Question and answer 18

Disciple: The jīva says 'I, I'; it is many and limited, and carries the afflictions of attachment and the rest. Brahman is one, all-pervading, and free of attachment and the rest. How can the two be one? If the jīva and Brahman are one, who acts, and who gives the fruit of action?

Guru: Oneness with Brahman does not hold for the jīva qualified by the inner instrument, the direct meaning of the word 'I'; but it does hold for the witness, the implied meaning of that word 'aham'. It is the reflected part in the jīva that acts. It is the reflected part in Īśa, the direct meaning of the word 'tat', that gives the fruit. In the consciousness that is the implied meaning of both there is no difference, and neither of these two characters is there.

Disciple: Between the jīva, which saying 'I, I' is many, limited and with the afflictions of attachment and the rest, and Brahman, which is one, all-pervading and free of attachment and the rest, how can there be oneness? If jīva and Brahman are one, who does action? Who gives the fruit?

Guru: Though it cannot be for the jīva qualified by the inner instrument, the direct meaning of the word 'I', for the witness, the implied meaning of that word 'aham', oneness with Brahman can be. The reflected part in the jīva alone does action. The reflected part in Īśa, the direct meaning of the word 'tat', alone gives the fruit. In the consciousness that is their implied meaning there is no difference; these two characters are not.