in truth. The universe is nothing but an illusion created out of the Soul, which is God in truth.  

The universe ceases to exist without God in truth, which is present in the form of the Soul or Spirit, or consciousness. Without the universe, God in truth alone exists. : ~Santthosh Kumaar

The seeker must realize Self -realization is not an experience but realization of the Self hidden by the dualistic illusion or Maya.+

The seeker must realize Self-realization is not an experience but a realization of the Self hidden by the dualistic illusion or Maya. 

Anubhava: has two meanings. The first is unVedantic, and is used in the sense of "my anubhava is this" meaning my experience or realization. 

Mystics or yogis hold Anubhave as an experience. Experience is based on the ego.  If a yogi feels or says he knows Brahman, he is self-deceived. Yogi cannot know it because he takes his individual experience of  Samadi as Anubhava. 

The real anubhava is universal. I know attitude blocks the realization of the Self hidden by the dualistic illusion or Maya.  Whoever talks of his knowledge knows only egocentric knowledge. Philosophically it means to be Atman, the Self but practically it means to experience. 

Remember:~ 

The experience and experiencer exist within the domain of form, time, and space. The form, time, and space are within the domain of the dualistic illusion or Maya. 

The "Self" cannot be experienced because the experience is possible only in the realm of duality. There is neither experience nor experiencer in reality. In Self-awareness, the body, ego, and the world are not considered different from consciousness 

The experiencer must have a form, without the form the experience is impossible? The experience is impossible without form, time, and space.  

The experiencer and the experience are one, in essence. The essence is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. 

Anubhav in the Advaitic contest is not an experience but it is the realization of the 'Self' hidden by the dualistic illusion or Maya. 

Remember, the 'Self', is not an individual but the Self is a formless, timeless, and spaceless existence. the experience is possible only in the domain of form, time, and space. In reality, the form, time, and space are one in essence. 

The Soul, the ‘Self’ is the fullness of consciousness without the division of form, time, and space. All the division in consciousness is merely an illusion. 

Thus, other than the consciousness all else is merely an illusion. The illusion is also consciousness because it is created out of consciousness. 

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 world, observed and experienced. The commoner viewing the world will see differently from a Gnani viewing the same world. Each one interprets the world that they see in terms of their existing knowledge. The commoner sees everything based on the ego and, therefore, experiences birth, life, death, and the world as a reality, whereas a Gnani sees everything as consciousness and he is fully aware of the fact that, there is no second thing exists other than the Soul or the consciousness. 

Thus, all the egocentric knowledge has to be bifurcated to realize the ultimate truth, which is beyond form, time, and space. 

Remember:~ 

The universe will not disappear. but the unreal nature of the universe is exposed just like a dream becomes unreal when waking takes place. 

A Gnani observes the consciousness hidden by the universe as it is without form, time, and space. To a Gnani the universe is illusory, because, his views and judgment of the worldview are based on the Soul, the Self. 

Upanishads:~ They alone in this world are endowed with the highest wisdom who are firm in their conviction of the sameness and birthlessness of Atman. The ordinary man does not understand their way. (Chapter IV — Alatasanti Prakarana95-P-188 in Upanishads by Nikilanada) 

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