From the dualistic perspective, the ‘I’ is a reality. From a nondualistic perspective ‘I’ is an illusion.+

The ‘I’ is both real and unreal. It is real because it is a manifestation of the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, but is unreal, in the sense, that it is not absolute and eternal like consciousness itself.

From the dualistic perspective, the ‘I’ is a reality. From a nondualistic perspective ‘I’ is an illusion. 

Bhagavad Gita: ~ “You must first see the ‘I’ as illusory before you see others as illusory. ~ CH.2 v.16

People say I AM THAT ~ I am God, I am Brahman. But when Brahman is, how can "I" remain? Only Brahman remains, not 'I'. 

It is erroneous to use the word ‘I’ for the Self, because ‘I’ represents form, time, and space whereas the Soul, the Self is a formless, timeless, and spaceless existence. 

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

The ‘I’ disappears as deep sleep, so what is the use of being attached to it? It is impermanent and illusory because ‘I’ is physical awareness. Physical awareness is not Self-awareness. ‘I-less awareness is Self-awareness. 

It is erroneous to identify the Soul the Self as 'I' or 'I AM' because the Soul the Self is not 'I' or I AM’. The Soul the innermost Self, is that witness of the 'I'.

To understand the false nature of the ‘I’, Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana is necessary. 

The Self is not ‘I’, but the Self is the Soul which is the witness of the ‘I’. Holding the ‘I as the 'Self' leads to hallucination based on the imagination. : ~Santthosh Kumaar

God in truth is everywhere and in everything. Let these words be inscribed in your subconscious.+

The Soul, the Self is God in truth. It is not “I AM GOD, but it’s correct to say ‘the SELF IS GOD, because the Self is not the ‘I’ or ’I AM”. 

Even Rig Veda: ~ The Atman (consciousness) is the cause; Atman is the support of all that exists in this universe. May ye never turn away from the Atman the Self. May ye never accept another God in place of the Atman nor worship other than the Atman?" (10:48, 5)

Rig Veda: ~ 'Prajnanam Brahma'- Consciousness is the ultimate reality or Brahman or God in truth. 

Do not accept any other God other than the Athma, which is present in the form of consciousness.  

The Athma is God in truth, Nothing is real but the Athma, which is present in the form of consciousness.  

Nothing matters but realize God in truth. God in truth is everywhere and in everything. Let these words be inscribed in your subconscious. 

God in truth is hidden by the illusory universe. God in truth alone is real and eternal and all else is an illusion. 

Brahman is merely a word to indicate the ultimate truth or God in truth. The ultimate truth itself is God in truth.  

That is why Buddha said: ~

Do not believe spiritual teaching just because: ~

1. It is repeatedly recited,

2. It is written in scripture,

3. It was handed from Guru to the disciple,

4. Everyone around you believes it,

5. It has supernatural qualities,

6. It fits my beliefs anyway,

7. It sounds rational to me,

8. It is taught by a respectable person,

9. It was said to be the truth by the teacher,

10. One must defend it or fight for it.

No second thing existed prior to the appearance of the ‘I’ and ‘I’ never exists now and also ‘I’ never exists in the future. The ‘I’, which appears and disappears is merely an illusion.

Let you be clear on one thing. The ‘I’ is merely a dualistic illusion or Maya created out of the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. But in reality, ‘I’ neither exists in the past nor exists now, nor going to exist in the future.

Whatever existed in the past whatever exists now and whatever is going to exist in the future is merely an illusion created out of consciousness.

Whatever has appeared as ‘I’ is nothing but consciousness? The ‘I’ has no value because it is merely an illusion.

If you search for the truth, you will find only the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. If you search for the Soul then you will find only the truth, which is ever nondual because it is a formless, timeless, and spaceless existence. :~Santthosh Kumaar 

'I' is duality hides the truth which is nonduality.+

You are stuck to the ‘I’ by saying ‘I AM THAT’. The ‘Self’ is not an individual to identify the ‘Self’ as ‘I AM’. How can you identify the ‘Self as ‘I AM’ when the ‘Self’ is a formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.

