I am highlighting some scriptural citations only to show that scriptures, religion are unimportant in quest of truth.+

I am highlighting some scriptural citations only to show the seeker that the Advaitic Sages themselves declare that scriptures, religion, and ideas of God are unimportant in the pursuit of truth. It is easier to understand, assimilate, and realize the ultimate truth or non-dualistic truth by rationalizing our views and understanding:-

There is no need to condemn anyone’s views and ideas or writing, but without being judgmental, the seeker has to verify whether the author is speaking on the standpoint of ego, or whether he is speaking on the standpoint of the Soul, the innermost ‘Self’. If his views are based on the standpoint of the physical ‘Self’ (ego), then there are many doubts and confusion. If his views are based on the invisible Soul, the Self, then there is no confusion or doubts of any sort.

Nothing has to be accepted without verifying the validity of any claim in pursuit of the truth. Only the uncontradictable truth has to be accepted as truth.

There is no need to condemn any religion or any saints or sages, but the seeker has to think beyond religion, scriptures, and individualized Gods.

It is difficult to understand assimilation within a framework of some teaching or holding some philosophy as a yardstick. We have to drop all our accumulated dross to understand and assimilate, and realize the non-dualistic or Advaitic truth.

There is nothing to discuss, there is nothing to argue about, to acquire the knowledge of the single clay. All words, all the thoughts, all the people, and the whole cosmos are created out of a single clay. That single clay is consciousness. Knowledge of the single clay is Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atman Gnana.

Thus, stick to consciousness and mentally drop everything else as an illusion and enter the Advaita, the real nature of the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

The sugar cannot know its sweetness. The true Self, without ignorance, is without the universe, which is the dualistic illusion or Maya.

Thus, you have to base it on the sugar, not on its sweetness. Without the sugar, there is no sweetness. Similarly, without consciousness, the world in which you exist ceases to exist as a reality. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar