Can you explain the concept of the world as an illusion (Maya) as described in Chapter 26?

As detailed in Chapter 26, the physical world is described as an illusion created by Maya. The text uses several analogies to convey this idea, comparing the universe to a city reflected in a mirror or a dream that appears real but vanishes upon waking. It posits that from the Creator Brahma down to a blade of grass, the entire expanded world is merely a display of Maya and has no independent existence outside the Self. This illusion is said to persist due to ignorance of one's true nature but dissolves completely when the time for awakening through the Guru’s word arrives, revealing the self-luminous and eternal nature of the Self.