There is no need to study Advaita Vedanta or Buddhism to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.+

There is no need to study Advaita Vedanta or Buddhism to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.  All accumulated knowledge is of no use to realize the Advaitic truth beyond the form, time, and space. 

There is no need to study Advaita Vedanta to realize the Advaitic truth beyond form, time, and space. Advaita is not a theory or a philosophy. Advaita is the nature of the soul, the innermost self.  There is no need for any theory or philosophy or scriptures to acquire self-knowledge. Only a  perfect understanding of ‘what is what’ is needed. 

There is no need to buy books of Sage Sankara in order to acquire self-knowledge. A perfect understanding of 'what is what' is needed. Nothing else is a need other than realizing the fact that, the form, time, and space are one in essence and that the essence is the soul, which is present in the form of consciousness in order to get the Advaitic Self-awareness.

Self-knowledge cannot be attained by the study of the scriptures and intellectual understanding or by bookish knowledge.  Therefore,  there is no use of studying the scriptures and other scriptures in order to acquire the non-dual wisdom.  That is why Buddha rejected the scriptures, and even Sage Sri, Sankara indicated that the ultimate truth lies beyond religion,  the concept of god and scriptures.

Fortunate is the one who does not lose themselves in the labyrinths of philosophy. The conceptual divisions were invented by teachers of philosophy by their excessive analysis. Fortunate is the seeker who does not lose himself in the labyrinths of philosophy but goes straight to the source from which the universe arises. 

There is only one Reality to be known, the same for all seekers, but the ways to it, are hidden by religion.  Self-discovery is the only way, towards the  non-dualistic absolute without any religious doctrines, which will help the seekers to unfold the mystery of the illusion in which we all are searching for the truth of our true existence.

Sage Sankara said:~Neither by the practice of yoga nor philosophy, nor by good works, nor by learning, does liberation come, but only through the realization that Atman and Brahman are one in no other way. (1) VivekaChudamani v 56, pg 25

The citations from scriptures are not proof.  The ultimate truth has to be proved without the scriptures.  The ultimate truth is the universal truth and it does not belong to any religion.  The religion causes diversity in unity, whereas, the ultimate truth brings unity in diversity.  

That is why Sage Sankara himself says ~ VC 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.

61. For one who has been bitten by the serpent of Ignorance, the only remedy is the knowledge of Brahman. Of what avail are the Vedas and (other) Scriptures, Mantras (sacred formulae), and medicines to such a one?

It is not that one should pore over the ancient scriptures.  There is no need to study first, and then realize. One has to realize first, then only he will know ‘what is the truth’ and ‘what is untruth’. One has to make his discoveries through the process of rational thinking. 

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 are to be attained through the instructions of a knower of Brahman, followed by reflection, meditation, and so forth, but not through perverted arguments.

He who has not rectified his reasoning base from the ‘I’(form) base to soul(formless) base and one who does not have the intense urge to know the non-dualistic or Advaitic truth,  and who is not tranquil and subdued and whose mind is not receptive, cannot acquire Self-Knowledge or brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar