Pointers to the truth!

This is one of my all time favorite sites:
http://www.geocities.com/advaitavedant
Do check it out when bored & in front of the computer!

From the ‘Spiritual instruction’ by Ramana Maharshi, here is a neat comparison:
How can there be a connection between the Self which is pure knowledge and the triple factors (knower, known & knowledge) which are relative knowledge?
This is, in a way, like the working of a cinema as shown below:

CINEMA SHOW
- SELF
1. The lamp inside (the apparatus).
- The Self
2. The lens in front of the lamp.
- The pure (sattvic) mind close to the Self.
3. The film which is a long series of (separate photos).
- The stream of latent tendencies consisting of subtle thoughts.
4. The lens, the light passing through it and the lamp, which together form the focused light.
- The mind, the illumination of it and the Self, which together form the seer or the Jiva
5. The light passing through the lens and falling on the screen.
- The light of the Self emerging from the mind through the senses, and falling on the world.
6. The various kinds of pictures appearing in the light of the screen.
- The various forms and names appearing as the objects perceived in the light of the world.
7. The mechanism which sets the film in motion.
-The divine law manifesting the latent tendencies of the mind.

Just as the pictures appear on the screen as long as the film throws the shadows through the lens, so the phenomenal world will continue to appear to the individual in the waking and dream states as long as there are latent mental impressions. Just as the lens magnifies the tiny specks on the film to a huge size and as a number of pictures are shown in a second, so the mind enlarges the sprout-like tendencies into tree-like thoughts and shows in a second innumerable worlds. Again, just as there is only the light of the lamp visible when there is no film, so the Self alone shines without the triple factors when the mental concepts in the form of tendencies are absent in the states of deep sleep, swoon and samadhi. Just as the lamp illumines the lens, etc., while remaining unaffected, the Self illumines the ego (chidabhasa), etc., while remaining unaffected.

This is as good a comparison as I’ve ever seen, in helping one understand the nature of existence. This neatly explains my strong preference for fantasy movies. The next time I go see a movie forking out a princely sum, I might as well digest some of these facts :-)