People say Aham Brahmasmi -- I am God, I am Brahman. I AM THAT’ but when Brahman is, how can "I" remain? Only Brahman remains, not the I.

People think the ‘I’ without the body is the Self. The seeker has to realize that ‘I’ is not the Self, but the Soul, which is 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 it as real because some Gurus have propagated that the Self is the ‘I’.

There is no need to convince such a mindset which refuses to accept other than their accepted truth.

The seeker of truth accepts only the truth nothing but the truth. The truth is hidden by the ‘I’ but it is without the ‘I’.

'I' is duality hides the truth which is nonduality.

Some Gurus in the past glorified the ‘I’ without verifying what this ‘I’ is an actuality. And followers of that ‘I’ based teaching Got stuck with the ‘I’.

The ‘I’ 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 is present.

If the ‘I’ is absent then the mind, the universe, the waking, is absent.

~ It means the ‘I’, the mind, the universe, and the waking, are one and the same thing.

This is very important for the seeker to know to realize the ‘I’ itself is ignorance to overcome the ignorance they have to discard ‘I’.

Then why use the word ‘I’ for the ‘Self’ when ‘I’ is the cause of ignorance.: ~Santthosh Kumaar

Manduka Upanishad shows how one opinion may be used to contradict another, so that both may be thrown away.+

The essential message of Manduka Upanishad is that the whole world, whatever is seen is only imagined. points out that even though it is harder for them, still women can attain Brahman just as men. Page 351

"From their notion": Everybody has his own imagination about facts and starts from that, instead of discarding his personal idea and looking at the facts. Page 333. V. 83 

Manduka Upanishad shows how one opinion may be used to contradict another, so that both may be thrown away. Opinions are not for philosophy; they are as Ashtavakra says, merely thoughts; it wants the truth.

Opinions belong to scholasticism, not to ultimate truth or Brahman. Ultimate truth or Brahman has no use for opinions.

Manduka Upanishad:~ Those that want ultimate truth Brahman will not practice control of the mind. (p.231)

Manduka Upanishad:~ Yoga is in the sphere of duality and is unnecessary to one who knows non-duality.The eye cannot see it; the mind cannot grasp it. The deathless Self has neither caste nor race, Neither eyes nor ears nor hands nor feet. Sages say this Self is infinite in the great And in the small, everlasting and changeless, The source of life.

Mundaka Upanishad 1:2:8:~ “Remaining in the fold of ignorance and thinking “we are extremely wise and learned,” the fools with boastful nature ramble about like the blind led by the blind alone.”

Mundaka Upanishad 3:2:3:- “The weak and timid cannot realize the Self. Self-realization is not possible through intellect or hearing spiritual discourse. One who welcomes God in every activity, through a thorough controlled, and disciplined life, to him also the Soul is revealed

Manduka Upanishad has no assumptions whatever. It is an honest and bold inquiry into truth. It rises above scripture.

Manduka Upanishad:~ Reality and illusion together make Brahman: nothing can be left out.

Manduka Upanishad:~ Reality and illusion together make Brahman: nothing can be left out.

 Manduka Upanishad:~Only a few will be able to understand and assimilate it 

Manduka Upanishad is not meant for all, as it is based entirely on reasoning.

Look into the nature of the universe. And you will be able to see that the universe by its very nature is illusory. The moment you understand that the universe is illusory, ignorance disappears and Self-awareness arises.

Self-awareness is the state of non-dual reality. That is the state of Advaita. 

Manduka Upanishad:~ All indeed is, this Brahman. This Atman is Brahman (God in truth). (verse-2)

While Brahman lies behind the sum total of the objective universe, some human minds boggle at any attempt to explain it with only the tools provided by reason. Brahman is beyond the senses, beyond the mind, beyond intelligence, beyond imagination. Indeed, the highest idea is that Brahman is beyond both existence and non-existence, transcending and including time, causation, and space, and thus can never be known in the same material sense as one traditionally 'understands' a given concept or object.

