The Inner Teachings of the Philosophies and Religions of India

Google

This is a digital copy of a book lhal w;ls preserved for general ions on library shelves before il was carefully scanned by Google as pari of a project

to make the world's books discoverable online.

Il has survived long enough for the copyright to expire and the book to enter the public domain. A public domain book is one thai was never subject

to copy right or whose legal copyright term has expired. Whether a book is in the public domain may vary country to country. Public domain books

are our gateways to the past, representing a wealth of history, culture and knowledge that's often dillicull lo discover.

Marks, notations and other marginalia present in the original volume will appear in this file - a reminder of this book's long journey from the

publisher lo a library and linally lo you.

Usage guidelines

Google is proud lo partner with libraries lo digili/e public domain materials and make them widely accessible. Public domain books belong to the
public and we are merely their custodians. Nevertheless, this work is expensive, so in order lo keep providing this resource, we have taken steps to
prevent abuse by commercial panics, including placing Icchnical restrictions on automated querying.
We also ask that you:

+ Make n on -commercial use of the files We designed Google Book Search for use by individuals, and we request thai you use these files for
personal, non -commercial purposes.

+ Refrain from automated querying Do not send automated queries of any sort lo Google's system: If you are conducting research on machine
translation, optical character recognition or other areas where access to a large amount of text is helpful, please contact us. We encourage the
use of public domain materials for these purposes and may be able to help.

+ Maintain attribution The Google "watermark" you see on each lile is essential for informing people about this project and helping them find
additional materials through Google Book Search. Please do not remove it.

+ Keep it legal Whatever your use. remember that you are responsible for ensuring that what you are doing is legal. Do not assume that just
because we believe a book is in the public domain for users in the United States, that the work is also in the public domain for users in other

countries. Whether a book is slill in copyright varies from country lo country, and we can'l offer guidance on whether any specific use of
any specific book is allowed. Please do not assume that a book's appearance in Google Book Search means it can be used in any manner
anywhere in the world. Copyright infringement liability can be quite severe.

About Google Book Search

Google's mission is to organize the world's information and to make it universally accessible and useful. Google Book Search helps readers
discover the world's books while helping authors and publishers reach new audiences. You can search through I lie lull lexl of 1 1 us book on I lie web
al |_-.:. :.-.-:: / / books . qooqle . com/|

Gift of

William T. Ross

STANFORD

UNIVERSITY

LIBRARIES

/

THE INNER TEACHINGS OF

The Philosophies and Religions

of India

> By YOGI RAMACHARAKA

Author of "Fourteen Lessons in Yogi Philosophy and

Oriental Occultism," "Advanced Course in Yogi

Philosophy/ 9 etc.; "Hatha Yoga/' "Raja

Yoga," "Science of Breath/' "Psychic

Healing," Gnani Yoga." "Mystic

Christianity/' Etc.

THE

YOGI PUBLICATION SOCIETY

MASONIC TEMPLE. CHICAGO, ILL

LONDON AGENTS:
L. N. Fowler & Co., 7 Imperial Arcade. Ludgate Circue. C. E.

6 132

7*.4-

lie

Coprrifkt 1908
Br YOGI PUBLICATION SOCIETY

Copyright 1909

By yogi publication society

Eat«r*d at Stationer*' Hall
All Rigkta R«i«rrW

INDEX

Lesson I. The Land of the Ganges.

Lesson II. The Inner Teachings.

Lesson III. The Sankhya System.

Lesson IV. The Vedanta System.

Lesson V. Patanjali's Yoga System.

Lesson VI. The Minor Systems.

Lesson VII. Buddhism.

Lesson VIII. Sufiism.

Lesson IX. The Religions of India. (Parti.)

Lesson X. The Religions of India. (Part II.)

Lesson XI. Hindu Wonder Working.

Lesson XII. The Vedas; and Glossary of Sanscrit Terms.

THE FIRST LESSON

The Land of the Ganges.

India — the Land of the Ganges — the home of San-
scrit, the Root-Language of the world — the Mother
of Religions and Philosophies — the Twentieth Cen-
tury and the Western World greet thee! From thy
sources have come the languages of the world, in
which men have expressed the thoughts arising in
their minds — thy word-symbols have made possible
advanced thinking and expression of thought. From
thy thinkers and teachers have come the root-ideas
which have since grown into many a religious and
philosophical tree, with bud, leaf, flower, and fruit.
To thee may be traced the great philosophical con-
ceptions and religious truths that have animated and
inspired man's thought for centuries. Thy hundred
centuries of deep thought and meditation upon the
Mysteries of Existence — the Secret of the Absolute —
have proved as the leaven which has lightened the
bread of life, and has raised the sodden mass of ma-
teriality and changed its character so that it may be
partaken of without harm by reason of the trans-
forming power of thy leaven !

The history of India runs back for many centuries,
the Hindus themselves claiming that their records and
traditions carry them back over a period of a hun-
dred centuries — 10,000 years — and that back of even
this great period of time their people existed and had
their successive civilizations and periods of race rest.
Centuries before our present civilization had dawned

2 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA,

— centuries before the Christian religion was estab-
lished — centuries before even the time of Abraham,
and still longer before the time of Moses and the
practical beginning of the Jewish religion — the Hindu
teachers of philosophy had formed great schools of
thought, which in turn had been sub-divided by their
followers, the teachings of which have come down
along the line of the centuries even unto today. The
Veda and the Upanishads were written centuries ago
— beyond the time of recorded history — and have been
handed down from teacher to pupil ever since. Be-
fore the days of the Sphinx and the Pyramids of An-
cient Egypt, India's great religious and philosophical
teachers had formulated their doctrines and founded
their schools of thought. Surely such antiquity of
teaching, and the corresponding vitality of the doc-
trines which has kept them alive and vigorous through
the passage of these great periods of time, must
arrest our attention and command our respect.

The leading scholars of the Western world have
long since recognized and appreciated the great value
and importance of the work of the Hindu thinkers
along the line of philosophy, and have freely given
credit to them for their fundamental work upon which
a great body of the Western thought has been built.
In fact, it is difficult to find any form of Western
philosophy that has not used the Hindu philosophies
as a basis— or, at least which has not, perhaps un-
consciously, re-stated the fundamental truths uttered
centuries before by some Hindu thinker. Every pos-

THE LAND OF THE GANGES. 3

sible form of human philosophical speculation, con-
ception, or theory, has been advanced by some Hindu
philosopher during the centuries. It would seem that
the Hindu philosophical mind has acted like the finest
sieve, through which strained the volume of human
philosophical thought, every idea of importance being
gathered and applied, by someone, at some time, in
India. Professors Max Muller and Paul Deussen
have testified to the fact that India has been the
fountain-head of philosophical thought, and that in
the Vedas and the Upanishads may be found refer-
ences to every philosophical conception that the West-
ern mind has since evolved. This is no mere boast
of the Hindu — an examination of the authorities will
satisfy the most rigid proof on this point, as the
best authorities freely admit.

Victor Cousin, the French writer upon philosophical
history, has said: "When we read the poetical and
philosophical monuments of the East, — above all, those
of India, which are beginning to spread in Europe —
we discover there many a truth, and truths so pro-
found, and which make such a contrast with the mean-
ness of the results at which European genius has
sometimes stopped, that we are constrained to bend
the knee before the philosophy of the East, and to
see in this cradle of the human race the native land
of the highest philosophy. * * * India contains
the whole history of philosophy in a nutshell! 9 Sir
Monier Williams, in his great work on the Hindu
Religions, said; "Indeed, if I may be allowed the

4 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

anachronism, the Hindus were Spinozites more than
two thousand years before the existence of Spinoza;
and Darwinians many centuries before Darwin; and
Evolutionists many centuries before the doctrine of
Evolution had been accepted by the scientists of our
time, and before any word like 'Evolution* existed
in any language of the world." Many writers have
held that the great Grecian thinker and philosopher,
Pythagoras, received his instruction from Hindu
teachers upon his sojourn in India, and some of the
legends hold that upon his return to his native land
he brought a company of Hindu philosophers with
him, in order that the Greeks might receive the ben-
efit of their instruction. Whether or not this latter
statement may be true, it is undoubtedly true that
the vitality of Grecian philosophical thought was due
to Hindu influences. Prof. E. W. Hopkins has said:
"Plato was full of Sankhyan thought, worked out
by him, but taken from Pythagoras. Before the sixth
century B. C. all the religious-philosophical ideas of
Pythagoras were current in India. If there were but
one or two of these cases, they might be set aside as
accidental coincidences, but such coincidences are too
numerous to be the result of chance. * * * Neo-
Platonism and Christian Gnosticism owe much to In-
dia. The Gnostic ideas in regard to a plurality of
heavens and spiritual worlds go back directly to Hindu
sources. Soul and light were one in the Sankyha
system, before they became so in Greece, and when
they appeared united in Greece, it was by means of

THE LAND OF THE GANGES. 5

the thought which was borrowed from India. The
famous Three Gunas of the Sankyha reappeared as
the Gnostic 'three classes/ " Davies says : "Kapilo's
System is the first formulated system of philosophy of
which the world has a record. It is the earliest at-
tempt on record to give an answer, from reason alone,
to the mysterious questions which arise in every
thoughtful mind about the origin of the world, the
nature and relations of man and his future destiny."
The same authority says that: "The philosophy of
Schopenhauer and Hartmann is a reproduction of the
philosophical system of Kapila in its materialistic
part, presented in a more elaborate form, but on the
same fundamental lines. In this respect the human
intellect has gone over the same^ ground that it oc-
cupied more than two thousand years ago; but on a
more important question it has taken a step in re-
treat. Kapila recognized fully the existence of a soul
in man, forming indeed his proper nature, — the abso-
lute of Fichte,— distinct from matter and immortal;
but our latest philosophy, both here and in Germany,
can see in man only a highly developed organization."
Hopkins says: "Both Thales and Parmenides were
indeed anticipated by Hindu sages, and The Eleatic
school seems to be but a reflection of the Upanishads.
The doctrines of Anaxamander and Heraclitus were
perhaps not known first in Greece." Schlegel has
said: "The divine origin of man, as taught in the
Vedenta, is continually inculcated, to stimulate his
efforts to return, to animate him in the struggle, and

6 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

incite him to consider a reunion and reincorporation
with Divinity as the one primary object of every ac-
tion and reaction. Even the loftiest philosophy of the
Europeans, the idealism of reason as it is set forth
by the Greek philosophers, appears in comparison with
the abundant light and vigor of Oriental idealism like
a feeble Promethean spark in the full flood of heav-
enly glory of the noonday sun, faltering and feeble
and ever ready to be extinguished."

Of the Vedanta System of Hindu Philosophy, Max
Muller says: "This constitutes the unique character
of Vedanta, unique compared with every other phil-
osophy of the world which has not been influenced by
it, directly or indirectly." Speaking of the daring
philosophical conceptions of the Vedanta in its denial
of the reality of the phenomenal, and the assertion of
the reality only of the Absolute One, Max Muller
says : "None of our philosophers, not excepting Her-
aclitus, Plato, Kant, or Hegel, has ventured to erect
such a spire, never frightened by storms or light-
nings. Stone follows on stone, in regular succession
after once the first step has been made, after once
it has been clearly seen that in the beginning there
can have been but One, as there will be but One in
the end, whether we call it Atman or Brahman." Sir
William Jones has said : "It is impossible to read the
Vedanta, or the many fine compositions in illustra-
tion of it, without believing that Pythagoras and
Plato derived their sublime theories from the same
fountain with the Indian sages." Schopenhauer, the

THE LAND OF THE GANGES. J

great German philosopher, said: "There is no study
more beneficial and elevating to mankind than the
study of the Upanishads. It has been the solace of
my life, and it will be the solace of my death." Paul
Deussen, says : "God, the sole author of all good in
us, is not, as in the Old Testament, a Being contrasted
with and distinct from us, but rather our divine self.
This and much more we may learn from the Upani-
shads : we shall learn this lesson if we are willing to
put the finishing touch to the Christian consciousness,

and to make it on all sides consistent and complete/ 9

******

The Western student who wishes to become ac-
quainted with the Philosophies and Religions of In-
dia is placed at a great disadvantage by reason of his
remoteness from the authoritative teachers, and also
by reason of his inability to distinguish between the
true and the untrue — the genuine and the spurious —
the truth and the half-truth — among the voluminous
writings on the subject. He finds a mass of literature
relating to India and her religions and philosophies,
written in English by various persons who often have
made but a superficial study of the subject, and he is
unable to reconcile the many conflicting statements
that he finds in these books. He finds the various
authorities flatly contradicting each other, and, in his
ignorance, he is unable to decide upon the question
of the relative and comparative reliability of these
sources of information. This is not to be wondered
at, when it is remembered that the majority of the

8 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

English writers on the subject have had their own in-
formation not from authoritative sources, but gleaned
from various disconnected sources, the writers not be-
ing possessed of the power of intelligent discrimina-
tion, so foreign is the subject to their previous lines
of thought and so opposed to their mental, religious,
and philosophical training. It is true that there are a
number of very good English works on the subject
but they are greatly outnumbered by the mass of in-
competent, erroneous, and sometimes prejudiced and
biased treatises on the same lines.

For anyone to write intelligently upon the subject
of Hindu Philosophy or Religion, it is necessary that
he must be in sympathy with the Hindu mind and
soul — not necessarily a believer in their religions, or
a follower of their philosophy, but most certainly pos-
sessed of a mind in sympathy with the fundamental
conceptions and spiritual basic principles of the Hindu
people. This is true regarding the teachings and be-
liefs of any people — imagine a Chinaman who lacked
a Western training attempting to write a correct
statement of the Western beliefs, philosophies, etc.,
from disjointed and contradictory sources of infor-
mation, and you will have an idea of the difficulties
in the way of the average Western person who would
write of the Hindu Philosophies. In fact, our China-
man would have an easier task, for the greater part
of the Western thought has been expressed in books,
whereas much of the Hindu thought exists only in
the shape of verbal teaching, tradition, and "reading

THE LAND OF THE GANGES. 9

between the lines" of printed books. For one to write
intelligently of Hindu thought, he must possess not
only the best sources of information, but also the
"instinct" whereby he is able to discriminate between
the authoritative teachings, and those which contain
but half-truths — and above all, he must be possessed
of the Hindu Spirit, whereby he may see things as
the Hindu sees them — that subtle spiritual sense which
enables one to go at once to the heart of the Inner
Teachings — that Key which unlocks the Door of the
Temple.

When it is remembered that many of these English
attempts to interpret the Hindu Philosophies have
been made by men who have lived in India as Chris-
tian missionaries, and whose duty it has been to dis-
credit the native beliefs in the minds of the Hindu
people in hope of winning them over to the 'creed
and belief of the missionaries, it will be seen how
prone to error such attempt must be. For no matter
how sincere, honest and conscientious such a writer
may be, his account must necessarily be colored by
his point-of-view and the duties of his life — he is
in the position of a paid attorney for one side try-
ing to describe the case of the party whom he is op-
posing — an almost impossible task to fulfill with bias
and prejudice. The paid attorney, zealous for his
client's interest, and impregnated with the one-sided
view of. the case, is not. very likely to manifest a
purely judicial mind and point-of-view, no matter how
honest he may be.

10 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

And then again, the fundamental opposition be-
tween the basic philosophical conceptions of the Hindu
philosopher and the Christian theologian can scarcely
be imagined by one not familiar with both. As a
slight instance, we may say that while "creation" is
one of the basic propositions of the Christian theolo-
gian, the Hindu philosopher will not admit the exist-
ence of such a thing — he regards "creation" in the
doctrine of the making of something from nothing,
a conception which is filled with error- for him, and
which is absolutely unthinkable and insane from his
point of view. To the Hindu mind nothing comes
from nothing — everything that IS is either an eternal
thing, or else a form or manifestation, or appearance
emanation or phase of some eternal thing. The
"miracle" of creating something from nothing is ab-
solutely incomprehensible and unthinkable to the Hin-
du's mind-r-no matter how hard and honestly he may
try to form a mental image of the thing, he confesses
himself baffled — it is like asking him to think that
twice two is something else but four — and that the
shortest distance between two points is other than
a straight line. To him, "naught" is always "naught,"
and never can become "aught" by any process human
or divine.

Then again, to the Hindu mind, a mortal thing can
never become immortal by any means. An immortal
thing must always have been immortal, or else it
never can become so. And therefore everything that
is born must die sometime — and everything that dies

THE LAND OF THE GANGES. II

has been born sometime. To him Eternity must exist
on both sides of the Now, in fact the Now is but a
point in Eternity. Thus the Hindu is unable to ac-
cept the teachings of immortality for the soul, unless
previous immortality be conceded to it. He can not
conceive of any power "creating" a soul from noth-
ing, and then bestowing immortality upon it for eter-
nity. And while the Western philosopher, likewise,
is unable to think of "aught coming from naught,"
the subject presents no difficulty whatever to the
Western theologian who readily conceives the thing
being done by Divine fiat.

And, so you see how little the missionary writer
is apt to grasp the fundamental Hindu conceptions, or
point of view — his training and life-work prevents it.
And what is true of the missionary is also true of
the average Western investigator of the Eastern phil-
osophies and religions. As the Hindus say, he who
would grasp the Inner Teaching of the Hindu Philos-
ophy must have an "Hindu Soul," no matter what
may be his race, or country. There are many West-
ern people who have these "Hindu Souls," as the in-
creasing number of Western people who are inter-
ested in, and who intelligently and sympathetically
understand the Hindu Teachings, may testify to. The
Hindus, when they find such, explain it upon the
theory of Reincarnation, saying "Once a Hindu, al-
ways a Hindu," no matter in what race the Hindu
Soul may incarnate — the concentrated force of the
ancient teachings are indelibly impressed upon the

12 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

soul, and give it a tendency toward the Hindu thought
in future lives. In fact, the Hindus hold that the
souls of the ancient Hindu teachers, or rather of cer-
tain of them, are now incarnating in the West to lead
the newer races toward a conception of the Truth,
and their first disciples are the reincarnated Hindu
souls abiding in the Western lands.

There is another difficulty attending the attempts
of the Western writer who wishes to grasp the true
meaning of the Hindu Philosophies, but who has
failed to catch the spirit of the Hindu thought. We
allude to the Inner Teachings which are to be found
in all of the Oriental thought. The Oriental mind
works upon entirely different psychological lines from
the mind of the Western man. In the Western lands
the impulse is to publish and proclaim every detail
of the thought on any subject, sometimes in advance
of its actual acceptance by the leading minds working
along the lines of the particular subject. But in the
Orient the tendency is precisely the opposite, and the
sage is apt to reserve for himself and his close circle
of personal students and followers the cream of the
idea, deeming it too important to be spread broadcast
to the unthinking and unappreciative public. More-
over, in the West the philosophy of a man is regarded
as a purely intellectual matter, and he is not expected
to live up to the philosophy that he has enunciated —
while in the East the philosopher takes his teachings
very much in earnest, and so does his public, and he
is expected to live out his teachings in his everyday

O

THE LAND OF THE GANGES. 13

life or else be considered a hypocrite. This being
the case, the Oriental holds back his Inner Teachings
for himself, until he is able to live out and manifest
them in his life. And what is true of the individual
is true of the great body of thinkers, who instinc-
tively reserve for the few the Inner Teachings of
their philosophies, deeming it almost a sacrilege to
divulge the inner truths to anyone who has not
proven his worthiness and right motives.

Moreover there is always the great body of the
Inner Teachings of the Hindu Philosophies which are
tacitly accepted and recognized by the students of
the philosophies, but which are not openly taught.
These basic truths are deeply impressed upon the
Hindu consciousness, and are absorbed almost with
their mother's milk. Consequently, the English in-
vestigator, finding no clear and detailed statement of
these fundamental truths mentioned in the books, is
apt to ignore them, and consequently is unable to
understand the true meaning of certain secondary
truths and ideas based upon the fundamental concep-
tions. This is apparent to anyone who has grasped
the inner meaning of the Hindu philosophies, and who
is able to see the common basis for the apparently
contradictory theories and opposing schools, when he
reads the essays and books written by Westerners
who treat the different schools as diametrically op-
posed to each other and having no common basis of
agreemen t The truth is that aU the various Hindu
philosophies and religions are but various off-shoots

14 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

from a common trunk and root. If one discovers
this root-thought, he is then able to follow out the
subtle differences of interpretation and doctrine, and
to reconcile their differences, whereas to the Western
man who fails to perceive the common trunk and root
the whole system of Hindu Philosophy is a tangled
mass of contradictions, lacking relationship and har-
mony. In these lessons we hope to be able to so
present the subject that the student may be able to
see the common trunk and root, and then to follow
out the diverging branches to the end, from the
point of apparent separation; or on the other hand,
to follow a line of thought back from its extreme
point to the point where it diverges from the com-
mon trunk.

If the above statements regarding the difficulty of
a correct understanding and interpretation of the Hin-
du Philosophies be true, what must be said of an
attempt of the Western mind to understand and in-
terpret the Hindu Religious systems, in all of their
branches, denominations and division down to the
finest hair-splitting degree. To the average Western
mind the subject of the Hindu Religions is one of
extreme perplexity and confusion, seemingly based
upon an unstable foundation, and lacking coherence
or any reasonable common basis or foundation. The
Western mind sees and hears on one hand the highest
spiritual teachings, and the most refined and subtle

THE LAND OF THE GANGES. 15

philosophy coming from the master minds of Ancient
India, and on the other hand sees and hears the
grossest superstition and credulity accompanied by
the most absurd forms of ritualistic nonsense and
exhibitions of greedy and tyrannical priestcraft. On
one hand he sees the most elevated spiritual concep-
tions, accompanied by the most austere and ascetic
lives of their followers, while on the other hand he
sees the exhibition of what appears to him to be the
grossest forms of the old Phallic Worship accom-
panied by the most shocking exhibitions of immoral-
ity and obscenity. Can such things have a common
origin — can there be any connection between the high-
est forms and the lowest? The inquirer forgets that
in the history of all religions there have been wit-
nessed these extremes and contradictions, but usually
they are separated by periods of time and eras of
thought, while in India they exist contemporaneously
and almost side by side.

Then again, the Western mind sees the highest form
of religious philosophy taught and practiced under
some of the more elevated forms of the Vedanta,
beyond which no human mind has ever dared to ven-
ture, so ethereal and tenuous are its conceptions, the
Truth being followed until it faded into a transcen-
dental vagueness impossible of being grasped except
by the mind trained in the highest philosophic meth-
ods. And, opposing this, the Western observer sees
what appears to him to be the crudest form of idol-
worship, and debasing credulity and superstition —

l6 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

almost a form of devil worship and fetishism. He is
justified in asking whether there can be any common
root and origin for these opposing conceptions and
practices* It is no wonder that the Western world,
hearing some of the reports of the missionaries and
travellers, and then reading the high doctrines of the
Vedas and Upanishads, fails to understand, and gives
up the matter with a shake of the head and the thought
that India must be a very nightmare of theological,
religious and philosophical vagaries and conceptions.
And, when to this he adds the reports of the "Won-
der Workings" or "Magic" of some of the Hindu
fakirs or magicians, it is still more perplexed; the
difficulty not growing less when he hears the Hindu
teachers declaring that these "miracles" and "won-
der-workings" are not performed by high spiritual
people, or by spiritual methods, but that on the con-
trary they are the result of methods along the lines
of the "psychic," understandable by every one who
cares to investigate the subject, and often performed
by men most unspiritual and lacking morality or re-
ligious merit and often ignorant of even the rudi-
ments of the higher philosophies. All this is most
confusing to the Western mind, and we hope to be
able to throw some light on the dark corners of this

subject, also.

******

One of the explanations of the prevalence of the
lowest forms of fetishism, superstition, and religious
debasement in India, alongside of the highest forms

THE LAND OF THE GANGES. 1 7

of religious and philosophical knowledge and teach-
ing, is the mental atmosphere of India itself, and a
study of the history of thought in that land. It must
be remembered that for countless centuries the Hindu
mind has confined itself dosely to an investigation of
"the other side of Life" to a degree not to be imagined
by the Western mind. While the newer lands of the
West, with their active pioneers in activity, have been
pushing forward toward material advancement and
progress, India has been resting quietly, dreaming
of that which lies back of the material world, and
under and above physical existence. To the Hindu
mind the physical and material world is more or less
of an illusion, inasmuch as it passes away almost
while it is being formed, and is a thing of the moment
merely — while the spiritual world is the real one and
the one to which the mind of man may most prop-
erly be turned. Mind you, we are merely stating the
fact and existing conditions that you may understand
them, not as urging that the above method is the bet-
ter. - For, to be frank with you, we consider the gen-
eral tendency of the Hindu mind to be as much "one-
sided" as that of the Western world — the one leans
to the "I Am" side, ignoring the "I Do" side ; while
the other places entire dependence upon the "I Do"
phase, almost entirely ignoring the "I Am" phase.
The one regards the side of Being, and ignores the
side of Action; while the other regards Action as
the essential thing, ignoring the vital importance of
Being. To the Western world the Physical is the

l8 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

dominant phase — to the East the Metaphysical holds
the lead. The thinking minds of both East and
West clearly see that the greatest progress in the
future must come from a combining of the methods
of the two lands, the Activity of the West being
added to the Thought of the East, thus inspiring the
old lands into new activities and energy; while to
the Western activity must be added the spirituality
and "soul-knowledge" of the East, in order that the
rampant materiality may be neutralized and a proper
balance maintained. And close observers see in the
eagerness of the East to take on Western activity;
and in the hunger and thirst of the West for knowl-
edge of the soul and "that which is back of all life
and the universe;" the indication of a wonderful fu-
ture for the whole world, East and West together.

The people of India are separated by but a very
thin veil from "the other side of life," and any one
who lives in India and who allows himself to "feel"
the current of thought and life manifesting there, soon
becomes aware that there is a vast psychological dif-
ference between the ancient land of the Ganges and
the Western world. It is "in the air" of India, and
none can live there without feeling its subtle effect
and influence. No Western man who has lived in
India for a half dozen years is ever the same man
afterward, even if he returns to his own land. He
never loses the feeling of the vague and nebulous
Something Alive that is in the very air around him
and about him. Scoff as he may, and materialist of

THE LAND OF THE GANGES. 19

materialists though he may be, he still feels that
Something around him — he has caught the psychic
atmosphere of India.

And this fact of the mental and psychic atmosphere
of the land of the Hindus, has a bad effect as well
as good one. Just as does the rich ground of the
tropical countries, under the blazing sun and other
influences of Nature, bring forth a luxuriance of
fruits, flowers and vegetation of a kind desired by
Man, so does the same soil, under the same impulses,
bring forth a rank growth of noxious weeds and
vegetation — the fertile fields on the one side bearing
marked contrast to the wild, fierce jungles on the
other. And yet both conditions arise from the same
soil, under the same sun, and rain, and atmospheric
conditions. And, again, just as the wonderful sun of
the tropics and the semi-tropical lands tends to bring
forth the wonderful harvests and vegetable growths,
so does it, at times, and under certain conditions, burn
up, parch and destroy the grain, fruit and nutritious
growths of the land, in a fierce and deadly drought,
the result being that grim famine reigns where boun-
tiful harvests formerly held court, and thousands per-
ish from hunger instead of being nourished by Na-
ture. And, as on the physical plane, so on the men-
tal and spiritual, in India. The mental soil so rich
and so filled with materials for spiritual growth un-
der the Sun of Spiritual Knowledge, also becomes a
field ripe for the noxious growths of superstition and
credulity, devil-worship and frightful debasement of

20 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

thought and practice. And, again, just as the sun
produces the bountiful harvest in one section, and
the deadly drought in another, so does the rich spir-
itual development of India have its dark side in the
degenerated teachings and "shadow" among the same
people.

India is a land of marked spiritual contrasts — the
highest and the lowest are to be found there side by
side. But, to those who are able to get behind the
scenes and probe to the heart of the matter, it always
is evident that the debasing forms of religion in India
are always found to be but the degenerated and de-
based sides of the true religious teachings of the
Hindus. Just as men may and do degenerate morally,
mentally and physically, so may and do men degen-
erate spiritually. Just as in the Western centres of
civilization are to be found human monsters perform-
ing deeds more savage than those of the most ignor-
ant savages — just as men of intellect are found guilty
of acts and practices below the level of the beasts —
so do we find in India the lower and ignorant classes
of people so far fallen away from the magnificent
spiritual teachings of their race that they are lower
in the scale of true spirituality than the ignorant sav-
age who has no spirituality at all. The greater the
height, the greater the fall therefrom — the further
the pendulum swings the one way, the further the
swing in the other direction. The universal laws
which manifest on the physical plane, are likewise in
operation on the mental and spiritual planes as well.

THE LAND OF THE GANGES. 21

Perhaps, when you have studied these lessons, you
will be able to understand the true and the false about
India's religions — and to see that while her philoso-
phies reach the summits of the highest mountains of
human knowledge, at the same time certain forms of
her religions dwell in the darkest lower crevasses and
canyons devoid of sunshine and the vivifying influ-
ences of the more favored sections.

India has a population of nearly, or quite, three
hundred million people, spread over an immense ter-
ritory closely populated. Its population is made up
of numberless peoples and races, of all shades of re-
ligious opinions, and practices, among which are the
millions of Orthodox Hindus (with their many forms
of creeds and beliefs) ; Christians ; Mahometans ;
Jews; Parsees; Buddhists; Jains; Sikhs; and others,
including about a half million of aboriginal people,
not Aryans or true Hindus, who adhere to their old
form of ancestral worship. It is not to be wondered
at that all shades and degrees of religious thought are
to be found among these peoples, just as in Europe
there is to be found every form, grade and degree of
religious belief, from the highest to the lowest— and
just as in America there is to be found the most ad-
vanced religious thought, side by side with some of
the most superstitious and degrading forms among
the ignorant — from the religious conception of an
Emerson to the degrading beliefs of some of the south-
ern negroes, little above the level of the Voodoo be-
liefs of their ancestors.

21 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

How few of the American people, of all classes just
as one meets them on the streets, are capable of com-
prehending the sublime teachings of their country-
man, Emerson! As in the East — so in the West —
the law is universal. To those who ask: "Why is it
that with the high conceptions of the Hindu Phi-
losophy the masses of the Hindu people are not able
to rise to a higher level?" we would answer: For
the same reason that the high teachings of the West-
ern Philosophers have not reached the understanding
of the masses of the people of the Western world —
the cause is the same, and lies far behind the distinc-
tions between peoples and countries. In all lands there
are advanced souls, and those less advanced — and still
those which are far down in the scale. The man of
the world-wide view of life, does not make narrow
provincial comparisons between peoples, for he sees
everywhere in operation the same universal laws of
human nature, manifesting under the guise of local
features and traits, but ever the same laws.

The peculiar local feature and traits among the
Hindus — the features in which they differ the great-
est from the Western peoples — is the fact that we
have mentioned a moment ago, that in India the veil
between the Visible and the Invisible is much thinner
than in the Western lands. In India the crust between
the surface of phenomenal life, and the great under-
lying noumenal life, is very thin indeed, and the sen-
sitive soul may sense the throbbings of the underlying
life, with its heart-beats and tumultuous currents of

THE LAND OF THE GANGES. 2%

being. This being so, while the advanced soul is thus
brought into close touch with the Inner Life of the
Universe, and is able to mount to a higher plane, the
soul far back on The Path of Spiritual Attainment
not having the intelligence or powers of discernment
to apply the Hidden Forces of the Soul, is still con-
scious of the existence of the Underlying Life, and is
apt to develop along the lower psychic lines, instead
of along the higher spiritual ones, and accordingly
tends toward superstition and credulity, and low spirit-
ual ideals, instead of mounting upward. The zveed
grows in the tropical climate, as well as the fruits
and -Rowers. Perhaps with even this slight explana-
tion you may be able to understand this subject just
a little better than you did before reading it. Let us
trust so.

>(t jje s|c H< ♦

And now let us proceed to the consideration of the
Basic Principles underlying the entire system of the
Hindu Thought. And then let us pass on to an exam-
ination of the interpretation and teachings of each
system, school cult and sect of that land so fertile and
prolific of thought of Things Behind the Veil.

SPECIAL MESSAGE I.

BY YOGI EAMACHAEAKA.

This month we begin the study of "The Philosophies and Religions
of India." It is a subject of the greatest interest to all who have
studied with us the previous lessons on our conception of the Yogi
Philosophy. You will be able to trace step by step the progress of the
great Hindu Philosophical Thought from the beginning down to the
present time, in all of its branches and variations. You will be made
acquainted with the Inner Teachings and the Fundamental Doctrines
of the Hindu Philosophers, which will enable you to perceive the exact
points of divergence and difference in interpretation, and the various
points of reconciliation and agreement between the various
schools and sects. With the key of the Fundamental Teachings you
will be able to swing wide open the heavy outer doors of the
Temples of Thought. And, moreover, as these Fundamental Teachings
are basic and universal in their application, you will be able to unravel
the tangles of Western Philosophy, as well as the Oriental Philosophy,
by the means of your acquaintance with these Basic Principles, tracing
each conception back to its origin, and placing it in its proper class.
Moreover, you will see wherein our own System of Philosophy agrees
with, and differs from, the various differing schools of the Hindu Phi-
losophy. You will see that while we do not "wear the label' 1 of any
of the various schools, yet there are many points of agreement with the
various ones in some of their divisions and subdivisions. We belong
to what is known as the ECLECTIC SCHOOL of Hindu Philosophy,
which is really no crystallized school at all, but which founds itself
firmly upon the solid rock of the Fundamental Teachings, and then
"takes its own wherever it finds it" from the teachings of India's
thinkers for the past five thousand years. "Eclectic," you know,
means Selective; Chosen from various sources and systems, etc.; and
is the very reverse of "Dogmatic" and "Sectarian." We have many

{>oints of agreement with the Monistic school of the Vedanta; and
ikewise many points of agreement with the Sankhya school; and some
points of common thought with Patanjali's Yoga school; and also
some points of agreement with Buddhism; but at the same time we
take exception to many points put forth by each school. Besides, we
have availed ourselves of that very great, and to us very important,
body of independent thought outside of the regular Hindu systems,
and which is held by the independent thinkers, teachers and philoso-
phers of India and other parts of the East; besides drawing liberally
upon other sources of Oriental Occult Teaching. To those, who not
being acquainted with the history of the Hindu Philosophy, might
object that an "Eclectic" System of Hindu Philosophy was a "new
thing," and a product of modern tendencies, and therefore lacking
the weight of ancient authority and precedent, we would quote the
following from Prof. Bichard Qarbe, the well-known German authority
on Hindu Philosophical History. Prof. Qarbe says: "In the first
century of the Christian Era, there was started in India an Eclectic
movement which was chiefly occupied with the combination of the
Sankhya, Yoga and Yedanta theories." Such a "movement" (not a
school or system, remember) which has been in existence for two
thousand years, and which occasioned the production of some of the
most virile philosophical thought during that time, may be pardoned
M ' m declining to be called "new"; and for claiming its rightful place
le Hindu Philosophy.

And, now, in approaching this study, let us lay aside all prejudice,
and preconceived conceptions and misapprehensions — and with open
mind examine, consider and weigh the claims and teachings of these
various systems — testing each with the touchstone of the Fundamental
Principles which shall be given you, and above all perceiving the
Unity in Diversity apparent to the student who has caught a glimpse
of the Truth. Let us Meditate on the idea that Truth is Universal,
and that no one person, or body of persons, ever has; has now; or
ever will have; a monopoly of Truth. That there is Truth in all
teachings — but that none have ALL the Truth. And so, seeing the
Truth in All, and ALL in the Truth, let us lay aside prejudice and
bigotry, and with clear eyes perceive the reflection of the Sun of
Truth in the waters contained in the many earthen jars of Dogma,
Doctrine, Creed, Sect, School, and System — but always remember that
the TRUTH itself is something far above these earthen receptacles,
with their stores of water, each reflecting the Light of the Truth
which proceeds from Above. And in so Meditating, let us carry in our
minds the words of the thousands-of -years-old Big-Veda, which says:
"THE TRUTH IS ONE— MEN CALL IT BY MANY NAMES."
And in this thought is to be found the Secret of Tolerance, Broad-
ness, and Brotherhood, as in its absence appear Intolerance, Narrow-
ness, Bigotry, Sectarianism, Dogmatic Assumption, Persecution, Hos-
tility, Hatred and Separateness. There is but ONE TRUTH — to know
that Truth in its entirety is to BE that Truth — the bits and glimpses
of Truth that we see in human Dogma, Creeds, and Closed Sys-
tems, are but the reflections of the Sun of Truth, far above in the
heavens, as seen of the surface of the muddy water of the Earthen
Jars standing in the Courtyard. Remember this and seek ever the
Sun. But the Jars must be examined in turn, that we may know to
distinguish the Truth from its reflection. Such is the Teaching of the
Wise. Peace to Thee.

THE SECOND LESSON

The Inner Teachings.

It is difficult to trace back to the beginning of the
great Aryan Philosophies, so far removed from the
present are those beginnings in point of time. It is
estimated that the Aryan Race is at least one hundred
centuries — 10,000 years — old, at the present time, and
some have thought that its teachings were based on
those of some still older civilization. The Aryan civ-
ilization is certainly the mother of modern thought —
yes, even of the languages of the civilized world, and
Professor Max Miiller has said that nearly all the
word-concepts now in use by the civilized may
be traced back to a few Sanscrit roots. Not only has
the Aryan mind given us our subjects for thought,
but also the very words by which these thoughts may
be conceived and expressed.

Centuries upon centuries ago, the Aryan Race de-
scended upon the plains of India, conquering and
driving out the dark-skinned aboriginal inhabitants
of that land. From whence the Aryans came, his-
torians are undecided, but the legends indicate that
they came from some unknown land at the North.
Some have supposed that they came from the region
of the North Pole, the former conditions of which
region were quite different from present conditions,
while others have supposed that they were the sur-
vivors of some great nation whose home had been
destroyed by some convulsion of nature. Some of
the old legends hold that the Aryans were the sur-

*5

26 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

vivors of the lost continent of Lemuria which is said
to have been situated in what is now known as the
Pacific Ocean, and parts of the Indian Ocean, and
which included what we now know as Australia,
Australasia, and other portions of the Pacific Islands,
which islands are really the surviving portions of the
lost continent — its highest points — the lower portions
being sunk beneath the waves. The legends hold that
prior to the great cataclysm which destroyed the land

and the people of Lemuria there was an emigration
of a large number of Lemurians, led by certain re-
ligious leaders who had foretold the coming destruc-
tion of the land. The people and their descendants
took refuge on some of the higher points of the dis-
tant northern parts of the land, which were turned
into islands at the time of the cataclysm. Dwelling
on these islands for centuries, they afterwards emi-
grated to the mainland of the new country which had
risen from the sea toward the south, and which is
now known as India. They found the land occupied
by dark-skinned aborigines who had been driven there
from other lands, by the convulsions of nature, the
descendants of the Aryans overcoming them by reason
of the superior Aryan mental development. It is in-
teresting to note, however, that there are nearly a
million of the descendants of these non-Aryan abo-
rigines still living in parts of India, the Aryans having
allowed them to dwell in peace, and who still adhere
to the primitive religions of their forefathers of cen-
turies back, their conquerors having respected their

THE INNER TEACHINGS. 27

beliefs, and having refrained from forcing their own
religions upon them.

The Aryans prospered in the new lands, and from
them descended the present Aryan races of India. A
portion of them, however, passed on to what is now
known as Europe, and their descendants today are
known as the Germanic, Italian, Celtic, Greek races,
etc. Few people in the West realize that the Aryan
Hindus and the dominant races oi the Western world
are descendants of the same stock, and are not sepa-
rate people, as are the Chinese, Japanese, etc. The
fact of the common origin of these peoples accounts
for many of the underlying beliefs common to the
several races in their earlier history, namely, that of
Re-birth, etc., which the ancestors of the Western
races held.

During the period of their emigration, wanderings,
re-establishing fixed conditions, etc., which extended
over many centuries, the ancient 'Aryans lost much
of their culture and veneer of the old civilization, as
has always been the case among pioneers from an
older land entering into a new land in which they
must "begin from the bottom" and build up a new
civilization. Confronted with new and trying con-
ditions and environments, they gradually relapsed into
a condition of primitive simplicity, the old truths and
knowledge passing away and being replaced by tradi-
tions, legends, and vague memories of the past teach-
ings transmitted by the old men of the people to their
grandchildren . and great-grandchildren, and thus

28 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

being kept alive. But although the greater part of
their philosophy was lost, and their religion passed
from a condition of subtle metaphysical doctrine back
into a condition of primitive, simple religion, still
there were some fundamental truths that never were
lost to them. The old teachings had been of a great,
universal One Absolute Being from whom all else
emanated — and from whom the individual souls pro-
ceeded "as the rising sparks from the blazing fire";
and of the Immortality of the Soul, which never was
born and never could die, and which was subject to
re-birth, under an universal law of cause and effect.
And, although the ancient Aryans lost the full under-
standing of that One Absolute Being, they never wan-
dered away from the idea of a great Nature-Spirit
of which in some mysterious way they were a part —
nor did they lose their hold on the doctrine of Rein-
carnation. These fundamental doctrines clung to the
race throughout the centuries, and still continue
with it.

These simple, primitive people naturally fell into
the ways of all people of their degree of civilization,
and they proceeded to create gods and demi-gods
without number, according to their conceptions and
the demands of their imaginations, the number in-
creasing, and the differences began to manifest more
clearly, as the race rapidly increased and divided into
tribes, peoples and nations. But the Aryan mind in
India never lost sight of the fact that above and over
all of their gods there existed the One from which

THE INNER TEACHINGS. 2Q

even the gods proceeded. Even in the most backward
of the tribes, who had relapsed into a state of idol-
atrous practices and whose collection of gods included
many crude conceptions, some of which were prac-
tically forms of devil-worship, still above all they had
their tradition of their "God of Gods." And so the
race began its upward climb again, passing through
all the stages that all races have manifested in the
evolution of their religious beliefs — but always having
their inherited ideas of The One manifesting its subtle
influence, and striving to unfold itself once more into
the religious consciousness of the race.

At a period estimated at about five thousand years
before the Christian era, many of the Hindu people,
particularly in certain favored sections in which the
struggle for life was not so severe, and in which the
people had risen to a comparatively high state of
culture and knowledge, began to manifest a great
interest in Philosophy. The Hindus claim that this
was caused by the Reincarnation of many of the old
teachers of the root-race, who, returning to the earth
and incarnating in the bodies of their descendants,
began to revive the old knowledge which had been
lost during the centuries of emigration, wandering,
and building up of the new civilization. About this
time, whatever may have been the cause, there began
a wonderful revival of philosophical speculation and
thought, the effects of which are manifest in India
even unto this day. At that time appeared those
great thinkers whom we now call the "Ancient

30 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

Hindu Sages," the memory Qf whom is kept alive in
India of today by tradition. These men antedated the
writing of the Vedas and the Upanishads, the ancient
and sacred works of the Hindus. These Sages started
the Hindu School of Philosophy which has since
exerted so marked an influence upon the race.

So far as we are able to gather from written and
verbal tradition — particularly the latter, for the Hia-
dus always have passed along the bulk of their teach-
ings in this way — the Sages gathered around them the
most intelligent young men of their race and began
to formulate and expound a philosophy of Pure Rea-
son. The students were instructed to lay aside all of
their preconceived ideas, and religious teachings, so
far as philosophical conceptions were concerned, and
as we would now say in the West, "to begin from the
ground up," laying a firm foundation, and then care-
fully erecting the structure of thought thereupon. In
fact, so concerned were the Sages in establishing a
firm foundation for the new philosophy, that it may
be said that their entire work was in the direction of
laying the Great Foundation of the Hindu Philosophy,
leaving for their followers through the centuries the
work of erecting the superstructure thereupon. And
so well was their work done, that although many
philosophies have come, and many have gone, in
India during the past fifty centuries, the Foundations
of the Sages still remain, as sound and as firm as
when first laid, unchanged, unhurt, and unaffected by
the building up and tearing down work that has gone

THE INNER TEACHINGS. 31

on over them in the many years since they were laid.
Surely such Foundation Work must be sound, and
well worthy of the attention and consideration of all
thinkers, no matter what their belief, or race, or coun-
try. Let us now consider the work of the Sages, and
the Foundation they laid.

In the first place, the Sages bade their students
observe that there was nothing Constant, Abiding,
Fixed, and Imperishable in the phenomenal aspect of
Nature and the Universe. At this place it may be
well to give their idea of the meaning of "Phenom-
enal." To them the Sanscrit word conveying the idea
that we now express by the word "phenomenal"
meant "that which appears to the senses — that which
is seen, felt, heard, smelled, tasted, or sensed in any
way." The Greek word "phenomenal" is defined by
Webster as : "An appearance ; anything visible ; what-
ever is apprehended by observation" — the two words
being almost identical in meaning. The Sages then
bade their students observe that the phenomenal world
was but a series of changing, shifting forms and
events, nothing being abiding or permanent. To the
mind of the Sages none of these phenomenal things —
nor all of them combined — was or were "Real," the

term being used in the sense of "existing, fixed, per-
manent, constant" — just as w r e use the term in con-
nection with "Real Property— Real Estate— Realty,"
etc., in law today. And, accordingly, the Sages bade
their students recognize that the Phenomenal Uni-
verse was not "Real" in the philosophical sense of
the word.

32 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

The next step was to bid the students recognize that
underneath all the changing and shifting manifesta-
tions of the Phenomenal Universe there must be
something that wa9 Real, and Substantial, upon the
face or surface of which occurred the constant play
of matter, force, and life, as the ripple and waves
played upon the surface of the ocean, or as the clouds
passed before the blue of the sky. They held that
Pure Reason must convince any philosophical mind
that there must be Something Real and Substantial
under and behind the Phenomenal Universe, else the
latter could not exist even in appearance — that there
must be a Background of Reality, or a Foundation
of Substance. Their term, from which the concept
of "Substance" arose, may be understood by the def-
inition of "Substance," which is given by Webster
as follows : "That which underlies all outward mani-
festations; substratum; that in which all properties
inhere, that constituting anything what it is; nature;
real or existing essence; etc." (Kindly remember
that the word is not used in the sense of "Matter, or

Material Things.") And that consequently, this Uni-
versal Substance must be Real — and that in its totality

it was necessarily the only Reality. The next step
was the recognition that this Substantiality must be
but One in its essential being, otherwise there could
not exist that continuity and orderly trend of mani-
festation observable in the Phenomenal Universe.

The next step in the logical reasoning was that
this Ultimate Reality must be above all phenomenal

THE INNER TEACHINGS. 33

attributes and qualities, including those of man, and
consequently that its Inner Nature, or Essential Be-
ing was beyond the cognition, knowledge or even the
imagination of man, and was Unknowable in that
sense, and therefore beyond definition or name — there-
fore the Sages styled this Ultimate Reality by the
Sanscrit word "TAT," from which the English word
"THAT" is derived — a pronoun referring to some-
thing supposed to be understood — in this case imply-
ing no qualities, attributes or name. And the Sanscrit
word, Tat, and its English equivalent, "THAT," is
still used even unto today to designate or point out
(but not to describe) the Hindu idea of the Ultimate
Reality behind the Phenomenal Universe — and in these
lessons we shall so use the term, or its more popular
Hindu equivalent "Brahman," or "The Absolute," our
own favorite term.

The next step in the chain of reasoning was that,
applying the fundamental Hindu axiom : "Something
never can be caused by, or proceed from Nothing,"
and as there was nothing other than THAT in Real
Existence, or which could have caused it, and as
Reality even could not have been Self-created from
nothing, it must follow that THAT must always have
existed, and must be Eternal. And, also, applying
the Hindu axiom that "Something cannot be dis-
solved into Nothing," THAT cannot cease to be, and
must be Everlasting. Therefore, THAT is to be con-
sidered as Eternal.

The next step was that, inasmuch as there was

34 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

nothing outside of THAT with which, or by which, it
could be defined, bounded, determined, affected,
caused, or influenced, it must be held that THAT is
Infinite. It was also held that as there was nothing
else that could act as a Cause of the Phenomenal Uni-
verse, THAT must be its only efficient and sufficient
Cause. But in this connection the subtle mind of the
Hindu Sages escaped the placing of THAT in the
category of other Causes, as some of the Western
philosophers have done when they call it "the First
Cause." Instead, they held that it is the Causeless
Cause — the Only Real Cause, and that other than
THAT there can be no Real Cause. Following this
line of reasoning they discovered that all that we call
Cause and Effect in the Phenomenal World is but a
series or sequence of Consecutive Effects, that is, a
series of sequence of objects or events following in
an orderly train; successive; uninterrupted; continu-
ous and constant, and all proceeding from the One
Cause — THAT. In the Phenomenal World each ob-
ject or event is both a Cause and an Effect (relatively
speaking) — that is, an Effect of the preceding object
or event, and the Cause (relative) of the succeeding
object or event — the Effect being the Cause (relative)
reproduced— each Effect thus being in the Cause
(relative). This being so, it follows that the Laws of
the Phenomenal Universe are continuous, regular and
uniform, and to be depended upon. Therefore THAT
may be considered as The Only Real Cause.
The next step was to recognize that THAT was

THE INNER TEACHINGS. 35

necessarily Unchangeable, there being nothing to
change It; nothing into which It could be changed;
and moreover as there was nothing but Itself that it
could be, It being All that Is, there is nothing else
It could change Itself into, as there cannot be anything
created from nothing, and even THAT could not
create Itself into any Reality other than that which
It is, any more than It could change Itself into Noth-
ingness or Non-Reality. And, moreover, it was held
that THAT could not divide Itself into parts, for
there was nothing else to divide it, or by which it
could be divided, or with which to separate the parts
— moreover, if it were divided there would be two or
more THATS or Realities, instead of but one, and its
Infinite nature would be destroyed, something which
the Sages deemed impossible. Therefore it was held
that THAT was Unchangeable and Invisible.

The next step was to declare the truth that as all
that truly IS must be Real (in the sense of the term
that we have explained) and as THAT being all that
is Real must be ALL that IS — then it followed that
other than THAT there could be nothing that IS.
And, accordingly all that seemed or appeared to be,
must lack true reality and existence, and must be
either Nothing, or else an emanation of some kind,
or manifestation of some kind of THAT. And upon
this Basic Proposition the Hindu Philosophers insisted
that all Truth regarding the Universe must be based.
They would not admit the "creation" (real) of any-
thing phenomenal, for they claimed that their axiom,

36 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

"Something cannot be created from Nothing," when
applied, demonstrated that even THAT could not
have "created" the Phenomenal Universe or the In-
dividual Souls from nothing, nor could THAT have
"created" anything from Its own substance or essence;
nor was there anything outside of Itself that THAT
could have used with which to "create" anything —
therefore it followed that nothing had been, or could
have been really "created," and that therefore the
Phenomenal Universe, and all it contained, including
the Individual Souls must have "emanated from/'
or been "manifested by" THAT in some man-
ner and by means of processes beyond the power of
the mind of man to determine, although not beyond
his power to imagine. And upon that Basic Proposi-
tion the Sages rested their speculation and reasoning
regarding the Phenomenal Universe. And upon that
firm basis have been erected the many structures of
subsequent Hindu Philosophy. And, now, let us give
you a little summing up of the conclusions that were
arrived at by these Ancient Hindu Sages, and their
earlier followers, before we pass to the subsequent de-
velopments of the philosophical thought of India.
******

To begin with, the Hindu Sages assumed Three
Axioms, or Self-Evident Truths, upon which they
based their Thought regarding the Phenomenal Uni-
verse, and the Reality which they held was to be
found behind it These Three Axioms were as fol-
lows:

THE INNER TEACHINGS. *7

>

I. From Nothing, Nothing can come; Something
cannot be caused by, or proceed from Nothing;
Nothing Real can be Created, for if it Is Not Now,
it never Can Be — If It Ever Was Not, it Is Not Now
— if it Is Now, it Ever Has Been.

II. Something Real cannot be dissolved into Noth-
ing; if It Is Now, it Always Will Be; Nothing That
Is can ever Be Destroyed; Dissolution is merely the
Changing of Form — the resolving of an Effect into
its Preceding Cause (real or relative).

III. What is Evolved, must have been Involved;
the Cause (real or relative) must contain the Effect;
the Effect must be the reproduction of the Cause
(real or relative).

As we have seen, from the beginnings of the Hindu
Philosophical thought, there was manifested an almost
intuitive desire to go back and through the phenomenal
aspect of things — back through the things which bore
names, even though these things were conceived of
as universal principles — back still further, and further,
until at last was to be found THAT which was not
capable of further analysis or refineirient — and which
could not even be called a Something — and which the
Hindu mind has always called THAT, because no
other term could be applied to it without ascribing
attributes or qualities — THAT which would be left
even after all the universe had been thought away in
the refinement of metaphysical speculation. The early
thinkers asked the questions : "When the universe dis-
integrates, what is it that absorbs it? What is the

3§ PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

Reality behind, and under the world of change and
destruction? Upon what permanent foundation does
the universe of impermanency rest ?"

The old legends tell of the Hindu philosophers thou-
sands of years before the Roman Empire, asking the
ultimate questions, such as : "What is there that will
still exist though there be no universe; no heavens;
no gods; no anything?" The answer agreed upon by
the sages being "Infinite Essential Space." And so
space was considered as a Reality that could not be
thought away even by the use of the most powerful
imagination. But their conception of space was not
that of an immense, infinite Nothing — for the Hindu
mind abhors ideas of Nothing, and will not admit that
Anything can proceed from Nothing — instead, their
idea of Essential Space was that of an Actual Reality
— an Absolute Substantial Reality from which all
Things were manifestations, emanations, expressions,
or thoughts. They thought of Infinite Essential Space
as a No-Thing, but not as Nothing. To them Space
was not only "an infinite capacity for extending ob-
jects," which is the physical aspect of it — but some-
thing more — an Infinite Bare Abstract Subjectivity,
which the human mind was compelled to admit in all
of its conceptions, and yet was unable to think of as
"in-itself."

In the second place the early Hindu thinkers were
compelled to admit the Reality of Motion, as an aspect
of the Ultimate Reality. They reasoned that there
was manifested an Activity which proceeded from

THE INNER TEACHINGS. 39

THAT, and which evidently was not merely a phe-
nomenal manifestation but rather an inherent and es-
sential aspect of Itself. They held that as all Activity
arises from Motion, therefore the Essence of Motion
must inhere in THAT. And so they formulated the
idea that Absolute Essential Motion was a second
aspect of THAT — but in their conception of that Abso-
lute Essential Motion they regarded it as of such in-
finite degree of power and rate of vibration that to all
human thought it must be regarded as Absolute Rest.
— Motionless Motion consisting of vibration of such
a high rate and degree that to the highest human con-
sciousness it would appear as absolutely at rest, just as
a rapidly whirling wheel seems to stand still. There-
fore the Hindu's second aspect of THAT may be
stated as Absolute Essential Abstract Motion-at-
Rest, if the term is permissible — something that is un-
thinkable "in-itself."

In the third place, the early Hindu thinkers were
compelled to recognize the Real Existence of a Law
which was manifested in all the phenomena of the
Universe, and which was constant, fixed, unchange-
able and possessing all the attributes of Reality. They
could not reason, think, or imagine this Law out of
existence, nor could they conceive that it had ever
Not-Been, else they would be committing the absurd-
ity of assuming that the fundamental facts recognized
by the reason could ever, at any time in the past, not
have been, for instance that the principles of Geometry
of Space ever could have been not-true ; that mathe-

40 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

matical principles and the laws of logic ever could
have been untrue and non-existent; in short that
things which were perceived to be superior to change
and time, and which manifested all the elements of
reality, ever could not have been, or ever could have
been otherwise than they are. Therefore, the philoso-
phers were forced to recognize Absolute Abstract Law
as a third aspect of THAT — their conception being of
an Abstract Absolute LAW which was impossible of
being understood "in-itself," but which existed as an
aspect of THAT, and which governed all of the phe-
nomenal manifestations of Motion, or Matter, or even
of Its own expressions in the shape of the Laws of
Nature, in which shape it manifests in the phenomenal
world. The Law was sometimes regarded as the
WILL of THAT.

It was held that just as all phenomenal manifesta-
tions of Matter must be an appearance, reflection ex-
pression, or emanation of the first aspect of THAT —
Absolute Essential Space; so all phenomenal mani-
festations of Physical Energy or Force, or Power
must be an appearance, reflection, expression or ema-
nation of the second aspect of THAT — Absolute Es-
sential Motion; and all phenomenal manifestation of
Universal Laws must be an appearance, reflection, ex-
pression or emanation of the third aspect of THAT
— Absolute Abstract Law. But these three aspects
were recognized as but different views of the One
Reality, and not as three "parts" or "principles," or
"persons." It was not a Trinity, but a One viewed

THE INNER TEACHINGS. 41

from three view-points. As to the abstract concep-
tions of these three aspects — so far removed from
phenomenal manifestations, it is scarcely a matter of
wonder that Western thinkers have thought that the
Hindu metaphysicians taught that "All is Nothing/'
so high did their conceptions soar up into the thin
and rarefied air of transcendental philosophy. But
the "No-Thingness" of the Hindu is very far removed
from the "Nothingness" of the Western Mind.

The Western thinker often expresses surprise that
Life and Mind are not included in the list of aspects
of THAT, by the Hindu thinkers. But the latter con-
sidered the Mind and Life of the phenomenal world
as merely reflections or appearances of the BEING
of THAT, and not as any of the aspects of It — that
is, as phenomenal counterparts or reflections of the
WHOLE Being of THAT, rather than of any of its
aspects. They could not conceive of the BEING OF
THAT as possible without an Infinite Existence and
Knowing, but they made a subtle distinction, and
would not say THAT "lived" or "thought" (these
being phenomenal manifestations and attributes) but
simply said THAT "IS," the statement of Real Being
carrying with it the conception of Infinite and Abso-
lute Life Existence and Knowing, of which Life and
Mind are the phenomenal reflections.

