Ashtavakra Gita: ~ The universe rises from the Self like bubbles from the sea.+

The look of an object will depend upon the medium through which the observer views it. In fact, our mental and intellectual conditions determine the object (three states), observed and experienced.  The commoner viewing the world will see differently from a Gnani viewing the same world. Each one interprets the world that they see in terms of their existing knowledge. The commoner sees everything based on the ego, therefore, he sees the world in which he exists as a reality, whereas a Gnani sees everything as consciousness and he is fully aware of the fact that, there is no second thing that exists other than the Soul or consciousness (subject). 

Thus, all objective observation has to be bifurcated to realize the ultimate truth, which is hidden by the illusory form, time, and space.

Only from the dualistic perspective, do the changes take place. From the non-dualistic perspective, there are no changes.  

Those who believe in the dualistic world as really feel that knowledge changes from time to time but they must realize their knowledge is limited to form, time, and space whereas Self-knowledge is the knowledge of the beyond form, time, and space.

Change is possible only in ignorance. Ignorance is the cause of experiencing the world which exists as a reality.   Consciousness is the cause of the world in which we exist and it itself is uncaused.

The world in which we exist is dependent on the consciousness for its existence but the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, is independent.  From the standpoint of the Soul, the Self, the world in which we exist is merely an illusion.

Remember:~

Only within the illusion do the changes take place, the illusory changes within the illusion are bound to be an illusion. In reality, consciousness alone is real and eternal. Thus, the knowledge of the eternal will be always eternal. The intellectual knowledge based on form, time, and space is bound to change from time to time as science progresses in its dualistic inventions.     

Consciousness is ever-changeless because it is a formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.  Consciousness permeates everything and everywhere in all three states. Consciousness illumines the whole universe that includes the Sun, Moon, and the whole galaxy.

Consciousness pervades the entire Universe outwardly and shines of itself, as the fire that permeates a red-hot iron ball both inwardly and outwardly shines of itself. There exists nothing that is not consciousness.

People perform all their actions in and through consciousness, but they are ignorant of the Soul, the innermost Self. The Soul is present in the form of consciousness. From the standpoint of the Soul, the innermost Self, the universe in which we exist is merely an illusion. 

From illusion springs separation wherein the experience of birth, life, death, and the world have roots. 

Ashtavakra Gita: ~ The universe rises from the Self like bubbles from the sea. Thus, know the Self to be ‘One’ and in this way enter into the state of dissolution."

For the Gnani who realizes everything as consciousness, what is there to meditate or not to meditate, what to speak or not to speak, what to do or not to do? Those who give up the highest and purest Brahmic consciousness live in vain and though human, are like beasts. Having turned the visible into the invisible, one should realize everything to be consciousness itself.

A  Gnani always dwells in non-dual awareness. The ever-existent Soul or consciousness shining within the three states can be realized only through Self -knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.  

The Self indeed is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, not the phenomenal universe which is present in the form of the mind. :~Santthosh Kumaar

What is it that appears as the ‘I’ and disappears as the ‘I-less Soul?+

What is it that appears as the ‘I’ and disappears as the ‘I-less Soul? It is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Do not make the mistake of holding the ‘I’ as the Self because it is not permanent. ‘I’ disappears and becomes ‘I’-less.

 ‘I’ is an illusion and the ‘I-LESS Soul’ is real and eternal. The ‘I-LESS  Soul ‘appears as ‘I’ and ‘I ’‘disappears as I-LESS Soul. 

If the Self is not ‘I’ but the Self is the Soul then  from the standpoint of the Soul, the Self:~

 ~ 
Where is the ‘I’? 

Where is the ego? 

Where is the body? 

Where is the mind?

Where is the world in which you exist?

Where is the waking experience?

Where is the duality? 

Where is void?

They are or have become one with the Soul which is present in the form of consciousness. The consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman.

The ‘I’ is present only when the mind is present. The mind is present only when the world is present. The world is present only when there is a waking experience. 

Deeper self-search reveals the fact that the waking experience is not considered different from the world. The world is not considered different from the mind. The mind is not considered different from the I’. This truth has to be assimilated. 

The ‘I’ is merely an illusion created out of the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. ‘I’ is not the subject. The ‘I’ is an object to the Soul, which is the formless, timeless, and spaceless subject. 

If the ‘I’ is an illusion then the world in which you exist is bound to be an illusion.

If the ‘I’ is an illusion then three states, are bound to be an illusion. 

If the ‘I’ is an illusion then the form, time, and space are bound to be an illusion. 

