ana.
As soon as the adhi@s@thana, the ground, the reality, the blissful
self-luminous Brahman is completely realized the illusions disappear.
The disappearance of the phenomena means nothing
more than the realization of the self-luminous Brahman.
The Definition of Ajnana (nescience).
Ajnana the cause of all illusions is defined as that which is
beginningless, yet positive and removable by knowledge (_anadibhavarupatve
sati jnananivartyatvam_). Though it manifests itself
in all ordinary things (veiled by it before they become objects of
perception) which have a beginning in time, yet it itself has no
beginning, for it is associated with the pure consciousness which
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is beginningless. Again though it has been described as positive
(_bhavarupa_) it can very well constitute the essence of negation
(_abhava_) too, for the positivity (_bhavatva_) does not mean here the
opposite of abhava (negation) but notes merely its difference from
abhava (_abhava-vilak@sa@natvamatram vivak@sitam_). Ajnana is not
a positive entity (_bhava_) like any other positive entity, but it is
called positive simply because it is not a mere negation (_abhava_).
It is a category which is believed neither to be positive in the
ordinary sense nor negative, but a third one which is different
both from position as well as from negation. It is sometimes
objected that ajnana is a mere illusory imagination of the moment
caused by defect (_do@sa_) and hence it cannot be beginningless
(_anadi_); but Vedanta holds that the fact that it is an imagination
or rather imposition, does not necessarily mean that it is merely
a temporary notion produced by the defects; for it could have
been said to be a temporary product of the moment if the ground
as well as the illusory creation associated with it came into being
for the moment, but this is not the case here, as the cit, the
ground of illusion, is ever-present and the ajnana therefore being
ever associated with it is also beginningless. The ajnana is the
indefinite which is veiling everything, and as such is different
from the definite or the positive and the negative. Though it is
beginningless yet it can be removed by knowledge, for to have
a beginning or not to have it does not in any way determine
whether the thing is subject to dissolution or not for the dissolution
of a thing depends upon the presence of the thing which
can cause it; and it is a fact that when knowledge comes the
illusion is des
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