From this Hindu Root-Thought of the One Real-
ity — THAT — proceed all of the various conceptions
regarding the Universal Substance — the Universal
Energy— even the Universal Soul— the highest con-

42 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

ception being that they all proceed from THAT, and
that THAT is thinkable when all these secondary
conceptions are thought away. THAT is the one
thing behind which and beyond which the human
mind is unable to think — which the human mind can-
not think out of subjective existence, for it is the very
foundation, or the background, of Thought itself.
And it will be found that THAT is back of all con-
ceptions of Deity, personal or impersonal — all god con-
ceptions emanate from this fundamental conception.
The best Hindu teachers have always held that THAT
was incapable of being expressed in words — was un-
thinkable and unspeakable in terms of description —
that to "define It was to limit It, and thus conse-
quently to deny It" — It transcends the power of the
human understanding and imagination, and is beyond
the range and reach of human thought. But yet, the
human mind, if it thinks of the subject at all, is in-
evitably compelled to conceive of the existence of
THAT. It cannot be thought out of subjective ex-
istence in the consideration of the Nature of Things,
any more than can the "I" be thought out of existence
by the individual when thinking of personal things.
It defies the power of description, and yet must be
postulated as existing. When we reach the consid-
eration of the various philosophies and religions of
India we shall see the structures that men have at-
tempted to erect upon this basic foundation, and under
all of them we shall discover the same elementary
conception of the Ancient Hindu Teachers, although

THE INNER TEACHINGS. 43

often almost covered up and hidden by the temporary
structures built thereon. And these structures will
pass away as have all of man's theories and creeds —
but so long as human thought exists these Funda-
mental Truths must be accepted as basic and neces-
sary. And if you will examine the philosophies and
religions of the Western world, you will find that
same basic foundation under them all — if this were
not so they could not stand.

The above mentioned Fundamental Truths of the
Hindu Philosophy regarding THAT are regarded by
their best thinkers to be axiomic and beyond doubt
or question. In order that you may understand the
reasoning manifested through the subsequent lessons,
when the various conceptions are considered, it would
be well for you to acquaint yourselves thoroughly with
the above lines of reasoning of the early Hindu sages.
You will find that once well grounded in them you
will be able to consider any metaphysical or philo-
sophical question with a new clearness of thought and
discrimination. They are the Axioms of the Hindu
Thought, which were formulated many centuries
ago by the keenest philosophical intellects of which we
have any record. And they are well worth the care-
ful consideration of every one who wishes to think

along philosophical lines.

*******

It will be noticed that in the formulation of the
above mentioned Fundamental Principles of the
Hindu Philosophies, the early teachers considered the

44 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

problem exclusively from the standpoint of Pure Rea-
son, and independent of any religious teachings or
the voice of religious authority. This occurred not
because the early teachers wished to express their
disbelief in the prevailing religions of their day, but
because they felt that Truth must be above the exer-
cise of mere Faith, or acceptance of * doctrines and
dogmas issued upon the bidding of real or assumed
authority. They felt that man had been given Reason
wherewith to examine for himself into the great prob-
lems of life, being and the universe — Reason which
was not required for the needs of the struggle for
material existence, but which was evidently evolved
for the purpose of purely intellectual work and func-
tion — and, this being so, it became the duty of ad-
vanced men to exercise this Reason to the utmost —
to inquire of its highest reports and conclusions, and
then to abide by the results of the inquiry.

And there were other reasons inspiring these early
thinkers to formulate schools of philosophy, which
should run along side-by-side with the religious teach-
ings of the race. These wise men foresaw the rise
of dogmatic religious teachings, or theology, fostered
and nurtured by a priesthood which would profit
thereby, the end being that the populace would have
borne upon them a mass of dogma and so-called "au-
thoritative" teaching, ceremonies, ritual and creeds,
utterly foreign to the essence of the true faith, and
which would end by smothering true religious philoso-
phy by the cover of ecclesiasticism. This fear has

THE INNER TEACHINGS. 45

been found to be well grounded, by the experience of
men in all times and lands — the growth of organized
churches and priesthoods having invariably been ac-
companied by a decrease in the philosophical freedom
and clearness of thought, and a perversion of the
original teachings of the religion in question. Such
seems to be the laws of church organization and the
crystallization of creeds. And, so, these ancient sages
wished to establish a co-ordinate branch of thought
— one founded on Pure Reason rather than on Faith
and Authority — and which would tend to keep pure
the teachings and bright the flame of Truth, even
when the pall of ecclesiasticism would descend upon
the Hindu Teachings, from time to time.

And this precaution has tended to keep true philo-
sophical thought alive in India for over five thousand
years — fifty centuries. From time to time the religious
teachers and leaders would become more and more
orthodox, and ritual, form, ceremonies and creeds
would cause the people to forget the Ancient Wis-
dom. Gods, demi-gods and supernatural creatures
and beings of all kinds would take the place of the
thought of THAT in the minds of the people, and
THAT would appear only as a shadowy and nebulous
background to the personifications of Deity, and the
numerous Avatars or Incarnations of the Divine. And
so religious forms would flourish and the religious
spirit would wither and fade away. Then there would
be sure to arise some Heretic or Dissenter — Protes-
tant or Reformer— who would return to the ancient

46 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

teachings and philosophies of the Fathers, sounding
again the old note of THAT, and the employment of
Pure Reason as a basis for Faith, rather than the
ecclesiastical formalism and dogmatic theology upon
which so much so-called "religion" is based. These
reformers would attract many of the thinking people
to them, who would be followed by a number of the
less intelligent ones, and a new school, or form of re-
ligion would be adopted, and if based upon sound
reasoning and practical precepts would grow and
flourish and prosper as did the old denominations.
But sooner or later the apathy and numbness of old-
age in church life would come to the new school also,
and then would rise another schism or reform. And,
so on through the centuries, school after school has
arisen — schism after schism has sprung into existence
— each having its birth, rise, decline, death and decay
— and each having as its source of inspiration the
Philosophy of the Fathers, which had been handed
down principally by tradition and legend, the Oriental
memory being remarkable in this respect, the teach-
ings of many centuries ago having been handed down
intact from teacher to pupil, by pure memory, even
unto this day.

After the lapse of several centuries, there began to
be numerous bits of writing on the part of the Hindu
poets and others, into which naturally crept mention
of the early teachings and philosophy, much of it be-
ing related in a style colored and tinged with the
poetic fancy of the writer. Then, after a time, learned

THE INNER TEACHINGS. 4^

teachers would form schools of teachings and thought
from which would arise philosophical writings on the
part of their followers. In this way arose the Upani-
shads, that wonderful collection of ancient Sanscrit
writings, in which is contained scraps of the highest
philosophical thought and wisdom that ever emanated
from the mind of man. If one has the Master-Key
of the fundamental teachings, such as we have men-
tioned in this lesson, he may read from the Upani-
shads an elaboration and exemplification of these doc-
trines that will prove a source of the greatest delight
to him, and which will result in the opening up of
his mind to the highest and most elevating thoughts.
The boldness and daring whereby some of these old
thinkers pursue an idea to its logical conclusion is a
revelation to the mind trained in the cautious and
time-serving methods of many of the Western philoso-
phers of the past. Surrounded on all sides by ortho-
dox religions and peoples, the writers of the Upani-
shads did not hesitate to reason out a line of thought,
even if thereby the entire dogmas of the prevailing
religion would be swept away. And, stranger still,
India has ever been almost entirelv free from re-
ligious persecution and tyranny, and even a powerful
priesthood have never been able to" overcome the in-
herent Hindu prejudice in favor of allowing all-com-
ers a free use of the philosophical arena in which to
display their mental and spiritual might and muscle.

As we shall see, the differences in the schools of
philosophy arise chiefly by reason of the attempt to

#8 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

interpret the process and methods where "the One be-
comes Many" — that is, upon the questions of the Ori-
gin, Nature and Destiny of the Soul, and its relation
to the One. With the Fundamental Principles in
mind, we will find it interesting to follow up the
Hindu thought on this subject, in its many wonderful
turns and windings, its by-paths and side-journeys,
in all of which many bits of valuable truth may be
picked up.

But, before closing the lesson, let us call your at-
tention to the fact that none of these leading divisions
of philosophical thought have ever thought it neces-
sary to "prove" the existence of the soul — this ques-
tion was considered answered by the consciousness of
every individual, and all attempt to "prove" it was
considered folly — the Hindu mind never has had any
Doubt on this subject. The Buddhists attempted to
prove that the soul was not a true entity, but this was
. merely a metaphysical hair-splitting.

And again, the question of Reincarnation, or Re-
birth of the Soul, always has been accepted as an
almost self-evident fact on the part of the Hindu
thinkers, and it has been held that the glimpses of
recollection that every person experiences, and the
fragments of "memory of past-lives" that nearly all
if not every one of the Hindus are conscious of, takes
the matter out of the ordinary realm of philosophical
speculation. To the Hindu mind Reincarnation, Re-
birth or Metempsychosis is as much an accepted fact
of life and nature as is Birth and Death — it is never

THE INNER TEACHINGS. 49

Doubted, and the Hindu mind passes on to a consid-
eration of the "Why" and "How" of the problem.
For one hundred centuries the Hindu religions have
accepted Reincarnation — for fifty centuries Hindu
philosophy has included it among the proven facts of
life. It is regarded as a part of the universal phe-
nomena, and as forming a part of the natural law, and
to be studied in that branch of human thought and
education, rather than in connection with the Funda-
mental Principles. To the Western mind this seems
odd — but the Hindu consciousness sees it in a differ-
ent light. No Hindu Philosophy or Religion ignores
or denies Reincarnation any more than it denies
Thought.

The essence of the Inner Teachings has always been
the Reality and Being of ONE UNIVERSAL
SPIRIT PRINCIPLE, from which all other life, be-
ing, principles were manifested by emanation, reflec-
tion or otherwise, and which manifestations had their
ONLY REAL BEING in the ONE SOURCE. We
ask you to remember, always, this one fundamental
principle of the Inner Teaching, for without it you
will lose your way in the labyrinth of Hindu Philoso-
phy, while with it you always will have the Light
which will illumine The Path of Knowledge.

While, from the first, there was ever the dispute
about the "Why" or "Reason" of the Emanation, Re-
flection or Manifestation — there never was any dis-
pute about the fact of the manifestation, or nature of
the universe o£ phenomena. And, arising from this

50 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

axiomic doctrine, there arose that feature of the
Hindu thought which regarded the phenomenal uni-
verse as an illusory world, producing the pain and
dissatisfaction that comes from the fact of separate-
ness from the Source. Hence arises that which the
West has called "the Pessimism of the Hindu
thought," but which even the Western religious phil-
osophies reproduce in their conception of "this life
below being one of sorrow, sin and unhappiness," of
the "better-world" awaiting those who escape the
present one with a record of good deeds and the proper
faith and belief. The Western conception of "the
world of Sin and Sorrow" is no less pessimistic than
the Hindu conception of the "world of Ignorance,
Illusion and Separateness from the One." The
thought that the phenomenal world is one of sorrow
and unhappiness, and lacking the bliss of some other
plane of being beyond it, is an universal conception
of the human mind — common to the race.

And the religions of India, like those of the West,
teach that escape and "salvation" from this "world of
sorrow" is possible to those who accept the doctrines
of their church, and who live "good" lives. But the
Hindu philosophies go further than the religions of
either East or West, and point out that Emancipation,
Freedom, Release from Samsara, or the Chain of Ex-
istences — or "Salvation," to use the Western term —
may be obtained by an Understanding of the Truth ;
a Realization of the Real Self; a Perception of the
identity of the Individual Spirit with the Universal

THE INNER TEACHINGS. SI

Spirit (Tat tvam asi," "that art thou!") ; and the kill-
ing out of Desire for Material Life and Objects, and
a concentration of the whole mind upon The One.

And this ONENESS of Reality — this doctrine of
the manifestation of The Many, and of the Universe,
as an emanation, reflection or phenomenal appearance
of the One, is the Inner Teaching underlying all of
the many forms of the Hindu Philosophy and Reli-
gions. And you will find this Inner Teaching run-
ning like a silken thread through all the beads of the
systems of philosophies and religions of India, from
high to low, as we proceed. Plainly asserted and
insisted upon in the Monistic forms of the Vedanta ;
apparently contradicted in the outer form of the San-
khya ; apparently ignored and supplanted by Nihilism
in Buddhism ; disguised by personifications in the Or-
thodox Religions of India — still ever we shall see this
Inner Teaching of THE ONE running through each
and all, in spite of appearances. THE ONE is the
background; the Foundation and Support; and the
Roof, of all Hindu Philosophical and Religious
Thought, and will be seen always by those whose vi-
sion is sufficiently clear, and who know where to look.

And, so, now passing on to the consideration of
these various systems, we must ask you to be ever
keen to perceive the Inner Teaching under its mani-
fold disguises, names and veils. Be not deceived by
the outward appearance, but look ever BEHIND
THE VEIL— for there ever abideth The TRUTH.

SPECIAL MESSAGE II.

By Yogi Bamacharaka.

There is but one Truth. All so-called " truths' 9 are but some
of the many aspects of the one Truth. Truth is "that which is."
That which "is" must exist in reality, verity, and certainty — must
exist as a fixed established principle, law and state of being. Truth
is present everywhere; is infinite power; is infinite intelligence; is
the foundation and background of the universe. Truth is but one,
though men call it by many names. Truth is God divested of the
idea of personality. Truth is not material; neither is it mere energy,
as the physical scientists conceive it; neither is it mind, as men
understand the term. Truth is Spirit and nothing else. Spirit is
Truth and nothing else. Truth and Spirit are identical. All else is
Untruth.

Just what Spirit is, is impossible of expression in words, for
words are designed to express relative things, and the Absolute can-
not be expressed or defined by relative terms. As Spinoza has said,
"To define God, is to deny Him." Enough to know that Spirit Is.
Tou will remember the words of Jesus, who said: "God is Spirit."
There is no qualification in the sense of asserting that God is a
Spirit, that is, one of a number of Spirits. The statement is plain,
positive and unmistakable in its assertion God is SPIRIT, itself.
That is, that God and Spirit are identical. There cannot be two
Spirits any more than there can be two Gods. And there cannot be two
Truths, any more than there can be two Spirits, or two Gods. For
God, and Spirit, and Truth are identical — merely words to represent
and symbolize the one Beality. Other than Truth, there can be only
Untruth.

Spirit — God — Truth! These are the three terms expressing the
one idea. The words, Spirit, or Truth, are preferred by many
metaphysicians to the term God, for the reason that the latter has
become confused in the minds of many who have used it, and who
imply the existence of the attributes, qualities and natures of per-
sonality to God. Truth is the conception of God in His highest
aspect — His aspect of Being, divested of the attributes and qualities
of personality, which have been added to Him by many people who
dwell upon the plane of personality, and who fail to perceive him in
his transcendental Being.

Truth is that which Is, and Spirit is that which Truth «. Truth
is Spirit; and Spirit is Truth. There is no Spirit but Truth; and no
Truth but Spirit. These are axioms which must be learned and real-
ized bv you before you may enter into an understanding of the
operations attendant upon the understanding of Truth.

Our meditation for the coming month is as follows:

"TBUTH IS ALL THEBE IS— ALL ELSE IS UNTBUTH!"

In order to grasp the spirit of the words of the meditation, we
must remember the above statements concerning the identity of
Truth with Spirit; and of Spirit with God, divested of the attributes
of personality.

Truth is all there is — all else is Untruth. And Untruth is that
which is not — the essence of Nothingness, Illusion, Error, and May*,
Peace to Thee,

THE THIRD LESSON

The Sankhya System.

In the great system of Hindu philosophy known as
The Sankhya System, we have one of the oldest forms
of philosophical conceptions known in that land of old
systems of thought While it is customary to ascribe
to Kapila, who lived about 700 B. G, the honor of
having originated this great system of thought, still
Sanscrit scholars have discovered the fundamental
portions of Kapila } s teachings in the older writings of
the race, and the probability is that the teaching itself
is many centuries older than Kapila, and that he
merely arranged the fragments of older systems into
a clearly defined school of philosophy, discarding the
outside accumulations that had gathered around the
older teachings, and emphasizing certain fundamental
principles that had been overlooked. At any rate,
traces of the teachings now known as the Sankhya
system may be found as far back as 2000 B. C, and
the fundamental conceptions probably run back still
further. The term "Sankhya!' means "correct enu-
meration" or "perfect classification."

The basic proposition of the Sankhya system is that
there exists in the universe two active principles, the
interaction of which produces the activities of the
universe, including those of life — the play and inter-
play of the two manifesting in countless forms, com-
binations, and infinite variety. These two principles
are known as, (1) Prakriti, or the primordial sub-
stance or energy, from which all material forms and

53

54 PHILOSOPUIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

energies evolve; and (J) Purusha, or the Spirit Prin-
ciple, which "ensouls" or seeks embodiment in Prakriti,
and thus gives rise to all the various forms of dif-
ferentiation, from atoms to man; and which is not
conceived of by the Sankhyas as forming one Uni-
versal Soul (as do the Yoga scholars), but which is
heKl to be composed of countless "spirit atoms,"
monads, or individual spirits — which Units as a whole
compos a Unity of Units, which may be considered
in the light of a Principle.

There are many points of difference between the
various conceptions of the real nature of Purusha and
Prakriti, particularly on the part of Western writers
on the subject, some of which are totally at variance
with the beliefs and conceptions of the advanced Hindu
adherents of this philosophy. We shall consider each
of the three leading conceptions, in turn, pointing out
the errors where thev exist.

i. The first conception of the nature of Purusha

and Prakriti, and the one which is favored by the

majority of Western writers on the subject, is that

wjiich holds that KafUas theories are atheistic and

practically materialistic, inasmuch as he ignores the

existence of a Supreme Power, Brahman, or THAT.

and postulates a dual Eternal Thing, one- half of the

duad being Matter. This view interprets the teachings

of Kapila to mean that there are Two Eternal Things,

* * first of which is Matter, and the second of which

"Hvkted into countless atoms — both Purusha

•tag held as eternal, infinite and immor-

THE SANKHYA SYSTEM. 55

tal, and both of which are self-existent and sustaining,
requiring no Supreme Power as a basis or background.
This conception is decidedly in error, and the spirit
of the philosophy has been lost to those who so hold.
The error regarding the discarding of the belief in
THAT or Brahman, however, is easily explained. In
the first place there is nothing in the teachings of
Kapila or of his early followers, in which the exist-
ence of THAT is denied or condemned — there is
simply a silence regarding it, just as is the case in
Buddhism, and the cause is the same in both cases.
Both Kapila and Buddha accepted the centuries-old
doctrine of THAT, which no Hindu philosophy had
questioned, and both then proceeded to account for
the phenomenal universe. Had Kapila attempted to
discard the universal conception of THAT he would
have certainly attacked the doctrine, and have set up
arguments against it, accompanied by illustrations,
parables, and analogous proofs, with which the Hindu
philosophers always have been so well supplied and
which they have used so freely. But Kapila does not
mention the matter, but calmly proceeds to elaborate
his system explaining the phenomena of the universe.
To those who have penetrated beneath the surface of
the Sankhya System, and who are familiar with the
Hindu methods of thought and teachings, it readily
will be seen that there is nothing atheistic or mate-
rialistic in the conceptions of the Sankhya System.
Among the Hindus, the charge of atheism made
against the Sankhvas comes principally from the fol-

56 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

towers of Patanjali, the Yoga, who hold to the exist-
ence of a Supreme Purusha or Universal Over-Soul,
and who, consequently, resent the Sankhyas' failure to
recognize their favorite conceptions. And the charge
of materialism comes from the Vedantists, who deny
the existence of matter, considering it as Maya or
Delusion. In fact, Prakriti is rather the Source of
Matter, rather than Matter itself, as we shall see a
little later on.

II. The second conception of the nature of Purusha
and Prakriti is in the nature of a half-truth which is
also a half-error. It holds that Purusha and Prakriti
must be regarded as "aspects" of THAT or Brahman,
and which aspects are eternal and constant, and which
cannot be withdrawn into THAT or Brahman as
emanations may be, but which are fixed aspects or
"natures" of THAT, which always have been, and
always will be, in periods of activity and periods of
non-activity between the cycles of activity. The error
of this conception consists in ascribing eternal and
real existence to these two principles, thus ascribing
a duality to THAT instead of a Oneness. This con-
ception, while much nearer the truth than the first
mentioned, still contains the fatal error just noted
which condemns it in the minds of the most logical
of the Hindu thinkers, who see the Truth of Kapila's
idea in the third conception, which we shall now con-
sider.

III. The third conception of the nature of Purusha
and Prakriti, and which the best thinkers accept as

THE SANKHYA SYSTEM. 57

correctly expressing Kapilcts meaning, is that both
Purusha and Prakriti are "emanations" from or
"appearances" of THAT or Brahman — both having
equal substance and degree of reality, but both being
finite and being destined to pass away in time; that
is, to be withdrawn into their common source — THAT
— at the end of the great cyclic period of activity,
when the great period of "cosmic rest" begins, which
in turn is followed by a subsequent period of activity,
and so on. In this conception the fundamental prin-
ciple of the Hindu Philosophy — the existence of
THAT as the Only Reality — is recognized as a neces-
sary basis for the teaching, and as a necessary back-
ground for the doctrines concerning the phenomenal
universe. And Purusha and Prakriti are seen to be
but the primal forms of the two great principles of
phenomenal activity, Spirit and Body, which are
apparent in all phenomenal things, from atom to man,
and beyond man. And both of these principles are
emanated from, or cast into apparent being by THAT
or Brahman, in the process of world-making. Instead
of their being "aspects" of THAT, they are merely
manifestation appearances, or emanations, or even
"thought-forms" in the Mind of the One, as we have
described in our previous series of lessons.

So you see, that Kapila's teachings fit into the gen-
eral framework of the Great Hindu Thought, instead
of being an exception to, and in opposition to it. In
this connection, we would call your attention to a
frequent use of the word "eternity" in some of the

58 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

Hindu writings. In many cases the term is used as in
the Western sense, that is to say in the sense of
"duration without beginning or end; a condition of
infinity and time/' but inasmuch as the true Hindu phi-
losopher ascribes and attributes this quality only to
THAT, and denies it to all else, it may be seen that
outside of THAT the word is meaningless to him, and
cannot be employed. But, finding the need of the
word in a secondary sense, he applies it to things hav-
ing a continuous existence during the entire period of
cosmic activity, which extends over great spaces of
time, but which ceases to be when all is finally with-
drawn into THAT, and the cycle of activity ceases and
is succeeded by the cycle of non-activity — when all
manifestations, appearances, emanations and phe-
nomena or ideas are withdrawn into THAT, which
then dwells alone until another period of cosmic activ-
ity begins. As H. P. Blavatsky says in a foot-note
to her "The Voice of the Silence ,, : "Eternity with the
Orientals has quite another signification than it has
with us. It stands generally for the one hundred
years or age of Brahma, the duration of a Maha-Kalpa,
or a period of 311,040,000,000,000 years." So you see
that the reference to Purusha and Prakriti as "eternal"
does not conflict with this conception of their nature,
and their impermanence as compared with THAT.
And this third conception of the Inner Teachings of
The Sankhya System agrees with our understanding
of them, and we can see no reason for withholding
our approval of the schools of the Sankhya thought

THE SANKHYA SYSTEM. 59

which so holds. Any other conception would be in
direct opposition to the general trend of the Hindu
thought, and contrary to reasonable belief on the part
of those who are familiar with the thought of Kapila' s
time, and the methods of Hindu philosophy in general.
Let us consider the details of the teaching concerning
Puxusha and Prakriti in view of this conception.

Purusha, according to Kapila, is to be thought of
not as one great World Spirit, or World Principle of
Spirit, in the sense of an undivided Unity, but tather
in the sense of a countless number of individual spirits,
or spirit atoms, bound together with filaments of
attraction and harmony arising from their common
nature, but nevertheless free, independent, and individ-
ual. t Kapila pointed out that if Purusha were but One,
separated into countless tiny parts, they would be alike
in nature, equal in every respect, and manifesting no
variety, whereas all nature shows a constant and
infinite variety. There is no Universal Purusha — no
Ishwara — no Personal God — in Kapila's philosophy.
As one writer says: "He found no need for one —
his conception of Purushas was deemed sufficient to
explain the ensouling of matter, under Natural Law !"

Kapila holds that Purusha is Pure Spirit, or Sub-
stantial Transcendental Intelligence (independent of
Manas, or Mind-Stuff), but that it is above attributes,
or qualities (possessing neither), and in its natural
condition is unaffected by joy, pain, or other emotions
or sensations (which the soul experiences by reason
of its embodiment in Prakriti which has evolved mind,

60 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

sense-organs, etc.) ; and is in nature and pure condi-
tion, until, entangled in Prakriii, it dwells in a state
of pure bliss, peace and rest, engaged in absolute
meditation which is "the knowing of nothing." When
the soul becomes involved in material existence,
through its connection with Prakriti, it illuminates
the mental and physical organism and faculties with
its "spiritual light/' and the soul is enabled to enter
into its existence of experience, or personal life, in
the physical world. It acts upon the Prakriti as a
Magnet upon bits of steel, magnetising them and giv-
ing to them power which they did not before possess,
and whi^Ji they could not possess without being in
its "field of influence" or induction. But it is held
to possess no actual volition of its own, and is there-
fore unable to express itself except through, and by
means of the various forms and phases of Prakriti.
The involvement of the Purusha in the body of the
Prakriti produces what is called a "soul," that is a
Purusha surrounded with its mental environment and
instruments and organization. And the soul becomes
subject to the laws of "Samsara" (which is the San-
scrit term implying "The Cycle of Existence"), with
its chain of Cause and Effect; Karmic Results, and
Rebirths. And Samsara brings pain to the soul, and
the effort of the imprisoned Purusha is to free itself
and return once more to its state of bliss. And, there-
fore, the effort of the teaching is to bring to the im-
prisoned and suffering Purusha the means of Libera-
tion, so that it may pass beyond Samsara, Rebirth,

THE SANKHYA SYSTEM. 6l

Karma, and Experience, and regain its normal and
natural state of unconscious freedom and bliss, beyond
change and pain, of which "dreamless sleep" is the
physical symbol.

The Sankhya System holds that the Purushas were
originally in a state of pure spiritual existence, freed
from the attraction of Prakriti, and from the desires
of material life. But that being attracted and seduced
by the glamour of Prakriti they plunged into the
latter, and once there became entangled in the mani-
fold webs of material life. Bewildered by their
strange surroundings, the Purushas lose their original
state of freedom and clearness of perception, and be-
come deluded by the Maya or Illusion of Matter, and
are led a merry dance in working their way out of
the material plane in which they have become im-
mersed. Like a fly that has taken a dip into the
honey-pot filled with "Poppy-made Honey ," the Pu-
rushas flounder around and are unable to use their
legs and wings, and the more they struggle the worse
is their condition — the more the narcotic of the poppy-
honey intoxicates them. Finally awakening to a reali-
zation of their former state of existence, and the real
situation, the Purushas begin a process of extrication,
and through long series of reincarnations work them-
selves from lower to higher states, slowly but surely,
toward their former condition of Bliss. This idea has
been expressed by an English poet, Edward Carpen-
ter, who says : "Slowly and resolutely — as a fly cleans
its legs of the honey in which it has been caught — so

62 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

remove thou, if it only be for a time, every particle
which sullies the brightness of thy mind. ,,

The Sankhyas hold that from the combined action
and reaction of the Purushas in Prakriti, all forms
and varieties of life are created, and all varieties of
matter are produced, it being held that every atom of
matter is Prakriti ensouled by an individual Purusha
manifesting activity and life. In this way the entire
phenomena of the universe is accounted for, from the
movement and activities of atoms, to the revolution
of suns, and the manifestation of life, vegetable, ani-
mal, human, and super-human. The Purushas com-
bine in activities, forming all sorts of varieties of
combinations (in the wrappings of bodies of Prakriti,
of course) which account for the variety of material
elements, and life. The entire phenomena of the ma-
terial world, including matter and energy, as known
to modern Western science fits into the Sankhya idea,
as the corpuscles of which matter is now known to
be composed, as well as the aggregations of atoms,
molecules, etc., and the various forms of force, may be
considered as occasioned by the imprisoned Puru-
shas, in their bodies of Prakriti, ever changing and
moving, and evolving — provided the fundamental the-
ories of the Sankyhas be accepted. Kapila taught in-
organic and organic evolution over 2500 years before
the days of Darwin and Herbert Spencer, and several
centuries before Heraclitus, the great Grecian evolu-
tionist.

Kapikts conception of Prakriti was not that of

THE SANKHYA SYSTEM. 63

gross Matter, as so many of the Western writers on
the subject are wont to assume. Instead, his concep-
tion may be expressed by the word "Nature," as used
by Bruno and other thinkers — that is as a subtle,
ethereal substance, partaking rather of the nature of
an Energy, rather than of Matter — a substance far
more subtle and ethereal than the Universal Ether of
modern Western science.

Prakriti is the Cosmic Primordial Energy, or Sub-
stance from which the universe is evolved, and into
which it again resolves itself, in endless cycles of
change. Prakriti, he held, was not composed of ulti-
mate atoms, as some other Hindu philosophers had
claimed, but was atomless and continuous, the atoms
being but centres of influence and activity caused by
the embodiment of the Purushas, which gave activity
to them, and which afterward formed the atoms into
combinations. Mind was composed of Chitta, or
Mind Stuff, which arose from the action of Purusha
upon Prakriti. Prakriti is described as active, accord-
ing to energies of its own, along almost automatic
lines, but it is insentient and mindless in itself, the
sentient qualities being possible only when instigated
and inspired by the Purushas.

Some of the illustrations used bring out the above
mentioned point clearly, as for instance the ancient
one in which Purusha is pictured as a "lame man
possessed of eyesight and the other senses," and Prak~
riti as "a man in whom the senses of seeing and hear-
ing, etc., had been omitted, but who possessed a good

64 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

pair of legs." According to the fable, a combination
is made and the lame man (Purusha) mounts up on
the shoulders of the blind man (Prakriti) and to-
gether they move along briskly and intelligently,
whereas separately they could make no progress. In
the Sankhya conception of Manas or Mind as being
of a semi-material nature, the conceptions of modern
science of the materialistic school are approached.
But, still, the Sankhyas are far from being material-
ists, for they positively deny to Prakriti, the essence
Matter, any intelligence, mind, or sentiency, ascrib-
ing the latter to the action of Purusha, or Spirit, which
is above mind just as Prakriti is below it.

One may read Ernest Haeckel, the German scien-
tist, with new understanding, if he will interpret it by
the light of the Sankhya teaching — Haeckel's "soul
of the atom" being understandable in the light of Ka-
pila's theory, as in no other way. Kapila undoubtedly
inspired the German philosopher, Schopenhauer, and
his successors, who took from the Hindu philosopher
at least a portion of his fundamental conception. Ka-
pila* s thought renders Materialism thinkable, as it adds
a new element which explains the activities and evi-
dences of sentiency in low material forms, and the
evolution therefrom — whereas the gross Materialism
of the last century is unthinkable in its denial of mind,
or soul qualities. And, to think that all this was
thought out by Kapila some 2500 years ago, and that
his teaching was based on still older teaching! And
yet, the West speaks of the poor, ignorant, heathen

THE SANKHYA SYSTEM. 65

Hindu, crying for the knowledge of the West! And
not only this philosophy, but many others of India,
anticipated by over two thousand years many of the
latest conceptions of modern Western science and
philosophy! Verily, History repeats itself.

Kapila teaches that the Prakriti, since its j miction
with, or impregnation by Purusha, has been in a state
of constant change and evolution, from succeeding
form, and combination, the original condition of Prak-
riti having been altered so that it is difficult for the
mind to conceive of its original and primitive or vir-
gin condition. From a state far more ethereal than
any form of ether known to science, it has assumed
atomic combinations, and molecular arrangements, un-
" til in response to the never-ceasing demands of the
Purushas to manifest in action and life, the Prakriti
has been compelled to assume many gross and un-
ethereal forms. In response to the developing senses
of the mind occasioned by the evolving manifestations
of the embodied Purushas, Prakriti has assumed forms
and appearances recognizable by the senses of sight,
hearing, smell, taste, etc., so as to be sensed by the
sense-organs. And the Purushas have lost their orig-
inal and primitive state of pure being, losing their orig-
inal freedom as they became enmeshed in the web of
Prakriti — becoming slaves to the senses, as they yield-
ed to the caressing seduction of material manifestation.
Prakriti in its original -state was subtle, ethereal, dif-
fused, tenuous, and without the qualities that are reg-
istered by sense — it could not respond to sense, nor

66 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

could it arouse sense. Purusha in its original state
was free from desire or attachment, and devoid of
qualities, attributes, action, or attachment, as we un-
derstand these words in their material sense.

The Sankhyas hold that because of these changes
it is almost impossible for the individual mind to now
grasp the nature of the original Prakriti, or to even
imagine the state of excellence of Purusha before it
yielded to the seduction of material existence. But,
they hold, by means of true knowledge and scientific
reasoning, in addition to right living and detachment
from passion, the mind can be brought to a state of
understanding whereby it may grasp the nature of the
Purusha original state, and the true nature of Prak-
riti. And this knowledge is one of the ways of Lib-
eration and Freedom sought by the Sankhyas — the
road whereby the "short cut" may be taken to Free-
dom, instead of the road of repeated rebirth and ma-
terial life.

In all of the Hindu Philosophies, it will be noticed,
there is this constant repetition of the fact that mate-
rial life is but an illusion and a snare — the result of
ignorance and mistaken desire — and that the part of
true wisdom is to escape from it as soon as possible.
Death does not release the soul from material em-
bodiment — for rebirth is always there to claim it.
As the Sankhyas say, the Purusha never escapes the
embrace of Prakriti by the road of Death, for Death
only weaves a more subtle covering for it, in which
it dwells until rebirth draws it once more into the

THE SANKHYA SYSTEM. 6/

vortex. There is no escape by the road of Death —
the road of Life is the only possible avenue of escape.
The method of escape is by Right Living in combina-
tion with the Development of Wisdom, whereby the
Spirit is enabled to perceive its true nature and orig-
inal conditions, and also the true nature and meaning
of the enfolding Prakriti.

Akin to the teachings of the Buddhists is that of
the Sankhyas — both hold that Material Existence is
foreign to the Spirit, and consequently the latter is
never permanently satisfied or happy in material life,
but, instead, is always wanting something other than
that which it possesses, and is always seeking to be
at some other place than its place of abode at that
moment. It is always crying "More, more— change,
more change — something else, somewhere else, some-
one else." And the more it gains the more it wants —
possession destroys the desire, and gives birth to desire
for other things. He who seeks happiness in material
things pursues the will-of-the-wisp, which he never
overtakes. The only true happiness comes from re-
nunciation of material things, and the resolute setting
of the face toward the Far-off Land of the Soul's De-
sire — the Land of the Lost Home of the Spirit. Such
is the teaching of Kapila, the great Sankhya. The fly
is told to disentangle itself from the honey which en-
tangles its feet and holds it a prisoner — the poppy-
honey which seems sweet, but yet which holds the
tang of bitterness and intoxication.

The Sankhya System is far more of the nature of a

68 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

scientific-philosophy, however, rather a religious-
philosophy. It concerns itself principally with an
analysis and explanation of the process whereby Prak-
riti, played upon by Purusha, evolves itself into the
phenomenal or material universe, including the mani-
festation of life. Kapila recognized the existence of
material atoms as postulated by Canada in his Vaishe-
shika System (see subsequent lesson), but he opposed
the latter's theory that these material atoms are
"things-in-themselves" or eternal, indivisible and inde-
structible, and he taught, instead, that the atoms are
simply centres of force in the great principle of Prak-
riti, the centres being established by the presence of
the Purushas. Kapila' s teaching regarding the com-
binations of the atom closely resembled the teachings
of modern Western Science, with its theories of Ions,
Corpuscles, or Electrons, which combining into atoms
form certain material elements, which in turn combin-
ing into molecules form other grades and styles of
matter. Kapila also taught another doctrine which is
now favored by the modern science of the West —
that doctrine of the love and hate of atoms which ex-
plained the mutual attraction and repulsion of the
particles which are evident through the physical uni-
verse, and which action and reaction account for the
greater part of the physical phenomena.

Kapila taught the doctrine of Evolution, beginning
with the atoms or ultimate ensouled particles, which
combining by reason of love or hate, formed more
complex forms, from which in turn evolved more com-

THE SANKHYA SYSTEM. 69

plex combinations, and so on, and on, until at last
organic matter was produced, and then the life-forms
began to appear, rising higher and higher in the scale
until man, and super-man is reached, and still the
urge of evolution continues on toward higher and still
higher forms. But, Kapila rejected any idea of purely
material evolution — he held that unless the Purushas
were ensouled in the Prakriti, and thus gave to it
intelligent activity, there would be no material evo-
lution. He made this distinction because of the Spirit
being the active cause of Evolution, rather than be-
cause of any inherent quality in Prakriti itself. Ka-
pila's philosophy exerted a marked effect upon the
thought of the Grecian philosophers, and the doctrine
may be traced directly back to the Sankhya teachings.
In turn the Greek philosophers have largely influenced
the- modern scientific thought, as may be seen by re-
ferring to any recent work on physical science, in
which credit is freely given to the Greeks. The idea
of evolution, material and spiritual, which shows
throughout the Greek and Neo-Platonic philosophies,
and which is incorporated in all of the occult teach-
ings, was arranged into a systematic form by Kapila,
even though he obtained its germ ideas from his
Hindu predecessors. As Prof. Hopkins has said:
"Plato is full of Sankhyan thought, worked out by
him, but taken from Pythagoras. Before the sixth
century B. C. all the religious-philosophical ideas of
Pythagoras were current in India. If there were but
one or two of these cases, it might be set aside as ac-

70 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

cidental coincidences, but such coincidences are too
numerous to be the result of chance. * * * * Neo-
Platonism and Christian Gnosticism owe much to
India. * * * * Soul and light are one in the
Sankhya system before they become so in Greece, and
when they appear united in Greece it is by means of
the thought which it borrowed from India. The fa-
mous Three Qualities (Gunas) of the Sankhya re-
appear as the Gnostic 'three classes/ " John Davies,
in his well known work "Hindu Philosophy" speaks of
Kapila? s Sankhya System as "the first recorded system
of philosophy in the world — the earliest attempt on
record to give an answer, from reason, alone, to the
mysterious questions which arise in every thoughtful
mind about the origin of the world, the nature and re-
lations of man, and his future destiny." The same
writer gives to Kapila the credit for having influenced
the German thought as expressed by Schopenhauer
and Hartmann, their work being spoken of as "a re-
production of the philosophic system of Kapila in its
materialistic part, presented in a more elaborate form,
but on the same fundamental lines. In this respect
the human intellect has gone over the same ground
that it occupied more than two thousand years ago;
but on a more important question it has taken a step
in retreat. Kapila recognized fully the existence of a
soul in man, forming indeed his proper nature — the
absolute of Fichte— distinct from matter and immor-
tal; but our latest philosophy, both here and in Ger-
many, can see in man only a highly developed organi-
zation."

THE SANKHYA SYSTEM. ft

In India, likewise, the influence of Kapila and the
Sankhya has been great Not only has it tinctured
the other philosophies, and made for itself a place in
the metaphysical thought of the majority of the Hindu
religious systems, but it undoubtedly was the basis of
much of die early Buddhistic thought, the Buddhists
adopting without change a considerable portion of
Kapila' s doctrine, and allowing his influence to be
manifested in a changed form in other points of their
doctrine. In our consideration of the other forms of
the Hindu philosophies, we shall see many instances
of the influence of the thought of Kapila.

One of the secondary, but important, theories ad-
vanced by Kapila, and which has been adopted by the
majority of the other schools, and the religious sects
of India, is that of the Three Gunas, or Qualities in-
herent in PrakriH. These Three Gunas or Qualities
are held to be inherent in PrakriH, or Nature, and con-
sequently manifest in everything arising from Na-
ture's processes, or manifestations of PrakriH. They
are believed to be present in equal proportions in
PrakriH — that is that they are equally balanced in
Nature. But, in Nature's manifestations, or forms
of PrakriH, some one of the Gunas may predominate
in influence, or some two may overpower the third,
and so on. To the relative predominance of one or
two of the Gunas, and the resulting conflict among
the three, the variety of manifestation, as well as the
constant change in Nature, is largely due. In other
words, the Purusha and the PrakriH, acted upon by

J2 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

the Three Gunas — the three often being spoken of as
the "Five Great Elements" — are the basis and cause
of the phenomenal universe in all of its many and
constantly changing forms and appearances.

The Three Gunas are known, respectively, as SAT-
IS AS GUN A, also known as Truth or Harmony; RA-
JAS GUN A, also known as Passion or Activity; and
TAMAS GUN A, also known as Indifference or In-
ertia (the definitions stated representing the several
Gunas in both their mental and material aspects). As
we have said, from the action and reaction, combina-
tions and oppositions, of the Three Gunas the phy-
sical and mental phenomena of the universe are pro-
duced. Satvas Guna is considered as imponderable,
luminous and agreeable; Rajas Guna as intermediate
between ponderability and its opposite, and as both
pleasant and unpleasant, or either — as a quality of
equilibrium, influencing and being influenced by
both the other Gunas; Tamos Guna as ponder-
ous, dark, and disagreeable. Satvas Guna and Tamas
Guna are passive, in a sense ; that is, in the lack of ac-
tivity, motion or velocity. The intermediate active
quality — Rajas Guna — is the active, moving, exciting
Guna, which in turn is balanced by the harmonizing
influence of Satvas Guna and the dead weight and in-
ertia of Tamas Guna.

Tamas Guna always obstructs, retards, hinders and
holds back, or endeavors to do so— in its mental as-
pect it manifests Ignorance, Superstition, Sloth, etc.
Rajas Gun* is the source of physical and mental activ-

THE SANKHYA SYSTEM. 73

ity — it sets the mind, the air, the elements, and the
forces of Nature into action. Satvas Guna establishes
harmony-, wisdom, truth, right action, balanced-
thought, and destroys inertia and ignorance, and in
every respect is the very opposite of Tamos Guna.
Satvas Guna is predominant in the higher spiritual
aspects of mind ; while Rajas Guna is predominant in
the Desire Mind ; and Tamos Guna in the bodily men-
tal processes. As the "Bhagavad Gita" says: "The
fruit of Satvas is called good; the fruit of Rajas is
called pain and dissatisfaction, and unrest; the fruit
of Tamas is called Ignorance, and Stupidity, and In-
ertia. From Satvas is produced Wisdom ; from Rajas,
Unrest and Covetousness ; from Tamas, Ignorance,
Delusion and Foolishness, together with Sloth. The
Sankhya teachings show that the Gunas are manifest
on every plane, and in every instance — not only in the
material, but in the mental as well, having their mani-
festations in every form of phenomena. The likes
and dislikes of the atoms — the pain and pleasure of
matter — the bliss and misery of human life — are all
seen as manifestations of the Gunas.

The Sankhya teaches that there are Twenty-four
Principles, or Tattvas, proceeding from Prakriti under
its energizing by the Purusha, and in accordance with
the operations of the Three Gunas, just described.
These Tattvas, or Principles, are as follows :

The Buddhitattva, or Principle of Determinative
Consciousness, which proceeds from the undifferen-
tiated Prakriti; and from which Principle in turn pro-
ceeds :

74 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

The Principle of Ahatnkara, or Self-Consciousness,
which involves the discrimination between "I" and
"Not-I" ; and from this Principle in turn proceeds the
following three classes of Tattvas, viz. :

I. The Five Tanotnatras, or Subtle Elements of
Nature, namely : The Aethereal ; The Aerial ; The Ig-
neous; The Aqueous; The Terrene; and from which
subtle elements proceed the Five Gross Elements of
Nature, namely: A kasha, or The Ether; Air; Fire;
Water; Earth.

II. The psychic organism manifesting in the Five
Senses, respectively: Seeing; Hearing; Smelling;
Tasting; Feeling. Also the psychic organs con-
trolling the Five Instruments of Action which are
named as The Speech Organs ; The Hands ; The Feet ;
The Excretory Organs; The Genitals, respectively.

III. The Manas, or Mental Substance or Energy
manifesting as the Deliberative Function of the Mind,
and including Imagination.

The above classification of the Physical, Physiologi-
cal, artd Psychological Principles, is regarded by mod-
ern philosophers, scientists, and occultists as rattier
too arbitrary for general acceptance, and the leading
Sankhya scholars admit that it was not original with
Kapila, nor vital or necessary to his general system,
but was the classification in general vogue in his time,
and for centuries before, and was naturally adopted
by him to fill in the details of his general philosophical
conception of Purusha and Prakriti, upon which dual-
conception his system is based.

THE SANKHYA SYSTEM. 75

It is to be noticed in the Sankhya conception of Cre-
ation, that Matter, both subtle elements and gross
elements, is evolved from the Prakriti after the devel-
opment of Determinative Consciousness, and even the
Self -Conscious Principle, so that Matter (in the strict
sense of the term) is held to be preceded by Con-
sciousness in the Prakriti, and to be produced by Con-
sciousness or Intelligence, in a sense. But this "Con-
sciousness" is a very different thing from the "Manas"
or Mind of the individual, which he uses in his delib-
erative processes, imagination, etc., and which is but
a "thinking machine" evolved by the Consciousness in
order to express material life and activities, just as
were the organs of action, and the organs of the senses
evolved (see above classification). To Kapila, Manas
or Mind-Principle was an insentient, automatic en-
ergy, semi-material, and operative only by reason of
the activity of the Consciousness, which in turn is il-
luminated by the Purusha. The Sankhya conception
of Manas, or Mind, is very nearly akin to the Western
conception of Brain, in the phases of its functioning
processes.

The Sankhyas teach that the "Soul" is the Purusha,
invested with its higher principles or Tattvas, and
must not be confounded with the Purusha which is
"Spirit." The Soul is given a covering of a subtle
body, or linga sharira, which encloses the buddhi;
ahamkara; the five tanatnatras; and the ten psychic
instruments of sensation and action, and also Manas
— the Purusha, of course, being at the centre of the

i

f
f

j6 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

Soul, as Spirit or Attnan. This subtle body (linga
sharira) is invested with a grosser body, composed of
the five gross elements, and which gross body perishes
at death, while its subtle counterpart survives in Satn-
sara, going through incarnations and changes of phy-
sical bodies, etc.

The action of Prakriti is two-fold. First it has its
own action inspired by the laws of its own nature,
which act in a more or less automatic and unconscious
fashion, according to an orderly trend resembling in-
stinctive actition. But Intelligence and consciousness
it has not, nor can it have until it is illuminated by the
involved Purushas.

The Sankhyas hold that the process of the creation
of the material universe, with its forms of life, and
energy, is occasioned by the beginning of each period
of Creative Activity, or Day of Brahm, by a subtle
stirring in the bosom of Prakriti owing to some law
of its nature and influenced by the accumulated Karma
of past creations, and whereby the Purushas are at-
tracted even as the bees and flies are attracted by "su-
gar-water," or syrup. Flowing into the fluidic un-
differentiated Prakriti, enticed by the subtle attraction
of her illusory charms, the Purushas come — and once
entrapped the results of the combination ensue. First
there appears in the substance of Prakriti an Aware-
ness or state of Universal Consciousness, which is
called "Mahat, or the Great," which gradually shades
into a Cosmic Determinative Consciousness on the
part of the Whole Principle of the Prakriti. This is

THE SANKHYA SYSTEM. ft

followed by the development of the consciousness of
Separateness, or Self-Consciousness, or Egoism, called
by the Hindus, "Ahamkara" and which is not, as
some have supposed, a conscious realization of each
Purusha of its own real nature and individuality, but
rather a false consciousness of itself as a Personality,
distinct from all else, and partaking of Avidya, or Ig-
norance concerning its own true nature as Pure Spirit,
or Purusha. From thence on there is an Involution
of Enfolding into Prakriti of the Purushas, sinking
deeper and deeper into the illusory existence, and even
causing the Prakriti to take on subtle and then gross
forms of matter in order to satisfy the desires of the
deluded Purushas for material activity and life. When
the Involution has reached its limit, there then sets
in the stage of Evolution, as we have stated, in which
the Prakriti is urged into higher and higher forms, as
the ascending Purushas rise in the scale in their up-
ward journey toward the Blissful State.

The influence or action of the Purushas causes an
action on the part of the Prakriti, and which the
Sankhyas describe as akin to the action of particles of
steel when brought into close juxtaposition with a
magnet, whereupon they manifest a new action and ar-
rangement foreign to their original custom. And, so,
Purusha is the magnet which affects the Prakriti into
which it has been attracted — for remember, that not
only does the magnet attract the bits of steel, but the
latter likewise attracts the magnet itself, and changes
are produced upon both. From the close contiguity

78 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA,

of the Purushas, the Prakriti is given new activities,
and changes are set into operation, whereby the cre-
ative process results. In this description we have ig-
nored the numerous technicalities and terms in which
the Sankhya teachings abound, the strange Sanscrit
terms, and the unfamiliar conceptions of the detail of
the universal involutionary and evolutionary processes
tending to confuse the Western mind and to divert the
attention from the fundamental ideas.

And, now, this is the Sankhya System of Kapila,
stated briefly and as simply as possible. The student
of "The Yogi Philosophy" as set forth in our previous
series of lessons, and in which we have given the In-
ner Teachings of the Eclectic School of the Hindu
Thought, may see how the conceptions of Kapila fit
into our own teachings, and yet how they differ. Ka-
pila directs the attention of the student to the nature
of the soul's immersion and entanglement in the prin-
ciple qi Matter in a most vivid manner, and accom-
panied with a degree of poetic symbology that enables
the mind to take hold of the idea readily. And, read
in the light of the Inner Teachings, the teachings of
Kapila are of great interest and advantage to the stu-
dent in his work of assimilating the Truths of the
Hindu Philosophy, and outside of their undoubted his-
torical and philosophical interest. But the student
will also see wherein the Sankhya System fails to ex-
press the highest conceptions, and wherein it leads
one on a false by-path.

Kapila ignores, although he does not deny, the exist-

THE SANKHYA SYSTEM. 79

cnce of THAT — The Absolute — Brahman and Para-
Brahm — and devotes his attention to an examination
of the "How" of creative activity and phenomenal life
and being — a most important work, surely, and yet
not the most important. Moreover he teaches that
the individual Purushas existed before the creation of
the universe, and before they became immersed in
Prakriti — that is existed in separate existence. Where-
as our teachings are that when the Great Outpour-
ing took place, the Absolute projected its Spirit into
the manifestation called matter, and when the Evolu-
tionary wave began, the tendency toward individual
expression brought about the origin of the individual
souls, which before that time had their existence only
in a state of Oneness. And yet, Kapila has given us
a wonderfully clear idea of the development of the
Personal Consciousness or Sense of Egoism, or Ahatn-
kara, from the Universal Life Consciousness or Cos-
mic Buddhi, which in turn evolved from the Cosmic
Spirit Awareness, or Universal Spiritual Conscious-
ness, or Mahat, in which the Purushas became "aware"
of themselves in a state of Unity, or Oneness of the
Many, which was their first step after they had en-
tered into Prakriti, and left the state of Pure Spirit
or Virgin Purusha. A comparison between the two
teachings will show the resemblance, and the relation
they bear to each other. In our own teachings we
have had little or nothing to say regarding the "Three
Gunas" which we have described in explaining the
Sankhya System, but we have said that the conception

80 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

was familiar to all Hindu thought, and we have treat-
ed of them in a general way as forming a part of "The
Laws of Nature"; in fact the Inner Teachings hold
that the Three Gunas are in the nature of a poetical
conception of, or an idealization of, the Natural
Forces, instead of being distinct principles in them-
selves as Kapila and others have taught. Strictly speak-
ing, even Kapila admits that the Gunas are merely
"Qualities" or Forces in Nature, or Prakriti, and are
not "Things-in-Themselves," as so many of the
Sankhyas hold them to be.

SPECIAL, MESSAGE III.

By Yogi Ramacharaka.

In our message of last month, we spoke to you of Truth. We now
invite you to a consideration of the symbols whereby we seek to enter
into an understanding of the nature of Truth.

I. We may consider Truth by the symbol of Substance. Substance,
as you know, is the underlying or "standing-under" Reality behind the
phenomenal and relative appearances, shapes, forms and names of the
physical universe. Metaphysically, the term is used to express the idea
of the Real Thing-in-Itself which serves as the real foundation, basis
and essence of the universe apparent to our senses and perceptions. Truth
is the Universal Substance which supports the universe, and upon which
all else depends. And all that is apparent to our sense perception must
needs be manifestations, expressions or emanations of and from that
Universal Substance, or else Untruth. There is nothing else for it to be.
There is no other Substance to support anything, or from which anything
could have emanated. All else is Untruth.

II. We may consider Truth by means of the symbol of Power. And,
mark you this, not only does Truth manifest Power, but it is the
Essence of Power itself. Metaphysically, viewing Truth from this aspect,
it may be asserted that Truth is Power. And that, other than Truth,
there is no Power, and can be no Power. Truth is Omnipotence or All-.
Power, containing within itself all the Power there is, ever has been, or
ever can be. Not only is it Omnipotent, or possessing All-Power, but it
is Omnipotence or All-Power itself. There is no other source of Power
than Truth. And all manifestations or expressions of Power must be
attributed, directly or indirectly, to Truth. For there is nowhere else
whence it could have come. All else is Untruth.

III. We may consider Truth by means of the symbol of Being.
Being is the term used for expressing the idea of Real Existence. And
Truth is not only Really Existent, but is Real Existence itself. There
can be no Being or Existence outside or apart from, or other than,
Truth. For there is nothing else to Be or Exist. And all Being or
Existence must proceed from Truth, that is, must be manifested, ex-
pressed or emanated from it. Truth is existent, or In Being, Every-
where. It is not only Omnipresent, or present-everywhere, but is also
Omnipresence, or All-Presence itself. Presence, Being and Existence
belong to Truth, and are merely symbols of identity with aspects of
Truth. Outside of, and apart from Truth, the terms are meaningless —
Untruth.

In next month's message, we shall continue this consideration of the
symbols, whereby we seek to enter into an understanding of the nature
of Truth.

Our Meditation for the coming month is:

"TRUTH IS ALL-SUBSTANCE; ALL-POWER; ALL-BEING;
AND, OUTSIDE OF TRUTH THERE CAN BE AND IS NO SUB-
STANCE; NO POWER; NO BEING. -

THE FOURTH LESSON.

The Vedanta System.

The leading school of Hindu Philosophy in India,
at the present time, is that which is known as the
Vedanta System, and which also bears the name of
the Uttara Mimamsa, which latter term means "the
subsequent investigation/' or "the investigation of the
latter part/' and is used in contradistinction to the
term applied to another Hindu philosophical system —
i. e., the Purva Mimamsa, or "Prior Investigation."
Some hold that the terms "prior" and "subsequent"
relate to the date of the founding of the respective
schools, while others hold that the "prior" refers to
the investigation of the first part of the Vedas, or rit-
ualistic and ceremonial part, while the "subsequent"
investigation is the investigation that refers to the
investigation of the latter part of the Vedas, known
as the Upanishads. The latter theory seems to be
borne out by the fact that the popular name for the
school — the "VedantcP — means "the last of the
Vedas."

The best authorities give to one Badarayana the
credit of having founded the Vedanta System, al-
though some would dispute this claim and bestow the
honor upon Vyasa, a legendary Hindu sage and teacher.
The date of the founding of the school is not known,
but H is believed to have been previous to Buddhism,
and about the time of the founding of the Sankhya
System, that is, about 70b b. c. In its teachings, the older
part of the Vedas, which relates to the orthodox ceremo-

83

84 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

nies, ritual, worship, etc., was recognized and accepted,
but not dwelt upon, the attention of the Vedanta being
principally devoted to the subject-matter of the latter
part of the Vedas, known as the Upanishads, which
concerns itself with the questions of "the inquiry into
Brahman," or the Absolute, and the manifestations of
the latter in the phenomenal universe.

The Vedanta evidently sprang into being, or rather
was evolved gradually, in response to the demands
of the philosophical minds of India, who desired a
grouping together, or scientific arrangement of that
part of the general philosophical system of the race
which dealt with the One and its relation to the many,
rather than with the ecclesiastical ceremonies, ritual,
and religious dogmas upon which the early part of
the Vedas laid so much stress. And from the first
the new system attracted many of the brightest minds
of India, and has continued to grow and prosper for
about two thousand years, attracting the thoughtful
minds of the race to it, and away from the more
orthodox systems favored by the priesthood. For
while the Vedanta does not oppose the ceremonies and
forms of the temples, regarding them as necessary for
minds of a certain degree of development, still the
system itself is far more of a philosophy of Pure
Reason than a religious system of thought based upon
revelation or faith. And much of its success has come
by reason of its broadness and catholicity of spirit
and doctrine.

The Vedanta has offered a friendly refuge to all

THE VEDANTA SYSTEM. 85

shades of thought, doctrine and opinion, giving to
each that which his particular development called for.
Its universality is wonderful when compared with
other systems. Holding as it does that there is but
One Reality, and that all the rest is illusory, it can see
degrees of truth in all of the doctrines, and yet recog-
nizes all short of the One as non-truth. As Max
Muller has said : "The Vedanta Philosophy leaves to
every man a wide sphere of real usefulness, and places
him under a law as strict and binding as anything
can be in this transitory life ; it leaves him a Deity to
worship as omnipotent and majestic as the deities of
any other religion. It has room for almost every re-
ligion; nay, it embraces them all." He also says:
"Other philosophies do exist and have some following,
but Vedanta has the largest."

While the Vedanta flourished from its conception,
still its great progress has been made since about a. d.
800, the date of the great decline of Buddhism in India.
Buddhism had driven many of the old orthodox dog-
mas from the minds of the Hindu people, and yet its
doctrine of Negation and Nothingness did not satisfy
the cravings of a race that always had clung close to
the spiritual ideals. To return to the old forms was
impossible, and yet the new, cold doctrine of Gautama
the Buddha did not satisfy, although it had been tried
for a thousand years or more. Then, in response to
this need, the followers of the Vedanta began to do
some propaganda work, in the tolerant, broad spirit
that has always characterized the Hindu teachers,

86 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

•

who would always admit Truth in the conceptions of
their opponents, but at the same time would claim "a
greater Truth" in their own. And the Vedanta, with
its broadness and willingness to admit outsiders with-
out requiring them to cast overboard all of their pre-
conceived and cherished ideas, appealed to the people
of India at this time. The BrahmoSutra, the earliest
Vedanta work, was supplemented by the most able
and brilliant commentary, called the Sariraka-Bhasya,
from the mind of Shri Sankaracharya, who is regarded
by the Vedantists as one of the greatest philosophers
that the world ever produced, and who was the
"second-father" of the system.

