The Self is not within the universe. The Self is the Soul hidden by the illusory universe.+

Sage  Sankara says: ~ Atman is Brahman. The Atman alone is real is not a religious truth but a universal truth.  

Sage Sankara declared this Advaitic truth, which is the ultimate truth to the whole world, many centuries back is rational truth, scientific truth, and ultimate truth.

Thus, the Atman which is present in the form of consciousness is real and eternal, the world in which we exist is merely an illusion.  

The Seeker must mentally hold on to the eternal, and drop which is an illusion.  

People do not want to work persevering for the truth beyond form, time, and space. They expect enlightenment instantly. Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana cannot be acquired so easily. 

Most people lack the patience and perseverance to investigate the truth, which is hidden by the universe. 

The Self is not within the universe. The Self is the Soul hidden by the universe. The Soul is the Self. The Soul is present in the form of consciousness. 

Consciousness is the cause of the universe in which you exist and it, itself is uncaused.  Consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth. 

From the standpoint of the Soul, the  Self the universe in which you exist is merely an illusion.  Thus, the illusory universe that exists hides the Soul, which is God in truth. 

Till you think the ‘Soul, the Self’ is within you, you will never be able to realize God. God is not limited to ‘you’ but it pervades everything and everywhere in the universe in which you exist.

You are with the body. You are born in this illusory universe. You are living in the illusory universe and you are going to die in this illusory universe.  You,  your birth, life, and death within the illusory universe are bound to be illusory.  

When the ‘Self’ is not you but the ‘Self is the Soul, which is present in the form of the consciousness then what is the use of discussing birth, life, death, and the universe because the one which is born, lives and dies is not the ‘Self.   

The unborn and invisible  Soul is birthless and deathless because it is an ever-formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.

You are the birth entity. Your existence is limited to form, time, and space. Your religion, your religious Gods your beliefs, your religious rituals and prayers, your race, and your nationality, have nothing to do with the Soul, the ‘Self’ because the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness itself is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth.

Sage  Sankara: ~People who are immersed in ignorance, the only remedy is the knowledge of Brahman.

When this universe is merely an illusion why you are sticking to it. One without Self-knowledge does not obtain liberation from the illusory even if he lives for a million years. 

The Self is not ‘you’ but the Self is the Soul hidden by the universe. The universe is the dualistic illusion or Maya. You are part and parcel of the dualistic illusion or Maya.

The universe, which appears and disappears is only form and shape created out of consciousness and nothing else.

Sage Sankara: ~ “VC~ 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. The ignorance is present in the form of the ‘I’.

Sage Sankara says:~ VC-47- All the effects of ignorance, roots, and branches are burnt down by the fire of knowledge, which arises from discrimination between these two—the Self and the 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 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.

Perfect understanding and realization of ‘what is what’ leads to Self-awareness. By holding onto theories, one remains in the realm of duality. You must mentally go on dropping what is not the truth through deeper Self-search.

Finally, when you become aware that, your ego, your body, and the world, are nothing, but an illusion created out of consciousness.

The consciousness alone is positive proof and on the standpoint of consciousness or Soul as the 'Self', one becomes aware of the falsity of this universe or mind, which is mere appearance.

The one which appears as the mind (universe) and disappears as no mind (Soul) is consciousness alone. Therefore, the mind and Soul are one in essence. Without consciousness,  the universe ceases to exist. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar