Sage Sankara declares the world in which we exist is merely an illusion.+

Religion is nothing to do with the ultimate truth of Brahman. If one is seeking truth, then he has to be free from all the religious beliefs and dogmas. Religion is based on the ego (you),  whereas, the ultimate truth is based on the Soul, the  Self. 

Whatever is based on the ego is an illusion and whatever is based on the Soul is the ultimate reality or Brahman. Thus, religion has to be bifurcated from spirituality to realize the truth beyond form, time, and space. 

The orthodox dualists and the non-dualistic sects are nothing to do with the ultimate Truth or Brahman.  The orthodox Advaita considers, birth, life, death, rebirth, heaven, hell, sin, karma, and the world as reality, whereas  Sage Sankara declares the world in which we exist is merely an illusion.  If the world is an illusion, then birth, life, death, rebirth, heaven, hell, sin, karma, and the world,  is bound to be an illusion. 

Without Sage Sankara, there is no Advaita (non-duality). Since it was mixed up with orthodoxy there is a lot of confusion. Sage Sankara’s quotes (selected verified) are quoted in my blogs and postings to show what Sage Sankara meant and ‘what is blocking the seekers from realizing the ultimate truth or Brahman. There are so many non-dualistic masters of the east and also from the west who expound Advaitic or non-dualistic knowledge, but none of them are helpful to reach the ultimate end.

According to Advaita Vedanta, the Veda addresses itself to two kinds of audiences - the ordinary ones who desire the transitory heaven and other pleasures obtained as a result of ritual sacrifices, and the more advanced seeker who seeks to know Brahman. 

Thus, the Purva mimam. sa, with its emphasis on the Karma Kanda of the Vedas, is meant for the first audience, to help lead its followers along the way. However, the Vedanta, with its emphasis on the Jnana Kanda, is meant for those who wish to go beyond such transient pleasures.

Sage Sankara's commentary to Brahma Sutras (Chap.3.4.50) shows that the Gnani "should pass through life", not run away from life, and should take a middle course between seeking worldly honor and worldly abasement. 

Sage Sankara varied his practical advice and doctrinal teaching according to the people he was amongst. He never advised them to give up their particular religion or beliefs or metaphysics completely; he only told them to give up the worst features of abuse: at the same time, he showed just one step forward towards the truth.  Sri, Sankara was extremely precise and careful in his choice of words. 

Sage Sankara gave religious, rituals, and 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. 

Sage Sankara says in the commentary in Vedanta, sutra that what is accepted without a proper inquiry will not lead a person to the final goal. On the contrary, such acceptance will result only in evil, in something which is detrimental to our spiritual progress.

Remember:~

Seekers of truth should not believe blindly in traditional orthodox Advaita without verifying all the facts from every angle. Orthodoxy has nothing to do with spirituality, which is based on the Soul or spirit.  

One has to reflect through reasoning over and over again without getting tired of the process. 

By observing the world, wisdom will not dawn. You must know the world in which you exist in truth. Simply by sitting and observing the world, nothing is gained.

Suppose Anastasia is given in a dream, then the dream becomes unreal when waking takes place. Similarly, the waking becomes unreal when Advaitic wisdom dawns. 

The Advaitic wisdom dawns when one realizes the existence of the witness of the three states. The Soul is the witness of the coming and going of the three states.  

From the standpoint of the Soul, the three states are non-existent as reality. Thus, our individual experiences within the waking are as real as a dream.

The Soul, the innermost Self is the witness of the coming and going of the three states, and is nothing to do with happening within the three states.

We become aware of the blankness only in the waking experience. The waking experience is a state of ignorance.  

The witness of the coming and going of the three states is the Soul, the Self.  From the standpoint of the Soul, the witness, the three states are non-existent as reality.

The witness is the one which is aware of you and the world together.  The witness is nothing to do with the individual experience of birth, life, death, and the world.

The one that witnesses the dream as a whole same witness, witnesses,  the waking as the whole. Thus, one has to realize the existence of the formless witness apart from the three states.  

It is not the waking entity that witnesses the dream, nor does the dream entity witnesses the waking. Thus, a perfect understanding of ‘what is what’ is very much necessary to realize the nature of the witness and the witnessed are one, in essence.  

From Atmic satsangha one becomes aware of the fact that the duality is the product of ignorance. When wisdom dawns,  then Self-awareness arises.  

In Self-awareness the ignorance vanishes and the Soul, the Self remains in its own awareness. In Soul awareness,  there is unity in diversity.  Self-awareness leads to freedom from experiencing the illusion as a reality.:~Santthosh Kumaar