Avidya...

Bowl of Saki, October 26, by Hazrat Inayat Khan

Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan:
What is it then in man which says 'I' and identifies itself with what it sees?
It is not our head or foot which says 'I' nor is it in the brain. It is
something that we cannot point out which identifies itself with all these
different parts and says 'I' and mine and knows itself to be the person who
sees. This in itself is ignorance, and it is this which the Hindus have called
avidya.
How can you be that which you possess? You cannot be the horse and rider at
the same time. Herein lies the secret of mortality and immortality; it is the
mortal being that, through illusion, claims immortality.
It is more important to find out the truth about oneself than to find out the
truth about heaven and hell, or about many other things which are of less
importance and are apart from oneself. However, every man's pursuit is according
to his state of evolution, and so each soul is in pursuit of something but he
does not know where it leads him. The first sign of realization is tolerance
towards others.