Yoga Vasiṣṭha unfolds a radically non-dual vision in which pure, undifferentiated consciousness (Brahman, cit) is affirmed as the sole reality. This reality is described as eternal, changeless, self-luminous, and not subject to birth or death. Individual consciousness (jīva) is not ultimately separate from this universal consciousness; rather, it is that same awareness seemingly limited by mind. From this standpoint, what is ordinarily taken as the universe—bodies, minds, time, space, and causation—is nothing but the appearance of consciousness to itself, like reflections in a mirror that never affect the mirror’s substance. Reality is also spoken of in terms of different experiential states—waking, dreaming, deep sleep, and the “fourth” (turīya), pure awareness—yet the text consistently points beyond all changing states to the unchanging witness.

Illusion, or māyā, is treated not as sheer non-existence but as misperception of what truly is. The world is likened to dreams, mirages, or the classic rope-snake error: something real (the rope, Brahman) is misread as something else (the snake, the world of multiplicity). Time, space, and the sense of separate individuality are presented as constructs within this misapprehension, arising from ignorance (avidyā) and deep-seated mental tendencies (vāsanās). In this way, the universe is portrayed as a projection or vibration of mind (saṅkalpa), a dream-like construct that appears compelling only so long as its underlying nature is not recognized. Suffering, accordingly, stems from identification with the body–mind complex and from taking these projections to be ultimately real.

The text employs an intricate tapestry of stories, parables, and “world-within-world” narratives to loosen the grip of this habitual reification. By showing how entire universes can arise within a single mind, or how one apparent person can live through many lifetimes and realms like scenes in a dream, it demonstrates the fluid, insubstantial character of what is usually called reality. These tales are not mere ornamentation; they function as a contemplative method, inviting the seeker to inquire (vichāra) into what, if anything, remains constant amid all appearances. Through such inquiry, the mind begins to recognize itself as only a movement within the vast field of awareness, rather than as an independent entity confronting an external world.

From the perspective that Yoga Vasiṣṭha points toward, there are effectively two standpoints: a conventional one, in which the world, individuality, karma, and ethical action are provisionally acknowledged, and an ultimate one, in which only non-dual consciousness truly is. On this ultimate level, there is a strong emphasis on non-origination: creation, sustenance, and dissolution are seen as modes of appearance within timeless awareness, not as real changes in an independently existing universe. Liberation (mokṣa) is thus not the acquisition of something new, but the recognition that the self (Ātman) is already identical with Brahman, and that no separate universe has ever truly arisen. When this insight stabilizes, the world does not necessarily vanish from experience; rather, it is seen as an insubstantial display, like a dream known as a dream, allowing action to continue without clinging, fear, or grief.