Imagine a person who is blind from birth and has not seen anything. Is it possible for us to explain to him the meaning of the color red? Is any amount of thinking or reasoning on his part ever going to make him understand the sensation of the color red? Similarly, the idea of Brahman cannot be explained or understood through material reasoning or any form of human communication. Brahman is like the color red; those who can sense it cannot explain or argue with those who have never sensed it.

Chandogya Upanishad: - One who meditates upon and realizes the 'Self' discovers that everything in the cosmos-- energy and space, fire and water, name and form, birth and death, mind and will, word and deed, mantram and meditation--all come from the Self.

To realize the ultimate truth or Brahman is the prime goal. All the scriptures indicate that Atman is Brahman, and Brahman is the ultimate truth. Therefore the Soul, which is in the form of consciousness, is the ultimate truth. Thus, to realize the ultimate truth is the prime goal. :~Santthosh Kumaar

There is no need to search for the truth, you only have to realize it. Sage Sankara has declared the truth 1200 years ago.+

 Your quest is over. There is no need to search for the truth, you only have to realize it. Sage  Sankara has declared the truth 1200 years ago.

Do not struggle to search for the truth. Sage Sankara does not want you to struggle he wants you to realize the truth right here in this very life not in the next world and next life.

Bhagavan Buddha: ~ There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth: not going all the way... and not starting.

So-called spiritual paths are useless unless they cause us to seek the truth of our true existence. All controversies about creation, the nature of the universe, evolution, the purpose of God, etc., are useless in the Atmic path.

Start now do not give up until you realize it. If you are searching for truth then you are the chosen one. Praise Sage  Sankara, and embark on the journey of the truth; it frees the Soul from the illusion of form, time, and space.

When you finally realize the ‘Self ‘ is not you, but the ‘Self’ is the Soul then you will realize the world in which you exist is merely an illusion created out of the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Thus, you, your experience of birth, life, death, and the world are merely an illusion created out of the consciousness, the consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God n truth.

You are not the witness because the ‘Self' is not you. The Self is the Soul, which witnesses the world, in which you exist. The world is merely an illusion thus, you are part of the illusion.

Sage Sankara says:~ Atman is Brahman. The Atman alone is real. He has declared this Advaitic truth, which is the ultimate truth to the whole world, many centuries back. 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. : ~Santthosh Kumaar

Manduka Upanishad In deep sleep and anesthesia, you have non-duality but no Gnana.+

People’s views and opinions are based on a dualistic perspective but the truth, one is seeking is hidden by the dualistic illusion or Maya or universe (I). 

Manduka Upanishad shows how one opinion may be used to contradict another so that both may be thrown away. Opinions are not for philosophy; they are as Ashtavakra says, mere thoughts; it wants the truth.

Manduka Upanishad In deep sleep and anesthesia, you have non-duality but no Gnana. Therefore there must be discrimination along with non-duality. Otherwise sleeping dogs would be Gnanis. ~ (P.219)

 

Manduka Upanishad is not meant for all, as it is based entirely on reasoning. Hence, only a few will be able to understand and assimilate it.

Manduka Upanishad:~Atman is the highest Reality and its opposite: Note the word "and". Reality and illusion together make Brahman: nothing can be left out. Page 51.

Sage Sankara said: ~A.A~ 88. When the whole universe, movable and immovable, is known to be Atman (consciousness), and thus the existence of everything else is negated, where is then any room to say that you are Atman? 

The universe in which you exist is a prison that hides the Soul, ‘Self’. It is not you who has to get freedom; it is the Soul that has to get freedom from experiencing the illusory universe as a reality. 

Most people have the desire to know the truth but the capacity to understand and assimilate it is limited.  

The result is that people resolve the conflict by jumping to the first simplest and easiest conclusion as the correct one, and smugly but unjustifiably thinking “I know”: Thus they commit the fallacy of primitivity. 

The seeker needs proof to accept anything as truth. Every guru intellectual, pundit or yogi statements have to be verified before accepting them as the ultimate truth or Brahman. Their claims have to be verified before accepting them as truth

You and the world in which you exist are part of the illusion. Without knowing what is an illusion and what is reality? 

How is one to realize the ‘Self’ hidden by the dualistic illusion.  To realize our life of pleasure-pain within the world is as real as a dream is possible only through Advaitic wisdom. 

