The great Sage Sri Ramana Maharishi has indicated many ways to realize the self, other than WHO AM "I? , therefore it is necessary for the seeker to go beyond WHO AM 'I'? inquiry to cross the threshold of duality.

BUDDHA SAID: - Believe nothing just because a so-called wise person said it. Believe nothing just because a belief is generally held. Believe nothing just because it is said in ancient books. Believe nothing just because it is said to be of divine origin. Believe nothing just because someone else believes it. Believe only what you yourself test and judge to be true. 

The word Brahman or Sat has no proper equivalent in English. The nearest is the  ultimate reality or the  ultimate truth. The intellectuals   however applies reality to individual objects or to the multiplicity of them all, whereas Advaitins apply it to the non-duality. Brahman is called "That" because it is something not known yet by the seeker. 

 The Seeker has to overcome all the doubts and confusion in later stages in self-inquiry.  The seeker finds some doubts and confusion, which cannot be overcome if the inquiry practiced on the present format prescribed in the self - inquiry book. The  deeper self - search reveals the fact that, the self-inquiry in the present format will yield the only half truth. 

Some of the doubts and confusion in the self-inquiry book :- 

 If mind is same as Atman (consciousness), how can it vanish--when the mind appears and disappears as Waking or dream?
How can one be certain when one leave the external world--when the person is within the world?
Why leave the external world when everything is Brahman---when everything is Brahman why create division between the world and its perceiver?

How can the world alone cease to exist if one does not look at it—how can the person remain without the world and where he will exist without the world?

Who has the subtle mind projecting through brain and senses? How can one see his subtle mind?--when the brain also piece of the gross matter? ---then how can the brain come into existence after the world is created if the later depends on the brain.

Heart is idea created by mind, how the mind can emerge from it---when the heart disappear along with the mind and reappears along with the mind, how the mind emerge from it.

In deep sleep, swoon and trance, the mind turns inwards and enjoys its natural state--if so why should one inquire if one gets Atman in sleep. With drug one can get sleep and peace or bliss.

If sleep gives Brahman then why trouble with inquiry--better get it through pills. There are many seekers practicing inquiry for many years and waiting for something mystical to happen, why nothing happens and why their inquiry does not yield fruits.

Since Maharishi Ramana is not present physically to guide us, therfore the  seeker to overcome these obstacles in the path of inquiry on his own. 

I was surprised to know David Godman’s interview with Mr. Sivapraksh Pillai (one of the close aid to Sage Sri, Ramana Maharishi) that even after 50 long years he was unable to achieve his goal through inquiry, hats off to his sincere and honest statement. 

In my honest opinion with all the due respect to every soul which was involved in recording and publishing the self-inquiry which is the greatest treasure and which opens the golden gate to the seeker to enter into the spiritual world from the religious world, still there is lots confusion and doubts which are impossible to get answer the way the inquiry is presented in the books. But one will be able to overcome the same after lots of research.  

It is impossible to do research in the present framework of the Self-inquiry. Since everyone is waiting for some mystic experience to happen and refuse to verify and accept the truth because of their conservative outlook. Even the intellectual- classes who have authored many books are viewed and judged Ramana on mystic point of view were unable to deliver goods due to their inherited religious background. Sri, Ramana Maharishi  was mystic for the mass but he was Gnani for the class.

It also becomes evident that different people who have interviewed Sage Sri, Ramana Maharishi at different time had different backgrounds and mindset. Therefore it is necessary to bifurcate the religious views of Sage Sri Ramana Maharishi from his spiritual views to get the hidden essence of Sage  Sri,  Ramana Maharishi ’s teaching.  The great Sage Sri Ramana Maharishi  has indicated many ways to realize the self,  other than WHO AM "I? , therefore it is necessary  for the seeker to go beyond  WHO AM 'I'?  inquiry to cross the threshold of duality.  

            

One seeks truth in the Realm of duality.

