The existence beyond limitations of form, time and space is known as Moksha or Nirvana.

 Orthodox  hold virtue is essential for the attainment of Moksha or freedom. But when  one realizes the self is not and individual this question is hardly a relevant one. It is not quite just to interpret the knowledge which brings freedom as if it were of the nature of a purely intellectual intuition. 

Non-dualistic orthodoxy is based on the form. Thus, it is conduct oriented and trying to prove the truth on the base of scriptural authorities, whereas the ultimate truth is based on the soul, the innermost self.  Ultimate truth has to be proved on the base of the soul centric reasoning without the scriptures.

Orthodoxy holds the caste, religious rites, god and guru glorification, scriptural studies, virtues, good deeds and physical conducts as the means to acquire the self-knowledge, whereas in pursuit of truth, only intense urge to know the truth, receptive mind, sharpness to grasp, courage to accept the truth and reject the untruth are necessary.

The guru is needed in only in religion and yoga.  In pursuit of truth there is no need for the guru. Gnani will never accept himself as guru nor does he claim himself as a Gnani.   One who accepts himself as guru does not know the truth. When one inquires in to the nature of the mind or universe    than the truth will start revealing on its own.

That is why Swami Vivekananda said: - “You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher but your own soul.”

The religion, concept of god and scriptures are the greatest obstacle to acquire self-knowledge.  The scriptural knowledge fuels the ego. And ego makes one experience the duality as reality.  Duality makes one blind to the truth and makes one accept, the egocentric theories based on the false self as authority. 

Buddha said:-

Do not believe a spiritual teaching just because:-

 1.  It is repeatedly recited,

2. It is written in a scripture,
3. It was handed from guru to disciple,
4. Everyone around you believes it,
5. It has supernatural qualities,
6. It fits my beliefs anyway,
7. It sounds rational to me,
8. It is taught by a respectable person,
9. It was said to be the truth by the teacher,
10. One must defend it or fight for it.

However, only when it agrees with your experience and reason, and when it is conducive to the good and gain of oneself and all others, then one should accept the teachings, and live up to them." ....Buddha.

Gaudapada says that:- The merciful Veda teaches karma and Upasana to people of lower and middling intellect, while Jnana is taught to those of higher intellect.

This clearly indicates that religion, which is based on individual conduct, prescribes karma and Upaasana to people of lower and middling intellect, therefore religion is for the lower intellect. And wisdom is for those are capable of inquiring into their own existence.  

Brahman is considered the all-pervading consciousness which is the basis of all the animate and inanimate entities and material. (brahmano hi pratisthaham, Bhagavad Gita 14.27)

If Brahman is considered the all-pervading consciousness then, it is necessary to realize, the consciousness as self, which pervades all the three states to realize the fact that there is no second thing exists other the consciousness. Thus, consciousness (Atman) is the ultimate truth (Brahman).  

The action, love and   virtue are very much necessary in practical life within the practical world. But they are not qualification for self-realization.   The freedom arises only when one becomes aware of the true existence, which is beyond form, time and space. Thus whatever is based on the form is illusion from the ultimate standpoint. 

The one which is aware of the form, time and space is not the form but formless.  The intellectuality based on the form is not wisdom. Thus, one has to use his reason and base it on the formless self to understand, assimilate and realize the non dual truth, which is ultimate truth. Thus, all intellectual theories based on the form, time and space are mere imagination based on the form, which is the false self (ego) within the false experience (universe or waking).  

All religious theories are meant for those who believe in the practical life within the practical world as reality because they are not verified the truth of their true existence. When one verifies the fact  about his true existence through deeper self-search than he becomes aware of the fact that, the self is no form but self is formless consciousness than he becomes aware of the fact that the practical life within the practical world is mere illusion created out of consciousness. 

The practical knowledge within the practical world is meant is not wisdom but it is knowledge based on ignorance. The real wisdom is non-dual wisdom, which arise only when ignorance vanishes. 

