“The Self is ear of the ear, mind of the mind, speech of speech.

“The Self is ear of the ear, mind of the mind, speech of speech.

He is also breath of the breath, and eye of the eye.

Having given up the false identification of the Self with the senses and the mind, and knowing the Self to be Brahman, the wise, on departing this life, become immortal.”

The ear, mind, speech, breath, and eye are only instruments, only messengers.

The one who causes them to function, the hearer of hearing, the witness of the mind and thought, the understander of speech, the source of the breath and the seer of seeing, is the Atman, the Self.

External experience maybe illusory, but if we trace the illusion back and back to the perceiver of perception we will find the reality that is the Self.

In a motion picture we see so many images, so many illusions, but when the picture stops we see the pure white screen that was behind it all the time, without which no picture would have been possible.

Such is the Self. Knowing the Self to be none other than Brahman, the Absolute...from kena upanishad