Without breaking away from religion and ancient traditions, it is impossible to acquire Self-knowledge or Atma Gnana.+

To say the universe is an illusion without first examining it and inquiring into its nature thoroughly is to delude oneself.

Sage Sankara: ~ VC-63-  Without knowing and examining the universe, one can’t know the Truth, as the idea that the external world exists, won't go. It can go only by an inquiry into the nature of the external world. 

If the inquiry does not include the universe, then it is incomplete.

Sage Sankara gave religious, rituals, and dogmatic instruction to the orthodox populace, but Advaitic wisdom 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.  

This world is common to every one of us; therefore, the seeker of truth must begin his inquiry with it. It is only after he has inquired into the nature of the objective world, he realizes the universe which through ignorance appears as of diverse forms, is nothing else but the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness is absolutely free from all the limitations of form, time, and space.

First, the seeker must inquire into the nature of the three states to realize the three states are one in essence.

The seeker has to observe everything in the three states because all three states are one in essence and that essence is consciousness (Soul or Atman) Atman is Brahman.

The seeker should not shut his eyes to the nature of the three states because they are a mere mirage created out of consciousness.

Form, time, and space are one in essence. That essence is consciousness. Consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman. Brahman is God in truth. Brahman cannot be described because description implies a distinction. Brahman cannot be distinguished from any other than Soul, the Self.

The three states have no independent existence. The Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness alone, has real existence. The three states are a mere illusion created out of consciousness.

Without breaking away from religion and ancient traditions, it is impossible to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. Religion and tradition will keep the Soul locked in the prison of ignorance.

Remember:~

Religion is regarded as sacred and real by the common people, by the wise as false, and by politicians as useful.

Religion has nothing to do with the ultimate truth of Brahman or God in truth. The religion is based on God based on blind faith; God based on blind faith is not God in truth.

If one is seeking the truth, then he has to be free from all religious beliefs and dogmas.

Religion is based on the ego (you), whereas, the ultimate truth is based on the Soul, the Self. Whatever is based on the ego is an illusion, and whatever is based on the Soul is the ultimate reality, or Brahman.

Religion has to be bifurcated from Spirituality to realize the truth beyond form, time, and space.

There is no use in condemning religion. But one has to highlight how they cause hindrance and become an obstacle in the pursuit of truth.

There is no need to rebel against religion but to realize that religion is based on the false self within the false experience, whereas Spirituality is based on the Soul, the Self.

The religion makes humanity remain ignorant of the reality of their true existence with its beliefs, superstitions and dogmas, including the ideas of heaven, hell, sin, karma, and rebirth.

The heaven, which is the abode of physicalized Gods, is where one goes after death. Rebirth and karma theories are based on the birth entity, which is the false self within the illusory world.

When the Vedas and Upanishads give clear-cut ideas of what God is supposed to be, then all these Gods and Goddesses that people worship have no value from the ultimate standpoint.

For those ignorant who believe their experience of birth, life, death and the world as a reality, think that the effect of action done in previous births, is the Prarabdha in this birth, but for the realized person in the present birth, life, death and the world itself is an illusion, because they have realized the fact that, waking experience itself is an illusion created out of the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness

Modern generation has superior intelligence; they will not accept the belief based dogmas and religious truth based on the imagination. Modern generation will arrive at the Advaitic truth by pure reason.

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