The body, sense-organs, Pranas, mind and ego etc. and all their modifications; the sense-objects and their pleasures etc; the gross elements such as ether, in fact the whole universe upto the Unmanifest—all these are the non-Self. [Vivekachudamani, Translated by Acharya Pranipata Chaitanya]
Comment: When we say, “I” it is not the real, “I”. The real, “I” is the substratum on which false, “I” lives.
Q: Does, “Jagat Mithya” mean that the world is non-existent?
A: The word Jagat means manyness or plurality here. Jagat Mithya means that the the sense of otherness is an illusion. There is one absolute truth appearing as many. So, Jagat Mithya does not mean that the world is non-existent. The world does exist but just like water appears to get divided by a partition while water remaining the same, manyness is only apparent. Everything is consciousness whether it remains undifferentiated or appears as many.
[Mundakopanishad, 1.1.7]
As the spider emits and withdraws the web (the web comes out from its own body and can be taken back to its own body), as herbs sprout on the earth, as hair grows on the head and on the body of man effortlessly, likewise from the Imperishable the universe comes out.
Consider an ornament made of pure gold for example sake. To a person, it is indeed a real ornament. However, gold ornament is made of gold atoms. From the perspective of gold, it is only gold, there is no shape called ornament.
Likewise, from the perspective of Jiva, there is creation and hence there are various theories of creation. However, from the perspective of pure consciousness, there is nothing else but it, so there is no creation at all.
Self is revealed in the final stage of Self Inquiry when the doer who does Self Inquiry surrenders/loses himself and Impersonal Awareness claims the, “I” status. The doer, “I” does not know Impersonal Awareness as object but the Impersonal Awareness as true, “I” recognises ItSelf after removing doer, “I”. This shift is subtle and is not necessarily as dramatic as the words, “Awakening” and “Enlightenment” may sound. Surrender happens when you understand that the results of action are beyond your control and only then you let the doership go. Surrender does not necessarily mean surrendering to a physical guru.
[Mundakopanishad, 3-2-3 Portion]
Meaning: The Self is gained only by him who longs for It with the whole heart. For to such a one the Self reveals Its own nature.