Water is water, whether it is in a stream, a lake, a river or in an ocean. Space is space whether it is the space in a vessel or the space in a house or the space out in the open. In the same way, consciousness is consciousness and there is nothing apart from consciousness. There is no such entity as individual consciousness and universal consciousness. Yet, this distinction is made in the process of teaching a student so that he or she can comprehend what is being pointed to. You may question as to why if every one is the same consciousness, should there be the perception that you are a separate being. The answer would be because of ignorance. Because of ignorance, consciousness believes itself to be limited to a particular body and mind, giving rise to the idea of being a separate entity or person. Ignorance is indeed the cause of this false identification. It is this essential false belief that is the basic cause of all suffering. This belief in separation from who you really are. So, how do we get out of this bind? Luckily, we do not have to reinvent the wheel. The ancient Rishis (sages) have already found many ways in which one can unravel this puzzle.
One of the ways to do so is to use the method of discrimination. By using a discriminating intellect can one begin to identify the self from the not-self. In ancient Advaitic literature, this method was called "neti- neti" or " not this-not this". By careful analysis of what is self (atman) and what is not (anatman), one can gradually eliminate all that is not the self. If this method of analysis is done properly and by avoiding any conceptual digression, one can eventually apperceive the Truth.
In fact, you can only know what you are not. Anything that is known can never be the knower since it would immediately become an object and hence does not qualify as a knower anymore. In fact, eventually it becomes clear that there is just "knowing" without a knower and a known. When all that is known has thus been eliminated as not the self, there is just the pure sense of being, the Knowledge of Existence which still persists. One can never eliminate the fact that one exists. This knowledge that "I am" is self evident. It is obvious that you are none other than this Beingness. Don't try to qualify beingness or you will be back in the trap of falseness. Beingness has no quality. Just be.
