This universe is nothing but the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.+

Sage Sankara: ~ “VC~ All this universe, which through ignorance appears as of diverse forms, is nothing else but Brahman which is absolutely free from all the limitations of Maya. 

This universe is nothing but the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

From the Soul, the universe appears and when the universe disappears from consciousness, consciousness still remains without any division of form, time, and space.

Without ignorance, the universe ceases to exist. Without the universe, there is no possibility of birth, life, and death, which take place within the universe, which is the dualistic illusion of Maya.

Until we hold the illusory universe as a reality we experience birth, life, and death as a reality.

The universe in which you exist appears as the waking experience (duality) and disappears as deep sleep (nonduality).

The one that appears as waking or dream (duality) and one that disappears as deep sleep (nonduality), is consciousness.

Advaitic Wisdom dawns when you realize the ‘Self’ is not you, but the ‘Self’ is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

The one, who is born, lives, and dies in the world, is not the ‘Self. The ‘Self is the Soul is birthless and deathless because it is an ever-formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.

If the Self is not you but the Soul then why worry what happens after death because your present experience of birth, life, death, and the world itself is merely an illusion.

If you think this world is real then: A person, who stamped his foot on the ground to refute to show the world, is real, ignores that in the dream he would do exactly the same--stamp his dream foot on the ground and assert it to be real.

When you finally realize the ‘Self ‘ is not you, but the ‘Self’ is the Soul then you will realize the world in which you exist is merely an illusion created out of the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Thus, you, your experience of birth, life, death, and the world are merely an illusion created out of consciousness. Consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth.

The world is both real and unreal. It is real because it is a manifestation of consciousness, but is unreal, in the sense, that it is not absolute and eternal like consciousness itself.

People's approach is more practical, and they stuck with the reality of the universe, they take it as real. That is why all the confusion.

In Atmic-awareness, the witness and witnessed are one in essence. That essence is consciousness. There is no second thing that exists other than consciousness.

Thus, whatever is seen, known, believed, and experienced as a person is a reality within the waking experience (duality) but the waking experience (duality) itself is merely an illusion created out of consciousness.

Without or without the waking state, consciousness will prevail as consciousness.: ~ Santthosh Kumaar