Second-hand knowledge of the Self-gathered from books or Gurus can never emancipate a man until its truth is rightly investigated and applied.+

Tripura Rahasya: ~ Second-hand knowledge of the Self-gathered from books or Gurus can never emancipate a man until its truth is rightly investigated and applied; only direct realization will do that. Realize yourself, turning the mind inward. (18: 89) 

Sages of truth restrained themselves parting the Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana to the mass and it was given only selected a few.   It was hidden from the populace 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 religious books in the form of parables.

Most people are still in a primitive stage of mentality. They talk of a Soul leaving the body at the death when a civilized man knows that nobody has ever seen this Soul. Experience shows that God has been unable to do anything for anyone either as individuals or for the world. In the olden days, men were primitive in their thought so that a man having little knowledge was considered a genius. 

Remember:~

Katha Upanishad: ~ This Atman cannot be attained by the study of the Vedas, or by intelligence, nor by much hearing of sacred books. 

Nowadays our knowledge is so advanced that the genius of those days would be an ordinary man of today. Therefore, if one finds the truth, free his Self’  from the tyranny of environment and tradition, not by condemning them, but by examining and testing them by deeper inquiry, analysis, and reasoning to find out whether they be true or not. Accept nothing on the authority of a god-man or genius of the past or present,  but only if it proves true after the examination. 

The people with the same mindset are always willing to examine the facts and judge them calmly whereas the religious scholars and intellectuals will be immune to all facts and hold hard to their delusions. Such people do not want the truth,  but only what pleases them. This is because the ego in them is so strong.  Their attitude is “What pleases them is the truth, what they dislike is false. 

The worship or glorifying Gurus does not free one from ignorance. The rewards are none of them, the reward achieved in their lives are of consequence and not the result of worshiping and glorifying the Gurus. 

People always need some sort of hope when they have not realized the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space.    The 'Self’ is closer to man than his own veins." "With the “Self’ – Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana, one will begin to know the ultimate truth, so as to finally realize the fact that, the “Self’ is not physical and becomes conscious that the true “Self’ is the Spirit."

Most people lack the patience and perseverance in investigating and collecting all the data before judging: hence they assume Gurus are Godmen are great because other people say so, or that he is wise because he, himself’ says so, or that what he teaches is true because it attracts them. Such an attitude and easy assumptions become an obstacle to fold the truth and it requires some trouble to put into effect. 

Religious pundits say the scriptures are incapable of making a mistake, but the Sages of the truth of truth scriptures are considered as only the book of words. 

Sage Sankara:~  "VC~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 which 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?

However many books you read. However many gurus you follow, However, many Gods you worship what good will they do you if you do not realize the fact that the ‘Self is not you but the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

You have to drop all your accumulated knowledge accumulated from different sources as inadequate and useless. You will realize the truth hidden by ignorance only after you drop your accumulated knowledge, which is blocking your realization of the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space.

Remember:~

The Advaitic truth has to be proved not assumed. The gurus of the east and west have not proved the   Sage Sankara’s Advaitic truth because their knowledge of Advaita is based on the dualistic perspective.  Seekers of truth have to realize how this practical life within the practical world is unreal. And on ‘what standpoint it is unreal.

It is foolish to cling to the unreality because the reality is hidden by the unreality.  The people have stuck by the reality of the world and they stop there.

Only when we independently search the truth without the religion, yoga and its doctrine then we will be able to realize the truth beyond form, time, and space.

Unless you exercise your reason (Buddhi) -there is no chance of getting the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth.

Sage Sankara said:~Talk as much philosophy as you like, worship as many Gods as you please, observe ceremonies, and sing devotional hymns, but liberation will never come, even after a hundred aeons, without realizing the Oneness.

 It is impossible to see if the scripture-writers thoughts are founded in fact or not. All concept of the heavens/paradise is imagined and physically-based (‘I’).  Where obedience to authority leads to the loss of one is thinking power, it is being overdone and harmful. Thinking must be combined with obedience. :~Santthosh Kumaar