Atman is fake too, and Tao is on rocky ground

I think the Buddha beat me to this one by a few years but this idea of Atman, the recognition of the root of life in all of us (or however you wish to translate this concept) is not real.

This quote also reinforces the point and I hope I do not take it out of context as my source is not great: (on the necessity of finding Atman)

"Without contacting the entity that is imputed, You will not apprehend the absence of that entity"
Bodhicaryāvatāra

I like that, quite a lot, and will take it to mean what I want it to mean as if it does not I will restate it now in my own words.

You must inquire wholly to each idea to be able to convince yourself without doubt that it is absent of reality.

Having worked on the reality of God, The Ego, the Self, I, Consciousness, and so on to the point of certainty that none either exist, have reality, or even the possibility of a reality, then this concept of Atman had to be next. Now, there are serious get-out clauses for Atman as so many definitions exist that it can be like catching a wet bar of soap - but it has no reality. Mainly for it being something we can know it has to fail the reality test. I don't want to thrash out the details but as something known it becomes unreal.

The only thing that can have reality is not a thing. So, what should be said is that no thing can have reality. Only Tao, with the risk of blemishing the only word I have left, can have reality as by definition it is that which can not be named (although it has name) and falls squarely outside the bounds of definition, duality and so on.

Importantly, and if I post anymore I am simply going to have to post blank pages, Tao can not be known as knower would make for duality and delimit Tao to thing. OK, this is very well stated in the first verse of the Tao Te Ching but we all fall into the trap of talking about it.

As Tao can not be known then it fits the statement of Bodhicaryāvatāra in that it proves its non absence.

I have to leave this open here and there is a gaping hole that someone can poke a small whale through but language simply ceases to be of any use here.

Back to the meditation cushion for me.