Sage Sankara restrained himself parting the Advaitic wisdom to the ignorant populace and imparted only a selected few.+

The ultimate truth or Brahman or God is different from the religiously propagated truth. The ultimate truth or Brahman or God has nothing to do with religion. Only in some scriptures, they are illumination but they too are only in parables scattered here and there. 

A number of Upanishads are equally dogmatic and self-contradictory because they also begin by assuming Brahman. Few Upanishads prove Brahman at the end of a train of proof but still, they are very confusing and vague.

The great Saints in the past have propagated devotional path built of the non-Vedic Gods, not Advaitic wisdom as Sage  Sankara has.

Sage Sankara’s wisdom is the spiritual truth, rational truth, universal truth, and the ultimate truth. Sage Sri, Sankara alone is Brahma Gnani humanity has to bow with gratitude the great Sage.

Sage Sankara believed that those of superior intelligence have no need for the study of the scripture and arrive at the truth of Advaita by pure reason.

In spirituality, the ultimate truth or Brahman is God whereas in religion God is based on the belief.

The Saints and religious Gurus of the past only gave written down to make books of the code of conduct, ethics, morals, and rules of rituals and ceremonies, appealing to the ignorant populace of the time.

According to Sages of truth, the Atmic path is not meant for the religious and yogic mindset. There is no need to convince anyone and waste time in perverted argument and provocation.

 The seeker's aim is to think deeply reflect constantly to realize the truth, which is beyond the form, time, and space.

The ignorant who want to remain in ignorance are not qualified for the Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

The Atmic path is not for the religious and yogic minded people. Religious and yogic people must move on their chosen path. The Atmic path is for only seekers of truth who are seriously searching the truth of their own existence.

Sage Sankara restrained himself parting the Advaitic wisdom to the ignorant populace and imparted 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 only selected a few. Thus, we find traces of the knowledge of the spirit in the religious books in the form of parables.

That is why Sage Sankara says:~ 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.

Sage  Sankara gave Advaitic wisdom to the seeking world. Advaitic wisdom is the knowledge of the beyond the form, time, and space. Advaitic wisdom is beyond the scope of the ordinary intellect to grasp and understand assimilate because the ordinary intellects analysis on the dualistic perspective whereas the Advaitic wisdom is based on the nondualistic perspective. Thus, the seeker has to learn to view and judge the worldview on the base of the nondualistic perspective to unfold the mystery of the universe.

All those whose intelligence has been stolen by ‘I know attitude’ they become stagnate in the pond of the ignorance.

Fools dwelling in darkness but thinking they wise and erudite, refuse to accept anything other than their accepted truth and they mislead others. People who accepted the ‘I’ based Gurus are like the blind led by the blind.

The seeker has to awaken to the reality of his true existence by realizing the world in which he exists is an illusion created out of the consciousness through Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

The seeker must first see the world before him as illusory before he sees his as illusory. When the seeker realizes the world is illusory then he also realizes his existence within the world also is illusory.

Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana frees the Soul, the innermost Self from the cage of the dualistic illusion.

To attain truth realization studying the Advaita Vedanta is not necessary. You want fresh water to drink, but you do not require all the water of the river to quench your thirst. 

Remember 

A scholar is proud that he has accumulated so much knowledge; Gnani is humble that he knows no more.

Sage Sankara:~ 58. Loud speech consisting of a shower of words, the skill in expounding the Scriptures, and likewise erudition - these merely bring on a little personal enjoyment to the scholar but are no good for Liberation.

Isa Upanishads indicates:~ By worshipping Gods and Goddesses and going to the world of Gods after death is of no use. The time one spends in ritualistic practices is wasted; one can spend the same time moving forward towards Self-knowledge, which is the main goal. One cannot reach the nondual destination by glorifying God and Goddesses and by doing that, one goes deeper and deeper into darkness. It surely indicates the fact that the seeker of truth has to drop the worshiping God and Goddess in order to get Self-knowledge.

Sage Sankara was a rationalist philosopher. The orthodoxy projected him as a theologian.

Sage Sankara’s Advaitic wisdom is not even a philosopher dish cooked to suit exclusively the palate of one particular religion. Advaitic wisdom of Sage Sri, Sankara is like the air and the water, the common food for the whole of humanity.

