How does Chapter 26 contrast the nature of the Self with the nature of the physical world?

Chapter 26 draws a sharp distinction between the eternal Self and the transient physical world. It describes the nature of the Self as self-luminous and eternal, the ultimate reality. In stark contrast, the physical world and the entire universe are portrayed as a play and marvel of Maya—an illusion. The chapter explains that this visible world is illusory and has no independent existence outside the Self, much like a reflection in a mirror doesn't truly exist in the glass. This world, born of ignorance, is destined to dissolve with the dawn of true knowledge, which reveals the unchanging and ever-present nature of the Self, as conveyed through the teachings of a Sadguru.