Sri Ramana: The Jnani and the World #2

[Guest guest]

Disciple: If the jnani and the ajnani perceive the world in like

manner, where is the difference between them?

Maharshi: Seeing the world, the jnani sees the Self which is the

substratum of all that is seen; the ajnani, whether he sees the world

or not, is ignorant of his true being, the Self.

 

Take the instance of moving picture on the screen in the cinema show.

What is there in front of you before the play begins? Merely the

screen. On that screen you see the entire show, and for all

appearances the pictures are real. But go and try to take hold of

them. what do you take hold of? Merely the screen on which the

pictures appeared so real. After the play when the pictures

disappear, what remains? The screen again!

 

So, with the Self. That alone exists; the pictures come and go. If you

hold on to the Self, you will not be deceived by the appearance of the

pictures. Nor does it matter at all if the pictures appear or

disappear. Ignoring the Self, the ajnani thinks the world is real,

just as, ignoring the screen, he sees merely the pictures, as if they

existed apart from it. If one knows that without the Seer there is

nothing to be seen, just as there are no pictures without the screen,

one is not deluded. The jnani knows that the screen, the pictures, and

the sight thereof are but the Self. With the pictures the Self is in

its manifest form; without the pictures It remain in the unmanifest

form; To the jnani it is quite immaterial if the Self is in the one

form or the other. He is always the Self. but the ajnani seeing the

jnani active , get confounded.

 

To be hopefully continued.

 

Purloined from "The Spiritual Teachings of Ramana Maharshi..Shambala press.