Sage Sankara: ~ Actual realization takes you beyond books. At a certain stage, books become a botheration.+

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'

Upanishad itself says:~ vacho viglapanam hi tat~ words are only so much of distraction for such minds'.

Someone posing as a Gnani is not a Gnani. If someone poses himself as a direct disciple of some Guru is not a Gnani. Those who pose themselves as Gnanis are not Gnanis. A Gnani never poses himself as a Guru, a swami, a sadhu or a yogi, or some Guru’s disciple.

Without bondage to the Guru and the scriptures without blindly believing them but think for yourself. No blind belief can save you, work out your own salvation. 

The Gurus, who mix practical life and the practical world and preach Advaita, have made their own cocktail, which leads to hallucination. The question never occurs to them “Is what I have preached is really the truth?

Sermons consisting of ornamental words, the profusion of words, and possessing skilfulness in expounding scriptures are merely for the enjoyment of the intellectuals. They do not help to get rid of ignorance.

Upanishads:~ Fools dwelling in darkness, but thinking they wise and erudite, go round and round, by various tortuous paths, like the blind led by the blind. (Upanishads Nikilanada - Ch II-5 P-14)

The Scripture's mastery, the force of religious merit--none of these lead to the realization of that Ultimate Truth or Brahman God in truth. 

The ultimate truth is revealed in the clear understanding and realization of ‘what is the truth and ‘what is untruth'. When one realizes the untruth (universe) is created out of single stuff, the ‘Self’-awareness rises in the midst of duality exposing the unreal nature of the form, time, and space.

Realize the ‘Self is not you but the ‘Self’ is the Soul.  The Soul is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth.

First, realize the ‘Self’ is not you but the ‘Self’ is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. 

Mentally hold on to the Soul and mentally reduce the world in which you exist as consciousness by realizing the world in which you exist is nothing but an illusion created out of consciousness. 

The seeker must:~

First: hearing the truth--that the Atman is the only reality and that everything else is an illusion.

Second: reasoning upon this philosophy from all points of view.

Third: giving up all further argumentation and realizing the truth.

This realization comes from being certain that Brahman is real and everything else is unreal.

The Soul which is present in the form of consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God. Thus everything is God in truth nothing but God in truth. 

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