The True "Self" in all.

That which is in the form of consciousness, is the Self (Atman) and it is like a mirror. There arises a spontaneous feeling of "I am" in the Self. This is "ego" and is itself the sense of "Individual Consciousness" (Jiva). On the advice of the Master, this ego starts referring to itself as Brahman. It is this ego, that says, "I am so and so." Dnyanis give up this ego which is conceptual.

A dream is short-lived, while the concepts made by the mind in the waking state constitute a long dream. The Self is the original deity of both these two dreams (short and long). Just as a man, walking in the desert takes the mirage to be true, similarly the Self takes the concept of the worldly life to be true and fails to see through it. Generally, it is the nose ring that is admired and valued, and not the nose. That which is visible is valued, and not the Self. The deity of the world is the Self and all else is projected on it. Like a firebrand, Brahman is a strong truth and worldly life is untrue. One should understand that the realm of the five elements is an untrue appearance and only the Self is True.

If we are involved only in worldly life, we become entangled in it as an insect would in a spider’s web. One should ask oneself the important question, "Can daily tasks be carried out more successfully by identifying with the body, or can one be more successful in executing them by identifying as the "Self" and considering all else as untrue? We believe in this worldly life only because of the delusion of the concept "I am the body." Therefore, this delusion should be destroyed.

The pure, or "divine sight" is acquired only when one begins to feel that only the Self is present in everything and everyone. Living a merely worldly life then seems futile. The "discriminating sight" which makes distinctions disappears only if you behave as though you exist in all. Mental peace is then achieved. Both, auspicious as well as inauspicious deeds, were done only by me, and the deed of classifying them as auspicious or inauspicious, is itself inauspicious.