Ashtavkara Gita:- It is not the absence of buddhi that can grasp Advaita but the man who possesses the highest intellect. Brains are necessary. Such a man, by merely hearing the truth mentioned will know it. (page 224)

Mandukya Upanishads:- Those that want Brahman will not practice control of mind.  That is Yoga for duffers. The others will inquire and practice discrimination. (p.231)

The soul,which is present in the form of consciousness is ultimate truth or Brahman.  The ‘Mind’ is present in the form of the universe. From the ultimate standpoint the universe is mere illusion. The purpose of the pursuit of truth is the destruction of primal ignorance, which leads to the attainment of the ultimate truth or Brahman.  

Man and his experience of the world exit within the waking or dream. Waking experience has the  waking entity and the  waking world. Similarly the dream has the  dream entity and the  dream world. And deep in sleep has neither the waking entity nor waking world nor dream entity nor dream world. 

One experiences innumerable objects in this world through the physical apparatus within the waking or dream. One is not aware of the fact that he and his experience of the world exist within the waking or dream. Thus, the one which witnesses the three states is neither the waking entity nor the dream entity.  

When One thinks he is an individual separate from the world within the waking or dream, he is ignorant of the fact that he is world appeared along with him.  He has the strong conviction that the world existed prior to him and he is born in it afterwards. He thinks that all the objects are different from one another. He is ignorant of the fact that, this separation is only limited to the mind which appears as waking or dream. 

The seeker  has to realize the fact that,  the self is neither the waking entity nor the dream entity but the self is  the formless  soul. The soul is the innermost self. The soul is is present in the form of  consciousness.  The consciousness  is the formless substance and  the witness of the whole waking or dream experience, which is different from the objects experienced, is only one. The consciousness of waking is not different from that of the dream or deep sleep. Since consciousness by itself has no distinguishing features, it cannot vary from person to person.    The same is the case with the dream state.

 The objects experienced in a  dream are transient and disappear when waking takes place, but the objects experienced in the waking experience seem permanent. But only when one becomes aware of the fact that, the self is not physical but self is consciousness. Consciousness is formless in its nature.  

The consciousness in waking and dream is the same. When waking takes place a person remembers that he had a good sleep. 

This is the exercise   that examines waking, dream and sleep – as dual [waking or dream] and non-dual (deep sleep) experiences which everyone commonly experience. These experiences are here examined naturally and simply, as everyday experiences that show a self, which is conscious of these coming and going of dual and non-dual experiences from which they are known.

In the waking experience, the waking entity is identified as an individual separate from the waking world and in the dream experience; the dream entity is identified as an individual separate from the dream world.    The self is neither the waking self nor it is the dream self, because it is always apart, formless and it is only conscious of all the three states which comes and goes in succession.

In the dream experience, all bodies and all objects seen are mere mirage. The one which witnesses the dream as a whole without the physical apparatus is not the form but formless consciousness. This shows that the one which is aware of the three states is within the three states but it is   apart from these three states. It is within the three states as their formless substance and it is without the three states as their formless witness.

The three states are reality on the base of waking entity and they become unreal on the standpoint of the soul, which is in the form of consciousness.  Therefore there is a need to know and realize the fact that the self is not physical but it is consciousness in order to realize the three states are mere mirage.

Thoughts and feelings are present only in waking or dream. The waking or dream is present only when the mind is present. Absence of mind is absent of waking or dream. Absent of waking or dream (duality) is deep sleep.  In the experience of deep sleep, there is neither the waking nor the dream experience.  The one which witnesses the three states which come and go in succession is neither the waking entity not the dream but is without the physical apparatus ,which is consciousness and which conscious of all the three states ,which comes and goes in succession.  

The ignorance exists only in waking or dream.  Deep sleep is an experience of blank emptiness, where there is no second thing to know anything. When waking disappears deep sleep appears, when deep sleep disappears and the dream appears this cycle goes on and on.

If our experience of deep sleep is thus taken seriously, it raises a profound question. How deep sleep is experienced, when there is neither waking entity nor the dream entity to experience it.  Then what is it that is aware of the three states which comes and goes in succession.   Then the self has to be without the physical apparatus with thinking or feeling.

The one which is aware of the three states, which comes and goes is always apart.  All changing actions of perception, thoughts and feelings are within the waking or dream. The waking is parallel dream and dream is a parallel waking experience. Consciousness, which is the true Self, is apart from the three states, it is even aware when they disappear because it pervades all the three states as their formless substance.

