The real journey begins inwardly when you find all the outer journeys are inadequate and useless in quenching one’s spiritual thirst

Yoga and meditation is beginning of one’s spiritual journey.  The real journey begins inwardly when one  finds all the outer journeys are inadequate and useless in quenching his spiritual thirst.  The real renunciation is renouncing the ignorance.  Ignorance is the cause of experiencing illusory duality as reality. Yoga and meditation and god and guru glorification are not the means to acquire non dual wisdom. Without wisdom, freedom from duality is impossible.  

 A real spiritual retreat is where there is no compulsion of any sort: no set programme to be followed, no meetings of saints, no god glorification and prayers or worship so that the seeker is spared from the unnecessary strain, which is of any use in the pursuit of truth.

In pursuit of truth there is no need to frame rules and regulation and code of conduct to control the mind of the seeker, because these rules and regulations and code of conducts are useful only in worldly life, not in the pursuit of truth. The seeker can attain the highest wisdom without common enforced discipline and discover the self evident truth, through soul-centric reasoning. The realization surges up by a free impulse when the seeking mind becomes receptive enough to accept the truth.

While it is true that not all the seekers are not  ripe enough thus need for constant reflection on the true self ,which is  Atman or soul ,through deeper self-search and  soul-centric reasoning until the one  is capable and receptive to receive the knowledge of true self, which is the formless soul.  formless  Soul is present in the form of consciousness.

The religious theory that : This seemingly boundless universe stretching far beyond human imagination and consisting billions of stars, planet, solar systems and galaxies has not come to existence all by itself. It has to have a creator, and that creator is god.

Every nook and corner of this entire universe is governed by identical laws of nature. Hence there is no many gods but only one god. This creation and creator theory seems to be true when man is unaware of the true self and views and judges the worldview as `I' as self which is false self within the illusory Waking experience.

Man goes on spinning yarn of his imagination on religious base and imagines that the universe has brought into existence by all-wise god with some definite purpose and a set programme. Each atom of this universe be speak of order, discipline organization and balance-testifying to some great mind that has shaped it. Moreover, man was not born result of some accident. He was created as superior to all other creatures, to act as the vice-gerent of god upon the earth, blessed with intelligent and rational thinking. He has been given the power to choose between good and evil deeds. This freedom makes answerable to god and his fellow creatures both for his deeds. His conscience guides his steps to discriminate between what is good and what is bad. He may commit sins and mistakes but is also repentance and ability to correct himself. All man's imagination seems to be true until man is unaware of the fact that `I' is not the self but `I' is the whole Waking experience. The invisible substance and witness of the `I' or Waking experience which is Atman or spirit is the true self.

It is necessary for the  seeker to verify  the facts about his true  existence through inquiry and reasoning in order to realize the fact that `I' is not the self, but Atman or soul or consciousness  , the innermost self ,and learn to view and judge the worldview on the standpoint of formless soul as self to unfold the mystery of the mind which is present as universe. universe is present as  Waking experience.

When one is able to view and judge the worldview on the standpoint Atman then he will realize there is neither the creation nor the creator but only non-dual Atman or spirit will prevail as ultimate reality of the existence. Therefore, it is erroneous to conclude the truth on the base of religion and God. 

All religious and yogic practices are based on the `I' as self, which is false identity, and consider the Waking experience as reality, which is mere illusion. Hence, it is very much necessary to verify one's own identity before indulging in truth pursuit.