It is most difficult to state in a few words the funda-
mental conception of the Vedanta Philosophy, for the
reason that it has an inner and an outer doctrine — »
the outer, or rather several outer ones, being for the
masses who are not able to grasp the higher conception
of the inner, the latter being reserved for those whose
rare philosophic minds enable them to grasp the
Absolute Idealism of the inner teachings. As we have
said, the doctrine concerns itself with the "inquiry
into the Brahman" and the manifestation of the latter
as the phenomenal universe with its individual soul.
The Vedanta fathers found the doctrine of that ; The
Absolute; Brahman; firmly established in the Hindu
mind — the one was recognized as the Source of All
—or all itself.

Our second lesson, on the Inner Teachings, has
shown you the fundamental conception, which was

THE VEDANTA SYSTEM. 87

accepted in a general way by all, notwithstanding the
many attempts to account for the manifestation of the
material universe. In a general way the orthodox dog-
mas held merely that, that, or Brahman had "mani-
fested" or "emanated" the universe and the individual
souls, without attempting to state just "how" the trans-
formation was effected — how the One became Many.
It was recognized that the universe must have pro-
ceeded from the substance of the Infinite and Eternal
Brahman, for the Hindu mind would never admit that
"something can come from nothing" ; but just "how"
this change took place was in doubt. Many of the
schools had taught that Brahman had in some way
divided Itself up into individual souls, and the ma-
terial universe, although there was here the difficulty
of escaping the fundamental idea that Brahman was
indivisible. The most favored conception was that
of an emanation, as the light from the sun ; the odor
from the flower, etc. Kapila in his Sankhya philosophy
held to the dual-aspect of the manifestation, viz.:
(1) the innumerable individual souls, or Purusha;
and (2) the Prakriti, or Nature, which supplied the
material sub-stratum, and in which the Purushas were
entangled and involved. But there was always the
general conception of a duality, or at least a dual-
aspect of the One and the Many.

And at this point the Vedantists stepped in with
the conception of Idealism, which held that the One
was the Only Reality, and that consequently all else
that appeared to be must be illusory, or an appeal ance

88 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

of the One as Many, without an actual separation of
the One into parts. This illusory universe was due to
Avidya, or Ignorance, occasioned by Maya, or Illusory
Appearance. The conception, in its last analysis, is
most subtle and super-metaphysical, almost defying
explanation except in its own terms. But we shall
attempt it here, nevertheless.

To begin with, the Vedanta postulates the existence
of that, or Brahman, as the Only Reality and Only
Existence. It accepts the Inner Teachings (see the
second lesson) regarding the report of the intellect
regarding that, and embodies these Inner Teachings
in its fundamental axioms. This One Reality, or
Brahman, is held to be "One and Universal" ; "Infinite
and Eternal" ; "Indivisible" and incapable of
separation.

This being so, the theories of "manifestation" must
be abandoned, and the term "reflection" or "appear-
ance" substituted, for if the One is indivisible, and
incapable of separation — and as there is nothing else
but the One to manifest — then it follows that all mani-
festation must be illusory, and nothing but a reflection
or an appearance. In other words, all outside and
apart from the One must be merely "Ideals" of the
One, or else nothing at all. An "Idea," you know, is
"the image of an object formed in the mind"; and
"Ideal" means, "existing in idea or thought." So, with
this bold conception, the Vedantists brushed away all
the previous conceptions and theories, including that of
Kapila with his individual Purushas, or spirits, and his

THE VEDANTA SYSTEM. 89

Prakriti, or Nature, holding that even these "aspects"
or "principles" must be merely ideals and existing
merely "in the mind of the One." But at the same
time it accepted all of the existing conceptions and
theories of the other schools, provisionally, and allowed
the converts to retain them, holding that these con-
ceptions were useful in helping the undeveloped
minds to think of the One the best they knew how,
and leading up to a point when they could conceive of
the One divested from these misconceptions of Maya
occasioned by Avidya, or Ignorance. And so, in the
end, we see that the efforts of the Vedanta teachers
must be directed toward explaining the nature and
characteristics of this baleful Maya, which so distorts
the Truth that it is not recognized — that causes the
"piece of rope on the ground to be mistaken for the
snake," arousing all the terrors and horror that the
real snake would have caused. For in the under-
standing of Maya, and the escape from its entangle-
ments, lies the Road to Freedom and Emanciptation
of the Spirit whose eyes are blinded with the smoked-
glasses of Maya.

Let us first consider the Vedanta conception of the
One. Brahman, the One Absolute Substance, is held
to be beyond qualities or attributes; beyond subject
and object; to be the Source of Being; Intelligence;
and Bliss. It is the efficient cause of the universe in
its spiritual, mental and material appearances ; creator
and creation; doer and deed; cause and effect; the
underlying Truth amidst the Universe of Unreality;

90 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

one; self-existent; all-there-is; all-that-ever-has-been ;
all-that-ever-can-be ; One and Only ; Alone, with Noth-
ing within Itself, and Nothing outside of Itself;
Unique; without a Second. Since it is all there is,
and cannot be divided into parts, nor subject to change,
then it must follow that the Self of each of us must
be in some way identical with the Self of the One,
instead of being a part of or emanation of it — that
the Self or Spirit in us must be the identical Spirit
of the One, undivided and whole. Outside of this
Self there is nothing, and therefore there is Non-
Duality, the "duality" of the other schools being held
false. Surely this is a startling conception, never
before equaled in the history of Hindu Philosophy,
and most difficult of comprehension. No wonder that
it has been called "the highest pinnacle of philosophic
thought which the human mind can possibly attain" ;
or, as Schlegel has said : "Even the loftiest philosophy
of the Europeans, the idealism of reason as it is set
forth by the Greek philosophers, appears, in compari-
son with the abundant light and vigor of Oriental
idealism, like a feeble Promethean spark in the full
flood of heavenly glory of the noonday sun, faltering
and feeble, and ever ready to be extinguished." And
as Max Muller says: "Vedanta holds a most unique
position among the philosophies of the world. After
lifting the Self or the true nature of the Ego, Vedanta
unites it with the essence of Divinity, which is abso-
lutely pure, perfect, immortal, unchangeable, and one.
No philosopher, not even Plato, Spinoza, Kant, Hegel,

THE VEDANTA SYSTEM. 91

or Schopenhauer, has reached that height of philo-
sophic thought. . . . None of our philosophers, not
excepting Heraclitus, Plato, Kant, or Hegel, has ven-
tured to erect such a spire, never frightened by storms
or lightnings. Stone follows upon stone, in regular
succession after once the first step has been made,
after, once it has been clearly seen that in the begin-
ning there can have been but One, as there will be
but One in the end, whether we call it Atman or
Brahman/'

The student, who for. the first time follows the
Vedanta teachings up the narrow path of reasoning
that leads to "the highest pinnacle of philosophic
thought," finds himself panting for breath in the thin,
rarefied atmosphere of those exalted peaks, and feels
the chill of the mountain air pervading his being. And
when the highest peak of all is surmounted, he is apt
to gaze affrighted at the lower peaks, and the valleys
and canyons far beneath him, and he begins to wonder
how he ever will be able to descend to solid earth once
more. Or, dropping figurative terms, he begins to
wonder how any reasoning mind will be able to ex-
plain the existence of the phenomenal universe, after
having postulated a One Being that is indivisible, un-
changing, and All, with the accompanying postulate
that "something cannot be evolved from nothing/'
Surely the original Hindu philosopher who first reached
this plane of thought had the courage of his logical
convictions, and the fearlessness that springs from a
consciousness of Truth attained. But let us see how

92 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

the Vedantist philosophers extricate themselves from
this predicament, from which there would seem to be
no logical escape.

In the first place, the Vedantist cannot avail himself
of that Principle of Kapila, which forms one of the
dual-principles of his Sankhya System, namely, the
Principle of Prakriti, or Nature, which supplies the
material sub-stratum for the universe, and which is
energized by the Purushas, or Spirits. These princi-
ples, if admitted at all by the Vedantists, are imme-
diately classified with other phenomenal things, and are
taken out of the consideration for the purpose before
us. The Vedantist has nothing else but Brahman to
start with — where does he get his phenomenal universe
and his individual souls? Not from Nothing! Not
from a separation, division or change in Brahman, for
Brahman is above these things. Then where else, or
from what else, can they be evolved? Here are the
several answers of the Vedantins.

I. The answer of the Vishishtadvaita school, or
branch of the Vedanta, which was founded by
Ramanuga, who lived about the same time as San-
karacharya, the founder of the Advaita or Monistic
school of Vedanta — and which school of Ramanuga
is called the "qualified-monistic" or else "qualified-
dualism" — holds that Brahman contains within him-
self elements of plurality, or modes of existence, and
which elements or modes share his reality, and are at
one with himself, although apparently separate and
individual. That is to say, Ramanuga holds that just

THE VEDANTA SYSTEM. <#

as the individual cells of the human body, or groups
of such cells, including the blood-corpuscles, may be
considered as "of the man/' rather than as "separate
parts of him/ 9 and at the same time manifest indi-
viduality, so are the individuals souls of Brahma, and
not separate from him, although apparently individ-
uals. This school holds that the material universe is
an illusion occasioned by these "individual souls"
(which are really elements of Brahman) being de-
luded by Advidya, or Ignorance, which produces Maya,
the cause of the material universe. When these indi-
vidual souls realize their nature and identity with
Brahman, the spell of Maya is over, and the soul
escapes Samsara and returns to its original state of
Bliss.

The above explanation would seem to be a partial
answer keeping fairly well within logical lines, but
the Advaitists, or Monists, or "non-dualists," who com-
pose the other great branch of the Vedanta, regard
this explanation and doctrine as but a half-truth, and
consider it unworthy of the true Vedanta. And, with-
out prejudice, it must be admitted that the school of
Ramanuga seems to attempt a compromise, and beats
a retreat after having fixed its standard on the philo-
sophic heights. It seems like a compromise with the
position of the Sankhyas, with their individual souls,
or else with the Patanjali school, with their individual
souls and their Universal Purusha, as you may see in
the forthcoming lessons. Or, looking at it another
way, it would seem as if Ramanuga was changing his

94 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

conception or postulate of a One Infinite, Eternal
Being, incapable of change or division, into another
conception or postulate of an "Atomic Brahman" com-
posed of countless "elements" or "modes," which,
while not called parts, still destroy the "non-particled"
conception or postulate of Brahm "with nothing within
itself, and nothing without itself." It certainly ap-
pears that Ramanuga's final position is a retreat from
his original one, and that he either was afraid to carry
the original conception to its logical conclusion, or else
feated that the people could not grasp the extreme
position. This last idea seems to be correct, in part,
for many Hindus who adhere to the Vedanta teaching
are not able to grasp the extreme idealistic position
of the Advaitist school of Sankaracharya, and are
better satisfied with the "qualified-monism" of the
Vishishtadvaita school of Ramanuga. While it is
true that it may be said that there really are two schools
of Vedanta, as above stated, each equally entitled to
the name Vedantist, it still remains true that philo-
sophical students, without prejudice, both in India and
in the West, recognize in the Advaita the true Vedanta
— that is, the Vedanta in which the thought and argu-
ment is carried logically forward from premise to con-
clusion — the extreme logical consequence being ad-
mitted, and not feared or compromised. The Vishisht-
Advaita school seems more allied with some of the
schools of the Sankhya, or the Yoga, than to its com-
panion Vedantist school. And, in our continuation of
this lesson on the Vedanta, we shall consider the Ad-

THE VEDANTA SYSTEM. 95

vaita school as representing the original Vedanta doc-
trine carried to its logical and natural conclusion,
believing that the facts of the case warrant the same.
Before passing to the Advaitist explanation of the
existence of the phenomenal universe, however, let us
stop a moment and consider some conceptions held by
certain Vedantists belonging to neither of the great
schools — independent reasoners, as it were, seeing a
view of truth from their own viewpoint. These inde-
pendent Vedantists hold to a conception that is an
approach to a conception of a "manifestation," and yet
is not such in full truth — something that may be spo-
ken of as an "apparent manifestation," as it were.
These views are chiefly expressed in symbols; for
instance, one class will compare Brahman and the
individual souls to the sparks arising from the blazing
fire and returning thereto, but being always within the
heat-waves of the fire, and therefore not separate,
although appearing to be so. Another class favors
the illustration of the perfume arising from a flower,
which, while apparently apart from the flower, is still
of it. Another class favors the illustration of the rays
of the sun, which, while seemingly apart, are still of
the sun. These illustrations all partake of the nature
of "emanations," however, and have a resemblance to
a "manifestation." But still another class, while very
near to those just mentioned, favor a "reflection"
rather than an emanation, admitting the existence of
a "something else" as a background to, or object of,
the "reflection," which something they call Maya, as

96 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

do the Advaitists, as we shall see later. This "reflec-
tion" class compare the relation between Brahman
and the individual souls to the reflection of the midday
Sun upon a million raindrops, each of which seems to
contain a miniature Sun, the basis of which is the Sun
itself, which is not affected by its countless "reflec-
tions." This conception has strength, is firmly held to
by many, although it implies the existence of a "some-
thing" illusory to correspond to the raindrops, and
must also recognize that the "reflection" itself depends
upon an "emanation" of the Sun's light and rays. But
perhaps we are pushing the figure of speech further
than perfect fairness would dictate. This idea of a
"reflection" seems to exercise a hold upon many care-
ful minds among the Hindus. It seems to contain a
hint of an underlying truth that subtly escapes the
grasp of the mind that would make it its own; The
figure is sometimes altered so that the illustration is
that of the Sun casting a "reflection" of itself into
countless vessels or jars of water, and thus giving
light and Spirit presence to the water contained within
the earthen jars. The- illustration of the jar as the
material body, the water as the mind, and the light as
the Spirit, is a beautiful poetic conception, and one
that has a close correspondence with certain occult
conceptions of the relations of the three.

And now for the conception and explanation of the
Advaita school of Vedanta, founded by Sankaracharya
— the True Vedanta of the scholars — the school of
Absolute Monism — Absolute Idealism — Absolute

THE VEDANTA SYSTEM. <#

Idealistic Monism. What is its explanation of the
existence of the phenomenal universe, and the indi-
vidual souls given by this great school ? Let us listen
to its report.

The Advaitist position may be emphasized by a
quotation from Max Muller, who closed one of his
celebrated lectures of the Vedanta with these words:
"In one half-verse I shall tell you what has been taught
in thousands of Volumes : Brahman is true, the world
is false, the sotd is Brahman and nothing else." In
other words, that instead of their being countless indi-
vidual souls (either manifested, created, emanated, or
reflected) being entangled in the principle of sub-
stance of Maya, or Prakriti, and losing their identity,
and building up a false universe by reason thereof —
instead of this, there is postulated Brahman itself,
entangled and involved in this baleful principle of
Maya, deluded by its illusion, involved in its glamour
— Brahman itself imagining itself separated into count-
less individual spirits or souls, and erecting an imagi-
nary universe of the senses which serves to bind it
more and more. This is a crude expression of the
doctrine, but a true one, stated in its bareness and bold-
ness. Have thinkers ever dared to say this before?
If so, the history of philosophy fails to reveal the fact.

Yes, this is the essence of the Advaita teaching — the
Infinite involved in a figment of its own imagination,
losing itself in a "dream" of a phenomenal universe,
and believing itself to be countless individual spirits
or Selves, instead of the One Spirit and One Self — the

98 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

All. Surely this is the most daring flight of the human
mind in the thin and rarefied air of idealistic philoso-
phy — but still it is but carrying the premise to its
logical conclusion, and then escaping from the in-
evitable, vexatious alternative by the manifestation of
the highest degree of mental courage and honesty.
This is the extreme position of the Vedanta Idealistic
Philosophy.

Brahman being the One Reality, indivisible, immu-
table, and alone, it must follow that the phenomenal
manifestation of Samsara and its accompanying ma-
terial universe are but illusive fictions — figments of
the imagination or dream-state of Brahman itself — the
first state of the fantasy being the illusion of Separate-
ness; the subsequent being the illusion of the sense-
universe appearing to the "souls" (?) which them-
selves are but illusory fictions in the mind of Brahm.
It is Brahm who sees himself reflected from the water-
drops, or water-jars, of Maya, and imagines that he is
Many instead of One. It is Brahm who sees himself
through the countless eyes of the individual reflections
of himself. The individual souls persist in their illu-
sory and fictitious "reflection" or semblance, so long
as the bonds of Samsara hold the attention — but they
are but Brahman himself all the while. Throughout
the organisms and forms thus built up, this deluded
Brahm, manifesting as countless unitary reflections
and semblances of himself, acts, moves, and plays its
many parts upon the Stage of Maya, identifying him-
self with the jcountless images of characters existing

THE VEDANTA SYSTEM. 99

solely in his imagination, or dream. Only by realiz-
ing this Unity — this Truth — may each "soul" escape,
one by one, from Maya and awaken from the dream
of Samsara. Only by Knowledge may the "soul"
escape its isolation and return to a consciousness of its
Real Self.

The Advaitists do not accept all of the Fundamental
Conceptions of that, or Brahman. In fact, they dis-
card all these conceptions as attempts to bestow "attri-
butes or qualities" upon that which is above them.
They refuse to consider that in its aspects as the
Absolute Essence of Substance or Space, or in the
other aspect of Absolute Essence of Motion at Rest,
or in the third aspect, of the Essence of Absolute
Law-in-Itself. They brush all this aside, and, claim-
ing to rise higher than the original source of their
philosophic thought, they postulate that, Brahman,
as being pure intelligence absolute, and which may
be considered as "Sat-chit-ananda" or Absolute
Existence — Knowledge — Bliss.

The deluding Maya (which we shall consider at
length presently) is held to be more than individual
ignorance of the "souls," and is the shadow of reality,
of eternal duration, and of cosmic extension and sig-
nificance. Its origin is veiled in mystery and obscurity.
But while it is not eternal, or real — for it passes away
during the Night of Brahm, only to appear again
when the Creative Activity once more begins — still it
is something more than a manifestation. In fact,
while - in itself it is not real, it may be said that there

100 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

is that in Brahman which produces it and which is
real — the possibility and latency of Maya, so to speak;
is inherent in Brahman. This Maya is regarded as the
material cause of the world, just as in the Sankhya the
Prakriti is so regarded — but Maya is not regarded as
a "something" as is Prakriti; for it is merely a cover-
ing or shadow of Something. And yet the Advaitists
do not teach that the phenomenal life and universe is a
"nothing" as do the Buddhists. They regard it as an
illusory appearance of an underlying reality, which
appearance is unreal, and yet real for all practical pur-
poses, and which must be so considered in sane reason-
ing and action. As Max Muller has said concerning
this point: "For all practical purposes, the Vedantist
would hold that the whole phenomenal world, both in
its subjective and objective character, should be ac-
cepted as real. It is as real as anything can be to the
ordinary mind; it is not mere emptiness, as the Bud-
dhists maintain. And thus the Vedanta philosophy
leaves to every man a wide sphere of real usefulness,
and places him under a law as strict and binding as
anything can be in this transitory life." And this may
be understood when you consider that even in the
imagination or dream of Brahman there must be an
element of actuality. Samsara is not absolutely ficti-
tious, although illusory. Phenomena are merely in-
dicative of the illusory appearance of an underlying
reality. "Dreams are true, while they last," says the
poet. Therefore the phenomenal universe may be con-
sidered as true, so long as the Truth is not known.

THE VEDANTA SYSTEM. IOI

When Brohtn awakes, the universe disappears — the
souls know that they are One. The Universe and the
souls are not "absorbed" into Brahman — but Brahman
arouses itself, and the phenomenal appearance fades
away as do the dreams of the night, or the day-dreams
of the waking hour.

The Advaita conception regards Brahman as the
real cause of the universe, because it all proceeds from
him; and also as the operative cause, because the
processes of Maya (which are akin to those of the
Prakriti of the Sankhya) depend upon the proximity
and existence of Brahman, inasmuch as Maya has no
energy of its own, but acts by the energy of Brahman
reproduced in Maya by induction, similar to the action
of the magnetism of a magnet inducing magnetic prop-
erties in the particles of steel. Thus Maya, although
inert of itself, becomes active by reason of its prox-
imity to Brahman. The student will notice that the
Advaitists use the same figure of speech (the magnet
and the bits of steel) that is used by the Sankhyas in
illustrating the action of the Purushas upon Prakriti.
In fact, there are many points of resemblance between
the Sankhya Prakriti and the Vedanta Maya, the prin-
cipal difference being that the former is regarded as
a fundamental principle of nature, while the latter is
regarded as an illusory figment of the imagination or
dream of Brahtnan~or, rather, as the imagination or
dream-oondition itself. As an authority says : "Maya,
the inexplicable illusion, self-imagined, has been the
unreal adjunct illusorily overspread upon Brahman
from all eternity.

IQ2 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

Before proceeding with our consideration of the
nature of Maya, as stated by the Advaitists, let us con-
sider the teachings regarding the operation of Avidya,
or Ignorance, through Maya. This Avidya, which
is held to be of cosmic extent and effect, operates in
two ways by means of Maya. The first way is in the
enveloping of Brahman and producing the illusion of
the Many Selves; the second way is the projecting of
the phenomenal and material universe by reason of the
first error or illusion. This projection is as follows:
By Avidya, through Maya, is projected the subtle
elements of ether ; air ; fire ; water ; and earth. From
these subtle elements is evolved the seventeen subtle
principles and the five gross elements. The seventeen
subtle principles comprise the five senses, viz.: sight,
hearing, smell, taste, and feeling ; the two mental prin-
ciples of Buddhi, the principle of understanding, rea-
soning, determining, etc., and Manas, the principle of
will and imagination, respectively; also the five prin-
ciples controlling the organs of action, namely, the
organs of speech, the hands and feet, the organs of
excretion, and the organs of generation, respectively;
and the five vital airs, or vital energies, or forms of
Prana. The five gross elements are evolved from the
five subtle elements, in certain combinations and
phases, and from the operation and activities of which
proceed the material universe. The above classifica-
tion of the principles is common to the majority of the
Hindu philosophical systems, and seems to have de-
scended from some common ancient source, and to

THE VEDANTA SYSTEM. 103

have been accepted without question by the founders
of the systems, and incorporated with their doctrines
and conceptions. You will notice these principles
appearing in the other systems considered in these
lessons. The best modern authorities do not take this
classification of principles very seriously, and are apt
to regard them as in the nature of worn-out systems
of the past, although as the mental principles are con-
cerned, and the psychology arising therefrom, the
Hindu thinkers hold that they are much better ideas
of the operation of the mind than any Western theories,
or hypotheses. With the exception of the conception
of the Mental Principles, therefore, the balance of the
classification may be omitted from the serious consid-
eration of the philosophies, as the fundamental con-
ceptions of the same are not affected thereby.

The Vedanta adheres to the prevailing Hindu con-
ception of the several "principles" or "sheaths" of the
individual soul, which may be stated as follows : ( I )
The Rupa, or Physical Body; (2) The Jiva or Prcma,
or Vital Force; (3) The Linga Sharira, or Astral
Body, or Etheric Double; (4) The Kama Rupa, or
Animal Soul; (5) The Manas, or Human Soul; (6)
The Buddhi, or Spiritual Soul; (7) Attnan, or Spirit.
The last three principles compose the reincarnating
soul, while the first four disintegrate at the death of
the body, or shortly after. This classification is com-
mon to the several Hindu philosophies, and the stu-
dents of our own system will find them agreeing with
our own classification of "The Seven Principles."
(See our "Fourteen Lessons in Yogi Philosophy.")

104 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

The Vedantists hold to the teachings of Reincarna-
tion and Karma, which form a part of the fundamental
philosophical and religious thought of the race. To
the Vishisht-Advaita school of Ramanuga, Samsura or
the cycle of existence, and Karma, mean the evolution
and progress of the soul through the mists of Avidya
and Maya back to the realization of itself as an "ele-
ment" in the nature of the One. But to the Advaita
school of Sankaracharya, Samsara, with its incidents
of Reincarnation and Karma, is but a part of the
universal illusion, and both disappear when the soul
awakens to the fact that it is not an individual
entity, but a distorted reflection or appearance of Brah-
man himself, created by him in his imagination or
dream. Reincarnation and Karma are thus, in full
Truth, held to .be nothing but Maya arising from
Avidya, which is annihilated by the awakening to Vidya
or Knowledge of the Truth which informs the soul
that it is Brahman and bids it awaken from its dream
of Samsara, at which Maya fades away like the mist
of the morning before the rays of the sun. But, as we
have said, the doctrine holds that "for practical pur-
poses" the Samsara is true, and Reincarnation and
Karma facts to be reckoned with, for until the Sleeper
awakes the world of experience is the only real one
to the soul, and its laws and rules, of which Reincarna-
tion and Karma form a part, stand untouched and
fully operative. Only when man becomes Brahman
do they cease to rule him. For, at the end, says the
Advaitist, if there is in reality nothing to reincarnate

THE VEDANTA SYSTEM. 105

or to be affected by Karma, then Re-birth, Death, and
Karma are seen to be nothing but manifestations of
Maya itself — the machinery of the dream. And so,
while holding to the truth of Reincarnation and Karma
with firm and positive teaching, still in the end the
Advaita denies it ultimate reality.

Among the ranks of the Vedantists are to be found
many who cling to the idea of Ishwara, the Personal
God, the Demiurge, or the Logos. And, notwithstand-
ing the advanced position of some of the Vedanta sects,
there is no opposition to this doctrine, and a place is
found for it under the big tent of Vedanta catholicity.
Ishwara is explained, and harmonized with the funda-
mental teaching, by admitting the conception that when
the creative processes begin, Brahman, overspread with
Maya, first manifests as Ishwara, and then from
Ishwara proceeds the remainder of the creation. Thus
the individual soul is held to be identical with Ishwara,
and Ishwara identical with Brahman. Thus Ishwara
represents the collective totality of the various prin-
ciples manifested in the individual forms and units of
the phenomenal universe. Ishwara is the Universal
Soul, containing within his soul the collective totality
of the three higher principles of the soul diffused
among the individual souls, and containing within his
body the collective totality of the four lower principles.
(See £he above classification of the seven principles of
man.) Ishwara may be worshiped as a Personal
God, and loved as an Over-Soul. But even Ishwara
is but an appearance in Maya, and in the end must

106 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

awaken to the fact that he is naught in himself, but
Everything in Brahman. And the individual soul, see-
ing the Truth, may ignore Ishwara, and piercing his
illusory nature may proceed direct to the bosom of
Brahman. Thus does the Vedanta supply the want of
each class of follower — satisfy the hunger of each soul,
according to its nature. While postulating an abstract
THAT, or Absolute, it still allows the intervention of
an Ishwara, or Personal God, with an universal human
nature and character, without being inconsistent or
compromising. It willingly admits anything in Maya,
but denies everything in Truth except Brahman Itself
—THAT— in the words of Max Muller : (( Brahman
is true, the world is false, the soul is Brahman and
nothing else." From the beginning to the end,
Vedanta is consistent and logical, facing the conse-
quences of its extreme conclusions without a tremor,
and steadfastly refusing to beat a retreat. A most
remarkable manifestation of human philosophical
speculation — without parallel.

And now for this strange and inexplicable Maya —
that illusion, imagination, or dream, that overspreads
the being of Brahman and causes him to "imagine vain
things," and to dream of strange happenings. What
of Maya? We must confess that at this point the
Advaitists are brought face to face with the focused
energies of the argument and opposition to their sys-
tem and doctrine. It is their "heel of Achilles" — their
only vulnerable point, in the opinion of outside think-
ers, although they, themselves, do not admit this, and

THE VEDANTA SYSTEM. 107

claim that the doctrine of Maya is as safely encased in
armor as the rest of their system. From whence arises
Maya? There is no outside source, and it must come
from Brahman himself-^-then why does he permit it?
What is the cause of Maya?

Some of the leading Advaitist teachers refuse to
entertain the question in this shape — asserting that to
suppose the necessity of a "cause" or "reason" for
Brahman's creations would be to assume something to
which Brahman was subject — something ruling, de-
termining or influencing the Infinite — a palpable ab-
surdity. They say that Maya appears, and therefore
must be in accord with Brahman's nature and being,
and not [contrary to his will or desire, if such relative
terms may be permitted regarding the Absolute.
Therefore Brahman, himself, is "the reason" or "cause"
or "why" of Maya. And beyond that they refuse to
go, claiming that this mystery is locked up in Brahman
himself, and that the question can no more be answered
than the "why," "reason" or "necessity" of the exist-
ence of Brahman, itself. And, so in the end even the
advanced Advaitist confesses himself unable to con-
sider and answer that great Ultimate Question that
has ever perplexed the great philosophical minds that
were able to realize that such a question existed — the
question: "Why did God create the universe, since
He is not bound by Necessity or Desire ; since nothing
can be accomplished by it ; since there is nothing that
can be that has not always been — be the universe illus-
ion or reality; why was it created?" So it always has

108 PHILOSOPHIES AND JRELIGIONS OF INDIA.

been — so it is now — so, perhaps, will it be always, for
none but God himself — the Absolute — can answer this
question from full knowledge, for such full Knowledge
is God Himself, or the Brahman, of Absolute Intelli-
gence. This is indeed the Riddle of the Sphinx.

But the failure to answer this Ultimate Question, or
"Why?", does not deter the Advaitist from speculating
concerning the nature of Maya. To some Maya is
identical with a "Principle of Nature" or a "Creative
Energy," which is inherent in the Being of Brahman,
and which he brings into play willing to will it into
activity, and willing to involve himself in it, tempo-
rarily. To others Maya is in the nature of a Brahmic
Imagination, in which he plunges in reverie akin to
the day-dream of the man. To others Maya is as the
true dream-condition in which "the dreams are true
while they last," and from which Brahman finally
arouses himself, little by little, each individual's awak-
ening contributing a "little." To others Maya is the
mental state of Reverie or Meditation into which
Brahman plunges himself, and objectifies universes and
characters, as the artist objectifies the characters and
scenes of his "mental creation" of story, poem, drama,
painting, or sculpture, from his subjective self, or
"inner consciousness." Others hold that Brahman de-
sires to express himself into relative objectivity and
activity, and attempts to do so over and over again, but
finding that the same is impossible, he is forced to
beat a retreat, and relinquish the effort — but this last
is rather more the speculation of a Vedantist affected

THE VEDANTA SYSTEM. 109

by the Buddhist or Schopenhauer-like thought of
an unconscious and unintelligent Absolute trying to
express itself into consciousness, and being forced to a
retreat by the pain arising therefrom. This idea is not
true to the Vedantist ideal and conception, although
it has been advanced by some good teachers. To
others it has seemed that Brahman first conceived of
the abstract ideas of Time, Space and Causation — the
three Great Relative Principles — and in meditating
upon these three relativities he began to consider him-
self in [connection with them — through their triple
glasses of thought, as it were — and thus arose the
Avidya that produced the Maya, that produced the
phenomenal universe, and caused Brahman to con-
sider himself as the Many in Time, Space and Causa-
tion.

In all of the speculations (which concern themselves
with the "How" rather than the "Why," of Maya,
remember) there is the underlying thought that Maya
must be a mental something — that is something arising
in the "mind" of Brahman, if such a relative term may
be used ; and also the conception that in some mysteri-
ous way Brahman is involved and rapt in his imagin-
ings, dreams, or conceptions, or mental creations.
These two ideas underlie all of the speculation regard-
ing Maya. And all agree that pain, misery and
unhappiness result from this involvement of Brahm in
his mental creations, even though, as the teachers say,
the "total period of the creation, existence, and death
of universe, is as but the twinkle of an eye to Brahman

IIO PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

— that is, it is practically instantaneous, from start to
finish, just as even a man may dream a lifetime in a
few moments. One of the Hindu teachers gave this
parable illustrating the idea of Brahm being involved
in his creative processes: "Indra, one of the gods,
once descended into Nature, or Prakriti, in order to
gain experience, and so incarnated as a pig, losing all
knowledge of his true nature. He wallowed in the
mud, and grew fat and big, with great tusks. He took
unto himself a pig-wife, and soon found himself sur-
rounded by a brood of baby-pigs, and was very happy
by reason of his pig-family. Some of the other gods,
seeing his loss of recollection of his real self, and his
belief in the reality of his pig nature, sought to arouse
him from his illusion, saying: 'Arouse thyself, Indra,
thou art a god' ; but Indra grunted lazily, 'Go away,
and disturb me not — I am a pig, and am happy. What
do I care for your heavens, with my mud, and my sow
and baby-pigs. Go away!' But the friendly com-
panion-gods, wishing to arouse him, killed his baby-
pigs, and later his wife-pig; but Indra wept and wailed,
squealed and bit, and snorted his rage and sorrow.
Finally, in despair, they killed his pig-body itself, as
they would any other pig, whereupon Indra emerged
freed from his delusion, and laughed when told what
a dream he had indulged in, and once more resumed
his god-life. But what would have been Indrafs
sorrow, had he been compelled to work out his Free-
dom through the repeated re-births and Karma, of
Samsara, as do the individual souls in their road to
Freedom and Emancipation ?"

THE VEDANTA SYSTEM. Ill

Those of you who have read our views regarding
the nature of the manifestation of the universe by The
Absolute, in our lessons on "Gnani Yoga/' will realize
that while we accept the Vedanta conception of the
Oneness of Being, and the All being All in All, yet we
do not admit or hold that The Absolute loses the
knowledge of itself in its creations, but on the contrary
preserves that knowledge intact. And that the reflec-
tion of the Absolute in each individual soul constitutes
the Indwelling Spirit of the soul — its Real Self. And
that while the nature of the Universe is that of a
Mental Creation of The Absolute, and The Absolute
finds itself reflected in the ideas of the universe — and
that all in that universe are ideas of The Absolute —
still the creation is deliberate and in pursuance with
some design and plan of The Absolute (the reason
thereof being beyond human knowledge) and is NOT
the result of Ignorance or Avidya on the part of the
Absolute, such thought being inconsistent with the
fundamental conception of Infinite Wisdom. We re-
gard Maya, or Prakriti, as the great Creative Principle
emanated from The Absolute. And Avidya or Igno-
rance, we hold, is confined to the phenomenal world,
and has no/ place or existence in The Absolute, but is
itself the product of Maya. We must refer you to our
"Gnani Yogd' for the details of our conception,
although the above will give you, briefly, an idea of
the points of our agreement with, and the points of
our difference from the Vedanta Philosophy. Our
own system is Eclectic in its nature, and has points of

B 12 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

agreement with, and points of difference from, each of
the other principal systems of the Hindu Philosophy,
and besides, advances many independent conceptions
and interpretations not found in the said systems, and
which are part of the great body of Electic Philosoph-
ical Thought in India which has refused to identify
itself with any of the schools or systems.

SPECIAL MESSAGE IV.

By Yogi Ramacharaka.

In our message of last month, we gave yon the first three of the
Axioms of Truth, those symbols whereby we seek to enter into an
understanding of the nature of Truth. In the message of this month,
we continue the presentation of the axioms — the symbols. We invite
you to consider the three following Axioms of Truth.

IV. — We may consider TRUTH by means of the symbol of Creative
Activity. Not only has TRUTH the Creative Energy, but it is also the
Creative Energy Itself. Other than TRUTH there can be no Creative
Energy. All that is, ever has been, or ever can be Created, must have
been manifested, expressed or emanated by the Creative Energy of
TRUTH. TRUTH is the Cause, Source and Reason for all Creation.
There is nothing outside of, or apart from, Truth that can Create;
and, therefore, can be nothing created by anything outside or apart
from TRUTH. All else is Error, Untruth.

V. — We may consider TRUTH by means of the symbol of Intelli-

Ssnce. Not alone is TRUTH Omniscient or All- Wise, but it is also
mniscience or All- Wisdom Itself. Outside, or apart from TRUTH,
there is not, never has been, and never can be, any Wisdom. All the
evidences of Wisdom that we see must be manifestations, expressions
or emanations from Truth. TRUTH is the Source of all Wisdom and
is the Fount from which all Wisdom must be drawn. All apparent
knowledge outside of or apart from TRUTH is Untruth.

VI. — We may consider TRUTH by means of the symbol of Good.
TRUTH is the All-Good. TRUTH is Good. Our intuitive realization
of the Good above us, and to which the higher part of our Being always
yearns if allowed to follow its highest inclinations, informs us that
there is GOOD. And TRUTH being the only Being and Reality must
be that GOOD. Any other supposition is impossible and contrary to the
highest intuition of the human mind. The reality of Good, and its
identity with TRUTH, comes to man not through his Reason alone, but
also from a higher part of his being, and constitutes the Divine Mes-
sage to the race. Not only is TRUTH Good, in the sense of possessing
Good, but it also is GOODNESS itself; TRUTH is the Essence of Good.
And All-Good must proceed from TRUTH, for there is no other place
whence it could have come. Outside and apart from TRUTH, there can
be no GOOD. All else is Untruth.

In our next month's message, we shall continue this consideration
of the symbolic Axioms, whereby we seek to enter into an understand-
ing of the nature of Truth.

Our meditation for the coming month is:

"TRUTH IS THE ALL-CREATIVE ENERGY; THE ALL-WIS-
DOM; THE ALL-GOOD; AND OUTSIDE OP TRUTH THERE CAN
BE AND IS NO CREATIVE ENERGY; NO WISDOM OR INTEL-
LIGENCE; NO GOOD.

THE FIFTH LESSON.

Patanjali's Yoga System.

The third great system of Hindu Philosophy is that
known as Patanjali s Yoga System, or more commonly
as simply "The Yoga System." (This System must
not be confounded with our own "Yogi Philosophy,"
which is Eclectic in nature and derivation, and which
differs in many respects from Patanjali's Yoga System,
inclining far more toward the Vedantic idea than the
teachings of Patanjali.) This Yoga System is reputed
to have been founded by Patanjali (whose name is
usually used in connection with it), about 300 b. c.
Many of the best authorities regard it as a natural
growth from, and an off-shoot from, Kapilafs Sankhya
System, many of the tenets of the latter school being
held in their original shape by Patanjali. In fact, with
the addition of a Personal God, or World Purusha,
Patanjali seems to have taken over the Sankhya Sys-
tem as a basis for his own, the points of agreement
being too constant and numerous to admit of their
being mere coincidences, and as Kapila undoubtedly
preceded Patanjali there can be no counter-charge of
"borrowing doctrines." In fact, the majority of the
followers of Patanjali freely admit that their system is
an outgrowth of the Sankhya, and "an improvement"
thereupon. The "Mahabaharata" says: "He is wise
who sees the Sankhya and the Yoga as but one." The
prime distinctions between the two systems are the
"improvements" of Patanjali, which are in the nature
of certain methods of psychic development, mental

115

1 1 6 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OP INDIA.

control, and occult development, which are generally
known as the "Raja Yoga methods/' and which are
used also by many of the followers of the other sys-
tems, and the most desirable and "saner" of which are
sometimes taught in connection with some of the
branches and cults of the Vedanto. From these "Raja
Yoga Methods" the System of Patanjali takes its
name. "Yogct' is the Sanscrit term meaning "con-
templation, concentration, and conjunction" ; and also
used in another sense of a "yoking up" or "union/'
implying a union, by means of these methods, between
man and the higher planes of being— even of Brahman.
There are many forms of Yoga in the philosophies,
"Gnani Yoga" or the Yoga of Wisdom being the form
preferred by the Vedantists who strive for Attainment,
or Emancipation, by means of Wisdom, Understand-
ing, and Knowledge acquired by the exercise of
Pure Reason and Right Thinking. The followers of
Patanjali, or a large number of them, prefer the road
of "Raja Yoga" or the Yoga of Mental Control,
Psychic Development, Unfoldment of Latent Forces,
etc. The Purva Mimansa system, and the followers of
the many religious sects and cults in India, seemingly
prefer the road of "Karma Yogd' or the Yoga of
Work, Duty, Action, Devotion, etc. — the Path of
Right Living and Devotion to Duty and God. And
so, in our consideration of "Yogd 9 in connection with
Patanjali s Yoga System, we shall hold ourself to its
favorite phase of Raja Yoga. But before passing on
to a consideration of its Yoga Methods, let us examine

PATANjALl'S YOGA SYSTEM. 117

the system in its philosophical and metaphysical aspect.

Patanjali, like Kapila, does not dispute the existence
of THAT, or Brahman, but like his predecessor he
"takes THAT for granted/' as we have heard the
matter stated. He accepts the Sankhya doctrine of the
Tattvas, or Principles of Creation, and holds to the
Sankhya conception of the basic principles of the
phenomenal universe, i. e., the two opposing but inter-
acting Principles of Purusha and Prakriti, respectively.
Like Kapila, he postulates a great universal principle of
Prakriti, from which has evolved "all this side of
Spirit," including Mind. And like Kapila, he postu-
lates the existence of innumerable spiritual entities,
Souls, or Purushas, whose entrance into Prakriti
energizes the latter and produces the creation of
worlds, and the manifestation of the life forms and
activities.

But, as also in the Sankhya, the Purushas are held
to be merely and purely passive in their inner nature
and being, and their activity (if such a paradoxical
term may be allowed us in this connection) consists in
illuminating and awakening of the processes and
energies of the Prakriti, particularly in its form of
Chitta, or Mind-Stuff, which principle represents an
intrinsically material activity, or phase of evolving
Prakriti, and which, while unconscious in itself, be-
comes conscious by reason of its association with the
Purusha, through being subjected to its illumination —
the action being similar to the particles of steel be-
coming magnetised by proximity to and association

Il8 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

with a true magnet — in short, through "induction."
In its original state Purusha dwells in a blissful state
of unconscious knowing and being, and awakens to the
pain of self-consciousness only when involved in
Prakriti. Finally when it escapes the embraces of
Prakriti, and cleanses itself from the stick-sweetness
of its poppy-made honey, the Purusha gains Perfect
Emancipation (kawalva), and is freed from the activi-
ties, work, illusions, and sufferings of the Prakriti-
caused self-consciousness, and dwells again for eternity
in undisturbed blissful transcendental repose.

But leaving Kapila at this point, Patanjali goes
further, and postulates the existence of a World
Purusha, Universal Soul, Personal God, or Ishwara,
which he teaches is infinite, formless, omniscient, and
free from desire, rewards, pains, or activities. This
Lord, Personal God, Ishwara or Universal Purusha, is
defined by Patanjali as: "A particular Purusha, or
Spirit, who is untouched by affections, works, the
result of works, or deserts; in whom the germ of
omniscience reaches its extreme limit ; who is the pre-
ceptor of even the first, because He is not limited by
time; and whose appellation is 'OM/ the term of
Glory." The student will recognize that this Universal
Purusha, of Patanjali, is more than a Principle of
Purusha, and in fact is truly "Ishivara," the Personal
God of the Hindu philosophies. But, still Patanjali
makes a shadow of a distinction from the orthodox
ideas of Ishwara, when he teaches that the Universal
Purusha differs from the Individual Purushds not in

PATANJALIS YOGA SYSTEM. 119

nature, but in degree only — and that the difference
principally manifests itself in the fact that the Uni-
versal Purusha remains apart, outside and above Time,
while the Individual Purushas are involved in Samsara,
or the "course of existence." Devotion to Him is held
to uplift and aid the worshiper and devotee who
"makes over his activities to Him" ; but He takes no
active part in the world of Samsara, or embodied life
or things. "He ever remains apart." He did not
create the universe, neither is He involved in it, nor
is he responsible for it. Such is the teaching of
Patanjali regarding the Ishwara, or Universal Purusha.
Some of the best authorities hold that Patanjali's
original teaching was not that this Universal Purusha
was a Personal God, but rather that it was the united
beings of the liberated and free spirits, souls, or
Purushas, independent of Prakriti — a Union of Units,
as it were, to which Union the individual Purusha
should strive and aim for, by the road of Liberation
through the Raja Yoga methods. But, so it is held,
this teaching rapidly assumed a changing phase, and
there manifested an evolution of this Union of Units
into an Ishwara, Personal God, or Universal Purusha,
until the latter doctrine became firmly established in
the system. Accordingly, Patanjali's "Uniog with
God" does not mean the "Return to THAT" of the
Vedantists — the Absorption into the Absolute — nor a
return of the Unit to the Union, along the lines of the
Sankhya teachings — but rather an Absorption into, or
a Union with the Universal Purusha or Personal God.

120 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

So Patanjali's conception of "Union with God" has a
literal meaning to his followers, and does not mean a
passing into the plane of the Absolute THAT, but
rather a blending with the Divine nature of God — a
Union with God in a strict sense, and akin to the con-
ception of the Sufis in Persia (see later lesson on
Sufiism). Some of the authorities hold that this Uni-
versal Purusha is eternal, and does not return into
THAT or Brahman at the close of a Day of Brahm;
while others claim that, like Ishwara, this Universal
Purusha, or Personal God, must return along with the
individual Purushas, and the principal of Prdkriti, and
all else that has been emanated or manifested, into
the nature of THAT or Brahman.

Patanjali of course teaches that the Purushas, en-
tangled in Prakriti, and entering into the long journey
of Samsara, undergo many, and repeated successive
incarnations or re-births, just as all Hindu philosophies
and religions teach. The general teachings of this
system regarding Rebirth agrees almost precisely with
that of the other systems — in fact, there is but little
difference in this fundamental teaching among the
various philosophies. This is also true of the teach-
ings regarding Karma, or Spiritual Cause and Effect,
the teachers holding that the law of causation binds
all things in Samsara, from atom to man, and that
each proceeds sowing and reaping, effect following
cause. The Yogin is taught to concern himself little
about past lives, but to dismiss them as outlived tasks,
the memory of which will serve only to bind him to

PATANJALI'S YOGA SYSTEM. 121

material life. He is urged to divest himself, one by
one, of the material sheaths that are holding him, that
in the end he may awaken from his nightmare of ma-
terial existence, and pass to the blissful state of free-
dom and emancipation, gaining liberation from "the
pairs of opposites"; the "gums or qualities"; from
time and space and .causation — thus gaining Liberation
in Truth.

As will have been seen, the animating principle of
Patanjali' s teaching is the Method of Deliverance of
the Individual Purusha from the bonds of Prakriti, or
material existence, by means of the knowledge of the
Truth, and by the exercise of proper methods and
exercise, practices and work, which lead to Union with
God, or an absorption of the Individual Purusha with
the Universal Purusha, Ishwara, or Personal God— or
as some hold, instead of the Union being an "absorp-
tion" it is in the nature of a "drawing together" or
"yoking-up," or true Yoga. This union is held to be
possible of attainment by several roads, the principal
and best of which is that of the Absolute Concentration
of the Raja Yoga methods — which Yoga is called the
Royal Yoga, or the King of Yoga. And therefore, the
study of the Yoga System of Patanjali becomes a
study of the principles of Raja Yoga as expounded by
Patanjali and his followers, to which subject our con-
sideration now passes.

Patanjali's principal work was not in the direction
of building up new theories and doctrines concerning
the nature of the One, and its relation to the Many.

122 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

As we have said he accepted the Sankhya doctrine
almost without change, and built his own system there-
upon — the development of the Universal Purusha idea
following. He devoted his attention principally to
building up a Raja Yoga system of "methods/' "prac-
tices," etc., whereby man might be able to unfold cer-
tain latent forces within himself, and to raise himself
by such unfoldment to a higher perception of universal
laws and principles, to the end that he might escape
the thralldom of material life, and rise to a higher
state, and then on to the ultimate "Union with God."
In his Raja Yoga, Patanjali has much to say regard-
ing the subject of Chitta, or Mind-Stuff, which both
he and Kapila conceived of as being material, rather
than spiritual ; holding it as evolved from Prakriti, and
being entirely distinct from the Purusha or Atman,
which is considered the Real Self and which uses Mind
as an instrument. Patanjali taught that "Chitta" or
Mind-Stuff was the finer material out of which Mind,
as we know it, is created — the more subtle element
which manifests as operating Mind. The Organs of
Sense ; the Mind of Thought (manas) ; the determina-
tive faculty (buddhi) ; the Self-Consciousness (aham-
kara) ; form a class called the Antakharana, the "In-
ternal Instruments," and are considered as but various
modifications of Chitta, or elemental Mind-Stuff.
What are called "Vritti," are "whirlpools" or "vor-
texes" in the Chitta. To restrain these whirlpools of
Mind, or Vrittis, and to compel a calmness in the ocean
of Mind, or Chitta, is the object of the Yogin, and

PATANJAU'S YOGA SYSTEM. 1 23

forms an important part of the Raja Yoga of Patanjali.
Patanjali in his Raja Yoga taught that there are
eight stages of approach — Eight Steps — leading to
Attainment. The Eight Steps are as follows: (i)
Self Control (yama) ; (2) Religious Duty (niyama) ;
(3) Postures (asana) ; (4) Control of the Prana or
Vital Forces (pranayama) ; (5) Control of the Senses
(pratyahara) ; (6) Control of the Mind (dharana) ;
(7) Meditation (dhyana) ; (8) Transcendental Con-
templation or Ecstasy (samadhi). These eight steps
are described as follows :

(1) Self Control (yama) consists of right relations
and justice toward living beings; mercy, kindness;
love ; non-injury ; non-stealing ; truthfulness ; chastity ;
non-covetousness ; and non-acceptance of gifts.

(2) Religious Duty (niyama) consists of inward
and outward purity — that is, purity of thought as well
as of action; contentment; avoidance of luxury, sen-
suousness and worldly vanity; performance of the
religious duties of the individual's -sect ; and earnest
and constant love of the Lord.

(3) Postures (asana) consisted of the control of the
body, and the assuming of certain bodily postures,
which were thought to be valuable in the following
Steps.

(4) Control of Prana or Vital Forces (pranayama)
consists chiefly of certain methods of Psychic Breath-
ing, principally Rhythmic Breathing, having three
forms, namely, inhalation, exhalation, and retention of
the breath.

124 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

(5) Control of the Senses (pratyahara) consists of
the absolute mastery of the senses, under the control
of the Will, whereby they may be withdrawn from
their respective and customary objects of sense, and
either held in abeyance or else transmuted to certain
psychic functions. This step is regarded as prepara-
tory to the following ones.

(6) Control of the Mind (dharana) consists of
divesting the Mind of the influence of the senses, de-
sires, emotions, etc., so that it may be held firmly and
under perfect control. Patanjali gives many methods
whereby this control may be acquired, but- such are not
apt to appeal to the Western mind, being more or less
in the nature of auto-hypnotization, which is not de-
sirable or helpful. The more rational methods of the
occultists by which the mind is naturally controlled,
instead of "hypnotized-by-self" are far preferable.
(We have given these latter methods in our work on
"Raja Yoga/* in preference to those of Patanjali,
which we consider undesirable and partaking too much
of certain reprehensible psychic methods and prac-
tices.)

(7) Meditation (dhyana) consists of the fixing and
concentering of the mind on some one object of knowl-
edge, preferably the Universal Soul, or Purusha, so as
to exclude every other consideration/object or thought.
Patanjali gives many methods of bringing about this
condition, some of which are akin to the practice
known to Western "New Thought" people under the
various forms of "Going into the Silence," while others

PATANJALl'S YOGA SYSTEM. 125

are rather too much inclined to the prdduction of
abnormal, negative psychic conditions to appeal to
advanced occultists who have given the subject careful
consideration. We do not advise the following of
many of these methods, believing them to be unde-
sirable, and because we believe that the end may be
obtained more naturally and normally.

(8) Transcendental Contemplation, or Ecstasy
(samadhi) consists of the production of, or entering
into, the transcendental state known to all Mystics, of
whatever age or country they may belong, and which
we have described in our "Fourteen Lessons/' and in
our "Advanced Course" as "Spiritual Consciousness,"
and which others in the Western world have called
"Cosmic Consciousness." This state is a mystic phase
of consciousness, and cannot be well described to those
who have not experienced it, even by those who have,
it being beyond words. We feel, however, that many
of the cases claimed to be "Spiritual Consciousness"
are merely certain lower forms dr phases of psychic
phenomena, depending more or less upon the emotions.
And we feel that many of the Hindus claiming to have
attained Samadhi by means of the Patanjali Yoga
methods, are mistaken, and have experienced merely
some of these lower stages mentioned. The attain-
ment of Samadhi is rare, and almost always brings in
its train a subsequent spiritual illumination, and mental
advancement, which is typical of the experience, but
which is sadly lacking in many of these cases of psychic
experiences. The latter are as but the pale and sickly

126 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OP INDIA.

glare 6f the Moon, as contrasted with the bright,
warm, radiant beams of the Son — in fact, occultists
use the terms, Sun-light and Moon-light, to distin-
guish between real spiritual illumination and the mock-
phenomenon of psychic astral experiences.

The first principle impressed upon the mind of the
student of Patanjalfs Raja Yoga is that the Mind is
not the Soul, nor the Self. The Self is die Purusha,
or Spirit, of which you have been informed in our
lesson on the Sankhya philosophy — the Soul is the
Purusha surrounded by its Tattvas or Senri-inaterial
principles including Mind — and Mind, or Manas, is the
instrument of the Self and used by the latter for im-
pression from, and expression in, the phenomenal world.
The Yoga Philosophy follows the Sankhya in teaching
that all perception of the outside world comes from the
sense organs, and all action in the outer world is per-
formed by the organs of action. And back of the organs
of sense and action, there are the Psychic Faculties
controlling physical organs. And, starting with this
fundamental conception, Patanjali builds up a system
of Mental Control whereby the organs of action, the
organs of sense, the deliberative faculties, the emo-
tions, the imagination, and in fact the whole mental
organism may be controlled and mastered. In our own
work on Raja Yoga we have given the phases of the
Mental Control and Mastery which will appeal more
strongly to the Western mind. We shall now give the
phases that attract the majority of the Hindus to the
philosophy, practice and methods.

PATANJALl'S YOGA SYSTEM.^ 127/

Let us begin with the Fourth Step— Pranayama —
the Control of the Prana, or Vital Forces. Prana is
the Universal Principle of Energy, manifesting in all
forms of Energy, including Vital Force. And Prana-
yama is the Control of this Universal Energy, particu-
larly in its form of Vital Force. The Yogins consider
this control, if acquired to a high degree, gives one
the mastery of the other manifestations of Prana, and
is the Secret of Power. The first step toward Control of
Prana is the control of the portion of Prana manifesting
in our individual bodies and minds — so this is the nat-
ural place at which to begin, says the J£ogin. The Prana
within you is the little inlet from the great ocean of
Prana, and here is where you are to begin your Control
of it. But there is a more subtle form of Prana within
your organism than even the Vital Force in its mani-
festation of bodily activity. There is a Psychic Prana,
which is manifested in mental action, nerve force, etc.
And as the mental and nervous energies are nearer to
the "I" than are the bodily forces, the student is taught
to begin at this point in his Pranayama. And here is
the method prescribed.

The Yogins teach that there are two currents of
Prana (called Pingala and Ida) travelling along the
spinal column, moving on either side of a canal or tube
in the spinal column which the Hindus call Shusunma,
and which is at the center of the substance of the spinal
cord. At the lower end of the Shusumna is a tri-
angular form of subtle substance called by the Hindus
"The Lotus Chamber of the Kundalini',' which con-

128

PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

I

,

tains a stowed-up and latent force called Kundalini.
This Kundalini is held to be a wonderfully potent
occult force, which, if it is aroused and induced to
ascend the Shusumna, will produce wonderful psychic
effects, opening up many planes of psychic activity un-
dreamed of by the ordinary person, and which, when it
finally reaches the brain, tends to free the soul from
the bondage of matter, and causes the Yogin to become
a Super-man.

The Pingala is the nerve-current running along the
right side of Shusumna — the Ida is the left-side cur-
rent. Along the Shusumna are several "lotuses" or
centres of psychic activity, beginning with one at the
base, called Muladhara, and ending in the brain is the
chief lotus, called the Sahasrara, or thousand-petalled
lotus in the brain. This Shusumna, with its storage
batteries of lotuses, is regarded as a great psychic
battery of force, which may be set into motion by and
regulated by certain Yoga systems of Breathing, par-
ticularly along the lines of Rhythmic Breathing. And
this Rhythmic Breathing is held to arouse the latent
forces of the Kundalini. And from the arousing of
the Kundalini and its controlled action and direction
is said to rise the Supernatural (so-called) Powers
claimed by the Yogins, of which we have spoken in
another part of this lesson. And the science of arous-
ing this Kundalini is known as Pranayana, the Fourth
Step of Attainment of Patanjali.

The primal point in the exercises of Pranayama
is the arousing of rhythmic vibration by means of

PAffcNJALl'S YOGA SYSTEM. I2g

controlled breathing, thus setting into motion the
vibrations which arouse the Kundalini, by which cer-
tain psychic phenomena arp produced — and at the
same time to control, direct and concentrate the Prana,
or nerve-force with which the system is filled, and
which the various ganglia, or plexi, in the body, par-
ticularly the great Solar Plexus, serve to store as
great storage batteries.

In connection with Prana, which the Yogins call
the Fourth Step, there is put into operation the prac-
tice of the Third Step, known as Postures (asana),
upon which the Yogins place great attention and to
which they ascribe great merit. There are a great
variety of these Postures used by the Yogins, and there
have been a number of Hindu books written for the
purpose of explaining the details of them. Some of
the Postures are very intricate, the strained and un-
natural positions usually ascribed to the gods in the
Hindu Pantheon, and which are shown by their
images, pictures, etc., giving an idea of the difficulty
of assuming them. In fact, one would have to be a
trained and developed contortionist in order to assume
them. Some of the ascetics carry this idea of the Pos-
tures to an absurd extent, and spend their lives with
their bodies twisted and contorted into abnormal and
unnatural postures— deeming the same a mark of
piety, holiness, and attainment — much to the sorrow
and disgust of the philosophical Hindu.

The simple Posture usually taught to the student
who wishes to acquire the science and method of

I30 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

Prcmayama, is that of the "Yogi Seat," which consists
in the person seating himself on the ground, or floor,
easily and well-balanced, the spinal column being kept
upright and straight so that the spinal cord be allowed
to hang freely and unrestricted within its natural chan-
nel. The head, neck, and chest must be so held that
a straight line would pass directly through the centre
of each.

