English
For although the veil of the flesh prevents us from seeing what sort of thing is behind the scene of nature, we should not the less infer there is some- thing— just as the Bauddha infers a solid matter, or others would say, a combining principle, to underlie what we feel and see and handle in external objects, though these apprehensions on our own part may not be infallible clues to what the solid or essen- tial and formative principle is in itself; so we must much more infer an eternal spirit to underlie what we conceive of spiritual things. Yet certainly it is not wonderful that the mere explorer of nature, being accustomed to measure things local, and weigh things solid, should not know where to place the more mysterious being of the Deity, and should therefore gradually lose sight of him. From the language used by the Saugata, I gathered that he did not wish to deny a Deity so much as to subtilise our conceptions of the Divine Being, by excluding as far as possible everything earthly. With that desire I so far sympathise as to go some way in that direction myself. If, however, something of vagueness thus creeps in around our idea of that great First Cause, which as yet perhaps we have not denied, we become in danger of obscuring it stiU more by apprehending the vastness 176 MORE WORLDS, MORE SIGNS OF GOD. of the scale npon which all his doings are condncted. Here, indeed, is the second great peril of Hindd wisdom. You notice that the generations of living things have been by thousands such as no man can number. Perhaps, also, if something of European science is superadded, or if your own ancient astrono- mers should have gone so far, you learn that the earth we tread is but one among innumerable worlds; and vast as it appears to our limited senses, must yet be reckoned by the gaze of science as only a speck in the inmiensity of all the starry worlds which exist around us. Thus you learn to talk of infinite periods of time, and of boundless worlds, and of cycles recurring as if it were without beginning or end. The mind then amazed, and as it were stupified by the extent of a scheme which it cannot grasp, is in danger of acquiescing in the mere order which it observes near it, or even fancies that because this order is large in relation to our weakness, there can therefore be nothing beyond it. Whereas, if our faculties were enlarged, as our horizon extended, we should find at last that the necessity of a Grovemor and Preserver to the utmost whole of all smaller circles is as real and vital as it appears to be to some child or to some simple old woman, who perceiving only a part of what science reveals, infers rightly that this part could not exist by itself, but must depend upon something higher, even as it is connected with something larger. We ourselves have heard Sad4nanda speak of Vishnd as preserving our world. But if this little speck of ours must be preserved by some intellectual being firom falling into vague confusion, and undergoing physical or moral anarchy, how much more must the vast whole of space, and the infinite periods of time which belong to its career, require to be preserved and upheld by some supreme and eternal and all-em- bracing Intelligence. If order in little things implies design, how much more in great ones. Multiply as much as you please in imagination the extent of space or time, you do not therefore lessen, but rather increase the necessity for that higher and deeper Being, without which they could not consist. The INFINITY, INFINITE MIND. 177 mind truly disciplined will easily overleap therefore whatever interval of generations any sort of history may multiply, and ascend in thought to the great Father, without whom there could be no offspring. The Saugata Muni points out the cycles of water as it is generated in dew, or descends in rivers, or col- lects itself in seas. Does he not then perceive, that these cycles depend upon our connexion with the heavenly bodies. It is the Bun which by its heat attracts the dews, and the moon which by the attraction of her substance lifts up the body of the tides, so that they proceed in order and by method, as if the designer of them had entered into covenant with mankind, that His pro- vidence should not fail them, but afford daily proofs of His own wisdom, as well as marks by which we should shape our course, and take note of things by which life may be assisted. Now just as the earth depends on something higher, even so do we. Again, Sad4nanda speaks of infinite cycles, and here I am sorry to observe, that Vidy^ch&rya, by the account which he gives of his preferential worship of Siva, appears too nearly to agree in considering creation in its largest sense as a vague infinity, with neither beginning nor end, but an eternal revolution of life and death. But do not you both perceive, that although a circle returns upon itself, yet ereiy circle has a circumference? It has, therefore, a limit. Nor are our minds able to conceive of any circle, as a possibiUty, which is not thus defined, and which has not been drawn upon some design. But where there is design, there chance is excluded. Now if I was to say that the circle of all life and of all worlds has a circumference, I might appear either impious or unwise, in limiting the infinity of the Creator. But what shall we say — If anything is designed, has it not so fax at least a mental beginning ? and if anything attains its object, has it not so far an end ? Or do we believe the circle of space to be infinite for any other reason than because we also ascribe infinity to the Supreme Mind, which has disposed, and which therefore (if we consider it as an appearance) underlies it as its unseen Cause ? May we not then revert to that doctrine M. P. 12 178 DIVINE ATTRIBUTES. of Madhwa, which was before alluded to, and endeavour to clear up the controversy between him and Sancara ? Our most vener- able friend here, as the follower of Sancara, whom he believes a true commentator on the Vedas, denies that the Deity has any Gunas, or qualities. I also agree with him, that we cannot piously ascribe any such limits to the Deity, as those of space or time, and whatever qualities we may venture to ascribe, should be in the way of reverential conjectures, and only attri- buted as pious suppositions, rather than assumed to express the ineffable Being of the eternal I AM. But Madhwa says the Deity has all good qualities, though not bad ones. I humbly understand him also to say that the Deity is limited by such Ounas as are consistent with perfection, though not by others. Here, again, I agree with Madhwa, that nothing done by the Deity is done at random, or by caprice, but by wisdom. Is not then wisdom in itself a limitation? for surely it excludes from its owner the arbitrariness of evil — and, again, is not all per- fection a Guna? Would you then not agree with Madhwa, that the Deity is Sagtina, or limited by excellence, supposing in turn he should concede to you, that the Deity is Nirguna, in the sense of our not being able to ascribe to Him any of the limitations of passion and darkness which fetter us creatures of an hour? I have some hope of your agreeing with him and with me so far, since I observed that you contend against Sad6,- nanda for the ftiU certainty and correctness of that revelation of the Deity which you believe to be contained in the Vedas. For I need not explain to you, there could be no certainty in any revelation, unless it were certain that the Deity will abide by and make good that which He has revealed of Himself, whatever it may turn out to be. Agree therefore with us, that the Deity has Gunas, so far at least as to be bound by faithftdness, and by the truth of the declaration which He has made of Himself Here Vidydch&rya, appeared, as I imderstood, to give some kind of assent. " Well, then," resumed Blancombe, ** the Deity is not in such a sense infinite, as to be difiused in a vague atmos- TRANSCENDENCY. 179 phere of shadowy immensity, but sufficiently positive and definite for us to trust in Him and pray to Him, and search after His truth, if haply we may find it.