One seeks truth in the Realm of duality. The duality is the state of  the ignorance. Non-duality is the seekers destination when all contradictions are dissolved the truth will start revealing on its own.  Consciousness is always present in all the three states. In deep sleep, it is conscious of itself, when it is not conscious of itself it witnesses the waking or dream. Until one thinks on the base of birth entity he will not be able to understand and assimilate Self- knowledge because he has accepted the birth entity as self. On the base of birth entity the universe is a  reality. When the universe is accepted as reality one has accepted the illusion as reality. Once one accepts the universe as reality then he has accepted the birth, life and death as a reality.

The only factor found present in deep sleep is consciousness in its formless non dual true nature. Consciousness is objectless and can never be objectified because it is the formless subject. Consciousness alone is the subject. These three states are an   object to the subject.  In waking or dream is the state of ignorance. Due to ignorance the object is identified as subject thus the illusion is experienced as reality.

Analysis based on the consciousness as subject reveals the fact that the three states are mere mirage created out of consciousness.  The true state of the consciousness is like deep sleep. Thus mentally holding the deep sleep as real self, and learn to view and judge the waking and dream on the standpoint of the real self , one becomes aware of the fact that,  the waking or dream are mere mirage, which comes and goes and the real self is a mere witness of the mirage.  Only due to ignorance   one calls the real self as deep sleep. When consciousness becomes aware of itself then there is neither waking nor dream nor deep sleep. There is only oneness.  That is unity in diversity.  Therefore, it is necessary to become conscious of consciousness in the midst waking experience to realize the mind is a mere mirage created out of consciousness, then only the ignorance dissolves and reality appears. 

WHO AM ‘I’ and ‘I AM THAT’ is only for a lower stage where one gives up externally in order expose the false nature of the ego, which is not full truth.

Man is mislead by what confronts him   or influenced by what he experiences . Man exists  in the world ,which is mere illusion and  he experiences it as reality,  because  man thinks himself as self and  he  experiences the birth, life, death and the world as reality.  This self-knowledge is necessary to realize the fact that,  man and his experience of the world are  part of the illusion. And the soul, which is the innermost self  is not part of the illusion but the soul ,which is in the form of consciousness,  is the formless substance and the witness of the illusion. the illusion is present as mind (I) or universe or waking experience.

Many seekers in this path of inquiry are still struggling even after long years and waiting for something to happen. Even after reading and inquiring deeply enough, still they are unable to progress further.  Even they are unable to get any benefit in their spiritual pursuit through self - inquiry they are unable to give up the self-inquiry due to the attraction of  Sri,Ramana Maharishi.  

It is necessary for the seeker of truth  to realize the fact that,  the self-awareness is not some mystical experience propagated by yogis. Self-awareness comes only from the Gnana or nondualiistic  wisdom.  

 That is why Sage Sri, Sankara indicated  : -VC -65. As a treasure hidden underground requires (for its extraction) competent instruction, excavation, the removal of stones and other such things lying above it and (finally) grasping, but never 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.

Self -inquiry prescribed by Sri,Raman Mahrshi is a good tool  in  the beginning of the pursuit of truth. But seeker will find it inadequate to in latter stages. However, it creates lots of doubts and confusion.  The seeker has to find the answers on his own through deeper reasoning, then all his doubts and confusions will be cleared, and he will be able to move ahead in the path of inquiry, and he will be able to reach his non-dual destination.

When one is absorbed in thinking of anything, he forgets the subject, which consciousness,  the innermost self, that which witnesses all the coming and going of the three states in succession.

One may think for hundred hours continuously but it is all thoughts, hence not consciousness. But when one becomes aware the thinker of the thoughts are one is the  essence, one do get consciousness, the knower, the formless witness of the three states. Consciousness the innermost self is the eternal.

One has to get rid of his doubts, But that did not mean, simply go and believe everything he is told. The doubt is to be got rid of "by the sword of wisdom. 

WHO AM ‘I’ and ‘I AM THAT’ is only for a lower stage where one gives up externally in order expose the false nature of the ego, which is not the full truth. To get ultimate truth one has to inquire into the nature of the mind, which is in the form of the  universe.  Inquiring into the nature the mind or the  universe is higher.  Thus ‘WHO AM ‘I’? and ‘I AM THAT’   will not reveal  the truth of the whole,  thus the journey is incomplete.

