Books written by the eastern and western Gurus and yogis are no actual help for Self-realization.+

One cannot realize the 'Self'  by studying the scriptures and reading books.  The 'Self' can never be described in words because it is non-dual. Books written by eastern and western gurus and yogis are no actual help for Self-realization. 

Sage Sankara:~ 'Like a servant who carries a lamp in front of you to find your way, and you have found it, so becomes the Veda to that person. What is the Veda? ~ utterances of those who have known the Truth. Here is one who has known the Truth; why should he or she depend upon the Veda further? Actual realization takes you beyond books. At a certain stage, books become a botheration. The Upanishad itself says that the 'words are only so much of distraction for such minds'

All the Advaitic Gurus of the east and the west and their teachings are based on the dualistic perspective. Dualistic knowledge is egocentric knowledge. All egocentric Advaita or nonduality is based on the imagination. All imagined Advaita is will not help to cross the domain of form, time, and space.

The egocentric knowledge keeps the Soul in the intoxication of the ‘I’. The ‘I’ hides the whole truth. 

Gurus and the teachers of nonduality of the east and west are stuck up with their own accepted truth gathered from here and there and  Their egoic attitude blocks than from realizing the Advaita hidden by the Dvaita, which is present in the form of the ‘I’.

Mundaka Upanishads: ~ So-called spiritual pundits and learned are called children because a child takes whatever it thinks as truth. The question never occurs to children “Is what I have seen or thought really the truth?" (P.334 line 9)

Scriptures are not needed in pursuit of truth. Even the Upanishads and the Advaitic Sages declare the same.

The ultimate truth has to be ascertained without the scriptures by realizing the Self is neither the waking entity nor the dream entity but the Self is a formless Soul which is present in the form of consciousness. 

In the realm of truth form, time, and space are created out of single stuff. That single stuff is consciousness. Realizing the single stuff as the ultimate truth is Self-realization or truth realization. To realize this truth there is no need for the scriptures. 

The ultimate truth has to be realized first then only it is possible to know what the scriptures are saying.

That is why Sage Sankara: ~ VC 56. Neither by Yoga, nor by Sankhya, nor by good work, nor by learning, but by the realization of one's identity with Brahman is Liberation possible, and by no other means.

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.

59. The study of the Scriptures is useless so long as the highest Truth is unknown, and it is equally useless when the highest Truth has already been known.

60. The Scriptures consisting of many words are a dense forest that merely causes the mind to ramble. Hence men of wisdom should earnestly set about knowing the true nature of the Self.

Advaita is the nature of the Soul. Advaita is second to none. Advaita is universal wisdom reveals on its own to all the serious and sincere seekers of truth. 

The real Advaitic wisdom of Sage Sankara is soul-centric knowledge.  Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana is soul-centric knowledge that destroys ignorance.

The man who possesses the highest intellect can grasp Advaita, by merely hearing the truth mentioned and will know it. 

Bhagavad Gita: ~ Reason as a means to reality. (Chap.18 verse 37)

In chap. 10 of in Bhagavad Gita, Krishna says: ~ I cannot save you, but I can give you Buddhi (reason). (chap. 10)

In chap. 10 of in Bhagavad Gita, Krishna says: ~ "I have given you the most secret teaching, now reflect over it all" Krishna plainly says reflect, think. (Verse 63 of Chap. 18)

Mundaka Upanishad says: ~  Both states are harmful and take you away from the path of inquiry into truth. (Page 234)

Ashtavakra Gita: ~ It is not the absence of Buddhi (Reason) 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). 

Remember:~

Advaita is universal. Advaita is not for sale. Do not buy Advaita from the spiritual supermarket. Advaita is the nature of the Soul, the Self. The world in which you exist is created out of single stuff. That single stuff is consciousness. Knowledge of the single stuff is Advaitic wisdom.

Advaitic truth is very simple, but it is very difficult to realize because you have accumulated mental garbage from different sources in the name of Advaita. 

Until you discard all the accumulated knowledge you will never be able to realize the Advaitic truth, which is beyond form, time, and space. 

The Advaita is the nature of the Soul, the  'Self' shines in its own awareness when wisdom dawns. 

The Advaita is the Soul is the cause and the support of all that exists as the world in which we exist. Advaita is the nature of God, the Self. 

The Advaita is present in the form of consciousness. Advaita is the root element of the universe. From the Advaita, the universe comes into existence. In the Advaita, the universe resides. And into the Advaita, the universe is dissolved. The Advaita is the parent of all that is there. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar