Sage Sankara: ~ Neither nudity nor the religious robe has anything to do with a Gnani.+

Swami Vivekananda:~ If religion and life depend upon books or upon the existence of any prophet whatsoever, then perish all religion and books! Religion is in us. No books or teachers can do more than help us to find it, and even without them, we can get all truth within. You have gratitude for books and teachers without bondage to them.

Swami Vivekananda:~ Worship your Guru as God, but do not obey him blindly; love him all you will, but think for yourself. No blind belief can save you; work out your own salvation. Have only one idea of God - that He is an eternal help. 

Swami Vivekananda, in a letter to Alasinga Perumal, said ~"I only want one thing. I do not believe in a God or religion that cannot wipe the widow's tears or bring a piece of bread to the orphan's mouth. However sublime be the theories, however well-spun may be the philosophy — I do not call it religion so long as it is confined to books and dogmas. The eye is in the forehead and not in the back. Move onward and carry into practice that which you are very proud to call your religion, and God bless you!" 

RememberL~

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

The religion injects false belief as reality and makes hallucinate with its dogmas.

Religion is always successful in brainwashing its followers with its imaginary ideas of ‘what happens after death, which nobody can deny it’. Also, if any religious head claims that he has seen God by intuition~ the religious believers never disprove it. The onus of proof is on those who make an assertion.

Religionists and mystics are required to prove; the burden to disprove is not on their critics.

Why have there been so many conflicting religions, or so many divisions and subdivisions of religion, if it is true?

Religious robes and yogic costumes are symbols of ignorance.

Sage Sankara: ~ Neither nudity nor the religious robe has anything to do with a Gnani.

In this hi-fi world, many self-declared Spiritual Gurus are born like mushrooms amidst us, and they are looked upon as great solace by the mass of gullible people, who are more ‘peace and wisdom hungry.

Most seekers are looking for something beyond their inherited belief system. Most of this dollar-hungry guru hankering after titles and honors. These modern-day self-styled Gurus are connected to one or other controversies and scandals.

People get stuck with these modern self-proclaimed Gurus who claim to be enlightened. Many of these Gurus have taken many new “avatars” like Corporate Gurus, Universal Gurus, online Gurus, and Global Gurus. One name it, he will find them. The honest Gurus and swamis never come to the limelight, and they remain to mind their own inherited divine business, remaining aloof from the publicity.

There are so many who have become Global Gurus. They only play with innocent people's feelings and emotions. Most of them are propagating ancient yogic practices as if it is their own great new invention and branding them or getting them patented; this is the height of the mockery of spirituality. As long as innocent and ignorant people are there, these kinds of Gurus can flourish their business to peak height. They fool the people, including those in political power.

Religion needs a Guru to propagate its belief system, whereas in the Atmic path, there is no need for a Guru. The ultimate truth has to be ascertained by the seeker himself. Yoga needs a Guru to guide its students to practice Samadhi.

The one who says he is enlightened is not a Gnani. The ‘Self’ is not you, but the ‘Self’ is the invisible and unborn Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. How can you and the world in which you exist remain when the ‘Self’ gets enlightenment? Only the invisible Soul, the Self, remains in its own awareness in the midst of the dualistic illusion.

Select Works of Sankara" also his commentary on Brihad: ~ “Though I wear these robes of a Sanyasin, it is only for the sake of bread."

Manduka Upanishads: ~ It is very difficult to find out who is a Gnani because he bears no external mark. Neither nudity nor the religious robe has anything to do with him.

Thus, one who identifies themselves as a swami, a Guru, or a yogi is not a Gnani. A Gnani never identifies himself as a swami, Guru, pundit, or yogi. The Swami, Guru, pundit, or the yogi belongs to the religious or the yogic path, not to the path of wisdom.

That is why Sage Sankara's commentary: ~ "The knower of Brahman (Gnani) wears no signs.

Sage Sankara: ~ "Tell us what you know, show it, and let us examine it under the mental microscope." It means we must bring notions and beliefs out of vagueness into clearness. It also criticizes the mystics who claim superior knowledge but who cannot communicate it for purposes of verification.

Sage Sankara: ~ "The knower of Brahman wears no signs. Gives up the insignia of a monk's life…his signs are not manifest, nor his behavior." When the knower of Brahman wears no signs ~ it means he does not identify himself as a Guru. :~Santthosh Kumaar