English
Aris- ing from this is the Truth, that all forms of phenom- enal manifestation, must emanate from the One Real- ity, for there is nothing else Real from which they could emanate. And the twin-Truth that these forms of manifestation, must also be in the Being of the One Reality, for there is nowhere outside of the All where- in they might find a place. So this One Reality is seen to be "That from which All Things flow" ; and "That in which All Things live, and move and have their being." Therefore All Things emanate from, and are con- tained in the One Reality. We shall consider "just how" later on, but the question which confronts us, and which has been called the "Final Question" — and that which we pronounce unanswerable — is this: "Why has the Infinite manifested and emanated Fin- ite forms of being?" You will see the nature of the question when you stop to consider: (i) The Infinite cannot have Desire, for that is a Finite quality; (2) THE ONE AND THE MANY. 115 It cannot lack anything, for that would take away from its Infinity; (3) and even if it did lack anything, from whence could it expect to acquire it; for there is nothing outside of itself — if It lacks anything, it must continue to always lack it, for there is no out- side source from which It could obtain anything which it does not already possess. And Desire would be, of course, a wanting for something which it lacked — so It could not Desire unless it Lacked — and it would know that Desire would be hopeless, even if indeed it did Lack. So you see that if we regard the Infinite Reality as Perfect, we must drop all ideas of It Desiring or Lacking — and of it Growing or Improving — or of it obtaining more Power, or Knowledge. These ideas are ridiculous, for an Absolute, Infinite Reality, must possess All-Knowledge; All- Power; All-Presence, else it is not Absolute and Infinite. And, if It does not possess these attributes of Being, then It can never hope to acquire them, for there is Nowhere from whence they could be acquired — there is no Source outside of the All-Source. A Finite Thing, may lack, and desire, and improve and develop, for there is the Universal Source from which it may draw. But the Infinite has no Universal Source, for it is Its own Source. Do you see the nature of the Final Ques- tion ? If not we will again state it — it is this : "Why should the Infinite Reality, which possesses all that may be possessed ,and which in itself is the only Source of Things — WHY should It Desire to manifest a Universe from and within Itself?" n6 GNANI YOGA. A little consideration will show you that there is no intelligent answer to the "Why," either in your own minds, or in the writings and teachings of the great- est minds. The matter is important, to those who are confronted every day with some of the many at- tempts to answer this Final Question — it is well that our students inform them regarding the futility of such questioning. And with this end in view, we shall herein give a few of the wise "guesses" at the answer, and our reasons for considering them inadequate. We ask the student to consider carefully these remarks, for by so doing he will post himself, and will be saved much tedious and perplexing wandering along the dangerous places in the Swamp of Metaphysics, fol- lowing the will-o'-the-wisp of Finite Mind masquer- ading as the Infinite Wisdom! Beware of the False Lights! They lead to the quagmire and quicksands of thought! Let us now consider some of these "guesses" at the answer to the Final Question. Some thinkers have held that the Absolute was bound by a Divine Neces- sity to manifest itself as Many. The answer to this is that the Absc could not be bound by anything, inner or outer, else it would not be Absolute and In- finite, but would be Relative and Finite. Another set of thinkers have held that the Absolute found within itself a Desire to Manifest as Many. From whence could come such an action-causing Desire? The Ab- solute could lack nothing, and there would be nothing for it to desire to gain, other than that which It al- THE ONE AND THE MANY. 117 ready possessed. One does not desire things one al- ready has, but only what he lacks. Another school would tell us that the Infinite wished to Express itself in the phenomenal world. Why? Such a phenomenal world could only be reflection of Its power, witnessed only by Itself, and could contain nothing that was not already contained in the All. To what end would such a wish tend? What would be accomplished or gained? The Infinite All could not become anything more than It already was — so why the wish for expression? Some say that the whole phenomenal world is but Maya, or Illusion, and does not exist at all. Then who else than the Infinite caused the Illusion, and why the necessity? This