The nature of the Soul is emptiness.+

Until one thinks the mind is within the body, all the doubts and confusion will prevail. When one indulges in deeper Self-search he becomes aware of the fact that the body and the world are within the mind. This is necessary to realize the fact that the body and the world together are the mind (I). Thus, it is necessary to investigate ‘What is this mind (I)?’, ‘What is the substance of the mind?” and ‘What is the source of the mind?’”

The seeker has to know what is real by realizing our body, ego and our experience of the world are merely an illusion created out of the  Soul or the consciousness, which is the innermost Self. The nature of the Soul is emptiness. And it is identified by different masters with different names, such as Brahman the Self, or the ultimate truth.

When the Soul the innermost Self, becomes aware of its formless non-dual nature then it becomes empty of ignorance or illusion or duality or experience of waking or dream. Thus, whatever remains empty of duality or ignorance or illusion is the non-dualistic reality. Only through wisdom, does one become aware of the truth in the midst of the duality.

That is why Sage Sankara said: - VC-63- Without causing the objective universe to vanish and without knowing the truth of the Self, how is one to achieve Liberation.

The universe will not remain as reality when wisdom dawns. The universe is a mere illusion created out of consciousness and there is a conscious awareness of unity in diversity because there is no second thing that exists other than consciousness.

One thinks the mind is within this body; whereas the body and his experience of the world are within the mind. Consciousness is hidden within the three states, but it is without the three states.

The one, which has the awareness of the three states, is not the body, but the Soul which is in the form of consciousness. Thus, consciousness is not limited to the waking experience alone because it pervades all three states. 

Until one view and judges the three states, on the base of ego, he is in the grip of individuality. The Self is not an individual because it is universal. And it pervades everything and everywhere in all three states. Thus, individualized judgment will not lead one to a non-dual destination.

That is why Sage Sankara says: ~ VC~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.

66. Therefore, the wise should, as in the case of disease and the like, personally strive by all the means in their power to be free from the bondage of repeated births and deaths.

Thus, one has to know what is real by realizing our body and our experience of the world is merely an illusion created out of the Soul or consciousness. The Soul is the  Self. The nature of the Soul the Self is emptiness. And it is identified by different masters with different names, such as God in truth or Brahman or the ultimate truth.:~Santthosh Kumaar