Peoples approach is more practical, and they stuck with the reality of the world, they take it as real. That is why all the confusion.

As regards bodily and sensual activity, there is no difference between the Gnani and the ignorant man. One cannot distinguish former from latter because he does not permit such distinctions to appear. Only pretenders show such external works or claims.

It involves ponder over and over again upon the subject until whatever object one find before him is seen as consciousness: this must become so firmly rooted that one’s body seems like the body of another person.

The seeker should after acquiring proper knowledge should fix his attention. At every moment seek opportunity to train the mind into this new way of thinking based on the soul as self. Otherwise it is impossible to realize.

Everything one see must become consciousness. It is a most difficult practice because every minute the mind is being drawn away from consciousness. When one takes coffee he thinks only of the tea instead of the consciousness in the coffee etc. The contemplation or forming ideas of consciousness is the first and lower stage; the practice of consciousness is next and higher stage.

The control of mind is more difficult because mind is not limited to the physical entity. The man and his experience of the world are within the mind. The how the mind can be controlled? Until one thinks the mind is within the physical body, he will not be able to understand and assimilate non-dualistic or Advaitic truth because he thinks the physical body with the name as his self.

Mental blankness derived from yogic Samadhi is not wisdom, because yogi is not aware of the fact that, his body and his experience of the world to be consciousness. He thinks mere absence of thoughts is wisdom. He takes the authorship of the Samadhi as a person. Yogi is not aware of the fact that, his Samadhi experienced as a person is within the illusion, which is in the form of mind. The wisdom comes only when he becomes aware of the fact that, his bodily experiences along with the world are mere mirage created out of consciousness.

The true control of mind which is practicable and possible is to concentrate it quietly on the formless witness of the three states, keeping all the three states away mentally. It is not the absence of duality which gives knowledge of the ultimate truth. The absence prevails even during deep sleep or yogic Samadhi. There is no difference between the two, only sleep comes of its own accord whereas Samadhi is self-induced.

The true knowledge cannot come in yogic Samadhi but only through learning what the whole world really is. Yoga should be used as a preliminary to such study. Then only can one understand that the waking experience is unreal, a phenomenon.

But this truth about yoga has been lost, and people misunderstand the scriptures, turning philosophy into religion and yogic blankness into Brahman. The secret knowledge has disappeared.

First one must know what is before him. If he cannot know that, what else can he know or understand and assimilate? If he gives up the universe in his inquiry, he cannot get the whole truth.

The religion is for the masses because they need some form of religion as they were not ripe intellectually for truth.

Sage  Sri, Sankara says:- VC- 65. As a treasure hidden underground requires (for its extraction) competent instruction, excavation, the removal of stones and other such things lying above it and (finally) grasping, but never comes out by being (merely) called out by name, so the transparent Truth of the self, which is hidden by Maya and its effects, is to be attained through the instructions of a knower of Brahman, followed by reflection, meditation and so forth, but not through perverted arguments.

66. Therefore the wise should, as in the case of disease and the like, personally strive by all the means in their power to be free from the bondage of repeated births and deaths.

The world is both real and unreal. It is real because it is a manifestation of consciousness, but is unreal, in the sense, that it is not absolute and eternal like consciousness itself.

Peoples approach is more practical, and they stuck with the reality of the world, they take it as real. That is why all the confusion.

In self-awareness-- the witness and witnessed are one in essence. That essence is consciousness. There is no second thing exists other than consciousness.

Thus whatever seen, known, believed and experienced as a person is reality within the waking experience but waking experience itself is mere illusion.  

Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, is the innermost self. Consciousness is the witness that experiences the action, the actor, and the world of separate things. It is like a light that illuminates everything in a theater  revealing the master of ceremonies, the guests, and the dancers with complete impartiality. Even when they all depart, the light shines to reveal their absence.

What is not consciousness (formless) in the experience of diversity (waking or universe)?  The waking and the dream cease to exist without consciousness.  The seeker, seeking and his destination   all are one in essence.

There is only need to realize the whole universe in which we exist is created out of consciousness (soul or Atman), the innermost self.  On the standpoint innermost self, the universe is mere illusion created out of consciousness.  Thus on the ultimate standpoint no second thing exists other than consciousness. Thus consciousness is ultimate truth or Brahman.