an- swer only removes the question back one point, and does not really answer it. Some would say that the Universe is the "dream of the Infinite.'' Can we con- ceive the Infinite Being as exercisng the finite faculty of "dreaming" — is not this childish? Others would have us believe that the Absolute is indulging in a "game" or "play," when he makes Uni- verses, and those inhabiting them. Can anyone really believe this of The Absolute — playing like a child, with men and women, worlds and suns, as Its blocks and tin-soldiers? Why should the Infinite "play"? — does It need amusement and "fun" like a child? Poor Man, with his attempts to read the Riddle of the In- finite ! We know of teachers who gravely instruct their pupils in the idea that the Absolute and Infinite One n8 GNANI YOGA. manifests Universes and Universal Life, and all that flows from them, because It wishes to "gain experi- ence" through objective existence. This idea, in many forms has been so frequently advanced that it is worth while to consider its absurdity. In the first place, what "experience" could be gained by the Ab- solute and Infinite One? What could It expect to gain and learn, that it did not already know and pos- sess? One can gain experience only from others, and outside things — not from oneself entirely sep- arated from the outside world of things. And there would be no "outside" for the Infinite. These people would have us believe that The Absolute emanated a Universe from Itself — which could contain nothing except that which was obtained from Itself — and then proceeded to gain experience from it. Having no "outside" from which it could obtain experiences and sentences and sensations, it proceeded to make (from Itself) an imitation one — that is what this answer amounts to. Can you accept it? The whole trouble in all of these answers, or at- tempted answers, is that the answerer first conceives of the Absolute-Infinite Being, as a Relative-Finite Man, and then proceeds to explain what this Big Man would do. This is but an exaggerated form of an- thropmorphism — the conception of God as a Man raised to great proportions. It is but an extension of the idea which gave birth to the savage conceptions of Deity as a cruel chief or mighty warrior, with hu- man passions, hates, and revenge; love, passions, and desires. THE ONE AND THE MANY. 119 Arising from the same cause, and akin to the the- ories advanced above are similar ones, which hold that the Absolute cannot dwell alone, but must for- ever bring forth souls from Itself — this was the idea of Plotinus, the Greek philosopher. Others have thought that the Infinite was possessed of such a con- suming love, that It manifested objects upon which it could bestow Its affections. Others have thought that It was lonesome, and desired companionship. Some have spoken of the Absolute as "sacrificing" it- self, in becoming Many, instead of remaining One. Others have taught that the Infinite somehow has be- come entangled in Its Manifestations, and had lost the knowledge of Its Oneness — hence their teachings of "I Am God." Others, holding to a similar idea, tell us that the Infinite is deliberately "masquerading" as the Many, in order to fool and mystify Itself — a show of Itself; by Itself, and for Itself! Is not this Speculative Metaphysics run wild? Can one in calm thought so regard the Infinite and Absolute Being — All-Wise — Causeless — All-Powerful — All-Present — All-Possessing — Lacking Nothing — Perfect One — as acting and performing thus, and from these motives? Is not this as childish as the childishness of the savage, and barbarians, in their Mumbo- Jumbo conceptions? Let us leave this phase of the subject. The Higher Yogi Teachings hold to no such ideas or theories. It holds that the Answer to the Secret is vested in the Infinite alone, and that finite "guesses" regarding the "Why" are futile and pitiful. It holds 120 GNAN1 YOGA. that while one should use the Reason to the full, still there are phases of Being that can be considered only in Love, Faith, and Confidence in THAT from which All Things flow, and in which we live and move and have our being. It recognizes that the things of the Spirit, are known by the Mind. It explores the re- gions of the Universal Mind to its utmost limits, fear- lessly — but it pauses before the Closed Door of The Spirit, reverently and lovingly. But, remember this — that while the Higher Yogi Teachings contain no "guess," or' speculative theory, regarding the "Why" of the Divine Manifestation, still they do not deny the existence of a "Why." In fact, they expressly hold that the Absolute Manifesta- tion of the Many is in pursuance of some wondrous Divine Plan, and that the Unfoldment of the Plan pro- ceeds along well-established and orderly lines, and according to Law.