Self-knowledge is the destroyer of ignorance.

Self-knowledge is the destroyer of ignorance. Consciousness is all pervading and the cause of all the three states.  

The means of attaining to Self-Realization for the acquisition of final liberation, serious seeker should constantly reflect into the nature of the mind/’I’.

The indifference with which one treats  dung – same way he has to have  mentally  such an indifference to the three states.  From the standpoint of Consciousness as self  their impermanent nature, is exposed.  

Consciousness the formless substance and witness of the three states itself is alone permanent, the three states [seen] are opposed to it that is transient – such a settled conviction is truly known as discrimination.

Turning away the focus of attention completely from the three states to the formless substance and witness of the three states with lots of patient endurance will help the seeking mind to establish in the Consciousness the true self.

Through self knowledge one can be free from the bonds of this world that is birth, life and deaths. To acquire self-knowledge seeker must have a burning desire.

Only that person who has intense urge and courage to accept the truth and reject the untruth and ready to drop all the pre-conceived ideas derived from the accumulated knowledge, and ready to learn to view and judge the worldview on the base of Consciousness as self, without arguing on the base of scriptural authorities, ready to accept only un -contradictable truth, is qualified indulge in pursuit of truth. Seeker of truth should constantly reflect with a view to attaining Knowledge, desiring his own good.  

Self- Knowledge is not brought about by any other means other than inquiry, analysis and reasoning on the true base, just as an object is nowhere perceived (seen) without the help of light.

‘I’ and ‘I AM’ is the seed of ignorance.

True Self is in the form of consciousness. Consciousness  cannot become what it already is. And what self  already is, is what it wants to become. 

Within the illusion,which appears as mind or universe,  the self  is in ignorance, so  it  does not know its own formless non-dual true nature. However, that 'ignorance' can end. 

 In waking experience or dream  it is not aware of itself due to ignorance.  Thus there is no self-awareness in waking or dream. ‘I’   and ‘I AM’  is the seed of ignorance.  Thus one will not  get self awareness until they stick to ‘I’ or ‘I am’  and think it as self.  The self-awareness is conscious existence of  without ‘I’ or ‘I AM’. 

 Self has to  know it self by dropping the seed of ignorance,which is ‘I’ or ‘I AM’. It exists with or without the ‘I’ or ‘I AM’.  Thus it is necessary to realize the formless substance and witness of the ‘I’ or ‘I AM’ is the self.  The formless substance and witness are one in essence and that essence is consciousness. Consciousness is the true self and ultimate truth or Brahman. One has to   know that his existence is dependent on consciousness. 

Mind is form. Mind is time. Mind is space. The knower of the mind is not mind but consciousness. All feeling, revolving ,growing are within the mind which is mere illusion from the standpoint of the formless knower of the mind,which is consciousness. The mind is dependent on consciousness for its existence whereas the consciousness is independent. It can exist with or without the mind.

Physical awareness is not self-awareness, because the self is not physical. The physical awareness is mere illusion from the ultimate standpoint. The physical awareness is present when the universe is present. The universe is present when the mind is present. The mind is present only in waking or dream. And mind is absent in deep sleep. The knower of the coming and going of the three states is neither the waking entity nor the dream entity, therefore it is not physical. The true self is within the three states but it is without the three states. Thus mentally tracing the formless knower of the three states and realizing it as the self, leads one to self-awareness.

When the self is in intoxication of ‘I’ or ‘I AM’ it is in physical awareness, which is in the form of mind. The mind is in the form of universe. The universe appears as waking or dream . thus it is necessary to realize the fact that , ‘I’ or ‘I AM’ is not the self.

  Some sages in the past  have prescribed ‘I’ or ‘I AM’  as self in the past.    to help the seekers to realize the illusory-ness of the ego or physical self.  But  ‘I’ or I AM’ will revel half truth and the inner journey is incomplete.  People who are stuck with ‘I’ or ‘I AM’ concept  are like stagnant water in the pond. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate “What is mind?” and “What is the substance of the mind?” in order  to understand,    assimilate and realize  the non-dual truth. 

‘I know’ attitude blocks one from realizing the non-dual reality. Seeker has to know consciousness as true self, then only the truth will be revealed. Thus bookish knowledge,intellectual speculation,scriptural mastery, logical conclusion are not the means to acquire self-knowledge. Academic merits, virtues, love ,service are  valuable in physical existence but they are not qualification in acquiring Self-Knowledge.

One is aware of his body and his experience of the world because of consciousness but he is unaware of the consciousness because he thinks his body and the world as reality within the illusion. But as he goes in deeper self search he becomes aware of the fact that there is neither body nor the world but everything is consciousness. Thus consciousness alone is all else is mere mirage created out of consciousness. Thus it is necessary for the seeker to sure his body and his experience of the world is mere mirage created out of the consciousness. The consciousness is the cause of mirage and it itself is uncaused.