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Chapter 9
All is God—this belief is more powerful than discrimination. The reason is that discrimination is useful when both the real and the unreal are distinguished. But when the unreal does not exist at all, then what is the use of discrimination? If we assume the entity of the unreal, then there is need for discrimination; but if we don't assume the entity of the unreal, then there is belief. In discrimination there is division between the real and the unreal but in belief or faith all being God there is no division at all. In faith there is only the real viz., only God.
In the Discipline of knowledge, there is predominance of discrimination while in the Discipline of Devotion, there is predominance of belief and love (devotion). In the Discipline of knowledge, discrimination between the real and the unreal, the self and the non-self, the eternal and the transient is important; so there is duality—'dvaita',but in the Discipline of Devotion, belief in God is important, so there is non-dualism—'advaita'. It means that in fact there is real non-dualism in devotion as there are no two entities.
In the Discipline of Knowledge a striver negates the unreal. By negation, the entity of the unreal can persist. The more emphasis a striver lays on the negation of the unreal, the more the assumption ofthe entity of the unreal is strengthened. Therefore 'to negate the unreal', is not so good as is 'to be indifferent to it'. Better than indifference to it is the notion—'all is God'. Therefore a devotee neither negates the unreal nor is indifferent to it, but he beholds God in all—the real and the unreal because in fact all is God.
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