The purpose of self-knowledge is to destroy the ignorance of the true self, which pervades everywhere and in everything in all the three states as their formless substance and witness. Pursuit of truth is about the discrimination of Truth (soul/spirit) from untruth (mind) is for the easy understanding of those who have intense urge to know the reality of the true existence.
Whatever perceived as a person through senses within the world are within the waking experience. One feels every object is different from each other because everything is based on individuality. But the consciousness of these, which is different from them, does not differ because of its homogeneity.
Similar is the case in the dream experience. Here the perceived objects are transient and in the waking experience they seem permanent. So there is difference between them. But the perceiving consciousness in both the states does not differ. It is homogeneous.
One who is waking up from deep sleep consciously remembers his lack of perception during that state. Remembrance consists of objects experienced earlier. It is therefore clear that even in deep sleep ‘want of knowledge’ is perceived.
This consciousness in the deep sleep experience is indeed distinct from the object (here, ignorance), but not from itself, as is the consciousness in dream experience. Thus in all the three states the consciousness being homogeneous is the same.
Past, present and future are within the mind, and mind cycles between the dual and nondual experiences observed on certain standpoint. But on ultimate standpoint the consciousness is the same; it neither rises nor sets; it is self-revealing.
This consciousness, which is the true Self, is formless and nondual in its nature. The love for the true Self is the highest love. Hence the true Self is of the nature of unity, whereas the physical self is of the nature of diversity.
The ultimate truth is established by reasoning on the true base. On the base of the physical self the diversity is reality. But on the base of soul, which is the true self, the diversity is mere mirage. The soul is the ultimate truth.
The physical existence ceases to exist without the soul. The soul exists with or without the physical existence.
To overcome the illusion the Self –knowledge is essential. If one has self –knowledge there cannot be attraction for the physical existence because one becomes aware of the fact that the physical existence which consists of birth, life and death and pain and pleasure are mere mirage thus one gets freedom from experiencing the duality as reality.
Nondual nature of the Self revealed through deeper inquiry, analysis and reasoning and the ignorance vanishes in the midst of the experience of diversity, the wisdom dawns and one becomes aware of the fact that, even though the experience of diversity is there everything is Brahman because the self pervades in everything and everywhere in experience of diversity therefore there is no second thing other then the self, which is the soul or spirit.
