“The self is self’s curtain. That is why it is almost impossible to know self. It is so completely one that unless there is duality the experience cannot be had; but when the duality is there then ignorance creeps in. Eyes cannot see themselves unless the mirror reflects them. The sparrow to see itself needs a mirror; but when it sees itself in the mirror, it thinks it is some other sparrow and fights with the reflection. Why? The duality caused by the mirror made the sparrow see itself; but ignorance made it think its own reflection to be another sparrow. Unless there is a mirror the sparrow cannot see itself and when the mirror comes, the ignorance comes too.
“For the soul to know itself, the medium of Maya and its creations is necessary. But Maya and its creations come, ignorance comes too, and instead of knowing itself through Maya it goes on fighting with Maya. Ignorance must go, and soul will know itself.”
Treasures from the Meher Baba journals, p55