One is so much attached to the 'I' that he do not want to think that 'I' does not exist

The Upanishads are self-contradictory. Every pundit even gives conflicting interpretations of them. The final authority therefore is using one’s own own reason. One should apply his reason to them.

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.

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. 

Every religionists, yogis and theorist are saying their own accepted truth, over and over again. They are merely propagating their truth, but none of them are able to establish it with certainty, which can be verified here and now, not in the next life or next world. 

Dualist sages could not distinguish between ‘I’ and ‘formless witness.’ The 'I' was the witness. Their highest was the Jiva. One is so much attached to the 'I' that he do not want to think that 'I' does not exist. Again one is unable to detach the ‘I’ from the Real witness. 

Most of the modern Gurus are also stuck with ‘I’ awareness as self-awareness. The ‘I’ awareness is present only when the mind is present. Mind is present only when the universe is present. Universe is present only when the waking or dream is present.   The ‘I’ awareness is absent when the mind is absent. Mind is absent than the universe or waking or dream is absent. Thus ‘I’ awareness is mere illusion.   The self-awareness is ‘I- LESS AWARENESS.

That is why Sri Sankara, indicated  in Bhaja Govindam says: - [Jnana Viheena Sarva Mathena Bajathi na Muktim janma Shatena] - one without knowledge does not obtain liberation even in a hundred births, no matter which religious faith he follows. 

Simply repeating or reading or hearing what scriptures say or whatever god men or guru says does not make one to understand, assimilate and realize the nondual truth. Seeker should not accept anything as truth without verification. 

That is why 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.

The seeker has to understand the fact that whatever is based on the form (mind or universe) is falsehood and whatever is based on the formless (soul or Atman) is the truth. When the subconscious is able to discriminate everything on the base of Atman,   then it will start discriminating everything on the base of formless, and reject whatever is based on the form. Finally nothing exists to reject other then Atman.  Finally, the Atman will prevail as ultimate truth.

The seeker has to establish the truth for himself by verifying himself by reasoning on the true base, not by blindly believing what others say, or what scriptures say.  Once he creates a formless base mentally by replacing the form base which was discriminating good and bad, negative or positive in worldly life will start discriminating truth and untruth or real or unreal and start rejecting the untruth/unreal and starts accepting only truth /real. 

Simply quoting the doctrines and sages will not help true seekers, in their pursuit of truth. Seeker has to use appropriate methodology for one to cognize those truths that are being stated within oneself by oneself. Truth pursuit is not an intellectual pursuit, but a spiritual understanding and realization.

Non-dualistic truth is supreme truth; all dualistic systems hold false self as real self and false experience as reality.  Non- dualistic wisdom is culmination of all systems including theistic non-duality.   The true non-dualist will not quarrel and argue with any theoretical philosophy because he is fully aware of the fact that, this orthodox theistic non-dualistic scholars or pundits like Dualist sages could not distinguish between ‘I’ and ‘formless witness.’ The 'I' was the witness. Their highest was the Jiva. One is so much attached to the 'I' that he do not want to think that 'I' does not exist. Again one is unable to detach the ‘I’ from the Real witness.

The seeker has to grow from the inside out by soul-centric reasoning. None can teach him none can make him to reach the ultimate end. There is no other guru but the formless consciousness, which the innermost self. 

Mind is in the form of universe.  Man is with in the world. Man is the physical entity within the universe. Universe appears as waking or dream. Dream is parallel waking and waking is parallel dream.  The formless witness of the mind or universe or waking is real and eternal. The formless witness itself is the formless substance of the three states.   

Each sect concocts a God to suit its own purposes.  Such concocted Gods have no value in pursuit of truth.  Man himself suggests that there must be a God. It is an auto-suggestion.

 
Prayers and sacrifices belong to a premature stage of development. However when no answers come to prayers, struggle for existence presses man, and doubt arises again.  Faith in religion weakens as man pays more attention to facts of the practical life and practical world.