Simply by repeating or reading or hearing what scriptures says or whatever God men or Guru says does not qualify one to acquire Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

Holding some teacher or teaching as yardstick and trying to prove that he is right and others are wrong and indulging in perverse argument will help to unfold the mystery of the mind. Seeker has to learn to view and judge on the standpoint of formless witness (soul, the innermost self). Then he will be never having any doubts and confusion.  When one thinks deeply then only the inner revelation starts and start burning the dross (confusion and doubts).

 

People who think themselves to be in a position to air their knowledge forget one basic fact, namely that they go by mere appearances. Someone expounds knowledge and the one who receives it begins to ape the person from whom he has received the knowledge.  They never question the validity of that knowledge. 

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. 

Religion promises moksha in next world or next life whereas the moksha or nirvana is possible right now (in this very life) and right here (in this very life).   Religious Moksha is physical based moksha. whatever is based on the physical self is falsehood.  Simply by  repeating or reading or hearing what scriptures says or whatever God men or Guru says does not qualify one to acquire Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. Seeker should not accept anything as truth without verification. 

 That 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.

Buddhism says: all things are illusory and noting exists.  However, Advaita avers that it is not so.  It says that the universe of course is illusory, but there is Brahman, that exists forming the very substratum of all things.

That is why Sri, Sankara (VC) indicated that:-

 

56. Neither by Yoga, nor by Sankhya, nor by work, nor by learning, but by the realization of one's identity with Brahman is Liberation possible, and by no other means. 

58. Loud speech consisting of a shower of words, the skill in expounding the Scriptures, and likewise erudition - these merely bring on a little personal enjoyment to the scholar, but are no good for Liberation.

59. The study of the Scriptures is useless so long as the highest Truth is unknown, and it is equally useless when the highest Truth has already been known.

60. The Scriptures consisting of many words are a dense forest which merely causes the mind to ramble. Hence men of wisdom should earnestly set about knowing the true nature of the Self.

61. For one who has been bitten by the serpent of Ignorance, the only remedy is the knowledge of Brahman. Of what avail are the Vedas and (other) Scriptures, Mantras (sacred formulae) and medicines to such a one?

62. A disease does not leave off if one simply utter the name of the medicine, without taking it; (similarly) without direct realization one cannot be liberated by the mere utterance of the word Brahman.

Sankara indicated that, the ultimate truth lies beyond religion, concept of god and scriptures. 

Therefore, there is no use of taking strain to understand assimilate the conceptual divisions invented by teachers of philosophy by their excessive analysis. There are more and more doubts and confusions, if one tries to understand and assimilate the ultimate truth through scriptures. 

The innermost self or formless soul or consciousness is nothing to do with the three states because it is not an entity or identity within the three states. Consciousness pervades in everything and everywhere in all the three states as their formless substance and it is apart from the three states as their formless witness. The formless substance and witness are one in essence. Thus all the three states are mere mirage created out of consciousness.  Therefore, no second thing exists, other than consciousness, the innermost self. By Realizing the soul or consciousness as innermost self, leads to non-dual Self-Awareness or Brahmic awareness or Atmic awareness.