Neti, Neti.+

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."

The universe is verily consciousness. Without realizing ‘what is the Mind? it impossible to get Self-realization. The universe is not different from the Mind because the universe is the mind itself. 

The mind is not different from the Soul because the mind is the dualistic illusion created out of the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Thus, the universe is nothing but consciousness. The universe is unreal because it is not absolute and eternal like consciousness.

It is impossible for any human being to challenge successfully the Advaitic position, as Sage Sankara says.

Sage Sankara asks his opponents "How do you know there are separate individual Souls? Have you seen the Soul of a man? You can only say that you have seen different bodies. To say more is to misuse language. Therefore, I call you liars unless you give proof, which is impossible.

A man who describes Sage  Sankara's wisdom as negative (because of his Neti, Neti) does not know that this is applied only to the world of the Seen, the critic ignorantly believes that it is also applied to the Seer. Advaita never negates the Seer, only the seen. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar