Whose Is The Ignorance?

Sri Ramana Maharshi

22-11-1945 Afternoon

B said, "Even though we usually describe the reality as sat, chit, ananda, even that is not quite a correct description. It cannot really be described. By this description all that we endeavor to make plain is that it is not asat, that it is not jada and that it is free from all pain."

Again B said, "We are all in reality sat-chit-ananda. But we imagine we are bound and are having all these pains."

I asked, "Why do we imagine so? Why does this ignorance or ajnana come to us?"

B said, "Enquire to whom has this ignorance come and you will find it never came to you and that you have always been that sat-chit-ananda. One performs all sorts of penances to become what one already is. All effort is simply to get rid of this viparita buddhi or mistaken impression that one is limited and bound by the woes of samsara."

Later B said, "The spark of jnana will easily consume all creation as if it were a mountain-heap of cotton. All the crores of worlds being built upon the weak (or no) foundation of the ego, they all topple down when the atomic bomb of jnana comes down upon them." B said, "All talk of surrender is like pinching jaggery from the jaggery image of Lord Ganesha and offering it as neivedya to the same Lord Ganesha. You say you offer your body, soul and all possessions to God. Were they yours that you could offer them? At best, you can only say, 'I falsely imagined till now that all these which are yours (God's) were mine. Now I realize they are yours. I shall no more act as if they are mine.' And this knowledge that there is nothing but God or Self, that I and mine don't exist and that only the Self exists, is jnana." He added, "Thus there is no difference between bhakti and jnana. Bhakti is jnana mata or mother of jnana."

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From the Bhagavad Gita,

yathaidhAmsi samiddho'gnir bhasmasAt kurute'rjuna

jnAnAgnih sarva-karmANi bhasmasAt kurute tathA

Just as a well-kindled fire reduces a heap of fire-wood to ashes, so does the fire of divine knowledge reduce all sins to ashes.

na hi jnAnena sadrudham pavitramiha vidyate

tat svayam yoga samsiddhah kAlenAtmani vindati

Verily there is nothing so purifying as knowledge in this world. One who is perfect in Yoga discovers it in oneself in course of time.