Sage Sankara says that Brahman and Atman are one.+

In fact, Sage Sankara states a paradox- the world is and is not. It is neither real nor unreal. It leads us to recognize the existence of Maya (illusion). He thinks that the world is illusory from one perspective and from the second it is nothing but Brahman(God), Itself in manifestation. This apparent world is Maya and has its basis in Brahman, the Eternal. It looks as real. It has names and forms and actually, it is not real In the light of true knowledge, it disappears and Self-alone shines as real. However, Sage   Sankara's  Mayavada has not been accepted by many preachers and philosophers.

When Sage Sankara says clearly, the universe is not real. Sage Sankara says that Brahman and Atman are one. The ultimate and Absolute Truth is the Self, which is one though appearing as many in different individuals. The individual has no reality. Only the Soul, the innermost  Self is Real; the rest, mental and physical are but passing appearances, then it indicates the form (waking or duality or mind) is unreal and the formless soul (consciousness or soul) is real.  Therefore, only Atman is real because there is no second thing exists other than Atman, which is in the form of consciousness.

Religious Gods are not God in truth. Bible says “God is a Spirit, and they that worship God must worship God in Spirit and in Truth. Rig Veda says may ye never accept another God in place of the Atman (Spirit) nor worship other than the Atman.

What is the use of arguing with religious believers?  They think, what they know as the ultimate truth.

Whatever is real in the world in which we exist is God. All that is real in the world in which we exist is the Soul, the  Self.

Thus, by realizing the Self, which is the Soul, we discover the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness itself is God which is hidden by the ‘I’, which is the dualistic illusion. 

When Sage  Sankara says Brahman or God in truth is impersonal and attriubuteless then why worship God with form, name, and attributes.

When Sage Sankara says Atman is Brahman or God then why believe and accept anything as God other than the Atman. 

Vedas say- 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?

Then why worship non-Vedic Gods in place of Atman, which is God in truth.  Self-realization is the truth- realization. Truth-realization is God-realization and God-realization is real worship.

Lord Krishna says Ch ~V: ~ “Those who know the Self 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.

One must realize the difference between the ordinary concept of God and the truth about God.

Bhagavad Gita: ~ Brahmano hi pratisthaham ~ Brahman (Godin truth) 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. 

The dualistic worship of "God” is only for the ignorant populace. The God in truth is only Atman, the innermost Self.   In reality, there is no duality, no differentiation. Only Atman exists.

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

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)

God and Goddess are religious concepts.  Whatever is seen, known, believed, and experienced as a person within the dualistic illusion (world) is a falsehood. 

Rig Veda 1/164/46: ~ “They call him Indra, Mitra, Varuna, Agni, or the heavenly sunbird Garutmat. The seers call in many ways that which is One; they speak of Agni, Yama, and Matarishvan.

Rig Veda 8/58/2:~ Only One is the Fire, enkindled in numerous ways; only One is the Sun, pervading this whole universe; only One is the Dawn, illuminating all things. In very truth, the One has become the whole world.

Sage  Sankara’s Supreme Brahman (God in truth) is impersonal, Nirguna (without Gunas or attributes), Nirakara (formless), Nirvisesha (without special characteristics), immutable, eternal, and Akarta (non-agent). It is above all needs and desires. It is always the Witnessing Subject. It can never become an object as it is beyond the reach of the senses. Brahman (God in truth) is non-dual, one without a second. It has no other besides it. It is destitute of difference, either external or internal. Brahman (God in truth) cannot be described, because description implies a distinction. Brahman (God in truth) cannot be distinguished from any other than it. In Brahman (God in truth), there is not a distinction between substance and attribute. Awareness constitutes the very essence or the true nature of Brahman (God in truth), and not just its attributes. The attributeless Brahman of Sage Sri, Sankara is impersonal.

All those whose intelligence has been stolen by ignorance believe God as an individual and separate from their own existence.

The Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, is the ultimate truth of Brahman or God.

Sage Sankara: ~ “Brahman (Soul) is the truth the world is unreal everything is truly Brahman (Soul) and nothing else has any value.

Yajurveda – chapter- 32:~   Godis Supreme Spirit.

Rig Veda: ~ The Atman (Soul or Spirit) 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)

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

Thus it refers to a formless and attributeless God, which is the Atman (Soul), the innermost ‘Self’ within the false experience. Thus, it indicates clearly all the Gods with form and attributes are imaginations based on the false self.  Thus Atman or Soul, the innermost ‘Self’ is God.

Vedas speak of one God that is the supreme ‘Self’ i.e. Atman or Soul. Vedas indicate clearly that all the Gods with form and attributes are mere imaginations based on the false self.

God in truth is neither personal nor impersonal because God in truth is ever nondual. 

God in truth is ever free from the dualistic limitation of form, time, and space.

From God in  truth perspective, form, time, and space are non-existent

If the form, time, and space are non-existent then the ‘I’ is non-existent

If the ‘I’ is non-existence then the mind is non-existent

If the mind is non-existent then the universe is non-existent

If the universe is non-existent then waking is non-existence

If the waking is non-existent then God alone is real and eternal.

God is hidden by the ‘I’. The ‘I’ is the dualistic illusion. You are part and parcel of the dualistic illusion. 

The Soul is the cause of the dualistic illusion but the Soul itself is uncaused. The dualistic illusion is present in the form of form, time, and space. 

Form, time, and space are present in the form of the universe. The universe appears as a waking or dream (duality) and disappears as deep sleep (non-duality).

Your existence is limited to the illusory form, time, and space. The form, time, and space are made of the same clay. That clay is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. Knowledge of the single clay is Self –knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. 

Self–knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana helps the seeker to unfold the truth (God in truth) hidden by the ‘I’, which is the dualistic illusion.

You have to draw your attention back every time it turns worldliness (I) and fix it in the Soul or  Brahman or God in truth. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar