Differences

The distinction between knowledge and ignorance starts with the hymns of the RigVeda, where knowledge means being conscious of the Truth and what is right, and ignorance is being unconscious of the Truth and what is right, opposing it and creating false or negative effects.

The Jivas are distinct from God and matter. According to Madhva, the difference between Brahman and Jiva is real.

Avidya is a form of Prakriti that obscures the spiritual powers of the individual soul, forming a veil that hides the Supreme from the individual's vision.

That knowledge which perceives in all beings separate realities of various distinct kinds — know that knowledge to be rajasic.

There are two kinds of beings in this world — the divine and the demoniac. The divine has been described at length; hear from Me now about the demoniac, O Partha.

Everyone follows their own imagined path; the endless variety of misdeeds cannot be put into words.

The person who accurately knows the names of the unmanifest, the qualities, and their pure operations, is well-versed in the truth about all distinctions, freed from the body, liberated from all qualities, and enjoys absolute happiness.

The collective is a mass that forms and takes shape, while the individual is the one who discovers truth, creates form, and brings things into being.

Infact uniformity is not something that we require. What we need is unity - unity in diversity. We do not want uniformity of material goods but unity of hearts.

As a matter of fact all the objects created by God are meant for all human beings. It is man himself who is imposing limits on them because of his own selfishness and narrow-mindedness. That is why man is suffering.

A sacrifice stripped of prescribed rite, without food offering, without sacred chants, without fees, and devoid of faith — that is declared to be tamasic.

Even the food that everyone prefers is of three kinds. Likewise sacrifice, austerity, and charity are each threefold. Hear now these distinctions.

Those of sattva worship the gods; those of rajas worship yaksha and rakshasas; others — those of tamas — worship ghosts and spirits.

Food that is stale, flavourless, putrid, leftover, and impure — the food left after others — is dear to those of tamas.

Foods that are bitter, sour, excessively salty, very hot, pungent, dry, and burning — these are desired by those of rajas and bring pain, grief, and disease.

In just this way the individual self of the wise one dissolves into the Supreme Self. Day and night, everywhere and always, the wise one delights in that Oneness.

Just as water merges into the ocean, milk into milk, and clarified butter into clarified butter; just as the space within a broken pot merges into the open sky — so does the individual self merge into the Supreme Self.

Salutations to the Guru — by whose knowledge the universe is no longer seen as fractured into separate parts, who is ever one, whose form is forever the same undivided wholeness.

The Guru is not separate from the self that knows — this is truth, truly the truth, beyond all doubt. Therefore the wise must earnestly strive to attain that realization.

The dispute is not that of languages, neither states nor nations; the problem lies in not treating others as our own, in treating them as lower than ourselves, inferior to ourselves.