The seeker must realize the Advaitic wisdom of Sage Sankara is nothing to do with religion and yoga and any philosophy.+

The seeker must realize the Advaitic wisdom of Sage Sankara is nothing to do with religion and yoga and any philosophy.  Gurus and yogis belong to religion and yoga.  There is no need for a Guru to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

There is nothing more rational, more intelligible, and more un-dogmatic insights of Sage Sankara is to drop all the theistic non-duality or Advaita which is meant for those who are incapable and not receptive to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman.

Sage Sankara was criticized for his views on Maya (illusion) without understanding him.

Sage Sankara said: ~

(1) Brahman (Atman) is real

(2) The universe is unreal, and

 (3) Brahman is the universe.

He did not stop at the second because the third explains the other two. It signifies that the universe is real if perceived as the ‘Self’ and unreal if perceived as apart from the Self. Hence Maya or illusion and reality are one and the same. 

Realists criticize the concept of illusion without understanding it. Sage  Sankara  said that:~

(1) Consciousness (Atman) is real

(2) The universe or mind is unreal

(3) Consciousness is the universe because the universe is merely an illusion created out of consciousness.  

 One need not stop at the second because the third explains the other two. It signifies that the universe is real if perceived as the Self (Atman or consciousness) and unreal if perceived as apart from the Self (consciousness). Hence illusion and reality are one and the same because both are one in essence. Realizing the essence, which is consciousness as the  Self, is Self-Realization or Truth-Realization of God- Realization. 

Sage Sankara‘s declaration is rational truth, scientific truth, and also ultimate truth. 

Sage Sankara gave religious, ritual, or dogmatic instruction to the populace, but pure philosophy only to the few who could rise to it. Hence the interpretation of his writings by commentators is often confusing because they mix up the two viewpoints. Thus, they may assert that ritual is a means of realizing Brahman, which is absurd. 

If you are seeking truth then you have to bifurcate religion and yoga and philosophy from Advaitic wisdom. Advaitic wisdom is nothing to do with religion and yoga and philosophy.

People assume  Guru or  Godmen are great because other people say so, or that he is wise because he himself says so, or that what he teaches is true because it attracts them. Such an attitude and easy assumptions become an obstacle to unfolding the truth and it requires some trouble to put into effect.

Swami Vivekananda: ~ Worship your Guru as God, but do not obey him blindly; love him all you will, but think for yourself. No blind belief can save you, work out your own salvation.

The Gurudom may succeed to a limited extent in the West by appealing to the emotions of western people by creating a new cult with diverse theories of Hinduism.   The ultimate truth is beyond religion, yoga, and scriptures.

Devotion to the physical Guru will not yield Advaitic Gnana because you and your physical gurus are part and parcel of the dualistic illusion. You have to transcend the dualistic illusion by getting rid of ignorance through Advaitic Gnana. Advaitic Gnana comes only through a perfect understanding of ‘what is what.

That is why Swami Vivekananda said: ~ “You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, and none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher, but your own Soul.”

Yogis and Guru are not Gods.

This idea of worshiping Guru as God is not a Vedic idea but adopted from Jainism and Buddhism.

Vedas bar human worship: ~

Yajur Veda:~

"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 prakrti -- the material cause of the world -- in place of the All-pervading God, But those who worship visible things born of the prakrti, 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.)

Then why worship and glorify the Gurus and Yogis (human form) in place of God when Veda bars such activities and it also warns people who indulge in such activities 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.

If you are trading the Atmic path, then remember: ~

Sage Sankara says: ~ There is no need to study the scriptures to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman

~ then why indulge in studying the scriptures.

 Sage Sankara says: ~ There is no need to study philosophy, in order to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman

~then why indulge in studying philosophy.

Sage Sankara says: ~ There is no need to indulge in rituals, in order to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman

~then why indulge in rituals.

Sage Sankara says: ~ There is no need to indulge in yoga, in order to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman

~then why indulge in yoga.

Sage Sankara says the transparent Truth of the Self, which is hidden by the illusion, is to be attained through the instructions of a knower of Brahman, (Gnani)

~ then why you are sticking a Guru who is not a Gnani.

Sage Sankara says ~ “The exercise in discrimination between real and unreal and renunciation of the false leads to truth- realization.

Atman is Brahman. The Atman is the Self is non-dual because there is no second thing that exists other than the Atman. Atman is present in the form of consciousness. Consciousness is the only true reality, and everything else, which appears as form, time, and space is merely an illusion. 

Remember:~ 

The essence of Mundaka is: Do not be satisfied with rituals, yoga, etc. which are good in their own way but inquire. Into what? Brahman and Atman are things you can never see. So do not inquire into them. Inquire into the world around you, which you can see. Science tells you it is passing away every second. Everything is dying repeatedly. Where is it going? Thus you follow up your inquiry into what you can lay your hands on. How can you inquire into Atma which you cannot see? So first we deal with the known and seen, this inquiry leads up to the unknown in the end.

Sage Sankara said:~Talk as much philosophy as you like, worship as many Gods as you please, observe ceremonies and sing devotional hymns, but liberation will never come, even after a hundred aeons, without realizing the Oneness. 

Rituals prayers and ceremonies of different religions and cults are not the tools for Self-realization. They keep one in the cage of ignorance. 

Attachment to the rigid devotion to the religious belief of God limits one to thinking within the framework of the illusory division of form, time, and space. 

Diverse beliefs of religion and its diverse idea of God create divisions between one religion and another. The rituals and ceremonies become an obstacle in realizing the religious God one believes and worships is not God in truth.  Religion becomes an obstacle to realizing the real God hidden by ignorance. 

The seeker of truth is keener to realize the ‘Self' hidden by the dualistic illusion. The seeker of truth has only one desire and longing — that of union with the Soul, God. 

A seeker is never entangled in the religion, rituals, yoga, and physical Gurus and never allows himself to be overpowered by any attachment emotions and sentiments

Isa Upanishads indicate:~  The time one spends in ritualistic practices is wasted; one can spend the same time moving forward towards Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana, which is the main goal.

Sage Sankara had tremendous intellectual power, throwing the scorching light of reason upon everything.

Mental effort is necessary up to the state of realization. Even then the Self should spontaneously become evident. Otherwise, happiness will not be complete. Up to that state of spontaneity, there must be an effort in some form or another.

The ever-present 'Self' needs no effort to be realized, Realisation is already there. Illusion alone is to be removed. Some say the word from the mouth of the Master removes instantaneously. Others say that meditation, etc., is necessary for realization. Both are right; only the standpoints differ.:~ Santthosh Kumaar