"Tat" means sat or existence. The shruti says : "that which is tat is sat, that which is sat is tat". The warp and woof of this creation alone is existence. In the science of existence or sad vidyaa, that alone is the non-dual aware reality. This supreme form of Ishvara is brahman.
"Tvam" means the pure witness. This is the purified form of "I".
"You are that" means the purified "I" sense of every person alone is brahman. Your self, the witness, which appears as disconnected, and this "this-target" world which also appears disconnected, in reality are the same non-disconnected undivided non-dual entity. The substratum of this world which has been denoted as Ishvara in the scriptures is none other that you, to whom this world appears.
Have you seen dust particles in light? Here there are three things: light, space and dust particles. You, the seer of these, are the fourth thing. Now think, in the same manner, in the endless space, you are seeing all these planets in the light of the sun. In the endless space of your non-particularized reality, in the light which is your presence, these infinite disconnected entities are seen by you, think about this for a bit.
Those who accept that dust particles exist, are visible, and the particles are creating light, become followers of the Chaaravaaka school. Those who accept that all these particles are made of the same light become followers of Ishvara. Those who say that there are no dust particles, there is only one void substratum, become followers of the void or "shoonya" school. In their opinion, the self made of particles also does not exist.
But those who accept, and also know, that the non-particularized space which you are seeing as the substratum of these dust particles, that light in which you are seeing the particles, that all-substratum, all-illuminating light is you the seer self, and these dust particles are an erroneous perception of your own self, are followers of Vedanta. You are that!
The science of existence posits - "apart from existence, there is no other thing called the self". Its conclusion - "you are that". He who was before creation, will remain after dissolution, and in whom creation-dissolution appear in the middle, that alone is the self.
He who does not have a beginning or end does not have a middle, every present point is a middle point, then in that beginningless-endless reality, where will there be another beginning-middle-end world? "All this is our self alone".
First, using seer-seen discrimination, five sheath witness discrimination, three fold body witness discrimination, tristate witness discrimination, experience yourself as the pure witness. You are the anvil-like illuminator knowledge, beyond the body and all of its arrogations. This is the "you" aspect. But this is not the complete knowledge, since you experience a distinct creation on all four sides, the seer distinct from the seen, one seen distinct from another. The invisible is seen to have a reality, there must be a creator of this world, he is different than me, unknown to me - this experience is still intact in you. For this, the "that" aspect Ishvara's nature has to be investigated.
Through the process of cause-effect, substratum-superimposed, scripture-described "laya chintana" etc. worship leads to the true nature of the absolute, and its investigation becomes complete. After that, investigation into the great statement "you are that" becomes necessary. In it, there is a difference between the nature of the soul and Ishvara. Arguments that negate this difference and that assert the non-difference should be contemplated upon. In the end, if needed, then an undivided thought-flow into the meaning of non-difference should also be performed. For a dispassion-filled seeker, this leads to the dawning of the "brahmaakaara" or brahman-shaped thought-flow, his "I" becomes known to him as brahman. This is the Vedanta philosophy - whoever knows the indicated meaning of "you" and "that", knows the meaning of "you are that" by listening alone. The engagement into contemplation and meditation is only to clarify the indicated meaning. This is the wonder of Vedanta, hear "you are that" once and become liberated!
More on this topic is described in chapter 17, the science of existence.
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