"Atma Bodha - Day 05 / 08" Talk in English by Swami Aparajitananda, Chinmaya Mission Mangaluru.

Hari Om! Swāmī Aparājitānanda jī explains wonderfully why we cannot know God, but can only become God. Nature of Consciousness is that it is knowledge and light itself and once we realise the Self, nothing more remains to be seen or known. But jīva is a poor reflection of Consciousness. So we see and feel the finite and fearful ego. This avidya leads to the birth-death cycle. Consciousness can be known by the neti-neti method. By discarding unreal objects (Nitya-anitya viveka) and going to the perfect Subject by negating the wanderings of the mind, the Truth of the Mahāvākyas can be realised. The definitions of jīva and Īshvara are explained beautifully. Listening to the talk is itself like a guided meditation - something to be internalised, not just heard and definitely not to be missed! (Ātmabodha - verses 26 to 30)