 ‘WHO AM ‘I’ and ‘I AM THAT’ serves only at starting point. What one has learnt from the teaching of the sages be understood through the  exercise of reason as far as the reason might go.  And what one has assimilated must be realized. There are stages in the seekers goal. 

Self-awareness does not mean one is transforming something into something else. In self –awareness there is no second thing exist other than consciousness in the midst of diversity.  The body and the world have become on in essence. There is no duality in the midst of duality.   There is not even the concept of real and unreal. Of course it does not mean that when one is involved in practical life within the practical world disappears. But in self-awareness one is consciously aware of ‘what truth’ is and ‘what is not truth’ in the midst of duality, because one sees his ego, his body and his experience the world as consciousness.  Thus for a Gnani there is no second thing exists other than consciousness even though he is in the midst of diversity.    

Nothingness is erroneous conclusion because every thought has its opposite every word is tied to its coordinate for all thought and speech can only operate under such dualism. Hence, taking the most fundamental word, existence its implied opposite non-existence is also there, and vice versa. So the nothingness or “non-entity" is meaningless without "entity". Both are there. 

Gnanic Samadhi is Sahaja Samadhi that is natural state of the self.

Sage Sri, Sankara says:- Yoga is not the means of liberation [page 132-133 of his commentary on Brihadaranyakopanishad]

Neither Yogic Samadhi or bliss or worldly pleasure should be allowed to draw one away from evenness; none of these  can give ultimate truth or Brahman. When the one is distracted by either, either internal or external bliss, it should by effort be drawn back to steadiness, evenness. This state alone yields the ultimate truth or Brahman.  Intellectually knowing the truth is only an imagination, whereas realizing the truth knows it as such.

Yogis assume that, thoughtlessness will give experience of ultimate reality. How can one keep out a portion of consciousness? It is utterly impossible. It is erroneous to say that such thoughtlessness experience is possible Moreover even if it were possible, what is it that the yogi will keep out? They will only be keeping out reality! The universe is none other than consciousness, as everything is consciousness. The yogi has got the idea of duality and therefore cannot realize truth.

Even the mind, which is in the form of universe disappear in deep sleep. Mind is changing and unreal. It passes away every moment. The consciousness appears as waking or dream [mind] and disappears as deep sleep (no mind).  

Yogic experience of bliss is not wisdom, for Bliss is something one have to experience, therefore it will have to go as it came; hence it is only part of the duality. Duality is an object to the formless subject. Yogis seek bliss through ignorance because he has accepted the ‘I’ as self.

The yogi who wants to go to mountains or an ashram to acquire self –knowledge has not risen above thinking of his body, and will not be able to acquire self-knowledge. For he wants to take his body from one place to another in the belief this will bring realization of the self.

Yogis make the fundamental mistake of assuming that these are things meditation or actions which are other than consciousness. The very idea they concentrate on is itself consciousness and hence needs no special effort. It is impossible to treat the mind as different from soul, which is in the form of consciousness. The Awareness i.e. consciousness must be there prior to all attempts to control the mind: therefore it is a fallacy to believe that any yogic exercise can create this awareness, this knowledge of self.

Katha Upanishad (Chap.4 V.12):- says:-  "Atman is meditated upon as the size of thumb in heart" i.e. for yogis who cannot concentrate without concrete picture, such an idea is useful. 

  Some sages declared Atman was in the heart, later with Patanjali in the lotus in the head.

If in the head it showed ignorance of relation between mind and brain.   When self, which is consciousness is immeasurable than how one can localize mind.  The consciousness is not limited to head or heart because it pervades the whole universe.  All these statements must not be believed but verified because deeper self-search revels the fact that, the self is formless, therefore question heart, brain, mind does not arise.

When Yogi comes out of Nirvikalpa Samadhi than immediately duality confronts him again. His peace goes, for it depended on the non-duality of Samadhi-sleep. Hence no yogi attains true peace, but imagines it.

When one sees second thing and though seeing it know it to be consciousness, then he get Gnana. On the other hand, Nirvikalpa Samadhi is the non-seeing of the second thing; hence cannot yield Gnana, for the yogi does not see and does not know what the universe is.

