Without knowing the difference between the Religion and Spirituality (Adythma) it is very difficult for the seeker to grasp the Advaitic truth.+

Without knowing the difference between Religion and Spirituality (Adythma) it is very difficult for the seeker to grasp the Advaitic truth. 

If one religious scholar quotes his religious scriptures as an authority final, the other scholars from other religions do not agree because he feels his religious scriptures are superior and final. 

Thus if Jesus says so, reply that Lord Krishna says the opposite! If a man quotes Bhagavan Buddha in proof, others may quote Mahavira in disagreement. This may eventually show the man that no person can be the final authority.

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

All your accumulated knowledge from different Gurus and teaching is nothing to do with Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.  All your accumulated knowledge is not of any use in realizing the ‘Self’, which is hidden by the illusory form, time, and space.  If you want to realize the ‘Self’ then you have to drop all accumulated knowledge and start afresh.  Do not hold your accumulated knowledge as a yardstick.

Mundaka Upanishads: ~ ‘So-called spiritual pundits and learned are called children because a child takes whatever it thinks as truth. The question never occurs to children “Is what I have seen or thought really the truth?" (P.334 line 9)

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

Even the Upanishads are Self-contradictory. Pundits and scholars give conflicting interpretations of them. When one uses his own Common-sense he becomes aware that, the final authority, therefore, is using his own reason. One should apply his reason to the scriptures before accepting them as truth.

Ashtavakra: ~ “My child you may speak upon various scriptures or hear the sermons on the scriptures. But you cannot establish in the ‘Self’ unless you forget all. 16-1 – p49

Sages of truth restrained themselves parting the Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana to the mass and only a selected few. It was hidden from the people who were not qualified and receptive to it. Self’ - knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana was not written down but was imparted orally to the chosen few. Thus, religion was given to the mass, and knowledge of the Spirit is given to only a selected few. Thus, we find traces of the knowledge of the spirit in the religious books in the form of parables.

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

Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana is not based on any teaching or teacher.  The Pursuit of truth is the pursuit of verification not the pursuit of an argument.   Intellectual discussion is a great hindrance in the pursuit of truth.

That which is unreal, that is duality, cannot contradict the truth of non-duality. It cannot be counted as an adversary of non-duality. The illusion cannot, 'oppose' the substratum, reality. It can at best lead to the mistaking of the substratum. Perfect understanding is the only way to overcome ignorance.

Scriptures are not needed in pursuit of truth. Even the Upanishads and the Advaitic Sages declare the same.

The ultimate truth has to be ascertained without the scriptures by realizing the Self is neither the waking entity not the dream entity but the Self is a formless Soul which is present in the form of consciousness. In the realm of truth form, time and space are created out of single stuff. That single stuff is consciousness. Realizing the single stuff as the ultimate truth is Self-realization or truth realization. To realize this truth there is no need for the scriptures.

 

The ultimate truth has to be realized first then only it is possible to know what the scriptures are saying.

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.

The Advaitic wisdom of Sage Sankara is pure spirituality. Advaitic wisdom is nothing to do with religion and yoga and philosophies. All Advaitic teachings of the Gurus of the east and west are not the Advaitic wisdom of Sage  Sankara.

Dattatreya's Song of the Avadhuta 1.36-42- Non-duality is taught by some; some others teach duality. They don't understand that the all-pervading Reality is beyond both duality and non-duality.

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The garbage of religious beliefs and dogmas superstition is confounded with the human imagination. The great reality of the glory of the religious Gods is hyped and obscured by so much tinsel and commercialism.

Spirituality is not theology.  Advaita is not a philosophy but Advaita is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God. Advaita is Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana or knowledge of the Spirit or God in truth.

The word “Advaita” is one without the second.  Advaita essentially refers to the Atman and the whole existence. Advaita is the fullness of consciousness without the division of form, time, and space.

Theology is nothing to do with spirituality. Advaita is pure spirituality. The theological Advaita is nothing to do with the Advaitic wisdom, which is based on the Spirit or Atman. 

Theological Advaita is conceptual having its own doctrine is nothing to do with the Gnanic Advaita because Gnanic Advaita is Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

Both approaches are not workable together because the theological Advaita is based on the birth entity (ego)   Gnanic Advaita is based on the Atman (Soul).

Thus, the theological Advaita has to be discarded without mercy to get Advaitic Gnana.  

“Advaita” is a term used variously to express the unity of reality.  Advaita is unity in diversity.  

The seeker has to begin by defining "What is real?" "What is unreal?,   to establish in Advaitic reality by sheer reasoning alone.   The reasoning is the right way to realize the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space. People must first know what is the truth? and what is untruth’. 

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 at any time, at any age, if the seeker has the spiritual maturity and capacity to grasp it. 

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.

It really depends on his inborn natural capacity to understand and assimilate Advaitic wisdom.  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 a lot of confusion. 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.

One has to know and realize the 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 real 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 existence hidden by form, time, and space.   The seeker has to attempt to rule out from the start a false understanding of reality by a 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.  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 the consciousness, the hidden truth by Dvaita uncovered.  The consciousness is the cause of the universe and it itself is uncaused. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar