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Shri Mahavir Jain Aradhana Kendra
www.kobatirth.org
Acharya Shri Kailashsagarsuri Gyanmandir
1944
Atman and Mokşa
me speak : I act as Thou makest me act; I behave as Thou makest me behave,'"Thus, man is totally governed and guided from within and without by God Himself. The existence of 'I'-the ego, is fictitiously created. He says that egoism is so injurious to man that as long as it is not eradicated there is no salvation for man. Freedom or salvation will come when one's 'I-hood' (egoism) vanishes and one is merged in the Divinity. He further maintains that to think in terms of 'l' and 'mine' is ignorance, and true knowledge consists in thinking in terms of 'Thou' and 'Thine! The true devotee regards God (Thou) as the real doer (Kartā) of actions and himself only an instrument in His hands. Thus, the worldly bondage and sufferings come to an end with the cessation of egoism or 'I-hood'.
Māyā is further defined by Ramakşşşa as the lust which forms an obstacie to spiritual progress; and hence, Māyā consists in the lust for 'woman and gold'. According to him, unless one overcomes the irresistible lust for woman and gold one cannot realise God; these two things are the causes of worldly bondage and its sufferings. Thus, ultimately Māyā which creates the false sense of illusion of the Self is responsible for the worldly sufferings of the souls. Mayā resides in God Himself but it cannot deceive Him. Ramakrsna says "The snake itself is not
i Teachings of Sri Ramakrishna, 389. 2 Sayings of Sri Ramakrishna, 106, 107. 3 Ibid. 109. 4 Ibid. 68, 73, 86.
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