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146
Aptavani-8
Ignorance Shrouds the Brahma
All these scriptures have been written, for the purpose of knowing Brahma (the Self; God). It is for the attainment of Brahma, that they were written. And since people have not attained Brahma, they are wandering about relentlessly! Until the ignorance (agnanta) of one's own Self (swaroop) goes away, nothing will be resolved. Everything else is just imagination or whim (kalpana). There is no end to the imaginings (kalpana) that people have drawn up.
Questioner: Then who obstructs the attainment of Brahma (Self)?
Dadashri: The obstruction (badhak) is ignorance (agnan)! Impurity (mudd), difficulties due to illusion (vikshep) and ignorance (agnan), are the three things that are obstructions. So what do these people do? They just keep on trying to get rid of impurity (mudd) and vikshep. But nowhere do they try to get rid of ignorance (agnan). Now, why is it that no effort is being made to get rid of ignorance (agnan)? That is because, there are no Gnani Purush around. Only rarely, once in thousands of years does a Gnani Purush's avatar (incarnation) occur! Otherwise, there is no Gnani. If there is a Gnani, then the ignorance will go, and when the ignorance (agnan) is gone, then everything is gone. Therefore, the biggest cause of obstruction is ignorance. Once that ignorance is gone, one has the realization of 'Who am I?' And when that it is realized; the awareness will never leave.
Questioner: So can you say that ego (ahamkar) is a covering (avaran) over the attainment of Brahma (Selfrealization)?
Dadashri: Yes, it is true that the ego (ahamkar) is a covering (avaran), but the ego is not considered a covering. There are so many other things that are coverings. It is not just the ahamkar (ego) alone. The main covering is ignorance