Advaitic wisdom is Science of the Spirit.

If rightly interpreted Sage Sankara’s Advaitic wisdom as spiritual food for the whole of humanity. Advaitic wisdom is the universal wisdom par excellence. Advaitic wisdom is not just a not a philosophy, but not a science, but the Science of Truth.

Sage  Sankara gave religious, ritual or dogmatic instruction to the mass 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.

The Upanishads declare:~

Mundaka Upanishad 1:2:8:~ “Remaining in the fold of ignorance and thinking “we are extremely wise and learned,” the fools with boastful nature ramble about like the blind led by the blind alone.”

Mundaka Upanishad 3:2:3:~ “The weak and timid cannot realize the Self. Self-Realization is not possible through intellect or hearing the spiritual discourse. One who welcomes God in every activity, through a thorough controlled and disciplined life, to him also the Soul is revealed

Katha Upanishad 1:2:23:~ The Soul cannot be realized through hearing a scholarly explanation of the discourses, not even by the intellect.

Katha Upanishad 1:3:6:~ “Through the knowledge of the Soul God, one is pure and clean constantly.” Neither by reading the books nor by taking a bath at the holy place has one become pure. Inner purity is possible when one remains in constant touch with the Soul. Constant Soul Consciousness is real purity.

Kena Upanishad 2:4:~ When it is known through every state of cognition, it is rightly known, for (by such knowledge) one attains life eternal. Through one's own self, one gains power and through wisdom, one gains immortality.

Kena Upanishad 2:5:~ If here one knows it, then there is the truth, and if here one knows it not, there is a great loss. Hence, seeing the Real in all beings, wise men become immortal on departing from this world.

The scriptures are being added from time to time. This process will go on. There is the final authority among them? One contradicts the other: duality reigns supreme.

The Upanishads are Self-contradictory. Every pundit even gives conflicting interpretations of them. The final authority, therefore, is using one’s own reason. One should apply his reason to them.

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.

The Scriptures are of value only when dealing with persons who are incapable of understanding the Advaitic truth. They have no value as authority for those who use reason. I quote only verified citations from the scriptures. I need no scriptures but I quote then to help the seekers to realize the scriptures are saying

The Upanishads are the only scriptures in the world which declare:~

It is impossible to find and realize the truth via religion and scriptural study.

Katha Upanishad: ~ This Atman cannot be attained by the study of the Vedas, or by intelligence, nor by much hearing of sacred books. It is attained by him alone whom It chooses. To such a one Ataman reveals its own form. (Katha Upanishad Ch-II -23-P-20)

Mundaka Upanishad: ~ “This Atman cannot be attained through study of the Vedas, nor through intelligence, nor through much learning. He who chooses Atman—by him alone is Atman attained. It is Atman that reveals to the seeker Its true nature. (3 –page-70 Upanishads by Nikilanada)

Upanishad says: ~ “The human goal is to acquire Self-Knowledge and they indicate the personal Gods, scriptures, worship, and rituals are not the means to Self –Knowledge, then why anyone should indulge in it. The religion, concept of individualized God, belief in physical Guru, scriptures are a great obstacle to Self-realization because they are based on false Self. The seeker of truth has to search the ultimate truth without losing himself in the labyrinths of philosophy, through deeper Self-search and assimilate and realize it.

That is why Sage Sankara indicated in Bhaja Govindam says:~ (Jnana Viheena Sarva Mathena Bajathi na Muktim janma Shatena) - One without knowledge does not obtain liberation even in a hundred births, no matter which religious faith he follows.

Then it is no use going a roundabout way, trace the Brahman which is the formless substance and witness of the universe, which is in the form of mind. By tracing the source of the mind or universe one will be able to realize the Brahman.

Self-knowledge is meant only for those who have intense urge, and courage to accept the truth with humility and reject the untruth. Since people start comparing with their scriptural knowledge, it becomes impossible to assimilate and realize the non-dual truth. Therefore, there is no need to convince anyone other than our own selves to get the firm conviction.

So they clearly indicate rituals and theories are not meant for those who are searching for higher knowledge or wisdom. The path of wisdom is the only means.

The knowledge of both matter and spirit is True knowledge. The true knowledge is Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar