No one becomes a Gnani by taking sanyasa or wearing religious robes or by mastering the scriptures.+

One searches for the truth in all the mountains, in all the ashrams, in all the pilgrimages, in all the books, in all the teachings, in all religion, in all the scriptures, and in yoga or glorifying the Gurus and Gods and fails to find it, finally, he realizes the fact that there is nothing left to investigate other than his own existence.

Thus, he starts his inquiry and realizes the fact that the 'Self' is not the form but it is the formless Soul or spirit or consciousness. 

Thus, he becomes aware of the fact that the Self he was identifying with his physical body with the name is not the Self, but the Self is the Soul, which witnesses the coming and going of the three states.

When one realizes this truth then the three states become merely an illusion. When the Self is identified with the waking entity then it is called ego (Physical Self). Therefore, one has to realize the fact that, the waking entity or ego is the false self within the false experience (waking). 

Whatever, seen, known, believed experienced on the base of the waking entity or ego is bound to be a falsehood. 

One need not renounce worldly life and become a sanyasi or monk. One need not retire from his business or corporate job and become a Guru all these religious and yogic propagated outdated ideas has to be discarded in order to realize the 'Self' hidden by the dualistic illusion or Maya.

Do not become a slave to all these outdated religious and yogic ideas they are not meant for those who seriously seeking the truth. There is no need to follow anyone. Self–realization becomes easy if you independently walk your path.

Atmic path is your own path. You have to tread the path alone to reach it alone finally nothing remains as reality other than the Athma the Soul. Stop your emotionally and sentimentally getting stuck with the Guru.

That is why Buddha: ~ Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders.

Sage Sankara was a Gnani. Most of the modern masters are not Gnani. And you have to understand that to be a Gnani is one thing; to be a Guru is totally different.

Out of a million people perhaps one is a Gnani. Most of the Self- realized decide to remain silent – seeing the difficulty, that whatever they have realized is impossible to convey in any possible way to others; seeing that not only is it difficult to convey, it is bound to be misunderstood too.

A Gnani never claims himself as a Gnani, he guides the seekers, not posing himself as a Guru, and he does not force his wisdom on others. A Gnani is not a religious person or Yogi.

One need not roam one mountain to another, one ashram to another, or meet gurus or yogis in order to get Gnana. One can get Gnana and become a Gnani wherever he lives.

Remember:~

We all are searching truth within the dualistic illusion or Maya, not being aware of the fact that the illusion is created out of single stuff which is the Soul, the Self. The Soul is present in the form of consciousness.

Searching for the truth in the illusion with the illusory self, within the illusory experience, has to be an illusion. The illusion is created and sustained and finally dissolves as consciousness. There is no second thing that exists other than consciousness. Consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth.

No one becomes a Gnani by taking sanyasa or wearing religious robes or by mastering the scriptures or by identifying with the religious symbol. Religious robe and religious symbols are not the means to Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

Blind faith is an obstacle in the pursuit of truth. The seeker should not waste his time on, he should primarily reflect on the Soul, the Self; not on the ‘I’.

The Soul, which is present in the form of the Spirit (consciousness), is ever formless, timeless and spaceless existence.

A Gnani is one who has realized the ultimate truth, the identity of the Soul as the Self. Thus, moksha is not a result of ritual action (path of karma a) or of devotional service (path of bhakti).

These paths are egocentric paths therefore, they will not help anyway to get rid of the ignorance. In fact, moksha is not a result of anything, for it always exists. All that is required is the removal of ignorance.

The path of wisdom helps the seeker to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

Ashtavakra: ~"The man of knowledge, though living like an ordinary man, is contrary to him and only those like him understand his state.

A Gnani is one who has realized the ultimate truth of the identity of the Soul, the Self. Thus, moksha is not a result of ritual action (path of karma a) or of devotional service (path of bhakti).

These paths are egocentric paths therefore, they will not help anyway to get rid of the ignorance. In fact, moksha is not a result of anything, for it always exists. All that is required is the removal of ignorance. The path of wisdom helps the seeker to acquire the Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

Shruti says ~ "brahmavit brahmaiva bhavati" - He who knows Brahman becomes Brahman Itself. In the Advaita understanding of this statement, the "becoming" is only metaphorical. It is not as if something that was not Brahman suddenly becomes Brahman. Rather, "realizing Brahman" means the removal of ignorance about one's own essential nature as Brahman. Thus, to "know Brahman" is to "be Brahman".

The one who has realized the identity of the Soul, the Self with the Brahman is a Gnani, one who is liberated even while embodied. Such a realization should not and cannot just be a literal understanding of Upanishadic Mahavakyas.

Yoga Vasishtha:~Teachers, interpretations of sacred texts, the force of religious merit--none of these lead to the realization of that Ultimate Truth which is revealed in the clear reflection of the heart, engendered from contact with the good."  

Swami Vivekananda: ~ No blind belief can save you, work out your own salvation.:~Santthosh Kumaar