THE RECEPTACLE OF THE MUNDANE EGG.
Argument.—Refutation of the doctrine of the separate Existence of the
world, and establishment of the tenet of the “One God as All in All.”
Vasishtha said:—Now Ráma! that best knowest the knowable, I will tell
thee in disparagement of thy belief in the separate existence of the
world; that there is one pure and vacuous principle of the Intellect
only, above all the false fabrications of men.
2. If it is granted, that there was the germ of the world in the
beginning; still it is a question, what were the accompanying causes of
its development.
3. Without co-operation of the necessary causes, there can be no
vegetation of the seed, as no barren woman is ever known or seen to
bring forth an offspring, notwithstanding the seed is contained in the
womb.
4. If it was possible for the seed to grow without the aid of its
accompanying causes, then it is useless to believe in the primary
cause, when it is possessed of such power in its own nature.
5. It is Brahmá himself who abides in his self, in the form of creation
at the beginning of the world. This creation is as formless as the
creator himself, and there is no relation of cause and effect between
them.
6. To say the earth and other elements, to be the accompanying causes
of production, is also wrong; since it is impossible for these elements
to exist prior to their creation.
7. To say the world remained quiescent in its own nature, together with
the accompanying causes, is the talk proceeding from the minds (mouths)
of boys and not of the wise.
8. Therefore Ráma! there neither is or was or ever will be a separate
world in existence. It is the one intelligence of the Divinity, that
displays the creation in itself.
9. So Ráma! there being an absolute privation of this visible world, it
is certain that Brahma himself is All, throughout the endless space.
10. The knowledge of the visible world, is destroyed by the destruction
of all its causalities; but the causes continuing in the mind, will
cause the visibles to appear to the view even after their outward
extinction (like objects in the dream).
11. The absolute privation of the phenomenal, is only effected by the
privation of its causes, (_i.e._ the suppression of our acts and
desires); but if they are not suppressed in the mind, how can you
effect to suppress the sight?
12. There is no other means of destroying our erroneous conception of
the world, except by a total extirpation of the visibles from our view.
13. It is certain that the appearance of the visible world, is no more
than our inward conception of it, in the vacuity of the intellect; and
the knowledge of I, thou and he, are false impressions on our minds
like figures in paintings.
14. As these mountains and hills, these lands and seas and these
revolutions of days and nights, and months and years and the knowledge
that this is a Kalpa age, and this is a minute and moment, and this is
life and this is death, are all mere conceptions of the mind.
15. So is the knowledge of the duration and termination of a _Kalpa_
and _Mahákalpa_ (millenniums &c.) and that of the creation and its
beginning and end, are mere misconceptions of our minds.
16. It is the mind that conceives millions of Kalpas and billions of
worlds, most of which are gone by and many as yet to come. (Or else
there is but an everlasting eternity, which is self-same with the
infinity of the Deity).
17. So the fourteen regions of the planetary spheres, and all the
divisions of time and place, are contained in the infinite space of the
Supreme Intellect.
18. The universe continues and displays itself as serenely in the
Divine mind, as it did from before and throughout all eternity; and it
shines with particles of the light of that Intellect, as the firmament
is as full with the radiance of solar light.
19. The ineffable light, which is thrown into the mind by the Divine
Intellect, shows itself as the creation, which in reality is a baseless
fabric by itself.
20. It does not come to existence nor dissolves into nothing, nor
appears or sets at any time; but resembles a crystal glass with certain
marks in it, which can never be effaced.
21. The creations display of themselves in the clear Intellect of God,
as the variegated skies form portions of the indivisible space of
endless vacuum.
22. These are but properties of the Divine Intellect, as fluidity is
that of water, motion of the wind, the eddies of the sea, and the
qualities of all things. (Creation is cœternal with the Eternal Mind).
23. This creation is but a compact body of Divine wisdom, and is
contained in the Divinity as its component part. Its rising and setting
and continuance, are exhibited alike in the tranquil soul.
24. The world is inane owing to its want of the accompaniment of
secondary (_i.e._ material and instrumental) causes and is selfborn:
and to call it as born or produced, is to breathe the breath (of life)
like a madman (_i.e._, it is foolish to say so).
25. Ráma! purify your mind from the dross of false representations, and
rise from the bed of your doubts and desires; drive away your
protracted sleep of ignorance (avidyá), and be freed from the fears of
death and disease with every one of your friends in this Court.