If one grasps and understands and assimilates non-duality then it is impossible to have any doubt. And doubt is the essence of error, mistake and delusion. Those who are not established in non-duality have to guess, or imagine, i.e. doubt.

Yogi says everything is Brahman, but cannot prove it. The Gnani says the same thing; even this universe is Brahman, but he can prove it.

If one feels ecstatic or exalted peace in the presence of yogi or mystic is not the truth it is mere feeling. People, who are disturbed, agitated, troubled, unhappy finds tranquility at Ashrams, because there was restlessness, probably over business, family or finance etc. But that is because they do not know truth and they mistake this peace for Brahman or ultimate truth. It merely indicates the state of mind possessed on arrival at Ashram; they had a mental disease and the ashram cured it for the time. There is no permanent cure however without Gnana, and Yoga does not yield Gnana.

If one is imaginative or poetic, mysticism and religion is suitable for him, but not path of wisdom.   In religion there is element of imagination. Ordinary peoples have limited view and they like their religion because it gives them some sort of   satisfaction and please their taste.  Wisdom discards religion and yoga because they are based on the false self and false experience.

Emancipation can occur without yoga. What can be done by yoga can be done by Gnana. Yoga alone leads to Samadhi, but Gnana also liberates one from experiencing the illusory experience of birth, life, death and the world as reality. .

If it is said that one gets Gnana in yogic Samadhi in which there is no duality, it is no better than deep sleep. If it be said that there is a direct cognition in profound contemplation in which there is no difference between the perceiver and the perceived and in which no duality can occur; then why not admit the same in deep slumber.  If it be objected that there is no knowledge of the nature of self [soul or Atman] in deep sleep, then one admit that self-  knowledge only is true knowledge and not the absence of duality.

That consciousness remains as the sole real factor, means that there should be self – realization that is, Consciousness as the sole entity and not a not a mere absence of the cognition of the universe; otherwise there would be no such thing as emancipation in this life.

Those people, who talk of experiencing the supreme reality, do not know that the word experience implies something else, a second to be experienced, i.e. duality, i.e. non-reality, and those who talk of "direct knowledge" of reality again do not perceive that knowledge implies a second thing to be known; i.e. duality exists. i.e. no reality here!

To know the supreme reality means to know the complete negating of all that is not this reality. Hence one does not make an object of it.

The notion of attaining Nirvikalpa Samadhi, complete blankness, non-seeing the universe is for those who are still in fancy stages in their pursuit of truth. The universe must be seen but known for what it is, mental.

Many yogis teach that Brahman is in the top chakra of the skull; that therefore we have to ascend there. This is mere imaginary theory based on the false self or ego. Nirvikalpa Samadhi helps one to renounce attachments, it is a corrective medicine to remove this disease; hence it is for seekers only who are still on the disciplinary or infancy level. For peace of mind does not necessarily indicate truth; one can get it by taking opium or ganja.

Yogic Samadhi cannot get one Gnana. Yoga is useful in preparatory stages. Realization thro’ yoga is merely bait to seekers to adopt his preliminary state, but it is not literally true. Yoga cannot give Gnana. Those with weak minds tire soon and cannot keep up the concentrated inquiry into truth, the three states etc. without which one cannot grasp nonduality and their real meaning.

Some texts in some of the Upanishads which assert that the soul returns to Brahman in Samadhi are another form, a different standpoint. When one sees all the three states, that is one standpoint, but when he is in waking experience and takes his stand on that, the view is lower and different. If opponent says world is real from waking experience, then a different argument is given him from one who can understand Mandukya and see it as idea. Mandukya Upanishads alone gives the ultimate truth basis. The other Upanishads treat from a lower standpoint to help beginners.

One who is in Samadhi will not know that this universe is consciousness; therefore yoga is not the means to self- knowledge. In Samadhi the yogi knows nothing, sees no universe; so if there be nothing whatever, how can yogi know that the universe which is something is consciousness? If the universe is not seen in Samadhi than why are word Atman and Brahman are used?

