Most people from the west think that Hinduism is a religion but it is not so.

Most people from the west think that Hinduism is a religion but it is not so. The Indus (Sindu) valley culture is named as Hinduism by the Muslim invaders in the past. Muslim muslim invaders   who were not able to pronounce Sindu they called Sindu culture as Hindu culture. Thus name Hindu came into existence. Hinduism is mere culture not religion. This Hindu culture consists of different caste, creeds, ideologies, beliefs and way of life in different regions of India.

Santana Dharma was pure Vedic religion prior to the existence of the present day Hinduism. Hinduism is not pure Vedic religion; it is hotch potch mixture of many ideologies adopted by other ideologies, cultures and traditions.

As one goes deeper in annals of the history he becomes aware of the fact that, the so called present Hinduism has adopted many things from Buddhism, religion of Abraham, Jainism and Islam. If one goes deeper enough he will become aware everything is mixed up and messed up in time.

No one is taken pains to rectify it because; because people have been inherited them, from their ancestors and they think it is blasphemy even to hear anything against their inherited religion and belief. Once one gets involved with the religious class it is the end of the pursuit of truth.

J.K and Osho went deep in to it and exposed their fallacies to some extent, but it is only in surface level. Maharishi, Dayananda in his book Satyarth Prakash clearly mentions what is Vedic and what is non-Vedic. But the orthodox class still wants to maintain the inherited falls legacy as supreme truth. Thus, there is no use of arguing or convincing the people who accepted their false legacy and propagate them as truth. Since, the pursuit of truth is a very personal journey; and it is not the pursuit of argument, there is no need for to indulge in convincing others, seeker of truth has to get convinced for him-self to drop all conditioning, which he has inherited from his belief system.

Prior to Sri, Sankara in 8th century there was no Advaita in Santana Dharma  Santana Dharma or Vedic religion has no founders whereas Advaita and qualified Advaita and Dwaita  and all other sect and caste  identified as Hinduism   are identified with their founders. All of them have non-Vedic rituals barred by the Vedas. The dualism came only in 12 th century. The orthodox Advaita and Dwaita area based on Abrahamic frame work. Both Advaita and Dwith schools based on Vedas and they condemn each other with Upanishads and Puranic citations and try to prove they are right and others are wrong. The orthodox Advaita is nothing to do with the ultimate truth or Brahman because they worship idols, human worship, and symbol worship and indulge in non-Vedic ritual barred by Vedas.

Sri, Sankara varied his practical advice and doctrinal teaching according to the people he was amongst. He never advised them to give up their particular religion or beliefs or metaphysics completely; he only told them to give up the worst features of abuse: at the same time he showed just one step forward towards the truth.  Sri, Sankara was extremely precise and careful in his choice of words. 

That is what Yajurveda says: not to worship the things which are part of the falsehood.

Translation 1.

They enter darkness, those who worship natural things (for example air, water, sun, moon, animals, fire, stone, etc).

They sink deeper in darkness those who worship sambhuti. (Sambhuti means created things, for example table, chair, idol etc.)- [Yajurved 40:9]

Translation 2.

"Deep into shade of blinding gloom fall asambhuti's worshippers. They sink to darkness deeper yet who on sambhuti are intent." -[Yajurveda Samhita by Ralph T. H. Giffith pg 538]

Translation 3.

"They are enveloped in darkness, in other words, are steeped in ignorance and sunk in the greatest depths of misery who worship the uncreated, eternal prakrti -- the material cause of the world -- in place of the All-pervading God, But those who worship visible things born of the prakrti, such as the earth, trees, bodies (human and the like) in place of God are enveloped in still greater darkness, in other words, they are extremely foolish, fall into an awful hell of pain and sorrow, and suffer terribly for a long time."-[Yajur Veda 40:9.]

So, Yajur Veda indicates that:-

They sink deeper in darkness those who worship sambhuti. (Sambhuti means created things, for example table, chair, idol etc [Yajurved 40:9]

Those who worship visible things born of the prakrti, such as the earth, trees, bodies (human and the like) in place of God are enveloped in still greater darkness, in other words, they are extremely foolish, fall into an awful hell of pain and sorrow, and suffer terribly for a long time." [Yajur Veda 40:9.]

The religion of the Veda knows no idols

Max Müller says:- "The religion of the Veda knows no idols; the worship of idols in India is a secondary formation, a degradation of the more primitive worship of ideal gods."

Therefore, there was no individual god or temples and worships in Vedic religion, which existed prior to Buddhism. Thus the individualized gods and temples must have been built later on, when the worships of idol were introduced. Thus the Vedic religion which existed in the past was free from idol and nature worship and idol worshiping rituals.

Thus, the present day’s worship of individual gods, created things, nature and human are against Vedic teachings, and it looks like it has been fabricated and introduced by priest craft. Since it, has passed on from one generation to the next it is hard for the people to believe the truth of their own religion, because they have sentimentally and emotionally involved in it and they refuse to accept anything else other than their inherited beliefs.

It is impossible to find and realize the truth via religion and scriptural study. Even Upanishads conform this.

Mundaka Upanishad 1:2:8 :-“Remaining in the fold of ignorance and thinking “we are extremely wise and learned,” the fools with boastful nature ramble about like the blind led by the blind alone.”

Mundaka Upanishad 3:2:3 :-“The weak and timid cannot realize the Self. Self-Realization is not possible through intellect or hearing spiritual discourse. One who welcomes God in every activity, through a thorough controlled and disciplined life, to him also the Soul is revealed.

Katha Upanishad 1:2:23 The Soul cannot be realized through hearing scholarly explanation of the discourses, not even by the intellect.

Katha Upanishad 1:3:6 “Through the knowledge of the Soul, God, one is pure and clean constantly.” Neither by reading the book, nor by taking a bath at holy place has one become pure. Inner purity is possible when one remains in constant touch with the Soul. Constant Soul-Consciousness is the real purity. 

Kena Upanishad 2:4 When it is known through every state of cognition, it is rightly known, for (by such knowledge) one attains life eternal. Through one's own self one gains power and through wisdom one gains immortality. 

Kena Upanishad 2:5  If here one knows it, then there is truth, and if here one knows it not, there is a great loss. Hence, seeing the Real in all beings, wise men become immortal on departing from this world.

The Vedas are the only scriptures in the world which declare:- It is impossible to find and realize the truth via religion and scriptural study. Even Upanishads conform this. 

Katha Upanishad:- This Atman cannot be attained by the study of the Vedas, or by intelligence, or 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)

When the Upanishad says:  the human goal is to acquire Self-Knowledge and they indicate the personal gods, scriptures, worship and rituals are not the means to Self –Knowledge, then why anyone should indulge in it. The religion, concept of individualized god and scriptures are greatest obstacle to realize non-dual truth or self-realization, because they are based on false self.  The seeker of truth has to search the ultimate truth without losing himself in the labyrinths of philosophy, through deeper, inquiry, analysis and reasoning and assimilate and realize it.

That is why Sage 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.

Then it is no use going roundabout way, trace the Brahman which is the formless substance and witness of the universe, which is in the form of mind.  By tracing the source of the mind or universe one will be able to realize the Brahman.

Thus, self-knowledge is meant only for those who have 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 non-dual truth.   Therefore, there is no need to convince anyone other than our own-selves to get the firm conviction. 

So they clearly indicate rituals and theories are not meant for those who are searching for the higher knowledge or wisdom.   The path of wisdom is the only means.