So many centuries have passed since Sage Sri, Sankara appeared; yet it is very hard to find his true teachings understood anywhere in the world today because so few could rise to his level.

Knowledge of the self-gathered from books or gurus can never emancipate a man until its truth is rightly investigated and applied; only direct realization will do that. Realize yourself, turning the mind inward.  – NIRAKARA

The seeker has to realize the fact that the right path to acquiring Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana is the inner (mental) path.   

Swami Vivekananda said: - “You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher but your own soul.”

In this hi~fi world many self-declared Spiritual Gurus are born like mushroom amidst us and they are looked upon as a 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 gurus hankering after titles and honors and enjoying it like these modern day self-styled gurus and they are connected one or other controversies and scandals.

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

There are so many   gurus who have overnight become Global Gurus. They only play with the feelings of people. 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 a peak height. They are fooling the mass who is unaware of the fact that their inherited belief system itself is not an original Vedic religion. 

So many centuries  have passed since Sage Sri Sankara appeared, yet it is very hard to find his true teachings understood anywhere in the world  today because so few could rise to his level. Hence dualistic sages  and others came to supply the common demand.

Sage Sri  Sankara gave religious, ritual or dogmatic instruction to the populace, but pure philosophy only to the few who could rise to it. Hence the interpretation of his writings by commentators is often confusing because they mix up the two viewpoints. Thus, they may assert that ritual is a means of realizing Brahman, which is absurd.