Then the Breathing is taught, beginning with the
cultivation of the natural measured breath, inhaling
slowly, retaining a moment under control, and then
exhaling slowly, carrying the sacred word "Om" in
the mind, and accompanying the inhalations and ex-
halations, thus serving as a rhythmic accompaniment
to the incoming and outgoing breath.

The next step is the Single Nostril Breath — the Ida
current being held to pass through the left nostril,
while the Pingala current passes through the right nos-
tril. The student is taught to close the right nostril,
and then, breathing through the left nostril, he directs
the Ida current down through the spinal cord by con-
centrating his attention upon the descending nerve
current, the operation tending to arouse the basic lotus
in which is stored up the Kundalini. When the Ida
current has been inhaled, and the nerve force direct
to the Kundalini store-house, the breath is retained for
a few moments, with the thought that you are passing
it through the lotus and over to the right side or the
channel of the Pingaii current. Then exhale it slowly
through the Pingala channel, through the right nostril,

PATANJALl'S YOGA SYSTEM. 131

closing the left nostril while so doing. The favorite
method taught beginners is to close the right nostril
while inhaling through the left; then to pinch both
nostrils tight while you are passing the current
through the Kundalini storehouse; then release the
right nostril as you exhale. Then the process is re-
versed, the breath being inhaled through the right, held
a moment with nostrils closed, and then exhaled
through the left nostril.

The centre of the spinal cord contains the channel
which the Yogins. call the Shusumna, of which we have
spoken, and which is the channel through which the
central current flows, the Ida and Pingala flowing on
each side of the Shusumna. The Shusumna channel
is closed to the ordinary person, for when it is opened
the person becomes a Yogin, with psychic powers. S
Through the opened Shusumna the Kundalini arises
and lifts the mind to the higher planes, say the Yogins.
And so the "stirring up" of the Kundalini in the basic

#

plexus tends to cause it to mount, and thus open up
the Shusumna a little each time, gradually and slowly.
As the Ktmdalini mounts it arouses the activities in
the several lotuses along the spinal column, connected
with the Shusumna. The lowest of these lotuses —
the one situated at the base of the column — is called
the Muladhara; the one next above is called the Svad-
histhana; the next is called the Anahata; the next is
called the Visuddha; the next is called the Ajna; the
last, which is in the brain, being called the Sahasrara,
or "the thousand-petaled lotus." In the lowest, or

1$2 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

Muladhara, the Kundalini is stored up ; and the high-
est, or the Sahasrara, is used to distribute it to the
brain, in the production of certain forms of mental
phenomena.

Then the student is taught of the virtues of the Ojas,
which is a highly concentrated form of energy stored
away in the brain, or that lotus called the Sahasrara.
This Ojas is held to be the energy that manifests in
intellectual power and spiritual force. Ojas is held
to be the source of the subtle power known to the
Western world as "Personal Magnetism/' But Ojas
is not confined to the brain, but a certain amount of
it is distributed all over the system. The lower forces
of the body may be transformed into Ojas, says the
Yogin, particularly the energy of the Sex Nature, and
so he devotes much attention to this transmutation —
hence the advocacy of celibacy among many of the
Yogins and ascetics.

The next grade in the instruction is that of Pratya-
hara, or the process of making the mind introspective
— that is, turning it back upon itself, and releasing it
from the power of outward impressions. This is a
form of Mental Control, of course, and requires much
practice and perseverance. The student is taught by
various, tedious and complicated exercises to get per-
fect control of his mind, so that he may inhibit the
impressions from the outside world at will.

The next step in the class is that of Dharana, which
is the acquiring of "One-Pointedness," whereby the
mind may be concentrated to one particular point of

PATANJALI S YOGA SYSTEM. 1 33

thought — focused like the sun in a sun-glass. This
is what is known as "Concentration" in the West.
This step is also gained only by long and persistent
practice, extending over years, and with attention to
details that are distracting to the average Westerner
who attempts them. This Dharana or Concentration
is held to be the basis of the higher Yogin powers,
and psychic states, and until this is mastered there
can be fto further progress.

The higher Yogin states, as taught by Patanjali,
are known as (i) Dhyana, or Meditation, which is
called the Seventh Step of Patanjali, and which con-
sists of the fixing of the mind in the most profound
meditation, upon some one object of knowledge, pref-
erably the Universal Soul or Purusha; and (2)
Samadhi, or Transcendental Contemplation, or
Ecstasy, which produces what the Western World calls
"Cosmic Consciousness," and which we have described
in previous series of lessons, under the term of "Spiri-
tual Consciousness," and which is Patanjali's Eighth
Step. This mental state has been described as a state
of Super-consciousness, and is quite difficult of de-
scription or definition. It is an exalted state of ecstasy,
such as has been sought after by mystics of all times
and lands, and which is regarded by them, and the
Yogins, as almost akin to "Union with God," nothing
but the last material sheath remaining between the
worshiper and the object of his devotions.

The Three Higher Steps, viz., Dharana, Dhyana,
and Samadhi, together, are called Samyama. In Sam-

IJ4 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

yama, the Mind is first taught to concentrate abso-
lutely (dharana) ; then to meditate profoundly upon
some higher plane or object or thought (dhyana) ;
then to rise to the super-conscious state (satnadhi).
And this three-fold Samyama is what the school of
Patanjali makes a prime object of life — the attainment
of Satnadhi being regarded as the Supreme Goal of
the Living Yogin — the final step toward absolute
Union and Freedom.

And the above, together with the performance of
. good works ; the observance of duties ; morality ; aus-
terities ; self-denial ; the repetition of sacred Mantratns;
and the performance of the fundamental religious pre-
cepts of the Vedas, is what constitutes Patanjali 's Raja
Yoga, which is the embodiment of the "practical" part
of his system.

The followers of Patanjali claim that the absolute
mastery of the "Eight Steps" causes the Yogin (or
advanced student of the philosophy) to reach the
stage of "Superman," developing in him certain latent
powers of mind which enable him to transcend the
experience of the ordinary individual. Among other
results claimed by them, as being in the possession of
the Yogin, are the following: A knowledge of Past
and Future Events (clairvoyance) ; a knowledge of
the language of the animals, so that he may converse
with, understand and be understood by them ; knowl-
edge of one's past incarnations, and those of others;
prophecy and foresight as to future events; ability
to send the mind to distant worlds and perceive the

PATANJALl'S YOGA SYSTEM. I35

events transpiring there — a form of travelling in the
astral; the clairvoyant ability to see into one's own
body, the bodies of others, and into the ground. And, in
short, the majority of functions and "powers" which
are generally grouped under the head of "psychic
phenomena," and many of which are possessed by per-
sons of merely abnormal psychic development, pos-
sessed of but little spirituality or spiritual power, in
the true sense of the word.

While there is much of real value along the lines
of true Raja Yoga in PatanjaWs System, there is un-
doubtedly much of the false Raja Yoga there also, the
latter producing not Mental Control and Mental
Power, but merely Abnormal Psychic Development
which is condemned by all true occultists. This fact
has brought the system into more or less disrepute
among true occultists and students of the spiritual
philosophies of India, and which has caused many
of them to avoid "Yoga Methods" as a poisonous
thing. But it is scarcely just to condemn the entire
system for the weeds it contains — it is better to destroy
the weeds, and allow the flowers and wholesome fruit
to grow the better for the elimination.

In addition to the "powers" above mentioned,
claimed to be possible to the Yogin who practices the
methods and who masters the practice of Satnyana,
or Restraint, there are others, known to the followers
of the system as "The Eight Superior Powers," which
are given as follows: (i) The Power of Shrinking
to the Size of the Smallest Atom ; (2) The Power of

I36 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

Becoming Extremely Light; (3) The Power of Be-
coming Extremely Heavy; (4) The Power of Un-
limited Extension of the Sense Organs; (5) The
Power of Irresistible Will; (6) The Power of Ob-
taining Unlimited Dominion Over Everything; (7)
The Power of Control of the Powers of Nature;
(8) The Power of Transporting Oneself Anywhere
at Will. We shall not enter into a discussion of these
claims, and content ourselves with saying that many
of these claimed powers are possible only to the most
advanced Adepts, who have risen to exalted spiritual
heights, and who may have passed beyond the limits
of experience and life of the ordinary man. Whether
or not these magnificent powers may be developed
and acquired by an ordinary individual, by the prac-
tice of certain "methods," without regard to the ac-
quirement of high spiritual knowledge and attainment,
we leave to the judgment of our students. Certainly
India shows us no examples of mere Method- Yogins
manifesting any such god-like powers. Adepts there
are in India, but they are not Method- Yogins, but
great souls, developed and unfolded spiritually, who
smile pityingly upon these so-called Yogins who spend
their time endeavoring to "break into the Kingdom of
Heaven" by means of Postures, Exercises, and
Methods.

Another set of powers claimed by the Yogins of the
Pat an jali school is that of "seeing all things at once,"
which power is said to be derived from the practice
of Concentration upon the smallest division, in

PATANJALI S YOGA SYSTEM. I37

thought, of Time and Space, and the combination of
these divisions into larger groups of "time and units"
and "space units," etc., by which means Time and
Space are annihilated, and all things appear simulta-
neously in Time and Space. As to this, we would
say that the highest Hindu Philosophers teach that
there is no limit to the mental sub-division of Time
and Space, and that the process is infinite; therefore
there can be no such thing as an absolute "unit" of
Time or Space, for if such unit could be thought of,
the next thought would be able to divide it into two,
or into a million parts, and so on to infinity and eter-
nity. Thought of this nature, as to Time or Space,
inevitably leads the thinker back to that, or the Ab-
solute, wherein Time and Space vanish. Moreover,
the best Hindu Teachings hold firmly to the idea that
"seeing the universe as One in Time and Space" is an
attribute of Deity, to whom Time and Space are as
Maya, Illusion; AzHdya, or Ignorance — therefore the
claim of the Yogins is slightly presumptuous, unless
the "seeing" is admitted to be a mental realization of
the Illusion of Time and Space, as the Vedantists
teach, whereupon the "miracle" vanishes.

We do not wish to appear as in any way hostile to
this part of PatmjaKs teachings, nor to be captious
in our criticism of them, but, nevertheless, we feel that
we should endeavor to point out what we consider the
erroneous part of the philosophy, that it may be dis-
tinguished from that part which is undoubtedly good
and helpful, so that the entire system may not be <:on-

I38 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

demned for certain of its parts. That it is in danger of
such condemnation is only too apparent to those who
are familiar with the current trend of occult thought
and opinion, and who are in touch with the best chan-
nels of thought along these lines at the present time.
There is much that is very good in Patanjali's methods
and system — particularly those portions of it in which
the control, mastery of and development of the Mind
is concerned — the methods by which the mind may be
developed and shaped into a perfect instrument of im-
pression and expression, by the Self, or "I." In our
work on "Raja Yogd' we have endeavored to bring
out these parts of Patanjali's teaching, combining
them with the teaching of many eclectic Hindu Yogis,
and blending them with some of the methods of the
Western schools of Occultism — but 'omitting the "ab-
normal" and "psychic" practices and methods. In
the same way we endeavored to purify the system of
"Hatha Yoga," which, strictly speaking, is the "Science
of Physical Well-Being," but which many of the
Yogins in India have prostituted by adding certain
abnormal and revolting physical methods and prac-
tices, including the terrible excesses of ascetic self-
torture, posture, etc., which are still more reprehensible
than even the lower forms of the false Raja Yoga as
favored and practiced by the Fakirs of India, posing
as Yogis and Masters, and imposing upon credulous
Western travellers as the "real Yogis of India."

These absurd claims, abnormal conditions, unnatural
methods, and Moon-phenomena of Psychism, have

PATANJALI S YOGA SYSTEM. I39

tended to bring about the steady lack of philosophical
interest in and adherence to the system on the part
of educated Hindus. Many have passed on to the
Vedanta for these reasons; and others, who do not
favor the Vedanta, have forsaken the school of Paton-
jali for the Sankhya System of Kapila. In this con-
nection we bid you remember that Patanjali's Yogi
System does not include the entire Yoga Teachings
of India. Far from it, for the entire Hindu Philosophy
is permeated with Yoga, which means "Union," or
methods leading to that Union — and also methods of
attaining Mental Control. Patanjali's System is
called the "Yoga System" merely because of the im-
portance he placed upon the Yoga methods as laid
down by him. And in justice to him it should be
said that the decline of the importance of his system
is due not so much to his original teachings, or the
change of public opinion, but to the additions and
changes wrought by the jnore extreme and unphilo-
sophical of his followers, as above described. To read
the Aphorisms of Patmjali one may see how different
a thing may become from the original plans of its
architect. The Yoga System of Patmjali, to-day, is
kept alive in India principally by reason of the interest
in certain of its methods, exercise, and practices — its
philosophical importance has departed, and outside of
the schools of its teachers one hears but little of its
original philosophy, which, after all, was merely
Kapilcts— plus a Personal God, and with a super-
added System of Methods. And, by the irony of

140 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

Change, much of the really valuable part of the Yoga
Methods was afterward absorbed into the body of the
Vedanta System, which finds room for all that is
valuable and useful — which "takes its own wherever
it finds it."

"Yoga" in its formerly generally understood and
commonly accepted meaning in India meant, "union" ;
"yoking-up" ; "joining," etc., being symbolic of the
union of the individual soul with the divine — the rela-
tive with the real — the finite with the infinite — that is
the original meaning of "Yogd' and "Yogi" in the
Hindu Philosophies. But the prevalence of Patanjali's
Yoga System, and particularly the methods and prac-
tice enjoined therein, has caused the term to acquire
a secondary meaning among the Hindus, and it is
now commonly used in the sense of "effort ; exercise ;
exertion ; concentration," etc., the spirit being lost
sight of by reason of the consideration of methods,
and means. In Patanjali's First Aphorism, the term
is used in the sense of : "The control, or suppression,
of Chitta (mind-stuff or mental principle)."

And, as we have said, Patanjali's Yoga System has
lost much of its original philosophical significance,
and is being regarded more and more in its aspect of
a system of exercises, methods, etc., and is being
studied by many for the purpose of the attainment of
psychical powers, often for the purpose of selfish use
and employment, although this use of the powers sup-
posed to attend the practice of the methods is ex-
pressly condemned by Patanjali himself, as is also the

PATANJALl'S YOGA SYSTEM. I4I

acquirement of these powers for show purposes, public
exhibitions, vain-glory, notoriety, etc. The founder's
teachings were that the practices, exercises and meth-
ods are to be employed solely for the purpose of devel-
oping the mind so that it could contemplate clearly,
and freely receive the Truth which leads to Emanci-
pation and Freedom of the Soul — as a means of sub-
duing the body, and mind, that the Spirit might over-
come the material restraints, obstacles, and confining
and restraining sheaths, and come once more to its
own blissful condition of rest and peace above and
beyond the storm of the World of Satnsara.

But, nevertheless, the fact remains that the teach-
ings have been allowed to be overshadowed by the
practices, and exercise, and methods, until now "Yoga"
means the latter instead of the former, to the minds
of many in India and in the West. As a standard
work of reference says on this subject: "The great
power which the Yoga System of Philosophy has at
all periods exercised on the Hindu mind, is less de-
rived from its philosophical speculations, or its moral
injunctions, than from the wonderful effects which
the Yoga practices are supposed to produce, and from
the countenance they give to the favorite tendency of
orthodox Hinduism, the performance of austerities."
And, indeed, this is true, in its latter sense, as well
as the former, for there is not a self-tortured fakir
(or false Yogi) in India who does not claim the
authority of Yoga for his revolting practices and ter-
rible self-tortures — his sitting in one position for

142 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

years ; his fastings and emaciated condition ; his with-
ered arm held erect for years ; his finger-nails growing
through the palms of his hands; his matted locks
serving as a bird's nest; his indescribable filth and
squalor — for such are among the forms of the prosti-
tution of the Yoga by the fanatics and self-deluded
enthusiasts, whose name in India is legion. And
there is not a juggling and conjuring Fakir in India,
whether his tricks be performed by pure imposture,
or whether by developed powers of concentration and
hypnotic methods (see our lesson on Hindu Wonder-
Working), who does not claim the authority of Yoga
as the basis of his work. Could Patanfali have seen
the perverted application and consequences of his
teachings — could he have foreseen the prostitution of
his valuable methods, exercises, and practices — he
would have hesitated to give them to the world. He
warned against such perversion and prostitution,
so far as he thought it necessary — but see the result
of telling people "how to do things," even from the
best motives and intent. And still people ask why
the Adepts do not give their higher teachings, and
instructions as to the attainment of occult power, to
the general public. The Fakirs and false-Fogi* of
India, and the dark practices of some of the Western
dabblers in occult practices — these are the answers to
that question.

And even aside from these things, and viewing the
higher aspect of the case, it must be admitted that the
so-called "practical side" of Patanjali's teachings has

PATANJALl'S YOGA SYSTEM. 143

caused his philosophical doctrine to be overlooked, as
we have said, and as says a well-known authority:
"The Yoga is in truth a system of practical discipline
for effecting the ultimate release of the Purushas from
the entangling bondage of matter" ; and his philosophy
is described and dismissed, with the conclusion so well
expressed by the same authority, who says: "The
Yoga theories of knowledge, cosmology, physiology,
and psychology are essentially those of the Sankhya;
and the goal of final deliverance is conceived originally
in the same manner." And so Patanjali, the great
Hindu teacher and philosopher, is now regarded in
philosophical history as "the man who gave us the
Raja Yoga methods, exercise, and practices in his
Aphorisms." So much for "being practical," even in
India, that land which the West believes to abhor the
practical side of things.

w x

SPECIAL MESSAGE V.

By Yogi Ramacharaka.

We continue this month the consideration of the Axioms of Truth,
those symbols whereby we seek to enter into an understanding of the
nature of Truth. By the employment of these symbolic Axioms, we
may be partially able to picture to ourselves more clearly the nature
of Truth, in our relation to it. We now invite you to consider the two
following Axioms of Truth, and what follows.

VII. — We may consider TBUTH by means of the symbol of Love.
We know that there is an All-Love, just as we know that there is an
All-Good. The highest regions of our being convey to us this report
and message. And TBUTH being the only possible source of Love, must
be the All-Love. There is nothing else to be the All-Love but TBUTH.
TBUTH is more than All-Loving: it is All-Love itself. There can be
no real Love outside of, or apart from, TBUTH. All real Love must
proceed from, be expressed, manifested or emanated by TBUTH. All
else is Untruth.

VIII. — We may consider TBUTH by the means of the symbol of
Life, We know that there is life in the universe, for we see it on all
sides, and our reason informs us that it must proceed from a common
source. TBUTH being the only Being, Existence and Substance, must
be the only thing that can possess the All-Life. TBUTH is more than
the possession of All-Life; it is All-Life itself. There can be no Life
outside of or apart from TBUTH, for there is nowhere else, or any-
thing else, from which Life could have proceeded. And all the Life ap-
parent to our perceptions must have been manifested, expressed or
emanated by or from TBUTH. All other Life is Untruth.

The above statements concerning TBUTH are what is known as
The Axioms of TBUTH. That is, they are Statements of Truth, which
are self-evident to any mind that will earnestly consider them, and do
not need proof or argument. These Axioms contain the report of the
highest planes of the Mind of Man, as well as of his Reason. They
constitute the Basic Principles of the Science of Truth, and as we pro-
ceed we shall have frequent need to refer to them. So we advise each
student to ponder carefully these Axioms, and to commit them to Mem-
ory, so far as is possible.

In our message of next month we shall give you the Axiomic Sum-
mary, whereby you may be enabled more readily to fix in your mind
and memory the fundamental principles of the symbolic axioms.

Our Meditation for the coming month is:

"TBUTH IS ALL-LOVE; TBUTH IS ALL-LIFE. OUTSIDE OP
TRUTH THEBE CAN BE NO LOVE; NO LIFE. ALL-LOVE AND
ALL-LIFE PROCEED FROM TRUTH, AND ARE ASPECTS AND
SYMBOLS OF ITS ALLNESS."

THE SIXTH LESSON.

The Minor Systems.

Of the six principal philosophical systems of India,
the Vedanta is by far the most important, judging
from the careful attention to the details of thought,
the height of speculative reasoning attained, and the
growing popularity of the system in modern times
among the educated classes of its native land. Next
to the Vedanta comes the Sankhya system, which still
has many influential followers in India, and which is
interwoven into many of the native religious systems
and teachings, and which has had a profound influence
on certain phases of the Western thought, notably the
school of Schopenhauer and his followers. The Yoga
system of Patanjali, once so powerful, has diminished
in power and influence, until to-day it exists princi-
pally in its forms of Yoga practices and methods, its
philosophical aspect having been obscured. And as
for the remaining three systems — the Vaisheshika Sys-
tem of Kanada; the Nyaya System of Gotatna; and
the Purva Mimansa System of Jaimini, respectively,
it must be admitted that they have rapidly diminished
in influence, and have dwindled away in the number
of their followers, until to-day they remain as but
shadows of their former selves, the remaining systems
having proved more fit to survive by reason of the
greater vitality of their doctrines, and by the adapta-
bility of their teachings to the requirements of the
modern Hindu mind. But as any work on the Philo-
sophical Systems of India would be incomplete with-

145

I46 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

out a reference to and a consideration of these three
minor systems; and as the general philosophical sys-
tem of India may be better understood after an exami-
nation into the principles of these dying systems, we
now invite your attention to them, considered sever-
ally, in the present lesson, in which we will endeavor
to present the vital, fundamental principles of each in
a concise, clear form, without wandering into the by-
paths of the details of the doctrines.

THE VAISHESHIKA SYSTEM.

The first and by far the most important of these
Three Minor Systems is that known as the
Vaisheshika System of Kanada, which is believed to
be older than the Vedanta System, the exact date of
the forming of the school, however, being unknown.
It is believed to have been founded by Kanada several
centuries prior to the Christian Era, and since that
time has had many influential teachers and commen-
tators, many voluminous works having been written
on the teachings in the early centuries of our era. Its
name is derived from its doctrine of atomic individuali-
ties (visheshas), which is one of its fundamental doc-
trines. The system has been called the "Philosophy of
Discrimination."

Kanada, the founder of the system, taught that the
phenomenal universe was composed of Six Categories
(padarthas) — a "category," as we know, being a term
employed in the science of Logic, and which Webster
defines as "One of the highest classes to which the
objects of knowledge or thought can be reduced, and

THE MINOR SYSTEMS. Itf

by which they can be arranged in a system; an ulti-
mate conception" ; the term implying something abso-
lute in nature, and not hypothetical or relative, or
admitting of exceptions — something final. The
Vaisheshika doctrine is that after the period of Cosmic
Rest, or the Night of Brahm, in which cosmic activity
ceases, — and at the beginning of the period of Cosmic
Activity or the Day of Brahm — the new universe is
begun by the operation of the "stored-up Karma" or
"essence of Activities" arising from previous universes,
and which energy has lain dormant throughout the
Night of Brahm. Like other systems, the principal
aim is to teach the Science of Deliverance from ma-
terial life — an escape from Samsara, or the Wheel of
Rebirth, and an entrance into the state of Pure Being,
which exists "Behind the Veil." This Deliverance,
Kanada teaches, is to be gained only by the perception
of the real nature of the Soul, and the unreality of
Matter ; and this perception depends upon the knowl-
edge of the truth summed up in the Vaisheshika doc-
trine of the Six Categories. Hence the importance
of these Six Categories of Kanada, which we shall now
consider, and upon which the distinctive, character of
this philosophy depends.

Kanada based his philosophy upon the fundamental
basis of the existence of Six Categories and ultimate
classes of phenomenal objects or things, qualities or
principles. These Six Categories are as follows :

I. Drcwa, or Substance, which is described! as "the
innermost cause of the aggregated, collective effect" ;

I48 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

the fundamental sub-stratum of phenomena, in which
all properties and qualities inhere, and in which all
action occurs. This Drava, or Substance, is held to
be nine-fold, viz.: (1) Earth; (2) Water; (3) Light;
(4) Air; (5) Ether; (6) Time; (7) Space; (8) Soul
or Self (attnan); (9) Mind {memos).

II. Guna, or Qualities (which must not be con-
founded with the Three Gunas of Qualities, of the
Sankhya Philosophy of Kapila, as stated in our Third
Lesson), which inhere in Drava, or Substance, and
which give rise to the differences in the latter. Kanada,
in his system, enumerates seventeen Gunas, or Quali-
ties, as follows: (1) Color; (2) Taste; (3) Odor;
(4) Touch; (5) Number; (6) Dimension; (7) Indi-
viduality; (8) Conjunction; (9) Priority; (10) Pos-
teriority; (11) Understanding; (12) Pleasure;
(13) Pain; (14) Desire; (15) Aversion; (16) Voli-
tion; (17) Gravity. Later teachers of the Vaisheshika
added the following seven additional Gunas or Quali-
ties: (18) Disjunction; (19) Fluidity; (20) Viscid-
ity; (21) Sound; (22) Merit; (23) Demerit; (24)
Self-Restitution. The teachers of the Vaisheshika hold
firmly to the theory that these Gunas or Qualities are
inherent in and belong to the substance of the Soul,
as well as to the substance of matter, which is directly
opposed to the teachings of the Sankhyas and the
Vedantists (see lessons on these respective systems),
who hold that the Self or Soul is free from the Quali-
ties, in its real nature, and only becomes subject to
them by its entanglement with Prakriti, or Maya,
according to the respective teachings.

THE MINOR SYSTEMS. 149

III. Karma, or Action, which is held to consist of
Motion only, and to be inherent in and manifested by
Substance, or Dravya, alone, and which must not be
confounded with Karma in its other meaning, i. e., as
Spiritual Cause and Effect. This Karma, or Action,
of the Vaisheshikas, is divided into Five Motions, as
follows: (i) Upward Motion; (2) Downward
Motion; (3) Contraction; (4) Expansion; (5)
Change of Position.

According to the Vaisheshikas, all objective knowl-
edge consists in the perception of things in their three
Categories, or Padarthas, i. e., of Dravya, or Sub-
stance; Guna, or Quality; or Karma, or Action, re-
spectively — these three Categories, or Padarthas, being
basic and fundamental, universal and general. The
three remaining Categories, or Padarthas, are as
follows :

IV. Samanya, or Generality, which relates to a
genus, or kind, and which the Vaisheshikas hold abides
in Substance, Quality and Action, and which is of two
kinds, viz.: (1) the Higher, or Genus; and (2) the
Lower, or Species.

V. Vishesha, or Atomic Individuality, or Separate-
ness, which is held to abide in the Eternal Substances,
by which is meant Mind, Soul, Time, Space, Ether,
Earth, Water, Light, and Air (see first Category —
Drava, or Substance). This Vishesha, is the distin-
guishing feature of the Vaisheshika Philosophy, and
from whence its name is derived. Its theory and doc-
trine is that all Substances are composed of countless,

I$0 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

minute, invisible Atoms, from the combinations of
which all forms of substance, physical and mental,
arise, and from the operation of which all phenomena
are occasioned. These Atoms are held to be so minute
that they may be said to lack physical and spacial
dimensions, when alone, and even when combined in
pairs; but when three combine they form a larger
atom, or molecule, and then acquire dimensions and
may be said to occupy space. These Ultimate Atoms
are held to be homogeneous, that is, "of the same kind
and nature/' but are exclusive in nature, and can
never "blend" with each other, but may only form
combinations in which the separate atomic individual-
ity of each is preserved. These combinations of the
Ultimate Atoms are merely temporary, and are sub-
ject to change, destruction and alteration, so far as
the combinations are concerned, but the individual
Atoms, of course, can neither be destroyed nor changed
or altered in their nature. The student oi philosophy
must see in this Vaisheshika teaching the fundamental
ideas which were afterward advanced by Democritus,
the early Greek philosopher, who is generally re-
garded as the father of the Atomic Theory ; and which
are now advanced and held by the most advanced
modern Western scientists. Even the destruction of
the former Atomic Theory of the West, and its re-
placement by the Corpuscular Theory, is in accord-
ance with Kanada's teaching, in which he held that
the Ultimate Atoms were invisible and without dimen-
sions, while in combination they became visible and

. THE MINOR SYSTEMS. 151

acquired dimension — the Ultimate Atom of Kanada
being similar to the Corpuscle, Ion, or Electron of
Twentieth Century Western Science in its last conclu-
sions and theories.

VI. The sixth and last of the Categories, or Padar-
thas, is that of Samavaya, or Coherence, whereby the
parts of certain inseparable things are held together
in their respective places. These "Inseparable
Things" of Kanada, for which this Sixth Category is
required, are rather abstract in nature, the following
"parts" in "coherence" being mentioned as examples
of the nature of the Category, viz.: The Parts and
the Whole ; Quality and the Object Qualified ; Action
and Agent ; Atoms and Substance ; Subject and Object,
etc., etc.

In addition to the Six Padarthas, or Categories, the
Later Teachings of the Vaisheshika add a Seventh
Category, or Padartha, which is called Abhava, or
Non-Existence, and which is divided by the teachers
into four classes, viz.: (i) Non-Existence, which is
without beginning, but which has an end ; (2) Non-
Existence which has a beginning but no end 5(3) Non-
Existence which has neither beginning nor end; and
(4) Non-Existence which is the negation of identity.
Many of the Vaisheshikas vigorously oppose this Sev-
enth Category, claiming it to be unwarranted and
unnecessary, and also unphilosophical, and contrary to
the trend of Hindu thought and common-sense. We
mention it here merely for the purpose of calling the
attention of the student to it, for we feel that it has

153 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

no real place in the Vaisheshika system. It is about
as non-understandable as some of the most difficult
propositions of Hegel, the German metaphysician.

Kanada teaches that "Understanding" is the Quality,
or Guna, of the Soul, and that the Instruments of
Understanding are Perception and Inference. He
holds that the Ultimate . Atoms were not created by
the Logos, Ishwara, or Personal God of the Universe,
but are co-eternal with him; but that He holds the
power which forms the combination and aggregates of
the Ultimate Atoms, and from which all the phe-
nomenal forms, shapes and varieties of "things" in
the universe arise. This God, however, must not be
mistaken for that, or Brahman, but is in the nature
of a Personal God, Ishwara, or Logos, which in turn
is an emanation from and manifestation of that, or
Brahman. The Hindu Philosophies which admit the
existence of this Personal God, or Ishwara, are called
theistic" ; while those who deny it are often called
atheistic" by their opponents. But the term "atheis-
tic," as used by the Hindus, has an entirely different
significance and meaning from that of the Western
world, and refers simply to the Personal Deity — for
both "theistic" and "atheistic" philosophies in India
admit the existence of and are, in fact, based upon
the idea of the existence of that, or Brahman, from
which All proceeds. Kanada teaches the existence of
this Personal God, Ishzvara, Logos, or Demiurge, who
is regarded as the Lord and Ruler of the Universe,
but who is destined to pass away with His universe

«

THE MINOR SYSTEMS. 153

when the Day of Brahtn ceases, as he emerged from
Brahman when the Day of Brahm began.

You must remember that the Vaisheshika teaches
the existence of countless atomic individual Souls, or
Selves (Atman) — see the First Category — and these
Souls are eternal with Ishivara or the Personal God,
and were not created by Him, although He rules them.
These Souls incarnate in other forms of substance,
and work their way upward toward Freedom just as
do the Purushas of the Sankhya System of Kapila —
in fact, the teachings on this point are almost identical
in the two systems. Mind is held t^ be composed of
Ultimate Atoms, as is everything else, according to
this philosophy, but it is entirely separate from the
Souls which use Mind as their instrument of expres-
sion. The Atman, Self, or Soul, however, is regarded
as possessing Qualities, or Gunas, which oppose the
teachings of the Vedanta and the Sankhya, which hold
that the Soul is above qualities, which arise only from
the Soul's descent into material life and activity. As
we said at the beginning of the lesson, the Vaisheshikas
teach that the soul's Liberation from Bondage is at-
tained by the perfection arfd freedom arising from a
comprehension of the nature and causes of the phe-
nomenal world — and that a comprehension of the same
is to be obtained only by an understanding of the truth
of the Six Categories — and as the Six Categories are
taught only by the Vaisheshika School, it would follow
that one must be a Vaisheshika in order to win Eman-
cipation, Perfection and Freedom, which renders the

154 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

System rather more narrow than its companion sys-
tems, and which, in spite of its many excellent quali-
ties and phases of excellent scientific truth, has caused
it to be rejected as too narrow by the thinkers of India,
which has contributed to its losing popularity and
strength. Its principal field of usefulness now is in
the sense of giving to other systems, particularly to
the Eclectic Systems, bits of philosophical, metaphys-
ical and scientific truth, which may be assimilated with
their own truths. As a separate system the
Vaisheshika has not proven its fitness to survive and
flourish, and it seems to be on the decline in India,
and attracts but little interest in the Western world.

THE PURVA MIMANSA SYSTEM.

The second of the Three Minor Systems of Hindu
Philosophy is that known as the Purva Mimansa
System of Jaimini, which is based upon the attainment
of the Freedom of the Soul by means of the observ-
ance of the orthodox rites, ceremonies, worship, prayer,
etc., as taught in the Vedas, or great religious works
of the Hindus, principally along the lines of Karma
Yoga, or the Philosophy of Work and Action, which
is one of the Three Yoga Paths of Liberation of which
so much is heard in all of the Hindu Teachings and
Religions. The first of these Three Yoga Paths is
that of Gnani Yoga, or the Yoga of Wisdom, which
is the Path favored by the Vedantists, and which con-
sists in the understanding of the great underlying
Truths concerning that and the Universe, and which
is also the favorite Path of the Sankhyas and of the

THE MINOR SYSTEMS. 155

Vaisheshikas, of whom we have just spoken — the
Vedantists paying more attention to the understanding
of that, while the Vaisheshikas devote their principal
attention to the understanding of the Universe in its
phases of Soul and Substance ; the Sankhyas also de-
voting more consideration to the question of the
"How" of the phenomenal world, and universal life,
than to the subject of that in the abstract as apart
from the universe. The second of these Three Yoga
Paths is that of Raja Yoga, which consists in the mas-
tery of the Mind and Body by the Self or Soul, by the
operation of the Will, and according- to certain meth-
ods, including Rhythmic Breathing, etc., and which
also has its phases of the development of Psychic
Power, (See our works on Raja Yoga, and The
Science of Breath, as well as our lesson on The Yoga
System in this series), and which is the Path favored
by Patanjali in his Yoga System. The third of the
Three Yoga Paths is that of Karma Yoga, or Libera-
tion through Works and Action, and which, as we
have stated, is the Path favored by Jaimini in his Purva
Mimansa System, which we are now about to consider.
The term Purva Mimansa is derived from two San-
scrit words, the first, ''Purva" meaning "prior, former,
or previous"; the second, "Mimansa/ 9 meaning "in-
vestigation, research, or examination." The term is
used in contradistinction to "Uttara Mimansa/ 9 or
"subsequent, final, or last investigation, research, or
examination, and which is one of the original names
implied to the celebrated Vedanta System. So, you

I56 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

see, the very name of this system implies a certain
orthodoxy and conservatism at variance with the later
and more advanced forms and systems of philosophy.
And the name of the system is not a misnomer, for the
Purva Mimansa is indeed an "orthodox" system, and
is favored by the orthodox schools of religion in India,
particularly the less progressive denominations and
cults, who adhere to the old forms and ceremonies,
deeming them sacred by reason of their antiquity, and
resisting any new ideas or interpretations as "med-
dling with the ancient sacred teachings of the Vedas"
Purva Mimansa is naturally the philosophical system
favored by the more conservative of the orthodox
priesthood of India, for it is settled and not calculated
to disturb the minds of the people with argument and
investigation and "thought" — for it is a philosophy of
ritualism, form, ceremonies, creeds, dogmas, rites, and
all that goes with that form of thought, or absence of
thought, and which finds complete satisfaction in the
contemplation of the observance of centuries-old cere-
monies and ritual, in accordance with centuries-old
formalized and crystallized creeds.

Purva Mimansa claims the divine inspiration of the
Vedas, or Sacred Books of India, and also claims to
be the philosophy based upon the ancient interpreta-
tions of these books. While the majority of the Hindu
philosophies proudly boast that they are not "religions
founded upon a book," Purva Mimansa comes very
near to being such a school of thought. The majority
of the Hindu philosophies claim to be based upon Pure

THE MINOR SYSTEMS. 157

Reason, and while they take pleasure in showing that
their teachings are supported by passages in the Vedas,
they do not claim that their systems of thought are
founded upon the same, and many of them expressly
teach that if the text of the Vedas conflict with the
report of Pure Reason, the latter shall be given prece-
dence and the Vedas dismissed as either error, or
truth not correctly stated, or perhaps misunderstood.
But not so with the Purva Mimansa — this system does
not attempt to place Pure Reason at the head and
front of its system — it pushes to the fore the Sacred
Vedas, as interpreted by its own teachers, and claims
to be the Mouthpiece of the Veda, and the ancient
source of interpretation and authority. Hence it is
that it rightly is what it claims — extremely orthodox
and having the weight of authority of ancient inter-
pretation — it is indeed the "Old School" of Hindu
Philosophy.

Jaimini, the founder of this school, or rather the
one who established the system under its present name
by gathering together the ancient and most orthodox
interpretations and collating them into a system, lived
many centuries ago, the exact date having been lost,
but it is believed that his system, even under its pres-
ent name, has been in existence perhaps longer than
many of the other systems, although some authorities
hold that the system was established by him because
of the rise of the Sankhya, the Vaisheshika, the Yoga,
and the Vedanta, particularly the early stages of the
latter; and for the purpose of counteracting the in-

I58 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

fluence of the newer and heterodox schools of philoso-
phy — a reactionary movement "back to first prin-
ciples/' as it were. From the beginning the system
has been associated with extreme ceremonialism, and
technical interpretations of the various rites, ritual,
and forms prescribed in the various Vedas. It always
has insisted upon the divine inspiration of the Sacred
Books; their literal interpretation; their infallibility;
their absoluteness as the Source of Truth ; their com-
pleteness — all that was Truth was in the Vedas — all
in the Vedas was Truth — and all that was not in the
Vedas was not Truth; that the very words of the
Vedas were sacred, not alone in their sense of ex-
pressing sacred truths, but in themselves as words;
that man's only hope of freedom, salvation, and eman-
cipation must come from a strict study and under-
standing of and an absolute belief in the Vedas, and
their divine origin, as well as by the exact following
of the precepts and injunctions contained therein, in
accordance with the doctrines of the teachers and the
"letter of the law."

The precepts of the Vedas were held to be the direct
revelations and explicit teachings of God, and to be
accepted as such without doubt, alteration, free inter-
pretation, or "higher criticism." Jaimini insisted upon
the sacred virtue of the words, before alluded to, hold-
ing that their presence in the Vedas was sufficient
proof of the existence of the objects which the words
symbolized. For instance, there are the Sanscrit words
for "Sun, Moon, and Stars" in the Vedas, consequently

THE MINOR SYSTEMS. 1 59

the sun, moon and stars exist — if the Vedas did not
contain these words, there would be no such objects —
the conception of "the word" and "the object" in the
mind of God being correlated, simultaneous, and
connected-in-action. Things not expressed in words
in the Vedas were untrue, and non-existent Conse-
quently the Vedic "words" were of divine origin, as
well as objects — both the "words" and the "relation
of the words" are of divine origin, and eternal, and
not the work of the mind of man. This idea of the
eternal relation between thought, word, and object is
gone into at great length in the writings of the Purva
Mitnansa, and while it is carried to the extent of ab-
surdity, nevertheless it possesses an interest for the
philosophical mind, when divested of its narrow asso-
ciation with "the sacred books," etc.

The Purva Mitnansa philosophy has been exposed to
the strange charge of "atheism" on the part of some
of its opponents — a strange charge surely for an
"orthodox" system which undoubtedly recognizes an
Ishwara or Personal God, as well as Brahman or
that which is at the basis of all Hindu Philosophy,
The charge, which is absurd and unfounded, arises
from the teachings of this system, to the effect that
Karma, or Spiritual Cause and Effect, operates ac-
cording to fixed and unchangeable laws, acting auto-
matically and without reference to the will or wishes
of Ishwara or God — that "works produce their fruit
directly, without superhuman interference," instead
of by the will of God exerted in each case according

l6o PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

to His inclinations, desires, response-to-prayer, or
other temporary inclination — in short, that Karma was
a "natural law' 1 instead of an arbitrary dictate of
Deity. To charge the Purva Mitnansa with "atheism"
is so absurd that it seems almost that the accusation
was made in an ironical spirit, and in derisive mockery,
and in a tantalizing spirit toward the ancient authority.
Its analogy in the Christian world would be the accusa-
tion of the old Presbyterian Church of "atheism"
because of the doctrine of Predestination.

The phase of the Purva Mitnansa which is regarded
as the most worthy of respect and philosophical interest
is its teachings regarding "Karma Yoga" — the Yoga
of Action and Works ; and the corresponding teaching
regarding Dharma. The "Philosophy of Work," in
relation to the effects resulting therefrom, is discussed
at great length in the Purva Mimansa. The various
doctrinal points regarding "the fruits of Karma?' are
gone into with a wonderful degree of clearness and
wealth of detail and analysis, it being the boast of some
of the old teachers of this system that by it they were
able to point out the exact consequences of any single
act, carried forward through a hundred incarnations.
They would take up some little action, and show how,
flowing from it, would emerge results of the greatest
consequence to the individual and the world. Every
tiny event and action became the parent of millions
of results and consequences in the ages to come, so
that one should observe the utmost care to perform
proper actions and to generate good Karma, thereby

THE MINOR SYSTEMS. l6l

avoiding the opposite, which would produce the most
direful results. Anyone familiar with this line of
reasoning from Cause to Effect, according to the
great Law of Causality, may imagine to what great
lengths these old teachers carried their doctrine and
theories — and that without fear of successful contra-
diction. For instance, one might show how the fact
of a dark-eyed maid raising her eyes and glancing
at a passer-by in her village, a thousand years ago, set
into motion a chain of cause and effect — action and
consequences — which after the passage of nine cen-
turies resulted in the birth of Napoleon Bonaparte,
whose existence was productive of destructive wars,
involving the death of hundreds of thousands of men,
and the destruction of thousands of homes, and the
production of many thousands of widows and orphans,
and the expenditure of millions of treasure, and so on
and on, with the numerous branches of subsequent
effects resulting from Napoleon's life — all from the
little roguish glancing of a pair of dark eyes on a
warm summer day a thousand years ago. Verily
these old Purva Mimansa teachers must have caused
terror to the souls of their students and followers,
who would be afraid to breathe, less a chain of cause
and effect should thereby be started which might result
in all sorts of trouble in the years to come. For such is
the result of any doctrine when carried to its extreme
limits of logical conclusion— a Reductio ad Absurdum,
or reducing a proposition to an absurdity, or, in the
common parlance, "carrying a good thing too far."

l62 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

To the philosophical mind which has the inclination
and time to delve into the extreme lengths of reason-
ing, and speculation, indulged by these old Purva
Mitnansas, the works of some of these old teachers
would be a source of the greatest joy, and it is a pity
that so little of their work is obtainable in translations.
They built up a system appalling in its details, all deal-
ing with "the Fruits of Action." Colebrook says of
their work : "Each case is examined and determined
upon general principles, and from the cases decided
the principles may be collected. A well-ordered ar-
rangement of them would constitute the philosophy of
law; and this is, in truth, what has been attempted in
the Mimansa"

The real merit in the study of Karma Yoga, which
is the Path of Liberty best suited for the every-day
person who has not the mind for the higher Paths and
studies, lies in the Essence of the Teachings, which is
to the effect that the "Fruits of Action" may be avoided
in their Karmic effect, by the recognition of the nature
of the Soul, and its relation to the Universe and to
that. This recognition leads to the understanding
of the performance of "good work, for work's sake,"
and the virtue of "performing action without hope of
reward or fear of punishment" — the observance of the
best that is in one — the doing of the best you know
how, "without bribe of heaven, or fear of hell," from
the pure joy of the doing. The Hindu teachers of
Karma Yoga point out to the student that while seeds
in their natural state always sprout and bring forth

THE MINOR SYSTEMS. 1 63

fruits, so do all actions bring forth Karmic fruits of
effect. But that as the "fried seeds" used in the Hindu
cookery have the "fruit-quality" killed within them,
so are actions performed as a duty, and right, in ac-
cordance with the highest impulses of one's nature,
and without hope of reward or fear of punishment —
so are such actions "fruitless" of a chain of binding
consequences, which attach the soul to their Karmic
results in future lives, but which, on the contrary,
enable it to rise above the plane of desire and cause
and effect resulting therefrom, and, spreading its
wings, soar to higher planes of being as the eagle
soars above the low-lying clouds of the lifting-fog.
As the old Hindu aphorism says: "Kill out Desire
for Fruits of thy Work — yet Work as do those who
are consumed with the Desire for Fruits." Do the
Best you Know How — but leave the consequences in
the hands of the gods, without any further concern
on your part — wash your hands of the results of Work
well Done in accordance with the Best That is In You.
Such is the advice of the Wise of all Lands and Ages.
Or, in the colloquialism of the American business man
— "Do your very best, and let it go at that!" Or, in
the words of the Persian poet :

"Do what thy manhood bids thee do, from none but self expect
applause.

He noblest lives and noblest dies who makes and keeps his
self-made laws.

All other life is living death, a world where none but phan-
toms dwell;

A breath, a wind, a sound, a voice, a tinkling of the camel-
ben."

164 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

In connection with Karma Yoga, the Purva Mi-
mansa naturally takes up the subject of Dhartna at
great length. "DhartnaP is the Sanscrit term, similar
in meaning to "virtue; duty; law; righteousness;
etc," but none of which words convey its precise
meaning. In a previous writing on the subject, we
define the term as follows: "Dhartna is the rule of
action and life best adapted to the requirements of
the individual soul, and best calculated to aid that
particular soul in the next higher step in its develop-
ment When we speak v of a man's Dhartna we mean
the highest course of action for him, considering his
development and the immediate needs of his soul."
It is the Hindu Science of Ethics — the Philosophy of
"Right and Wrong"— the Rule of Conduct. It is a
peculiar Rule of Action, viewed from our Western
position, inasmuch as it does not claim to establish ab-
solute positions of Right and Wrong, but rather adopts
the idea which every thinking man has considered at
some time — the position of things right "in their time
and place, or under the circumstances and conditions" ;
or else wrong, from the same reasons and conditions.
It is a science of the Evolution of Ethics, and inas-
much as it is so, it is in accordance with the teachings
of the highest Western philosophy, although perhaps
contrary to certain religious dogmas which persist in
theory although abandoned in practice. The Hindu
idea of "Dharma" includes Ethics based on Revela-
tion, Higher Teachings, Intuition, Conscience, or
Spirit, and Practical Utility— the system is catholic,

THE MINOR SYSTEMS. 1 65

eclectic and all-inclusive, you see, and is a study worthy
of the attention of any and all students of philosophy,
whether of the East or of the West. We cannot go
into the subject here at greater length, and such would
be beyond the scope and field of this series of lessons.
(We must refer the student to our two lessons on
"Dharma" and the one lesson on "Karma Yoga' 9 in
our work entitled "Advanced Course in Yogi Phil-
osophy" published by the house that issues the pres-
ent lesson.)

And, so, this is the Purva Mint ansa System of lax-
mini, in its general outlines. Passing from view, as
it is now in India, still its influence for the good has
been apparent, and its "fruits of good work" will live
after it Freed from its narrowness, and formalism,
it contains many important truths, and emphasizes many
points that the other systems were prone to overlook
in their interest in others. And, none need hesitate
to give the system its proper place as one of the Six
Great Pillars which support the great structure of the
Temple of Hindu Philosophy.

THE NYAYA SYSTEM.

The sixth, and latest in point of actual crystalliza-
tion, of the Six Systems of Hindu Philosophy, is the
Nyaya System formulated by Gotama; the history of
the founder and the details of the formation of the
school, as well as the exact date thereof, being un-
known; the general opinion however being that the
school was founded in the early centuries of the Chris-

l66 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

tian Era, being based on older teachings, as indeed
has been the case with all of the Six Systems in their
present forms. Gotama, the founder of the Nyaya
System, must not be confounded with Gautama, the
Buddha, the founder of Buddhism — there is very little
chance for this mistake, yet it has been made by West-
ern writers and students, the similarity of the names
having led them to believe that the two men were
identical.

The term "Nyayat* is the Sanscrit word meaning
"Analysis," and is bestowed upon this system by rea-
son of the latter's analytical trend and nature. In
fact, so much of the Nyaya teaching is devoted to the
exposition of a system of Logic, and an enunciation
of the methods whereby Truth may be ascertained by
logical process of examination and analysis, that many
Western writers have assumed that the system was a
school of Logic, ignoring the philosophical and meta-
physical aspects of the teaching. The system, indeed,
is dual, partaking of the nature of a school of Logical
analysis, and also of philosophical and metaphysical
reasoning and pronouncement of doctrine. Let us ex-
amine it in its Logical phase first, and then in its phil-
osophical aspect.

Gotama, the founder of Nyaya, was distinctively a
logician, and careful students of his work have ac-
corded to him high rank in his class. By some he
has been called the Aristotle of India, and he devel-
oped a distinctive system of Hindu Logic which com-
pares very favorably with the Grecian systems.

THE MINOR SYSTEMS. 167

Davies says of his school of logic : "The right meth-
ods of reasoning have been discussed with as much
subtlety as by any of the Western logicians." Some
are inclined to the view that the Greek schools were
indebted to the early Hindu systems, which were after-
ward combined, purified and crystallized by Gotatna.
Dutt says : "Comparing dates, we are disposed to say
of this as of many other sciences, the Hindus invented
Logic, the Greeks perfected it." Got arm eliminated
many of the non-essentials and elaborate details of the
previous Hindu logicians, and concentrated his atten-
tion upon forming a logical system in which "right
reasoning and correct inference" was the keynote.
Accordingly he devotes much time to the forming of
scientific syllogisms, or logical forms of argument in
their parts or propositions. The Western syllogism
consists of three parts, or propositions, -viz., the two
Premises (or presumed conditions) which form the
basis of the argument; and, the Conclusion, or the
inference derived from the premises, and which follows
them logically, and which concludes the argument.
The Hindu syllogism of Gotatna consists of five parts
or propositions, viz., (1) the Premise; (2) the Proof
(3) the Illustration; (4) the Application of the Proof;
(5) the Conclusion.

Gotatna held that the logical method of ascertaining
Truth was by the application of the Sixteen Categories
or Padarthas, sometimes called "The Topics for Dis-
cussion. These "Topics" are as follows : ( 1 ) Means
of Knowledge; (2) Objects of Inquiry; (3) Doubt;

l68 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

(4) Purpose; (5) Illustrative Precedent; (6) Dogma;
(7) Syllogistic Premise; (8) Confutation; (9) Ascer-
tainment; (10) Discussion; (11) Wrangling and
"Hair-Splitting" ; (12) Caviling; (13) Fallacy; (14)
Prevarication; (15) Futile Objections; (16) Illogical
Argument. The student is trained and drilled until
he thoroughly understands the nature and use of each
of these Sixteen Topics, and then only is he considered
capable of conducting an examination into the subject
of Ascertaining Truth, and rejecting Error. Gotama
also held that the Channels of Knowledge were four,
as follows: (1) Perception through the Senses; (2)
Inference; (3) Analogy; and (4) Testimony of
Others, according to the Laws of Evidence. The
Twelve Objects of Knowledge, as stated by Gotama,
are (1) The Soul; (2) the Body; (3) the Physical
Organs of Sense; (4) Perception of the Objective
World; (5) the Higher Consciousness; (6) the Mind;
(7) the Will; (8) Error; (9) Disembodied States;
(10) Karmic Law; (11) Pain; and (12) the Free-
dom, Emancipation and Deliverance of the Soul.
Gotamcts system laid especial stress upon the consid-
eration of the nature of the Intellect, and the relation
of articulate sound to objects, the latter being some-
what along the lines of the Purva Mimansa system
of which we have spoken; and also to the considera-
tion of the subjects of genus, variety, species, and the
individual manifestations.

In many respects the Nyaya System is complemen-
tary to, and in almost perfect agreement with the

THE MINOR SYSTEMS. 169

Vaishehsika System, of which we have spoken in the
first part of this lesson. Together the Nyaya and the
Vaisheshika systems may be said to form a philo-
sophical group, although the Nyaya also has some affil-
iations with the Purva Mimansa in certain minor
points of doctrine and teaching. Together with the
Vaisheshika, the Nyaya adheres to the Atomic Theory
of the Universe, and to the general logical arrange-
ment and classification of ideas and subjects of
thought. It holds that the Material Universe is
atomic, and that the Souls are countless and become
involved and entangled in Matter, just as do the other
systems of Hindu philosophy, in one form or another.
The Way of Liberation, Freedom and Emancipation
is held to be attained only through the thorough
knowledge of the Nyaya philosophy and methods, and
the application of the same according to the principles
laid down by the teachers; or as one writer has ex-
pressed it: "Final Beatitude arises from a proper
comprehension of the Truth, as summarized in the
Sixteen Padarthas of the Nyaya." Originally, the
Nyaya System did not admit the existence of an Ish-
wara, Personal God, or World Soul, but afterward
there crept in the doctrine of an Ishwara or Supreme
Soul (Para-Atman) which regulated and maintained
the Universe, creating and directing the formation of
the combination of Atoms, and often taking an active
part in the affairs of His universe, but who was not
the Creator or Cause of the Souls or Atoms, the two
latter being held to be co-existent with Him, although

170 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

under His control and direction, subject to the higher
Law, and all emanating from Brahman or that, and
being destined to return to the Source from which
they originated, at the close of the Day of Brahm.

MISCELLANEOUS SYSTEMS.

In addition to the Three Minor Systems which we
have just considered there are several other minor
systems with a number of followers, but which are
but little known outside of India. These systems are
rather more of religious systems, of systems of the-
ology, than systems of philosophy, and advance no
new conceptions or ideas, their efforts being in the
direction of advancing certain theological dogmas, or
the claims of certain priestly cults. To this class be-
longs the school founded by Anandatirtha, known as
the Purnaprajna cult, and which is really a Vishnuitic
sect or school of theology, devoted to the advance-
ment of the worship of Vishnu. Similar in nature are
the four schools of theology devoted to the worship of
Shiva, the names of which sects are the Nakulica-
Pacupata; the Pratyabhijna; and the Rasecavara, re-
spectively. All of the above mentioned five systems,
schools or sects superimpose their theological teach-
ings and dogmas upon a fundamental basis of phil-
osophical thought derived from the Vedanta and Sank-
haya conceptions. There is also a sixth school, that
claims rank as a philosophical system, namely the
school of Panini, which is really a system of gram-
matical science, coupled with an inquiry into the in-

THE MINOR SYSTEMS. I7I

ternal and external significance of sounds and the
inner meaning of words, the latter resembling some
of the tenets of the Purva Mimamsa system considered
in this lesson, and which holds that the word is merely
the vehicle for the indwelling "spirit" of thought,
which is an eternal, indivisible, unitary Idea. Other
religio-philosophical systems will be mentioned in our
two lessons on "Hindu Religions/'

AGNOSTIC AND MATERIALISTIC SYSTEMS.

In addition to these metaphysical systems, there have
existed from time immemorial various agnostic and
materialistic cults in India, strange as the ideajtnay
be to the West. And, in fact, these Hindu agnostics
and materialists, like their metaphysical brethren, have
anticipated their Western counterparts by several cen-
turies, and nearly every modern school of materialistic
and agnostic Western thought can find its predecessor
several centuries before the Christian Era in India.
The early Buddhistic writings show that there were
several schools of this kind in existence' in India about
the time of Buddha (B. C. 600). Among the early
teachers of this kind may be mentioned the following
contemporaries of Buddha:

Sanjaya, who founded a school of Agnosticism,
holding that there was no basis of knowledge war-
ranting the doctrines of Reincarnation and Karma, or
survival of the soul;

Ajita, who founded a materialistic school the tenets
of which were that the universe had a purely material

IJ2 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

basis, no spirit being involved therein, and everything
consisting of fire, water, air and earth, from which
everything was evolved, and into which everything
would return;

Kassasapa, who founded a school of Indifferent-
ism the doctrine of which was that morality and im-
morality were but names, and that the laws of the
universe were un-moral, that is neither moral nor im-
moral, and that the latter terms were inventions of
men, and changed from time to time in their mean-
ing and application ; and that there was no such thing
as merit or demerit for actions or deeds, as claimed
by the current religions and philosophies, particularly
the school of Buddha;

Makkhali, who founded a school of Determinism,
holding that Samsara, or the Cycle of Existence, pro-
ceeded according to fixed and invariable laws, allow-
ing of no voluntary choice or action, and therefore
making of Karma a mechanical law instead of a moral
one ; and holding that everything and every individual
worked out its own nature according to its inherent
laws, without possibility of modification or control;
the operative cause of all action being Niyati, which
means Destiny, Fate or Logical Necessity.

THE CHARVAKAS.

In addition to the above minor non-metaphysical
schools, we find from the earliest days a school of
Materialism in India, supporting various phases of
that thought, the Charvakas, named after its founder,

THE MINOR SYSTEMS. 1 73

and which school is often called the Lokayatika. This
school was founded nearly three thousand years ago.
It was not only Materialistic, but also manifested
various forms of Hedonism, with a tendency toward
the "eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die"
idea. The Charvakas held that Reality consists of
the Principle of Matter, which is composed of the
four elements of fire, air, water, and earth, respective-
ly, from which the body is evolved, and the mind also.
The soul was held to be merely the faculties of the
mind, which perish at death. They held that percep-
tion is the sole means of knowledge, and experience
the only basis. All future existence was denied by
the Charvakas, and the believers in the current creeds
and philosophies were derided for their credulity. The
irony an<J sarcasm of the Charvakas was directed es-
pecially at the priests and the ecclesiastical machinery
of the Hindu religions; the priests and Brahmins
being derided as rogues robbing the people of their
sustenance ; the ritual was regarded as a farce, and sac-
rifices and offerings as clever means of the priests to
subsist upon the ignorance of the masses; the Vedas
were derided as wordy masses of drivel and false-
hood and vain imaginings; and the philosophers as
cheats who "palm specious promises for gold" ; God or
Brahman was denied, and Matter was raised to the
altar. Such was the ancient school of the Charvakas.
The modern Hindu Materialistic school has softened
the Charvaka teachings somewhat, and its doctrines
and writings are now very similar to those of the

174 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

Western materialistic school of the Nineteenth Cen-
tury. A number of modern Hindus now affect the
prevalent Agnosticism or Naturalism of the West,
claiming to have "advanced" beyond metaphysics and
spiritualistic philosophy. But these dissenting think-
ers are lost to sight among the millions of adherents
of the old schools of thought.

