When Upanishad itself declares:- sarvam
khalvidam brahma - all this (universe)
is verily Brahman. By following back all of the relative appearances in the
world, we eventually return to that from which it is all manifest – the
non-dual reality(Chandogya Upanishad)
Then it is no use
going roundabout way, trace the Brahman which is the formless substance and
witness of the universe, which is in the form of mind. By tracing the source of the mind or universe
one will be able to realize the Brahman.
The true Self is not perceptible to the
senses. It is perceived by Reason. It is not perceptible as a thing with form
and attributes. To those whose attention is fixed on the body and the world, it
is very difficult to attain Self-knowledge. It is also very difficult for them
to see the consciousness as self. The attention towards the universe [mind]
should be lessened by realizing the self is not the body. The attention has to
be focused on the formless substance and witness of the universe [mind] should
be increased. So long as the attention is directed towards the universe, the
experience of birth, life and death will prevail as reality. But when the
attention is directed towards the formless witness, the ignorance vanishes and sense
of duality will disappear. Then there is unity in diversity.
What is the state of the ego or physical self when it has
realized that the self is not the body? Such souls have attained their pristine
condition. “Self” is not visible to the physical eyes. “Self” is not to be
found in the world as a thing, entity or an object. Self is above these, has
neither beginning nor ending.
A waking or dream has a beginning and an
ending but the soul is in the form of consciousness is invisible to the physical
eyes; soul or consciousness is without beginning and ending because it is formless. Soul or
consciousness is always constant. Just as space is
homogeneous everywhere, so is the consciousness the same everywhere.
