Remember the ‘I’ is the whole universe. The universe ceases to exist without the ‘I’+

Sage Sankara is the only sage who has final authority on the Advaitic truth. The Advaitic truth is rational truth and scientific truth and ultimate truth without dogmas.

The seeker to go on his own and remove all the obstacles.  The greatest hindrance is mixing religion, God, scriptures, and yogic theories. Moreover, attachment to scriptures, personal Gods, and religious code of conduct keep one permanently in the grip of the dualistic illusion.

The Orthodox person who performs rituals and aspires for rewards will view himself’ in terms of the caste into which he is born, his age, the stage of his life, his standing in society, etc.  And he is required to perform rituals all through his life. The scriptures dealing with rituals, rewards, etc. are therefore addressed to an ignorant person. 

The Soul, the ‘Self’ has no attributes or tags. Hence, the person who superimposes all those attributes on the changeless, eternal Soul, the  ‘Self’ and identifies ‘‘Self’’ with the ‘I’ is confusing one for the other; and is, therefore, an ignorant person.

A person who engages in rituals with the notion “I” as the ‘Self’ is ignorant; the ‘I’ itself’ is an ignorance.   The ignorance can be removed by ‘Self’-knowledge.

Do not keep on glorifying the ‘I’. The ‘I’ is not within your body. Remember the ‘I’ is the whole universe. The universe ceases to exist without the ‘I’.

If you are caught in the grip of the ‘I’ then you will remain permanently in the grip of ignorance. if you hold the Self as ‘I’ you will never be able to cross the dualistic illusion. If you follow the ‘I’ based teaching it is like the blind leading the blind

If you inquire " Who am ‘I’? " the ‘I’ will not disappear. You must know the nature of the ‘I’, which appears and disappears.

The Soul is the witness of the ‘I’ which is permanent and eternal. The Soul is the subject and the ‘I’ is an object.

The ‘I’ hides the Soul. Therefore, the seeker has to realize ‘what is this ‘I’ supposed to be in actuality.

If the Self is not ‘I’ but the Self is the Soul then from the standpoint of the Soul, the  Self:~

Where is the ‘I’?

Where is the ego?

Where is the body?

Where is the mind?

Where is the world in which you exist?

Where are the form, time, and space?

Where is the waking experience?

Where is the duality?

Where is void?

They are or have become one with the Soul which is present in the form of consciousness. Consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth.

The ‘I’ is present only when the mind is present. The mind is present only when the world is present. The world is present only when there is the waking experience.

Deeper self-search reveals the fact that the waking experience is not considered different from the world. The world is not considered different from the mind. The mind is not considered different from the’ I’. This truth has to be assimilated.

The ‘I’ is merely an illusion created out of the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. ‘I’ is not the subject. The ‘I’ is an object to the Soul, which is the formless, timeless, and spaceless subject.

If the ‘I’ is an illusion then the world in which you exist is bound to be an illusion.

If the ‘I’ is an illusion then three states, are bound to be an illusion.

If the ‘I’ is an illusion then the form, time, and space are bound to be an illusion.

If 'I’ is an illusion then the individual experience of birth, life, death is bound to be an illusion.

If the ‘I’ is an illusion then the words and thoughts are bound to be an illusion.

If the ‘I’ is an illusion then the duality is bound to be an illusion.

The seeker has to make sure what is this ‘I’ supposed to be? The seeker has to make sure the unreal nature of the ‘I’ which comes and goes in order to realize the truth, which is beyond the form, time, and space.

That is why Bhagavad Gita: ~ The permanent is always there, only the transient ‘I’ comes and goes. (2.18)

The ‘I’ hides the Soul, the Self.

The seeker of truth must have his belief in one eternal unchanging reality (Brahman) and the dualistic illusion.

A Gnani drives home the point that ‘Self’-knowledge deals not with rituals but with the knowledge of the Soul, the ‘Self’.  Sage Sankara gives us an insight into the essential nature of the ‘‘Self’’ which is identical with the Absolute, the Brahman.

Sage Sankara: ~ Atman, the ‘Self’ is verily Brahman (God), being equanimous, quiescent, and by nature absolute Existence, Knowledge, and Bliss. Atman is not the body that is non-existence itself. This is called true Knowledge by the wise. 

Realizing the universe is created out of single stuff and that single stuff is the Soul which is present in the form of consciousness leads to non-dualistic or Advaitic  Self-awareness. Self-awareness is freedom or Moksha. Moksha is unity in diversity in the midst of the dualistic illusion.:~Santthosh Kumaar