Only through Advaitic wisdom, the Soul, the ‘Self’ becomes free from experiencing the dualistic illusion as a reality.

Even in a dream whatever is experienced becomes unreal when waking takes place. Similarly, when wisdom dawns one becomes aware that the Self is neither the waking entity nor the dream entity. Thus, whatever is experienced as a waking experience is as real as a dream.

Thus for Gnani, all three states are merely an illusion created out of consciousness, because he is fully aware of the fact that, the witness of the three states is not the body but consciousness.

A Gnani is fully aware that his body, ego, and the universe are nothing but consciousness. 

Thus, he finds that experience of any sort is the play of consciousness and experience is merely an illusion. 

The one which witnesses the experience, which is in the form of the universe or mind is merely an illusion.

Through Advaitic wisdom, one gains Self-awareness in the midst of the dualistic illusion.  Self-awareness itself is Brahmic-awareness or God-awareness. :~Santthosh Kumaar

Without Advaitic wisdom, one remains ignorant. Without Advaitic Gnana ignorance will not vanish.+

Most people believe that following some doctrine, dogma, or egotistical Self-appointed "agent of God" makes them religious, when in fact following anything blindly without verifying the validity of their inherited belief is superstition.

Not being able to think to verify the validity of their belief is not a mark of great religious piety, but a sign of being cut off from knowing the reality of their true existence.

No person blindly following the religious or yogic-oriented life prescribed by a religious doctrine is close to the non-dualistic or Advaitic truth.

In fact, not knowing the true 'Self' represents ignorance. Human experience and the world exist only in ignorance.

Thus, the religious experiences that are based on ignorance have no value in the realm of nondualistic or Advaitic truth.

Till the Advaitic wisdom dawns, one is caught up in the experience cycle of birth, life, and death in the illusory world. Without Self-knowledge, the Advaitic wisdom will not dawn.

Without Advaitic wisdom, one remains ignorant. Without Advaitic Gnana ignorance will not vanish.

Religion belongs to the world of emotions. That is why everyone likes it. You will always find it in primitive times, as now, linked with music, dancing, and art--both emotional expressions. Religion changes as it appeals to different emotions.

You will find at one pole the nude monk is admired; at the other, the gorgeously dressed swami is revered.

The craving for religion, the fear that not following its rites and dogmas will bring punishment, and the inability to give up the notion of its truth even when your reason demonstrates its fallacies and absurdities are merely forms of mild obsessions, i.e. a thought constantly repeating itself automatically; hence religious believers are intoxicated with their ignorance.

Adhyasa Bhashya of Sage Sankara:~ (11) As regards the rituals, Sage Sankara says, that the person who performs rituals and aspires for rewards will view himself in terms of the caste into which he is born, his age, the stage of his life, his standing in society, etc. In addition, he is required to perform rituals all through his life. However, the 'Self' has none of those attributes or tags. Hence, the person who superimposes all those attributes on the changeless, eternal Self and identifies the Self with the body is confusing one for the other; and is, therefore, an ignorant person. The scriptures dealing with rituals, rewards, etc. are therefore addressed to an ignorant person. -Adhyasa Bhashya

Sage Sankara:~ (11.1) This ignorance (mistaking the body for Self) brings in its wake a desire for the well-being of the body, aversion for its disease or discomfort, fear of its destruction, and thus a host of miseries(anartha). This anartha is caused by projecting karthvya(“doer” sense) and bhokthavya (object) on the Atman. Sage Sankara calls this adhyasa. The scriptures dealing with rituals, rewards, etc. are, therefore, he says, addressed to an ignorant person.- Adhyasa Bhashya

Sage Sankara:~ (11.2) In short, the person who engages in rituals with the notion “I am an agent, doer, thinker”, according to Sage Sankara, is ignorant, as his behavior implies a distinct, separate doer/agent/knower; and an object that is to be done/achieved/known. That duality is avidya, an error that can be removed by Vidya.-Adhyasa Bhashya

