Thinking of what is beyond thinking Is still thinking

Thinking of what is beyond thinking Is still thinking. Whoever fulfills this fulfills his own nature and is indeed fulfilled. - Ashtavakra Gita 12:7-8

Second-hand knowledge accumulated from books or gurus can never emancipate a man until its truth is rightly investigated and applied; only direct realization leads to non-dual self-awareness. 

Religion needs a guru to propagate its belief system, whereas in pursuit of truth there is no need for a guru. The ultimate truth has to be ascertained by seeker alone.  Yoga needs guru to guide its student to practice Samadhi. 

Religion encourages one  who can induce himself to feel convinced that he has realized the Self, or has  an admirer who believes that he has done so, the it  opens up for  him the way for the founding of a new sect based on Guru-worship. People, too, have developed curious credulousness. Often they would install an earnest seeker and devotee, or a pious saint, on the throne of God and begin to offer him worship and homage even if he protested and resisted such acts. They would lay prostrate, sing hymns, wave lights (arati) and burn incense before him, and present to him food which was to be returned by him as prasada, wash his toes and sip the wash. At times the disciple would go to the length of getting food, fruit or a betel-nut leaf chewed by him, and taking the morsel back from it.

They would place his photo in the private temples of their homes and perform all these rites and ceremonies which are usually offered to temple-idols.  In this way there might be at present in our country scores of individuals who are worshipped as living God, with a following varying in numbers.

If one is seeking truth one has to drop all religious based dogmas and blind beliefs ritualistic baggage and move forward in their pursuit of truth.