Without ignorance, the universe ceases to exist as the universe but exists as the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.+

The Soul is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God. God appears as the universe in waking or dream (duality) and the universe disappears as God in deep sleep (nonduality).

How does the Soul become the universe?

The answer is due to ignorance. Without ignorance, the universe ceases to exist as the universe but exists as the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

The Soul, the Self is present in the form of consciousness. Consciousness is the root element of the universe. From consciousness, the universe comes into existence. In consciousness, the universe resides. And into the consciousness, the universe is dissolved. The consciousness is the parent of all that is there is.

Ignorance is the cause of all this bondage of the illusory form, time, and space. It is through ignorance the dualistic illusion (universe) is experienced as reality.

Advaitic wisdom will help to discard the ignorance to realize the illusion is created out of single clay and that single clay is the Soul, which is present in the form of the consciousness.

Chandogya Upanishad: ~ One who meditates upon and realizes the 'Self' discovers that everything in the cosmos-- energy and space, fire and water, name and form, birth and death, mind and will, word and deed, mantrams and meditation--all come from the Self.

Remember: ~

Sage Sankara: ~ “VC~ All this universe which through ignorance appears as of diverse forms, is nothing else but Brahman (Consciousness) which is absolutely free from all the limitations of the 'I'.

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The universe is the product of ignorance. The ignorance is present in the form of the ‘I’.

Sage Sankara says: - VC-47 All the effects of ignorance, root, and branch, are burnt down by the fire of knowledge, which arises from discrimination between these two—the Self and the non-Self.

Until you think you are an individual separate from the world and the world that existed prior to you and you are born in it afterward the ignorance will prevail as a reality. Till ignorance is there the universe prevails as reality.

Sage Sankara says: ~ “The exercise in discrimination between real and unreal and renunciation of the false is real meditation, then why you are indulging in other types of meditation.

Perfect understanding and realization of ‘what is what’ leads to Self-awareness. By holding onto theories one remains in the realm of duality. You have to mentally go on dropping what is not the truth through deeper Self-search. 

Finally when you become aware of the fact that, your ego, your body, and the world are one in essence then there is Self-awareness in the midst of duality. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar