The world confronts you is also consciousness

The world confronts you is also  consciousness. The whole universe is consciousness.  Unless the world is there in one’s realization, there is no Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana or Self-Knowledge. It is not enough to see a mere blankness in Samadhi. One has to realize the body, ego and the world as consciousness. The soul, the innermost self is free from ignorance not when one sees nothing at all, as waking entity in Yogic Samadhi but only when one see all this universe including his body and ego as  consciousness. Hence you must ask the question “What is this universe?” The attention must be drawn to the outer world to realize the form, time and space which are present in the form of universe are also made of single stuff, which is consciousness.  

This universe is common to all of us, therefore one must include the universe his investigation in order to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman.   It is only after one has inquired into the nature of the objective universe, that he should inquire into who is the knower. If, however one   inquiries into the knower before the inquiry into the universe, then it is mere mysticism.  One must have the perfect understanding of what is what. 

• v  “What is the universe?
• v  What is this ‘I’?

That is why Sri, Sankara indicated in (VC):- 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.

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.

Self –Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana can be attained only if one totally accepts the Self is not ‘I’ but the self the formless soul (‘I’-less) or consciousness      with full conviction than one becomes aware of the fact that, the three states are mere illusion created out of consciousness. The soul or consciousness is the innermost self, which witnesses the coming and going of the three states. Through Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana, one realizes the three states are non-existent as reality.  

Self is that that which knows the coming and going of the three states. Thus holding ‘I’ or ‘I AM’ as self which is part of the witnessed (mind or universe) is erroneous. Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana– the nectar and by drinking nectar one becomes aware of the immortal nature of the formless soul, the innermost self. Thus a true seeker, by acquiring ‘Self –Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana’ transcends the illusory experience of the individual birth, life death and the world (waking)  and attains immortality .