Consciousness is Advaita because it is second to none.+

Advaita is the true nature of existence.  The ‘I’ hides the Advaitic reality. Realize the ‘I’ is merely an illusion created out of consciousness, which is Advaita.  Consciousness is Advaita because it is second to none.  The world in which you exist is the dvaita (duality) is merely an illusion created out of consciousness, which is Advaita.   The Advaita is real and eternal the dvaita (duality) is merely an illusion.  

Holding ‘I’ as the ‘Self’ is the cause of ignorance. Realize the ‘I’ is merely an illusion. Stop identifying the Self as ‘I’ or ‘I AM’. Till you identify the Self as ‘I’ or ‘I AM’ the Soul will remain in the cage of ignorance.  

From the standpoint of the Soul, the innermost Self, whatever you have seen known and believed and experienced as a person becomes unreal (illusion). To realize the world in which you exist is an illusion you have to realize the fact that the ‘Self is not the ‘I’ but the Self is the Soul, the witness of the ‘I’. Unless you realize the Self as the Soul, you are all blinded by the dualistic illusion.

The experience of the birth, life, death, and the world is a reality within the waking experience. The waking experience is a parallel dream and the dream is a parallel waking experience. The waking experience is a dualistic illusion. 

To overcome the dualistic illusion you have to get rid of the ignorance by realizing the 'Self' is not the ‘I’. until you hold the’ I’ as ‘Self’, the ignorance will not vanish. So, there is a need to realize ‘what is this ‘I’?

You must realize the fact that the ‘I’   is not the ‘Self’, but the ‘Self’ is the formless Soul the Soul is present in the form of consciousness. Since ‘I’ is the inborn conditioning and it will not vanish by inquiring ‘Who AM ‘I’? Or just saying ‘I AM THAT’ the ignorance will not vanish. There is a need for a deeper understanding of the nature of the ‘I’.

Deeper self-search reveals the fact that the world in which you exist, is a dualistic illusion created by the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. And thus the existence of the world in which you exist is negated, where is then any room to say that the ‘I’ is the Self.  Without the ‘I’ the world, in which you exist cease to exist.

The Soul is the Self. The Soul is present in the form of consciousness.  The Soul is the substance and witness of the dualistic illusion. The Soul is hidden by the dualistic illusion and it is always apart from the dualistic illusion. The Soul is hidden by the dualistic illusion as its formless substance and it is without the dualistic illusion as its witness. in reality, the substance and witness of the illusion are one, in essence. That essence is consciousness.  Thus, the Soul, consciousness alone is the ultimate truth or Brahman.

Upanishads: ~ Fools dwelling in darkness, but thinking they wise and erudite, go round and round, by various tortuous paths, like the blind led by the blind. (Upanishads Nikilanada - Ch II-5 P-14)

No one can teach anybody. The wisdom is hidden within the world in which you exist.  A Gnani can only show the way that much is the work of a Gnani. A Gnani only guides the seekers to apply their own reason and realize the truth, which is beyond the form, time, and space. When the seeker learns to view and judge and reason the three states on the base of the Soul, the truth will start unfolding on its own.     First, the seeker may find it difficult to use soulcentric reason but gradually it will become easy.

The ‘Self-inquiry’ is finding out the ‘Self’ which is hidden within the world, in which we exist. By inquiring ‘Who am I?’, the ignorance will not vanish. Without getting rid of ignorance, the Advaitic wisdom will not dawn. Without the Advaitic wisdom, it is not possible to realize the truth, which is hidden within the world in which we exist.

That is why Sage Sankara Says: ~ VC-63. Without causing the objective universe to vanish and without knowing the truth of the ‘Self’ how is one to achieve Liberation by the mere utterance of the word Brahman? — It would result merely in an effort of speech.

What is the use of saying ‘I AM THAT’- without knowing what the ‘Self’ is in actuality? Without knowing the truth of the Self, without realizing the truth of the world in which you exist it is impossible to realize the truth beyond the form, time, and space. By a mere utterance of the word ‘I AM THAT', the truth will not be revealed. :~Santthosh Kumaar