According to Baba's teachings, what is the true nature of the Soul and how is it different from the body and mind?

Chapter 19 explains that the Soul is fundamentally distinct from the body, senses, mind, and life-force. Its true nature is described as self-luminous, pure consciousness, changeless, and formless. To illustrate this, the text uses the analogy of a crystal. Just as a pure crystal remains colorless and untainted even when it appears red or black due to a colored object placed near it, the Soul remains pure and unchanged by the actions of Maya. The text clarifies that the ego of identifying with the body, or thinking "I am the body," is a false bondage, a superimposition like mistaking a rope for a snake.