IGNORANT, WISE, MAYA, RENUNCIATION !!

WHO IS IGNORANT & WISE ?

SWAMI SIVANANDA

He who thinks, "I am the body ... This body is mine ... She is 
my wife ... He is my son ... I am a brahmana ... I am fat ... I am 
black .I am a pandit", is an ignorant man. He is bound.

He who thinks, "I am not the body: I am all-pervading, 
changeless, immortal, indivisible, self-contained, self-existent, 
satchidananda Brahman", is a wise sage. He is free.

He who thinks, "I did this work, so I will go to heaven; I enjoyed 
such and such a thing", is an ignorant man
.
He who thinks, "Prakrti (nature) does everything ... I am only 
witness .... I am non-doer ... I am non-enjoyer" - is a wise sage.

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WHAT IS MAYA(ILLUSION) ?

?

Maya (illusion) is the upadhi (limiting adjunct) of Isvara (God). 
She is the illusory power of Brahman. She keeps the lila 
(creative play) of Isvara (God through her three gunas 
(qualities), viz., satva (purity), rajas (passion) and tamas 
(darkness). Maya is not non-existent because it appears, 
neither is it existent because it is destroyed by the dawn of 
knowledge. Maya is `not That'. It is an indescribable 
appearance.

Maya is neither sat (real) nor asat (unreal) nor sat-asat(real-
unreal) Maya is anadi santam (beginningless) but has an end 
only for the sage who has realised the self. Maya is suddha 
satva or pure satva.

He who gets knowledge of the Self having overcome maya or 
the illusory power, will alone know what maya is, how it arises 
and is destroyed. 

Maya is of the nature of mind. Maya generates different 
degrees of illusion. Maya pervades everywhere. If your mind 
is destroyed by discrimination and vicara (enquiry into the 
self), then maya will not afflict you.

This mind which ever hankers after sensual objects is the 
seed of maya. If the mind is annihilated maya will vanish. 
You will attain the state of quiescence. Brahma jnana 
(knowledge of the Absolute) will dawn in you.

PLEASE READ POSTINGS 'WHAT IS MIND' ?

                                               'CLUTCHES OF MAYA'      

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WHAT IS TRUE RENUNCIATION ?

Someone asked Guru Nanak, "O saint, why have you not 
shaved your head? You are a sanyasin." Guru Nanak replied:
 "My dear friend, I have shaved my mind." In fact, the mind 
should be cleanly shaved. Shaving the mind consists of 
getting rid of all attachments, egoism, infatuation, lust, greed 
and anger. That is real shaving. External shaving of the head 
has no meaning so long as there is internal craving.

Many have not understood what true renunciation is. 

Renunciation of physical objects is no renunciation at all.

True renunciation lies in the abnegation of the mind. It consists

of renouncing all desires and egoism, and not world-existence.

The real renunciation is the renunciation of the ego. If you can 

renounce this, you have renounced everything in the world. If 

the subtle egoism is given up, identification with the body goes 

away automatically.

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