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v, 22) as follows:— They neither shew an aversion for taiseries already befallen, nor evidence a desire for happiness, but like @ persom quite unaffected by them, allow things to take their usual course,” and this is called destruction of the heart’s malady. 270. But the text quoted from the Gifa may be construed. 43.4 piece of counsel for the wise; it asks them to be quite unaffected either by pleasure or its reverse, and is therefore * The Sanskrit word ‘Granthi’ means a joint, but the heart has no joint, it likewise means a knot, which even it has not, therefore it signifies crockedness, a malady, etc.; as there can hardly be any grievous mistake about it, I have allowed it to semain and this explanation is hardly called for. PANCHADASI. 133 Rho proof of destruction of the heart's malady, passions and destres. if a dissenter would argue in this strain, the signifi- cance of the word ‘dike’ in the verse would be rendered futile; and if it be alleged that from want of the requisite strength in the body, the wise ate prevented from works, [#0 that virtually they cannot be said to have destroyed their desires, hence they abstain from actions,] then asa necen- sary deduction, it would follow that the wise are itl and suffering. 27%. If you regard a knower of self, perfectly passive and indifferent to pleasure or pain, as a sick man, how very credit- able is that to your intellect, and how clear is your knowledge. What next? 272, If you support your assertion by citing the Purans a8 a testimony, where it is said “ Bharat and others were alike supremely indifferent, but they were sick ;” What prevents you from taking note of the Sru/f text which mentions “Even In eating, playing, and sexual intercourse, a theosophist acts like one indifferent.” 273. Bharat and others did not live without eating, like wood and stone fixed in one place, but from fear of company they lived supremely indifferent to pleasure and pain, 274. And that avoidance of company owed its origin to the following reason. People who mix much in company are often found addicted to harmful works, and those without it, enjoy felicity; hence for a person desirous of happiness fvoidance of company is always essential. 275. Dull and ignorant persons unacquainted with the drift of the Sacred Writings attribute de-merit to a theosophist, who has no inward longing for company, but to all appear- ances externally, engaged in the practice of playing ona musical Instrument, or accompanying it vocally; let them do it, ag it can bring forth no evil, for the unassociated condition of self ig a natural inference to us [and a matter of fact]. 276, Indifference, knowledge, and material abstinence 134 PANCHADASI. are helpmates of each other; in many instances they are present together in the same person, and sometimes separately in different. 277. But their cause, nature, and action (result) are different and are never of one and the same shape, hence, for a theosophist, it is proper to discriminate their difference. 278. To pry into the defects of all subjects is the source* * Jf we take a little pain to enquire into the usual phases of an earthly existence we shall find everywhere we are subjected to pain varying in intensity and character. For instance, in intra- uterine Jife the foetus is surrounded by and encompassed on all sides with the uterus, it floats in a quantity of fluid, and lives entirely on the mother’s blood; from her rough movements, it is indeed protected by the fluid, but yet it has to change position before delivery takes place, and that is attended with pain alike to the mother as to her offspring. Its nurture and growth are attended with the same anxiety and costs a deal of trouble, So on till old age, when the limbs refuse to carry the weight of the body, the spine is doubled up, sight and hearing are almost gone, teeth have left the jaws, allowing an incessant dribbling of the saliva,—a source of nuisance both to the person and with whom he speaks,—he loses control over his excrements, and they escape sometimes quite unnoticed for which his relatives are not charitable enough to overlook. He is reprimanded asan old useless dog, his dissolution is prayed for by the family when he is confined in a bed of sickness, and if it happens to be a chronic malady, many are the curses showered upon his head. He has grown old and useless, none cares for him,—not even his children, Under such circumstances'who is there that should not cultivate an aversion to life and its repeated re-incarnation? Hence it is said, a man of indifference should atways take things at their natural light or real worth and attribute faults glaringly, in relief as it were, to intensify his aversion for the world. Now the nature of indifference is to cast away every thing or shew any aversion for it. But as there are several degrees of indifference, it is classified under two varieties with several sub= PANCHADASI. 