SPECIAL MESSAGE VI.

By Yogi Bamaoharaka.

In our messages of the past three months we have given you the
Axioms of Truth — those symbols whereby we seek to enter into an
understanding of the nature of Truth. We have given you these Axioms,
as symbols, for the reason that by reason of them our spiritual under-
standing is aided in unfoldment. We are unable to grasp the idea of
the nature and essential Being of Truth, and must rest content with
the statement that it is identical with Spirit, which also is ineffable and
incapable of being expressed in relative terms. And only by the em-
ployment of symbols are we able to picture to ourselves the aspects of
the nature of Truth, and our relation thereto. And so we have invited
you to consider these several symbolic axioms, from month to month.
We have now given them to you in full. Meditate over them often, that
the Message of the Truth may sink into your consciousness, and there
serve as the seed from which shall spring into being and blossom and
fruit, the glorious plant of the Spirit.

In order to give you the essence of the Axioms in a form that may
be readily committed to memory, we herewith attach the following:

Axiomic Summary.
TRUTH 18.

TRUTH is REAL.

TRUTH is SPIRIT.

TRUTH is ALL-SUBSTANCE.

TRUTH is ALL-POWER.

TRUTH is ALL-BEING.

TRUTH is ALL-CREATIVE ACTIVITY.

TRUTH is ALL-WISDOM; ALL-INTELLIGENCE.

TRUTH is ALL-GOOD.

TRUTH is ALL-LOVE.

TRUTH is ALL-LIFE.

TRUTH is ALL THAT IS; ALL THAT CAN BE; ALL THAT
EVER HAS BEEN; and all else is Untruth, having no existence in
TRUTH.

He or she who perceives TRUTH as the All-in-All, has found
Truth; he or she who fails to perceive this, is in the bonds of Untruth.

The opposite of TRUTH is Untruth, which has no real existence,
but which masquerades as Reality and deludes the minds of those who
fire in Error, not having found TRUTH. Untruth is but the shadow of
TRUTH. When TRUTH is discerned, Untruth disappears.

Our Meditation for the coming month is:

"TRUTH IS THAT WHICH IS; SPIRIT IS THAT WHICH
TRUTH IS; TRUTH IS SPIRIT; SPIRIT IS TRUTH; TRUTH-
SPIRIT IS ALL THERE IS— ALL ELSE IS UNTRUTH."

THE SEVENTH LESSON.

Buddhism.

The term "Buddhism" is applied both to the phil-
osophy of Gautama Buddha, and also to the vast sys-
tem of religion which has been evolved from his teach-
ings, with its accompaniment or elaborate ceremonial
and ritual, and which counts its followers to the num-
ber of perhaps three hundred million (300,000,000),
principally in China, Japan and Thibet, and including
about ten million (10,000,000) followers in India,
chiefly in Burmah — the number of Buddhists in India
proper, the land of its founder, having decreased until
the religion is practically dead in the land of its origin,
its philosophy being kept alive principally by its in-
fluence upon the surviving philosophies. In India, it
still numbers followers among the Northern tribes,
and is quite flourishing in the whole Indo-Chinese Pe-
ninsula, Burmah, Ceylon, Napal, etc., but is almost un-
known in the centre of India. It claims millions of
followers in China and Japan, which are its great
strongholds, and it has another great centre north of
the Himalayas, in Thibet, where it is the prevailing
religion, under the name of Lamaism. It is the popu-
lar religion among the entire Mongolian sections and
peoples of Asia, and is found to the extreme north of
Siberia, and even in Lapland. But the present form
of the Buddhist religion, particularly as it appears
among the Japanese and Chinese, and in Thibet — and
the North generally— has very little resemblance to the
original teachings of Gautama. The Buddhists of

177

I78 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

Burmah adhere more closely to the orthodox teach-
ings, but even there Buddhism is held more as a re-
ligious system and "church," than as a philosophical
system. And yet the original philosophy of Gautama
Buddha exerted a wonderful influence on the philo-
sophical thought of India — and having played its part,
it passed from the scene and now lives only in the
shape of "a religion," and as the basis for the phil-
osophical conceptions of others, East and West.

Buddhism dates back to about 600 B. C, the time
of Gautama its founder, and has for its birthplace,
India. Gautama, the Buddha, was a prince by the
name of Siddhartha, who was also known by the
name of Sakyamuni, the term meaning "the solitary
one of the family of Sakya" The term "Buddha"
means the "illumined mind," or "enlightenment," and
is a term bestowed upon Gautama by reason of his
Spiritual Illumination. The titles of Bhavagat, or
"the Blessed one"; and the Bodhisat; are also fre-
quently used in reference to Gautama.

There is a great mass of legendery lore connected
with the early life of Gautama, which has been care-
fully combined and beautifully stated in the poem en-
titled "The Light of Asia," by Edwin Arnold, the
English poet. According to the legends Gautama, the
prince Siddhartha, in his boyhood developed a ten-
dency toward philosophical thought and speculation,
and his father who desired him to become a famous
warrior hastened him to an early marriage, and placed
him in environments calculated to keep his mind away

BUDDHISM. 179

from the misery and pain of the world, and surround-
ed with the luxury and sensuous splendor of an Orien-
tal court. All sickness, disease, and death was kept
from the sight and knowledge of the prince, and
nothing but brightness and joy was allowed to enter
into his life. But, notwithstanding this, the young
prince began to tire of the perpetual round of pleasure
which palled upon him, and led him to declare that
"all is vanity" and idle dissipation, satisfying not the
mind or the soul. One day escaping from his bounds,
he discovered that misery, pain and disease are the
common occurrences of life, and that Death the
Reaper ever stands ready to mow down man as the
grass of the field. Behind all he heard ever "the
tinkle of the camel bell," as the Persian poet has
called it — the warning of approaching death. He
therefore determined to forsake all and become an
ascetic, and in that life to seek the peace which the
world had failed to give him; He escaped from his
father's palace, and fled to the jungle. He met the
various Brahmin philosophers, and studied their doc-
trines, but still peace evaded him. Asceticism, and
self-punishment also failed to bring the coveted re-
ward. And, so at last he came to the conclusion that
Peace can come only from Within, and he began a
life of meditation and mental self-examination, with
concentration upon the idea of the Source of Pain
and Sorrow.

He determined to conquer the difficulty by sheer
force of Mind. And, so he sat beneath the famous

l8o PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

Bo-Tree for weeks at a time, plunged in the most
profound meditation, and abstract thought. At last
Nirvana or Transcendental Illumination came to him,
and he saw clearly the cause of phenomenal life and
the pain attendant thereupon, and also the Way of
Escape. He saw that in Samasara, or the Cycle of
Existences, is to be found the Source of Pain. For,
he reasoned, if we were not born and re-born, we
should not be subject to pain, sickness, misery, old
age and death. And, then reasoning backwards, he
finds that the cause of Sams am lies in Desire, and its
continuance upon Ignorance. Therefore, he who mas-
ters Ignorance, and who is strong enough to kill out
Desire, may escape the bonds of Samsara, the Wheel
of Life, and attain Nirvana or Peace. And, then came
the final stage, in which he set himself mentally free
from Samsara, and attained Nirvana on earth, to be
followed by Para Nirvana after he passed from the
body — the chain of Rebirth being broken, and Sam-
sara being defeated. And then Gautama went forth
as a teacher of Freedom and Emancipation, and the
founder of his school or system, which afterward de-
veloped into the Buddhist religion and church. He
made many and important converts, and firmly es-
tablished his philosophical system, and his system of
morality which rose therefrom, before his death,
which occurred in Kusinagara.

Let us first examine the fundamental conceptions
of the Buddhist system of philosophy. In the first
place a reference to many of tht English books upon

BUDDHISM. l8l

Buddhism will give the student the impression that
Gautama taught an atheistic philosophy, which closely
approached materialism, denying any Reality back of
phenomenal life, and refusing to admit the existence
of Brahman; and that also he denied the existence of
the "soul," although he explained Reincarnation un-
der the "desperate expedient" of Karma, which afford-
ed a connecting link between the lives of the succes-
sive beings in the Chain of Rebirth or Samsara. On
both of these points Western discussion has raged
fiercely, some holding to the above ideas, while others
attempted to combat them. We think that when the
Fundamental Principles of the Inner Teachings of the
Hindu Philosophies are applied to the teachings of
Buddha order may be brought out of chaos. Such
is the opinion of the advanced Hindu teachers (non-
Buddhists, remember) who would protect Gautama
from the attacks of his orthodox Hindu opponents,
and the Western writers on Buddhism. Let us ex-
amine into the matter.

In the first place Gautama did not deny the exist-
ence of Brahman, but simply refused to speculate re-
garding Its nature, character and being, holding that
the concern of man was with the phenomenal world
and the escape therefrom — and that speculation upon
Brahman was useless and a waste of time — "enough
to know that that is" was his idea. He denied the
existence of Ishwara, the Personal God, of the Hin-
dus, and thus brought upon himself the reproach of
Atheism, which had also been visited upon the heads

1%2 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

of Kapila and other philosophical teachers. But
Gautama did not deny the existence of that — he
merely took it for granted without argument as a
fundamental axiomic truth. Nay, more, in his sys-
tem he clearly indicated the existence of a Para-
Brahm, or Supreme Brahman, that is a Brahman in
the aspect of Non-Being, or Non-Manifestation.

Gautama has been described as postulating a
"Nothing" from which the phenomenal universe
emerged, and into which it would return. Now, any
one at all familiar with the fundamental conceptions
of the Hindu philosophical thought knows that the
one positive position from which the Hindu mind re-
fuses to budge, is the idea that "something never can
come from nothing — nor can something be resolved
into nothing" ; or, as it is often expressed "from noth-
ing, nothing comes." And, moreover, to suppose that
the Nirvana, or Soul Freedom, of Gautama was a
state of "nothingness" or annihilation, shows a pro-
found ignorance of the fundamental conceptions of
the Buddhist philosophy, as well as of the general
Hindu, or even the general Oriental, thought, through
all of which the thread of an Ultimate Universal Con-
sciousness runs unbroken. And yet you will find the
majority of Western writers on Buddhism assuring
you that Nirvana, the goal of the Buddhist, is a
"state of nothingness," or "a state of annihilation."
Nirvana is "the annihilation of Mayd* — a "blowing-out
of Avidya, or Ignorance" — and a state of Universal
Inner Consciousness, rather than an extinction of

BUDDHISM. 183

consciousness. And if these Western writers fail to
grasp even this important point of the Buddhist teach-
ings, how can you expect them to grasp the subtle
minor points of doctrine?

As we have said, Gautama refused to speculate upon
The Absolute, that, Brahman, or the Noumenal. But
instead of denying its existence, he merely treated it
as an existent Unknowable, a position very similar to
that of Herbert Spencer, the great English philoso-
pher, whom men mistakenly call a "materialist," al-
though he clearly and positively postulates an "Un-
knowable" upon which the entire phenomenal universe
or "The Knowable" depends and is sustained. Gau-
tama admits this Unknowable, and although he treats
it as a No-Thing, he does not claim it is Nothing —
it is simply that which is entirely "Different from and
Antecedent to Things." So subtle is Gautama 's con-
ception and analysis that it is no wonder that his
meaning escapes the observation of the Western ex-
aminers of his teachings. For not only does he con-
sider the Absolute-in-Action, or that Manifesting,
as the Unknowable; but he also perceives to exist a
PararBrahm — that is that in its aspect of Rest and
Not-Activity — Brahman divested even of Maya and
the Illusory Universe. To use Western terms Gau-
tama's highest and ultimate conception was that of
'The Thing-in-Itself" with all of its manifestations
vanished — the Absolute as Non-Being, as distin-
guished from The Absolute as Being. But as all ad-
vanced Western students of philosophy know full well,

I&J. PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

"Non-Being" does not mean "Nothing," but is the
term used to designate Reality. in Pure Essence, as
distinguished from Reality manifesting Relativity.

And, so we state positively that a careful study of
the original teachings of Gautama will reveal the fact
that he did not teach the doctrine of Ultimate Noth-
ingness or Nihilism; but that his "No-Thing" was
identical with the Western conception of Non-Being,
which is really the highest conception of Reality "be-
yond-Being"; and that he recognized that in its
purest essence as the fundamental reality underlying
all that is in appearance. Without this basic concep-
tion, the entire philosophy of Gautama would fall to
the ground — would be meaningless — would be a doc-
trine of Something proceeding from Nothing, and to
Nothing returning in order to gain Freedom — a pal-
pable absurdity lacking all sanity, and opposed to
every principle and instinct of Hindu thought. Gau-
tama indeed taught the Nothingness of the phenom-
enal life, or Samsara, even surpassing the Advaitist
Vedandists in his conception of the nature of Maya,
which he denounced as the purest Ignorance lacking
even a shadow of Truth or Reality ; a Lie in the mind
of The Absolute. But upon that he founded his
teachings — upon that which is ever present in all
Hindu thought— that which if removed would bring
all Hindu thought tumbling in shattered bits be-
yond possibility of repair or restoration. Gautama
was considered as an iconoclast— an infidel — an "athe-
ist" even, in the eyes of the orthodox church of India

BUDDHISM. 185

— but be was not a Fool, claiming a nothing as a
basis for All-Things. Surely the "interpreters" of
Buddha have inverted his pyramid of thought.

While Gautama forbade all speculation regarding
the nature of the Unknowable, holding that the ulti-
mate questions could not be grasped by the human
mind, although "all would be understood" when the
state of Nirvana was reached, still from the side-
lights which he threw upon his doctrines from time
to time, it may be stated that his Inner Teachings
(arising from his transcendental knowledge gained in
his state of Nirvana or Illumination) were that the
Fundamental Reality or that, in its Essence, was
equivalent to non-being, when contrasted with being
as the human mind understands the latter term.
Non-Being is not Non-Existence, but rather Exist-
ence in a state devoid of attributes, qualities, or activi-
ties, so far as manifestation is concerned, although all
possible manifestation must be latent therein — in fact
the meaning of Non-Being may be stated as "Being,
in Latency/* The distinction is highly metaphysical,
but some of the Ancient Grecian philosophers, and
those of the modern West, have recognized the dis-
tinction, and embodied it in their metaphysical sys-
tems; as for instance Hegel, who states that "Non-
Being and Being are One." This conception of Non-
Being is also recognized by certain Hindu metaphysi-
cians who postulated a PararBrahm, or Supreme
Brahm, or Essential Brahm, beyond the Brahman in
its phase of the Active Cause of the Universe. It is

l86 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

one of the very utmost tenuities or refinements of
subtle distinction in metaphysical thought. And it
is no wonder that Gautama was charged with advanc-
ing a doctrine of the "Nothingness" of Reality, for
to the average mind Non-Being must seem to partake
more of Nothingness than of "Thingness." But Gau-
tama saw the distinction, and indeed upon it depends
his distinction between Nirvana and Para-Nirvana, as
we shall see presently.

From Non-Being, or Para-Brahm, proceeded Being
or Brahman (although Gautama avoided the use of
these customary terms, wishing to free his teachings
from the conceptions attached to the old terminology).
Non-Being was that — All that Is — and besides it
was Nothing. And from Non-Being, or that, arose
or proceeded Being or a manifestation as Universal
Consciousness or Creative Mind, or Universal Soul.
Gautama positively refused to explain, or to allow
discussion upon the nature or "reason" for this pro-
ceeding of manifestation of Being, claiming the or-
dinary mind could not grasp this Truth, but that it
would be made plain and clear when the state of
Nirvana was reached. Then Being proceeded to
manifest the "Lust of Life," which corresponds closely
to Schopenhauer's "Will-to-Live," except that the lat-
ter is conceived as being a Thing in itself, while the
"Lust-of-Life" is merely a phenomenal manifestation
or appearance. This Lust-of-Life arose from Being
according to the "Chain of Consequences" or
"Causal Evolution," which is stated as follows: first

BUDDHISM. 187

from Azridya or Ignorance arose Illusory Ideas or the
Consciousness of Separateness ; the Lust-of-Life, or
Desire for Objective Experience; then the psychic
basis for the Sense Organism; then the Contact
through these sense organs with outside objects ; then
Vague Perception or Feeling ; then Desire for Things ;
then Attachment to Objects; then human Birth; and
then the circumstances of Life, viz., life, old age,
death, grief, pain, etc.; the Karma arising from the
life; then Rebirth, and — Samsara, until Emancipation
or Freedom is gained. And Avidya or Ignorance was
the beginning of the Chain and is the Final Enemy
to be overthrown. And the prime form of Ignorance
is the Illusion of Separateness.

The Lust-of-Life, judging from the many allusions
to it on the part of Gautama, and the early Buddhist
teachers and commentors, may be considered as a
fierce, lustful, longing, hunger or thirst for- objec-
tive existence, acting along unconscious or instinc-
tive lines, which afterward manifested consciousness
in some of its forms of creation or manifestation ; and
which was manifested in everything from the atom
to man, including the plant life, and the animal forms,
— in fact in all living things. Some have defined it
as Life itself, as we understand it, in all of its mani-
festations and forms. Some have called it by the
name of "the Creative Will" ; while others have iden-
tified it with "Nature." To all, however, it is recog-
nized as meaning that instinctive, persistent, craving,
striving, acting, doing, longing, changing, living

l88 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

force, that is ever manifesting through all the phe-
nomenal shapes and forms in the world, creating, pre-
serving, and then destroying each form. Constant
change, and becoming — nothing remaining intact —
building up, and tearing down — being born, growing,
becoming old, dying — only to be succeeded by other
forms — new life springing from the very bodies of the
dead forms. And this is the Lust-of-Life.

Gautama taught that the very Essence of the Lust-
of-Life was Kama, or Desire. Desire was the mov-
ing spirit of the Lust-of-Life — its motive-force and
inciter to action. Everything comes from Desire in
one form or the other, and it is impossible to escape
it except by killing it outright, taught Gautama. Re-
nunciation of Desire is the only hope, said he to his
disciples, and his entire teaching is bent toward this
Renunciation of Life, by the Killing Out of Desire.
This is the Keynote of Gautama's teaching, from
first to last.

Arising from the Lust-of-Life, with its motive-force
of Desire, arises Samsara, or the Cycle of Existence,
which constitutes the world of error; guilt; sorrow;
death; birth; decay; disappointment; suffering, and
(unless escaped from) the endless, ceaseless cycle of
re-birth, and reembodiment under the Law of Karma.
Samsara is held to be really naught but the result of
Ignorance brought about by the Lust-of-Life, and
the Desire for Expression in objective existence. But
while it lasts it is terribly real — a Nightmare of the
Self — and it will ever last until Desire is renounced,

BUDDHISM. 189

and Emancipation gained. Desire holds all in the em-
brace of Samsara, from the unconscious atoms, min-
erals, plants, and animals, until in man Desire culmi-
nates in manifestations of sensuality ; striving for per-
sonal gain; selfish aims; personal desires, aversions,
and inclinations — in short in all of the attributes of
Personality, from which arises Selfishness, and Sepa-
rateness.

The student will notice the similarity of Gautama's
conception of the Lust-of-Life with the Sankhyan
principle of Prakriti, and the Vedantic idea of the
Maya overlying Reality, and from which spring the
phenomenal life with its Samsara, or Cycle of Exist-
ences, from which the soul struggles to escape. This
idea is ever present in the Hindu philosophies — the
soul far from home, striving and struggling to find
its way back to the shelter of Home. Even New-
man, in his hymn, "Lead, Kindly Light," voices this
intuitional conviction: "For I am a stranger, far
from Home; Lead Thou me on!" Buddhism fol-
lows closely upon the older Sankhyan conception of
the Spirit entangled in Prakriti, and striving to es-
cape, although Gautama differs materially in his in-
terpretation of the "soul," as we shall see presently.
Prof. Garbe says in his "Philosophy of Ancient In-
dia": "The Sankhya system supplied, in all main
outlines, the foundations of Jainism and Buddhism,
two philosophically embellished religions, which start
from the idea that this life is nothing but suffering,
and always revert to that thought. According to

190 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

them, the cause of suffering is the desire to live and
enjoy the delights of the world, and in the last in-
stance the 'ignorance' from which this desire pro-
ceeds; the means of the abolition of this ignorance,
and therewith of suffering, is the annihilation of that
desire, renunciation of the world, and a most bound-
less love toward all creatures."

And now, before proceeding to consider Gautama? s
plan for the escape of the suffering soul from Sam-
sara, let us first consider the second heresy of Gau-
tama (according to his critics), namely, his denial of
the existence of the soul, of which grave offense he
has been charged by Hindu followers of opposing
systems, who considered Gautama "heterodox" ; and ,
also by the Western critics who failed to grasp the
fundamental ideas of his doctrine, and who accuse
him of inventing a mechanical Karma to connect the
different lives, under the law of Reincarnation, in
absence of the "soul." If there is no soul, objected
these critics, how can re-birth occur? — what is there
to reincarnate? And yet see how easily the matter
straightens itself out, when understood in the light
of the general Hindu philosophy. Just as Gautama
was called an "atheist" because he refused to ac-
knowledge Ishwara, so is he called a teacher of soul-
lessness, because he will not admit the "individual
Purushof of Kapila, although adopting the Prakriti
conception of the latter teacher.

In the first place Gautama, holding that all the phe-
nomenal world was Maya, or illusion, in its strictest

BUDDHISM. 191

sense and carried to its final logical conclusion, re-
fused to admit of the existence of the individual soul,
claiming that the sense of separateness was due solely
to Avidya, or Ignorance, or Maya or Illusion, and
that there could be no such thing as an individual
entity, or soul, in reality — as All was that and noth-
ing else. Consequently, the individual soul was re-
garded as a part of the figment of an illusory phe-
nomenal world. When examined carefully, it will
be seen that Gautama claims nothing more, in this
respect, than does the Advaitist Vedanta with its "Tat
tvatn Asi" — "That Thou art" — the individual soul
being considered merely as the result of "the One ap-
pearing as the Many." But, Gautama really goes a
little further, and refuses to admit even the appear-
ance of an individual soul, or spirit-entity, claiming
that the same is not necessary to account for the
sense of "Personality," or to explain Reincarnation.
Critics have claimed that Gautama used "the desperate
expedient" of the principle of Karma to carry the ef-i
fects of the causes of one life over into the next,
which idea was held to postulate a great injustice, be-
cause it would be the bestowing upon one individual
of the effects of causes generated by another indi-
vidual. But this is not so, because the only "indi-
vidual" affected is the same in both cases, just as is
the man of sixty the same "individual" as the man
of twenty, or the child of six, although appearing dif-
ferently to an observer. The whole trouble arises
from the understanding of the word "soul."

192 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

To the Sankhyas the "soul" was the individual Pw-
rusha — an entity gathering to itself certain "qualities
and attributes" from the mental evolution of the
Prakriti — that is that a "soul" was something differ-
ent from its mind — being the "spirit" or permanent
thing, animating the mind or impermanent thing —
the soul being a persistent Principle. Now Gautama
would not admit this Principle of the individual "soul,"
even as being a manifestation of and one of the dual-
principles emanated by that. Instead, he held that
the only Spirit in man was the animating reflection
or manifestation of the undivided One Spirit of that ;
he holding that there was no separate "soul" other
than the "character" of the individual, which char-
acter consisted of the Attributes and Qualities of the
man — his personal nature, or characteristics consid-
ered as a whole. This "Character" he held was the
only "soul" that man had, or could have, and that
it was that "character" which reincarnated in a new
body, under the laws of Karma. In other words, this
Character was the essence of the man's thoughts and
actions, held together firmly, and constituting an "I"
which was individual but which was not a real and
eternal entity.

In discussing this point with the Brahmins, and
he had many opportunities so to do, Gautama would
illustrate it by comparing the "soul" with a chariot,
which was composed of wheels, body, axle, floor,
tongue, etc., but which was "nothing in itself" when
these parts were taken away from it. So he held

BUDDHISM. 193

that if all the attributes were taken away from a
man, there would be no "soul" left. Or, another illus-
tration, man's soul was like an Indian bulb akin to
an onion, which when stripped of its successive layers
of skin in search for the "real onion" or "the onion-
in-itself," resulted in nothing being left. His oppo-
nents would answer: "Yes, but there would remain
the Purusha, or Spirit !" But Gautama would answer
saying: "There would be naught remaining but the
Spirit of that, the Unknowable — divest the man of
his attributes or character, and there is nothing left
but that which is No-Thing, and which is Unknow-
able!" And this is why they claimed that Gautama
denied the immortal soul! They overlooked the fact
that this stripping away of the "attributes" or "char-
acteristics" is just what Gautama sought to accom-
plish by killing out Desire, and thus resolving man
back to that, or Non-Being, which indeed, in reality,
was all that man was. Read this over, carefully, and
you will see the finesse of Gautama's logic and rea-
soning, and why he out-reasoned the Brahmins.

A word here regarding the reason that Gautama
and Buddhism always have been regarded as
heterodox, and outside of the pale of the "orthodox"
Hindu philosophical systems. You will notice that
Buddhism is always treated as "an outside system."
You will notice that the "Six Systems," differing as
they do from the orthodox religious dogmas of the
Brahmins, and differing from each other, are still
considered "orthodox," even though they deny the

194 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

existence of every god in the Hindu Pantheon, as
does Kapila, even to the extent of denying Ishwara,
the Personal God of the Universe. And, Gautama's
Buddhism, which denies but little if anything more,
is regarded as "non-orthodox." The reason is sim-
ple, when understood. And here it is: In India,
among the Brahmins, or priestly caste, there exists a
wonderful degree of liberty of philosophical or theo-
logical speculation, without the danger of being read
out of the fold, or excommunication. No matter how
bold the speculation, or how startling the doctrine, it
is not opposed or considered non-orthodox, providing
always that the teachers recognise the inspiration of
the Vedas; and providing still more strongly that they
recognize the caste system of India, particularly the
high-nature of the Brahmin, or priestly caste, the
members of which are considered to be "twice-born"
and almost sacred, and who take precedence of even
Kings and Rulers, who are generally of the Ksha-
triya or Warrior caste. The Brahmins were consid-
ered as little less than gods. Some of the old works
contain sentences like this: "There be two classes
of gods — the real gods, and the Brahmins who ex-
pound the Vedas"; "The Brahmins are even more
than gods, for do they not protect and supply with
sacrifices the gods themselves?" etc. And so it may
be seen why adherence to the doctrine of the semi-
divine priesthood, and the inspiration of the Vedas
was considered a requisite to even this broad "ortho-
doxy." It is as if the Christian Church of the Middle-

BUDDHISM. 195

Ages (or even later) were to have said "Teach any
philosophy that you wish, providing you always assert
the inspiration of the Holy Scriptures^ and the Virtue
and Infallibility of the Church and Priesthood."

Now, while the teachers of the "Six Systems"
taught doctrines in direct variance with the orthodox
teachings to the masses, still they never disputed the
virtue of the Vedas, and were free with the texts
from the same — in fact they built up their systems
on the teachings of the Upanishads, as interpreted by
themselves. And they always bowed to the Caste
System, and the Virtue of the Brahmins, and so were
considered "orthodox." It was. more of an acknowl-
edgment of the authority of the Brahmins than any
agreement to the teachings of the Church. But
Buddha would have none of this. He taught Univer-
sal Brotherhood, and did much to weaken the hold of
the Caste System. He neither denied nor affirmed the
infallibility of the Vedas — but largely ignored them,
and built up his system on human reason aided by
Transcendental Illumination. Gautama opposed the
system of sacrifices, and denounced the ceremonies
and the ritual as of no avail. He also condemned the
practice of austerities and self-torture. He taught
Democracy and Universal Brotherly Love. All men
were his brothers, Sudra and Brahmin alike. Is it any
wonder that he was considered "non-orthodox" by the
priestly caste, and denounced for "atheism"; and "de-
nying the existence of the soul"— even when he went
no further in those directions than did many others
of "orthodox" tendencies ?

I96 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

Gautama has also been charged with "materialism,"
and "earthliness," because he refused to encourage
speculation regarding subjects outside of the earth
life and the duties concerning the same. This course
he followed because he saw that the Hindu people
had lost sight of "works" by dwelling too much upon
doctrine, and he sought to awaken them to an ac-
tivity Here and Now. Not only did he teach them
"to do things" in the direction of attaining Freedom
and Emancipation, but he inculcated new truths re-
garding human duties toward one's fellow men, com-
parable only to the teaching in this direction of Jesus
of Nazareth, who followed him six hundred years
later. Prof. Jackson says: "The element in Bud-
dhism which more than any other, perhaps, gave it an
advantage over all surrounding religions, and led to
its surprising extension, was the spirit of universal
charity and sympathy that it breathed, as contrasted
with the exclusiveness of caste. In this respect, it
held much the same relation to Brahminism that Chris-
tianity did to Judaism. It was, in fact, a reaction
against the exclusiveness and formalism of Brahmin-
ism — an attempt to render it more catholic, and to
throw off its intolerable burden of ceremonies. Bud-
dhism did not expressly abolish caste, but only declared
that all followers of the Buddha who embraced the
religious life were thereby released from its restric-
tions; in the bosom of a community who had all
equally renounced the world, high and low, the twice-
born Brahmin and the outcast were brethren. This

BUDDHISM. I97

was the very way that Christianity dealt with the
slavery of the ancient world." And Max Miiller says :
'The Buddha addressed himself to all castes and out-
casts. He promised salvation to all; and he com-
manded his disciples to preach his doctrine in all places
and to all men. A sense of duty, extending from
the narrow limits of the house, the village, and the
country, to the widest circle of mankind, a feeling of
sympathy and brotherhood to all men, the idea, in
fact, of humanity, were first pronounced by Buddha."
Gautama held that the Fundamental Cause of Suf-
fering and Unhappiness in Samsara was the Sense of
Separateness by which the "I" was deluded or hyp-
notized. This sense of Separateness brought in its
train Selfishness, Greed, Strife, Conflict, and all the
other evil manifestations that make of life in Sam-
sara a nightmare of suffering. In other words Sepa-
rateness is the Root of Evil, and all manifestations
of evil may be traced back to its common source. And
therefore all of Gautama's teachings were directed to-
ward escape from this illusion of Separateness, by
means of killing out the Desire which was its very life
energy. And all of the vague longing that possesses
the human soul arises from an intuitive realization
that it belongs to a Larger Life, and that Separateness
prevents it from realizing Itself. The essence of the
doctrine seems to be the following conception, al-
though its original purity has been clouded by the
additions of the "church" which has arisen from the
teachings, and which has covered over the light of

I98 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

the true teachings by the colored shade of ecclesias-
ticism. But this seems to be the original teaching:

That, from Not-Being, or that, emerged a por-
tion, or aspect of Itself which manifested as Being,
which in turn manifesting the "Chain of Conse-
quences," evolved the Lust-of-Life, the moving prin-
ciple of which is Karma or Desire, and from which
arose Samsara, or the Cycle of Existences — the Wheel
of Life. The Avidya, or Ignorance, from which arose
the Lust-of-Life and Desire, had as its essence the
illusion of personality, or separateness — the breaking
up of the Cosmic Consciousness into countless "per-
sonalities" or centres of consciousness of qualities
which men call "souls." The "souls" are not enti-
ties but merely aggregates of qualities and attributes,
composing "characters," which are illumined and en-
ergized by the One Spirit of that, which appears as
the Many Spirits of the "souls," by reason of the
illusion.

Intuitively every "soul" feels that it is really iden-
tical with the universal life and soul, and experiences
unhappiness and uneasiness by reason of its isola-
tion, and yearns to return to its original state of One-
ness. And the selfish life, aims, thoughts and actions
engendered by this illusion of Separateness brings
into existence Evil, with its multitudinous train of
manifestations and consequences. Each Desire brings
forth a brood of new Desires, and the soul is bound
fast in the entanglements of Karmic Cause and Ef-
fect. The only escape is by first learning the Cause

BUDDHISM. 199

of Evil, and then proceeding to eradicate it, working
from the manifestations back to the cause, and then
back until Freedom is obtained. Thus by killing out
all Desire, one strips the Lust-of-Life of its. power,
and renders it easy to be overcome. The Lust-of-
Life once overcome, the "soul" realizes that it is not
a personality or separate entity, but that it is Being
itself — that is that in the state of creative activity.
Thus the "soul" as a personality disappears, for when
the soul perceives that it is the Universal Being, then
all sense of separateness is dissolved — "the dewdrop
slips into the shining sea" — the "character" dissolves
and the Spirit alone remains. And then, still there
is another stage, when finally the liberated soul, sur-
rendering all — even its Cosmic Consciousness or Be-
ing — retires into the very heart of that — into Para-
Brahtn — the Abysmal Abyss — or Non-Being — and at-
tains Para-Nirvana, the Bliss Absolute. Such is the
Essence of Buddhism.

Gautama taught the Four Truths of Salvation,
which must be grasped by all Seekers of Escape : ( 1 )
The Truth of Suffering, or the realization that Life
is indeed Suffering; (2) The Truth of the Cause of
Suffering, or the Lust-of-Life fed by Desire; (3)
The Truth of the Cessation of Suffering, or the
knowledge that in the overcoming of the Lust-of-Life
lies the cessation of Samsara; (4) The Truth of The
Path that leads to the Cessation of Suffering, or the
methods of killing out Desire, whereby the Lust-of-
Life is overcome and Freedom gained.

200 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

Gautama taught that if the Desires were killed out,
then the "character" or "personality," which is com-
posed of the qualities and attributes engendered by De-
sire, must dissolve, leaving the Spirit intact and un-
clouded, no longer deluded by the sense of Sepa-
rateness, and realizing its identity with The Whole
— that. Therefore anything that tended to kill out
Desire was a step on The Path. He had experienced,
in his own life, the sense of the futility of ceremonial-
ism and ritual, and had tested asceticism and austeri-
ties, and proved them worthless. Therefore all that
remained for the Seeker after Freedom to do was to
"kill out Desire." Here is where Gautama struck a
new note in India. Not by violent repression of De-
sire was it killed, he argued — for that only fed the
appetite of the beast by arousing an internal hunger.
But by avoiding all Selfish acts and devoting one's
life to unselfish deeds, and acts of service to one's
fellows — by Love for All Living Things. Gautama
held that by thus turning the Life Energies out to-
ward others, Selfishness was dissolved and disap-
peared and the mind was purged of Desire and the
Lust-of-Life was overcome, and Nirvana reached.
This was The Path of the Cessation of Suffering.

It will be noticed that in the majority of the Hindu
philosophies, Freedom and Emancipation was held to
be gained by the ultimate absorption of the Individual
Soul in the Universal Soul or Brahman. The Advait-
ist Vedanta, not believing in the absolute existence of
the Individual Soul, holds the Emancipation comes
from the individual (who is really Brahman in dis-

BUDDHISM. 201

guise — deluded by Maya) awakening to a realization
that he is not an individual, but is Brahman himself.
Buddhism, not recognizing an Individual Soul, or
even the temporary phenomenal separate entity called
soul — the Buddhist "soul" being but a bundle of de-
sires, habits, etc., called "Character," illumined by
the One Spirit— does not lead the "soul" to Recogni-
tion of the Real Self in the manner of the Advaitist
Vedanta, but instead reaches the Emancipation by
leading the mind to a knowledge of the true state of
affairs; teaching it that it, as a soul, does not exist;
and then bidding it to deliberately destroy and dis-
solve itself by the burning out and destroying of De-
sire — to the end that finally when all Desire is burned
out and destroyed, then the "soul" will vanish and
the Real Self alone will be left in its place. Nirvana
is the state of actual realization of the Oneness of
Life — and that the Many are One. Para-Nirvana is
the withdrawal from Activity, entirely, and dissolv-
ing into Para-Brahm, or Non-Being, to return no
more in incarnation — Samsara entirely escaped. Nir-
vana is attained in the flesh, and is not an "annihila-
tion" as has been taught, but a state of Cosmic Con-
sciousness — a glimpse of the Sat-Chit-Ananda, or Ex-
istence-Knowledge-Bliss Absolute — a Desireless Be-
ing. The soul may pass out of the body after Nirvana,
and may dwell on certain planes of Being, helping the
race to escape its bondage — such are the Masters and
Adepts, of which we have heard — the Elder Brethren
of the Race, who forego the Bliss Absolute for aeons
in order to render service to the race. But beyond it

202 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

all is the entrance into Para-Nirvana — dissolution into
Para-Brahm — sinking into the Abysmal Abyss — Eter-
nal Peace and Rest Absolute.

Gautama's Way of Escape comprised Eight Points,
namely (i) Right Faith; (2) Right Judgment; (3)
Right Speech; (4) Right Purpose; (5) Right Action;
(6) Right Endeavor; (7) Right Thinking ; (8) Right
Meditation. These Eight Points in the Way of Es-
cape, may be understood only by a comprehension of
Gautama's "Concatenation of Causes," or "Chain of
Causation," which is based upon the fundamental idea
of the Second Truth of Salvation, namely The Cause
of Suffering, which holds that the Cause of Pain and
Suffering is the Lust-of-Life and Desire; the imme-
diate Cause of Pain is Birth, for were we not born
we would not suffer; Birth, in turn, is caused by the
Karma of previous existences, of which it is a con-
tinuation and effect, and the "character" or soul is
the result of the experiences of the past; Reincarna-
tion and Karma, in turn have their cause in previous
Desire; Desire is held to be caused by Perception;
and Perception by Contact ; and finally Ideas are held
to be an early Cause; and Ideas are held to be the
result of Avidya or Ignorance, which mistakes the
illusory and transitory for the real and permanent;
therefore Avidya or Ignorance is the Root of Causes
to be attacked. And, Avidya is destroyed by opening
the windows of the mind and letting the Sunshine of
Truth pour in, which will dispel the darkness of
Avidya — Vidya or Knowledge is the antidote for
'Avidya or Ignorance. Destroy Avidya or Ignorance,

BUDDHISM. 203

and the resulting "Chain of Consequences," viz., Illu-
sory Ideas ; Distinction of Forms ; Sense impressions ;
Contact; Perception; Desire; Attachment; Existence;
Birth; Misery; Old Age; Death — Samsara, Maya, Il-
lusion — all vanish, and Nirvana is attained.

We shall not take up space to enumerate the ex-
haustive moral code of Buddhism. Enough to say
that it formulates a moral code going to the extreme
detail of conduct, embracing the world-ideas of hon-
esty, chastity, kindness, unselfishness, morality, be-
nevolence, truth, etc., etc. The greater part of this
code is the work of the teachers who followed Buddha,
and the various later Church Councils arising from
the crystallizing of Buddha's teachings into a
"Church." As usual in such cases, the Church has
invented many new forms, ceremonials, and dogmas,
and has had many schisms and subdivisions in de-
nominations. In the South, the division of the Bud-
dhists which is called "Southern Buddhism" has held
nearer to the original teachings than has "Northern
Buddhism," which has added and changed materially,
particularly in the direction of altering Gautamds
original conception of the "soul" as "character," and
replacing it with an individual soul or Purusha. The
Church has a.dded many "heavens and hells," par-
ticularly the latter, of which there are. several hundred;
the period of sojourn in some of these hells being as
high as ten millions of years, and being as full of tor-
ture as the orthodox Middle-Age Christian Hell. In
some of the highest heavens, the happy soul is held
to dwell for as long as ten billion years. And so it

204 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

goes, as "churches" and priests have ever gone —
building up an edifice of dogma and creed, ritual and
ceremonial upon simple philosophical teaching. The
doctrine of Karma has been so distorted that it now
forms the most effective ecclesiastical weapon of rule
ever invented by the mind of man. The Church
teaches that a man is born blind because he looked
too much upon the things of sense in past lives ; that
he is deaf because in past lives he would not listen
to the teachings of the doctrine and creeds; that he
is dumb because in a past life he mocked and reviled
the priests — and so on, according to the custom of
the Church everywhere. In the North, Buddhism is
taught under the name of Lamaism, with elaborate
ceremonialism and ritual. Northern Buddhism is so
rich in ritual and ceremony that the early Jesuit mis-
sionaries, finding the ritual and forms bearing such
a remarkable resemblance to some of the ceremonies
and ritual of their own church, reported that it was
undoubtedly the work of the Devil, who had invented
Buddhism as a mockery of the True Church. North-
ern India, and Thibet, is filled with hordes of men-
dicant Buddhist monks, who subsist by begging from
the people, living in monasteries endowed by the
faithful. Images of Buddha abound, and he is re-
garded as a Deity, although the teachings expressly
hold otherwise.

Is it not an irony of Fate, that Gautama, whose
work was in the direction of undoing the work of
priests and established religions, and whose teachings
were directed toward aiding the race to escape vain

BUDDHISM. 205

forms, creeds, and ceremonies, and to make them
think and act for themselves — that his teachings should
have served as the basis for a "Church" and Creed,
whose followers rank second, if not first numerically,
in the list of the Churches? Like Jesus, Gautama
came as a teacher without temples, organizations or
creeds — and like Him, he unwittingly became the
founder of a great "Church," with creeds, dogmas,
theologies, forms, ritual and ceremonies; priests and
ecclesiasticism. Wherever form and dogmas supplant
the spirit of the Truth, then churches crystallize and
the' living faith bums low. It ever has been so, and
ever will be so. In the East, so in the West.

But, Gautama taught, as did the Krishna of the
Hindus, that when the spirit is almost extinguished,
then comes a new Messenger of Spirit, to revive the
Truth. Gautama is held to be but one of a line of
Buddhas, or Great Spiritual Teachers — Avatars of Di-
vinity — who have come, and will come to save the
race from rank materialism and darkness of Avidya.
Gautama said "Whenever the pure doctrine threatens
to fall entirely into disuse, and mankind again sinks
into sensual desires and mental darkness — then a new
Buddha is born." Krishna, in the "Bhagavad-Gita"
makes a similar promise. While Christians regard
Buddha as a "heathen" teacher, whose teachings were
amazingly akin to those of Jesus, and whose Moral
Code "for pureness, excellence, and wisdom, is sec-
ond only to that of the Divine Lawgiver himself," the
Buddhists freely acknowledge Jesus as a Divine Mes-

206 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

senger sent to teach the "heathen" of the Western
worlds — a Buddha of the West, in fact.

$ $ $ £ ♦ ♦ £

Our students, familiar with the Inner Teachings
of the Hindu Philosophy, have been able to read into
Buddhism the Fundamental Truths, according to the
interpretation of Gautama, and to trace the differences
and correspondences between it and the several other
systems. The point of the greatest difference between
our own teachings and those of Buddha is regarding
the extremely Pessimistic view of the universe — the
dwelling upon the Pain, and overlooking the Joy.
Life is neither Joy nor Pain, but a commingling of
both. He who puts on the blue spectacles of Pes-
simism sees everything "blue"; while he who dons
the rose-colored spectacles of Optimism sees every-
thing "rosy" — the pure clear glasses of Understand-
ing sees neither color, but everything in its relation
and true coloring. Another great point of difference,
is that in which Gautama pictures that allowing itself
to be the subject to illusion and Avidya, and involved
in the baleful Samsarz existence — this being a ten-
dency among the majority of Hindu Philosophies. To
us, The Absolute — that — Brahman, is not deluded
or fooled by Avidya or Maya, but is pursuing a Di-
vine Plan of Manifestation and Mental Creation, in
full knowledge and wisdom, for purposes and ends
unknown to man, but satisfactory to the Divine Know-
ing, and which has always Ultimate Justice, and Ab-
solute Good in view — guided by the Light of Infinite
Love. This is the antidote for Pessimism.

SPECIAL MESSAGE VII.

By Yogi Ramacharaka.

For this month we invite you to participate in the contemplation
and consideration of the following gems of Spiritual Truth, gathered,
from the inexhaustible mines of the Hindu Thought:

"This is the Truth. That is the Truth. All is in Truth, and Truth
is in all. Truth cannot be added to, nor subtracted from. Add all to the
Truth, and the Truth remains. Subtract all from the Truth, and the
Truth remains."

"The Truth is that which when gained, there is naught else to
gain; the bliss of which experienced, there is no other bliss to be ex-
perienced; which when seen, there is naught else to be seen; which once
known, there is naught else to be known."

"As the sun contains all Light, and in itself there is neither day nor
night — so in Truth, which is all Wisdom, there is neither knowledge nor
ignorance."

"Truth is beyond sound, touch, form, taste, and smell; beyond begin-
ning and ending; beyond involution and evolution. Those who realize
this saying, also escape these attributes of ignorance."

"Eye cannot see, nor mind know Truth. And yet there is that
within each by which It may be seen, and may be known. None can
this riddle see, unless he hath both seen and known."

"There is a state of Bliss Absolute, wherein one does not see an-
other, nor does he hear another, nor does he know another. States in
which one sees another, hears another, knows another are not Bliss Ab-
solute. Bliss Absolute is Immortal Mind. Aught else is Mortal Mind.
Where is Bliss Absolute to be found? Everywhere, or Nowhere, say
the sages."

"Where is the Truth! Above, below, north, south, east, west, up,
down, high, low, without, within. Many who seek it, find it not; many
who seek it not, find it. He knows and sees the Truth, becomes filled
with Bliss Absolute, and becomes a Lord. To him is opened the door
or doors that lead to worlds above and worlds below."

"The Truth is ever awake, even when asleep. As the sun lighteth
many things not resembling it, so does the Light of the Truth illumine
many minds, high and low, each thinking the light its own. Only the
wise perceive that in the mind there is no light, other than the light
of the Truth shining therein."

Our Meditation for the coming month is:

"THE TRUTH IS TO BE SOUGHT EVERYWHERE, F(
EVERYWHERE ABIDETH IT."

THE EIGHTH LESSON.

SUFIISM.

"Sufiisni" is a term applied to the philosophical and
religious system of a large body of Mystics sheltered
beneath the wing of the Mahommedan religion, to
which they owe temporal allegiance, but among whom
they are a "strange people." Although the Sufis are
to be found in Turkey, Arabia, Egypt, and principally
in Persia — India not knowing them at all except
through the chance visit of one of their number —
still Sufiism is a direct offshoot of the Hindu Philoso-
phy, in its Vedantic interpretation and Bhakti mani-
festations, and justice requires that we should include
it in our consideration of the Philosophies and Re-
ligions of India. Just as Buddhism, which is almost
extinct in India, outside of the far northern regions
and in Burmah and surrounding places, its principal
following being in the foreign lands, is still consid-
ered as a Hindu Teaching because of its origin in
India — so do we attribute Sufiism to India, although
her borders enclose but few Sufis, and their great
following is in Persia, and other Mohammedan lands.
Without India there would be no Sufiism — without
the Hindu Teachings the Sufis would be orthodox
Mahommedans. And, as you consider, herein, the
doctrines of the Sufi, you will agree with us that their
origin must be found in the Vedanta and Bhakti Yoga
of India — they tell their own tale.

The word "Sufi" is derived from the Persian word
"suf" (derived from the Arabic) meaning "wool," the

209

210 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

connection being evident when it is remembered that
the early Sufis discarded their former costly robes of
silk and costly materials, and adopted a plain garb
of coarse undyed wool — the plainest and cheapest ma-
terial in the land, corresponding to the cheap cotton
robe in which the Hindu ascetic wraps himself. Con-
sequently these men became known as "wool-wearers/'
and from the term "Suf," meaning wool, the words
"Sufi" and "Sufiistn" arose. It is difficult to deter-
mine the date of the origin of Sufiistn, in absence of
historical data, and we are compelled to fall back
upon the legends for information and clues. The
Sufis themselves hold that it is thousands of years
old, the saying being that : "The seed of Sufiism was
sown in the time of Adam ; germinated in the time of
Noah ; budded in the time of Abraham ; began to de-
velop in the time of Jesus ; and produced pure wine in
the time of Mahommed," but this saying is in line with
other claims common among the Mahommedans who
indulge in characteristic flowery speech, and the best
authorities believe that Sufiism had its rise in the early
centuries of the Christian Era.

One of the first recorded mentions of the word
"Sufiism" is in connection with one Abu Hashim, who
lived and taught about 750 A. D., while about a half-
century later the sect sprang into prominence in Per-
sia, Abul Said Abul Khair, Dhul-Nun-al-Misri, and
other leaders spreading its teachings vigorously. Some
of the best authorities trace it back to the very time
of Mahommed himself, claiming there is historical

SUFIISM. 211

evidence to prove that Ali, the Favorite Disciple of
the Prophet, was a Sufi and really founded the sect
in an Inner Circle of the new religion. But there are
numerous legendary fragments tending to prove that
the teachings of Sufiism existed in the lands con-
quered by Mahommed, long before his advent, having
been taught there by wandering Vedantists from In-
dia, and which secret teachings were adopted by those
of Mahommed's followers who were mystically in-
clined, and who were not willing to part with their
favorite philosophy in spite of their adherence to the
doctrines of the new Prophet. At any rate, it may
be said safely that Mahommed had no share in keep-
ing alive the germ of mysticism, for he was opposed
to it, and taught positively against it.

While there are many apparent points of difference
between the Sufi doctrines, as now taught, and the
doctrines of the Vedanta, still one familiar with both
may see many points of resemblance, and easily may
reconcile the points of divergence. Both hold to the
One Reality which they declare is "All that Is," al-
though the Vedanta conception is more metaphysical
and abstract in its conception of that without at-
tributes and qualities, while to the Sufis the One is
God, warm, personal, and living— but this is merely
a difference in the temperament, training and environ-
ment of the two races — the Hindu and the Persian —
and still more the influence of the particular form of
"Yoga" manifested by the two schools. The Vedant-
ists prefer the Yoga of Wisdom — "Gnani Yoga"

212 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

while the Sufis adhere tenaciously and earnestly to
the Yoga of Love — Bhakti Yoga. And there is but
little difference in the teachings of the Hindu Bhakti
Yoga, and the Persian Sufi. To both Love of God
is the best Path of Attainment, and the Moksha or
Nirvana of the Hindu is almost identical with the
"Union with God" of the Sufi. And as the Hindu
Yogi has his state of Samhadi, or Ecstasy of Spiritual
Consciousness, so has the Sufi his state of Ecstasy of
the "Sight of the Beloved" — both being identical in
nature, and both being forms of the world-wide state
of Illumination of the Mystics. Just as the Yogis have
their teachers known as "Gurus" so have the Sufis
their teachers knowri as "Pirs," the same reverence
being shown in both cases, and the same methods
of initiating the neophytes into the esoteric mysteries
being observed. Some authorities have pointed out
correspondences between the Neo-Platonists and the
Sufis, and have held that the latter owed their teach-
ings to the former. But when it is remembered that
the Neo-Platonists themselves obtained their germ-
thoughts from the Hindus, it is not to be wondered
that resemblances may be traced between the Gre-
cian followers, and the Persian- followers, of the same
root-teachings. Undoubtedly later Sufiism has been
influenced by thought from many sources, but it shows
its direct descent from the Hindus too plainly to
admit of doubt.

The great Sufi teachers lived in the early days of
the Mahommedan era. The authorities gave the names

SUFIISM. 213

of Dhun-Nun (A. D. 859) ; Sirri Sagvait (A. D.
867) ; Junaid (A. D. 910) ; Al-Nallaj (A. D. 980) ;
Gazali (A. D. 1111); Jalal-ud-Din Rumi (A. D.
1273) ; as being the great teachers of their times.
And among the great poets who have versed the Sufi
teachings under the familiar disguises should be men-
tioned Omar Khayyam; Nisami; Farid-ud-Din Attar;-
Sadi; Shamsi; HaHz; Anvari; Jami; and Hatifi. Sufi-
ism flourished under the teachings of the early sages
and poets, but about the Sixteenth Century it began
to yield to the overwhelming influence of the ortho-
dox Mahommedan church, and a decline set in, from
which the sect never has entirely recovered. But,
although the sect suffered this reverse in point of
numbers and popularity, it has recently experienced a
new life, not drawing to itself great numbers, but in
the sense of attracting to it many Orientals of edu-
cation and culture, to whom its mysticism proved con-
genial. For about the last fifty years it has been mak-
ing quite a headway among the cultured Persians and
Turks, and among a few in Egypt and Arabia, the
work, however, being conducted in secret and being
in the nature of secret-society work rather than re-
ligious ceremony or worship. A few Europeans and
Americans have been attracted to the sect, particularly
those who have been able to read between the lines of
Omar Khayyam's "Rubaiyat" seeing the mysticism
appearing behind the apparently materialistic expres-
sions as interpreted by Fitzgerald, which interpreta-
tion is generally held to contain more of Fitzgerald's

It
ft

214 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

expression than Omar's conceptions — but still, the
mystic teaching may be discerned when one has the
key, as we shall see presently.
In Persia, Egypt, Arabia, and Turkey, the word
Sufi" has been as much abused as has the word
Yogi" in India. Both words originally meant "wise
men" and spiritual teachers, whereas in India the
term "Yogi" has been applied by Westerners and some
Hindus, to the hordes of ignorant fakirs who are on
a very low plane of mentality and spirituality as well
as of social standing; while the term "Sufi" has been
applied to a similar class of mendicant beggars, der-
vishes, fanatics, and wonder-workers, infesting the Ma-
hommedan lands. There is a vast difference between
a Hindu fakir, and -a real Yogi; and there is the same
vast difference between a Persian, Egyptian, Arabian,
or Turkish fakir or dervish, and a true "Sufi" As
an old Sufi writer once said : "He who forsakes the
world is a Sufi — he whom the world forsakes is a
mendicant." So in considering the Sufis, we must
ask you to distinguish between the true and the false,
just as we once asked you to do in the case of the
Yogis, before you were familiar with the subject.

Passing on to the philosophy of the Sufis, we would
say that the original teachings did not go deeply into
metaphysics or philosophical subtleties, but contented
themselves with affirming the Oneness of Reality —
the Omnipresence, and Imminence; Allness and One-
ness, of God — and the fact that he might be reached
by Love and Devotion. The rest of the doctrine was

SUFIISM. 215

left to be developed as the sect grew and the philo-
sophical interest developed. Briefly, the teaching was
that God was the Supreme Good. That He was the
Source of all Things. That He was Self-Existent,
and Uncreated. That the Universe was created by a
reflection from, or emanation from God's own Being.
That, therefore, He was imminent in, and permeated
all Nature. That Matter was but an appearance, be-
ing temporary and changing, and in the nature of an
illusory screen whereupon God could manifest his
Universe. That by Ecstasy and Contemplation and
Meditation upon this All-Good, the soul could and
would rise to its source and be merged therein at the
last. That in the return to the Source — the All-Good
—man must pass through many incarnations, rising
ever higher and higher. This was the essence of the
teachings, and the essence of that essence was that
God was within Man — that Man contained the Di-
vine Spark within his inner nature, and that that In-
ner Divinity, or Spirit, was the Real Self. Surely
this was closely akin to the Vedanta, even to its Inner
Teachings. And, we feel sure, that after reading the
above paragraph, every one of our Yogi students may
be able to recognize the Sufi as his brother.

There are many interesting legends connected with
the realization of the doctrine by the early Sufis, and.
the natural extremes to which their new thought car-
ried them, and the opposition the idea aroused among
the people who had always considered God to be
"Somebody away off." A few of these instances may

2l6 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

interest you, so we will relate them. One of the most
celebrated of the early Sufis was a woman, by name
Rabia al Adawiyya, also known as Rabia of Basra.
One day Rabia was asked if she hated the Devil (of
the orthodox Mahommedan church, of course) and
she replied : "No, not at all. My love for God occu-
pies all my mind, all my time, so that I have neither
time nor room to hate anything, even the Devil."
When asked why she did not marry, she replied: "I
am already wedded to my Lord by the bonds of Di-
vine Wedlock. I am not free, for am I not my Lord's
spouse, and must I not be faithful to Him?" Rabia
exerted a great influence on the early Sufi sect, until
the time of her death in Jerusalem, in A. D. 753.

Of another one of the old Sufi "saints" or sages,
named Bayazid, the following is told: One day the
old sage passed into an ecstatic condition, in which he
attained Cosmic Consciousness, Union with God, Ec-
stasy, Samahadi, Illumination, or by whatever name
men chose to call that wonderful state. Awakening
therefrom, and still under the spell of his vision of
Oneness, he cried aloud to his disciples : "Lo ! I my-
self am God Almighty. There is none other God be-
side Me!" His disciples were horrified, and when
their Master had fully recovered, they, told him of
the blasphemy he had uttered. Bayazid replied : "Oh !
woe is me! If I blaspheme again, straightway slay
me !" And his disciples sharpened their knives for
their holy task, for so they considered it. Once more
the Master passed into Samhadi, and cried aloud:.

SUFIISM. 217

"Within my robe there is none but God — wherefore
seek you him or heaven or earth?" The disciples,
overcome with horror, and in accordance with the
Master's orders, straightway plungfed their blades into
his body. But, the legend concludes: "their knives
were turned back upon their own bodies, and they
perished, for they had raised their hands upon the
Divine Spirit within the Master which inspired the
speech." And then Bayazid explained to the remain-
ing disciples that his Personality had vanished during
his ecstasy, and he saw that his Form was but "a
mirror faintly reflecting the form of God," and that
when the disciples wished to strike him with their
knives, they saw only the Mirror reflecting their own
faces (not seeing God, and Bayazid having vanished)
and so their knives struck themselves.

Many of the early Sufis fell into the same error that
has carried away so many of the modern Western stu-
dents of advanced metaphysics — that supreme foolish-
ness which would call the "reflection" by the name of
that which causes it — and which voices itself in the
strident, raucous cry of: "I Am God!" We find -in-
stances of this throughout many of the early records
of the sect, particularly as the doctrine of the In-
dwelling Spirit was argued out to its extreme possi-
bilities, and the difference between the Reality and
the Reflection faded away, and in the Sufi terminol-
ogy: "The Beloved and the Lover are known to be
One*" One Mansur al-Hallaj became renowned by
his claims that "I Am God!" which nearly caused a

2l8 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

schism in the sect. In this teaching he was rivaled
by one Akbar, who modestly refrained from sounding
his own God-ship, but who inspired his followers to
do so, one of his poet-disciples singing enthusiastic-
ally : "See Akbar, and yotr see God !"

