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Brahma Knowledge, by L. D. Barnett, [1911] - Complete Book

English

^104:2 In deep sleep or swoons the Ego or sense of personality disappears and with it disappear its resultant activities and affections; hence the samsara, or continuance of rebirth, which consists essentially of these activities, cannot co-exist with the absence of the Ego, i.e. with the condition of abstract impersonal self-consciousness. ^104:3 The Ego, or sense of personality, which in dreamless sleep is unconscious that it is sleeping. On the other hand the transcendental Soul or Self is everlastingly conscious; it is the "Witness" of the three states. ^105:1 The six changes of finite being are origin, continuance, increase, attainment of maturity, commencement of decay, and dissolution. As subject of the cognition of these phenomena, the Soul must be itself devoid of these properties. ^105:2 If the Soul were liable to changes, it would be conscious of its changes, which is not the case (verse 14). Every change of a thing implies destruction of its previous condition; hence, even if we could imagine soul as passing through the six changes, we should have to admit that when it is in a particular state it cannot as such be conscious of itself at the beginning of that state (which is the last moment of the previous state), nor can it be conscious of itself at the end of that state (which is the first moment of the next state). ^105:3 The illusion of a phenomenal world cannot be in any real connection with the pure consciousness of the absolute Soul; for the conception of a physical world opposed to thought is essentially a partial negation of consciousness by consciousness, and nothing more. ^106:1 The illusion of the phenomenal world, which falsely appears as really existent, until its unreality is proved by "reflection." ^106:2 Even salvation, or release of the Soul (moksha), is only real from the standpoint of empiric thought. The transcendent Self is never in bondage, and therefore is never released. ^106:3 Since the objects of finite Thought are strictly unreal, there cannot be a real consciousness of them in the real Self. The function of witness of phenomena which apparently is exercised by the Self is really a mere indication of the absolute supra-phenomenal immobility of consciousness which is characteristic of the real Self. ^106:4 The essential nature of the Soul is in no way affected by[p. 107] the emergence from it of an imaginary universe, nor by the false idea, reflected upon it from the illusory universe without, that it is a subject or object of action, etc. ^107:1 We must not say that "existence" is only a property or attribute of the Soul. For an attribute is a generic concept implying more than one individual in which it resides; but in the case of Soul there is only one individual, the Soul itself, in which resides the attribute "existence," in the same way as in the phenomenal world there is only one ether, or space, in which therefore "etherhood" is essence, not attribute. ^107:2 If the Self is an object to its assumed property of knowledge, it is no longer Self; for the object of knowledge cannot be identical with the subject (which here is the property of knowledge). If again the Self is not an object of its know ledge, the Self is non-existent; for the incogitable is unreal. ^108:1 See Appendix I. Brahma Knowledge, by L. D. Barnett, [1911], at sacred-texts.com [p. 109] APPENDIX I THE SAMBANDHAS The 25th and 26th verses of the Advaitamakaranda given above refer to a topic of importance in the later Vedanta, viz. the logical relation (sambandha) of terms. The relations are three: (1) "common reference," samanadhikaranya, (2) "relation as predicate (vis'eshana) and subject (vis'eshya)," and (3)"relation as indicated (lakshya) and indicative term (lakshana)." The proposition "Thou art That," tat tvam asi, which is the keynote of the Vedanta (see p. 24), comes under all these categories. The term That denotes literally the whole aggregate of Ignorances together with the omniscient cosmic consciousness "determined" by the latter and with the transcendental consciousness (see p. 30); but by "indication" or metonymy (lakshana) it signifies only the transcendental consciousness. The term Thou literally denotes the aggregate of Ignorances conceived distributively (see p. 30 f.) together with limited individual consciousness "determined" by the [p. 110] latter, and with unlimited consciousness; and by "indication" it signifies only the last. Now the proposition Thou art That comes under the relation of "common reference"; for both Thou and That signify Consciousness (Brahma), in the former case as transcending perception, in the latter case as manifested to perception in the form of finite