The
illusory universe never exist in reality. What existed even when the universe
was seen was only the soul or consciousness. Similarly, the burden bondage
within the universe has no real existence at all.
Gaudapada’s rational exposition of
Advaita: - that
whatever is seen, whether external or internal, whether by the ordinary persons
or yogis, is unreal.
Formless soul is the innermost self.
The soul is in the form of consciousness.
Consciousness dwells within the mind. Mind is present in the form of
universe. Universe appears as waking or dream
(duality) and disappears as deep sleep (non-duality). The one, which appears as duality and
disappears as non-duality is consciousness. Non-duality is the true nature of the
soul or consciousness the innermost self.
Consciousness dwells within
the mind or universe. , yet is other than the mind or universe. The universe is present in the form of waking
or dream. Waking or dream is the state of ignorance. The universe is reality on
the standpoint of the waking entity. Waking entity is the false self within the
false experience.
Even
when we are ignorant of the soul, the innermost self and think of ourselves as limited by the body,
we are really none other than the infinite soul, the innermost self. Liberation is
thus only the removal of the wrong identification with the three states. The attainment of the state of liberation-in-life is the ultimate goal of
the truth seeker.
Only the seeking mind which has become receptive and one-pointed is capable of attaining Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. Pursuit of truth consists in hearing, reading, writing, inquiry and reasoning and reflecting on what has been heard in order to remove all doubts, to realize as an actuality what has been understood intellectually by hearing and reflection. A seeker who has, by this process, come to grasp and realize the truth that self is really the Atman and not the body, mind or sense-organs and remains firmly rooted in that realization is a Gnani.
