Mundaka Upanishad: ~ He who chooses Atman—by him alone is Atman attained. It is Atman that reveals to the seeker Its true nature. +

The religion is based on blind belief whereas Spirituality is based on Spirit, the truth, which is existence itself.

Spiritual truth is universal whereas the religious truth is the individualized truth. Religion is based on the dualistic perspective whereas spirituality is based on the nondualistic perspective. 

Whatever is based on the dualistic perspective egocentric and whatever is based on the nondualistic perspective is soulcentric.

Advaita is pure spirituality nothing to do with religion, sect or dualistic based spirituality. That is why Bhagavan Buddha rejected the religion, scriptures, and religious Gods, and Sage  Sankara indicated the truth is beyond the religion, scriptures, and religious God based on blind faith.

Sage  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.

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

Comparing Vedas with Koran or Bible or any other scriptures will not yield the truth, which is beyond form, time and space.

The religion was introduced in the past for the benefit of the populace which was incapable of grasping the ultimate truth, which is beyond the form, time and space. the religions of the world are based on the form, time and space. 

Thus, religion is nothing to do with the pursuit of truth, because the truth is not belief and religion is based on belief.

The belief is based on the individual whereas the Soul, the Self is not an individual because the Soul is ever formless, timeless and spaceless existence.

The scriptures are not necessary to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth or Spirit. The scriptures are meant for the ignorant populace.

Sage Sankara said: -Neither by the practice of yoga nor philosophy, nor by good works nor by learning, does liberation come, but only through the realization that Atman and Brahman are one in no other way. (1) VivekaChudamani v 56, pg 25

Sage Sankara said:~ The world is unreal and Brahman alone is real. It means the birth, life, and death, which happens within the world, has to be unreal. If birth, life, and death are unreal, then the rebirth and reincarnation and Avataric concept have to be unreal. 

Thus, it is for the seeker to find out, on what standpoint the world becomes unreal, to know the Brahman, which is the ultimate truth or God in truth.

By studying Vedas or Koran or Bible or any other scriptures will not yield the truth, which is beyond form, time and space. The truth beyond the form, time and space are the Spirit or God. 

One must know God in truth not based on blind belief. God based on blind belief is not God in truth. The diverse beliefs have diverse ideas of God. The beliefs have no value in the domain of the truth.

That is why Lord Krishna says Ch ~ V:~ “Those who know the Self in truth.". The last two words (tattvataha) are usually ignored by pundits, but they make all the difference between the ordinary concept of God and the truth about God.

Rig-Veda 1-164-46 and Y.V 32-1 clearly mention that God is “One”.

Rig Veda: ~ The Atman is the cause; Atman is the support of all that exists in this universe. May ye never turn away from the Atman, the Self. May ye never accept another God in place of the Atman nor worship other than the Atman?" (10:48, 5)

Yajur Veda also says:~ God has no image and His name is Holy. (32.3)”

Bhagavad Gita: ~ Brahmano hi pratisthaham-  Brahman (God in truth) is considered the all-pervading consciousness which is the basis of all the animate and inanimate entities and material. (Gita 14.27)

The rituals based on belief are meant for the ignorant populace.

That is why Mundaka Upanishad condemns rituals. The Para or Higher knowledge is the knowledge of the Supreme Being while the Apara or Lower Knowledge is that of following sacrificial rites and ceremonies. (1/2/ 1 – 6)

The scriptures are meant for the ignorant mass, which strongly believes, the experience of the world in which they are born, live and die as a reality.

The ultimate truth or Brahman or God cannot be attained by the study of the scriptures of any religion, or by intelligence, nor by much hearing of sacred books then why to compare Vedas with Bible or Koran or any other religious scriptures to realize the ultimate truth, which is beyond form, time and space.

Katha Upanishad: ~ This Atman cannot be attained by the study of the Vedas, or by intelligence, nor by much hearing of sacred books. It is attained by him alone whom It chooses. To such a one Atman reveals Its own form. (Katha Upanishad -Ch-II -23-P-20)

Mundaka Upanishad: ~ This Atman cannot be attained through study of the Vedas, nor through intelligence, nor through much learning. He who chooses Atman—by him alone is Atman attained. It is Atman that reveals to the seeker Its true nature. (3 –page-70 Upanishads by Nikilanada)

The above passages further prove that: Self-knowledge cannot be attained by the study of the Vedas and intellectual understanding or by bookish knowledge.

Sage Sankara says:~ Keep the scriptures for children but throw them on the fire for wise seekers.

In Brahma Sutras Sage Sankara takes for granted, assumes that a world was created: He there mixes dogmatic theology with philosophy.

That God created the world is an absolute lie; nevertheless, you will find Sage  Sankara (in his commentary on Vedanta Sutras) clearly says this! He has to adapt his teachings to his audience, reserving the highest for philosophical minds.

The text of Brahma Sutras is based on religion, dogmatism, but in the commentary, Sage Sankara cleverly introduced some philosophy. If it is objected that a number of Upanishads are equally dogmatic because they also begin by assuming Brahman, but a few Upanishads do not but prove Brahman at the end of a train of proof.

The causality and creation but these are for religious people only. Religion is only for those who are unable to understand truth beyond the form, time and space. Religion is not final. It only gives satisfaction to the populace. 

Self-knowledge is for the whole of humanity to free them from experiencing birth, life, death, and the world as reality.

People of small intelligence follow religion and believe that the world was created by God. But how do they know that He did so? When a pot is created, one can see both pot and its maker, but not in the case of the world.

Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana is meant only for those who have an intense urge, and courage to accept the truth with humility and reject the untruth. Since people start comparing with their scriptural knowledge, it becomes impossible to assimilate and realize the Advaitic truth. Therefore, there is no need to convince anyone other than our own selves to get a firm conviction. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar