The consciousness is the sole witness neither appears nor disappears.

To say that each mind is different is unproved because no one have ever seen  the mind. Can one say where it starts and stops, have one measured its thickness? All is supposition, not proof.  Therefore, there is a need to understand the fact that, the mind is not within the body but body and universe are within the mind.   The body and the universe together is mind, which appears as waking or dream (duality)and disappears as deep sleep(non-duality).   

One sees all the objects of the universe, including his  physical body within the waking or dream experience. The waking or dream  passing away like clouds  every moment,  the witness of the three states  is formless and  apart. The three states are unreal, and  the formless  witness or knower of the three states is real and eternal.

One has to know the fact that, the  mind is matter.  And  formless substance of the matter is consciousness. One has to analyze mind and  mentally bifurcating  from it all the three states ,which are ever changing or passing, then  he gets at consciousness.

When one is able to make the distinction between consciousness and mind then he will understand that everything and every living creature, within the waking or dream possess the consciousness. In this sense only, he will come to understand that God is present everywhere, provided God is taken to mean the consciousness.

In all mental operations there are two factors--the knowing capacity (consciousness) and that which is known (mind). The known things are all passing away and are therefore unreal. Without the knowing capacity that is the knower in existence there could have been no such thing as knowing these things.

• v  What is meant by word know?

Knowing implies two factors, the knower or the knowing capacity, or that which becomes aware; and the known. Without these two factors one cannot use the word know. One finds the known always passes away. When one is distinguishing between knower and known, the word Mind(known) is used. When these disappear the word consciousness(knower)] is used just to show that there is something which has not disappeared, as thoughts and objects are seen to disappear. Nobody can see consciousness appearing or disappearing. One can say only that it must have been there.

It is not body alone that constitutes mind, but body plus world that is Waking experience. The formless substance and witness of the Waking experience is consciousness.

As deeper analysis revels the fact that, everything that one has in waking experience, (every thought, feeling, and emotion) is only "a mind” and  will pass away; mind is only the "known". Hence "negating whatever appears and disappears” when examining the contents of mind and says these are passing phenomena and not the soul(consciousness) which is the Witness.

The soul (consciousness) the witness is seeing or knowing the changes, not that soul (consciousness), which is the witness, is changing. The word change is not applicable to Witness that is consciousness. The soul is immortal.  The soul is seeing the mortal; in this sense the soul is the witness of the three states is immortal. There cannot be two witnesses. It is impossible. Change can have a meaning only when there is more than one. Soul (consciousness) being unchanging must be only one.

One knows that changes occur because of the existence of something unchanging. The changing and the unchanging are always present. One has to value experience because but for the Waking experience and its changes, one could not possibly think of the Unchangeable or realize it. Why attach soul (consciousness) to all that changes which constitutes the mind? The very fact that one are constantly thinking shows that mind is always changing.

People do not distinguish between soul and mind. If they knew that everything seen, even the gods, is only an idea they might perceive truth, not otherwise

When one think of the individuality, one knows it also is only consciousness. The soul = subject. The mind = object.

Experience is present only when the mind is present, no matter how exalted it is. Experience never touches the soul, which is the Witness.  The soul(consciousness)  is present in all the three states people foolishly believe that the more they think, the more one will get; but it is really an error. It remains only a thought and gives one back only a thought. Anything seen, observed, cannot be the Witness.

The consciousness is the sole witness neither appears nor disappears.  Appearance and disappearance is mere mirage within the consciousness. If one confines the consciousness to waking entity, inquiry, analysis and reasoning is necessary to understand that ultimately everything is consciousness.    

First consider the mind as a  whole  universe. And the  universe as waking or dream experience. Then consider the waking or dream as an object. Then analyze the three states mentally, and become aware of the existence of the formless witness of the three states, which is not an entity or identity within the waking or dream. It is the formless subject, which witnesses the object. The witness also is the formless substance of the three states. The subject and object are one in essence.  The essence is consciousness, which is second to none.