THE MAGNITUDE OF THE SPHERE OF THE INTELLECT.
Argument. The Intellectual, Mental and Material Spheres, and their
representations in the Mind.
Ráma said:—I come to understand, O venerable sage! from all you have
propounded, that this grandeur of the universe being the work of the
Divine Mind, is all derived from the same. (Here the creation of
the world by the Divine mind, is viewed in the pantheistic light of
Emanation).
2. Vasishtha answered:—The Mind as already said, having assumed a
substantial form, manifested itself in the form of water in the mirage,
raised by the shining blaze of its own light. (This passage embodies
both theories, that light was the first work of God, and the Spirit of
God moved on the surface of the waters. _O ruh Eloim marhapeth-fi pene
al maim._ Genesis. _Apa eva Sasarjádan._ Manu).
3. The mind became amalgamated (identic), with the contents of the
world, in the Spirit of Brahmá, now showing itself in the form of man,
and now appearing as a God. (_i.e._ the mind reflected on these images
which were evolution of itself in itself; because the thought or product
of the mind, was of the same substance with itself). (This accords with
the pantheistic doctrine, that God and Nature are one substance, and the
one is a modification of the other).
4. Somewhere he showed himself as a demon and at another place like a
_yaksha_ (yakka); here he was as a _Gandharvá_, and there in the form of
a _Kinnará_. (All these were the ideal manifestations of the Divine
Mind).
5. The vast expanse of the Mind, was found to comprise in it the various
tracts of land; and the pictures of many cities and habitable places.
(Because the mind is the reservoir of all their images).
6. Such being the capacity of the mind, there is no reckoning of the
millions of bodies, which are contained in it, like the woods and plants
in a forest. All those are not worth our consideration in our inquiry
about the mind. (They are as useless to the psychologist as botany is to
the geologist).
7. It was this mind which spread out the world with all its contents,
beside which there exists naught but the Supreme Spirit. (The mind is
the container of the archetypes of the ectypal world, or the recording
power of knowledge; but the Supreme Soul is the disembodied
self-consciousness, having the principle of volition or Will; while the
Spirit is the animating faculty of the soul).
8. The soul is beyond every category, it is omnipresent and the
substratum of all existence, and it is by the power of this soul, that
the mind doth move and manifest itself. (The mind is the soul
incorporated with bodies; but the soul is quite apart from these).
9. The Mind is known as the cause of the body, which is work of the
mind; it is born and becomes extinct with the body, which the soul does
not, nor has it any such quality which belongs to the mind.
10. The mind is found by right reasoning to be a perishable object, and
no sooner doth it perish, than the living soul succeeds to obtain its
final liberation. For the desires of the mind are the bondage of its
transmigration, but the dissolution of the mind with its desires,
secures its liberation. (Volition and velleity, are the active and
inactive acts of the mind for its eternal bondage).
11. After decadence of the mental desires there is no more any exertion
for acts. This state is called the liberation of living souls, from
their release from trouble and care; and the mind thus released, never
comes to be born and die again. (Free from desire, is freedom from
deadly sin).
12. Ráma said:—Sir! You have said before, that human nature is
principally of three kinds viz:—the good, the gentle and the base
(_Satva_, _rajas_ and _tamas_); and it is owing to the good or bad
nature of their minds, that men differ from one another.
13. Now please tell me, how could the wondrous mind originate from the
pure intellect with its good or bad propensities, which are wanting in
the Divine Intellect.
14. Vasishtha replied:—Know Ráma, that there are three spheres of the
infinite vacuity, at immense distances from one another: and these are
the intellectual, mental, and the physical spheres.
15. These spheres are common to all mankind, and are spread out
everywhere; and they have all sprung and come to being from the essence
of the _Chit_ or Divine Intellect. (The first is the space of Divine
Infinity, the second is the _spatium dunamia_ or potential space and may
be filled by bodies; and the third is the place _energeia_ or actually
occupied by bodies).
16. That space which is both in the inside and outside of everything,
and denotes its occupation or otherwise by some substance or its
absence, and pervades through all nature, is called the inane sphere of
the Intellect.
17. That is called the sphere of the Intellect, which embraces all space
and time which has spread out the other spheres, and which is the
highest and best of all.
18. The physical sphere contains all created beings, and extends to the
circuit of the ten sides, all about and above and below us. It is a
continued space filled with air, which supports the clouds and waters
above the firmament.
19. Then the vacuity of the mental sphere, which has also sprung from
the intellectual sphere, has likewise the intellect for its cause like
the others, as the day is the source of all works and animal activities.
(Here the word works has the double sense of the works of creation,
which were made in the week days, and the daily works of men and their
religious duties, all which are done in the day time. The night being
the time to sleep).
20. The vitiated Intellect which views itself as a dull thing, amidst
the gross material objects of the physical sphere, the same is termed
the mind, which thinks of both spheres, whence it is born and where it
is placed.
21. It is for the understanding of the unenlightened, that I have made
use of the metaphor of the spheres; because figures are used for the
instruction of the unenlightened and not to lighten the enlightened.
(These serve for ocular demonstrations in mathematical and not in
metaphysical sciences).
22. In the intellectual sphere, you will see one Supreme Brahma, filling
its whole space, and being without parts or attributes, and intelligible
only to the enlightened.
23. The ignorant require to be instructed in appropriate words and
precise language, showing the demarkation between monotheism and
ditheism, which is unnecessary for the instruction of the enlightened.
24. I have contrived to explain to you the nature of divine knowledge,
by the parable of the three spheres, which will enlighten you as long as
you are in dark on the subject.
25. The intellectual sphere being obscured by ignorance, we are led to
look into the mental and physical spheres; not knowing that they are as
delusive as the sunbeams in a mirage, and as destructive as the flames
of a conflagration.
26. The pure intellect being changed to the state of the changeful mind,
takes a debased figure; and then being confounded in itself, weaves the
magic web of the world to entangle itself in the same.
[10]27. The ignorant that are guided by the dictates of their perverted
minds, know nothing concerning the nature of the Intellect, which is
identic with the Supreme. So the witless that unwittingly take the white
shells for bright silver, are seen to labour under their delusion, until
they are freed from it, by the clear light of their understanding.