Chapter (অধ্যায়): SELECTIONS FROM THE MATH DIARY PAGE-318Page: 318 of 537
Q.-What is the proof of the self in us not being the product of the body etc.?
A.-The "ego" like its correlative "non-ego", is the product of the body, mind etc. The only proof of the existence of the real Self is realisation.
Q.-Who is a true Jnani, and who is a true Bhakta?
A.-The true Jnani is he who has the deepest love within his heart and at the same time is a practical seer of Advaita in his outward relations. And the true Bhakta (lover) is he who, realising his own soul as identified with the universal Soul, and thus possessed of the true Jnana within, feels for and loves everyone. Of Jnana and Bhakti he who advocates one and denounces the other cannot be either a Jnani or a Bhakta, but he is a thief and a cheat.
Q.-Why should a man serve Ishvara?
A.-If you once admit that there is such a thing as Ishvara (God), you have numberless occasions to serve Him. Service of the Lord means, according to all the scriptural authorities, remembrance (Smarana). If you believe in the existence of God, you will be reminded of Him at every step of your life.
Q.-Is Mayavada different from Advaitavada?
A.-No. They are identical. There is absolutely no other explanation of Advaitavada except Mayavada.
Q.-How is it possible for God who is infinite to be limited in the form of a man (as an Avatara)?
A.-It is true that God is infinite, but not in the sense in which you comprehend it. You have confounded your idea of infinity with the materialistic idea of vastness. When you say that God cannot take the form of a man, you understand that a very, very large substance or form (as if material in nature), cannot be compressed into a very, very small compass. God's infinitude refers to the unlimitedness of a purely spiritual entity, and as such, does not suffer in the least by expressing itself in a human form.