English
The ever-living who is united to the knowledge- possessing mind is called creator ; and as he possesses the chief power of action, he is termed breath [Prana], When we are awake, the object embraced by the senses and organs impress their own images on the imagination, and these images are revived in sleep ; and this is the state of things with Spirit in reference to its union with these three receptacles : in the first, spirit appears as the sovereign ; in the second, as the creators, and in the third, as the thing created. In the subtile body formed for Spirit out of these three receptacles, the mass cf gross matter is absorbedj When united to individual j Gross matter is absorbed in this subtile or Linga body, and the Linga body is absorbed in illusion. Does not this doctrine resemble that of some of the Greeks, that there is no such thing as real substance, that every thing called material is merely ideal ? ( 96 ) subtile1 bodies and to the luminous imagination, we call spirit the glorious, for then he is the manifested He [the collected mass of the Linga bodies], who is compared to the thread upon which are suspended the flowers of a garden ; and who is the glorious [or he who is the individuated Linga body], in the time of sleep, enjoys the ideas which have been possessed by the mind when awake : this is also taught in the Veda. Indi viduated spirit differs from collective spirit only as one tree differs from a forest ; or as the vacuum which surrounds each tree differs from that of a whole forest ; in other words, it is a drop, or a lake. In this manner, from the five subtile elements proceeded subtile bodies. From these five subtile elemeBts, in proportions of five, arose the masses of solid matter ; but each is distinguished by the name of that element which is most prevalent. In the solid mass of either, sound is found ; in air is found both sound and touch ; in fire, sound, touch, and form ; in water, sound, touch, form, and taste ; in earth, sound, touch, form, taste, and smell. The qualities are* partly natural and partly artificial. From these five elements have sprung the seven upper worlds, the seven lower worlds the four solid bodies, food, &c. There are four kinds of bodies'* viz. such as are born in the womb, and those produced from eggs, from heat, and from the earth. The active principle dwelling in the collected sum of solid matter is called Vaishwanara, or, he who is conscious of self- existence, and Virata, as he is held forth or displayed in all creatures. This collected sum of gross matter is called anna- mayakosha [the receptacle raised by food only], because it is named from its origin ; and as it is the seat of action [participa tion] it is called Jagarana, or the active. The active principle as individuated in a sensible body is called Vishwa, which name it receives because this body enters into the three receptacles before-mentioned. We called these receptacles kosha [a sheath or scabbard] because as the silkworm is covered by its shell, so they cover spirit. ( 97 ) There are ten deities, regents of the senses and organs, through whom spirit enjoys the pleasures of the senses and or gans : through the god of the winds, spirit enjoys the plea sures of touch, and thus through the other nine. The animating principle pervading all bodies, from the most gross to the most ideal, is the same in all. There is no differ ence between the incarcerated and the perfectly abstracted spirit ; the body is mere illusion. Having thus explained the doctrine of spirit, and displayed that which is mere illusion, I shall now mention the mistakes which have arisen from the different representations which learned men have given of the incarcerated spirit. The ignorant say, that a son is spirit ; and that We are taught this in the Veda ; for a father values a son as himself ; when he dies, he mourns as for himself, and in the happiness of the son, en joys happiness himself. The Charwakas maintain, as they also say, from the Veda, that this body, which owes its existence and all its changes to food, is spirit, and that a son is not spirit, since the father, when the house is on fire, abandons his son, and saves himself ; and that when the father says, I am corpulent, or, I am not corpulent, he confines these expressions to himself, and never applies them to his son. Other atheists contend, from the Veda, that the organs are spirit, since they are the medium of sound, and are possessed of motion ; and that this is further proved by the exclamations, I am blind, I am deaf, &c. Other atheists endeavour to prove, from the Ve'da, that from bodies spirit is born, and called the animal soul ; since the animal soul being gone, the organs cease to exercise their functions ; it is the animal soul that says, I am thirsty, I am hungry, &c. Another pleads, that intellect is spirit, and he also quotes the Veda urging that when intellect is suspended, life itself is suspended ; and that as it is by intellect and reason that men are distinguished, it is plain that intellect is spirit. The Boudhas affirm, that the under standing is spirit, since in the absence of the moving cause, m ( 98 ) the bodily powers are capable of nothing ; and it is the under standing which says, I am sovereign, I am subject [to the1 fruit of actions]. The Prabhakaras and the Tarkikas say, quoting the Veda also that besides the understanding there is another spirit, the all- blessed ; for that the understanding is absorbed in illusion. The latter add to the sentiment, that illusion is spirit. The Bhatta affirm, quoting the Ye'da, that the animating principle, which is united to illusion and is identified with joys, is spirit; since, in the time of deep sleep, this animating principle is both animate and illusive-formed ; for when a person says, I know not myself, he gives a proof both as consciousness and unconsciousness. Another Boiidha, still acknowledging the Ye'da, maintains, that vacuum is spirit * because the Veda teaches us, that before creation vacuum alone existed ; that at the time of absorption nothing remains ; and when a person awakes after a deep sleep [in which all material things were forgotten] he says, I was wholly uncon scious of the existence of any thing. All these sects make that spirit which is not spirit ,' though they pretend to argue from the Veda, from the union of spirit and matter, and from inference, yet they are supported by none of these, and they one by one confute each other. Still these atheistical writers affirm, If we err, we err with the Veda, as well as with the two other sources of proof. The writer of the Vedanta says, True, the Veda contains all these opinions,. but its final decision is, that spirit per\7ades all bodies- : it is not therefore identified with a son. Spirit is not material, but ideal, and therefore is identified with body. It is unorganized, and cannot therefore be identified with the organs. It is not animal life, and therefore cannot be identified with breath. It is not intel lect and therefore it cannot be identified with mind. It is not a creator [or governor] and therefore it is not to' be identified with the Vidnyana maya kosha. It is a living principle, and therefore it cannot be identified with illusion or inanimate matter. It is pure life, and therefore is not connected with inanimate matter. It is entity, and therefore must not be- ( 99 ) identified with vacuum. From hence it appears, that the opinions of these sects are at variance with the Veda, and that what they term spirit is not spirit. All inanimate things, from a son to vacuum itself, are indebted to the inanimating principle for manifestation, and from hence it appears, that they cannot be spirit ; and this is still further confirmed by the Yogi the subject matter of whose meditations is, I am Bramha, simple life. This then is the exact doctrine of Vedanta, that as spirit is the principle which inanimates a son &c. ; that as it is con stantly perfect and free from illusion ; is wisdom, that is, it must be constantly identified with knowledge ; is always free or unconnected with the habits of material things ; is eternal and uncreated ; and is the all-pervading — it is called Atma, A cord, though it resembles a snake, is notwithstanding a real cord ; the idea that it is a snake, is pure error.