| 46.
|
Traditionally, the root cause of the beliefs that
we are separate, that there is a dualistic world, that
we are unhappy and so on is self-ignorance – avidyA.
|
47.
|
Given the fact that, in reality,
there is only brahman, the existence of ‘self-ignorance’ is
not easy to explain. It would seem that either brahman
or the jIva must be the locus of the ignorance but either
poses problems. The post-Shankara vivaraNa school claims
the former while the bhAmatI school claims the latter.
The essential reason for the diverging views is the ultimate
irreconcilability of absolute reality with the empirical world – a
problem which will crop up again and again in this book. |
48.
|
The bhAmatI-s attribute two aspects
to avidyA: a ‘veiling
power’, called AvaraNa (which prevents us from seeing the
reality of the rope, in the rope-snake metaphor) and a ‘projecting
power’, called vikShepa (which projects the appearance
of the snake). Our experience is already non-dual; we already
are brahman but the fact is covered over by AvaraNa, allowing
the mistaken mind to project the illusion of duality. |
49.
|
Only self-knowledge can dispel
self-ignorance.
|
50.
|
The self-ignorance is in the mind.
The appropriate use of the means of self-knowledge (i.e.
presented according to proven, traditional methods by
a skilled teacher to a prepared and receptive mind) automatically removes
the ignorance. |
|
But receipt of unsupported
statements, without any method (e.g. the bare statement
that ‘This
is it’) is effectively only adding more ignorance
about the nature of the self and reality to that which
is already there. |
51. |
In truth, we are already
the Self; it is the mind that thinks otherwise.
|
52.
|
Consequently, ‘enlightenment’ is
that ‘event’ in
the mind that dissolves this self-ignorance once and for all. |
|
"By mind alone can That (brahman)
be attained, There is no difference between the two (brahman
and the world). He who sees them as different goes from
death to death.” Katha Upanishad II.1.11
(Ref. 93) |
