Question and answer 16

Disciple: How can ignorance abide in Brahman, whose nature is light, any more than darkness in the sun? And even if it did, superimposition does not arise in what is fully known, nor in what is not known at all; it arises only in what is known in general and not known in particular. Brahman has no general and particular aspects; it is without particulars. How then can bondage be superimposed on it?

Guru: Brahman is light, yet in deep sleep ignorance abides in the light of its own nature. So the light of its own nature, the all-pervading general consciousness, is not opposed to ignorance but supports it, as the general fire latent in wood does not oppose darkness but supports it. But as the particular fire drawn out of the wood by churning is opposed to darkness, so the particular consciousness mounted on the mode of the inner instrument that has taken the form of Brahman is opposed to ignorance. Brahman is indeed without particulars; yet even in the time of ignorance its aspect of being is known, as 'I am', and so it is like the general; while consciousness, bliss and the rest are as if unknown then and as if known when knowledge comes, and so they are like the particular. Since this appearance arises through avidyā, Brahman, though without particulars, is known in its aspect of being and unknown in its aspects of consciousness and bliss, and in such a Brahman the superimposition of bondage does fit.

Disciple: Like darkness in the sun, how can ignorance abide in Brahman whose form is light? Even if it were, superimposition does not arise in what is well known, nor in what is not known at all; only in what is known in general and not known in particular does superimposition arise. But for Brahman there are no general and particular aspects; it is without particulars. Therefore how can the superimposition of bondage fit?

Guru: Though Brahman is light, since in deep sleep ignorance abides in the light of its own nature, the all-pervading general consciousness, which is the light of its own nature, is not opposed to ignorance; it supports it, as the general fire in wood is not opposed to darkness but supports it. As the particular fire drawn out by churning the wood is opposed to darkness, the particular consciousness mounted on the mode of the inner instrument that has the form of Brahman alone is opposed to ignorance. Though Brahman is without particulars, since its aspect of being is known even at the time of ignorance as 'I am', it is as if general; and since consciousness, bliss and the rest are as if not known then and as if known at the time of knowledge, they are as if particular; since through avidyā there arises such an appearance, in that Brahman without particulars, known in its aspect of being and unknown in its aspects of consciousness, bliss and the rest, the superimposition of bondage fits.