What is the nature of the Self?

“What exists in truth is the Self alone.
The world, the individual soul, and God
are appearances in it. Like silver in mother-
of-pearl, these three appear at the same
time, and disappear at the same time. The
Self is that where there is absolutely no “I”
thought. That is called “Silence”. The Self
itself is the world; the Self itself is “I”; the
Self itself is God; all is Shiva, the Self.

Shri Ramana Maharshi