Bridging the Illusory Gap

Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj

Q. There must be some link between your world and mine.

There is no need of a link between a real world and an imaginary world, for there cannot be any.

So what are we to do?

Investigate your world, apply your mind to it, examine it critically, scrutinize every idea about it; that will do.

The world is too big for investigation. All I know is that I am the world is, the world troubles me and I trouble the world.

My experience is that everything is bliss. But the desire for bliss creates pain. Thus bliss becomes the seed of pain. The entire universe of pain is born of desire. Give up the desire for pleasure and you will not even know what is pain.

Why should pleasure be the seed of pain?

Because for the sake of pleasure you are committing many sins. And the fruits of sin are suffering and death.

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There is no need of a bridge. Your mistake lies in your belief that you are born. You were never born nor will you ever die, but you believe that you were born at a certain date and place and that a particular body is your own.

The world is, I am. These are facts.

Why do you worry about the world before taking care of yourself? You want to save the world, don't you? Can you save the world before saving yourself? And what means being saved? Saved from what? From illusion. Salvation is to see things as they are. I really do not see myself related to anybody and anything. Not even to a self, whatever that self may be. I remain forever - undefined. I am - within and beyond - intimate and unapproachable.