distinction. Again, these terms are related as subject and predicate, that is, they are identified in thought by abstraction of their difference (their difference lying in the fact that the one transcends perception, and the other does not). Lastly, these terms have a metonymic relation. When we have abstracted the difference already mentioned, we may use both to signify the Consciousness, That being the "indicated" and Thou the "indicative" term. In the same way the three several terms Being, Thought, and Bliss, after due abstraction of difference (namely phenomenal distinctions) designate "indicatively" the single indivisible Brahma essentially characterised by infinite being, thought, and bliss. For further details of the Hindu theories on these subjects see Vedanta-sara, Jacob's translation, p. 83 f., Athalye's notes on Tarka-sangraha, section 59, Kavyaprakas'a, ch. ii., etc. Brahma Knowledge, by L. D. Barnett, [1911], at sacred-texts.com [p. 111] APPENDIX II LIST OF THE CHIEF UPANISHADS The following list gives the names of the most ancient and important Upanishads, together with the contractions used for them in the preceding pages. The canon generally accepted in modern India contains 108 Upanishads; most of these are however comparatively late and distinctly sectarian (later Vedanti, Vishnuite, S'ivaite, Yogi, Sannyasi, etc.). B.A. Brihad-aranyaka Upanishad. Ch. Chhandogya " Taitt. Taittiriya " Ait. Aitareya " Kau. Kaushitaki " Kena Kena (Talavakara) " Kath. Katha " Is'a Is'avasya " S'vet. Svetas'vatara " Mund. Mundaka " Maha-narayana " Pra. Pras'na " Maitr. Maitrayaniya " Mand. Mandukya " Brahma Knowledge, by L. D. Barnett, [1911], at sacred-texts.com [p. 112] BIBLIOGRAPHY The beginner will find the following works useful: SACRED BOOKS OF THE EAST, edited by F. Max Muller: vol. 1 & 15, Upanishads, translated by F. Max Muller; vol. .34, Vedanta-sutra (i.e. Brahma-sutra) with the commentary by S'ankara, translated by G. Thibaut. Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1879, etc. PHILOSOPHY OF THE UPANISHADS, by A. E. Gough. London, Trubner, 1882. THE UPANISHADS (in Sanskrit and English) and S'ankara's commentary (in English), translated by Sitarama S'astri and Ganganatha Jha. Madras, Seshachari, 1898, etc. SECHZIG UPANISHADS DES VEDA, ubersetzt von Dr. Paul Deussen. Leipzig, Brockhaus, 1897 THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE UPANISHADS, by Paul Deussen. Translated by Rev. A. Geden. Edinburgh, T. & T. Clark, 1906. DAS SYSTEM DES VEDANTA, von P. Deussen. Leipzig, Brockhaus, 1883. THE SIX SYSTEMS OF INDIAN PHILOSOPHY, by F. Max Muller. London, Longmans, 1899. Of the numerous compendia of the later Vedanta we may mention two which have been published in English--the Vedanta-sara of Sadananda, translated under the title "A Manual of Hindu Pantheism" by Col. G. A. Jacob (London, Trubner, 1881), and the Advaita-makaranda of Lakshmidhara, [p. 113] with Svayamprakas'a's commentary, translated by A. E. Gough in "The Pandit," vol. 8, 9 (Benares, 1873). Of the chief Sanskrit texts of the Vedanta schools numerous editions have been published in India. Among the best are those issued in the "Anandas'rama Sanskrit Series" from the Anandas'rama Press, Poona. The student is not likely to derive much exact knowledge from the publications of irresponsible neo-vedantic societies in Europe and America. These bodies have the commendable object of making the principles of the Vedanta intelligible to modern Western thinkers; but until they display a more scientific and historical spirit their success is likely to be limited. Printed by Hazell, Watson & Viney, Ld., London and Aylesbury. Brahma Knowledge, by L. D. Barnett, [1911], at sacred-texts.com [p. 114] [p. 115] The following advertisements appeared at the end of the original book. They are included for completeness.--MEC. THE WISDOM OF THE EAST SERIES Edited by L. CRANMER-BYNG and Dr. S. A. KAPADIA THE SERIES AND ITS PURPOSE THE object of the Editors of this Series is a very definite one. They desire above all things that, in their humble way, these books shall be the ambassadors of good-will and understanding between East and West--the old world of Thought and the new of Action. In this endeavour, and in their own sphere, they are but followers of the highest example in the land. They are confident that a deeper knowledge of the great ideals and lofty philosophy of Oriental thought may help to a revival of that true spirit of Charity which neither despises nor fears the nations of another creed and colour. NEW VOLUMES In the Press TAOIST TEACHINGS. From the Mystical Philosophy of Leih Tzu. Translated by LIONEL GILES, M.A. 2/- net. Just Out ANCIENT JEWISH PROVERBS. Compiled and Classified by A. COHEN, late Scholar of Emanuel College, Cambridge. 2/- net. THE FLIGHT OF THE DRAGON.