You and the world, in which you exist, are within the mind.+

The universe in which you exist is within the mind because the mind itself is the universe.  The universe appears as waking or dream (duality)  and disappears as deep sleep (nonduality).    the waking or dream appears as 'I'.  The 'I' itself is the dualistic illusion or Maya. 

From the standpoint of the Soul, the  ‘Self, the universe is the dualistic illusion or Maya. The Soul is present in the form of consciousness.  Consciousness is the formless substance and witness of the ‘I’, which comes and goes.  The ‘I’ is the dualistic illusion or Maya.

The truth is hidden within the dualistic illusion or Maya (‘I’) and it is without the dualistic illusion (‘I’).

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

The Soul is not ‘I’. ‘‘Self’ is not the ‘I’.  The Soul is the ‘Self’. The Soul, the 'Self’ is the witness of the ‘I’ which appears and disappears.

 You are seeking to realize the truth of your true existence.  To discover the truth,  there is a need to understand the nature of the ‘I’.   Without knowing what this ‘I’ supposed to be an actuality you will never be able to realize the truth, which is beyond the form, time, and space.      

Till you hold the ‘Self’ ‘as the ‘I’ you will never be able to get ‘Self’-realization.  ‘I’ hides the Soul, which is the ‘Self’.

Know what this ‘I’ is first.  Without realizing what this ‘I’ supposed to be it is impossible for the Soul to free itself’ from the dualistic illusion.

The ‘I’ hides the truth Soul, the Self, which is present in the form of consciousness. 

'I’ is ignorance.

‘I’ is the duality.

‘I’ is form, time, and space.

‘I’ is the universe.

‘I’ is the waking.

‘I’ is the dream.

‘I’ is the illusion.

‘I’ is the experience of birth, life, death, and the world.

But remember:~

Without the ‘I’ there is no ignorance.

Without the ‘I’ there is no duality.

Without the ‘I’ there is no form, time, and space.

Without the ‘I’ there is no universe.

Without the ‘I’ there is no waking.

Without the ‘I’ there is no dream.

Without the ‘I’ there is no illusion.

Without the ‘I’ there is no experience of birth, life, death, and the world.

That is why Ashtavakra Gita 16:10:~ If you desire liberation, but you still say ‘I,’, If you feel the ‘‘Self’’ is the ‘I’, you are not a wise man or a seeker. You are simply a man who suffers.

It is no use going roundabout way; trace the Soul, which is present in the form of the consciousness. Consciousness is the cause of the world in which you exist and it itself is uncaused.  The Soul is the Source of the dualistic illusion (I)  from where it rises and subsides.  By tracing the source of the dualistic illusion (universe),  one will be able to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth. 

Remember 

Freedom means freedom from ignorance. It is not you who is seeking freedom. It is the Soul, the Self which seeks freedom from ignorance.

Shun the ignorance which is present in the form ‘I’ and thinks the ignorance is like poison.

Turn your attention to the Soul, the Self, which is present in the form of consciousness. The Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth. Free the Soul, the Self from the illusory prison of the form, time, and space.

When you realize the ‘Self is not you but the ‘Self’ is the Soul automatically the world in which you exist loses its luster of the reality.

Remember:~ 

you are the false self within the dualistic illusion, which is present in the form of the ‘I’. without the ‘I’ you, and the world in which you exist ceases to exist. So do not limit the ‘I’ to an individual because ‘Self is not ‘I’ because the ‘I’ is a whole dualistic illusion.

If you are not the ‘Self’ but the ‘Self’ is the Soul, then how can you say ‘I AM THAT’ when the Self is not you but the Soul.

Perfect understanding of ‘what is what’ leads to Self-realization. Holding ‘I-centric’ gurus and their teaching as final blocks Self-realization.

If you are the seeker of truth, then you must accept only the truth, not the ‘I-centric or you-centric knowledge, which is half-baked knowledge. The ‘I-centric or ‘you-centric’ is not Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

The ‘I’ hides the reality of existence. The nature of existence is a formless, timeless, and spaceless existence. There is no ‘I’ in reality. The ‘I’ is merely an illusion. Whatever belongs to the ‘I’ is an illusion.

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.

Bhagavad Gita: ~ “You must first see the ‘I’ as illusory before you see others as illusory. ~ CH.2 v.16

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, which is present in the form of consciousness. The ‘I’ itself is ignorance. The ‘I’ itself is a dualistic illusion.

People think the ‘I’ without the body is the Self. The seeker has to understand the fact that ‘I’ is not the Self, but the witness of the ‘I’ is the true Self, which is eternal.

That is why Ashtavakra Gita 16:10: ~ If you desire liberation, but you still say "I," if you feel the ‘Self’ is the ‘I’, you are not a wise man or a seeker. You are simply a man who suffers.

People are stuck with the reality of the ‘I’, which they take 'I' as real because some Gurus have propagated the Self is the ‘I’. is no need to convince such a mindset. The seeker of truth accepts only the truth nothing but the truth.

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.

People refuse to accept anything other than their Gurus words. For them, their Gurus words are the ultimate truth. They do not accept anything else other than their accepted truth. There is no need to convince such a mindset.

Such a mindset is not fit to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Athma Gnana. The seekers of truth accept only the truth nothing but the uncontradictable truth.

The Advaitic wisdom of Sage Sankara has dynamic, direct, universal appeal.: ~ Santthosh Kumaar