Al-Hallaj at one time was crucified by the orthodox
Mahommedans, remaining suffering on the cross for
four days, on both sides of the Tigris river. He bore
his sufferings with noble courage, saying: "From
His own cup He bade^ne sup, for such is hospitality ;"
and, "I am receiving only what is mine, for by God,
I never distinguished for a moment between pain and
pleasure !" also uttering one of his characteristic say-
ings: "The Way to God is but two steps: one step
out of this world, and one step out of the next world
— and lo, you are there with God." The legends have
it that he did not die on the cross, but was released
after the four-days' crucifixion and lived for ten years
more, being finally stoned to death, the legend being
that, expiring, he wrote with his finger, with his own
blood, on the stones, the words: "I am God!" But
these are instances of the extreme of the thought, and
the body of the Sufis did not hold to these claims, but
instead, regarded every man's soul as a mirror in
which was reflected the Image of God, and which
image constituted the Spirit with each man, and which
was his true Self. There is a great difference be-
tween the conception of the Indwelling Spirit — the
Immanent God, and that of the "I Am God" teachers.

One of the most confusing points about the Sufi

SUFIISM. 219

1

teachings, to the Western mind, is the symbology of
the writers, and the corresponding fact that many of
their sacred writings seem to be mere voluptuous and
bacchanalian rhapsodies, filled with references to "the
grape," or "the vine," or the "red wine, and wine-cup,"
as well as praises of "the Beloved Damsel" ; the "Be-
loved" ; the "Embrace of Love" ; the "Nuptial Couch" ;
and much other imagery which to the Western mind
is connected .with subjects far removed from religion
and devotion. But when one has the key, and recog-
nizes, as does the Persian, that in these verses there
is to be seen two separate meanings, besides the five
mystical meanings, which are claimed for all mystic
poetry, there may be an understanding.

The cause of this peculiar style lies in the fact that
outside of the natural exuberant imagery of the Ori-
ental mind, which the West finds difficult to under-
stand, there always has been the necessity of the Sufi
veiling his inner meaning beneath the form of current
poetical subjects. Surrounded on all sides by the
hordes of ignorant, bigoted, fanatical orthodox Ma-
hommedans, the Sufi has been compelled to take
refuge in this peculiar symbology. To the Persian,
and particularly to the Sufi mystic, there must always
be a "veil" before the outer and vulgar meaning of
the verses, which veil must be pulled aside by the elect
before they may see the beauties which lie behind the
covering — the vulgar see nothing but the painted veil
with its gross, sensual figures appearing thereon,
which veil is boldly pulled aside by those who Under-

220 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

stand, and who would see the truth Behind the Veil.
This symbolism is based upon the Ecstasy of the
Recognition of the % God Within — the Presence of the
Indwelling Spirit. And accordingly, "The Embrace"
means the ecstasy of the conscious Union with Di-
vinity ; the "Wedding" the entrance into the Knowl-
edge; the "Wine" the Sufi Mystical Teachings; the
"Vine" and the "Grape" the source of the "Wine,"
hence "Sufiism" ; the "Tavern" the Temple or Sufi se-
cret "lodge of instruction" ; the "Beloved" is the sym-
bol for "The All-Good," or God; and the "lover" is
always the Sufi gazing at his Beloved; — the term
"the Beloved Damsel" is often used as a cloak for the
Divine One, in the setfse of being the object of the
ardent love of the "Lover," or Sufi; and the terms
the "Red Rose" which is beloved by the "Nightin-
gale," are used in the same sense of beloved and the
lover. Many Western writers have considered this
symbology far-fetched, and have preferred to read
nothing but sensualism and bacchanalian rioting in
the verse of the inspired poets of Persia, but the Sufis
know better, and a careful reading will disclose the
hidden meaning — will pull aside the veil. For in-
stance, read the apparently riotous verses of the "Ru-
baiyat" with the above interpretation, and see if it
does not agree with the Inner Teachings:

"And David's lips are lockt; but in divine

High-piping Pehlevi, with 'Wine! Wine! Wine!
Bed Wine!' — the Nightingale cries to the Rose
That sallow cheek of hers t' incarnadine."

\

SUFIISM. 221

"A Book of Verses underneath the Bough,

A Jug of Wine, a Loaf of Bread — and Thou
Beside me singing in the Wilderness —
Oh, Wilderness were Paradise enow!"

"You know, my Friends, with what a brave Carouse
I made a Second Marriage in my house;
Divorced old barren Beason from my Bed,

And took the Daughter of the Vine to Spouse."
* * « * « «'« *

"And lately, by the Tavern Door agape,

Came shining through the Dusk an Angel Shape
Bearing a vessel on his shoulder; and
He bid me taste of it ; and t 'was — the Grape ! ' '

********

' ' The Grape that can with Logic absolute

The Two-and-Seventy jarring Sects confute:
The sovereign Alchemist that in a trice

Life 's leaden metal into Gold transmute. ' '
********

"And much as Wine has play'd the Infidel,

And robb'd me of my Robe of Honour — Well
I wonder often what the Vintners buy

One-half so precious as the stuff they sell."
********

"Before the phantom of False morning died,
Methought a voice within the Tavern cried,
'When all the Temple is prepared within,

Why nods the drowsy Worshipper outside f "
********

"Come, fill the Cup, and in the fire of Spring
Tour Winter-garment of Repentance fling;
The Bird of Time has but a little way
To flutter— and the Bird is on the Wing. ' 9

So much for old Omar and his Wine, and Tavern,
and Spouse, and Roses — how different it all seems
when one has the key! How uiany of us can voice
with him his praise of the "Wine" which intoxicates
the soul with the Bliss Ineffable ! How much the old
Sufi, Omar, resembles Spinoza, whom people have

222 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

called: "the God-intoxicated philosopher"! How
much is the Sufi like the ecstatic Hindu Bhakti Yogi,
filled with the Wine of Spirit, who fills the air with
his rapturous cries of : "Oh, my Beloved — my Beloved
One !" You who think that this is a mere coincidence,
and that old Omar is still a materialistic, cynical,
skeptical, old wine-bibber and libertine epicurean —
wait a while, until you learn "The Secret of Omar"
The Sufi philosophy is very simple. There is very
little more to it than the fundamental principles we
have already stated. The Sufis do not concern them-
selves with hair-splitting metaphysical discussions re-
garding the "How" phase of the universe — enough
for them to know that God is, and that His Reflection
and Image is in themselves — they hold that in this
realization there is "a knowing of That, which when
once known causes all to be known." They believe
in Reincarnation, and have some vague teachings re-
garding States of Rest, in Heavens and Hells, be-
tween Incarnations, but some of the advanced Sufis
pay but little attention to these teachings, deeming
them at the best but discussions of inferior phases of
existence but little above or below the earthly life —
holding that there is but one life looking forward to
—Union with God. Some of these advanced thinkers,
in their writings and verses, speak of the highest
heavens of their brethren as "those petty villages,
filled with hovels, called Heavens — at which we will
tarry not, but shall hasten on to the Mansion of our
Beloved One, wherein our Wedding Feast is await-

SUFIISM. 223

ing us, and our Nuptial Couch is spread with the finest
silks and most costly adornments — wherefore shall we
dally with the petty villages and the hovel-like rest-
ing places" ; and again : "What terror shall the low-
est Hell have for him who knows that eventually,
yea, even at the end of many aeons, he shall be clasped
in his Beloved's arms? — 'tis but a foul nightmare fan-
tasy, and awakening the Lover shall find his Beloved
gazing longing into his eyes." Surely, heaven can
hold no reward, nor hell any punishment, for souls like
these.

The general philosophy may be summed up as fol-
lows: God is Pure Being — the Necessarily Existent
(Wajibul-wujud) — the Absolute Good (Khayr-imahz)
— the Absolute Beautiful. In His aspect of the Abso-
lute Beautiful, He desired to witness Himself in re-
flection — wished to realize His own beautiful nature
and being — and so caused His divine image to fall
on the mirror. of "not-reality" (adam), the reflection
thus caused being the cause of the phenomenal world,
or "appearance of Being" (itnkan), which reveals the
divine image of the Creator but does not partake of
His Substantial Being, and which is, on the contrary,
in truth but a phantasy and an illusion. Man is the
Eye of the phenomenal world, when he is able to see
God as the One and Only Reality behind the phe-
nomenal universe of appearances ; and to see the illu-
sory nature of the latter; then he is able to escape
from the bondage of the shadow-world — the phantas-
magoria of the world — and attain absorption in the

224 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

Divine (fana fillah). By the study of the Mystic
Teachings (shariat), and the following of the Mystic
Path (tariqat), the mystic student and Seeker of Truth
arrives at his goal, and sees and realizes the Truth
(haqiqat). Evil is held to be but a negation of Good,
and therefore has no real being. "There is no abso-
lute Evil in the Universe — Evil is but relative," says
the old Sufi mystic Jalalud-Din Rumi.

There is little or no doctrine or dogma in Sufiism
— it is taken up with statement of the existence of
the Lord, and his abiding Spirit within the soul, and
with instruction whereby one may plant his feet
firmly on The Path that leadeth to Paradise. The
whole aim is toward Union with God, in which there
are two stages, viz., ( I ) the Recognition of the Union
in consciousness, during earth-life, by means of Spir-
itual Consciousness, Ecstasy, or Illumination; and (2)
the final and complete Union with God, in which the
individual Spirit returns to the bosom of the Great
Ocean of Spirit and loses itself in the One — or as the
Buddhists put it, "the dew-drop slides into the shin-
ing sea." The first stage is akin to the Hindu Sa-
madhi, the higher phases approaching Nirvana; while
the second stage is akin to the Buddhist Para-Nir-
vana, or Complete Absorption. There are but two
Truths known to the Sufi — (1) The One; and (2)
the Way to the One. The first is called "Ahad"—
the second "Tariqat."

The first Truth (ahad) is that which we have stated,
that there is naught but God in Reality — that

SUFIISM. 225

all is delusion and illusion, un-truth, a phantasma-
goric puppet-show, operated by "the Master of the
Show," so long as it pleases his fancy to allow it to
remain in his view — God made the Universe as a
passing show, because: "I was a Hidden Treasure,
and I wished to be known, so I created The Universe
that I might be known, and know that I am known,"
— God is not only Absolute Being, but also Absolute
Truth, Absolute Love, and Absolute Beauty. The
Second Truth (tariqat) or the Way to the One, is
akin to the Hindu teachings on the subject. In-
structed by his "Pit" teacher, or Guru, the disciple
ascends the Steps of the Ladder of God, discarding
his material ideas, desires, tastes and attachments —
freeing himself from illusion — regenerating himself
anew, and sanctifying himself by devotion, contempla-
tion, meditation, and right thinking and right living.
There are many mystic practices familiar, to Hindu,
Ancient Greece, and some of the Modern Western
cults and mystic orders— dances there are, rhythmic
and graceful motions accompanied by chants — "si-
lences" there are also, in which the soul may enjoy
mystic communion with higher planes of being— ec-
static states are frequent, and Cosmic-Consciousness
frequent among the higher students.

The Sufis hold that man is miniature God, in rela-
tion to his body, which is his miniature universe — x
hence the statement of the authorities that Sufiism
teaches that Man is both, and at the same time, a
Microtheos, and a Microcosmos. They hold that there

226 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

are Five Planes of Being, namely: (i) The Absolute
Invisible; (2) The Relatively Invisible; (3) The
Plane of Similitudes; (4) the Plane of Visibility;
and (5) the Plane ef Below- Visibility. These Planes
are sometimes roughly classified as "The Three
Planes," styled, respectively, the Invisible; the Inter-
mediate ; and the Visible. The uneducated and simple
followers after the advanced teachers, speak of but
"Two Planes," the Visible and the Invisible, respect-
ively, so that there seems to be an esoteric as well
as an exoteric doctrine concerning these planes. But,
this is not all — the most advanced speak of a Plane
vastly higher than even the Absolute Invisible, which
they speak of as above words or thought, and which
one authority has compared to Dante's "Spaceless Em-
pyrean." The Spirit, or as some call it "the soul" is
of course conceived of as immortal and pre-existent,
i\ the sense that before it started on its round of in-
carnations it was in the Bosom of God. It is held
to retain a memory of its former blissful state, and
the natural appreciation for Beauty is held to be due
to a faint recollection of the Beauty of the Spiritual
Existence in the One. The Universe, as we have
said, was conceived of as a panoramic phantasmagoria,
the scenes and actors constantly changing, making
their appearance, playing their part, and passing off
the scene. Man's Spirit was an emanation of God,
and his body was but an incidental covering, created
for the purposes of the show-world, and therefore
of but little value except as a part of the play. Fate

SUFIISM. 227

and Destiny are the directions of the Divine Stage
Manager — the Divine Purpose and Will, which may
not be avoided or disobeyed. But the Spirit was al-
ways homesick, repining, and longing to be reunited
with its Beloved. As Avicenna, the Sufi poet hath
sung in his great poem on the mourning soul, seeking
its Beloved:

"Lo, it was hurled
'Midst the sign posts and ruined abodes of this blessed world.
It weeps, when it thinks of its home and the peace it possessed,
With tears welling forth from its eyes without pausing or rest,
And with plaintive mourning it broodeth like one bereft
O'er such trace of its home as the fourfold winds have left."

Strictly speaking then, Sufiism is the Philosophy of
Oneness — of all-Godness, in the strictest sense of the
word. And Sufism, as a religion, is the Religion of
the Love Qf God, in the strictest sense of the term.
Even the most radical and advanced Vedantist can
conceive of no more absolute Godness, than the Sufi;
and even the love-stricken Bhakti Yogi of India can
claim no more "divine love-sickness" than the Sufi.
And therefore Sufiism is Love-of-God in its most ac-
tive form — therefore let us consider this Love-of-God
and the Sufi expression of it, in verse and action, and
in connection with the Hindu Bhakti Yoga.

It is difficult for the Western mind to understand
the Oriental conception and expression of the "Love-
of-God" of which we find many references in the
Hindu and Persian poems, hymns, and epics. The
Western mind recognizes a quiet and repressed ex-
pression of the love of the creature toward the Creator,
which expression seldom goes beyond a quiet earnest

228 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

expression of the love of the child toward the Father.
In some cases the expression of love toward the
Christ and Savior is expressed with rather more fer-
vor and human feeling, and terms such as "the Be-
loved" are not uncommon in this connection. Some
Western religious writers have even hinted, in poeti-
cal form, of the relationship of the Creator and crea-
ture as the love of the Mother for the babe, etc., but
even such instances are rare. It is true that under
the excitement, ardor and fervor of the old-time re-
vivals, we often heard ecstatic and passionate expres-
sions of love of God, which, at times, faintly ap-
proached the Oriental form of expression, but even
this extreme voicing of the feeling seems to be dying
out.

But in the Eastern lands it is quite different — the
warm, poetical natures of the people express them-
selves in the use of the most ardent terms of endear-
ment addressed to Deity, and (to the Western mind)
the most extravagant forms of expression of the Di-
vine Relationship are freely indulged in. The Bhakti
Yogis of India — and the majority of the followers of
the religious creeds profess this form of Yoga — make
the expression of this Love-of-God one of their prin-
cipal religious ceremonies and duties. On all sides
are heard the voices of the faithful raised in prayers
and praise of Deity, in which the most endearing
terms are used. It is quite frequent for the Hindu
Krishna-Vaishnava Bhakti to address his Lord as "Be-
loved; Darling; Sweetheart; Precious One; Light

SUFIISM. 229

of my Heart; Beautiful One; Being of Rapturous
Bliss," etc., etc. Some who find a nearness in con-
sidering the Lord in the aspect of Mother-Love (not
uncommon in Eastern countries) are heard -addressing
prayers to "My Blessed Mother Divine," with refer-
ences to the "Divine Breasts which have ever suckled
thy Ijifant," and so on. Instances are common in
which Hindu women, whose conception of the great-
est love was that of the mother-love toward the child,
are found in rapturous devotion before the picture of
the Infant Krishna, addressing the Deity as "Oh ! my
Beloved Baby — My Darling Infant — Thou whom I
suckle at my breast forever and always," etc., etc.
And Western travelers in India, who have had some
of the religious prayers and ecstatic addresses trans-
lated for them, are shocked to hear the terms of ardent
endearment, usually applied in cases of intense love
between man and woman, being used in addressing the
Deity. To the Oriental, God is not only a Father, but
is also a Mother, a Brother, a Sister, a Child, a
Friend, a Husband, a Wife, a Sweetheart, a Lover —
in fact, to him the Lord answers every worthy and
pure human cry for love and affection, and responds
to it by a return of the love — to him every human love
relation (of a pure kind) has its transcendental coun-
terpart and pattern in the Divine, and he feels no
hesitancy in calling upon his Lord giving and asking
Love. In the West, this idea is confined. to religious
poetry, and even there is repressed and merely hinted
at, but in the East it is expressed freely and without

230 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

restraint. An^, the Western student of Oriental re-
ligions must acquaint himself with this fact, else he
will fail utterly in his reading of the Oriental forms
of thought and religious expression.

Particularly is the above true of the Persian Sufi
poets. Even more ardent and unrestrained than the
Hindu Bhaktis, the Persian Sufis express their love
for the One in poems in which (following the univer-
sal custom of their land and cult) there is always
the "Inner and Hidden Meaning/' so that behind the
passionate poem to the "Beloved Damsel," there ap-
pears the Sufi endearment of the One. Just as behind
the "wine, wine, wine!" of Omar Khayyam, appears
the Sufi doctrines and thought, so in the other Persian
poets the "Love of the One" appears behind the "Love
of the Bright-eyed Damsel," and the "Rose Garden,"
and the "Nightingale and Rose" of the erotic Per-
sian love-song. Many Western writers doubt this,
and laugh at the attempt to read Divine Ecstasy be-
tween the lines of some burning love stanzas of the
Persian poets, but all who have studied Persian litera-
ture, and Persian Sufi philosophy and religion, at the
same time, agree upon the facts of the case, as above
stated. Misunderstood, the Sufi poems must seem
indeed like a blasphemous mingling of sensuality and
religion, so that one can scarcely blame writers like
the Rev. W. R. Inge, who states that "The Sufis, or
Mahommedan Mystics, use erotic language very freely
and appear like true Asiatics, to have attempted to
give a sacramental or symbolic character to the in-

SUFIISM. 23I

diligence of their passions." The Rev. Inge also ac-
cuses the Sufis of being most shocking and blasphe-
mous, but his idea of shocking blasphemy may be un-
derstood when it is remembered that he blames Emer-
son with "playing with pantheistic Mysticism of the
Oriental type," and accuses him of resembling the
Persian Sufis in some respects. He merely lacked
the crystal-spectacles of Understanding, when he read
the Persian poems — that is all.

Let us quote you from some of these "shocking
and blasphemous" erotic Persian poets — these God-
drunken souls, using the poetical imagery of theft*
land to express that which was the love of the All-
Good; All-Beautiful, to them. The following lines
are from the poems of Jalalud-Din Rumi, one of the
greatest of the Sufi poets:

<<,

Our Journey is to the Kose-Garden of Union. ' '

"Come! Come! Thou art the Soul, the Soul so dear, revolv-
ing!
Come! Come! Thou art the Cedar, the Cedar's Spear, re-
volving!
Oh, comet The well of Light up-bubbling springs;
And Morning Stars exult, in Gladness sheer, revolving!"

"Iain silent. Speak Thou, Soul of Soul of Soul,
From desire of whose Face every atom grew articulate."

"Give my heart-babe milk, relieve us from its weeping,
O Thou that helpest, every moment a hundred helpless like me.
Thy heart's home, first to last, is Thy City of Union:
How long wilt Thou keep in exile this heart forlorn!"

"The Prince of the Fair goes proudly forth to the chase at
morning;

232 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

May our hearts fall a prey to the arrow of His glance!
From His eye what messages are passing continually to mine!
May my eyes be gladdened and filled with intoxication by His
Message I 9 '

« » « • « • • •

"My body is like the moon which is melting for Love,
My heart like Zuhra's lute — may its strings be broken 1
Look not on the moon's waning nor on Zuhra's broken state:
Behold the sweetness of his affection — may it wax a thou-
sandfold I"

"What a Bride is in the Soul! By the reflection of her face
May the world be freshened and coloured like the faces of the
newly •married ! ' '

"Eternal Life, methinks, is the time of Union,
Because Time, for me, hath no place there.
Life is the vessels, Union the clear draught in them;
Without Thee what does the pain of the vessels avail me?"

"Show me Thy face, for I desire the orchard and the rose-
garden;
Ope thy lips, for I desire sugar in plenty:
O sun, show forth Thy face from the veil of cloud,
For I desire that radiant glowing countenance."

"The souls love-moved are circling on,

Like streams to their great Ocean King.
Thou art the Sun of all men's thoughts;

Thy kisses are the flowers of spring.
The dawn is pale from yearning Love;

The moon in tears is sorrowing.
Thou art the Bose, and deep for Thee,

In sighs, the Nightingales still sing."

"I, All-in- All becoming, now clear see God in All;

And up from Union yearning, takes flight the cry of Love ! ' '

* * » « • «■• •

"On that his wedding-night, in the presence of his bride,
His pure soul attained to kiss her hands.
Love and mistress are both veiled and hidden.

Impute it not a fault if I call him 'Bride.' "

• * * • • « » «

SUFIISM. 233

"The sect of lovers is distinct from all. others,
Lovers have a religion and a faith of their own.
Though the ruby has no stamp, what matters itt
Love is fearless in the midst of the sea of fear. ' '

"The love of the Soul is for Life and Living One,
Because its origin is the Soul not bound to place."

"Eternal Life is gained by utter abandonment of one's own

life.
When God appears to His ardent Lover, the Lover is absorbed

in Him,
And not so much as a hair of the Lover remains.
True lovers are as shadows, and when the sun shines in glory
The shadows vanish away.
He is a true lover to God to whom God says:
1 1 am thine, and thou art Mine \' "

"When one has attained Union with God he has no need of
intermediaries. ' '

"Earthly forms are only shadows of the Sun of Truth — a
cradle for babes, but too small to hold those who have grown
to spiritual manhood."

«

"By Thy grace I keep fixed on Eternity my amorous gaze."

The poet from whose verses we have above made a
few quotations, when quite a young man, once advised
singing and dancing at the funeral of a friend. When
remonstrated with by the horror-stricken and indig-
nant mourners, he replied : "When the human spirit,
after years of confinement in the cage and dungeon
of the body, is at length set free, and wings its flight
to the Source whence it came — is not this an occasion
for rejoicing, thanks, and dancing?"

Jami, another Sufi poet, hath sung of the Divine
Love of the Divine :

234 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

"Gaze, till Gazing out of Gazing, grew to Being Her I gaze

upon,
* She and I no more, but in One Undivided Being blended.
All that is not One must ever suffer with the Wound of

Absence;
And whoever in Love's City enters, finds but Boom for One,
And but in Oneness, Union. "

Omar Khayyam, whose "Rubaiyat" is well known
in the West by reason of the popularity of Fitzgerald's
translation, had much to say of Love, the Beloved
and the Lover, but beyond the few verses quoted by
us in the first part of the lesson, Fitzgerald gives us
but few touching upon this subject, leaving the bal-
ance untranslated and unused, seemingly preferring
to give prominence to those using the figurative sym-
bols of "the Wine." But still Fitzgerald included
many showing that old Omar understood the doctrine,
and taught the philosophy. The following quotations
will show this:

"Some for the Glories of this World; and some
Sigh for the Prophet's Paradise to come;
Ah, take the Gash, and let the Credit go,
Nor heed the rumble of a distant Drum."

(In the above quatrain Omar classed alike the
Earthly Glory and the Heavenly Glory, both being
impermanent — he bids hold fast to the Realization
of the Oneness, heeding not the future planes, or
states, which are merely another form of imperma-
nence.)

"Into this Universe, and 'Why 9 not knowing
Nor * Whence,' like Water willy-nilly flowing;
And out of it, as Wind along the Waste,
I know not 'Whither,' willy-nilly blowing.'

SUFIISM. 235

"What, without asking, hither hurried 'Whence! '
And, without asking, 'Whither' hurried hence!
Oh, many a cup of this forbidden Wine
Must drown the memory of that insolence!"

' ' Then of the thee in Me who works behind
The Veil, I lifted up my hands to find
A lamp amid the Darkness; and I heard,
As from without— 'The me within Thee blind.' "

"And then the Tulpi for her morning sup

Of Heavenly Vintage from the soil looks up,
Do you devoutly do the like, till Heav'n
To Earth invert you — like an empty cup.

"Perplext no more with Human or Divine,
Tomorrow 's tangle to the winds resign,
And lose your fingers in the tresses of
The Cypress-slender Minister of Wine.

"And if the Wine you drink, the Lip you press,
End in what All begins and ends in — Yes;
Think then you are Today what Yesterday
You were — Tomorrow you shall not be less.

"So when the Angel of the darker Drink
At last shall find you by the river -brink,
And, offering his Cup, invito your Soul
Forth to your Lips to quaff — you shall not shrink. 1 '

"And fear not lest Existence closing your

Account, and mine, should know the like no more;
The eternal Saki from that Bowl has poured
Millions of Bubbles like us, and will pour."

"Whose secret Presence, through Creation's veins
Running Quicksilver — like eludes your pains;
Taking all shapes from Mdh to Mahi; and
They change and perish all — but HE remains;

"A moment guessed — then back behind the Fold
Immerst of Darkness round the Drama roll'd
Which, for the pastime of Eternity,
He doth Himself contrive, enact, behold."

236 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

1 ' We are no other than a moving row

Of Magic Shadow — shapes that come and go
Bound with the Sun — illumined Lantern held
In Midnight by the Master of the Show;

' ' But helpless Pieces of the Game He plays

Upon his Chequer-board of Nights and Days:
Hither and Thither moves, and checks, and slays,
And one by one back in the Closet lays.

"The Ball no question makes of Ayes and Noes,
But Here or There as strikes the Player goes;
And He that tossed you down into the Field,
He knows about it all — He knows — HE Knows!"

"And this I know: whether the One True Light
Kindle to Love, or Wrath-consume me quite,
One flash of It within the Tavern caught
Better than in the Temple lost outright."

This is a glimpse of old Omar, with his Love and
Sorrow so closely intermingled — his Trust and his be-
lief in Fate twin-like sharing his soul. His distrust
of the speculations of the philosophers causing him to
ever seek the Wine of the Sufi teachings which lead
to God-intoxication. Life to him was but the "Game
He plays upon the Chequer-board of Nights and Days"
— the Release coming only from "the Grape, the
Grape !"

And this, then, is a glimpse into the flower-scented
land of Persian Sufiism — we trust that the flowers
that we have plucked from its Rose-Garden will not
have withered by the time they reach you. And we
trust that the thorn on the stem may not prevent your
seeing the beauty of the flower — nor the distance
prevent your hearing the thrill of the Nightingale.

We shall not attempt to point out wherein the Sufi

SUFIISM. 237

Teachings agree with those of the Inner Teachings
of the Yogi Philosophy — nor wherein they disagree.
You who have studied both should be able to make
the comparison without trouble — to point out the
place at which Sufiism emerges from the common
Thought-branch, and also the direction in which it
grows away from our own stem of Truth. You
should be able to analyze the Sufi conception, sepa-
rating its glorious perception of the Ever-Effulgent
One, and its expression of Love for Him, from the
fatal touch of Pessimism, Fatalism, and Belief in the
"Show World" in which all is but scenery moved by
— and puppets on strings pulled by — "The Master of
The Show." Instead you should be able to see the
Universe as an ever-evolving manifestation of the One
Life, under the control of the One Will, and under
the direction of the One Mind — and animated by the
One Spirit ; moving on to greater and greater heights
and expression, in accordance with the Divine Plan.
What that Purpose of that Plan is neither Omar nor
ourselves know — and both must content ourselves with
the answer: "He Knows— HE KNOWS!"

SPECIAL MESSAGE VIII.

By Yogi Ramacharaka.

For this month, we invite 70a to listen to the following strains borne
from afar, coming from the harps of Spiritual Truth sounded by the
trained fingers of the Hindu Sages:

"The Truth embraces all real consciousness, and in embracing all
it unites the doer and the deed and the witness of the deed; the actor
and the act and the witness of the act; the thinker and the thought
and the thing thought of; the living and the life and the witnesses and
incidents of the life. As the lamp of the theatre embraces in its rays
the audience, the actors, the theatre, and the stage, each and all alike,
in one sweep of its light; and as it continues to shed its light when all
have departed from the stage and the seats; so is Truth as related to
the universe."

"The Seer of thy sight thou shalt not see; the Hearer of thy
hearings thou shalt not hear; the Thinker of thy thoughts thou shalt
not think; the Knower of thy knowledge thou shalt not know; nay, not
until thou hast transcended these mortal things, and risen to a knowl-
edge that Thou art THAT."

ttt

'Thou art thy Real Self, in Truth, All-pervading, ALL — everything
else is mortal, illusion, naught, untruth."

"Truth is the unseen Seer; the unheard Hearer; the unthought
Thinker; the unknown Knower. Besides Truth there is no other Seer;
no other Hearer; no other Thinker; no other Knower. Truth is THAT,
thy Real Self, ever immortal, ever in being, omnipresent, omnipotent,
omniscient — all besides is mortal and unreal."

"Know ye onet Know ye all! The All is One; the one is All. In
the Beginning of Beginninglessness, there was but One. At the End of
Endlessness, there is but One. And Beginning and End are One and
the Same, and both are Not. Truth is All that is, has ever been, and
ever will be."

"Brahma, Indra, Prajapati, and all the lesser gods, the five elements,
and all that breathes or moves about, or flies above, or stands stead-
fast and unmoved, exist through Thought, depend upon Thought, are held
in Thought — the Thought of the One. Otherwise they are not— but the
One depends upon Nothing, not even upon Thought, for All, and Thought,
emanate from It."

Our Meditation for the coming month is:

"TRUTH IS EVER-ABIDING WITHIN. HE WHO REALIZES
THIS TRUTH BECOMES MASTER OP HIS LIFE."

THE NINTH LESSON.

The Religions of India.
(Parti.)

India has ever been the Land of Religions. From
her sources have emerged the streams th&t have trav-
eled to far and distant lands, there to be known by
other names, the original source having been lost
sight of, or else denied when men have tried to trace
the connection and relationship. Modern research
along the lines of Comparative Religions has explored
the long rivers of Religious Conceptions, and there
are but few of the great rivers of the dominant relig-
ious conceptions that are not known to have their
origin in some conception of a Hindu mind centuries
back. Even as in some cases, where the river of
thought seems to emerge suddenly from the ground,
springing from some unknown depths and apparently
furnishing an exception to the rule of original source
— even in such cases, careful research will show that
still further back some river of Hindu thought has
disappeared in an underground cave, thence wending
its way onward, silently and unobserved, only to
emerge into new activity at some far different point,
where it is given a new name, only an analysis of its
waters and a careful study of directions and geologi-
cal formation giving the earnest investigator the clue.

The various philosophies, of which the principal
ones compose the Six Great Systems of India, are
based upon the Fundamental Philosophy of which
we have spoken at length in the Second Lesson and as

239

240 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

we have seen in the subsequent lessons. And these
six philosophies, with their subdivisions, penetrate
every form of religion in India, some favoring one
school, and some another, while some are quite eclec-
tic and choosing from each that which appeals to
them — and all are regarded as but different interpre-
tations of the Fundamental Philosophy. So, you see,
there is an astonishing Oneness about Hindu Philoso-
phy, Religion, and Thought, which is understandable
only in view of the common origin and root of them
all, as well as the fundamental principle of that upon
which they all unite. The work of the Early Fathers
was well done — it has lasted through fifty centuries,
and in spite of countless division and subdivision of
thought — it is Basic — it is Fundamental — it is Ele-
mental Philosophy.

In India it always has been thought that Truth
could never be harmed by adverse criticism and ex-
amination, argument, debate or discussion, and con-
sequently, the people of that land have always wel-
comed the teachers of new philosophies and religions
among them, provided that the missionaries or re-
formers were filled with the spirit of toleration and re-
spect for the opinions and beliefs of others. Re-
ligious persecution in India has been almost unknown,
and even unto this day the average Hindu relishes
nothing better than a philosophical, metaphysical or
theological discussion with some one opposed to him
in doctrine. In the smallest villages, the people will
gather around teachers, and listen to discussions

THE RELIGIONS OF INDIA. 24 1

of points of belief and doctrine, and will
eagerly flock to listen to some new teacher
who boldly and vigorously attacks the prevailing
views. But there seems to be no desire to crush out
or to smother the voice of the new teachers. There
is an intuitive sense which has taught this age-old
race that these differences are merely different points
of view, and but varying interpretations of some great
fundamental truths underlying the many doctrines.
A favorite aphorism in India is : "The Truth is One
— men call it by many names."

And, so, side by side, in India, we find representa-
tives of the Six Great Systems of Philosophy, with
their sub-divisions; also representatives of the count*
less religious sects and cults, with their hair-splitting
points of doctrinal, difference ; also the schools of the
agnostics, or those who hold that Truth is Unknow-
able; the Skeptics whose business it is to deny and
refute all that the others claim, without offering any
theory of interpretation of their own ; also the school
of Charvakas or Materialists, whose teachings are
akin to those of the Western Materialistic school ; also
representatives of the Buddhists, who are dying out
in central India, but who have some ten millions of
followers in Burmah and adjacent sections, and a
number in the Himalayas and Thibet; and all re-
specting the opinions of the others, and not attempt-
ing to interfere with them or to restrain their activi-
ties. India has never offered the religious reformer
or heretic the stake; the scaffold; the cross; the

242 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

dungeon; as the reward for his energy. While the
Mohammedans proselyted by the sword and spear, and
destroyed their enemies as the grasshoppers destroy
the fields of grain before them — while Christianity,
contrary to the teachings of The Master who founded
it, punished heresy and schism by the most cruel
methods and practices, even to-day in Western lands
there being boards of Heresy-Hunters in the churches,
and punishers of unbelievers and infidels among the
people — "heathen" India has maintained perfect free-
dom of religious conscience and worship throughout
all the many centuries of her history, and has always
met the new-comer, not with sword, fire or gibbet,
but with argument, free-discussion, and earnest
thought, friendly rivalry, and striving for success in
gaining followers.

Among the Hindus the words "Hinduism," and
"Brahminism" are never used in connection with their
Universal Religion, in its many forms. The word
"Hindu" was applied to the people of India by the
Persians and Greeks, the term having its origin in
the name of the "Sindu" or "Indus" River. The na-
tives of India called themselves Aryans, or Aryas, the
name of their original race. They also resent the
term "Brahminism," which was given to their relig-
ious system by the missionaries, who held that it was
the religion of the "Brahmins" or native priests, while
the Hindus claim that it existed long before the days
of priests and was divine in its origin, having no
founder, no special creed, and no central ecclesiastical

THE RELIGIONS OF INDIA. 243

authority. Among the Hindus their Universal Re-
ligion is known as either the "Arya-Dharma" or
"Aryan System" ; or else the "Sanatana Dharma" or
"Eternal System" — the term "Sanatana" being the
common term for the system.

The Sanatana is most universal and catholic in its
views, and allows countless opposing sects to take
shelter under its tents, and to participate in the wor-
ship of its temples. It is no uncommon thing to see
followers of a dozen or more sects engaged in com-
mon worship in the temples or holy-places. The gen-
eral feeling among the Hindus is that they are all
worshiping the same Infinite Reality under some
form or symbol, and consequently there is an ab-
sence of that fierce strife and rivalry that is so de-
plorable in other lands both East and West. So long
as the individual accepts the Vedas as the Divine
Source of Truth, and does not dispute the Fundamen-
tal Principles, he is welcomed as a brother-in-religion,
and is given the "right-hand of fellowship." The
Buddhists and Jains, however, while not persecuted,
are looked upon as outsiders, and the Mahommedan is,
of course, a "stranger to the Faith," and the Christian
is regarded as a well-meaning (if he really happens
to be so) follower of an "unscientific faith" erected
on the original pure teachings of Jesus the Christ, for
whom all educated Hindus have a profound respect,
deeming Him to have been a great Spiritual Master,
and an Illumined Sou!. They also regard Buddha as
an Avatar or Deity, but deplore Buddhism, which

244 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

they claim is the degenerated form of Gautama's orig-
inal teachings. The Jews are respected, but are held
to have but little in common with the Hindu faiths,
by reason of the narrow claim that Jehovah was the
Deity of only one race of "Chosen People" — a Race-
God, rather than an Universal Divinity. The Parsees
are Zoroastrians and Fire Worshipers, and have little

in common with the Hindus.

* * * * *

It is interesting to trace the rise and progress of
the Sanatana, or "Eternal Religion" from the earliest
writings. The early Vedas show a peculiar dual-
aspect, inasmuch as while there is always an under-
current of Monism or Pantheism — that is, the belief
that there is but One all in All, still there was always
the outer teaching of a something like Nature- Wor-
ship, with its countless personifications and polythe-
ism. While there was ever the influence of an over-
shadowing one brooding over All, still there was at
the same time the mythology of the nature-gods and
entities that always mark a certain stage in the re-
ligious development of a race. The careful student
deduces from this that while the knowledge of the
Inner Teachings was with the race, having been in-
herited from the former civilization from which the
Aryan Race sprung, still that Inner Teaching was in
the hands of the Few, and that the Many were not
as yet ready to receive the teachings in their purity.
And so the masses were indulged in their Nature-
Worship, and their minor deities and mythology, the

THE RELIGIONS OF INDIA. 245

Few endeavoring to get a knowledge of the Truth
into the minds of the people through kindergarten
methods, symbols, — by reflection, as it were. But
still there was always noticeable a gradual and steady
inclination toward the Teachings regarding the one.

Even in the early hymns of the Rig Veda, there are
to be found numerous references to a Something that
is above even the gods — a God of gods, as it were,
without any attempt at explanation or speculation, but
merely the beginning of a suggestion to the people
that there was something beyond their mythology —
some Universal Something from which all things, even
their gods, proceeded.

The ancient Aryans were a joyful, happy, playful
lot of Pagans, in their everyday life, resembling the
early Greeks. They revelled in the joy Of living,
"eating, drinking, and making merry," and endeavor-
ing to extract the greatest joy from each passing mo-
ment — not as the result of Hedonistic reasoning, but
out of the sheer animal joy of living. Their gods
were like the mythological deities of the early Greeks,
very much like themselves, and not requiring very
much thought on the part of their worshipers, nor
a special code of conduct or ethical hair-splittings —
a little matter of sacrifices settling the matter and ful-
filling the requirements. This coupled with the usual
requirements of the rulers, and the observance of
primitive social duties, was about all there was to it.

But gradually there appears an awakening sense of
responsibility regarding a future state depending upon

246 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

the present, in place of the return to Life by Metem-
psychosis that had been the original future life. The
idea of and Inexorable Law of Karma crept into the
field of religious thought, coming doubtless from the
teachers who dealt out the old truths in tiny bits,
easily assimilated by the people. Then came the talk
of Samsara, or the Cycle of Existences that was not a
thing of joy, but an evil thing occurring to the race,
placed upon it in some mysterious way. Life began
to be regarded as "a barren vale between the peaks
of two eternities" filled with pain, and grief, and woe,
and from which escape was most desirable. Thus en-
tered that sad, pessimistic minor note that has ever
stayed with the Hindus, in their philosophical and
religious thought, and which was so different from
their former Paganism, which resembled the Greek
conception of life and existence — death and re-birth.
Some strong teacher had directed the Hindu face
toward the Pessimistic side of the shield, and it was
so fascinated and horrified by the sight that it was un-
able to withdraw its eyes, and failed to perceive the
reverse side of Truth, which showed the aspect of
Optimism. Students have suspected that some foreign
influence caused this sudden change of the race-
thought, but others have attributed it to some great
teacher unloosing some hitherto concealed fragment
of the Secret Doctrine of the Fathers, to a race not
yet quite ready to receive it, nor to understand it in
its true relations.
It was not the idea of Metempsychosis that so

THE RELIGIONS OF INDIA. 247

changed the race-nature of these early people, who had
always believed in Re-birth, but the undue emphasis
laid upon the Law of Karma, that oppressed them.
Samsara was pictured to them as a terrible cosmic
mechanism, resulting from Ignorance or Mistake of
some kind on the part of The-Powers-That-Be, and
into the wheels of which the race was caught and
entangled almost beyond the possibility of escape.
Particularly was this the case with the idea of the
accused bad Karma, which was not possible of ex-
haustion in the present life, but which would remain
over as "unused-Xarma" — as an unpaid debt — and
which would entail effects which would serve as a
nucleus for new Karma, and so on, and on, binding
the soul to the Wheel of Causation, or Samsara for-
ever and ever, with only the shred of a chance to
escape.

This doctrine in all of its unrelieved severity was
poured out to this primitive people, as yet unprepared
to consider it philosophically or to weed out the "half-
truths" which appeared among its blossoms. To them
it was the grim Law, as terrible as was the Law of
Causation as stated many centuries afterward by Gau-
tama Buddha, which again held the race to this side
of the shield of Truth. There was no escape from
the Law — "as among a thousand cows a calf finds
its mother, so does the previously done deed follow
after the doer thereof," says the writings. The root
of the teachings regarding Desire, which afterward
was re-taught by Gautama, is found in these early

248 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

teachings. Desire was the Root of Evil. And Desire
was held to have sprung from Avidya, or Ignorance,
which was the Seed of Evil. And so Samsara, or the
Cycle of Existences, was thought to have arisen from
Avidya, or Ignorance, which had crept upon the all,
and overshadowed its Wisdom. This was the begin-
ning of the Hindu conception of Maya, or the Illusory
Cause of the Phenomenal Universe. And, then came
the other teaching that by Vidya, or Wisdom, the
chains of Samsara could be destroyed. And so the
race began to take life very seriously, and to en-
deavor to attain Wisdom, in order to escape Samsara,
Van Deussen thus concisely states these fundamen-
tal conceptions regarding Samsara, and the escape
therefrom: "Life is held to be precisely meted, in
quality and quantity, as an expiation (absolutely just
and adequate) for the deeds, thoughts and actions of
the previous existence. This expiation is accomplished
by deeds of action and enjoyment, which in turn is
converted into fresh works and therefore cause of
Karma, which must be expiated afresh in a subse-
quent existence, so that Atonement or Expiation is
like a clock-work that in running-down always re-
winds itself afresh, to be then again run-down, and
again re-wound, until all eternity. All this unto all
eternity — unless there appears the Wisdom and
Knowledge, which does not depend upon merit, but
which breaks into consciousness with connection with
it. This Wisdom or Knowledge dissolves Samsara
or Life into its innermost elements, and burns up the

THE RELIGIONS OF INDIA. 249

seeds of works, and thus makes impossible for all

future time a recurrence of the re-birth in Samsara."

* * * * *

It is no wonder that this one-sided statement of
Truth affected the Hindu race and colored its re-
ligious conceptions for centuries to come, until the
higher philosophical reasoning was able to separate
the grain from the chaff of the teachings. Never has
the race had a doctrine so compelling of Fear and
Despair as this crude idea of Samsara, unrelieved by-
philosophical explanation. To the minds of these
primitive people, it must have indeed appeared that
a Devil, stronger than all their gods, has appeared
from the clear sky. For even their gods were held
to come under the Law, and to act as its administra-
tors and instruments. And from that period, which
shows its distinctive marks in the Vedas, the nature
of the religious conceptions of the Hindus changed —
Paganism vanished and the Life under Samsara suc-
ceeded it.

* * * afe *

But other influences were at work. Among the
scattered mythological teachings of India there began
to be manifested an insistence upon the fundamental
truth of the one, over All, and in All, and which was
all. No longer a shadowy, indefinite idea, the teach-
ing of the Brahman began to assert its supremacy
among the people. It did not do away with the gods,
for they continued to be worshiped, and new ones
still appeared — but Brahman was the Source of gods

250 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

and people alike — the Universe coming from his
Being. Brahman was regarded as the World-Soul,
or Universal Spirit. Brahman had returned to the
Aryans, who had lost sight of It during their years
of wandering from the land of the Former Civiliza-
tion — and nevermore has its Conception of the one-
all, INFINITE, ETERNAL, ABSOLUTE EXISTENCE-INTEL-
LIGENCE-POWER departed from the Aryan Conscious-
ness in India. The race did not rise at once to the
full Realization of this Truth — it has not fully risen
to it, as a race, even to-day. But there set in an
evolution of the understanding and realization of this
great Truth, which is the basis of All Truth — this
oneness — this Essence of Monism — to which all hu-
man thought and speculation invariably, and inevita-
bly leads its followers.

And now we shall proceed to trace this evolution
of this dawning realization of the Absolute Truth
among the minds of the Hindu races, as evidenced
by their religious forms and schools, as we have al-
ready shown in connection with the philosophical
schools. India's philosophies and religions mingle,
blend and coalesce — there is no distinct and absolute
division between them — but they may be considered

as two phases of human thought.

* * * * *

As we have said, the earliest conceptions of "gods"
and supernatural beings, among the ancient Hindu
peoples, were those of beings akin to Nature-Spirits,
that is personified, deified Natural Forces. Thus in

It

if

THE RELIGIONS OF INDIA. 25 1

the early Vedas we find records of Dyaus-Pita, or
"Father-Heaven," accompanied by Prithivi, or "Moth-
er-Earth"; also Ushas, or the "Dawn-Goddess
Surya, or the "Sun-God" ; Vayu, or the "Wind-God
and Agni, the "Fire-God." There was also Indra,
who was originally conceived of as the "Lightning-
and-Thunder-God," similar to Jupiter and Zeus, of
the Roman and Grecian mythology, but whose char-
acter was elaborated as time passed, and the Indra
myths developed, until he was given a high place in
the Pantheon of the early Hindus, and war often re-
garded as the "King of the gods." We also find fre-
quent reference to Varuna, the "Sky-God" whose eye
was the blazing sun, and who gradually developed
into the great god having charge of natural laws, and
who also supervised the morality of the people. There
was also Soma, the god of the fermented-liquor, sim-
ilar to Bacchus or Dionysus, minus their excesses, —
the Hindus using the fermented- juice of the soma-
plant in the sacrifices and religious ceremonies. Soma-
juice was also the nectar or sacred-drink of these
primitive Hindu gods, Indra in particular being ad-
dicted to its use, thereby increasing his ardent, fiery,
warlike character, which made him so popular among
the earlier warlike Hindu people.

There were thirty-three popular and celebrated
gods in the early Hindu Pantheon, with innumerable
demi-gods, minor gods, and demons, and lesser na-
ture-spirits, many of which resembled the godlings of
the ancient Greeks, having arisen from the same

252 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

source, i. e. the personification of natural principles,
etc. Among these was the well known Yama, the
"God-of-Death," who was held to be the first man
who died, and who thus assumed god-hood. There
began to be noticed a peculiar tendency to blend the
conceptions of two or more gods into one, and to ex-
change properties or characters between separate gods.
This tendency increased and developed, until finally
the distinctions between the several gods began to
grow misty, and the people began to regard them all
as appearances or personifications of some one Deity,
and the fundamental ideas and conceptions of Hindu
Pantheism began to assume more definite and much
clearer shape and form.

As time rolled on, the minor deities were lost sight
of, and many survived only in name. The Brahmins,
or priestly caste, assumed a still greater control, and
impressed its teachings upon the people, shaping the
popular belief more into a set system, and unifying
its conceptions. As the Pantheistic idea developed,
the nature and duties of the gods changed. Indra lost
much of his terrifying power, and became the King
of the After-World — the realm of the gods. Varuna
became the Lord of the Ocean, and so on, many of
the minor-gods being merged into the greater ones,
as the race-conception moved toward Pantheism.

Gradually the idea of Brahman, the Supreme Self,
of the Universe, began to gain immense headway in
India, among the masses, as it had long before been

THE RELIGIONS OF INDIA. 253

held as truth by the philosophers and priests. And,
accordingly the god Brahma, a personification of the
Brahman, began to attain great popularity. Brahma
was regarded as the Creative Deity, akin to the Greek
Demiurge or divine agent of the Supreme Being em-
ployed to create the material universe and man; the
terms Prajapati, and Hiranyagarbha, also being ap-
lied to Brahma. But Brahma did not altogether dis-
place the older gods, some of which were retained, but
which were considered as subordinate to Brahma—

Indra and Varuna thus holding their places.

* * * * *

Then began to develop the clearer idea of the Hindu
Trinity, composed of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva —
the three being held to be aspects of one Supreme
Being. Brahma was regarded as the Creative Prin-
ciple of the Trinity ; Vishnu as the Preserving Princi-
ple; and Shiva as the Destructive Principle; — the
manifestations of three principles causing the universal
manifestation and life. This idea of the Trinity has
never lost its hold on the Hindu mind, although it
changed with the rise of Vishnu and Shiva worship,
each sect holding that Vishnu or Shiva, as the case
might be, as the Supreme Being, from which the other
two sprung. But the basic Trinitarian idea remains
as a part of the Hindu religious conception, and has
persisted from the time of its birth. It dates very far
back, and many of the ancient sculptures show traces
ef it, for instance the well-known rock carving at
Elephanta which shows the Trinity as having one
body with three heads emerging from it.

254 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

The rise of the popularity of Vishnu and Shiva, the
two principles of the Hindu Trinity, may be traced
in the Vedas. Among the early Vedas we find traces
of Vishnu, and Rudra, the latter being identical with
Shiva. Vishnu, from the first, was pictured as gracious
deity, filled with goodness, righteousness, and love,
as well as a desire for order and peace — his symbol
was the moving sun. Rudra (Shiva), on the other
hand, represented the principle of destruction and
strife, having a malevolent and revengeful nature, but
being capable of propitiation and flattery for which
he rewarded his worshipers with favors, prosperity,
health, etc. — he had the storm for his symbol. This
conception of Vishnu, and Shiva, corresponded with
the world-wide and world-old conception of the Good
Spirit and the Bad Spirit — God and Devil — which all
races and religions seem to have had at some time in
their history.

The conception of Vishnu, as the Lord of Right-
eousness and Goodness, had a wonderful growth
among the people, and although originally opposed
by many of the priests, it grew until the latter were
compelled to accord it recognition and sanction. Not
only was Vishnu regarded by many as the Supreme
Principle in the Trinity, but gradually the conception
grew until he was identified with the Supreme Being,
or Brahman, itself, and the idea of Brahman lost its
original philosophical significance among the people,
and was regarded as the "nature of Vishnu" —Vishnu
being regarded as the One God. But this idea of the

THE RELIGIONS OF INDIA. 255

One God was more than monotheism — it was Pan-
theism, for Vishnu was given the quality and nature of
Brahman, and was held to be the Real Self, from
whom all the universe, with its individual souls,
flowed or was emanated. In other word Vishnu be-
came a personified THAT.

But growing up at the same time was another cult
or school of religion — both with the enclosure of the
orthodox Hinduism, and both receiving full sanction
and tolerance. This second school was that of Shiva,
whose former name of Rudra was dropped. Shiva
was the direct contrast of Vishnu the preserver and
loving righteous guardian of his people. Shiva was
the destroyer — the god of change and dissolution. As
Lyal says: "Shiva represents the earliest and uni-
versal impression of Nature upon men — the impres-
sion of endless and pitiless change. He is the de-
stroyer and rebuilder of various forms of life ; he has
charge of the whole circle of animated creation, the
incessant round of birth and death in which all nature
eternally revolves. His attributes are indicated by
symbols emblematic of death and of man's desire ; he
presides over the ebb and flow of sentient existence.
In Shiva we have the condensation of the two primor-
dial agencies, the striving to live and the forces that
kill. He exhibits by images, emblems, and allegori-
cal carvings the whole course and revolution of Na-
ture, the inexorable law of the alternate triumph of
life and death — the unending circle of indestructible
animation."

256 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

Shiva, under his ancient title of Rudra, was a fierce
and terrible devil-god of the mountains. Dwelling
surrounded by his bands of demons, goblins, and de-
stroying spirits, and accompanied by his bride Parvati,
in the depths and inner recesses of the Himalaya he
held high revel and court, and was accordingly feared
and flattered by his followers among the people, who
sought to conciliate him by sacrifices and worship. As
a symbol of the reproductive principle of nature, he
wore the token of the lingum or male organ of gen-
eration; and as a symbol of subtle and malignant
power, he wore a garland of twined serpents — a horr
rible creature, calculated to inspire fear, horror, and
to induce propitiary offerings. He was wont to
haunt the tombs and graveyards at night, accompanied
by his band of demons. Many of the cruel self-tor-
tures of the Hindu ascetics arise from the desire to
propitiate Shiva. But this horrible and fearsome
creature, or god, with all of his malignant qualities,
drew many followers to him, who manifested the
greatest love and affection for him, equaling the love
and devotion manifested by other cults and sects to-
ward his opposite, the beneficent Vishnu. It is a
strange psychological study in religion to witness the
love, affection and devotion bestowed by some of the
lower cults of Shiva toward this god, whose image is
that of a naked, fierce being, with blue throat and red
skin, or else of a livid white color, with three eyes,
besmeared with cow-dung ashes. Surely in its lower
forms, 5VwVa-worship is a refined form of devil-wor-

THE RELIGIONS OF INDIA. 257

ship. But there is a higher side of Shiva worship, as
we shall see when we come to a consideration of the
various sects.

Akin to Shiva worship, and springing up by its
side, is the worship known as Shakta Worship. Shakti
is the term given to the principle of Cosmic Energy,
or the Principle of Life Activities in the Universe, as
contrasted with the Principle of Being. Personifying
these two principles as follows: Shiva representing
Being; and Shiva's consort or bride, known as Par-
vati; (or Uma; Gauri; Tara; Kali; Durga, as the
case may be) representing Shakti or the Creative
Energy — the Shaktas have built up a cult or sect,
devoted to the worship of Shakti. Shiva is the male-
god, and Shakti the female-god. And the worship is
entirely that of the Female Principle of the Universe.
The Shaktas are divided into two schools, viz., (i)
the Dakshinachari, or "Right Way Walkers," who
worship both Shiva and Shakti — that is the male and
female principles of the deity, and who resemble the
ordinary worshipers of Shiva, except that they mani-
fest a preference for the destructive and terrible as-
pects of their god ; and (2) the Vamachari, who con-
centrate their worship exclusively upon the feminine
and maternal aspects of the deity, and who have been
accused of a tendency toward Phallic worship. The
ancient Thugs, and other terrible cults of India, were
degenerated sects of Shakta worship. But, so strange
is the division of Hindu thought, among the Shaktas
are to be found many holding high ideals of the fe-

258 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

male deity as the Universal Mother, or Nature, as
such worshiping her with beautiful ceremonies and
ritual, and with the highest idealistic expressions, as
we shall see presently.

The influence of Buddhism for a number of cen-
turies after the death of Gautama Buddha, its found-
er, was quite marked, and the new religion left its
impress upon many of the other forms of religion
and philosophy in India. Following directly after
the influence of the Vishnu and Shiva cults upon the
orthodox priesthood, and which compelled them to re-
vise and modify the original conceptions and author-
ized teachings, the teachings and doctrine of the
Buddha did still more to shake the foundations of
the priestly authority, and to render more catholic and
universal the Universal Hindu Religion. Buddhism
brought about an extreme adherence to the old re-
spect for animal life, and led to the abolition of
animal sacrifice. The Buddhist idea of Universal
Brotherhood also had its effect in softening the hith-
erto rigid lines of caste, and led to the extending of
religious knowledge to the lower castes who before
that time were debarred from this instruction, and
had to content themselves with the crumbs that fell
from the tables of the higher castes. But, in the end
the Brahmins reasserted their ascendancy, and al-
though their ideas had been modified by Buddhism,
still they managed to crowd out the Buddhistic re-
ligious teachers and cults, peaceably but irresistibly,
until now there is but a shadow of Buddhism left in

THE RELIGIONS OF INDIA. 259

India! in fact in the central part of India proper it is
not known at all among the people. Akin to this in-
fluence was that of the Jains, whose cult was a part
of the general Buddhistic movement, although inde-
pendent. The Jains affected the Brahmins more or
less, but were finally compelled to modify their orig-
inal position, until to-day they are looked upon more
in the light of moderate dissenters than as hetero-
dox outsiders.

And, so, gradually there came to exist but two
great schools of the Hindu Religion — (1) the Vis-
nuites, or Vaishnavas, who are the worshipers of
Vishnu; and (2) the Shivaites, or Shaivas, or the
worshipers of Shiva, including the cult of the Shaktas,
or worshipers of the feminine principle of Shiva.
Although there are a number of scattering cults and
sects outside of these two great divisions of the Hindu
Religion, still the majority of the cults and sects, high
and low, advanced or degraded, may be classed under
the head of one or the other of these two great schools
or cults. And, in the next lesson we shall proceed
to a consideration of these two great cults as they
exist to-day, with their many subdivisions and char-
acteristics of each. But before so doing, let us con-
sider the development of the two schools from their
ancient condition to the present state, particularly as
concerns the influence of the philosophical thought of
the land, and the teachings of the several leaders who
arose to influence the trend of the religious and phil-
osophical thought in India.

t6o philosophies AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

While the cults of Vishnu and Shiva were develop-
ing, and the school of Buddhism and Jainistn were
churning up public opinion and beliefs, the purely
philosophical minds of India were not idle. There
were many such minds in India, and they held close
to the fundamental principles of Brahman the One
Supreme Being, and to the Inner Teachings concern-
ing that. The Upanishads were being studied as
never before, and additions to their number were be-
ing made by the great teachers. The philosophers
were advancing the teachings of pantheistic monism
along the lines of the Vedanta System, and the Sank-
hya System had gained many followers. Especially
important was the work and influence of Sankara-
charya, the great systematizer of the Vedanta System,
who lived about the eighth century A. D. — he re-
established the System which had lapsed in energy,
and really founded the Advaitist, or non-dualistic,
school of the Vedanta. This school held strictly to
the conception of Brahman, or that, as Absolute
Reality, all else being held to be Maya, or the illusory
phenomenal universe. Brahman was held to be the
only Truth, and the individual Atman, or Spirit, was
held to be identical with Brahman. The Vishnuites
(or Vaishnevas), claim Sankaracharya as having been
one of their school, and his writing seems to bear out
this fact, but nevertheless, he seems to have made
common cause with the Shaivas in the common fight
against Buddhism and Jainism, and indeed, both of
the schools of the Vashnavas and the Shaivas, respec-

THE RELIGIONS OF INDIA. 26 1

tively, might accept the Vedanta teachings without any
trouble, by the simple process of identifying their re-
spective deity with Brahman, or that.