Sage Sankara: ~ (12) Sage Sankara affirming his belief in one eternal unchanging reality (Brahman) and the illusion of plurality, drives home the point that Upanishads deal not with rituals but with the knowledge of the Absolute (Brahma Vidya) and the Upanishads give us an insight into the essential nature of the Self which is identical with the Absolute, the Brahman.Adhyasa Bhashya

Sage Sankara: ~ Atman, the Self is verily Brahman (God in truth), being equanimous, quiescent, and by nature absolute Existence, Knowledge, and Bliss. Atman is not the body which is non-existence itself. This is called true Knowledge by the wise. ~Santthosh Kumaar

Ashtavakra:~There is no wisdom whatsoever in the scriptures-just a collection of words.+

The seeker should not bother about finding the meaning of what is written in the scriptures. The scripters are not necessary to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman. 

Ashtavakra:~There is no wisdom whatsoever in the scriptures-just a collection of words. 

I only highlighted scriptural insights that point to the ultimate reality. what is not helpful in the pursuit of truth has to be discarded.  

Do not indulge in arguing from your own standpoint holding your accumulated knowledge as a yardstick that is pointless.  

Instead, read, reason, and reflect on the subject, which is the Advaitic wisdom of Sage Sankara to get rid of ignorance.  

The scriptures are meant for the ignorant populace. Scriptures have no value for the seeker of truth.

That is why Sage Sankara said:- Neither by the practice of yoga nor philosophy, nor by good works nor by learning, does liberation come, but only through the realization that Atman and Brahman are one in no other way. (1) VivekaChudamani v 56, pg 25

The scriptures are filled just with information. By accumulating information one cannot attain wisdom. No matter how much one knows, wisdom is not attained. One can go on gathering more and more knowledge, learn the scriptures by heart, become parrots, memorize each and every sutra or stanza, let the complete Vedas be imprinted in his memory -- but still, the wisdom will not dawn.

People think that mastering scriptural knowledge is wisdom. Pundits and religious gurus call scriptural knowledge as wisdom. Scriptural knowledge binds one instead thus it is not liberation. Wisdom is that which liberates one from experiencing the duality as reality.

That is why Sage Sankara, indicated in Bhaja Govindam says: ~ [Jnana Viheena Sarva Mathena Bajathi na Muktim janma Shatena] - one without knowledge does not obtain liberation even in a hundred births, no matter which religious faith he follows.

Sage Sankara says: - VC- 58. Loud speech consisting of a shower of words, the skill in expounding the Scriptures, and likewise erudition - these merely bring on a little personal enjoyment to the scholar but are no good for Liberation.

59. The study of the Scriptures is useless so long as the highest Truth is unknown, and it is equally useless when the highest Truth has already been known.

60. The Scriptures consisting of many words are a dense forest that merely causes the mind to ramble. Hence men of wisdom should earnestly set about knowing the true nature of the Self.

61. For one who has been bitten by the serpent of Ignorance, the only remedy is the knowledge of Brahman. Of what avail are the Vedas and (other) Scriptures, Mantras (sacred formulae), and medicines to such a one?

62. A disease does not leave off if one simply utters the name of the medicine, without taking it; (similarly) without direct realization one cannot be liberated by the mere utterance of the word Brahman.

63. Without causing the objective universe to vanish and without knowing the truth of the Self, how is one to achieve Liberation by the mere utterance of the word Brahman? — It would result merely in an effort of speech.

64. Without killing one’s enemies and possessing oneself of the splendor of the entire surrounding region, one cannot claim to be an emperor by merely saying, ‘I am an emperor’.

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 comes 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.

66. Therefore the wise should, as in the case of disease and the like, personally strive by all the means in their power to be free from the bondage of repeated births and deaths.

Sage Sankara clearly indicated that: - yoga, intellectualism, and scriptural mastery are not the means to self-knowledge. But by the realization of one's identity with consciousness, which is the ultimate truth or Brahman, freedom from experiencing the illusion as reality is possible, and by no other means.

Remember:~

Katha Upanishad 1:2:23:~ The Soul cannot be realized through hearing the scholarly explanation of the discourses, not even by the intellect.

