Page:The Gospel of Râmakrishna.djvu/274

 This world is the wilderness. The three robbers are the three Gunas of nature, — Sattwa, Rajas, and Tamas. Jiva or the individual soul is the traveler; self-knowledge is his treasure. The Tamas quality tries to destroy the Jiva, the Rajas quality binds him with the fetters of the world, but the Sattwa quality protects him from the actions of Rajas and Tamas. By taking refuge with the Sattwa quality, Jiva becomes free from lust and anger, which are effects of Tamas; the Sattwa quality also emancipates the Jiva or the individual soul from the bondage of the world. But Sattwa quality itself is also a robber. It cannot give Divine wisdom or the knowledge of the Abso- lute. It leads one, however, up to the path of the Supreme Abode and then it says: "Be- hold, there is thy home!" Then it disappears. Even the Sattwa quality cannot go near the abode of the Absolute. What the Absolute is no one can tell. He who as attained the Absolute can- not give any information about it. Four travelers discovered a place enclosed by a high wall, with no opening any- where. They were very anxious to see what