United States or Gabon ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !


The other than the highest Self, i.e. the one called jiva, even in the state of release, is not that Self which the mantra describes; for this is not possible. And if the released soul is viewed as being mere non-differenced intelligence, it does not possess the capacity of seeing different things, and hence cannot of course possess vipaskittva in the sense stated above.

We must here point out that the non-qualification of Sudras for the cognition of Brahman can in no way be asserted by those who hold that a Brahman consisting of pure non-differenced intelligence constitutes the sole reality; that everything else is false; that all bondage is unreal; that such bondage may be put an end to by the mere cognition of the true nature of Reality such cognition resulting from the hearing of certain texts; and that the cessation of bondage thus effected constitutes final Release.

The former alternative is excluded, as it is admitted that the soul essentially is pure, non-differenced intelligence; and because on that alternative the assumption of avidya to account for the distinction of souls would be purposeless.

We finally remark that the arguments here set forth by us at the same time prove the untenableness of the view of those who teach that there is an eternally unchanging Brahman whose nature is pure, non-differenced intelligence, and which by being conscious of Nescience experiences unreal bondage and release.

In texts, again, such as 'Thou art that, the co-ordination of the constituent parts is not meant to convey the idea of the absolute unity of a non-differenced substance: on the contrary, the words 'that' and 'thou' denote a Brahman distinguished by difference.

And that, in the case of a being consisting of non-differenced light, obscuration by Nescience would be tantamount to complete destruction, we have already explained above.

Pu. Abandon the error of difference. All these and other texts, the purport of which clearly is instruction as to the essential nature of things, declare that Brahman only, i.e. non-differenced pure intelligence is real, while everything else is false. The appearance of plurality is due to avidya.

All this clearly proves that the authoritative books do not teach the doctrine of one non-differenced substance; that they do not teach that the universe of things is false; and that they do not deny the essential distinction of intelligent beings, non-intelligent things, and the Lord. The theory of Nescience cannot be proved. We now proceed to the consideration of Nescience.

I have thus declared to you the lasting truth of things that intelligence only is true and everything else untrue. Pu. Avidya is put an end to by true Knowledge. Other texts declare that this Nescience comes to an end through the cognition of the essential unity of the Self with Brahman which is nothing but non-differenced intelligence. Up. Up. Up. Up. Up. Up. Up. Up. Up. Up. Su.

True knowledge, of the kind described, will spring up in the mind of a man as soon as he hears the non-scriptural declaration, 'Brahman, consisting of non-differenced intelligence, is the sole Reality; everything else is false, and this will suffice to free him from error.