In the twelfth century A. D., appeared Ramanuja,
the other great Vedanta teacher, who attacked San-
karacharyats position of absolute monism, or non-
dualism, and advanced a system of "qualified-dualism,"
or Visishtadvaita, which held that there exist Indi-
vidual Souls or Atma, which though proceeding from
Brahman, are not essentially one with that, but in-
stead bear a high degree of relation to It, as "ele-
ments" of Its Being; and which also differed from
the Advaitist system by holding that Brahman was
not merely a purely abstract being, but that It pos-
sessed real qualities of goodness, love, etc., raised to
an infinite degree. Consequently, there at once arose
a close degree of sympathy and relationship between
the regular Vaishnava, or Vishnuite school, and this
new Vishishtadvaita system of philosophy. Ramanuja
made frequent respectful and worshipful mention of
Vishnu, and his school were ardent Vishnu worship-
ers and recognized as a branch of the Vaishnavas on
the religious side, while considered a branch of the
Vedanta on the philosophical side — thus does phil-
osophy and religion blend in India.

In the fifteenth century there arose another teacher
destined to exert a marked influence upon the Vaish-
nava school, one Vallabhacharya, a Brahmin. His
teachings were very much along the lines of those of
Ramanuja, but in addition he laid great stress upon

262 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

the human side of Krishna, an avatar or incarnation
of Vishnu, who was represented as of a most attrac-
tive human personality. Vallabhacharya taught among
other things that the best way of worshiping Krishna
was by sanctifying all human joys and pleasures to his
service — the laying of the offering of the sacrifice of
human pleasure upon the laps of the deity. This
teaching which was called Pushti-Marga, or "The Way
of Pleasure," had its idealistic and refined aspect, but
unfortunately it afterward degenerated into sensual-
ism among some of the more ignorant followers. In
the early part of the ninteenth century, one Svami
Narayana did much to reform this cult, and to bring
it back to its original purity. He was a man of high
morality and exalted religious nature, and he left a
devoted band of followers whose successors exist to
this day in some parts of India.

The fifteenth century gave birth to another great
teacher whose influence in Hindu religion was quite
marked. This man, a Brahman, was named Visvamb-
hara and Nimai, but afterward took the name of
Chaitanya upon the occasion of the taking of vows.
He began to show signs of religious fervor in his
youth, but at first hesitated to identify himself with
the Vaishnams who were strongly opposed by the
Shakta cults in his part of the country. However,
before long he became overcome with the emotional
and ecstatic phases of the Bhakti, or love-worship of
Krishna, and soon was regarded as the chief earthly
apostle of the latter. He announced no new doctrine.

THE RELIGIONS OF INPIA. 263

but devoted himself toward stirring up a strong
Bhakti movement in favor of Krishna, and before long
was at the head of a tremendous following of the
most ardent, ecstatic, rapturous Bhaktis, who filled
the air with shouts of "Krishna! Krishna! Krishna!"
It was one of the greatest "revivals" that India has
ever witnessed. Under Chaitanya, the worship of
Krishna (the incarnation or avatar of Vishnu) received
a strong impetus, which persists until the present
time. This teacher held that the individual soul
emanated from the Supreme Being, but was not iden-
tical therewith, his teachings resembling those of
Ramanuja, with an admixture of the higher parts of
those of Valldbhacharya.

In our next lesson we shall explain the various
avatars or incarnations of Vishnu, of which Krishna
was one, and which has much to do with the later
development of the Vaishnava cults, as above indi-
cated.

The Shaivaite cults, while numerous, have not had
so many divisions created by great teachers ; their dif-
ference having arisen by reason of the preferences of
the people in various sections for certain features of
the worship, the choice often depending upon some
prior form of worship which influenced the newer
conception. These various Vaishnaiva and Shaiva
sects and cults, together with the several minor di-
visions of the Hindu Religion, will be considered in
our next lesson.

There is another sect which has attained prominence

264 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

in India, and which is affiliated with the Vaishnava
sects, and which is by some considered as a "dualis-
tic" form of the Vedanta, and which is known as the
Madhva sect. It was established by Madhvacharya
in the thirteenth century A. D. It is sometimes known
as the Dvaita, or "dualistic" philosophy, as contrasted
with the Advaita or "non-dualistic" philosophy of the
branch of the Vedanta by that name. Departing from
the Advaita non-dualistic, and the Vishitadvaita,
"qualified-dualistic" conceptions, this Dvaita system
postulates an eternal distinction between Brahman
and the individual souls, the latter being held tp be
akin to the individual spirits, or Purushas, of the
Sankhya System, which resemblance is heightened by
the fact that Matter is postulated as existing eternal-
ly, separate and distinct from both Brahman and the
individual souls or Purushas. In fact the basic con-
ceptions of this sect seem to have been taken bodily
from the Sankhya, and then attached to the concep-
tion of Brahman. This Madhva sect teaches the effi-
cacy of the adoration of Vayu, the son of Krishna,
whom they hold to have been incarnated as Madhva-
charya, the founder of the sect. Madhva departs rad-
ically from the prevalent Hindu conception of the
universality of Emancipation of Salvation from Sam-
sara — the theory that all souls alike may gain Free-
dom. On the contrary he assumes a Calvinistic posi-
tion, and separates the individual souls into three
classes, viz., (1) the souls destined to pass to the
realms of eternal bliss when they have escaped from

THE RELIGIONS OF INDIA. 265

Samsara; (2) the souls who are destined to eternal
Samsara, without possibility of escape; and (3) the
souls who are destined to everlasting hell by reason
of the vileness of nature.

There are a number of minor sects and cults each
having followers scattered throughout India, among
whom are the following:

The Nimbarka, founded by Nimbarka in the twelfth
century, who are held to be a branch of the Vish-
nuites, and who worship Krishna, and his consort
Radha. They have no distinctive tenets, and are re-
garded more as a religious "denomination" than as a
"school" or "system."

The Ramananda, founded by Ramananda, the pupil
of Ramanuja the Vishishtadvaitist, and which adheres
somewhat to the Vishishtadvaitist teachings, with ad-
ditions and changes. Its adherents are among the
poorer classes in the northern part of India.

The Kabirpantha, which was founded by Kabir, a
disciple of the founder of the last mentioned school,
Ramananda. His teachings were largely those of his
own teacher, with a strong tincture of Mohammedism.
He taught a monistic Pantheism, warmed by a fervid
Bhakti tendency, inclining toward ecstasy and emo-
tion. The Sufi influence is apparent in his teachings.
He held to a Supreme Being, which was the essence
of all spiritual being, and soul-manifestation, the ma-
terial universe being the "body" of the Supreme
Being. The latter is held to have evolved Maya,
which in turn brought forth the Hindu Trinity of

266 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

Brahma, Shiva, and Vishnu, who brought forth other
gods, who begot the universe. This sect is still popu-
lar in the north of India, and has a following in
Bombay.

The Nanakpantha, which is somewhat akin to the
last mentioned sect, has its origin in Vishnuite Vedan-
ta, colored strongly by Mohammedism. It was founded
by Nanak, in the sixteenth century A. D. Its essence
is the worship of a formless Supreme Being (akin to
the Mohammedan "Allah") by godliness, meditation,
tolerance, etc. The Sikhs take theix teaching from
Nanak, and this teacher has influenced many minor
cults and sects in India, some of which have developed
an advanced religious conception, and considerable
philosophical merit.

In our next lesson we will consider the religions
of Modern India.

SPECIAL MESSAGE IX.

By Yogi Bamacharaka.

For this month, we invite you to inhale the perfume arising from
the flowers of the Spiritual Gardens of India, planted, reared and
watered by the hands of the Sages:

"When one becomes freed from the bondage of the senses, he trans-
cends all material relations, and realizing the inward light, regains his
knowledge of Himself. This is indeed a realization of the Truth. It
dwells beyond Mortality and Fear. Truth, Wisdom, Self, Spirit, Abso-
lute, are all but names for the same thing."

"There is no room for separateness in that intransmutable, formless,
characterless Truth, which is beyond the relations of subject, object,
time, and space, cause and effect, beginning and end, absolute and
relative, all and part. It is in every way full to the utmost, like the
waters surging above all things at the great cyclic deluge. In it merges
the cause of illusion, like darkness merges into light. Verily, there can
be nothing like separateness in It, the highest essence of Truth — the One
without a second."

"Truth is the highest and only real plane of Being. In it there is
no world of subject and object. It is as a void, and yet is full. Though
void, still does it contain innumerable worlds upon worlds, upon worlds.
And yet it is void in Truth."

"As all light belongs to the sun; and all coldness to cold; and alt
warmth to heat; so do existence, consciousness, bliss, eternity, intelli-
gence, belong to Truth."

"Truth is all bliss of every kind. Attaining this realization, one
realizes his nature to be all-bliss. Truth, therefore, is the ultimate
measure and standard of all bliss."

"Truth is unborn; ever-awake; free from dream; having no form
and no name. It is one continuous thought, all-knowing. There is no
metaphor, whatever, in this saying."

Our Meditation for the coming month is:

"BEJOICE AND BE GLAD, FOB WITHIN YOU IS THE LIGHT
OF THE WOBLD."

THE TENTH LESSON.

The Religions of India.

(Part II.)

From the sources mentioned in the preceding lesson,
the Religions of India of to-day have arisen, subject
to the mellowing influence of time, and the inevitable
blending and mutual modification and influence of
each upon the others. The old lines are maintained,
but the doctrines have modified each other, and the
lines are softened and blended until often it is difficult
to point out the exact distinctions between some of
the many cults of the several schools, the shading
being so gradual. At the present time the three hun-
dred millions (300,000,000) and over, of the Hindu
people, are divided into several great divisions, with
the numerical strength approximately stated as fol-
lows:

Orthodox Hindu Faiths 225,000,000

Mahommedans 63,000,000

Buddhists (in Burmah, etc.)... 10,000,000

Animistic Religions 10,000,000

Christians 3,000,000

Sikhs 2,500,000

Jains 1,500,000

Jews 25,000

Parsees 100,000

In the above list we have included the Jews, who are
found principally in the large cities like Bombay, Cal-
cutta, etc. ; and the Christians, who are found in cer-
tain sections where the missionary work has been

269'

270 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

vigorous for several centuries. About one-half of the
native Christians in India belong to the Roman Cath-
olic Church, the other half being divided among a
number of Christian denominations. The Parsees
are found principally in the Bombay Presidency, and
are the descendants of Persian Fire- Worshipers who
settled in India over one thousand years ago, and who
have never been interfered with in their faith by the
orthodox Hindus, so tolerant is the Hindu race. An-
other instance of this tolerance is found in the case
of the million of Aboriginal people in India, the de-
scendants of the dark-skinned natives of India who
were found there by the Aryans when they came into
the land many thousands of years ago; and these
natives have never been disturbed in the original wor-
ship, nor have they been exterminated as were the
native American Indian tribes who were the aborig-
ines in the land now called America. They have been
allowed to maintain their original nature worship, an-
cestor worship, or spirit-worship of the forefathers,
without opposition or hindrance, and without being
subjected to "missionary work" on the part of the Hin-
dus. These people are included in the list of "Animistic
Religion," the remaining nine million of this class being
composed of scattering tribes, peoples, and sects who
adhere to the ancient nature-worship, of worship of the
early personifications of natural forces, under the
name and form of numerous "gods," and demi-gods,
as mentioned in the preceding lesson. In the above
list we have included the sixty-three million Mahom-

THE RELIGIONS OF INDIA. 2JI

medans in the British Indian Empire and Provinces,
who are the descendants of those who were converted
to Mahommedism during the period when the adher-
ents of that religion overran India (where they main-
tained a foothold for several centuries), together with
the descendants of the original invaders. The Bud-
dhists, numbering ten million in all India, are prin-
cipally located in @urmah, and the Indo-Chinese Pe-
ninsula, Ceylon, Napal, etc., at least nine million of
the whole number being in Burmah alone ; Buddhism
being extinct in many parts of India, and existing only
as a dead religion there.

Under the head of "Orthodox Hindu Faiths" are
included followers of the several sects and schools of
religion and philosophy, or religious-philosophy,
which are generally grouped under the term and class
of "Brahminism," the various sects and schools differ-
ing very materially from each other, but all having a
common root, origin, and relation to that Original
Religion of the Hindus, which they themselves call
the Sanatana or Eternal Religion, and which has as
its basis the belief in a One Infinite Reality, Being, or
Existence, from which the phenomenal universe and
the individual souls proceed. The different Hindu
sects, while practically appearing as different religions,
in reality regard themselves as but different sects and
divisions of the One Eternal Religion of India, of
which each, of course, considers itself the best and
most favored channel of expression and interpreta-
tion. None of the cults, or sects, or schools are re-

2TJ2 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

garded as "outlanders," heretics, or unbelievers — all
are included in the great fold — all are regarded as
seekers after the great Truth — all are looked upon as
travellers upon many roads, each choosing his own
path, of which the number is countless. As a respect-
ed Hindu has said : "The prevailing religion of India
may be compared to a great mosaic, inlaid with every
kind of religious idea, and every form of worship
which the human mind can possibly conceive." And,
as Max Mtiller says: "No phase of religion, from
the coarsest superstition to the most sublime enlight-
enment, is unrepresented in that country."

The various sects and schools of the Hindu Re-
ligion, which is generally regarded under the head of
"Brahminism," or "Hinduism," by Western authori-
ties, but which is spoken of as the Sanatana or "Eter-
nal Religion," or the "Religion of India" by the Hin-
dus themselves, and which comprises two hundred and
twenty-five millions (225,000,000) of people in India,
may be grouped into three general classes, namely,
(1) Vishnuites, or Vaishnavas; (2) Shivaites, or
Shaivas; and (3) Abstract Monists. The origin of
the first two classes has been given in the preceding
lesson, where the rise of the worship of Vishnu and
Shiva has been described and the various influences
operating in the development having been noticed.
The third class, or Abstract Monists, are compara-
tively few in number, and are those people who re-
fuse to acknowledge the need of names of personifi-
cation of Brahman, and who maintain a philosophical

THE RELIGIONS OF INDIA. 273

religion based upon Pure Reason, with Brahman,
that, or The Absolute as their object of veneration,
love, and meditation.

The worship of Brahman, the personification of the
Creative Principle in the Hindu Trinity, has almost
disappeared as a separate form of religion. Brahma,
as the Creative Principle in the Trinity, or as the
Personification of Brahman, is considered too much
of an abstraction to be the object of love and worship,
and is generally passed by in favor of either Vishnu
or Shiva, often being held to be really in the nature
of a Demiurge, or Creative Agent of either of these
two great Deities, particularly in the case of those
Vishnuites who attribute to Krishna, in his highest
conception, the nature of Brahman or that. It is
true that, nominally, the Hindu Treaty is spoken of
as existing and ruling the religious conception of
India, but in reality it is not so, and the two great
classes of the modern Hindu Religion have practically
discarded the Trinity, and have substituted the wor-
ship of Vishnu or Shiva, as the case may be. Brahma
is still seen in the temples, in the shape of his images
with their red bodies and several heads, all of which
is merely symbolic of course, — but as an object of
worship he has faded from view, being outclassed
by the other two conceptions of Deity. And, accord-
ingly, let us now pass on to a consideration of the two
great classes or divisions of the Hindu Religions of
to-day (1) the Vishnu worshipers, or Vaishnavas; and

(2) the Shiva worshipers or Shaivas, including the
Shaktas.

274 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

THE VAISHNAVAS.

The Vaishnavas are those Hindus who worship the
Supreme Being under the name of Vishnu, the second
person of the Hindu Trinity, or the Preserving Prin-
ciple of Deity. We have spoken in our last lesson of
the rise of the conception of Vishnu from that of a
separate god of goodness, and kindness — the benefi-
cent god — to the second person in the Trinity of
the Hindus, as Vishnu the Preserver; and of his sub-
sequent rise to the position of the Supreme Being
Absolute, in the eyes of his followers, the Vaishnavas.
And this latter position he now occupies in India to-
day, at least among his own followers who compose
one of the great two classes of the Hindu religions;
the opposing faction, or Shaivas, refusing this exalted
position to Vishnu, relegating him to a secondary
place, and claiming the first place for their own god,
Shiva. It is the custom of many Hindu writers to
say that the worship of Vishnu and Shiva is practical-
ly the same, and that the followers of the one class
cheerfully join in the worship of the opposing concep-
tion — both being but different ideals of the One Real-
ity. This statement is true, when understood correct-
ly, but the fact remains that when a Vaishnava wor-
ships Shiva he qualifies his worship with the belief
that he is really worshiping Vishnu through Shiva
the secondary aspect ; and the Shaiva pursues the same
policy when he is worshiping Vishnu in company
with his Vaishnava friends. It is true that both agree
that they are worshiping One, but the fact remains

THE RELIGIONS OF INDIA. 275

that each believes that One to be his own One; that is,
he believes his own Deity to absorb the other, the
other being but an aspect of his own Deity. So that
while it may be claimed that there is a "Unity in the
Diversity," it likewise may be stated that there is a
decided difference of opinion as to the nature of that
Unity. There are two classes of worship, in spite
of the kindly attempts to make it appear as one.

The Vaishnavas hold that Vishnu may be consid-
ered in both the impersonal and the personal aspect.
As the impersonal Vishnu, he is the Supreme Being,
omnipresent, omnipotent, and omniscient — exciting
everywhere, and being the Reality or Spirit in all
manifestations — having allpower — and possessing in-
finite knowledge. In fact, the impersonal Vishnu is
considered as Brahman, that, or the Absolute. But
the Vaishnavas consider him in this impersonal
aspect only in their philosophical minds, and when it
comes down to worship the personal aspect is ever in
evidence. The personal Vishnu is held to dwell in
the highest heavens; which he rules. His image in
this aspect appears in the temples, blue or black in
color. But there is another and far more important
personal aspect of Vishnu, and one that causes him
to be so popular among the Hindu people — his as-
pect as the various avatars or incarnations in human
form.

While the term Vaishnava is strictly applied to all
worshipers of Vishnu, still it is generally restricted to
those sects which worship him in the form of either

2jf> PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

of his two chief incarnations, viz., Rama or Krishna,
more particularly the latter, and which comprise the
great majority of the Vishnu worshipers, those who
worship him either in his general personal aspect, or
his general personal aspect as the Lord of the Heav-
ens, being few as compared with those who worship
him in his avatars. These avatars or human incarna-
tions were for the purpose of regenerating the race,
and lifting it up from the mud of materiality. There
are promised other avatars, from time to time, as they
are needed. The Bhagavad-Gita promise, which is held
sacred by the Vaishnavas, says: "Although I am
above birth and rebirth, or Law, being the Lord of all
there is, for all emanateth from me — still do I will to
appear in my own universe, and am therefore born so
by my Power and Thought, and Will. * * * *
Whenever the world declineth in virtue and righteous-
ness; and vice and injustice mount the throne — then
cane I, the Lord, and revisit my world in visible
form, and mingle with men, and by my influence and
teachings do I destroy the evil and injustice, and re-
establish virtue and righteousness. Many are the
times that I have thus appeared — many are the times
hereafter when I shall come again." (Bhagayad-
Gita, part IV.

THE RAMA AVATAR.

The first great avatar which is dear to the Vaish-
navas is the seventh, in which Vishnu incarnated as
Rama-Chandra, or Rama, the hero of the Hindu epic,
the Ramayana. Rama was the son of Kind Dasa-

THE RELIGIONS OF INDIA. 2J7

ratha of Ayodhya, and whose youth was marked with
wondrous performances. He married the beautiful
princess Sita (whose memory is revered by all Hindu
women, to whom she is held up as an eternal ex-
ample of purity and goodness), but afterwards either
voluntarily relinquished the throne, or else was exiled
by his father for his religious austerities, and then
lived in the jungle for fourteen years. Sita, his wife,
was stolen by the demon-king Ravana. Rama, flying
to her rescue, defeated and destroyed the hosts of
Ravana, and saved his wife; whereupon he returned
to his own country and was crowned as king. Influ-
enced by the idle gossip and envious talk of the people,
Rama sent his wife Sita away from him, to the her-
mitage or convent, where she bore him two sons, Kusa
and Lava, and was afterward reunited to him in the
heaven-world. The story of Rama is forever preserved
in the great Hindu epic, the Ramayana, one of the
master-pieces of Hindu literature, which is highly re-
garded and venerated by the Hindu people, and which
forms a Bible to many who worship Rama as the avatar
or human incarnation of Vishnu, and the Savior of
Mankind. These worshipers of Rama are known as
Ramat-Vaishnavas, and number many millions of peo-
ple. They are noted for their high degree of morality
and ethics, and for their complete theological system.
They hold not only that Vishnu has qualities of posi-
tive goodness, instead of being merely an abstract Be-
ing, but that moreover there is a heaven of pure bliss
in which the righteous emancipated soul will spend

278 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

eternity instead of being absorbed into the divine Be-
ing, as held by the Advcritist Vedantists.

THE KRISHNA AVATAR.

The large body of the Voishnaius, known as the
Krishna-Vaishnavas, worship Vishnu in his eighth
avatar or human incarnation, in which he appeared as
Krishna, and whose history and teachings appear in
the Hindu epics known as the Mahabharata, with its
supplementary writings known as the Harivatnsa, the
Pancharata, and the Bhagavad-Gita, which compose
a gigantic Hindu epic, in the first part of which
Krishna is represented as a demi-god and powerful
prince, the latter part (particularly in the Bhagavad-
Gita) showing him in his aspect of the avatar or full
incarnation of Vishnu, the Supreme Being. The
Hindu records hold that Krishna appeared about 1400
B. C, and he is claimed as the greatest of the avatars
of Vishnu. He is represented as having been born in
a cave, during a time when a Hindu king named
Kamsa had ordered all young infants to be killed. He
was named Krishna, by reason of his blue-color. His
father, Vasudeva, in order to save him from the
hands of the murderous king of Mathura, gave him
into the keeping of Nanda, a herdsman. Krishna spent
his youth as a shepherd in Vraja, and many myths and
legends are related regarding this part of his life,
some of which concern his relations with the Gopis,
or shepherdesses, but which his followers claim to
have a symbolic significance instead of the literal one

THE RELIGIONS OF INDIA. 279

which the casual reader might be inclined to place
upon them. The spread of the Krishna-Vaishnava
cult has been remarkable, and it has hundreds of thou*
sands of adherents in India today, numbering among
its ranks some of the most prominent people in the
land. There are several divisions of this cult, the
principal of which are known as the Bhagavatas and
the Pancharatras, respectively. The Bhagavad-Gita
is the principal sacred writing esteemed by these
schools, and its general doctrine is that of the cult.
It identifies Krishna with the Supreme Being, and
accordingly the term "Krishna" is heard a thousand
times to one of Vishnu — Krishna being regarded not
only as the term for the avatar of Vishnu, but also
as the favorite term for the Supreme Being itself.
Another favorite term applied to Krishna is "Hari."
There are many minor divisions among the Krishna-
Vaishnavas, which arose from the preference for the
details of the teachings of several great teachers which
arose from time to time. Among these schools,
founded by the teachers, are the followers of the fol-
lowing great leaders, respectively: Sankaracharya,
the founder of the Advaitist school of Vedanta; Ratna-
nuja, the founder of the Vishishtadvaita school of Ve-
danta; Vallabhacharya, a follower of Ramanuja, who
established the Pushti-Marga teachings; Ramananda;
Nimbarka; Madhva, the founder of the dualistic or
Dvaita school of Vedanta; and Chaitanya, the great
KrishnchVaishnava teacher — these several schools and
their founders have been described in the preceding

2&> PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

lesson. We do not consider it necessary to repeat the
descriptions here, and must content ourselves with
the bare mention in connection with what we have
said in the preceding lesson regarding them.

We make an exception of the school of Chaitanya
however, for his influence was most marked on the
Krishna-V aishnatva cult, and in fact, there are schools
of the cult that hold that he, himself, was a subsequent
incarnation of Vishnu, or Krishna. The teachings of
Chaitanya have exerted a great influence over the en-
tire cult of the Krishna~Vaishnavas, inasmuch as he
laid such great stress upon the Bhakti or "Love" doc-
trine. The result has been that the entire body has
been noted for its extreme manifestation of the "Love-
of-God" conception, rather than for its philosophical
teachings. The followers of Chaitanya exalt Rahdi,
the consort of Krishna, to a high position, regarding
her as the Love-Principle which emanated from
Krishna.

There have been a number of "reform movements"
in the various schools of the Krishna-Vaishnavas, and
some of the reformers have carried their followers, far
beyond the original bounds of the cult, some tending
toward an extreme liberal eclecticism, while others
tend toward a very narrow form of deism scarcely
resembling the broader pantheistic idea. Some of the
schools are marked by a very high degree of morality
and form of worship, while others have wandered off
into low forms of ceremonial and worship, in a few
cases degenerating to a degree but little removed from

THE RELIGIONS OP INDIA. 28 1

the old Phallic worship, and in which the "Love"
element is prostituted into low and ignoble forms.
This, however, should not be urged as a reproach
against the general cult, as these degenerating tenden-
cies have been evidenced in nearly every religion the
world has ever known at some time in their history,
and are really departures from the pure religion, rather
than a development of it.

Some of the several Krishna-Vaishnava schools are
noted for their insistence upon the worship of the
"infant Krishna/' with a related Madonna worship,
which was a departure from the older schools, and
which bears interesting resemblance to certain forms
of ceremony and worship in the Roman Catholic
Church. It seems that India is destined to manifest
every possible form of religious ceremony and wor-
ship, and to exhibit a correspondence to the religions
of all countries — always antedating them, however.

As an instance of the degree of "hair-splitting"
theology manifested by some of these schools and
cults, let us call your attention to a matter of theo-
logical dispute that has raged for centuries between
two schools of the Ramat-Vaishnava cult. The school
of the north of India known as the Vadagalis are found
opposing the school of the south, known as the Ten-
galais. The Southern school holds that the Lord
saves the sinning soul, as does the mother Cat, picking
up the young "and carrying it away to a place of ref-
uge; while the Northern school insists that the Lord
saves the sinning soul as does the mother Monkey,

282 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

urging her young to embrace her so that they may
be carried off. The former school holds that the
work of salvation must be done altogether by the
Lord, who, mother-cat-like, picks up the sinner and
saves him; while the latter holds that the saving is
done by the Lord, in the manner of the monkey-
mother who bids her young reach out for salvation,
and thus saves them by reason of their love, faith,
and individual effort. This point, of course, is ap-
plicable to other religions besides those of the Hin-
dus, and shows the degree of theological reasoning
employed in these schools, as well as the tendency
to illustrate the doctrines by parables, in which the
common animals are brought in in a manner startling
to the Western mind.

Krishna is usually represented in the images as
playing the flute, and often with his consort Rahdi
standing behind him, encircling him with her arms.
The Vaishnavas often mark their foreheads with two
perpendicular marks, as a cult sign. They hold in
high esteem the symbols of the Tulsi plant, and the
Salagrama stone, which latter is a clear white pebble.

As a rule, the Hindus with Vedantic affiliations, are
inclined toward the Vaishnava cult, in some of its
many branches, and many of the great Vedanta
teachers have been teachers and founders of Vaish-
nava schools, as we have noticed in passing.

THE SHAIVAS.

In «ur preceding lesson we called your attention to

THE RELIGIONS OF INDIA. 283

the rise of Shiva from the earlier conceptions of him
as Rudra the Destroying God ; on to the higher con-
ception of him as the third principle of the Hindu
Trinity with the added quality of the god of- change
and reproduction as well as his original quality of
the destroying principle; and then on to the still
higher conception of him as the Absolute Supreme
Being, the latter claim, however, being made only by
his special following, the Shaivas — the claim being
contested by the Vaishnxwas, who claim that distinc-
tion for their own deity, Vishnu. To the Shaivas,
Brahma and Vishnu are merely emanations from, or
else high agents or demiurges springing from Shiva
and performing parts of his universal work.

There is one great difference between the respective
Vishnu and Shiva cults, and that is that the Vishnu
worshipers have their god appearing in human form
in his avatars, of which we have spoken, and they
claim that he is thus brought nearer to them in the
matter of worship — that instead of being an abstract
being he is a real, human entity, partaking of the
nature of man, and thus understanding other men the
better. To the Ramat-Vaishnavas, the incarnation of
Rama is a great and dignified leader, teacher and
guide, of the highest morality and offering a splen-
did example of right living — ever the "great Exam-
ple," as he is called. And to the Krishna-Vaishncevas,
Krishna is regarded as the Savior of mankind, inspir-
ing love and fervid devotion to a degree impossible in
the case of an abstract deity— a touch of the intimate

284 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

personal relation akin to the love for the Master
among the Christians, which is nearer than the love
for Jehovah, the Father of the Trinity, who is re-
garded rather more with awe, reverence, and fear,
than with the human love bestowed upon the second
aspect of The Son. In fact, as strange as may appear
to the Western mind, many of the simpler-minded
Hindus beseech Krishna, the avatar, to intercede for
them with Krishna, the Supreme Absolute Being — and
when remonstrated with by the missionaries for the
absurdity and inconsistency of the proceeding, often
reply that it is no more absurd than the missionaries
teaching that prayer to God should be made through
the Mediator, or Christ — "through our Lord, Jesus
Christ/' or "for Christ's sake," when Christ is equal
to, and identical with the Father.

But the Shiva worshipers have no such intimate ap-
proach to their deity — for Shiva is not held to have
had any incarnations or avatars. Shiva must be ap-
proached directly by his worshipers. But, neverthe-
less, among some of the Shaivas there is manifested a
wonderful fervor of worship and devotion, scarcely
second to that of many of the Vaishnavas.

There is a paradox in the conception of Shiva, that
is most difficult of comprehension by the Western
mind, even when a study of the subject is made. There
are two distinct aspects of Shiva — two totally op-
posing conceptions of him — one or the other of which
is favored by the various sects in the general cult.
And this gives rise to the paradox of the character

I THE RELIGIONS OF INDIA. 285

of the Shaivas noticed by all Western writers and
students of Shiva worship. The highest and the low-
est are represented in this form of worship, and the
followers of the sects represent some of the brightest
philosophical minds in India, and also some of the
most degraded and brutal and uneducated among the
Hindu races or tribes-people. The tendency of the
Shaivas to ignore the caste distinctions has attracted
many of the low-caste people to some of the lower
Shaiva sects.

In fact, there are really two Shivas — that is, while
there is merely one Shiva in name, there are really two
aspects of him as conceived by his followers. The
one aspect or conception is derived from the legendary
Shiva of the ancient Hindus, in which he is pictured
as a fierce, revengeful, warlike, angry god, of a de-
structive tendency — the Rudra of the ancient peoples.
And this aspect attracts to him the rude, uncultured
minds of the uneducated people and tribes, and also
those whose minds turn toward self-torture, asceti-
cism, etc., as a means of worship. And some of the
lower sects are composed of people having these de-
based ideals. The fakirs of India — those false Yogis
— the mendicant class, ignorant, superstitious, and
given to self-torture and displays of low forms of
magic and conjuring — all of these are numbered
among certain lower sects of the Shaivas. And the
descendants of some of the lower tribes of India —
the semi-barbarous people who represented the nega-
tive-pole of the Ancient Hindu race — have naturally

286 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

evolved into Shaivas of certain lower sects. The fa-
natical and almost savage people of the more remote
districts also incline toward certain forms of Shiva
worship, and many of their ceremonies and rites show
an unpleasant resemblance and origin from the rites
and ceremonies of their barbaric forefathers. Many
of these tribes, you must remember, were of Non-
Aryan extraction, and are quite different from the
Aryan races in culture and attainment. And, even
when we consider certain degenerate tribes and peo-
ples of Aryan extraction, we have only to compare
them with some of the semi-barbarous and brutal
classes and sub-races of certain European countries,
who, while claiming the name of Christians, certainly
are sunk in the deepest mire of gross superstition and
ignorance, and are incapable of even faintly under-
standing the true principles of the religion whose name
they bear. Comparisons like these will give us a
fairer perspective and point of view, as well as a
clearer understanding of the degenerate forms of
certain sets of Shiva worship.

Among these sects worshiping this aspect of Shiva,
seme of the representations of their deity are revolt-
ing and shocking. His images afre hideously ugly, dis-
figured by lines showing rage, anger, and the attri-
butes of the devil-gods of other peoples. Snakes are
intertwined around his head, and he is daubed with
the ashes of cow-dung. Skulls form a part of his
adornment. His atmosphere is one of dread and ter-
ror. Demons and evil spirits attend upon him, and

THE RELIGIONS OF INDIA. 287

the pallor of death is upon his countenance — the fetid
odor of the graveyards is his delight. The stage fit-
tings and general atmosphere surrounding Shiva,
among such sects, are appropriate to the conception
or aspect of the god which attracts this class of his
followers. The sects favoring this aspect or con-
ception of Shiva are of three classes, viz.: (1) Those
who have descended from the semi-barbarous tribes
and people of the past, and whose crude and savage
conceptions of deity have been absorbed naturally as
an inheritance from the past — these people generally
dwelling in remote districts, far from the educating
influences of the cultured centres of Hindu life and
teachings; (2) Those whose sects have degenerated
and become debased, from numerous influences, and
who have sunk to a low degree of civilization and
life, and whose religious ideals have become degen-
erated — these people also, as a rule, live in remote
districts, although some of them are among the vari-
ous lowest classes of the more thickly populated sec-
tions and cities and belong to the "submerged mil-
lions" which exist in India and the West alike; and
(3) Those who are attracted to this low form of
Shiva worship by reason of their attraction for low
forms of magic art, sorcery, witchcraft, and general
conjuration, known to the Western occultist as "Black
Magic." The reason for this is that Shiva is ever re-
garded as the god of Magical Art, of Psychism, and
while for that reason he attracts some of the follow-
ers of higher forms of Hindu Magic, Supernatural

288 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

Science, etc., the same fact draws to the lower sects
the followers of the dark side of the subject. To these
people Shiva is little more than a sorcerer-god of a
sublimated Satan, or Beelzebub — and their worship of
him but little more than a devil-worship. To under-
stand some of the lowest forms of this worship, and
the worshipers, one has but to remember the de-
graded Voodoo worship of some of the Afro-Amer-
ican negroes, with their charms, fetishes, and black-
magic practices and devilish rites. As a writer says:
"These abortions of religion are in strange contrast to
the higher schools of Shaivaism."

Now let us turn to the lighter and brighter side of
the picture of Shaivaism, such as alluded to in the
closing words of the above quotation. The second
aspect or conception of Shiva, and which is held by
many influential sects of the cult, represents the ex-
treme opposite pole of religious thought, and is held
by the extreme opposite pole of human society. West-
ern travelers who have witnessed only the degraded
forms of Shaivaism and who have returned home and
written of what they saw, while honest in their inten-
tions, nevertheless have done a great injustice to the
cult of the Shaivas, inasmuch as they have told merely
a half-truth, leaving the brighter half untold, because
unwitnessed. The higher Shaiva sects are composed
of the persons of high social position and education,
many being drawn to them by reason of the interest
in the more subtle features of philosophy as taught by
their teachers. The sects of the Dandis; the Dos-

THE RELIGIONS OF INDIA. 289

namis; and the Lingayats, respectively, represent the
higher phases of Shaiva philosophical and religious
thought. The Dandis and the Dasnamis, while as-
cetic to a degree, avoid the excesses of the lower
devotees, and a high form and degree of religious life
and morals is manifested among them. Their philoso-
phy very much resembles that of certain of their
Vaishnava countrymen, inasmuch as it is based on the
Advaita Vedanta teachings of Sankacharya, the great
Advaitist teacher. They devote themselves to the
study of, and contemplation of Brahman, or the Su-
preme Being, or that, with which they hold the im-
personal Shiva to be identical — in other words they
worship Brahman under the name and form of Shiva,
just as some of the Vaishnavas worship Brahman
under the name and form of Vishnu, or Krishna in
the Absolute aspect. The Lingayats, while wearing
the phallus or symbol of the male generative power,
are almost puritanical in their views, regarding sex
as a most sacred thing, and severely condemning im-
pure views, or actions, relating to it.

Other of these higher sects have attracted many
highly educated Brahmins and high-caste Hindus, and
those of philosophical or, more particularly metaphys-
ical tendencies, and such dwell upon the metaphys-
ical features of the doctrine. Other high sects are
composed of the bttter class of Yogis and followers
of Patanjali. The Spanda sect in the north inclines
to a mystic philosophy of a high order, somewhat re-
sembling certain of the Sufi doctrines. There are also,

29O PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

in the south, other mystic sects within the cult of the
Shaivas, whose poems are in the same fervid strain
as the Persian Sufi poetry (see lesson on Sufiism).

In strange contrast to the hideous images of Shiva
favored by the lower sects are those used by some of
the higher sects, more particularly those having Yoga
tendencies. Instead of the horrible skulls and instru-
ments of vengeance and death, Shiva is represented
as a venerable Yogi Ascetic, wrapped in profound
meditation and in the Samahdi ecstatic stage, repre-
senting the highest Yogi ideal — Transcendental Con-
sciousness through Meditation and Concentration. To
these sects Shiva represents renunciation and un-
worldliness, and a complete manifestation of the Yoga
Stages as recommended by Patanjali. And this is
why Shaiva is the "god of the Yogis," when they
seek an outward, or personified form for the Supreme
Being with whom they desire Union. And to such,
Shaiva is the "god of the Yoga Powers," that is, of
the -superhuman powers and qualities claimed by the
Yoga school for their advanced teachers and students
— the Deity of High Magic and Psychic Power.

So, you see, there are two entirely distinct and op-
posite conceptions and aspects of Shaivaistn — the ex-
tremely high, and the extremely low. And, back of
all is the Shiva of the transcendental philosopher, or
metaphysician, who, divesting Shiva of all human at-
tributes or qualities, thinks of him as identical with
Brahman, The Absolute, or that — the One, without
attributes or qualities — the Abstraction of Reality.

THE RELIGIONS OF INDIA. 29 1

Such is the variety and quality of the Hindu religious
and philosophical mind. And, after all, the West
offers a correspondence in the varying conceptions of
Deity, as witness the difference between the concep-
tion which pictures Deity as a "tribal-god," or "war-
god" accompanying the armies of a favored nation,
helping them to victory, and destroying their enemies
(and this is common to many modern nations in time
of war, nearly all of whom claim that "God is on our
side") ; and the other conception of Him as the God
of Love and Peace, abhorring strife and bloodshed;
and the third conception of Him as an abstract, im-
personal Being, beyond human thought and imagina-
tion — all of these conceptions exist side-by-side among
the Western people of the same faith. Let us remem-
ber this when we wonder at the "paradoxes" of
Hindu religious conception and worship. We have but
to compare the conception of Deity held by the ear-
lier writers of the Old Testament (which many mod-
erns still favor), with those of the highest form of
Modern Christianity, to understand that the same
Deity can mean totally different things to different
people. After all, there is great truth in the well-
known sayings that "A man's God is himself at his
highest," and that "A man's idea of God is but the
man himself magnified to infinity." In spite of the
symbol and name, men insist upon giving to their
gods their own attributes, qualities and feelings — and
if one knows a man's idea of God, he may form a
very fair idea of the man himself; and if he knows

292 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

the man himself, he may form a very fair idea of
his God.

THE SHAKTAS.

In our preceding lesson, we pointed out to you the
relation of Shakti worship, with that of Shiva worship.
Shakta worship is the worship of Shakti or the Cre-
ative Principle of the Universe, conceived of as being
of the female nature or quality — the Universal Mother.
It is believed by some authorities that Shakta worship
is the survival of an elementary worship of the Fe-
male Principle in Creation, or the Female Side of
Nature or Divinity, possibly acquired by the Aryans
from the native tribes of India with whom they came
in contact. However this may be, the conception has
taken a strong hold on the Shaivas, in its high and
low forms, corresponding to the high and low forms
of the Shiva worship itself, and generally accompany-
ing it.

In its higher form, Shakta worship consists of the
worship and adoration of the Mother Aspect of Na-
ture, or the Divine Motherhood. It attracts many
Sankhyas who see in Shakti the principle of Prakriti,
or the Creative Energy of Nature, or Nature itself,
as contrasted with Purusha or Spirit, which latter they
held to be represented by Shiva. Others are attracted
to Shakta worship in a manner similar to the attrac-
tion that Nature Worship has for certain of the early
Greeks and other peoples, and which has led many
of our Western poets to rhapsodies over Nature, per-
sonified as a Being. Admirers of Walt Whitman and

THE RELIGIONS OF INDIA. 293

other Nature lovers among the poets, could under-
stand some of the more refined and subtle of the
conceptions of the Shaktas. Some of the higher
Shakta cults have a beautiful ritual and interesting
ceremonies, inspired by poetic idealism.

But, as is the case in the Shiva worship which it ac-
companies, Shakta worship has its unpleasant side.
In contrast with the beautiful images and ideas of
Shakti, favored by the higher sects which dwell upon
the beauty and beneficence of Nature or Shakti — the
lower sects picture Shakti in hideous forms, represent-
ing death, disease, plague, horror and other unde-
sirable aspects of Nature and Nature's Laws. And
just as the higher sects picture the Divine Feminine
in Shakti, endowing her with the attributes of ma-
ternal love, and feminine influence and affection of
the highest kind, in all of its gentleness and attrac-
tiveness — so do the lower sects picture Shakti as rep-
resenting the gross side of the female nature, partak-
ing of licentiousness, and lust, and fierce animal pas-
sion. Just as Woman herself may rise to the highest
heights, or sink to the lowest depths, so have the con-
ceptions of the Shaktas risen high, or fallen low, ac-
cording to their natures. And just as the higher sects
consider the "Magic of Nature" as shown in her
wonderful transformations and phenomena; and en-
deavor to obtain control or mastery of these processes
and forces by studying the underlying laws, accord-
ing to their theories of physics and psychology — so do
the lower sects prostitute this study into witchcraft,

294 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

or sorcery, or degraded and debasing forms of psychic
phenomena, resembling the practices of the lowest
Voodooism and Conjuration, thus giving a fit compan-
ionship to the lowest Shaiva practices. And, so, in
the case of the Shaktas, as with the Shaivas, there is
the paradox of the Very High and the Very Low.

THE SIKHS.

The Sikhs, dwelling for the greater part in the
Punjab, or northwestern province of India, compris-
ing 2,500,000 people, follow the teachings of Nanak,
who lived in the Sixteenth Century B. C, as stated in
our preceding lesson. The Sikhs regard Nanak as a
minor incarnation of Divinity, and highly revere his
writings and teachings. They are intensely opposed
to images or symbols, resembling the Puritans in that
respect, and forming a contrast to the majority of the
other Hindu sects or cults who revel in imagery and
symbols. The Sikhs, however, are inclined to make
a Sacred Thing of the Holy Writings of Nanak, which
are their Scriptures, and which they regard as "The
Word of God," placing it upon their altars, and pay-
ing it sacred honors. Their teaching shows the influ-
ence of both the Vedanta and Mahommedism — they
holding to the existence of One Supreme Being or
God, which they hold to be formless, and in many
ways akin to the Allah of Mahommedism. Their
Scripture inculcates a high order of religious and moral
doctrine, and a broad tolerance and kindliness, and a
high ideal of purity and godliness. The followers of
this religion rank very favorably among the other

THE RELIGIONS OF INDIA. 2Q$

Hindus of the better sects, and with the better class
of the Mahommedans.

THE JAINS.

There are also about 1,500,000 followers of the re-
ligion of the Jains in India, principally in Marwar,
Bombay Presidency, and Mysore, drawing its num-
bers from the respectable middle-classes and small
merchants, etc. It stands well among students of
Oriental religions, although a minor religion, and its
literature is generally of a high order, and its people
orderly, and manifested a morality and ethics which
compare favorably with the other sects and cults. The
Jain teaching is similar to that of the Buddhists, but
the orthodox Hindus consider them agnostic rather
than atheistic. The Jain doctrine is dualistic, con-
sisting of a belief in Soul and Non-Soul or Matter.
Their conception of God is that He is but little more
than the Totality of Cosmic Energy. They have a
number of revered prophets, or teachers, called Tirt-
hankaras, who have passed on to higher planes, and
to whom, and Mahavira, the founder of their cult,
they pay homage and intense devotion and reverence,
akin to Saint-Worship. The Jains are great respecters
of life, even outdoing the Buddhist in that respect, and
go to absurd lengths to avoid the destruction of life,
even in seeds, etc. At the same time they look for-
ward to Death with pleasure and delight, as a release,
and some fanatics among them have starved them-
selves to death as a religious act, but at present this
practice is almost unknown.

296 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

THE THEISTIC SECTS.

During the Nineteenth Century there arose a num-
ber of modern Theistic Sects in India, closely resem-
bling the Unitarian Movement in America. The prin-
cipal sect of this kind is the £ra/ima-Somaj, which is
called a "natural religion/' denying the infallibility of
the Vedas, and adhering to the worship of One God,
or Supreme Ruler of the Universe, rejecting all
images or symbols. Kesab Chandra was the prime
mover in establishing this sect, about 1870. Another
similar sect was founded in Bombay, about the same
time, called the Prarthana-Somaj, which holds to the
general Unitarian doctrine, but discourages Christian
influence or affiliation, preferring strictly Hindu con-
trol and membership. The AryaSomaj is another
sect of this kind, which was founded by Dayananda
Sarasvati about the same time as the other two similar
schools. This sect discards caste, images, mythology,
and tradition, but respects the Vedas, which embrace
its doctrine of a strict Monotheism. The teachers of
this school interpret the Vedas in the light of modern
religious thought, including the teachings of modern
science.

RAMAKRISHNA.

A marked influence on modern Hindu religious
thought was exerted by Bhagavan Shri Ramakrishna,
who lived and taught in India during the last part of
the Nineteenth Century, and who founded a school
which now includes many Hindus of the better classes

THE RELIGIONS OF INDIA. 297

of the community. His teachings were based on the
Fundamental Doctrines, as interpreted by the Ad-
vaitists, but his views were extremely broad and cath-
olic. He claimed all men as his brothers and co-
religionists ; all countries as his home; and all relig-
ions as his very own. By many of his followers he
is regarded as an Incarnation of Divinity. His teach-
ings created a great revival of religious interest in
India, the effects of which are still very apparent. A
branch of his movement was established in America
by the late and respected Swami Vivekananda, who
was one of his disciples and ardent admirers, and who
brought forth his teachings in America at the occasion
of the World's Parliament of Religions in 1893. Ramar
krishna was a Bhakti Yogi, as well as a teacher of
philosophical religion, and his theme was ever "Love,
love, love !" By many Western people he is regarded
as the Modern Hindu Saint, equalling the teachers,
sages and founders of cults of early days.

HINDU RELIGIOUS IMAGES.

We wish to add a word here regarding the Western
misconception of the use of Images in the Hindu
religious worship. According to the Western travel-
ers, particularly the missionaries, the Hindus are a
race of Idolaters. This is an erroneous idea. While
it is true that many of the ignorant and uneducated
Hindus worship images without a high conception of
the symbology, still there is always "the god above
the image" in the mind of the worshiper, and the
image is used in order to fix the mind of the wor-

298 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

shiper upon the object of his adoration. And the
higher, and educated use of the images merely as a
symbol and "outward appearance of an inward real-
ity." The Hindu mind is poetical, and tends toward
imagery in expressing thought and worship — just as
does the Latin mind of the West, as evidenced by the
Italians, Spaniards, and French, and the Spanish-
American peoples. Consequently the Hindus natural-
ly turn toward imagery in their worship, in a manner
incomprehensible to the average Anglo-Saxon mind.
And this imagery has its low as well as its high
aspects. The key to the whole matter is the thought
and idea that the Image is always the Symbol of an
Underlying and Overshadowing Being. A stone, a
stick, a bit of earth — or the sun itself — it matters not.
It is always the God back of, underneath, yes in the
object to which the worship and adoration goes out.
This is the key to the Mystery — the Indwelling, Un-
derlying, and Overshadowing God — symbolized by the
material form, name or object. It is Symbology car-
ried to its extreme.

SPECIAL MESSAGE X.

By Yogi Bamacharaka.

For this month, we invite you to taste of the spiritual confections
compounded by the skilled hands of the Hindu maker of Spiritual Con-
fections, which bring delight to the soul of the spiritually minded:

"As the eagle of the mountains, having soared high in the air above
the earth, wings its way back to its resting-place, being fatigued by its
long flight — so does the soul, having experienced the life of the phe-
nomenal, relative, and mortal, return finally unto Itself, where it can
sleep beyond all desires, and beyond all dreams."

"As the lump of salt melted in the water cannot be experienced by
the eye, but may readily be detected by the tongue, so indeed the ever-
existent, and ever-effulgent Truth, shining in the depths of the heart,
cannot be realized by the external senses, but only by the light of that
sympathetic awakening which comes from the word of the teacher of the
Truth. In the vessel of water, which thou callest thyself, there is ever
present that flavor of the salt of Truth which, while undetected by the
eye, may yet ever be tasted by the spiritual sense."

"Truth is not realizable by study alone, nay, not even by intelligence
or by much learning, alone. Truth unfolds its full essence to him alone
who applies his whole soul to Truth. He who has not given up the ways
of sense; he who has not acquired self-control; he who hath not gained
inward peace; he whose mind is not at rest; can never realize the Truth,
even though he be filled with the learning of the world."

"Talk learnedly of the philosophies; worship devoutly at the altars
of the gods; carefully observe the minute details of the ceremonies and
rituals; sing loudly the favorite hymns of the deities; — do all these ,
things, if you will, yet shall you not gain merit, or wisdom, or freedom, ¥
even at the end of a thousand kalpas, unless you realize the Oneness of
Truth."

"He who hath grasped the Secret of Oneness of the Truth, ppsses
beyond the gates of Death, and enters into the realms of Immortality."

Our Meditation for the coming month is:

"IN THE PEBCEPTION OP THE EVEB-EFPULGENT ONE
ALONE IS THEBE PBEEDOM, WISDOM AND BLISS."

THE ELEVENTH LESSON.-

Hindu Wonder-Working.

The majority of Western readers are more or less
familiar with the accounts of the Wonder-Working
feats of the Hindu fakirs, or so-called "yogis" whose
feats have been witnessed by Western travelers in
India, who have related wonderful accounts of what
they have witnessed upon their return home. Of course,
many of these accounts are exaggerated and distorted,
but there is a basis of agreement upon the fundamen-
tal facts which should satisfy the fair-minded Western
student that there are "many things in heaven and
earth not dreamed of in our philosophy" — that is, in
the philosophies of the West. All educated Hindus,
however, know that while these feats are performed,
that they are not superatural in any sense of the
word, but are in strict accordance with natural laws,
although some of these laws may not be known to the
general public, and some of the applications of ordi-
nary natural forces are strange to the Western world.
Moreover, the educated Hindu knows that these ex-
hibitions and manifestations of strange forces are
not necessarily proofs of a high degree of spiritual
attainment on the part of the performer, for these
men are often quite low in the ranks of spiritual at-
tainment — but are rather the result of the control of
certain of nature's forces by means of the development
of certain psychological powers, chiefly by the control
and application of the Will. It is true that the great
spiritual Masters of India — the Sages, Adepts, or

301

302 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

Masters, are possessed of high spiritual powers which
are far above those manifested by the fakirs, but these
people never stoop to exhibit "feats" for the amuse-
ment or entertainment of the populace — the very fact
that a man will give an entertainment of this kind
stamping him as one of the class of fakirs who work
on a lower plane and who does not possess the higher
powers.

The secret of the fakir's power generally consists
in his ability to produce a mental illusion, or Maya,
whereby the senses of the by-standers are deluded and
the people made to appear to witness things that have
no basis in fact, as we shall see as we proceed. Another
class of effects are produced by the control of Prana
(or Vital Force) by the concentrated Will of the per-
former, so that heavy objects are moved around in
defiance of the law of gravitation, and even the human
body at times being floated about in the air, which
feat is called Levitation, and is not unknown to the
Western world. Then the marvellous degree of de-
velopment along the lines of Telepathy among these
people, and many of the Hindus for that matter, ren-
ders possible feats that would be practically impossible
in the West. Many of these feats could be produced
in no other land but India, owing to the psychological
conditions maintaining there, the material mental at-
mosphere of Western lands tending to counteract the
effects. Let us examine a few typical cases of this
phenomena of Wonder Working in India, that we
may arrive at an understanding of the methods em-
ployed.

HINDU WONDER-WORKING. 303

In the first place the Hindu mind, by reason of the
training of centuries and the mental attitude of the
majority of the people, is peculiarly receptive to
strongly concentrated thought- waves — telepathy
among these people is so common a thing as to merit
but scant notice. English people in India always have
been aware of the fact that news and information have
been and are flashed from one end of India to another
in a few hours. Let some peculiar occurrence happen
in one corner in India, perhaps quite remote, and away
from railroads and telegraphs — some uprising or re-
volt for instance, or the appearance of some religious
teacher preaching new truths — and before the day is
passed the news will be known in every corner of the
land, much to the surprise of the English residents
who see that something strange is occurring, but who
will not learn the true cause for several days after-
ward. At the time of the native uprisings and revolt,
some fifty years ago, the news of each move was
known all over India a few hours after the occurrence,
a fact which baffled the efforts of the English authori-
ties to fathom or explain.

The same is true in India of to-day. As all care-
ful readers of the journals know, there is in India
to-day a strong spirit of revolt against English rule,
and there are many manifestations of unrest. Many
careful observers claim that sooner or later there will
be a national uprising among the Hindus, the result
being that the English rule will be over — the yoke
cast off. As some of the Hindus say, "India is a

304 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

huge elephant lying asleep, beside her being her
keeper — a red-coated boy with a goad in his hand.
Some night the elephant will roll over on the boy,
and then there will be no keeper, and the goad will
be useless. Well, however this may be, the fact re-
mains that in this year 1908 there is a perfect system
of telepathic news service kept up among the dif-
ferent parts of India, whereby the various local read-
ers of the "underground movement" are kept fully
posted on the progress of the movement elsewhere.
In the morning, in some large town, everything will
be moving along as usual, while in the afternoon the
English residents will notice strange glances being
cast at them, and sneering smiles °and meaning glances
passing between the natives in the bazaars. Some
news has been gained — some word of some point of
advantage secured by the plotters. And the only way
that the news travels so quickly is by the telepathic
route.

This power of telepathy, and the receptivity to its
influence on the part of the populace generally, renders
a Hindu crowd susceptible of being impressed quite
easily by the psychological power of the fakirs who
have reduced mental concentration to a fine art, and
who created a condition of mental illusion as a foun-
dation for their more difficult feats. And not only
are the natives affected by this influence, but Western
""©pie who happen to be in the crowd catch the con-
~f the thought and fall victims to "the psy-
*^e crowd," as it is known in the West. All

HINDU WONDER-WORKING. 305

this is a kind of hypnotism or mesmeric influence, of
a certain form known to the fakirs, and to those who
have made a study of the subject. The crowd is
placed in a "suggestible condition," and filled with the
"expectant attention" which is so important a condi-
tion for the successful carrying off of these feats.
In addition to this method, the fakirs also possess the
power of "mental materialization" in which they pro-
duce illusion by sending forth strong "thought-forms"
of that which they wish the crowd to see, and which
are then apparently "seen" by the people witnessing
the performance, although a photograph snapped at
the time will fail to disclose any of the remarkable
scenes being witnessed, thus proving that the effect
is purely psychological. Let us describe a typical per-
formance of this kind, by one of the best and most
successful traveling fakirs of India, in which the
various classes of phenomena are manifested.

At the beginning of the performance, which is given
in the open air, in a large vacant space, the fakir seats
himself on the ground in the typical Hindu fashion,
his legs being folded in front of him, and his hands
arranged in the style familiar to those who have seen
the image of a Hindu deity in the temples, and with
his eyes closed. The crowd has gathered around him,
at a respectful distance, and prepares for the usual
long wait. Then the assistants of the fakir, usually
youths of a tender age, begin to beat cymbals and
drums, not loudly but with a muffled peculiar mo-
notonous sound. Then the fakir begins to chant slowly

306 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

and drowsily, choosing words that end in "um-m-m"
sounds" (not a difficult thing in India), until after a
bit a rhythmic vibration is set up and the air seems
to quiver with its tremulous movement. Then, per-
haps, the assistants will release several cobra snakes
from jars, or boxes, and the serpents will writhe
around in harmony with the music, and lo! they are
seen swelling and stretching and increasing in size,
until at last they become as immense boa-constrictors
swaying before the affrighted audience; then at a
wave of the fakir's hand the music changes a little
and the snakes begin to decrease in size until they
vanish from sight entirely. This snake feat is often
dispensed with by some of the leading fakirs, who con-
sider it too crude and worthy only of the lower order
of performers or snake charmers.

Then the fakir rises, and taking a slender long rope
from his assistants, he casts the knotted end high into
the air. The rope spins out its length for several
minutes, rising higher and higher until the knotted
end is lost to sight. Finally it stops, and the lower
end is left dangling a few feet above the ground, as
if suspended by some invisible hook or beam far above
the ground. Then the fakir bids his smallest assistant
climb up the rope, which he does, nimbly passing up
and up, until he too fades from sight. Then the fakir
claps his hands, and lo ! the rope itself vanishes. After
a wait of a few minutes the boy who has disappeared
comes rushing into the circle of the crowd as if com-
ing from a great distance, and all out-of-breath. Some-

HINDU WONDER-WORKING. 307

times this feat is varied, and terminated by the boy
appearing high up in the air, as a tiny speck, and
then gradually descending to the ground by means
of the rope. This feat has several variations, but the
general outlines *re the same.

Then the fakir proceeds to perform the celebrated
Mango Feat, so often witnessed by English travelers
in India. He begins by building up a little hillock of
earth, into which he places a mango seed. Then he
begins his chant, accompanied by the drums and cym-
bals, and a waving of his hands over the little pile
of earth. In a few moments a little sprout of green
manifests itself from the top of the pile, and growing
rapidly soon reaches the height and appearance of a
young mango bush, which still keeps on growing until
it has reached the size and maturity of a full grown
mango tree, with leaves and blossoms. Then the blos-
soms change into young fruit, which ripens before the
eyes of the crowd, until finally it is picked and passed
around the crowd to be eaten. Then the fakir reverses
the process, and the tree begins to shrink and retire
into itself until finally it has again resolved itself into
the original seed which was planted in the hillock.
In some cases the fakir varies the feat by bidding the
people hold carefully in their hands the mangoes
which he distributes, the result being that when the
tree disappears the fruit disappears also.

