To say the universe is an illusion without first examining it and inquiring into its nature thoroughly is to delude oneself.+*****

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To say the universe is an illusion without first examining it and inquiring into its nature thoroughly is to delude oneself.

This universe is common to every one of us; therefore, you must begin his inquiry with it. It is only after he has inquired into the nature of the objective world, he realizes the universe which through ignorance appears as of diverse forms, is nothing else but the Soul which is present in the form of the consciousness is absolutely free from all the limitations of human thought.

That is why Sage Sri, Sankara said:~ VC-63- Without causing the objective universe to vanish and without knowing the truth of the ‘Self’, how is one to achieve Liberation.

The seeker should not shut his eyes to the nature of the universe because the universe an illusion created out of the consciousness.

The universe will not remain as reality when wisdom dawns. The universe is a mere illusion created out of consciousness and there is a conscious awareness of the unity in diversity because there is no second thing exists other than the consciousness.

That is why Sage Sri, 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 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.

Thus, one has to know what is real by realizing our body and our experience of the world is an illusion created out of the Soul or consciousness. The Soul is the innermost Self. The nature of the Soul the innermost Self is emptiness. 

Remember:~ 

Sage Sri Sankara’s whole teaching can be summed up in one sentence, ‘There is nothing else but Brahman (Atman or consciousness). Sage Sri Sankara says that the Absolute Existence, Absolute Knowledge and Absolute awareness are real. The universe is not real. Sage Sri Sankara says that Brahma and Atman are one. The ultimate and the Absolute Truth is the Self, which is one though appearing as the universe containing many different individuals. The individual has no reality. Only the Self is real; the universe is but passing appearances.

In fact Sage Sri, Sankara states a paradox- the world is and is not. It is neither real nor unreal. It leads us to recognize the existence of Maya (illusion). He thinks that the world is illusory from one perspective and from the second it is nothing but Brahman(God), Itself in manifestation. This apparent world is Maya and has its basis in Brahman, the Eternal. It looks as real. It has names and forms and actually, it is not real In the light of true knowledge, it disappears and Self-alone shines as real. However, Sage Sri, Sankara's Mayavada has not been accepted by many preachers and philosophers.

When Sri, Sankara says clearly, the universe is not real. He says that Brahman and Atman are one. The ultimate and the Absolute Truth is the Self, which is one though appearing as many in different individuals. The individual has no reality. Only the Soul, the innermost  Self is Real; the rest, mental and physical are but passing appearances, then it indicates the form (waking or duality or mind) is unreal and the formless soul (consciousness or soul) is real.  Therefore, only Atman is real because there is no second thing exist other than Atman, which is in the form of consciousness.

Sage Sri 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 human thought.

The universe is the product of ignorance. The ignorance is present in the form of the ‘I’.

Sage Sri, 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 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 the ignorance will prevail as a reality. Till ignorance is there the universe prevails as reality.

Sage Sri, 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 Self-awareness. By holding onto theories one remains in the realm of duality. You have to mentally go on dropping what is not the truth through deeper Self-search. Finally when you become aware of the fact that, your ego, your body, and the world are one in essence then there is Self-awareness in the midst of duality. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar