260. Feedback Mechanism
K rishna asks, “O Arjuna, have you heard Me with a concentrated mind? Has your ignorance born out of delusion ( sammohan ) been destroyed?” (18.72). These are the final words of Lord Krishna in the Gita. Firstly, ignorance is always born out of delusion. There are two fundamental delusions we are subject to. One is caused by the three gunas ( yoga-maya ) (7.25) and the other by polarities of longing and aversion (7.27). ‘ Yoga-maya ’ separates the manifested lower nature ( apara-prakriti ) and unmanifested higher nature ( para-prakriti ) which prevents us from knowing Him ( Paramatma ) as unborn and imperishable (7.25). This ignorance can be destroyed by knowledge of the self (5.16). The second delusion arises out of our belief that we can attain happiness through our senses. The polarities of longing and aversion are generated when senses meet sense-objects (2.14) and these polarities create delusion (7.27). The solution is not to get attached to external sensual pleasures and ...