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.
concept
Illusion
The concept of illusion refers to a distorted perception of reality across various spiritual traditions. These traditions converge in recognizing the existence of illusion, but diverge in their interpretations and implications. They offer unique perspectives on the nature and consequences of illusion.
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Quotes
This world is an illusion of colors and sounds, a false display created by the tricks of Maya, the mind, and the senses.
As fire is covered by smoke, as a mirror by dust, and as an embryo is enveloped by the womb, so is this knowledge covered by that desire.
धूमेनाव्रियते वह्निर्यथादर्शो मलेन च | यथोल्बेनावृतो गर्भस्तथा तेनेदमावृतम् ||३-३८||
As moths rush headlong into a blazing flame to their destruction, so too do these people rush headlong into your mouths to their destruction.
यथा प्रदीप्तं ज्वलनं पतङ्गा विशन्ति नाशाय समृद्धवेगाः | तथैव नाशाय विशन्ति लोकास्- तवापि वक्त्राणि समृद्धवेगाः ||११-२९||
Your true nature is pure existence, consciousness, and bliss. The physical body is just an illusion.
Prajapati said to them: 'Adorn yourselves well, dress well, groom yourselves, and then look into the pan of water.' So, having adorned themselves well, dressed well, and groomed themselves, they looked into the pan of water. Prajapati asked them: 'What do you see?'
तौ ह प्रजापतिरुवाच साध्वलंकृतौ सुवसनौ परिष्कृतौ भूत्वोदशरावेऽवेक्षेथामिति तौ ह साध्वलंकृतौ सुवसनौ परिष्कृतौ भूत्वोदशरावेऽवेक्षांचक्राते तौ ह प्रजापतिरुवाच किं पश्यथ इति
The wise, with the help of the Vedas and knowledge, having ascertained that the visible universe is an illusion, instantly realizes the Supreme Spirit as the sole existing independent essence.
Those who live and move within the realm of ignorance stumble and are battered, deluded, like the blind being led by someone who is also blind.
When the mind is gone, everything disappears. The mind's activity creates all appearances. Due to ignorance or illusion in the mind, you perceive objects and trees as separate and real.
What will a person gain by knowing many scriptures? The most important thing is to know how to navigate the world. God alone is real, and everything else is an illusion.
If the devotee practices spiritual discipline to some extent, the guru clarifies everything for them. The disciple then understands the reality and unreality of things. Only God is real; the world is an illusion.
'By the mind alone is it to be perceived. There is no plurality here at all. From death to death he goes who sees plurality here, as it were.'
मनसैवानुद्रष्टव्यं नेह नानाऽस्ति किं चन । मृत्योः स मृत्युमाप्नोति य इह नानेव पश्यति ॥ १९॥
'The one who moves about exalted in dreams — that is the Self,' he said; 'this is the immortal, the fearless; this is Brahman.' And Indra went away with a contented heart. But even before reaching the gods, he saw this difficulty: 'Even though this dreaming self is not blind when the body is blind, nor lame when the body is lame, and is not marred by any defect of the body,'
य एष स्वप्ने महीयमानश्चरत्येष आत्मेति होवाचैतदमृतमभयमेतद्ब्रह्मेति स ह शान्तहृदयः प्रवव्राज स हाप्राप्यैव देवानेतद्भयं ददर्श तद्यद्यपीदꣳ शरीरमन्धं भवत्यनन्धः स भवति यदि स्राममस्रामो नैवैषोऽस्य दोषेण दुष्यति
They replied: 'Just as we ourselves are here, sir — well adorned, well dressed, and groomed — so are these reflections, sir, well adorned, well dressed, and groomed.' 'That is the Self,' he said; 'this is the immortal, the fearless; this is Brahman.' And they went away with contented hearts.
तौ होचतुर्यथैवेदमावां भगवः साध्वलंकृतौ सुवसनौ परिष्कृतौ स्व एवमेवेमौ भगवः साध्वलंकृतौ सुवसनौ परिष्कृतावित्येष आत्मेति होवाचैतदमृतमभयमेतद्ब्रह्मेति तौ ह शान्तहृदयौ प्रवव्रजतुः
'Look at yourself in a pan of water, and whatever you do not understand of the Self, tell me.' So they looked into the pan of water. Prajapati asked them: 'What do you see?' They replied: 'We see the whole of ourselves here, sir, an exact likeness down to the very hairs and nails.'
उदशराव आत्मानमवेक्ष्य यदात्मनो न विजानीथस्तन्मे प्रब्रूतमिति तौ होदशरावेऽवेक्षांचक्राते तौ ह प्रजापतिरुवाच किं पश्यथ इति तौ होचतुः सर्वमेवेदमावां भगव आत्मानं पश्याव आ लोमभ्यः आ नखेभ्यः प्रतिरूपमिति
Prajapati said to them: 'The person seen here in the eye — that is the Self.' He said: 'This is the immortal, the fearless; this is Brahman.' 'But, sir, this one who is seen in water and this one who is seen in a mirror — which of them is the Self?' 'It is the very same one that is seen in all these,' he replied.
तौ ह प्रजापतिरुवाच य एषोऽक्षिणि पुरुषो दृश्यत एष आत्मेति होवाचैतदमृतमभयमेतद्ब्रह्मेत्यथ योऽयं भगवोऽप्सु परिख्यायते यश्चायमादर्शे कतम एष इत्येष उ एवैषु सर्वेष्वन्तेषु परिख्यायत इति होवाच
'The red form of lightning is the form of heat, the white is that of water, the black is that of food. The "lightningness" of lightning has vanished — the modification is merely a name, a matter of words, while the truth is that there are just these three forms.'
यद्विद्युतो रोहितꣳरूपं तेजसस्तद्रूपं यच्छुक्लं तदपां यत्कृष्णं तदन्नस्यापागाद्विद्युतो विद्युत्त्वं वाचारम्भणं विकारो नामधेयं त्रीणि रूपाणीत्येव सत्यम्
'The red form of the moon is the form of heat, the white is that of water, the black is that of food. The "moonness" of the moon has vanished — the modification is merely a name, a matter of words, while the truth is that there are just these three forms.'
यच्छन्द्रमसो रोहितꣳरूपं तेजसस्तद्रूपं यच्छुक्लं तदपां यत्कृष्णं तदन्नस्यापागाच्चन्द्राच्चन्द्रत्वं वाचारम्भणं विकारो नामधेयं त्रीणि रूपाणीत्येव सत्यम्
'The red form of the sun is the form of heat, the white is that of water, the black is that of food. The "sunness" of the sun has vanished — the modification is merely a name, a matter of words, while the truth is that there are just these three forms.'
यदादित्यस्य रोहितꣳरूपं तेजसस्तद्रूपं यच्छुक्लं तदपां यत्कृष्णं तदन्नस्यापागादादित्यादादित्यत्वं वाचारम्भणं विकारो नामधेयं त्रीणि रूपाणीत्येव सत्यम्
'The red form of fire is the form of heat, the white is that of water, the black is that of food. The "fireness" of fire has vanished — the modification is merely a name, a matter of words, while the truth is that there are just these three forms.'
यदग्ने रोहितꣳरूपं तेजसस्तद्रूपं यच्छुक्लं तदपां यत्कृष्णं तदन्नस्यापागादग्नेरग्नित्वं वाचारम्भणं विकारो नामधेयं त्रीणि रूपाणीत्येव सत्यम्