The mind becomes still, only when ignorance vanishes.+

All are searching for truth within the illusion not being aware of the fact that the illusion is created out of single stuff which is consciousness because everyone thinks their body and their experience of the universe are not consciousness and consciousness is limited to their body.

Thus searching for the truth in the illusion with the illusory Self, within the illusory experience, is bound to be an illusion.  The illusion is created and sustained, and finally, dissolves as consciousness. Consciousness is the material of the illusion.   Since there is no second thing other than consciousness; consciousness itself is Brahman or God in truth.  This conviction derives only through deeper inquiry, analysis, and reasoning.

The mind becomes still, only when ignorance vanishes. Ignorance vanishes, when wisdom dawns. When wisdom dawns, then the Soul, the Self, remains in its own awareness in the midst of the duality. 

 Some Gurus say find out to whom is the illusion? 

Santthosh Kumaar:~  When the Self is not the form,  then the question of whom does not arise.  A deeper self-search reveals the fact that the ‘I’ itself is an illusion.  If the ‘I’ is an illusion,  then it is no use of inquiring ‘Who Am I?.  Until one holds the ‘I’ as the self,  is caught up in the prison of the duality.  

Sage Sankara:~  VC-63- "Without knowing and examining the external world, one can’t know the Truth, as the idea that the external world exists, won't go. It can go only by an inquiry into the nature of the external world.

Deeper self-search reveals the fact that by inquiring the Who Am I? - the wisdom will not dawn. Who Am I?- inquiry is only for beginners and it is inadequate and useless in the later stages.

That is why Sage Sankara:~  VC~.61~ For one who has been bitten by the serpent of Ignorance, the only remedy is the knowledge of Brahman. Of what avail are the Vedas and (other) Scriptures, Mantras (sacred formulae), and medicines to such a one?

VC-  v6~ Let erudite scholars quote all the scripture, let Gods be invoked through sacrifices, let elaborate rituals be performed, let personal gods be propitiated ~~yet, without the realization of one‘s identity with the Self, there shall be no liberation for the individual, not even in the lifetimes of a hundred Brahmas put together.

Sage Sankara goes on to say:~  A sickness of not cured by saying the word “medicine.” You must take the medicine. Liberation does not come by merely saying the word “Brahman.” Brahman must be experienced. Until you allow this apparent universe to dissolve from your consciousness until you have realized Brahman, how can you find liberation just by saying the word Brahman? The result is merely noise. Until a man has destroyed his enemies and taken possession of the splendor and wealth of the kingdom, he cannot become a king by simply saying “I am a king.”

A buried treasure is not uncovered by merely uttering the words: “Come forth.” You must follow the right directions, dig, remove the stones and earth from above it, and then make it your own. In the same way, the pure truth of the Atman, which is buried under Maya and the effects of Maya, can be reached by meditation, contemplation, and other spiritual disciplines but never by subtle arguments. 

Remember:~

So many centuries have passed since Sage Sankara appeared, yet it is very hard to find his true wisdom understood anywhere in the world today. It is because so few could rise to his level. Hence, the Bhakti Saints and others came to supply the common demand.

Sage Sankara's work has got two aspects: the dualistic perspective and the non-dualistic perspective.

Sage Sankara gave religious, ritual, or dogmatic instruction to the populace but the Advaitic wisdom only to the few who could rise to it. Hence,  the interpretation of his writings by commentators is often confusing because they mix up the two viewpoints. Thus, they may assert that ritual is a means of realizing Brahman, which is absurd.

Maya or illusion is the most important contribution of Sage Sankara. Maya or illusion is the complex illusionary power of the Atman (Soul), which is present in the form of consciousness. Consciousness is the ultimate reality or Brahman or God in truth.

Ignorance is the cause of experiencing duality as reality. Maya or illusion is present in the form of the mind. And the mind is in the form of the universe. And universe appears as the waking or dream (duality) and disappears as deep sleep (Nonduality). The waking experience is real from the standpoint of the waking entity (ego). 

