That universal unity is what Buddha, Sri, Sankara and Goudpada discovered by investigating the depth of dimension of the mind, which is present in the form of the universe.

The scriptures have been passed down by hearing from one generation to the next. They were written down only relatively late. So, no one would know whether to rely on the times they give. Also, a lot depends on the translation. Each 'Shloka' (sanskrit verse) is open to many layers of interpretation.

Nonduality has no place for an individualized God or anything supernatural.   The soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, is the innermost self, which pervades in everything and everywhere in all the three states.  When wisdom dawns one becomes aware of the fact that the soul is the innermost self and the soul or consciousness witnesses all the three states. The witness and witnessed are one is essence.  

All the name and form has no value from the ultimate standpoint, because all the names and forms are mere mirage created out of consciousness.  Consciousness alone is real and eternal. Thus formless soul or consciousness, the innermost self, is ultimate truth or Brahman. Nothing higher than that can be, when there is unity in diversity.

That universal unity is what Buddha, Sri, Sankara and Goudpada discovered by investigating the depth of dimension of the mind, which is present in the form of the universe. They realized this ultimate truth and enlightened. They achieved Gnana or Bodhi, the Self-Knowledge of Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.  

A permanent view of world as unreal can come only after soul centric reasoning; such knowledge cannot change. Were the seeker who is sufficiently sharpness he could grasp the unreal nature of the world by soul-centric reasoning alone.  To know whole truth, one must know the whole universe, otherwise he gets only half-truth. 

Renouncing the worldly life and accepting sanyasa or monk-hood means incapacity to think deeper, an impotency to inquire and reason. 

People speak of getting rid of conditioning or samskara but they themselves are unaware of the fact that, the universe in which they exist is product of the inborn samskara or conditioning.  The ignorance is cause of the inborn samskara or conditioning which present as ‘I’ or ‘I AM’. 

The real Moksha or freedom is   to realize the fact that ‘I’ consciousness is mere physical awareness. Physical awareness is not self-awareness. The self –awareness is when the formless soul or consciousness remains aware of its own non-dual   true nature