The serene sky, limitlessly expansive, is compared to the
Absolute Truth. The living entities are truths manifested in relation
with the modes of material nature. The deep bluish cloud covers
only an insignificant portion of the limitless sky, and this fractional
covering is compared to the quality of ignorance, or forgetfulness
of the real nature of the living being. A living entity is as pure as
the limitless sky. He becomes covered by the cloud of forgetful-
ness, however, in his tendency for enjoying the material world.
Because of this quality, called tamas (ignorance), he considers
himself different from the Absolute Whole and forgets his purity,
which is like that of the clear sky. This forgetfulness gives rise to
separatism in false ego. Thus the forgetful living entities, indi-
vidually and collectively, make sounds like thundering clouds: “‘|
am this,” “‘It is ours,” or ‘‘It is mine.’’ This mood of false separat-
ism is called the quality of rajas, and it gives rise to a creative
force for separate lordship over the mode of tamas. The flash of
lightning is the only beam of hope that can lead one to the path of
knowledge, and therefore it is compared to the mode of sattva, or
goodness.

The limitless sky, or the all-pervading Absolute Truth (Brah-
man), is nondifferent from the covered portion of the sky, but
simultaneously the whole sky is different from the fractional por-
tion that is liable to be covered by the dark cloud. The cloud,
accompanied by thunder and lightning, cannot possibly cover the
limitless sky. Therefore the Absolute Truth, which is compared to
the whole sky, is simultaneously one with the manifested living
being and different from him. The living being is only a sample of
the Absolute Truth and is prone to be covered by the circumstan-
tial cloud of ignorance.
