Ignorance is the lack of the divine ability to see the supramental Truth; it is the part of our consciousness that does not perceive, as opposed to the part that sees and knows the truth.
Awareness
Awareness refers to a state of being conscious and mindful across various spiritual traditions. These traditions converge in emphasizing the importance of awareness for personal growth and enlightenment. However, they diverge in their approaches and perspectives on cultivating awareness.
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Quotes
You have been born in this world as a human being to worship God, so try to cultivate love for his divine presence.
Has this been heard by you, Partha, with a concentrated mind? Has your delusion born of ignorance been destroyed, Dhananjaya?
कच्चिदेतच्छ्रुतं पार्थ त्वयैकाग्रेण चेतसा | कच्चिदज्ञानसम्मोहः प्रनष्टस्ते धनञ्जय ||१८-७२||
What is night for all beings is the time of waking for the disciplined one; and what is waking for all beings is night for the sage who sees.
या निशा सर्वभूतानां तस्यां जागर्ति संयमी | यस्यां जाग्रति भूतानि सा निशा पश्यतो मुनेः ||२-६९||
The primary goal of life is to attain a conscious awareness of our unity with God.
This is Brahman; this is Indra; this is Prajapati; these are all the gods; and these five great elements—earth, air, space, water, and light; and these beings, as it were, mingled with the small; the seeds of the one kind and the other—those born from an egg, from a womb, from moisture, and by sprouting; horses, cattle, humans, elephants; whatever breathes here, moving or flying, and whatever is stationary. All this is guided by consciousness (prajnana), founded on consciousness. The world is guided by consciousness; consciousness is its foundation. Consciousness is Brahman.
एष ब्रह्मैष इन्द्र एष प्रजापतिरेते सर्वे देवा इमानि च पञ्चमहाभूतानि पृथिवी वायुराकाश आपो ज्योतींषीत्येतानीमानि च क्षुद्रमिश्राणीव । बीजानीतराणि चेतराणि चाण्डजानि च जारुजानि च स्वेदजानि चोद्भिज्जानि चाश्वा गावः पुरुषा हस्तिनो यत्किञ्चेदं प्राणि जङ्गमं च पतत्रि च यच्च स्थावरं सर्वं तत्प्रज्ञानेत्रं प्रज्ञाने प्रतिष्ठितं प्रज्ञानेत्रो लोकः प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठा प्रज्ञानं ब्रह्म ॥ ३॥
That which one does not breathe with the breath, but by which the breath is drawn — know that alone to be Brahman, not this that people worship here.
यत्प्राणेन न प्राणिति येन प्राणः प्रणीयते ।तदेव ब्रह्म त्वं विद्धि नेदं यदिदमुपासते ॥ ९॥
That which one does not hear with the ear, but by which this ear hears — know that alone to be Brahman, not this that people worship here.
यच्छ्रोत्रेण न शृणोति येन श्रोत्रमिदं श्रुतम् ।तदेव ब्रह्म त्वं विद्धि नेदं यदिदमुपासते ॥ ८॥
That which one does not see with the eye, but by which the eyes see — know that alone to be Brahman, not this that people worship here.
यच्चक्षुषा न पश्यति येन चक्षूँषि पश्यति ।तदेव ब्रह्म त्वं विद्धि नेदं यदिदमुपासते ॥ ७॥
Om. By whom impelled and directed does the mind fly toward its objects? By whom commanded does the first breath go forth? By whom impelled do people utter this speech? What god yokes the eye and the ear?
ॐ केनेषितं पतति प्रेषितं मनः केन प्राणः प्रथमः प्रैति युक्तः ।केनेषितां वाचमिमां वदन्ति चक्षुः श्रोत्रं क उ देवो युनक्ति ॥ १॥
Where one asleep desires no desire and sees no dream, that is deep sleep. The third quarter is Prajna, whose sphere is deep sleep, who has become one, a mass of consciousness, made of bliss, an enjoyer of bliss, whose face is thought.
यत्र सुप्तो न कञ्चन कामं कामयते न कञ्चन स्वप्नं पश्यति तत् सुषुप्तम् । सुषुप्तस्थान एकीभूतः प्रज्ञानघन एवानन्दमयो ह्यानन्दभुक् चेतोमुखः प्राज्ञस्तृतीयः पादः ॥ ५॥
The second quarter is Taijasa, whose sphere is the dream state, who is conscious of the inner, seven-limbed, nineteen-mouthed, an eater of subtle things.
स्वप्नस्थानोऽन्तःप्रज्ञः सप्ताङ्ग एकोनविंशतिमुखः प्रविविक्तभुक्तैजसो द्वितीयः पादः ॥ ४॥
The first quarter is Vaishvanara, whose sphere is the waking state, who is conscious of the outer, seven-limbed, nineteen-mouthed, an eater of gross things.
जागरितस्थानो बहिष्प्रज्ञः सप्ताङ्ग एकोनविंशतिमुखः स्थूलभुग्वैश्वानरः प्रथमः पादः ॥ ३॥
Knowledge, the object of knowledge, and the knower — these are the threefold impulse to action. The instrument, the action, and the agent — these are the threefold constituents of action.
ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं परिज्ञाता त्रिविधा कर्मचोदना | करणं कर्म कर्तेति त्रिविधः कर्मसंग्रहः ||१८-१८||
The psychic personality within us blossoms as the saint, the sage, or the seer. When it reaches its full potential, it directs the being toward self-awareness and the divine, toward the highest truth, goodness, beauty, love, and bliss, and the divine expanses, opening us to the experience of spiritual sympathy, universality, and oneness.
Your true nature is pure existence, consciousness, and bliss. The physical body is just an illusion.
Guru is the gateway to transcendental Truth-Consciousness.
He who dwells in the ear, yet is within the ear, whom the ear does not know, whose body the ear is, who controls the ear from within—he is your Self, the inner controller, the immortal.
यः श्रोत्रे तिष्ठञ्छ्रोत्रादन्तरो यꣳ श्रोत्रं न वेद यस्य श्रोत्रꣳ शरीरं यः श्रोत्रमन्तरो यमयत्य्स एष त आत्माऽन्तर्याम्यमृतः ॥ १९॥
He who dwells in the eye, yet is within the eye, whom the eye does not know, whose body the eye is, who controls the eye from within—he is your Self, the inner controller, the immortal.
यश्चक्षुषि तिष्ठꣳश्चक्षुषोऽन्तरो यं चक्षुर्न वेद यस्य चक्षुः शरीरं यश्चक्षुरन्तरो यमयत्येष त आत्माऽन्तर्याम्यमृतः ॥ १८॥
He who dwells in the breath, yet is within the breath, whom the breath does not know, whose body the breath is, who controls the breath from within—he is your Self, the inner controller, the immortal.
यः प्राणे तिष्ठन्प्राणादन्तरो यं प्राणो न वेद यस्य प्राणः शरीरं यः प्राणमन्तरो यमयत्येष त आत्माऽन्तर्याम्यमृतः ॥ १६॥