By shutting his eyes in Samadhi yogi do not know the universe, which confronts him. Hence the universe can't be known as Brahman through yoga alone. One is in a non-dual condition in sleep or Samadhi, One without a second, true, but he did not know it at the time. You say only in the waking experience afterwards. Hence there must be inquiry so that you find non-duality whilst you are awake, so that you can see non-duality at the time not afterwards. Hence too the need of inquiring into the universe and knowing it as Brahman whilst one is awake, and not during sleep or Samadhi.

When can one say there is no error in his knowledge? When one sees all the three states as consciousness, which the true self; then there will be no doubt. Hence one must see the beings and objects, if he is to see them as consciousness, the true self. But sleep and Samadhi does not show them to him. Hence their knowledge is not perfect, not free from error and doubt.

The completion of the course of Yoga, whether Raja or Dhyana leads as Patanjali rightly says in sloka 1 to stopping of all ideation. When this is attained, only one thing can then occur--the yogi will enter a condition like sleep. "Like," because he will have done it by set effort and voluntarily, whereas ordinary man falls into sleep involuntarily and when Patanjali lists sleep as one of the five hindrances, he means that while a practitioner is still struggling and has not yet attained his goal of concentration, naturally to fall asleep prematurely is a sign of failure.

The ignorant emerging from deep sleep does not regard his body and his experience of the world as consciousness, which is the true self but he thinks he is an individual separate from the world. Hence he feels duality as reality, similarly, with the yogi. The one, who does not see duality, can have no Gnana. A Gnani sees, and says all this is illusion made out of consciousness, which is the true self. Hence there is unity in diversity, whereas, the yogi who enters Samadhi or sleep has none to start with.

Gnanic Samadhi is Sahaja Samadhi that is natural state of the self. In natural states in which self is in full wakefulness, and then one asks what is meant by this universe, the universe is seen in this Sahaja Samadhi. Whereas Yogic or Nirvikalpa Samadhi, is just like swoon or deep sleep, where one is unaware of anything, not even the universe. [See page 640,641 and verse 132,133 of Tattireya upanishad and panchadeshi regarding this].

The man and his experince of the world are within the whole.

Yogic or religious truth is individual truth, not universal truth.  The mystics cannot claim that they have experienced the whole.  There is no proof they have seen it, because the whole is not individual experience. The man and his experince of the world are within the whole.

If they say, “they know from experience” they merely assume so.” mystics experience is based on ego thus it is part of illusion. Self realization is not individual experience.  The yoga and mysticism are individualized truth. Since they consider the ‘I’ as self they cannot know the Universal self (Atman or the whole).

The Samadhi and  yogic bliss experienced on the base of  false self (ego or waking entity)  within the false experience (waking)  is bound to be falsehood.

When the yogi enters this highest Nirvikalpa (effort-less) Samadhi, he will at once enter deep sleep. This will make plain to him after he wakes, that the inner self he sought and found, the Atman, is reached only when all his ideas are refunded into it, when there is then all the features of non-duality, one without a second.

However the yogi must later wake up, emerge from Samadhi and there is duality again, for world of objects confronts him. So now he has to work on the next stage which is to find consciously in the waking experience the same non-duality that he unconsciously knew in sleep. This is done by learning that the universe is idea or object for the formless subject, and then refunding the universe -idea back into its source, which is consciousness. Only at this final stage dare he say "Atman (consciousness) is the same as Brahman (ultimate truth)." Now he is fully aware of it.

All yogic visions, however wonderful will pass away; they go as they come. They have the value of dreams. They are not truth which is un-passing and beyond change.

One can’t shut his eye to the universe, which confronts him as in Samadhi of yoga and see supreme reality. One can know it only by keeping himself clear and open. Sri,Sankara says:-   The yogi must add discrimination to his quest.

Nirvikalpa Samadhi and deep sleep are the same from the point of view of non-duality the absence of the known. The knower was there. How does Samadhi give Gnana? Only by preparing the mind to see that the world disappears and re-appears and, that non-duality is here and duality there, to convince the man that in non-duality one  won’t disappear as he  don't disappear in Samadhi or deep sleep. Another advantage of Samadhi is one gets the capacity to forget the external world and to treat it as an idea.

