The duality is present in the form of ‘I’

The soul  is in the form of consciousness. The consciousness is the innermost self. The witness (consciousness) can never be something known. The ego being known cannot be the witness. Whatever is seen and known cannot be taken as reality. Therefore, mind (universe or waking or dream) cannot be considered as real, because they appear and disappear.  The witness of the appearance and disappearance of the mind (universe or waking or dream) is consciousness. Consciousness is ultimate reality or Brahman.   

Ultimate truth is known only in the negative way. One cannot make it an object of knowledge. One can know that he cannot have an idea of an object unless he posits a knower, unless the knower is implied already. The witness itself is wisdom, that is, it knows everything else. The self is known only when one sees something else, for that other thing reminds him of it. The self is unknowable as an object. Knowing the ultimate truth means knowing that consciousness exists. The word “know” implies duality, something known; on the other hand Wisdom does imply an object. Consciousness, the innermost self knows the universe or waking or dream as an object. The knowing powers, the Formless Witness, the knower can have no statement made about it, other than that its existence cannot be negated. The ultimate truth which one can know is that consciousness is not something to be known. 

The duality is present in the form of ‘I’. ‘I’ is present in the form of  the mind. The mind is present in the form of the universe. The universe appears as waking or dream (duality) and disappears as deep sleep (non-duality). The formless substance and witness of the appearance and disappearance of the Mind is the formless soul. The soul is present in the form of consciousness.   Consciousness is ultimate truth because the mind or universe ceases to exist without the consciousness.   Thus consciousness is ultimate truth or Brahman.     

  

"Consciousness” is the only reality and there is no second thing exist other than consciousness. That consciousness through its illusory nature   appears as the whole universe. But this is just the play of consciousness, even as an actor in a drama remains unchanged throughout although consciousness   plays different roles.

 The seemingly obvious duality between consciousness (soul) and universe (mind) does not actually exist because both are one in essence. If only one transcend this phenomenal illusion and experience of duality with consciousness, he would then be not the individual with his experience of the world but one with it--the Absolute, infinite Reality.

When the soul is in its formless true nature, misery, suffering, fear, desire and hatred --none of these would bind it. If it is in ignorance, then of course he is bound by shackles of experiencing, the illusory “birth, life, death and the world as reality ".But actually there is nothing other than the soul or consciousness, the innermost "SELF'.

So in the absence of any such thing as dual, who binds whom and what is this bondage itself? When one is delivered from this bondage he attains self-awareness. In self-awareness is complete freedom from experiencing illusory duality as reality.