By holding the blind belief of conceptual God and trying to get freedom by observing religious code of conduct and leading the orthodox oriented life within the waking experience  trying to get Moksha is like building the air castle in the sky because the waking experience itself is unreal. Same way as the dream becomes unreal when waking takes place the waking experience becomes unreal when wisdom dawns.  

Thus experience of birth, life, death and the world, pleasure and pain and all actions good deeds, ritual, faith, good or bad conducts, worships, prayers , belief in conceptual Gods, ancestor worship and yogic  Samadhi and practices    are not the qualification for Moksha, because the waking experience itself  is as false from the ultimate standpoint .     

People take to the belief system or of authoritarianism merely because they are the easiest ways. To seek for proof is troublesome and time-taking.

Belief system and mysticism are so much preferred to wisdom because one has only to imagine, not to inquire and reason. The first is easy, the second is hard.

Belief system and mysticism is a species of mesmerism affecting weaker or impressionable people. Thus the panoply of a religious guru's religious robes and religious oriented life style creates unconscious suggestion in weaker minds of a superior power or magical knowledge. Similarly visitors to ashrams are suggested into thinking they experience great peace because they are unconsciously hypnotized into believing that will happen. But when a strong disciplined rationalistic mind meets a yogi, religious guru or visits an ashram, he is entirely unaffected.

Scriptures are being added to from time to time. This process will go on. There is the final authority among them? One contradicts the other: duality reigns supreme. 

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad says: - In that unitive state there is neither father nor mother, neither worlds nor gods nor even Scriptures. In that state there is neither thief nor slayer, neither low caste nor high, neither Monk nor ascetic. The Self is beyond good and evil, beyond all the suffering of the human Heart.

Belief system is Successful in propagating the life after death theory.   What happens after death-- nobody can deny it because nobody has seen what happens after death it is mere assumption. When the self is formless than it birth less and deathless. This theory based on the physical self is false theory because true self is not physical. 

That is why Sri, Sankara says in VivekaChudamani :-   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?

62. A disease does not leave off if one simply utter the name of the medicine, without taking it; (similarly) without direct realisation one cannot be liberated by the mere utterance of the word Brahman.

There is nothing more rational, more intelligible and more un-dogmatic insights of Sri, Sankara, is to drop all the theistic nonduality or Advaita which is meant for those who are incapable and not receptive to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman. 

If one merely theories, tries to understand through his intellect and there contended he cannot become a Gnani but he becomes a scholar or pundit.   Seeker of truth must make what he has understood and assimilated has to be  realized, to get firm conviction of the non- dualistic truth or ultimate truth or Brahman,   than only it is possible for him to transcend all the limitations of the experience of form, time and space.    

The existence beyond limitations of form, time and space is known as Moksha or Nirvana. Spiritual freedom or self-realization is the goal of every seeker of truth.

As one goes in deeper self –search one becomes aware of the fact that, the Upanishads are self-contradictory. Different scholars give different conflicting interpretations of them. Final authority therefore is using our own reason. This does not mean one need to give up the scriptures, but he should apply his reason to them. Reason is common to all, whereas orthodoxy belongs to separatist.

The scriptures are for ignorant masses, who wholly accept the material world as it presents itself. Gnana is for those who have begun to realize that things are not what they seem.

Scriptural citations may be quoted only after one has shown the reality and proved the truth, for then he can point out that the texts teach the same thing. If one quotes them before having demonstrated truth, then it is scholasticism.

The Scriptures are of value only when dealing with persons who are incapable of understanding truth. They have no value as authority for those who use reason.

Reason is the common ground for all humanity, whereas the appeal to scriptural relations reaches only groups. Because all the religions are based on the false self and the false experience,  there are   so many conflicting ideas , many changes, divisions and subdivisions ,which leads to all sorts of  doubts and confusions.  When one meets with suffering and disappointment doubts arises. Doubts are absolutely necessary to make one inquire. Pursuit of truth is for getting rid of all doubts.  The pursuit of truth begins with doubt, that doubts one’s own self, one’s own beliefs.