Yoga can never give you the fundamental thing, that the world is an idea. Only Gnana can give it. Nirvikalpa Samadhi is unquestionably the same as deep sleep, and all ideas are refunded back there too. One must learn what ideas are, when all the ideas of the universe-existence go back into one’s mind through Yoga. Then one learns this. How has he to learn that entire universe is consciousness or Brahman if he stops at Nirvikalpa Samadhi? Without perceiving the universe, and having a duality before him, it is impossible.

Nirvikalpa has no duality, hence it cannot tell you about the universe. The yogi who emerging from Samadhi and says he found Gnana there, says it to a second person, hence there is duality again. If he were a real Gnani, there would be nobody for him to tell that he had experienced Gnana.

Self-knowledge will interest only few people; the rest are interested in Religion, yoga other paths and pleasure hunting.  
 

It is not the body that has to get freedom but it is the self that is seeking freedom from experiencing the birth, life, death and universe as reality. Only when self-wakes up from the sleep of ignorance by realizing its formless non-dual true nature the freedom happens. For this it has to drop the inborn samskara or conditioning of ‘I’ or ‘I AM’ by realizing it not ‘I’ or ‘I AM’.     
 

Thus it is erroneous to think on the body base when the self is not the body. The self is not the body; therefore the individual life is nothing to do with the formless self. The experience of birth, life, death and the universe are part and parcel of the illusion.  Thus one need not here enter into any account of the course that the soul with its ignorance takes after death—along the way of the fathers, or of the gods, or being debarred from either, according to its works and knowledge. Nor need one enter into any of the other psychological-eschatological questions connected with the state of the soul after the death of the body.  The self is not an individual and self is birthless, deathless, therefore it is erroneous to base the truth of the individual experience of birth, life, death, god and universe.  
 

Suffice it to say that the round of samsara remains for all except those who have attained the higher knowledge. He who has attained to the knowledge of the identity of the self with consciousness, which involves the distinction of the self from its ignorance and consequently its freedom from them, has thereby attained Moksha, or freedom. This is a freedom for which one has not to wait till after death, but it may be possessed even in this very life. 
 

Advaitin orthodox hold virtue is essential for the attainment of Moksha or freedom. But when the self is not and individual this question is hardly a relevant one. It is not quite just to interpret the knowledge which brings freedom as if it were of the nature of a purely intellectual intuition. 
 

As one goes in deeper self –search one becomes aware of the fact that: - The Upanishads are self-contradictory. Different scholars give different conflicting interpretations of them. Final authority therefore is using our own reason. This does not mean one need to give up the scriptures, but he should apply his reason to them. Reason is common to all, whereas orthodoxy belongs to separatist.

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.

Scriptural citations may be quoted only after one has shown the reality and proved the truth, for then he can point out that the texts teach the same thing. If one quotes them before having demonstrated truth, then it is scholasticism.

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

Reason is the common ground for all humanity, whereas the appeal to scriptural relations reaches only groups. Because all the religions are based on the false self and the false experience,  there are   so many conflicting ideas , many changes, divisions and subdivisions ,which leads to all sorts of  doubts and confusions.  When one meets with suffering and disappointment doubts arises. Doubts are absolutely necessary to make one inquire. Pursuit of truth is for getting rid of all doubts.  The pursuit of truth begins with doubt, that doubts one’s own self, one’s own beliefs.

Mandukya Upanishads :-Those that want ultimate truth  or Brahman will not practice control of mind.  (p.231).

One who knows the universe as illusion by making use of reason becomes aware of ‘what is truth’ and ‘what is untruth’. One who loses touch with the external world and gives himself over to his thoughts alone takes the illusory world to be reality and remains in ignorance believing the experience of birth, life and death as reality.

Both sides of experience have to be inquired into—waking or dream and deep sleep, mind and matter if one to find truth. Yogi avoids external inquiry, hence cannot find truth. If he thinks he does not see the world by shutting his eyes and omitting it from his thought, he is an ignorant and not a Gnani. If there is nothing to be seen, if mere absence of the universe from cognition gave self-knowledge, then every creature would attain knowledge of truth because it loses the universe n deep sleep.

It is not possible by mental control alone, by yoga, to realize ultimate truth, but at best one falls into a sleep. It is like draining an ocean drop by drop, to try the yogic way. When the yogi shuts his eyes and does not see the universe because   he takes that universe as real but only his body is unreal. He does not examine the phenomenal universe and hence cannot realize ultimate truth.

