The universe in which we exist will not remain as reality when wisdom dawns. The universe is merely an illusion created out of consciousness and there is a conscious awareness of unity in diversity because there is no second thing that exists other than consciousness.
Sage Sankara: ~ ' All this universe which through ignorance appears as of diverse forms, is nothing else but Brahman (Consciousness) which is absolutely free from all the limitations of Maya.
The universe is the product of ignorance. Ignorance is present in the form of the ‘I’.
Sage Sankara says:~ VC-47 All the effects of ignorance, root, and branch, are burnt down by the fire of knowledge, which arises from discrimination between these two—the Self and non-Self.
Until you think you are an individual separate from the world and the world existed prior to you and you are born in it afterward the ignorance will prevail as a reality. Till ignorance is there the universe prevails as reality.
Sage Sankara says: ~ “The exercise in discrimination between real and unreal and renunciation of the false is real meditation, then why you are indulging in other types of meditation.
Sage Sankara says in Brahma Sutras:~ Brahman is the cause of the world, whereas in Manduka Upanishad he denies it. This is because he says that at the lower stage of understanding, the former teaching must be given, for people will get frightened as they cannot understand how the world can be without a cause, but to those in a higher stage, the truth of non-causality can be revealed.
Thus, those who are frightened to accept the world is merely an illusion should never follow the path of wisdom
Remember:~
The wisdom dawns in the midst of dualistic illusion or Maya. The dualistic illusion or Maya is present in the form of the ‘I’. The ‘I’ is present in the form of the universe.
When wisdom dawns the universe will not disappear but its unreal nature is exposed. And one realizes the unity in diversity in the consciousness because the consciousness pervades in everything and everywhere in the universe. Thus, everything is consciousness. Consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman. Brahman is God. Thus, God is the whole, not part.
To get Self-realization or God-realization the seeker has to drop all the accumulated knowledge and start afresh
Sage Goudapada quotes from the Upanishads: ~ "There's no plurality here"; "The Soul through its powers appears to be many"; "those who are attached to the creation or production or origination go to utter darkness"; "the unborn is never reborn, for what can produce it?”
Sage Goudapada’s rational exposition of Advaita: ~ Whatever is seen, whether external or internal, whether by the ordinary persons or yogis, is unreal.
Thus, whatever you have seen, known, believed, and experienced as a person within the waking experience is bound to be an illusion created out of consciousness. Thus, the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness alone, is real and eternal.
Remember:~
The consciousness is ever-present. Without consciousness, the world, in which you exist ceases to exist. The consciousness is Self-evident. It is not established by extraneous proofs. It is not possible to deny consciousness, because it is the very essence of the one who denies it. Consciousness is the basis of all kinds of knowledge, presuppositions, and proofs. Consciousness is everything. Thus, consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman.
Self-awareness is not your own state because the Self is not you but the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. Holding the Self as ‘you’ is a great error.
It is wrong to say Gnani sees nothing in Self-awareness. 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, sees himself and the world in which he exists as a reality whereas a Gnani sees himself and the world in which he exists as an illusion created out of consciousness and he is fully aware of the fact that there is no second thing exists other than the Soul or consciousness.
Remember:~
Remember:~
The universe has no independent existence. The Soul which is present in the form of consciousness alone has real existence. The universe is merely an illusion created out of consciousness.
The universe is both real and unreal. It is real because it is a manifestation of consciousness, but is unreal, in the sense, that it is not absolute and eternal like consciousness itself.
People's approach is more practical, and they are stuck with the reality of the world, they take it as real. That is why all the confusion.
A Gnani sees only unity in diversity, just like a goldsmith estimating the gold in various items of jewelry sees only gold. When one identifies the Self with the form then only the form, time and space are present. But when one transcends form, time, and space the duality never remains as reality.
The universe remains a reality until there is ignorance. When ignorance vanishes, there is only Self-awareness. In Self-awareness, there is only nondualistic awareness in the midst of dualistic illusion or Maya.
A perfect understanding of ‘what is what’ with full and firm conviction leads to the Realization o of the Self hidden by the dualistic illusion or Maya. :~Santthosh Kumaar
