Thinking as an individual separate from the world and world existed prior to him, and he is born is this world keeps one in the grip of illusion.

The Seeker of truth should not to become attached to words as being in perfect conformity with meaning, because Truth is not in the letters. When a man with his finger-tip points to something, the finger-tip may be mistaken for the thing pointed at; in like manner the ignorant, are unable even to the day of their death to abandon the idea that in the finger-tip of words there is the meaning itself. They cannot realize Ultimate Reality because of their intent clinging to words which were intended to be no more than a pointing finger. Words and their discrimination bind one to the duality or birth, life and death; meaning stands alone and is a guide to non-dual freedom. Meaning is attained by much learning, and much learning is attained by becoming conversant with meaning and not with words; therefore, seekers of truth have to avoid the sticklers for particular words."—FORMLESS PATH

Thinking as an individual separate from the world and world existed prior to him, and he is born is this world keeps one in the grip of illusion. This illusion makes him experience the duality as reality. There is something is within and apart from the three states which is aware of the three states, which appear and disappear in succession.

The waking entity (ego)  is mere illusion. And  it is limited to waking experience alone. When the body is not the self, then what is it that, wakes up and dreams and sleeps. Viewing and judging the three states on the standpoint of waking entity(ego) is the cause of ignorance. The indwelling substance and witness of the three states is the same.

The ego, body and the experience of the world appear together and disappear together. The ego + body= waking entity (person).  On the Nondualistic perspective the ego, body and the experience of the world are one in essence.  That essence is consciousness. Thus there is no second thing exists other than consciousness.  Thus there is only oneness.  There is no division in consciousness in Nondualistic reality. Till one is egocentric all sorts or doubts and confusion arise. If one is soul-centric then there are no doubts and confusion because everything is consciousness.

In a dream there are dream ego, dream body and dream world. The whole dream disappears when waking takes place. Similarly the whole waking disappears in deep sleep and also when wisdom dawns. The wisdom dawns when the waking entity realizes it itself is not the self.   The dream is a parallel waking experience and waking experience is parallel dream.   The one that witnesses the coming and going of the three states is not the waking entity (ego) but the soul, the innermost self.  Till one hold the ‘I’ or ‘I AM’ as self all the confusion will go on. The ‘I’ is not the self. The ‘I’ is the whole universe in which your body, ego exists. The ego cannot be killed because the ego and the world appeared to gather and they disappear together. Who has to kill the ego? How can the ego kill itself when it is the very basis of the physical existence (universe)?

 You are present in the form of ego. You have an inborn conviction that: - you are an individual apart from the world. And the world existed prior to you and you are born in this world and you are living in this world.

 Even In the dream one has the same inborn conviction that: - he is an individual apart from the world. And the world existed prior to you and he is born in this world and you are living in this world.

Till this conviction is there the duality prevails.  The illusory nature of the dream is exposed when waking takes place. Similarly the illusory nature of the waking will be exposed when wisdom dawns.  The wisdom dawns when the waking entity (you or ego) realizes it itself is not the self but the self is the formless soul, which witnesses the coming and going of the three states, in the midst of duality.

The ego cannot be killed. It is a foolish venture to kill or destroy the ego. There is no need to kill the ego to get self-realization. Perfect understanding of ‘what is self ‘and ‘what is non self is very much necessary.  The discrimination between the self and non-self leads to Nondualistic self-awareness.  

Holding some teacher or teaching as a yardstick leads to all types of doubts and confusion and unnecessary argument. An argument fuels the ego. The argument is possible only when one trying to grasp the Nondualistic truth on the dualistic perspective.  One has to unlearn what he has learned. Without mentally burning the accumulated dross it is impossible to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. 

The search for ultimate truth is very difficult path to tread for it will expose the unreal nature of the world in which you exist. But if your motive is love of truth and life, you need not be scared because you will realize you and the world are part of the illusion. The self is that which is the substance and the witness of the illusion.   The substance and witness of the illusion are one essence that essence is the soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.  Thus you are not the self because you are bound by the form, time and space. If you are bound by form, time and space means you are bound by birth, life, death and world.  If you are bound by birth, life, death and world means you are bound by duality. If you are bound by duality means you are bound by falsehood because on non-dualistic perspective duality is not reality. The ego and the world are part of the duality, which not reality.  Thus all the imagination based on dualistic perspective is bound to be falsehood because the ego (waking entity or you) is the false self within the false experience (waking) .