The people  who speaks of knowing, seeing, existing, intuiting a second being--God, betrays thereby, that he is of limited intelligence; unable to grasp nondual  truth.

People who talk of sending spiritual telepathic waves or energies to help world is only a mind game. People do not want reason, but blind faith.

The whole universe must be included in the inquiry. Gnana cannot come if anything is left out. Only when all is known can all be known to be but ideation. Hence yogis blotting all out in Samadhi cannot lead to Gnana.

 The ‘I’ or ‘I AM’ thought, the ego, belongs to the duality as does the universe thought. The yogi may get the knowledge that the formless witness [subject] is separate from three states [object], but he will never know ultimate truth or Brahman, without inquiring into the universe, because he is giving up the universe, and hence cannot discover his unity with the universe or diversity. The Gnani regards everything in the universe as consciousness, which is ultimate truth or Brahman; the yogi rejects the universe. Thus there is a fundamental difference.

Yoga is alright so far as it goes but one has to look at the world, which confronts him. Everyone has to eat and they have to attend to all these physical necessities of the body. Therefore no yogi can remain without ideas in Samadhi thro' out the 24 hours. Once out of Samadhi he is like every other ignorant man, unless he indulges in deeper self-search.

As soon as the yogi comes down from Samadhi he finds the world that confronts his to be real. If he did not why does he seek their food again?

People who say the world is unreal are like the fox in the sour grapes in the fable.  The people do not know ‘What mind is?’  ‘What the universe  is?’ , and  are unable to prove that, hence their glib statement is worthless, not proceeding from understanding, or realization of  Mind 's true nature, following inquiry into it, but proceeding from some feeling of disappointment.

Without knowing what is mind and what is the substance of the mind and without inquiry into the universe that confronts him and its nature i.e. matter, there can be no such thing as Gnana.

 The yogi assumes that he has realized ultimate truth or Brahman. And he claims he realized it through by practicing Samadhi.

 A  Gnani can explain what ultimate truth is,  but yogi says his experience of Samadhi is ultimate state or Brahman. The yogic literature says this mystic experience is liberation.” People being self-deluded they accept and indulge practicing Samadhi without verifying their validity of the claim if they are true.

People say that they enjoy mystic exaltation, trances, meditations and peace by practicing yoga for many years. Then this state passed away. This proves he had attained a yogic condition, but not Gnana. It vanished because it was not the highest insight. The Gnani, however never loses his Gnana. Dislodging a Gnani from his insight is impossibility. Once he has thoroughly seen the truth he simply can't fall away from it.

Many claim that they are enjoying mystic exaltation and peace, but whether it passes away soon or endures the whole of life, it is not Gnana, because it did not come through striving to investigate the nature of the mind and universe, it came only through meditation on the self; that is the yogic reward for such meditation but it is only one half. The Gnani not only gets such inner peace but also truth because he has turned outwards also and grasped the truth about matter, which is as much consciousness as his self.

Yogi and mystics immersed into their selves but they do not understand that that is only one half of the truth and that this immersing  is also a mental discipline to fit their minds to understand the true nature of the mind or  universe ,which confronts them, which understanding they must next get if they are to become Gnani.

In Gita, Chap.XII Krishna tells Arjuna: - that knowledge of both matter and mind is the True knowledge.

 Everyone has the inborn conviction or samskara that, he is an individual separate from the world and world existed prior to him the born in this world afterwards.  Until this conviction is there the ignorance is there.   Until ignorance is there one thinks he is living in this world, and he has to eat and move and work in the external environment. No one   can get away from it. It is one’s life.  But one is unaware of the fact that, the universe in which man experiences his individual life as reality itself is mere illusion.  This illusion is experienced as reality due to ignorance.  Thus one has to get rid of the ignorance to realize our experience of the birth, life, death and the world are falsehood.     Therefore we ought to know, understand and grasp on what standpoint the universe is illusion to realize what is real and what is unreal.  The yogi or mystic who refuses to do so is refusing to face the whole of reality.  Visions and Samadhi’s are illusions from ultimate point of view.