The essence of non-dualistic or Advaitic wisdom is that there is but one SELF and that every individual is that SELF in full, not a part of that SELF

The essence of non-dualistic  or Advaitic  wisdom is that there is but one SELF and that every individual is that SELF in full, not a part of that SELF

Form, time, space and causality are part of the appearance. And all appearances are illusion.  But behind all appearance is the one Reality. Knowledge of the true self is the denial of the illusory appearances. the Seeker has to free  himself from the ignorance. Due to ignorance     the soul   perceives the world  as a person. thus it is necessary  to realize the fact that, the self is neither the waking entity nor the self is dream entity but the self is formless soul. the soul is present in the form of consciousness. 

Consciousness (soul) is the substance and witness of the duality.  The duality is present in the form of mind. Mind is present in the form of universe. The universe appears as waking or dream and diapers as deep sleep. The one which is aware of the coming and going of the three states is neither the waking entity nor the dream entity but the formless soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.  When the soul becomes aware of its formless non-dual true nature in the midst of duality it is called self –awareness. It is foolish to limit the consciousness only to duality because the consciousness pervades all the three states.

When waking entity becomes aware of the fact that, it itself is not the self but the self is the formless soul or consciousness. The soul or consciousness is the formless witness of the coming and going of the three states. The formless witness is also the substance of the three states. Thus in reality the formless witness and substance are one in essence.   In reality all the three states are one in essence. Therefore, the three states are mere mirage created out of consciousness, the innermost self. 

It is the Self that is in illusion and it is the self that gets free from the bondage of the illusion. The illusion is present in the form of mind. Mind is in the form of universe. Universe appears as waking or dream and disappears as deep sleep.  The individual experiences of birth, life, death and the world are within the waking experience.  The dream is parallel waking experience and waking is parallel dream.

Deeper self-search reveals the fact that the, self is neither the waking entity nor the self is the dream entity but the self is formless soul, which witnesses the coming and going of the three states in succession without the physical apparatus.  This has to be mentally grasped and assimilated to realize the formless soul, the innermost   self is nothing to do with the three states. On the standpoint of the three states, the three states are mere illusion.

The practical life within the practical world, which is present as waking experience, is mere illusion. If waking experience is mere illusion than the individual experience of birth, life, death and world are mere illusion.   If the experience birth, life death and the world are mere illusion, it means the form; time and space are mere illusion.  If form, time and space are mere illusion, it means the past, present and future is mere illusion. Thus it is necessary for the seeker to realize the fact that,   form, time and space are one in essence, in order to realize the three states are one in essence. That essence is consciousness. Thus all the diversity is created out of   formless consciousness. Thus no second thing exist other than consciousness, the innermost self. Seeker of truth has to constantly reflect on the subject in order to get firm conviction of the truth.  Seeker has to reflect on the same truth again and again until it becomes reality. One needs to constant reflect on the subject until he gets firm conviction of what is what.