Soul or Atman, which is in the form of pure consciousness, is all-pervading and is not limited by the waking entity but it pervades in everything and everywhere in all the three states. It is only because of our ignorance of its real nature that we consider the Self is limited to the physical body and separate in each body. The Self is unattached and is not affected by the individual experiences goes on in waking or dream.
Soul, the innermost self is different and apart from the known. Soul , the innermost Self is not an object which can be known or experienced by any one because it is prior to all that is known. Man can experience only external objects within the waking or dream and so he cannot know the indwelling soul, which is the formless substance and witness of the three states. The only way to realize the innermost self is to trace the formless substance and witness of the three states.
The innermost self never undergoes any change because it is formless; and physical existence(waking or dream) that undergoes change is unreal. Soul or consciousness alone is real. All the three states, which appear and disappear, are unreal. The experience of diversity(waking or dream) is mere name, created by thoughts words alone; the formless substance and witness of the three states alone is real and eternal.
Soul or consciousness is sentient that gives life to the waking and dream. The waking or dream is insentient and dependent on the soul for their existence, whereas the soul can remain with or without the waking or dream.
Soul or consciousness, the innermost Self is free from the limitations of the form, time, space and objects. Actions do not taint the soul; the soul never hankers after the fruits of actions. One, who knows the true self is the soul thus, does not become bound by actions.
Soul or consciousness, the innermost self is not a doer and that he has no desire for the fruits of actions because it is formless. Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana alone makes one free from bondage of experiencing the duality as reality.
The one who knows Soul as self and realizes that he is not a doer and has no craving for the fruits of actions incurs no bondage. His actions cease to be the cause of further ignorance of taking the ego to be the self.
Thus, what is necessary is the realization that, the self is not physical but the formless soul or consciousness or spirit is the true self.
He who thus knows truly the formless substance and witness to be the true self becomes free from the experiencing the illusory birth, life and death as reality. He becomes fully aware of the fact that the cycle of birth, life and death are mere passing show.
The one who realizes that the self is the soul and self has neither birth nor any activity, because they pertain only to the waking entity, will become liberated from experiencing the illusion as reality.
The ignorant disregard the soul as self, taking themselves to be an individual born in this world and the world is separate from them. They think the world existed prior to them and they are born in this world later on. Until this conviction is there, it is impossible to assimilate the self-knowledge. The body, ego and the world appear together and disappear together. The seeker has to make sure of this fact by constant reflecting on the subject.
The formless soul or consciousness or spirit dwell in all the three states as their formless substance and witness. People worship only images, thinking that God is there. People do not recognize soul as the self to be the real God, but that they do not realize that god, as the soul, which pervades in everything and everywhere in all the three states.
The ignorant people are not capable of discriminate and reason to unfold the mystery of the mind. Therefore they will not be able to grasp the non-dual truth. It is realization the true self that will free one from bondage of duality. But the belief system makes them to believe the duality is reality therefore, they cannot think beyond physicality.
The formless substance and witness is different from everything that appears in the waking or dream, which is always subject to change, is insentient and limited by form, time, space and the world.
Self- Knowledge means ‘pure consciousnesses and not the knowledge based on ego or physicality, which has a beginning and an end and is therefore finite. This consciousness is not distinct from soul, but it is its essential nature, like the light of the sun or the heat of fire. This consciousness is eternal and is present even during deep sleep. A specific act of knowing takes place only when the there is waking. But this must be distinguished from pure consciousness, which is ever present in all the three states. It is this consciousness which is known as ultimate truth. Soul/Self becomes a ‘knower’ only when the known is superimposed on it.
The Self is looked upon as a knower only because of illusion. No word can express ultimate truth, “Words cannot cross the threshold of duality. The true Self which is the soul is without any attributes.
The witness is not physical
Witness and witnessed analysis is better tool for understanding and assimilating the Self-knowledge.
To be a witness of something implies subject and object relationship. To be witness of phenomena means that one is standing apart from the situation and not identifying with it. Whatever is witnessed as a person and the world is part of the witnessed. The witness is that which witnesses the physical body and the world together. Thus the man is not the witness of the three states to take authorship of the three states because the man is present in waking or dream and absent in deep sleep. The one which is aware of the three states is not waking entity but the formless soul, which is the true self. Thus the subject is formless and the object is form.
The true Self is the formless soul and formless soul is the ultimate reality or Brahman. Thus, the whole physical existence is based on the soul not on the person who perceives the world. Therefore our understanding and assimilation has to be based on the formless soul not on the physicality.
There is need for deeper understand the Witness and Witnessed analysis to know the duality is mere a passing phase and not the true nature of the true self.
By developing this watchfulness and one’s ability to observe the three states on the base of the soul as self gradually weaken the roots physicality and transform the base of witnessing from form base to formless base. The idea behind Witness, Witnessed analysis is very deep and profound. Those with superficial understanding will not be in position to understand and assimilate Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana because they base themselves on the form not the formless self. When the self is not physical it is erroneous to base and judge the truth on the base of the physical self. Therefore, there is a need to rectify the seeking base to understand and assimilate the ultimate truth.
By reducing the power of understanding based on physicality or intellectuality and uprooting the physical base, “Witness, Witnessed Analysis” can lead one towards the perfect understanding and assimilation of the Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana, which is based on the true self or soul.
Those who are able to witness on the base of the soul/true self will be able to have mental yardstick to discriminate the truth and untruth or reality or unreality and dual and non-dual. The one who has mastered the art of witnessing on the standpoint of the soul will develop a wonderful richness of the spirit and are helpful to their fellow seekers in their pursuit of truth.
The real approach to Self-Realization, the mind has to rests in spirit and that leads to non-dual tranquility.
A Gnani may be engaged in worldly activities and yet he is fully aware of the fact that the his bodily actions and his experience of the world are mere mirage witnessed by the soul, which is the true self, and he is be maintaining and alert about the truth in the midst of the experience of duality.
Constantly reflecting on the true “Self”, and negating the three states, and bring the attention back to the formless Witness. The perfect understanding of the Witnessing of three states by the formless witness has the effect of creating a better understanding and assimilation of the ultimate truth which is the non-dual spirit.
