The world is illusion, it includes birth, life and death, which happens within the world. Thus the seekers main aim is to mentally trace the formless substance of the illusion, which is also the witness of the illusion.

Sage Sri, Sankara's commentary to Brahma Sutras (Chap.3.4.50) shows that the Gnani "should pass through life", not run away from life and should take a middle course between seeking worldly honor and worldly abasement. 

Sage Sri, Sankara varied his practical advice and doctrinal teaching according to the people he was amongst. He never advised them to give up their particular religion or beliefs or metaphysics completely; he only told them to give up the worst features of abuse: at the same time he showed just one step forward towards the truth.  Sri, Sankara was extremely precise and careful in his choice of words. 

Sage Sri, Sankara' gave religious, ritual or dogmatic instruction to the mass but pure philosophy only to the few who could rise to it. Hence the interpretation of his writings by commentators is often confusing because they mix up the two viewpoints. Thus they may assert that ritual is a means of realizing Brahman, which is absurd. 

Sage Sri, Sankara believed that those of superior intelligence, have no need of this idea of divine causality, and can therefore dispense with Sruti and arrive at the truth of Non-Dualism by pure reason. 

Sage Sri, Sankara says:-  The world is illusion, it includes birth, life and death, which happens within the world.  Thus the seekers main aim is to mentally trace the formless substance of the illusion, which is also the witness of the illusion. The formless substance and witness of the illusion (world) is the Ataman, and this Ataman itself is Brahman. This Brahman cannot be attained by indulging in egocentric religious orthodoxy. 

The three states have no separate existence apart the source from where they arise and subside.  The source itself is the true self. the soul is the true self.  The soul, which is present in the form of consciousness  is the formless knower of three states which comes and goes in succession.   

waking entity is is not the self but the self is the formless soul. Many people are not even aware what is soul; though knowing of it, many do not comprehend. Only few expound the knowledge of consciousness and very rare assimilate and realize it.  It is all because of their inborn and inherieted conditioning. 

There is a need to dismantle the inherited physical structure mentally to overcome the duality. The whole physical structure is built on the foundation of the ‘I’. Since they think the ‘I’ as self , it becomes difficult to grasp and assimilate and realize the non-dualistic or Advaitc  truth.

The ‘I’, appears and disappears as mind. The mind is in the form of the universe.  The universe appears as waking or dream and disappears as deep sleep. The three states are impermanent. The  formless soul is the  knower of the ‘I’. Since people think whatever  propagated by the  sages in the past as ultimate truth and blindly accept them  as truth, without verifying the validity of their preaching. This blind acceptance becomes a big hindrance in pursuit of truth. If one is seeking truth, one has to verify the validity of any claim through deeper self-search, and accept only verified  un -contradictable truth.

Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana when shared by an unqualified person is not easily comprehended, because it is diversely regarded by disputants. But when it is shared by A Gnani, there can remain no more doubt about It. Ultimate truth is subtler than the subtlest and not to be known through argument.

Self- Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana cannot be attained by egocentric reasoning. ultimate truth or Brahman becomes easy of comprehension, soul-centric reasoning. One has to attain Self- Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana right now in this very life not in the next world or the next life.

A Gnani, by means of concentration on the soul, the innermost self, realizes that ancient, effulgent hidden and which dwells and pervades in everything and everywhere in all the three states as its formless substance and witness.

The knowing the soul, the innermost self  is not born; It does not die. It has not sprung from anything; nothing has sprung from It. Birthless, eternal, everlasting and ancient, it is not killed when the body is killed or when the world disappears.  If the murderer thinks he kills and if the killed man thinks he is killed, neither of these apprehends aright. The Self kills not, nor is it killed.

the soul, the innermost self  exists in smaller than the small, greater than the great, and is hidden within the three states as its formless substance and witness. A man who is free from viewing and judging the three states  on the base of ‘I’ beholds the self through self-awareness and becomes free from experiencing the duality as reality.

A Gnani, having realized Consciousness as dwelling within impermanent states is bodiless, pervades the three states as its formless substance and witness and permanent and eternal.

Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana cannot be acquired by the study of the scriptures, or by intelligence, or by much hearing of sacred books. It is attained by him alone whom It chooses. To such a one Consciousness reveals its own form.

He who has not rectified his reasoning  base from the ‘I’(form) base to the soul (formless) base , who does not have the intense urge to know the non-dualistic or Advaitic truth and who is not tranquil and subdued and whose mind is not receptive , cannot acquire Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. It is realized only through soul-centric reasoning .

Ultimate truth or Brahman  is not known by those who know it; it is known by those who do not know it.  That is when one says he knows the ultimate truth or Brahman; he is saying it as a person. 

The Consciousness cannot be applied only to the individuality but to the whole experience (three states). But in reality the person and world created out of consciousness, thus nothing exits other than consciousness. One must know Consciousness as the formless clay of the three states (whole).

Ultimate truth or Brahman  is known when it is realized in every state of mind; for by such Knowledge one attains Immortality. Through Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana  one attains self-awareness in the midst of duality.  

Jesus said, "Those who seek should not stop seeking until they find. When they find, they will be disturbed. When they are disturbed, they will marvel, and will reign over all. (And after they have reigned they will rest.)"

Buddha, Sri, Sankara and Sri, Goudpada have declared non-dual truth centuries back but one has to reach the destination with scientific (rational) investigation not through scholastic knowledge or intellectuality. Until one mentally reaches the conclusion, the conviction will not arise. Without the firm conviction the wisdom will not dawn. Therefore, there is a need to know consciousness is real all else is myth, which Sage Sri, Sankara declared as the world is myth Brahman alone is real.

Jesus said, "Those who seek should not stop seeking until they find. When they find, they will be disturbed. When they are disturbed, they will marvel, and will reign over all. (And after they have reigned they will rest.)"