Katha Upanishad 1:3:6:~ “Through the knowledge of the Soul, God, one is pure and clean constantly.” Neither by reading the books nor by taking a bath at the holy place has one become pure. Inner purity is possible when one remains in constant touch with the Soul. Constant Soul- awareness is real purity.

Kena Upanishad 2:4:~ When it is known through every state of cognition, it is rightly known, for (by such knowledge) one attains life eternal. Through the 'Self' one gains power and through wisdom, one gains immortality.

Kena Upanishad 2: 5: ~If here one knows it, then there is the truth, and if here one knows it not, there is a great loss. Hence, seeing the Real in all beings, wise men become immortal on departing from this world.

Mundaka Upanishad 1:2: 8:~ Remaining in the fold of ignorance and thinking “we are extremely wise and learned,” the fools with boastful nature ramble about like the blind led by the blind alone.”

Mundaka Upanishad 3:2: 3:~ “The weak and timid cannot realize the Self. Self-Realization is not possible through intellect or hearing spiritual discourse.."

Mundaka Upanishad 3:2: 3: ~The Soul cannot be realized by the weak and timid.

I am quoting the scriptures and sages of truth to show that the scriptures are not necessary to realize the Advaitic truth. The seeker should not stick to scriptures and try to find the meaning of the scriptural citation. It is a waste of time. The same time can be utilized to realize the truth beyond form, time, and space.:~Santthosh Kumaa

Mukthi - freedom, freedom from the bonds of imperfection, freedom from death and misery.+

Swami Vivekananda: ~Jñāna Yoga is divided into three parts. First:- heard the truth- that the Atman was the only reality and that everything else was Maya. Second:- reasoning upon this philosophy from all points of view. Third:- giving up all further argumentation and realizing the truth. This realization comes from being certain that Brahman is real and everything else is unreal.

People dwelling in ignorance but thinking themselves wise and erudite, go round and round by various blind beliefs and tortuous paths and practices, like the blind led by the blind.

Swami Vivekananda said:~ "The Vedas teach that the Soul is divine, only held in the bondage of matter; perfection will be reached when this bond will burst, and the word they use for it is, therefore, Mukthi - freedom, freedom from the bonds of imperfection, freedom from death and misery."

The truth is very simple, but it is very difficult to grasp because of ignorance. You have to only realize the world in which you exist is created out of a single clay. And that single clay is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Thus, you, your body, and the world in which you exist are nothing but consciousness because they are merely an illusion created out of consciousness. A perfect understanding of ‘what is what’ is needed.

Those who promise Gnana by giving initiation or transmission are ignorant they are unaware of the truth which is hidden by form, time, and space.

The path of wisdom is the Soulcentric path. Thus, egocentric intellectualism has nothing to do with the truth which is beyond form, time, and space. All accumulated dross leads to hallucination.

Katha Upanishad says:~ Fools dwelling in darkness, but thinking themselves wise and erudite, go round and round, by various tortuous paths, like the blind led by the blind. (Ch II-5 P-14)

Jesus said: ~ “Do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you. (Matthew -7:6)

~ Jesus meant knowledge of the Spirit should not be shared with unqualified people.

The ultimate truth has to be realized first, and then only it is possible to know what the scriptures are saying. A Gnani does not require any scriptures. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Nondualistic awareness is prior to dualistic awareness.+

Nondualistic awareness is prior to dualistic awareness.  Nondulistic awareness is the nature of the Soul, the Self.  the universe in which you exist is dualistic awareness. 

You and the universe in which you exist are the matter. The matter is merely an illusion created out of the Spirit.  Spirit is present in the form of the Soul.   

The matter is present in the form of the universe. 

The Spirit is hidden by the matter because the matter is merely an illusion created out of the Spirit. 

Holding the Self as you keep the Soul in the prison of ignorance. You and the world in which you exist have nothing to do with the Soul, the Self. 

Remember:~

Nondualistic awareness is the ultimate reality. Dualistic awareness is merely an illusion created out of the Spirit or consciousness. 

The Self is not you because the Self is the Soul, the Spirit, or consciousness. The nature of the ‘Soul, the Self is Advaitic awareness. :~Santthosh Kumaar