Immanence Only with Maya

Sri Ramana Maharshi

D.: How are we to proceed?

M.: Only get rid of the non-self.

D.: It looks all right now; but later it is all forgotten.

M.: Your forgetfulness implies knowledge, for you know you forgot; otherwise how can you speak of forgetting it? So forgetfulness also is Chit-akasa (Chit-ether) only.

D.: How then is it not clear to me?

M.: Chit is knowledge pure and simple. The mind proceeds from it; the mind is made up of thoughts. Darkness or ignorance interposing. Pure Knowledge seems different from what It really is; the same is seen as ‘I’ and the ‘world’ which are full of desire, attachment, hatred, etc. Therefore desire, etc., are said to veil the Reality.

D.: How to be rid of thoughts? Is it as said in the Atma-Vidya - the eye of the mental eye, etc.?

M.: There the mind stands for ether, Being (sat); and the eye for knowledge (chit); both sat and chit together form the universe.

D.: How to realize the same?

M.: As pointed out in the Atma Vidya “being the eye of the mental eye, the ether of the mental ether.....”, meaning, the Knowledge behind the relative knowledge, the Chit-Ether containing the mental ether, remains as the Only One always shining bright.

D.: Still I do not understand. How shall I realize it?

M.: It is also said, “Remain free from thoughts,” and “It is realized only in the mind drawn within.” Therefore, the mind made free from thoughts, and merged in the Heart is Chit Itself.

D.: Is the aforesaid mental ether Isvara or Hiranyagarbha?

M.: Can the latter remain independent of the former? The same is Isvara and Hiranyagarbha.

D.: How do they differ from each other?

M.: The Immanent Being is called Isvara.

D.: Is not the Immanent Being Chit-akasa only?

M.: Immanence can only be with Maya. It is the Knowledge of Being along with Maya; from this subtle conceit Hiranyagarbha; from the latter the gross conceit virat. Chit-atma is Pure Being only.