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The sun cannot become a ray, and a ray can never become the sun. An eternal element is always indivisible. By however much the layers of ignorance are shed, that much light of Knowledge will be exposed. When the coverings of all the regions (pradesho) of the Atma (Self) are uncovered, the full effulgence of the Absolute Soul (Parmatma) will illuminate the entire universe.
Part Two
Who Am I ? How To Know This?
Atma-Parmatma, Brahma-Parabrahma, Jiva-Shiva, Ishwar-Parmeshwar, are all words that describe the phases of the Atma. When the phase changes, the state that is felt also changes; however, the original element remains the same. Because of change in the circumstance, one is a husband at home, a boss in the shop and a lawyer in court. But he remains the same everywhere.
What is the difference between the living being (jiva; embodied self) and the Self (Shiva)? You yourself are Shiva, but because of illusion (bhranti), you believe that you are just a living being; mortal (jiva). Once the illusion of separation breaks, the separation of jiva (self) and Shiva (Self) is broken, the living being and the Self (jiva-Shiva) become one.
As long as the living being (jiva; self) believes that the state of the worldly life (sansar) is really its own, it undergoes the cycles of birth and death. When living and dying ends, it is then the immortal Self (Shivatma).
The living being (jiva) has karma, and the Atma is without karma. But the Atma in them both is the same. The living being (self) is the doer- sufferer (karta-bhokta); whereas the Atma is the non-doer (akarta) – non-sufferer (abhokta)! As long as you believe: 'You are God, and I am your devotee', the difference will exist. When you have the awareness: 'I am myself the
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