ON THE NATURE OF THE WORLD.
Argument. Proofs of the unreality of the world, leading to the Quietism
of the Spirit.
Ráma said:—Please sir, explain to me whence arises this error of our
knowledge of the objective world, without a cause of this error. (The
True God cannot lead us to the knowledge of untruth).
2. Vasishtha said:—Because we have the knowledge of all things (_i.e._
the objective), to be contained alike in our consciousness (as of the
subjective self); it is plain that this eternal and increate self (or
soul), is the cause and container of them all at all times.
3. That which has an insight or intuitive knowledge of all things, which
are expressed by words and their meanings, is Brahma—the soul and no
other; and nothing that is meant by any significant term, has a
different form of its own. (It is the doctrine of nominalism that the
notions conveyed by words have no realities corresponding with them in
the mind, and have no existence but as mere names).
4. As the quality of a bracelet is not different from its substance of
gold, nor that of a wave from the water; so the expansion of the world,
is not distinct from the spirit of God. (The spirit inflated and
produced the world out of itself. Sruti).
5. It is Brahma that is manifest in the form of the world, and not the
world that appears as God; and so doth gold display itself in the form
of a bracelet, and not the bracelet that takes the nature of gold.
6. As the whole is displayed in all its various parts, so the entire
intellect shows itself in all the various operations of the mind
composing the world. (The intellect displaying the mind, and this the
world).
7. It is ignorance of the infinite and eternal Spirit of God, that
exhibits itself as myself, thyself and the world itself in the mind.
(_i.e._ The knowledge both of the subjective and objective results from
ignorance of the only One—tanmátram).
8. As the shades of different colours in gems, are not apart from the
gems; so the notions of one’s self and the world are the shades inherent
in the self-same intellect.
9. Like waves appearing on the surface of the undulated waters of the
deep; this so-called and meaningless creation, is but a _phasis_ in the
Divine Intellect.
10. Neither does the Spirit of God reside in the creation, nor does the
creation subsist in the Divine Spirit (like waves in the waters); nor is
there such relation as of a part with the whole between them. (These are
_not_ parts of one undivided whole).
11. One should meditate on his intellect as the form of the Divine
Intellect, in his own consciousness of it; and he will feel the Divinity
stirring within himself, as it were stirred by the breath of a breeze.
(There is a divinity stirring within us, Addition).
12. The minute particle of the vacuous intellect, will then appear in
its wondrous form of a void, within the empty space of his conscious
mind. (The primary hypostasis of the vacuous soul being but a void, its
attributes of the intellect and mind, are of the same form).
13. He then finds this vacuous form stirring in himself as the airy
spirit, with its property of feeling, as it is felt in the _flatus
venti_ or breath of air. (This is the Spirit of God).
14. The God then assumes a luminous form as the state of his own
substantiality; and this is posited in the sheath of the intellect as a
spark of fire. (This is the holy light of the God of glory or glorious
God).
15. The light then melts into water as the self-same substance of
itself; and this fluid substance contains in it the property of taste.
(This is the liquid state of the floating spirit before creation).
16. The same is condensed in the form of a solid substance, which is the
same with the Divine Mind. This becomes the earth bearing in its bosom
the property of smell. (The earth being produced from the scum of water,
is dissolved again into its watery form).
17. Again God represents himself to our intellect, as one infinite and
uniform duration; and its measures in twinklings and other divisions,
are but manifestations of the succession of our thoughts.
(Prakachanamvidah parampará—is the very doctrine of Locke and others).
18. The other states in which God presents himself to our intellects are
that, He is Holy, infinitely glorious, seen within us,[2] and without
beginning, middle and end; that, He has no rising nor setting, and
subsists of Himself without a substratum and as the substratum of all.
19. This knowledge of God is bliss itself, and his creation is identic
with himself. Ignorance of God leads to the knowledge of the objective
world, and its extinction is the way to know the eternity of His
existence.
20. Brahma is conceived in the same manner in our souls, as He is
represented to us by our intellects; just as we know all other things
according to our ideas of them, in our all comprehensive minds.
21. Of these, those things only are true, the notions of which we derive
from the dictates of our well-directed understandings; as all those are
untrue, which the mind paints to us from the impressions of the senses
and the meanings of words; which are incapable of expressing the nature
of the undefinable and indescribable God (whom no words can
express—_Yato vácho nivastante_. (Sruti))
22. Know the unreal world which appears as real, and the reality of God
which appears as unreality, to be of the manner of the air in motion and
at rest. The visible world like the current air, appears true to them,
that have no knowledge of the invisible God, who is as calm as the still
air underlying the etherial air and its fluctuations.
23. A thing may appear different from another, and yet be the same with
it; as the light in the fire is the selfsame fire. So the visible world
arising from the invisible Brahma, appears as another reality; though it
is same with the reality of God.
24. All things whether in being or not being, subsist in God as their
invisible and unknown source and cause; as the unscooped earth is the
cause of the would-be doll, the unhewn tree of a future statue, and the
soot of the ink not _in esse_. (So all future statues are contained in
the unhewn marbles, according to Aristotle).
25. One thing is exhibited as another in the great desert of the Divine
Mind, which shows the phenomena of the world as figures in the mirage.
26. The wise soul thinks this world as one with its source—the Divine
Intellect, as he considers the tree no way different from its parent
seed.
27. As the sweetness of milk, the pungency of pepper, the fluidity of
water, and the motion of winds, are the inseparable properties of their
substances:—
28. So this creation is inseparable from the spirit of Brahma, and is a
mere form of the one Supreme soul, beside which there is nothing in
reality. (Whose body nature is, and God the soul).
29. This world is the manifestation of the lustre of the gem of Divine
mind, and has no other cause except the essence of Brahma, which is no
other than its material cause—the Supreme soul itself.
30. The will, the mind, the living soul, and its consciousness, are all
the offspring of Divine intellection; because there is nothing that can
be produced by exertion of any power without direction of the Intellect.
31. There is nothing that rises or sets anywhere, nor appears or
disappears at any time; but everything is unborn at all times, and lies
quiet in the Divine Intellect, which is as solid as a massive rock.
32. To attribute the formation of these multitudes of the combination of
atoms, and to suppose every particle to be composed of minutest
infinitesimals; are but vagaries of imagination, as none of them could
combine of themselves except by direction of the eternal mind. (Matter
having no force nor design in itself).
33. All force resides in some living principle, as the waking, sleeping
and dreaming states appertain to the living soul; and as the undulation
of waves subsists in the water; (or) as the current of the stream lies
hidden in it.
34. When the living soul feels its inappetency towards worldly
enjoyments, it is then said to have reached to his highest perfection by
the Sruti (such as:—_nishkáma_ or abandonment of the desire of fruition,
is the highest state of human felicity).
35. As the mind is freed from its choice and dislike of things, so is
the soul liberated by avoiding its egoism and personality, and then it
has no more to be conscious of the pain, attending upon a future birth
and transmigration.
36. Whoso comes to know in his understanding, this state of supreme and
inexpressible felicity; he is sure to overcome all his worldly
appetites, that bind him fast to this earth.
37. But whoso labours in his mind under his affections to this world, he
has to rove continually in it as in the whirlpool of a stream, and
destroys the supreme felicity of his soul in his continuous turmoil.
38. It was the lotus-born Brahmá, that was conscious of his egoism at
first, and who has by the will of his mind, spread out this universe.
(He is eternally acting, and has not retired after his act of creation).