If the 'I’ is an illusion then the individual experience of birth, life, and death is bound to be an illusion. 

If the ‘I’ is an illusion then the words and thoughts are bound to be an illusion.

If the ‘I’ is an illusion then the duality is bound to be an illusion. 

The seeker has to make sure what is this ‘I’ supposed to be? The seeker has to make sure of the unreal nature of the ‘I’ which comes and goes. 

That is why Bhagavad Gita: ~ The permanent is always there, only the transient ‘I’ comes and goes. (2.18)

The ‘I’ hides the truth of the whole. 

People think the ‘I’ without the body is the Self. The seeker has to understand the fact that ‘I’ is not the Self, but the witness of the ‘I’ is the true Self, which is eternal. 

That is why Ashtavakra Gita 16:10:~ If you desire liberation, but you still say "I," If you feel the ‘Self’ is the ‘I’, You are not a wise man or a seeker. You are simply a man who suffers. 

People are stuck with the reality of the ‘I’, which they take as real because some Gurus have propagated the Self is the ‘I’. is no need to convince such mindsets. The seeker of truth accepts only the truth nothing but the truth. 

That is why Sage Sankara says:~VC-65- As a treasure hidden underground requires (for its extraction) competent instruction, excavation, the removal of stones and other such things lying above it, and (finally) grasping, but never come out by being (merely) called out by name, so the transparent Truth of the Self, which is hidden by Maya and its effects, is to be attained through the instructions of a knower of Brahman, followed by reflection, meditation and so forth, but not through perverted arguments.

People refuse to accept anything other than Their Guru's words. For them, their Guru's words are the ultimate truth. They do not accept anything else other than their accepted truth. There is no need to convince such a mindset. 

Such mindsets are not fit to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. The seekers of truth accept only the truth nothing but the uncontradictable truth. :~Santthosh Kumaar 

The Self is AUM.+

AUM represents the three states and everything that exists. True knowledge has only one consequence of making one firmly believe in the unreality of this world if you know them.

It only teaches the unreality but does not destroy. If a true knowledge of the Self were able to destroy the entire world, then it would also put an end to the fructification of past deeds. But it only teaches the unreality and does not destroy it.

If you say you get Gnana in Nirvikalpa Samadhi, and then why not admit it in deep sleep?

Sage Sri, Goudpada expands further on these states of consciousness. The Self is AUM. It represents the manifest and un-manifest aspects of Brahman. It is the single syllable that symbolizes and embodies Brahman, the Absolute Reality. It is the Pranava which pervades all existence and is our very life-breath.

Vaisvanara in waking the state is A the first part of AUM, One, who realizes this, attains his desires.

Teijasa in the dream state is U the second part of AUM. One, who realizes this, attains knowledge.

Prajna in deep sleep is M the third part of AUM, concluding the sounds of the earlier two parts. One, who realizes this, attains a compressive understanding of all.

The Syllable AUM in its entirety stands for the fourth state, Turiya the one beyond the phenomenal existence, supremely blissful and non-dual.

AUM in its integral whole stands for the fourth state which is transcendental, devoid of phenomenal existence and is the source of all existence. AUM represents Ultimate Reality. AUM is thus verily the Self itself. One who realizes this merges into that Self. Meditate on AUM as the Self.:~Santthosh Kumaar 

The nature of the Soul is formless, timeless and spaceless existence.+

Rest in consciousness by realizing the world in which you exist is nothing but consciousness. The Soul is the fullness of consciousness without division of form, time, and space.  Thus, consciousness alone is real and eternal all else is merely an illusion created out of consciousness.

The person who bases on birth, life, death and the world is trying to find the meaning of life. There is no meaning or purpose in life because life is merely happening within the dualistic illusion or Maya. 

Thus, karma based on the physical entity is based on birth, life, and death, which is part and parcel of the dualistic illusion or Maya. 

The sky,  the star, the planet, the sun,  the moon, the earth,  the mountain, the ocean, and the person are all the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, but consciousness is not specifically any of these while simultaneously being all of these. 

Only when the Soul is hidden within the illusory form, time, and space the sky, the star, planet, sun, moon, earth,  mountain, the ocean, and the persons are a reality.

The nature of the Soul is formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.  Thus, it is necessary to realize the sky, the star, the planet, the sun, the moon, the earth, the mountain, the ocean, and the persons are all created out of single stuff, which is consciousness.  Consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth. 

God in truth alone is real, the sky, the star, the planet, the sun, the moon, the earth, the mountain, the ocean, and the person are all merely an illusion created out of consciousness. 

The real Moksha or freedom is to realize the fact that ‘I’ consciousness is merely a physical awareness. Physical awareness is a dualistic illusion or Maya.  Physical awareness is not Self-awareness.

The Self –awareness is when the Soul, the Self, remains aware of its own awareness is called Self –awareness.

Dualist sages could not distinguish between ‘I’ and ‘formless witness.’ The 'I' was the witness. Their highest was the Jiva. One is so much attached to the 'I' that he does not want to think that 'I' does not exist. Again,  one is unable to detach the ‘I’ from the Real witness.

Most of the modern Gurus are also stuck with ‘I’ awareness as Self-awareness. The ‘I’ awareness is present only when the mind is present. The Mind is present only when the universe is present. The universe is present only when the waking or dream is present.

 The ‘I’ awareness is absent when the mind is absent. The Mind is absent, then the universe or waking or dream is absent. Thus, ‘I’ awareness is merely an illusion. The Self-awareness is ‘I- LESS AWARENESS.:~Santthosh Kumaar  

What is this ‘I’?+

Without knowing what this 'I' suppose to be in actuality it is impossible to realize the Self hidden by the 'I'. 

People study Vedanta and they under the delusion and conclude that they declare:~   "I-Am-Brahman",   but they fail to realize the fact that Brahman is everywhere and in everything! The existence of Brahman is not limited to his physical identity, because, it is the very essence of form, time, and space.

Yoga Vasistha:~ "Teachers, interpretations of sacred texts, the force of religious merit--none of these lead to the realization of that Ultimate Truth which is revealed in the clear reflection of the heart, engendered from contact with the good."

Sage Sankara: ~ VC Let erudite scholars quote all the Scripture, let Gods be invoked through sacrifices, let elaborate rituals be performed, let personal Gods be propitiated---yet, without the realization of one‘s identity with the Self, there shall be no liberation for the individual, not even in the lifetimes of a hundred Brahmas put together (verses-6)

Sage Sankara said:~  Talk as much philosophy as you like, worship as many Gods as you please, observe ceremonies, and sing devotional hymns, but liberation will never come, even after a hundred aeons, without realizing the Oneness.

The ‘I’ is ignorance. Till one holds the ‘I’ as the Self, it is impossible to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.  Thus,   the seeker has to get rid of the ignorance, which is present in the form of ‘I’, in order to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman. 

What is this ‘I’?

The ‘I’ is not a thought.  The ‘I’ is the mind. The mind is the whole universe.  The universe appears as a waking or dream (duality and disappears as deep sleep (non-duality).  

The one that appears as waking or dream (duality) and disappears as deep sleep (nonduality) is the Soul, the innermost Self. The Soul is present in the form of consciousness. The consciousness pervades everything and everywhere in all three states.

 Without knowing what the mind is, it is impossible to realize the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space.  People think the mind is within the body, but deeper self-search reveals the fact that the world in which you exist itself is the mind. 

When the ‘I’ is there then only the mind is there. If the mind is there then only the universe is there. If the universe is there then only the waking is there.  Thus, it is very much necessary to realize ‘what ‘I’ is in actuality.  Without knowing ‘what is ‘I’ it is impossible to realize the ‘I-less’ truth, which is beyond form, time, and space.

Till you hold the ‘Self ‘as the ‘I’ you will never be able to get Self-realization.  ‘I’ hides the Soul, which is the innermost Self. ‘

'I’ is ignorance.

‘I’ is the duality.

‘I’ is form, time, and space.

‘I’ is the universe.

‘I’ is the waking.

‘I’ is the dream.

‘I’ is the illusion.

‘I’ is the experience of birth, life, death, and the world.

Without the ‘I’ there is no ignorance.

Without the ‘I’ there is no duality.

Without the ‘I’ there is no form, time, and space.

Without the ‘I’ there is no universe.

Without the ‘I’ there is no waking.

Without the ‘I’ there is no dream.

Without the ‘I’ there is no illusion.

Without the ‘I’ there is no experience of birth, life, death, and the world.

The ‘I’ hides the truth of the whole. The ‘I’ hides the truth.

That is why Ashtavakra Gita 16:10:~ If you desire liberation, but you still say ‘I,’, If you feel the ‘Self’ is the ‘I’, you are not a wise man or a seeker. You are simply a man who suffers.

Bhagavad Gita: ~ The permanent is always there, only the transient ‘I’ comes and goes. (2.18)

It is time to discard the ‘I’. Never use the word ‘I’ or I AM for the Self.:~Santthosh Kumaar