135 or cause of indifference, and to have an aversion for afl things is ite nature, and not to desire what is already discarded is its result, 279. ‘Hearing,’ ‘consideration,’ and ‘profound contempla- tion’ are the source, ‘discrimination’ of self the nature, and to prevent desires and passions from rising in the subjugated mind,—the result of knowledge or perception.* divisions. For instance we have (1) Par, and (2) Apar Vyragyae The first is said to signify an aversion for wealth and prosperity already got, and altogether to discard or abandon it, The second is sub-divided into four varieties named respectively (a) struggling (Yataman), (6) distinguishing (Vytiveka), (c) earnestness (eka~ indriya), and (d) subjugated. They are defined in the following wise :—The ‘Struggling’ is an indifferent variety and consists in regarding the defective naturc of things, ‘Distinguishing’ con- sists in improving the good qualities of a person, deriving satis~ faction therefrom. ‘Earnestness’ is to abstain the external organs of sense from internal desires; and when they have been so far subdued that they no more trouble the mind, it is called subjugated. Of this last we have three more sub-divisions to speak of, they are called dull, sharp, and very sharp. When with the demise of a wife, child, or loss of property one feels disgusted with the world, and desires to abandon it, that is called dull. Then again, when 2 person incessantly prays not to have a wife, wealth, or son in his present life, with a tranquil intellect, that is called sharp indifference; and in regard, to a future state when he wishes not even for the blissful abode of Brahma, it is an instance of the last variety. * Vajnavalka addressing his wife Maitreyi says, “Self is sure worthy of being seen, he is fit to be heard [from the precepts of the wise] considered and meditated upon.” Thus then in regard to the perception of self visibly by the mind the above are the several means, and as such they are sources of knowledge. More- over, ‘discrimination of self,’ has reference to the ascertainment of the existing difference between the uniform intelligence and 136 PANCHADASI, 280. ‘Forbearance’ and the rest® are the cause—earnest attention, the nature—and the slackening of the usual prace tices of penple,—the result of mental abstinence. 281, Of them—‘ Indifference,’ ‘knowledge,’ and ‘ actual abstinence,'—kuowledge is the principal for its bringing in emancipation, while indifference and abstinence are merely the means of knowledge and helpful to it. 282. For all three to continue in equal force, in the same Yodividual, can only happen to a person a8 a result of his superior devotion; but from some obstacles or other, it often happens for one or two of them to get reduced, egoism, but this need not necessarily excite any misgiving as telling prejudicially against the doctrine of non-duality, For the uniform intelligence is something other than the physical body; organs sensory and active, vital airs, etc., etc., and to look upon it as Self or Brahma is the height of knowledge and the acme of discrimination ; but then to connect desire with egoism as‘ my house,’ ‘my son,’ ‘my money, mine eyes,’ are conceived in error, hence the ascertainment of difference is insisted upon; but for one, who has no mistake of self as an agent or instrument, his egoism has already merged into the Absolute, the Infinite, Supreme Self, and his discrimination is matured. Similarly the concluding portion has reference to keep the mind free from being disturbed with other illusions in regard to self after it has beea thoroughly subjugated and restrained from the disturbing influence of the senses. * They include : (1) Forbearance (yame) (2) Canons to be observed (niyama), (3) Posture (asena), (4) Regulating the vital air (pranayama), (5) Restraining the organs of sense (pratyahara), (6) Fixed attention (dharana), (7) Contemplation (dhyana), © Conscious meditation (seotkalpa samadhi). PANCHADASI. 137 283. One whose knowledge is diminished by an increase of ‘indifference’ and ‘mental abstinence’ never attains emancipation at once, but is entitled to enjoy the felicity of the liberated in life, as a result of his pious devotions. 284. On the other hand, one who preponderance of knowledge with less of ‘indifference’ and ‘abstinence’ ia gure to enjoy the supreme felicity of Nirvan, and not that destruction of visible misery which forms the happiness of the liberated in life. 285. It is the nature of indifference to regard everything gs worthless, hence oven the several abodes from Bhur to Brahma are looked upon as no better than straw, that is its highest limit; but knowledge has its finality in producing a steady or firm foothold of affection for all creatures, equally with one’s own self. 286.