The waking experience is unreal from the standpoint of the Soul, the  Self.  The shelter of the three states is consciousness (Brahman but consciousness itself is untouched by the profanity of illusion (Maya). Illusion (Maya) is temporary and is destroyed with  Self- knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. 

Remember:~

Blinded by the illusion very few grasp the non-dualistic or Advaitic truth. Only a few escape from the web of illusion, and only a few will be able to acquire nondualistic or Advaitic wisdom.

The non-duality has to be grasped in the midst of the waking experience (duality or mind or universe).  That is, being aware of the truth and untruth, reality and unreality. And able to establish himself in the truth and able to view and judge, the three states, on the base of the Soul, which is the ultimate truth or Brahman.

It is unfortunate people are stuck with their accumulated ideas based on the false self, imagine nonduality and say nothing exists other than the source. But a Gnani says everything exists (illusion) but everything is created out of the Soul (Spirit or consciousness).  

Everything rises from the Soul (Spirit or consciousness) and subsides as Soul (Spirit or consciousness). Thus, the whole diversity has no relevance, from the standpoint of the Soul as Self.

Everything (illusion or matter) is nothingness (spirit or consciousness) realizing the three states are created out of nothingness (Soul or Spirit or Consciousness). Nothingness is the nature of the Soul (Spirit or consciousness) because there is no second thing that exists other than the Soul (spirit or consciousness), the innermost Self.   Thus consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth. 

Sage Sankara said:~  Just as the snake is superimposed on the rope in the twilight, this world and body are superimposed on Brahman or the Supreme Self. If you get knowledge of the rope, the illusion of a snake in the rope will vanish. Even so, if you get knowledge of Brahman or the Imperishable, the illusion of body and world will disappear.  The cause produces the effect without undergoing any change in itself. Snake is only an appearance on the rope. The rope has not transformed itself into a snake, like milk into curd. Brahman is immutable and eternal. Therefore, It cannot change Itself into the world. Brahman becomes the cause of the world through Maya, which is Its inscrutable mysterious power. When you come to know that it is only a rope, your fear disappears. You do not run away from it. Even so, when you realize the eternal immutable Brahman, you are not affected by the phenomena or the names and forms of this world. When Avidya or the veil of ignorance is destroyed through knowledge of the Eternal, when Mithya Jnana or false knowledge is removed by real knowledge of the Imperishable or the living Reality, you shine in your true, pristine, divine splendor and glory.

Remember:~

Man and his experience of the world are the product of ignorance. Ignorance is the cause of experiencing duality as reality.  The duality is merely an illusion from the ultimate standpoint.  All the thoughts, words,   feelings, and attachments including the man and his experience of the world are part of the illusion. The illusion (universe) is created out of single stuff. That single stuff is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. The Soul is the Self.    

From the standpoint of the Soul, the Self, no second thing exists other than consciousness.  Other than realizing the Soul, the  Self, there is nothing to know and realize. 

It is not the man, who has to be free, but it is the Soul, the innermost 'Self' has to be free by realizing it is not the man perceiving the world. People want to get freedom but freedom comes only when the Soul wakes up without the illusory body and the illusory world (duality).  It is the Soul, the innermost Self is in the cage of illusion. It is the Soul that wants to get out of the illusion because the illusion and the reality are one in essence. That essence is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.  

Thus all that man experiences within the dualistic illusion of practical life within the practical world and seeing the vision, speaking to God, and seeing God are a reality within the dualistic illusion. 

From the Nondualistic perspective, there is no second thing that exists other than consciousness (spirit). Thus, consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God. From the standpoint of Brahman or God, everything is Brahman or God in truth. 

Despite the non-difference between cause and effect, the effect has itself in the cause but not the cause in the effect. The effect is of the nature of the cause and not the cause of the nature of the effect. Therefore the qualities of the effect cannot touch the cause because the cause and effect are present only when the duality is present. 

The duality is present only when there is an illusion. The illusion is there only when there is ignorance. When there is no ignorance then there is no illusion. When there is no illusion then there is no duality. When there is no duality then there is no cause and effect. When there is no cause and effect then there is the Advaitic reality.:~Santthosh Kumaar