Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj: Neither Ignorance Nor Illusion

Neither ignorance nor illusion
Ever happened to you.
Find the self to which you ascribe
Ignorance and illusion
And your question will be answered.
You talk as if you know the self
And see it to be under the sway of
Ignorance and illusion.
But, in fact, you do not know the self,
Nor are you aware of ignorance.

By all means,
Become aware,
This will bring you to the self
And you will realize that there is neither
Ignorance nor delusion in it.

It is like saying:
If there is sun, how can darkness be?
As under a stone there will be darkness,
However strong the sunlight,
So in the shadow of the
"I-am-the-body" consciousness
There must be ignorance and illusion.
Don't ask 'why' and 'how'.
It is in the nature of creative imagination
To identify itself with its creations.
You can stop it any moment by
Switching off attention.
Or through investigation.

~Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj