Sastras put the onus on the jivatma to seek what is real and lasting and reject all that is ephemeral and passing. Going by the fact that whatever does not undergo any change at all times alone is real, it is concluded that only the consciousness or chaitanya remains untarnished. The aim is the realisation that what is understood by the jivatma as the ‘Aham,’ the ‘I’ sense, is actually the Paramatma swaroopa. They also explain many ways to examine this truth about this crucial experience of reality, pointed out Sri Mani Dravid Sastrigal in a discourse.
For instance the Mahavakya ‘Tat Tvam Asi’ appears cryptic and hence unclear. From the many bashyas that try to explain the meanings of the three individual terms, what emerges is that one has to go beyond verbal connotations to the area of direct perception. One sure way is by meditation and reflection on the nature of one’s real self. The practice of examining the waking, dream and deep sleep states to extract what is real and eliminate whatever is unreal is advocated. While all else is found to be unsubstantial, the chaitanya alone is ever present in all the states.
Another common example of akasa is often quoted to explain the oneness of the all pervading chaitanya swaroopa in the jiva and the Paramatma. It is shown that the infinite Paramatma swaroopa is limited by Maya and Prakriti during His cosmic manifestation. So too the chaitanya swaroopa in the jivatma is limited by the embodied state. It is similar to the space contained in a pot, the Ghatakasa, which is no different from the space outside, the Mahakasa. When the pot is broken the space inside merges with the space. When the Paramatma chooses to dissolve His cosmic manifestation, only the chaitanya swaroopa remains.