When the seeker indulges in deeper self-search becomes aware of the fact that, the experience of birth, life, death and the world are mere illusion created out of spirit, he  will be in fear of losing their physical identity  and the experience of the world which  he dearly attached.   But gradually his conviction grows about the innermost self the mid becomes still and rests in consciousness, the innermost self, which is God or Christ.  

The soul, the innermost self has to be free from experiencing the duality as reality.  To overcome the duality, the waking entity has to know it itself is not the self, but the self is the soul, which witnesses coming and going of the three states.  Thus self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana is necessary to realize ‘what is truth’ and ‘what is untruth’ to reject the untruth by accepting the truth.  

Lust, anger, greed are part of the duality. From the ultimate standpoint the duality is mere illusion. If duality is mere illusion than the form, time and space are mere illusion. If form, time and space are mere illusion than the universe is mere illusion. If the universe is mere illusion, than the three states are mere illusion. If the three states are mere illusion than   the experience of birth, life, death and the world are mere illusion.  If birth, life, death and the world are mere illusion than the individualized god, heaven, hell, sin, and karma are part of the illusion.   Therefore it is necessary to realize ‘what is illusion’ and ‘what is reality’ in order to get freedom from falsehood.   

‘WHO AM I?’  inquiry unfold the fallacy of the form thus only half the truth is revealed. The ignorant who fail to apprehend the ‘self’ are caught in the web of illusion experience, the birth, life, death and world as reality.  The people who think the ‘I’ or ‘I AM’ as self are caught up in the web of duality and they  experience the pain and pleasure as reality.     

As the waking entity or ego becomes more and more inward turned, it becomes gradually free from experiencing the duality as reality.  When the soul, the innermost self becomes freed from all the obstruction by fully eliminating the ignorance it remains in its own awareness.  When the soul, remains in its own awareness in the midst of duality then the duality is mere illusion created out of the soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

So long the soul, the innermost self identifies itself with the waking entity it remains in ignorance of its formless nondual true nature. Therefore it is necessary to realize the fact that, the ‘self’ is neither the waking entity nor the ‘self’ is dream entity but the self is the formless soul, which witnesses the coming and going of the three states.

Just as the sun is the direct cause of the daylight, so without the self-knowledgeor Bramha Gnana or Atma Gnana  no emancipation can be had. Compared to all other forms discipline, the  Self-knowledge or Bramha Gnana or Atma Gnana is the only direct means for freedom from experiencing the illusion as reality.

Only when the wisdom dawns the soul, the innermost self can remain in its own awareness in the midst of duality.  

The waking or dream is state of duality. All the three states are states of ignorance.

Sage Sri Sankara –VC "As layers of clouds generated by the sun's rays cover the sun and alone appear(in the sky), so egoism generated by the Self, covers the reality of the Self and appears by itself." 

Sage Sri Sankara –VC--"All this universe which through ignorance appears as of diverse forms, is nothing else but Brahman which is absolutely free from all the limitations of human thought

Sage Sri,Sankara said:- Talk as much philosophy as you like, worship as many gods as you please, observe ceremonies and sing devotional hymns, but liberation will never come, even after a hundred aeons, without realizing the Oneness.

The waking or dream is state of duality. All  the three states are states of ignorance.  When one becomes fully convinced that, the  self is neither the waking entity nor the self is dream entity but the self is the formless soul, which is present in the form of  consciousness than  the ignorance vanishes and reality revels itself.  

In this realm of the ignorance the universe exists as reality. the universe is the  realm of duality. In the realm of  duality  the body, ego, world,   thoughts, feeling and  perception are experienced as reality. If the self is not the  waking entity (form) than  the body, ego, world,  thoughts, feeling and  perception  are falsehood because the self is formless.  on the standpoint of the soul, the innermost self there is no second thing exists other than consciousness.  Hence it is  non-duality.  Consciousness   is ultimate truth  or Brahman.

Spiritual maturity is required  to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. the Seeker has to indulge in deeper self-search to understand, assimilate and realize the non-dualistic or Advaitic truth. it is possible to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana only through perfect understanding and assimilation of 'what is truth' and 'what is untruth'. 

Only when one becomes soul-centric than  he  has the yardstick  to know 'what is real'  and 'what is unreal' and he  will be able to mentally  reject the unreal.   when  ignorance vanishes, then  non-dual wisdom dawns.

By realizing the three states are mere mirage created out of soul or  consciousness; the soul, the innermost  self  is free from experiencing  the illusory experience of   birth, life, death and the world as reality. 

In the realm of ultimate reality there is no  scope for  ignorance thus there is no duality.   Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana destroys ignorance from its very root. 

Sage Sri, Sankara says the world is illusion, it includes birth, life and death, which happens within the world.  Thus the seekers main aim is to mentally trace the formless substance of the illusion, which is also the witness of the illusion. The formless substance and witness of the illusion (world) is the Atman, and this Atman itself is Brahman. 

 This Brahman cannot be attained by indulging in egocentric religious orthodoxy. The knower of Brahman is Brahmin not the Brahmin who indulges in priest craft, which leads one to utter darkness as per Yajur Veda. 

 

Brahmin is the one who has realized the Brahman (ultimate truth) and helps fellow seekers towards inner path. The one who knows Brahman knows his body and his experience of the world are mere illusion and also he knows his body and his experience of the world are also as Atman [consciousness], which is Brahman.  Thus, the priest craft which are crafted on the body based theories will lead one to hallucinated moksha. But real moksha or freedom is possible only through Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana .  

Thus it is necessary to follow the path of Brahman not the path of the orthodox priest- craft. Only by   dropping all the accumulated priest crafted baggage, one has to move forward to reach the non-dual destination in lesser time and effort.