Another favorite feat of these fakirs is the Spinning
Boy, in which he takes his young assistant and whirls
him around like a top, the motion growing more and

308 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

more rapid until the boy spins around rapidly by him-
self, without assistance. Finally the spinning boy be-
gins to ascend in the air, higher and higher, until he
vanishes from sight. The feat is terminated either by
the boy coming running back to the crowd from a
distance, or else by a reversal of the disappearing act,
and a return from the heights as a human spinning-
top, growing more and more distinct until the earth
is again reached, when he gradually slows down until
he comes to a perfect rest, when he squats unconcern-
edly by the side of his master.

The Rope-Snake feat is another favorite manifes-
tation of these fakirs. They "will take plain bits of
rope, often cutting the bits from a long thick rope,
with a knife, and then knotting an end on each bit.
Then begins the chant, and waving of hands, and the
drum and cymbals. Soon the bits of rope begin to
tremble, and a moment later are seen to be slowly
transforming themselves into cobra snakes. Finally
the knotted end turns into the hooded head of the
deadly cobra and the serpents are seen moving hiss-
ingly and threateningly toward the crowd, which re-
treats in terror. A word from the fakir and Ac snakes
begin to resolve themselves back into the original bits
of rope, and in the end are as they were at the begin-
ning — bits of severed rope with a knotted end, much
to the relief of the spectators. Then the fakir will
stand up, and leaning backwards will lift his feet
*ke ground, until at length is seen to be floating
*s a good swimmer floats in the water.

HINDU WONDER-WORKING. 309

Often he passes over the heads of the crowd, circling
around until he finally returns to his original place
and position.

Sometimes this "floating feat" is varied by the
fakir snatching a child or young boy from the side of
its parents, and causing it to float around in the air,
often rising up out of sight in the manner before
mentioned. There is no end to the variety of changes
that these people work in performing this feat. They
will also toss into the air various objects that may
be lying around, and make them float easily in the
air, rising and lowering themselves at the command
of the fakir.

The well-known Cocoa-nut feat is another favorite
illusion of the traveling fakirs. It is performed by
producing an empty cocoanut shell, which is passed
around for examination. Then from the nut is seen
to bubble up great streams of water, which is poured
into a bucket ; then into another vessel or jar ; and so
on until many gallons of water have been produced
from the shell, and many jars filled. Then he re-
verses the process and slowly pours vessel after vessel
of water back into the shell, where it disappears, until
finally all the vessels have been emptied and the shell
is again passed around, perfectly empty and as dry
as in the first place.

There are many variations and combinations of this
class of feats as performed by these traveling fakirs
and others, the variety and interesting features de-
pending materially upon the ingenuity and power of

310 rillLOSOPIIIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

invention on the part of the fakir. As a rule, however,
these people merely repeat the feats which have been
taught them by their parents or masters, with little
or no variation, change, or improvement, their in-
ventive faculties not been highly developed seemingly.
The majority of the fakirs have served long appren-
ticeships with either the fathers or else with some old
master fakir to whom they were apprenticed in early
youth. And it is the tendency of a certain type of
Hindu mind to follow an example as closely as may
be, without any attempt at improvement. But here
and there are to be found rather enterprising fakirs
who are not satisfied with the mechanical repetition
of the feats as taught them, but who wish to achieve
special renown by performing some new feat, or new
variation on some old one. And, when this desire
possesses a fakir there are no limits to the variety of
feats that he produces, which, however, are mainly
variations upon and combinations of the principal
feats, such as are mentioned above.

Some of these variations take the form of ma-
terializing objects from the air; producing the forms
and shapes of men, women, children and animals —
in short that which is similar to what in the western
world are called "materializations" in spiritualistic
seances, although there is really no connection be-
tween the two classes of phenomena, as we shall see
as we proceed. There is practically no limit to the
variety possible to the person possessing the ability
to produce or rather to induce the illusive mental

HINDU WONDER-WORKING. 3IJ

state which lies at the bottom of this class of manifes-
tations. An enterprising Western magician, were he
possessed of the power of producing this illusion,
would startle the world by sensational exhibitions of
his wondrous power. But the Hindu fakir does not
seem to wish to "spread himself out" in this way —
such would be contrary to the traditions of his class
and race, and he prefers to move along in the same
old ways that have been followed by the many gen-
erations of teacher and pupils before him — for his
trade is an old one, and each fakir descends in a
direct line from hundreds who have preceded him,
and from whom he has acquired the little "knack" of
producing the illusion, as well as the methods whereby
he has acquired the power of concentration.

For, let the truth be known, while the basis of these
feats is the strong, concentrated will and mind of the
fakir, trained by methods handed down from the cen-
turies, still the details of the performance are prac-
tically those of the magician of the West, and are
arranged with an eye to effect and "stage business."
This must be so necessarily, for the fakir is a public
performer and his business must be managed so as
to produce the best effects. He is not filled with the
scientific spirit, nor is he possessed of high spiritual
ideals. He simply has come into the possession of
certain methods of mental training, whereby he is
able to "psychologize" his audience, and to project
"thought-forms," which will seem as realities to his
spectators, and he uses the power to entertain, amuse,

312 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

and bewilder the crowds that flock around him in his
travels. Many Hindus and many Western men have
endeavored to extract the secret of the process from
these itinerant wonder-workers, but without avail —
large sums of money have been offered them, but they
have spurned it The truth is that they have taken
sacred oaths to the instructors to preserve the secrets
of their craft, and besides they are afraid of the ven-
geance sure to be meted upon them by their brethren
of the craft should they divulge their methods. A
fakir will die rather than tell his secrets. But never-
theless the secrets are known to the advanced occult-
ists among the Hindu sages and adepts, who are ac-
quainted with the laws and methods of development
concerning the production of the feats. But these
advanced souls would not think of exhibiting these
powers, as does the fakir, nor would they make the
methods public, for fear that they might be used for
improper purposes.

But there is no doubt in the minds of the Hindu
investigators that the feats are mere illusions, in fact
the process and general methods are known to some
who have investigated closely along these lines. The
fact that photographs snapped during the performance
of these feats have failed to reveal anything but the
fakir sitting still in the centre, with his eyes fixed in
a concentrated glare, and an entire absence of the
many illusory features, shows conclusively that the
"feats" exist merely in the minds of the audience
upon which they have been super-imposed by the mind

Hindu Wonder-working. 313

of the fakir. Many experiments in photography have
been made along these lines, but the result is always
the same — the plate shows nothing unusual — in the
boy and rope feat there is seen no rope, no boy, no
climbing, nothing but the fakir sitting still and con-
centrating, concentrating, CONCENTRATING.
Moreover, other experiments have been made along
these lines. It has been discovered, accidentally, that
if the spectators move in too close upon the fakir the
illusion vanishes from the minds of those approaching
him, although remaining as fresh and strong as ever
in the minds of those remaining in the "charmed
circle." And the same is true in the case of those
who retreat beyond a certain distance of the circle.
People have tried this experiment in numerous cases,
and with the same result. Moreover, some have wit-
nessed the performance from the roofs of buildings
higher than the average, and have seen nothing un-
usual, while their friends on the ground have wit-
nessed all the strange and wonderful features above
narrated. There can be no doubt that herein lies the
secret of the phenomena.

But, even though these feats be merely illusion, and
not a reversal of nature's laws, is it not wonderful
that such psychological power can have been culti-
vated and developed? It shows the possibilities of
practice and concentration of the mental powers, of
which the Western world is just beginning to under-
stand. The West is merely in the kindergarten stage
of the Power of the Mind, but we venture the asser-

314 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

tion that the American spirit of investigation will
bring many new things to light along these lines
within the next twenty years — the investigators are on
the right track already, and wonderful possibilities are
before the race.

And, now, let us pass on to a consideration of the
higher class of phenomena of the Hindu Wonder-
workers, of which the Western world is not so well
informed as of the above mentioned class exhibited
by the fakirs. For there is a higher phase, possessing
real scientific interest, and manifesting a wonderful
control and management of the powers of nature,
along the lines of vital forces, etc., and which is de-
void of the illusory nature of the fakir's feats. The
Western world may doubt some of these higher feats,
but many Hindus, and a few Western travelers, know
them to be facts.

Among the instances of the exercise of a high de-
gree of control over some of nature's forces, along
scientific lines, and devoid of the illusory features of
the phenomena previously mentioned, is that of the
celebrated Boiling Water feat which has been wit-
nessed and reported by several Western writers and
travelers, but which is not nearly so common as the
class of phenomena due to mental illusion. The feat
is performed as follows: The fakir takes between
the palms of his hands a glass, or other vessel or
receptacle, filled with clear water — both the water and
the receptacle having been examined by the witnesses
of the performance. Then, showing signs of mental

HINDU WONDER-WORKING. 315

concentration, and at the same time practicing the
Yogi Rhythmic Breathing, the fakir seems to be send-
ing to the water a current of power or force of some
sort. In a few moments the water seems to be filled
with tiny bubbles similar to those showing in boiling
water, and gradually the entire glass is bubbling away
as if a great heat were being applied to it. Investi-
gators have then insisted that the glass be placed on
a table away from the hands of the fakir, the result
being that the ebullition gradually subsided, and the
glass of water resumed its normal appearance, with
the exception that tiny bubbles of air gathered and
remained on the sides of the glass, just as they do in
ordinary instances when a glass of water is allowed
to remain for a length of time.

It is said by those who have experimented with this
phenomenon, that the water does not grow hot, nor
does it really "boil" in the sense of being agitated by
heat, the appearance being that of "effervescence"
rather than that of "boiling" by heat. It should be
noted here that the investigators took steps to prevent
the insertion of any effervescent chemical into the wa-
ter, in some cases the precautions taken being so great
that the investigators brought their own glasses, which
they filled themselves, and then covered carefully, in
one case a covered "Mason Jar" being used to obviate
any change or the insertion of any chemical substance
into the water. In one instance, we understand, the
water was connected with a registering instrument
similar to a galvanometer, and no signs of an electric

3l6 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

current were observed — and in the same test the water
was subjected to a chemical analysis, but no traces of
foreign chemical substances were found. Some have
remarked that the water seemed to be slightly warmer
than that of the water before the manifestation upon
it, but this may have been caused by the natural heat
of the hands of the fakir — we have heard of no cases
in which the heat has been recorded by the use of a
thermometer. Some have thought that after the man-
ifestation the water tasted "flat," as does water that
has been subjected to boiling, in fact this seems to be
the general verdict, but there is a chance of the effect
of auto-suggestion or imagination in this case, in
absence of any scientific test. As to the genuineness
of the phenomenon of the effervescing or boiling, how-
ever, there seems to be no doubt.

Some of the fakirs performing the above feat, when
closely questioned, insisted that they were unable to
explain what force was used, as they merely "concen-
trated their minds on the water," according to meth-
ods taught by their instructors and masters, and the
result followed naturally. Some attempted to give
some fantastic explanation, or to account for the phe-
nomena by the theory of "spirits," but these people
were suspected of endeavoring to surround the phe-
nomenon with supernatural "fringes," and a close
cross-examination generally resulted in their admitting
that they did not understand the real cause underly-
ing their work — they knew that "it worked," and that
was all. Others, however, who were better informed,

HINDU WONDER-WORKING. 317

held that it was caused by the manifestation of
"Pram" under the control of their concentrated will,
and assisted by their Rhythmic Breathing, and such
is the opinion of Hindu occultists who are familiar
with the phenomenon and who claim that it is merely
a simple manifestation of the operation of Prana gen-
erated by the Rhythmic Breath, and directed by the
focused Will. In short, it is merely a more marked
manifestation of the same natural force which is em-
ployed in the production of the "magnetized water"
so frequently employed by the "magnetic healers ,, of
the Western world.

We have heard of experiments performed privately
by advanced occultists who were investigating the
force-producing effects of water subjected to con-
centrated Prana, in which the vessel containing the
water was connected by a pipe attached to a miniature
toy steam engine boiler, the result being that when
the effervescence began to manifest in a high degree
the tiny boiler was filled with the "steam" (?) or
other ethereal form of matter arising from the water,
and the little engine began to work. We never have
witnessed this experiment, personally, but have heard
of several cases of its having been performed in India.
In these cases, however, the persons capable of exert-
ing the force decline to exhibit the feat in public,
having no desire for notoriety or "fame," the Hindu
mind working along lines of its own in this respect
and which are foreign to the Western point of view
which sees the advantage and virtue of publicity. The

3l8 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

Orientals hold firmly to the idea that the Truth is
for the favored few who can appreciate it; the West-
erner holds that Truth should be spread widely among
all, irrespective of the capacity to understand and
correctly apply it to the best advantage— each view
has its own arguments and merits, and the real wis-
dom probably lies in the middle of the road between
the two.

Another feat which has caused much interest among
educated Westerners in India is that of the germina-
tion of seeds under the influence of Prana directed
by Rhythmic Breathing and Concentrated Will. This
feat is entirely different from the Mango Feat and
similar exhibitions along the lines of illusory mental
influence as mentioned in the first part of this chapter,
and in which there is no real sprouting or growth,
but only an appearance or illusion of the same. In
the present case the germination is real, as evidenced
by photographs and the preservation of the germin-
ated sprout attached to the seed after the termination
of the performance. It is unnecessary to say that in
a feat of this kind the chances of sleight-of-hand are
great, and that the investigators have taken means to
obviate the chances of the same by employing the
methods familiar to the investigators of psychic phe-
nomena. In this feat the fakir takes seeds, of certain
quick-growing plants of India, which are brought by
the investigators and which subsequent analysis shows
to be free from foreign chemicals, and enclosing them
with a handful of earth, likewise examined and after-

HINDU WONDER-WORKING. 319

ward tested, holds the mass of earth in his hand for
a space of about half-an-hour to an hour, at the same
time concentrating the Prana upon it by means of
Rhythmic Breathing and Concentrated Will. After
a time there appears a tiny sprout of green working
out of the earth, which is allowed to grow until it
attains a height of several inches. Examination shows
the remnants of the seed clinging to the sprout,
as is the case in natural and normal germ-
ination, and the presence of a tiny root which has
been sent in the opposite direction to the sprout.
The reports are that this feat has been performed
frequently under the strictest test conditions, the ele-
ments of deception having been eliminated. The ex-
planation given is that the energy of the Prana op-
erates precisely as do the rays of the sun in a tropical
country, only in a more concentrated degree, and that
the energy employed and that contained in the sun's
rays is identical. No heat is noticeable, but then the
higher rays of sunlight are not heat rays, as all scien-
tists know. Another point of resemblance to the
Actinic Rays of the sun is shown in another feat in
which the fakir places his hand on the fair skin of a
newly arrived European or American, and after hold-
ing it there for about fifteen minutes or a half-hour
leaves a "sun-burnt" impression of his hand on the
flesh of the fair-skinned visitor. We would like to
hear of the experiment being tried of placing a cov-
ered sensitive photographic plate under the hand of
the fakir so that it might be ascertained whether the

320 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

imprint of his hand would appear thereon, as is the
case when the X-Ray is so applied — but so far we
have not heard of this last mentioned experiment
having been attempted. In the Germination feat it
should be noticed that the seeds employed are always
those of some native quick-growing plants of India,
many of which will sprout naturally in twenty-four
hours under the rays of the Indian sun.

Another feat performed by the same methods is
that mentioned by a few people who have witnessed
it, it being a rare one and one which is seldom mani-
fested or exhibited, and which is known as the Fish
Feat. It is performed by the fakir holding in his
hand a glass or tiny bowl of water in which have
been placed a few of the ova or eggs of small native
fish (fertilized, of course )> arid upon which he con-
centrates the Prana for about half-an-hour, along the
lines of the methods stated above, the result being that
the ova or eggs would hatch and produce tiny young
fish swimming freely about in the glass or small bowl,
just as if they had been hatched naturally, and in the
usual time. The Hindu occultists held that this result
is produced purely by the application of the power of
concentrated Prana, by means of Rhythmic Breath-
ing and Will-Power, as was the germination of the
seed, the phenomena being identical. We have heard
of a few isolated cases .in which certain Hindu fakirs
have been able to cause the hatching of the egg of
small Trirds, quite a time however being necessary in
such cases, in one instance the entire day (twelve

HINDU WONDER-WORKING. 32I

hours) being necessary to produce the result. The
principle in all of these cases is the same, the applica-
tion of Prana, which hastens the vital processes in-
herent in the germ of the seed or egg itself, the work
being performed along purely natural lines, merely
being hastened or stimulated to a marked degree by
the action of and increased and concentrated supply
of Prana.

Another interesting manifestation of the same force
is that which has been related by the travelers in cer-
tain parts of India, whereby the temperature of water
is lowered to the extent of a number of degrees, not
in the way of an actual subtraction of the heat by the
direct action of Prana, but in a manner similar to
that of artificial refrigeration by evaporation. The
method is as follows : The fakir takes into his hands,
and at the same time rests upon his lap one of the
large water jars common to all tropical countries,
which is wrapped with cloths moistened with water,
and which are usually placed in the sun that the heat
may cause the water on the cloths to evaporate, the
evaporation drawing the heat from the water within
the jar and thereby cooling it — the process being
according to well-known physical laws. The fakir, by
directing a supply of Prana upon the moistened cloths
(which are re-moistened from time to time) manages
to set up a process of evaporation similar to that
mentioned in the boiling-water feat, and this constant
evaporation drawing the heat from the water within
the jar gradually reduces it to a degree of coolness

322 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

quite perceptible and agreeable to the taste. This
manifestation shows quite plainly that Prana is the
force used, and gives us an additional proof of the
nature of this class of phenomena.

There are other cases, however, in which Prana is
used in an entirely different way, and in accordance
to different laws of nature. We allude to "the ac-
tion at a distance," in which bells are rung and objects
moved as if by an unseen hand. Laying aside for a
moment the cases in which this class of phenomena is
produced by the projection of the Astral Body
charged with Prana, let us consider the cases in which
the Prana is directed along the lines of Thought-form
projection, or "Vitalized Thought." There are a
number of feats produced in this way by the Hindu
fakirs, some of which resemble some of the manifes-
tations of the Western spiritualistic mediums. Bells
are rung, small objects are shifted in position, and the
strings of musical instruments are sounded, etc., al-
though the fakir is bound and surrounded by watchers.
These manifestations are performed in a dim light,
darkness not being deemed necessary as in the cases
in which the Astral manifestations are performed. In
the latter cases there are conditions manifested which
resemble the "materializations ,, of the Western spir-
itualists, and in which in the dimly lighted room the
form of the fakir is seen floating about, and in which
the other physical manifestations are shown. In many
cases the fakirs attribute the phenomena to "spirits"
or disembodied entities, but in many cases they frankly

HINDU WONDER-WORKING. 323

admit that they "go out of themselves" in some way
unknown to them, but which they produce by means
of trance-states, etc., and in which they find them-
selves able to move objects, etc., while their physical
body is tied in a chair, or while it reclines on the
ground, held by some of the spectators. These seances
resemble in many ways the spiritualistic seances of
the West, and we shall not dwell upon them as they
are not distinctively Hindu. As a matter of interest,
we would note that many Western investigators now
claim that much of the so-called "spirit phenomena"
of the West is really caused by the unconscious astral
projection of the medium, instead of by disembodied
entities dwelling on other planes of being. If such
be the case the West has stumbled on one of the
methods of the Hindu fakirs, a fact which is most
interesting and instructive.

There is another class of phenomena manifested by
these fakirs which is of a very different type, and
which perplexes the majority of investigators, but
which is thought to arise from the employment of
Pram in some peculiar way.. We allude to the phe-
nomenon of Levitation, whereby the body is caused
to "levitate" or become so buoyant that it floats in
the air as the body of the swimmer floats in the
water. This phenomenon is not identical with a sim-
ilar one caused by "mental illusion," in which the
spectators are made to imagine that they see the feat,
but is an actual physical phenomenon duly attested to
by numerous Western people in India, and which has

324 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

also been manifested in other countries. It is gen-
erally attributed to a suppositious quality called "Lev-
ity," which is held to be the opposite of Gravity, and
which counteracts the effect of the latter. But other
authorities hold that Gravity is not neutralized but
rather is overcome by the effect of Prana directed
in a manner similar to the other feats. The fakir
generally leans backward gradually, and when he be-
gins to feel buoyant he calls upon the attendants to
lift his heels from the ground and to support him
in the air for a few moments, after which they with-
draw, leaving him suspended in the air. After a few
minutes the fakir is generally able to move himself
about — to "float" in fact — until the power gradually
decreases and he sinks slowly to the ground. It must
be remembered that he passes into a state of intense
concentration, becoming oblivious to the outside sur-
roundings, and at the same time he breathes rhyth-
mically in slow measured time.

In the above connection it is interesting to compare
the above-mentioned complete levitation with the par-
tial levitation so often resulting from the familiar
Western experiment whereby a heavy person is lifted
into the air by the finger-tips of his companions, who
have been breathing rhythmically and in unison.
While the process does not appear to come under the
classification of the other feats performed by the use
of Prana, there seems to be very good ground for be-
lieving that in some way Prana is employed to coun-
teract the effects of Gravity.

HINDU WONDER-WORKING. 325

The fakirs themselves seem to be at a loss to ac-
count for the phenomena, saying merely that they
merely "let themselves go," holding at the same time
a strong mental image of suspension in the air, and
then "hold themselves up" by a concentrated effort of
the Will directed into the Mental Image, or Thought
Picture. They claim that it tires them out in a short
time, and that they can feel themselves "giving out,"
just as under a physical strain. They acquire the
means of producing the feat by frequent practice un-
der the instruction of their masters in youth, but they
also declare that some of the pupils never acquire the
method at all, in spite of the instructions and practice,
and that the teachers are unable to induce the power
where it does not exist naturally. They refuse, as
they always do in any case, to describe the methods
of practice, except to their own apprentices, and they
refuse large sums of money for the "secret" which
they have sworn to preserve. Under no circumstances
would they betray the secret to an outsider, for they
fear the vengeance of their particular deity or god,
Shiva, for they belong to the credulous and supersti-
tious portion of the race, and are far from being ad-
vanced spiritually or intellectually. All of which goes
to prove the contention of the developed and advanced
occultists that these fakirs possess powers of a low
degree, and which have no connection with true "soul-
power," which is possessed only by advanced indi-
viduals, and which depend upon a high degree of
knowledge concerning the nature and powers of the
Soul.

326 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

We will not take up space and time in endeavoring
to explain the nature of Prana and Mental Influence
in this lesson. In the first series of our lessons, known
as "The Fourteen Lessons in Yogi Philosophy and
Oriental Occultism/' we have gone into the subject
of these two forces, showing what Prana is and how
it is employed in connection with Psychic Influence.
We would refer students to the lessons in the said
book touching upon the forces named. But in order
that this lesson, and the above references to Prana
and Mental Influence may be intelligible to the general
reader, we feel that we should state briefly the nature
of Prana, and to describe the underlying principles
of Mental Influence.

"Prana" is the Sanscrit term used to designate that
great natural force or energy which is universal in
its manifestations, and which appears in the human
being as Vital Force, or Nerve-Force, in other words
as the power which makes Life-Action possible. This
Prana, although manifesting as Vital Force, is more
than this — it is the great power or energy or force
which manifests in all things throughout the universe,
showing now as electricity, now as light and heat,
now as magnetism, now as gravitation, etc. — in short,
the Energy Principle of the Universe. Prana may be,
and is directed by the human will, to the different
parts of the body — as when the will commands the
muscles to contract by means of a current of Prana
sent there — and it may be projected beyond the limits
of the body in certain forms of occult phenomenon.

HINDU WONDER-WORKING. 327

There are various forms of Mental Influence, as all
students of the subject well know, but the form or
phase which is manifested by the fakirs in the feats
of illusion mentioned in the first part of this lesson
is in the form of Vibration, and Prana-charged
Thought Forms projected toward the spectators. The
fakir has cultivated the power of Mental Imaging to
a high degree, and then forming a Thought-Form
along the mould of his Mental Image, the same being
charged with Prana to give it vitality and force, by
means of his concentrated Will he projects it towards
the circle of spectators, thus producing similar Vibra-
tions in their Chitta or Mind-Stuff which causes them
to think they see in actual manifestation the scenes
that the fakir has seen by Mental Imaging. It is as
if the fakir was using a Mental Magic-Lantern con-
taining a slide with the desired picture painted on it —
when the lantern-ray strikes the surface of the brains
of the other persons the scene is reproduced there, and
they think that they are actually witnessing the scene
of the lantern-slide. This illustration is somewhat
crude, but it gives an idea of the process employed.
References to our other series of lessons, as afore-
said, will give detailed explanation of the nature and
laws of the phenomena of Mental Influence.

In the Wonder- Working of the fakirs of India we
have to deal with a great variety of feats and mani-
festations, which would require a large book to de-
scribe or even mention in detail. We have selected
certain typical cases in order to illustrate the subject,

328 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

and have given you an explanation of the laws and
principles underlying each, so that you may be able
to distinguish between the various phases of the phe-
nomena. We think that with our explanation you will
be able to classify, distinguish and understand any
particular feats of which you may hear henceforth.

We wish to be distinctly understood, however, in
stating that the explanations given do not apply to the
higher class of phenomena manifested by the Ad-
vanced Masters and Higher Occultists of India, who
have mastered the secret of many of nature's finer
forces, and who employ the same from time to time
for the good of humanity and the advancement of the
race. These developed souls, however, never exhibit
these powers for the purpose of satisfying the curi-
osity of travelers or others, or even for the purposes
of scientific investigation — they hold themselves above
these things and would scorn to "give exhibitions" for
any such purpose. Some of their favored students
have been able to witness some of these remarkable
manifestations of power, during the course of their
occult instruction in which the principles were applied
in order to illustrate certain points of teaching. This
class of phenomena belongs to another plane of life
and activity, and may be considered as "Spiritual" in
nature rather than Mental or Physical. And the ac-
quirement of such power is possible only to those who
have trodden the Path of Attainment and who have
won the battle of Self Mastery, which must precede
the Mastery of the Finer Forces. Many people make

HINDU WONDER-WORKING. 329

the mistake of confounding this Higher Phenomena
with the manifestations just mentioned, or else the
Psychic Phenomena of the Astral Plane, both of which
are immeasurably below it in the scale. As we have
said, many of these lower powers are acquired by per-
sons of but a low grade of spiritual attainment or de-
velopment, and their success depends principally upon
those commonly-known but little-used faculties — Con-
centration, Perseverence, and Work, to a degree un-
common to the average person who wishes to be
shown a Royal Road to Power, while no such road
exists.

SPECIAL MESSAGE XI.

By Yogi Ramacharaka.

For this month, we invite you to taste of the spiritual wine .of
Wisdom, from the grapes of Understanding, pressed forth by the Hindu
Sages' of old:

"Truth cannot be realized by want of spiritual strength; nor by
indifference; nor by austerities unaccompanied by renunciation. The
self of that knower who applies himself to Truth, enters the great Self.
Sages have found it, and do thou stand ever content in Spiritual Con-
sciousness; remain thou ever centered in Truth, being free from all
attachment, and always at peace within and without, find the uncondi-
tioned and all-pervading, and realizing the Truth within you, become one
with AIL With faith firmly fixed on the Truth; with the mind purified
through renunciation; with the soul illumined with Spiritual Conscious-
ness — become One with the Immortal — one with the One."

"When thy mind .reaches the stage of intuitive knowledge, follow
thou it — be led by the Truth within thee. Until then, be thou guided
by the best books, and the best teachers, and the logical instruments of
knowledge — though these be tut as crutches, yet wisdom dictates that
they be not thrown away until jutgrown. When latent desire is burnt
out by the fire of the Spirit, and the One is realized, then wilt thou have
no concern with outward instruments of knowledge, however good these
may be, these teachers, and books and logical reasonings."

"The rivers flowing to and gaining the ocean, lose themselves in it,
yea, lose even their name and form, and become one with the Ocean, and
even bear its name. So do all the myriads of individual selves flow into
and gaining the One, become lost in it, losing name and form, and being
known by its name. This One, in which all is lost — and by which losing
all is found — is the immortal, transcendent Truth. In Truth are all
forms, like the centering of the spokes of the chariot-wheel in its hub."

"Knowing Truth, the great all-pervading One, through whom is
experienced dream and waking, the wise rise above pain, and sorrow, for
Wisdom neutralizes these illusions."

Our Meditation for the coming month is:

"THE WISE EVEB SEEK THAT WHICH ONCE KNOWN ALL
IS KNOWN."

THE TWELFTH LESSON.

The Vedas ; and Glossary.

Students of the Hindu Philosophies and Religious
Systems meet with frequent and constant allusions to
the "Vedas" and te Upanishads/' the Sacred Books
of India, but as a rule find little or no description or
explanation of what the Vedas or Upanishads are ; of
what they consist, or of their history. We have thought
it advisable to give our students a brief description
and account of the Vedas and Upanishads in this
lesson.

THE VEDAS.

The Vedas, generally speaking, may be defined as:
The Hindu Sacred Books comprising the Hindu Scrip-
tures, viz., Rig-Veda; the Yajur-Veda; the Sama-
Veda; the Atharva-Veda; and also the Brahmanas
and the Upanishads; and also comprising the poems,
hymns, sacred literature, rituals, and general religious
philosophy of the Hindu religious systems.

But strictly speaking, the term "The Vedas" is used
to designate merely the Sacred Scriptures of the Hin-
dus, which we shall now consider.

The Vedas have a most ancient origin, their early
history fading into "the days before history." There
are accounts of the Sacred Writings extending back
for several thousand years, but before this time there
were evidently still older manuscripts ; and before the
constant verbal transmission of the Sacred Teachings
from mouth to ear — from father to son — from teacher
to student — which has always been the custom in

33i

332 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

Oriental countries. There are over one hundred of
these Sacred Books, but their base is found in the
"Four Vedas" known as the Rig-Veda; the Yajur-
Veda; the Sama-Veda; and the Atharva-Veda.

The Rig-Veda is considered the oldest of the Four
Vedas, and is probably the most important. It con-
sists of over one thousand great hymns, of extraord-
inary length, and chiefly concerning ceremonial wor-
ship and ritualistic rites of devotion. These hymns
are arranged into ten books, called Mandala, six of
which are Family Books, that is, are written by some
sage or poet in. the first place, and then added to by
his descendants. The subjects treated in the Rig-
Veda are numerous, mythology being strongly in evi-
dence, the successive stages of the work showing the
growth of the mythology of the Hindus, and also
showing how some of the more elementary and sim-
ple conceptions of the earlier Hindus developed in
systems of gods and demi-gods.

The Yajur-Veda is devoted principally to ritualism
or sacerdotalism. Its form is metrical, as a rule, al-
though certain forms of prose appear at times. The
influence of the Rig-Veda is noticeable in it, and the
latter is regarded in it as authoritative. The Yajur-
Veda concerns itself with sacrifice, priestly functions,
ceremonial of worship— the machinery of "the
Church" in fact, very little of philosophy, metaphysics,
or spiritual teaching being found therein — formalism,
ritual and ceremony being the themes.

The Sama-Veda has been called "the Veda of

THE VEDAS ; AND GLOSSARY. 333

Hymns," which indeed it is. It comprises many
verses, melodies, librettos, and naming of pious ex-
clamatory words which were interjected into the sing-
ing, in the manner of the exhortations and pious ex-
clamations manifested by some of the Christian sects
during the prayers or sermons of others, such as
"Amen ! Glory to God ! Praise the Lord !" etc., which
practice was common among the early Hindus, and
even to this day is found among some of their sects
in which ardent enthusiasm is encouraged.

The Atharva-Veda has been called "the Veda of
Psychic Powers," for the reason that it devotes much
attention to the various methods regarded as con-
ducive to the development of super-normal faculties,
senses, and powers. There is mention of both the
low as well as the high use of the powers, the dis-
cussion ranging from highest forms of psychic power
to the lowest forms of witchcraft, sorcery and black-
magic, the habit of the Hindu mind being toward
thoroughness, the logical conclusion being sought
after without fear or hesitation. The books compos-
ing the Atharva-Veda, some twenty in number, con-
tain countless "recipes" and -formula for blessings,
curses, charms, incantations, magical ceremonies, in-
vocations, evocations, etc., etc., far exceeding in vari-
ety and detail any of the similar writings of the He-
brews, Greeks, etc., and showing to what extent the
human mind may travel along these lines. But strange
to say, among this mass of "methods," etc., there
appear certain portions of the work touching upon

334 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

high ideas, thoughts and speculations, having evi-
dently been written about the same time, and included
with the other work by reason of the period of their
writing, rather than by any relationship or connection
of thought. The modern Hindu, and in fact' the
Hindus for many centuries past, have recognized a
decided division between the parts of the Atharva-
Veda, separating them into divisions corresponding
to the Western terms of "White Magic" and "Black
Magic" respectively.

THE BRAH MANAS.

There are many schools of interpretations of the
Vedas, each of which have many commentaries arising
from the interpretations. Proceeding from these dif-
ferences appeared the several Brahmanas, which are
in the nature of theological commentaries concerning
the Vedas, more particularly in the matter of forms,
ceremonies, creeds, etc., accompanied by a copious
reference to the original books, and a quoting of
"texts" in a manner familiar to those familiar with the
customs of the Western sects and denominations.
From these original Brahmanas developed a later form
of commentaries which are known as the Aranyakas,
or "Forest Treatises,", named after the teachers who
wrote them and who dwelt in the forests. These
works are of a higher character than the earlier
Brahmanas, and are of a mystical character and touch
upon the higher phases of the Hindu religious thought.
These works may be considered as a connecting-link
between the Brahmanas and the Upanishads. The two

THE VEDAS ; AND GLOSSARY. 335

important Aranyakas are known as the Aitareya, and
the Taittiriya, respectively.

THE UPANISHADS.

The term "Upanishad" means, literally, "a sitting
down beside," or what in the West would be called a
"heart-to-heart" instruction. The word is also used
as meaning "the esoteric doctrine." The general use
of the word, however, is as the designation for
the "End of the Vedas/ 9 that is, for the philosophical
writing which conclude the general Vedas, or Sacred
Rooks of India. The Upanishads are devoted to
theological, philosophical and metaphysical specula-
tion, argument, discussion, teaching and consideration,
whereas the Vedas proper; the Brahmanas; and the
Aranyakas; (see previous reference in this lesson)
are devoted rather to mythological, ritualistic* cere-
monial subjects than to those treated in the Upani-
shads. The earlier Sacred Books devote themselves
to explaining the religious, ethical, and ecclesiastical
duties, together with a reference to super-normal pow-
ers in one case — but the Upanishads devote them-
selves chiefly to a consideration of the nature of man
and the universe, and their relation to the Infinite
Being. The Upanishads reach much higher planes of
human thought and reasoning than do the earlier
books, and are decidedly the writings preferred by
the Hindu philosophers and metaphysicians, although
priests naturally prefer the earlier works which- are
nearer to their profession and calling, and, conse-
quently, nearer to their hearts.

336 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

The Upanishads are closely related to the Aranya-
kas, and are often found either "imbedded" in their
substance or else forming their conclusion, showing
their common origin among the "Forest Sages." And
both the Aranyakas and the Upanishads are frequent-
ly found at the end of some of the Brchtnanas. So
from the early Vedas to the latest Upanishads there
is an unbroken line of continuity and relationship.
And, accordingly, the general term "The Vedas" is
applied to all of these Sacred Books or Writings. The
date of the earlier Upanishads is unknown, but it is
certain that the oldest ones antedate the Christian
Era by over one thousand years — probably by many
more centuries than even that time. The older
Upanishads belong to the original Veda school, while
some of the later have schools founded upon them-
selves.

Perhaps the two most important of the Upanishads
are the Brhadaranyaka, and the Chandogya, respect-
ively, both of which belong to the Vedic school.
Other important Upanishads are the following: The
Aitareya; the Kausitaki; the Taittiriya; the Kathaka;
the Maitrayaniya, or Manava; the Kena; the Talava-
kara; the Isa; the Svetasvetara; the Mahanara; the
Prasna; the Mandukeya; and many others of more
or less importance and popularity and authority. In
fact, there are about 235 Upanishads considered to
carry authority with them and known to the Hindus
to-day, besides which there are many shorter and
secret writings respected and treasured by some of

THE VEDAS ; AND GLOSSARY. 337

the sects and schools of India, and which never have
been allowed to be translated, and many of which are
never committed to print, but are passed along ver-
bally, or else in private copies written by hand. The
Hindus hold that the canon of the Upanishads is not
closed, and that the future may add to the number
of the admitted books.

In the Upanishads will be found the entire system
of the Hindu philosophical and religious thought, in
its many forms and varieties of interpretation. It is
the largest collection of philosophical writings in the
world, ancient or modern. And moreover the sub-
ject is considered with such wonderful subtlety of
analysis and detail, that it is thought to include every
possible variation of metaphysical thought of man
up to the present time — that is, no other nation has
ever been able to form a metaphysical conception that
is without its counterpart in some of the Upanishads.
The Upanishads stand as a monumental memorial to
the energy, persistency and keenness of the Hindu
metaphysical mind. But this fact has its weakness
as well as its strength, for just as it is often said in
the West that "one may prove anything, or disprove
anything, by texts from the Bible" — so in India every
sect, school, or division of thought is able to fortify
itself with authoritative "texts" from the Vedas or
Upanishads, proving each position and disproving the
others. But nevertheless, there is a fundamental
agreement upon basic principles — and between the
lines of all may be read the words of the inner

338 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

teachings. And those Teachings all have as their
essence the Truth:

"there is but one — and one only,"

EXPLANATION OF HINDU TERMS.

One of the difficulties of the Western student of
Hindu philosophies and religious systems has been
the lack of understanding of the technical Sanscrit
terms used in the works on these subjects. Accord-
ingly we have thought it desirable to issue a plain,
simple, Glossary or Partial Dictionary, containing a
definition of, and short explanation of, the technical
Sanscrit terms used in our lessons, and in other works
on the subject. This Glossary does not claim to give
an "authoritative," academical, definition of the terms,
but rather a plain explanation of each term, stated as
clearly, and as simply as possible. There has been no
attempt toward academical preciseness, or technical
exactness in this Glossary — the sole desire and intent
having been to enable the student to know "what the
term means in English." The definitions given are
"free," rather than in the "exact," precise style and
form of the scholastic teachers of Sanscrit.

PRONUNCIATION.

It is almost impossible to give in English an exact
Key to Pronunciation of the Sanscrit. The Sanscrit,
you know, is the ancient language of the Hindus — a
most classical and polished language — now employed
only in the literary work, and sacred writings of India,
and not in common use in that country, the popular,

THE VEDAS ; AND GLOSSARY. 339

common, dialects having superseded it. Sanscrit is
highly technical and difficult, and even its correct pro-
nunciation is possible only to the advanced scholar,
even in India. Its finer shades, and distinctions, ar<e
beyond the ordinary student, particularly of the West,
and we have made no attempt to give them here. We
have thought it better to confine ourselves, and our
students, to the general rules of pronunciation, which
are all that are necessary for the casual reader and
student. The following are the General Rules of Pro-
nunciation of Sanscrit words:

A has the sound of a in arm, far, or father. It
has also a secondary sound of u in butter, up, bud,
etc. The general English pronunciation used is that
of the first sound (as in arm) slightly sliding in the
direction of the second sound (as in but) — the result
being the sound of the last "a" in Philadelphia, or
the "a" in mutable, villa, salary, etc.

E has the sound of a in fate, name, gay, etc.

/ has the sound of i in ill, pit, admit, etc., sliding
into the sound if * in machine, pique, ' intrigue, etc.
(derived from the French), which is akin to the e in
see.

U has the sound of u in put, bull, push, etc., rather
than that of the oo in too.

S generally has the sound of s in sat, sun, sister,
etc., although there is another use of it giving the
sound of sh in ship, for instance, Siva is pronounced
Sheeva, not Seeva, but generally Sh is used in the
words having this sh sound — for instance, Shiva, in-
stead of Siva.

340 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

Ch has the sound of ch in rich, and not the k sound.

C (without the h) is generally sounded as k, not
as s.

Ai is generally sounded as i in light, fine, bright,
etc.

The other letters generally are soutided as in Eng-
lish.

GLOSSARY.

Abheda. Sameness; not-distinct; non-separateness.

Abhava. The Principle of Non-existence; Without
Qualities.

Abhidhya. Non-covetousness ; non-revengeful; no%-
vainglorious.

Acharya. A Guru; spiritual teacher, etc., of high
rank.

Adarsa. A mental mirror; psychic vision.

Adhidaivika. Supernatural; above ordinary expe-
rience.

Adhikari. A worthy student of Truth.

Aditi. Infinity.

Aditya. The Sun.

Adityas. The twelve Planetary Spirits.

Adharma. Unrighteous; lacking virtue.

Advaita. Non-dualistic ; monistic; the designation
of the Monistic sect of the Vedanta.

Adhyasa. Reflection of an outside object; the cha-
meleon quality of taking on appearances, hence the
illusory aspect of things.

Aham. The Ego; the "I."

THE VEDAS ; AND GLOSSARY. 34I

Ah am kara. Egoism ; Self-Consciousness ; the Sattva
or Principle of Self-Consciousness.

Ahara. The drawing in of nourishment for body or
mind.

Ajna. The Sixth Lotus of the Yoga Teachings of
Patanjali, situated in the centre of the brain, just
back of the eye-brows; also used in the sense of
"divine perception." Ajnata. One possessing di-
vine wisdom, or superhuman psychic perception.

Akasha. The Universal Ether, which pervades all
space.

Akhanda. Whole; undivided.

Akhanda-Satchitananda. "The Undivided Exist-
ence — Knowledge — Bliss Absolute"; the knowledge
of which is perceived in Samahdi.

Alambana. Contemplation on outward things.

Amritatvam. Immortality.

Anahata. The Fourth Lotus of the Yoga of Pa-
tanjali, situated in Shusumna, directly in line with
the heart.

Ananda. Absolute Bliss.

Antahkarana. The Internal Organ of the Mind,
including the deliberative faculty, the determinative
faculty, and the Self-Conscious Principle.

Anubhava. Realization.

Anumana. Inference.

Apana. The nerve-currents governing the excretory
organs; one of the five manifestations of Prana.

Aparapratyaksha. Psychic sensing, beyond the
realm of sensuousness.

342 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

Aparavidya. Knowledge of externals, as contrasted
with knowledge of internals; superficial knowl-
edge.

Apas. The element of Water.

Apta. One who has attained Illumination.

Apura. Merit.

Arjavam. Directness in intention; straightforward-
ness.

Arupa. Formless.

Asamprajnata. The extreme and highest state of
superconsciousness.

Asana. Posture; bodily attitude assumed during
meditation ; the Third Step in Patanjali's Yoga Sys-
tem.

Asat. Non-being; non-existence.

Asvada. Psychic taste ; or faculty of taste.

Asti. To exist; to Be.

Atikranta-Chavaniya. Meditation leading up to
and culminating in the state of Samahdi, or Trans-
cendental Consciousness, or Ecstasy.

Atman. The Spirit; the Real Self.

Aum (or Om). A symbolic "Holy Word" signifying
The Absolute Idea.

Avarana. The outward sheaths of the mind.

Avatara or Avatar. A divine incarnation ; an incar-
nation of Deity in human form.

Avidya. Ignorance.

Avyaktam. Undifferentiated state or condition of
Prakriti, or Nature, before there is a manifestation.

Bhagavad-Gita. A sacred book of India, or Upani-
shad.

THE VEDAS ; AND GLOSSARY. 343

Bhagavan. A high title denoting All-powerful; all-
wise; all-inclusive; generally applied only to the
highest teachers;

Bhakta. An ardent lover of God; a Bhakti-Yogi.

Bhakti. Ardent love of God. Bhakti-Yoga. The
Yoga, or Doctrine of the Love of God. Bhakti-
Yogi. A disciple of Bhakti-Yoga.

Bhavana. Meditation; thoughtful reverie.

Bheda- Separateness ; lack of unity.

Bhikshu. A Buddhist mendicant monk.

Bhoga. Sensuousness ; sensual pleasure.

Bhutas. The gross elements of nature.

Brahma, n The personified conception of Brahman;
the conception of Deity as the Creating God; the
Creative Deity of the orthodox Hindu Trinity.

Brahman. The Absolute; that; the One Existence;
the Primal Being; God, in the highest sense of the
term.

Brahmavidya. The knowledge of the Absolute; Su-
preme Wisdom; the Highest Knowledge.

Brahmin. A member of the highest caste of India;
a "twice-born," according to the Hindu term.

Buddha. The great founder of the Buddhist philoso-
phy, and held to be an incarnation of Brahman by
some ; Gautama Buddha, who lived about B. C. 600.

Buddhi. The determinative faculty of the mind; the
Determinative Principle arising from Prakriti by
reason of the involvement of Purusha.

Chaitanya. Pure Intelligence; also the name of a
high Hindu teacher, who lived about 1500 A. D.,

344 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

and who is regarded by some as an incarnation or
avatar of Krishna.

Charvaka. A materialist; the Hindu term for one
who rejects the spiritual philosophies.

Chidakasa. The mental space, in which the ad-
vanced soul perceives knowledge of the universe.

Chitta. Mind-Stuff, or the subtle elements from
which Mind is evolved or manifested.

Chittakasha. The area or space of the mind.

Dam a. Control of the organs of the senses and the
body.

Deha. Gross matter.

Drava. The Ultimate Substance of Kanada's Phi-
losophy.

Devas. The angelic beings, who were originally hu-
man beings, but who have advanced in the spiritual
scale into a state of semi-divinity; "the shining
ones," according to the Hindu popular term.

Devachan. The heaven-world. Devaloka. The
higher regions or planes.

Dharana. Concentration. One-mindedness. The
Yoga Sixth Step.

Dharma. Duty ; virtue ; the Path of Right Action.

Dhyana. Meditation on the Divine; the Yoga Sev-
enth Step. Dhyanamarga. The Path of Knowl-
edge through Meditation.

Dvaita. The Dualistic School of Philosophy, op-
posed to A dvaita.

Dvandas. The "pairs of opposites," or dual-aspects
of nature, such as heat and cold, pleasure and pain ;

THE VEDAS ; AND GLOSSARY. 345

high and low ; sharp and dull, etc. ; the "polarities"
of natural objects.

Dvesha. Hatred; dislike; aversion; repulsion!

Ekagra. A state of Concentration.

Ekam. One ; hence, Eka-Nistha, or devotion to one
ideal; Ekanta-Bhakti, or single-love for God;
Ekatma-Vadam, or Monism in philosophy; Eka-
yana, or the one-support of the universe, t. e., God.

Gautama. The founder of Buddhism; the Buddha.

Gnana. Wisdom. Gnana Yoga. The Yoga of
Wisdom.

Gotama. The founder of the Nyaya Philosophy.

Grahana. Sense-perception.

Gunas. The Three Qualities or Prakriti, or Nature
(see lesson on The Sankhya System).

Guru. A spiritual teacher; a term of great respect.

Hatha-Yoga. The Yoga of Physical Weil-Being,
or Physical Control, the aim of which is physical
perfection, or the preparing of a worthy temple of
the Spirit; but which, when perverted, is applied
to the degrading and abnormal practices, austeri-
ties, and self-torture of the fakirs and false- Yogis
of India. Hatha- Yogi. A follower or practitioner
of Hatha-Yoga.

Hum. A mystic word used in mediation, as in the
sacred verse, "Otn, Manx, Padme, Hum."

Ida. The left-sided nerve-current; the left nostril.

Indra. The "King of the gods," in the ancient Hindu
mythology.

Indriyas. The Internal Organs of the Mind.

346 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OP INDIA.

Ishta-Nishta. Devotion to one's highest ideals.

Ishwara. The Personal God; the Logos; the Demi-
Urge; the Universal Purusha; sometimes used as
the highest personification of the Absolute possible
to the mind of man, the Absolute in itself being in-
capable of conception or thought.

Jaimini. The founder of the Purva-Mimcnnsa Phi-
losophy.

Jiva. The individual life, or individual soul. Jiva-
atman. The Atman in its manifestation of Jivas.

Kaivalya. Isolation from the Material World. One-
ness with the Absolute.

Kala. Time.

Kalpa. A cycle of time.

Kama. Desire; passion; sense-longing.

Kanada. The founder of the Vaisheshika Philosophy.

Kapila. The founder of the Sankhya System of
Philosophy ; the great teacher of Evolution in India.

Karma. Action; also the effects resulting from ac-
tion; also the Law of # Spiritual Cause and Effect,
which underlies the Hindu Philosophies and Re-
ligions.

Karma- Yoga. The Yoga of Work, or Action, or
Duty-Well-Performed Without Hope of Reward.
Karma- Yogi. A disciple of Karma-Yoga.

Khanda. Differentiated; divided; separated; or the
action which separates, divides, or differentiates.

Krishna. An incarnation of Vishnu; an Avatar of
Deity ; a Great Teacher who lived about 1400 B. C,
and whose general teachings are stated in the Bha-

THE VBDAS ; AND GLOSSARY. $tf

govad-Gito; the term is also used by the Vaish-
navas, or worshipers of Krishna, as the name of the
Absolute or that, as well as in the sense of the per-
sonified Deity.

Kumbhaka. The retention of the breath in the prac-
tice of Pranayama.

Kundalini. The subtle nerve-energy, or concen-
trated psychic force, located in the lotus at the base
of the spinal column, and which, when aroused, de-
velopes the psychic and spiritual powers of the F0-
gin.

Linga Sharira. Subtle Body. Etheric Body.

Maha. Great.

Mahakasha. Great space.

Mahapurusha. A great soul; generally applied to
an incarnation, or avatar, or sometimes to a gteat
sage or teacher.

Mahat. Universal Consciousness; the term literally
meaning "the great one."

Mahatattva. The great principle of Consciousness
first evolved and proceeding from PrakriH, accord-
ing to the Sankhya philosophy.

Manas, The deliberative or reasoning faculty of the
mind.

Mantram. An affirmation; prayer; holy word;
verse thought; idea, etc., expressed in words, or
meditated upon in the form of words, during wor-
ship, meditation, or concentration.

Manipura. The Third Lotus of the Yoga of Patan-
jali, which is situated directly opposite to the navel,
on the Shusumna, along the spinal column.

34& PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

Maya. Illusion; the Unreal Appearance of Nature;
the phenomenal cloak or covering of the Absolute,
which is not real but exists merely as an appear-
ance; phantasmagoria.

Mimansa. The name of two schools of the Hindu
Philosophy, viz. : the Purva Mimansa; and the Ut-
tara Mimansa, generally known as the Vedanta.

Moksha. The state of Liberation; Emancipation;
Freedom; Divine Absorption, etc., often used in
the same sense as Nirvana.

Mukti. Deliverance, or Emancipation from Samsara,
or Rebirth.

Muladhara. The Basic or First Lotus of the Yoga
of Patanjali, situated at the base of the spinal col-
umn; the termination of the spinal cord, in which
the Kundalini is stored or "coiled-up."

Nada-Brahma. The sacred word Aum (or Om) f
which was the first vibration of the newly-created
universe.

Nama-Rupa. Name and form.

"Neti-Neti." "Not-this— Not-this" ; the term used
by the teachers in describing that, which is consid-
ered as "Not-This" to everything — that is, as a
Something that is No-Thing.

Niralambana. "Without-Support" ; an extremely
high state of meditation, in the Yoga practice.

Nirbija. "Without-Seed" ; the highest possible form
of Samahdi, or Yoga superconsciousness, in which
the seed of Karma is killed, and the soul is no
longer bound to Samsara.

THE VEDAS ; AND GLOSSARY. 349

Nirguna. "Without-Gunas" ; that is, without quali-
ties or attributes.

Nishkamakarma. Actions performed unselfishly,
from duty, and without desire or hope of reward;
according to the teachings of Karma Yoga.

Nitya. Eternal ; without end ; permanent ; indestruct-
ible.

Nirvana. The state of Emancipation, or Freedom
from Samsara, or Rebirth; the state of Absorption
by the Divine ; generally used by the Buddhists, but
sometimes by the Hindus.

Nirvichara. Without discrimination, or preference.

Nirvikalpa. Without change in time; changeless
duration; a "lesser eternity."

Nishtha. Oneness of attachment; singleness of at-
traction.

Niyali. Fate; Necessity; Determinism.

Niyama. Religious Duty; consisting of inward and
outward purity; right-thought; right-action; con-
tentment; avoidance of luxury, vanity, and seilsu-
ousness; performance of religious duty, etc.; the
Second Step of the Yoga of Patanjali.

Nyaya. The Philosophical System of Gotatna. (See
the lesson on the Three Minor Systems.)

Ojas. The subtle energy of the system, conserved
by continence and purity.

Om, or Omkara. See Aum.

"Om Tat Sat." A sacred expression of the Hindus,
applied to that, and meaning "Thou art the Su-
preme and Absolute Being, Wisdom, and Bliss";

350 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

tat meaning "that/' and sat meaning "being"; and
Om meaning the term for that including his Ab-
solute Aspects.

Padartha. A Category, or Ultimate Classification.

Para. Supreme; greatest; highest (superlative term
used as a prefix).

Para-Atman. The Supreme Spirit.

Para-Bhakti. Supreme Love of God.

Para-Brahm. Brahman considered in its Absolute
Aspect, devoid of manifestation or emanation —
BraAwan-in-Itself.

Para-Nirvana. The Supreme Nirvana, which by
many is held to mean Absolute Extinction or Noth-
ingness, but which the Inner Teachings hold to be
Absolute Absorption in that and Infinite Con-
sciousness.

Paramahamsa. Supreme soul, or being.

Paravidya. Supreme Wisdom, or knowledge.

Parvati. The wife of Shiva, in the ancient mytholo-
gies.

Patanjali. The founder of the Yoga System of the
Hindu Philosophy, who lived about 200 B. C.

Pingala. The right-side nerve current; the left nos-
tril.

Pirris. The forefathers, or ancestors, highly vener-
ated by the Hindus and all Orientals, and generally
held to exercise a watchful interest over their de-
scendants.

Pradhana. Nature, or primordial element.

Prajna. Divine Wisdom, leading to the Realization
of the One.

THE VEDAS ; AND GLOSSARY. 35 1

Prajnajyoti. An Illumined One; one who has at-
tained divine knowledge.

Prakriti. Nature; or the Primal Substance of Na-
ture ; one of the two fundamental bases of the con-
ception of the Universe adyanced by the Sankhya
philosophy of Kapila; the source of the material
and mental phases of the universe, as distinguished
from the Spiritual Basis, or Purusha.

Prana. The Universal Principle of Energy; also
used to designate the Vital Force of the body, which
is a manifestation of the Universal Prana.

Pranayama. The Science of Control of the Prana,
principally by means of the Breath; the Fourth
Step of Pat an jolt's Yoga System.

Prasankhyana. Contemplation of the Abstract.

Pratibha. Illumination by Divine Wisdom.

Pratika. A symbol, or image, of Brahman, the In-
finite Being.

Pratima. The use of images of the gods as symbols
for the Supreme Being. The worship before these
symbols is intended as the worship of the Supreme
Being, in some of its phases, and is not idolatry as
the term is generally understood.

Prativtshaya. The sense-organs.

Pratyahara. Control of the Senses; a part of the
Yoga discipline and practice; the Fifth Step of the
Yoga of Pafanjali, which consists in 'making the
Mind introspective — that is, turning it back on it-
self, and releasing it from the power of outward
impressions.

35^ PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

Pratyagatman. The state of internal self-illumina-
tion, or spiritual knowing.

Pratyaksham. Perception by means of the illumi-
nated consciousness, and without the necessity of
sense organs.

Prithivi. Solid matter; earth; cohesive mass.

Puraka. Inhalation of the* Breath.

Purusha. The Spiritual Principle; the Spirit (see
lesson on the Sankhya System).

Purva Mimamsa. "Prior Investigation" ; one of the
Three Minor Systems of Hindu Philosophy.

Raga. Attachment of the Senses.

Raja. Royal; Chief; Superior; Superlative.

Raja Yoga. The "Royal Yoga?'; "Superlative Yoga";
a form of Yoga advocated by the Yoga School of
Patanjali and others, which has for its object the
development of the psychic and spiritual faculties,
and the control of the Mind. (See lesson on the
Yoga System.)

Rajas. Activity ; Energy ; Lively ; One of the Three
Gunas. (See lesson on the Sankhya System.)

Rama. A celebrated ancient Hindu sage and teacher,
regarded as an incarnation or avatar of Krishna.

Rechaka. Exhalation of the Breath.

Rig- Veda. The oldest part of the Vedas, and which
is composed principally of hymns, etc.

Rishi. A great sage or teacher who has attained the
stage of Super-Man, and who is possessed of the
power of supersense perception.

Rudra. The name formerly given to Shiva, in the

♦hology.

THE VEDAS ; AND GLOSSARY. 353

Saguna. Possessing qualities.

Sahashrara. The final lotus, situated in the brain,
described in Patanjali's Yoga System; sometimes
regarded as the brain itself; "the thousand-petalled
lotus."

Sakti. Power; Authority.

Sama. The form of mental control which consists in
directing the mind inward, and preventing it from
externalizing.

Samahdi. Transcendental Contemplation, or Ec-
stasy; Cosmic Consciousness; a supernormal state
produced by meditation, concentration, etc.; the
Eighth Step of Patanjali's Yoga System.

Samanya. The Principle of Generality, or Genus.

Samapatti. The figurative term, meaning "the cas-
ket of treasures," used by the Yogins to describe the
stages of meditation.

Samavaya. The Principle of Coherence.

Samprajnata. The preliminary stage of Samahdi,
or superconsciousness resulting from Yoga medita-
tion, etc.

Samsara. The World of Phenomenal Existence; the
Chain of Rebirth; the Cycle of Existences; used
particularly to distinguish the universe of mani-
festation and phenomena from the Real Existence
which lies behind and under it.

Samskaras. The impression in the mind-stuff that
results in fixing habits.

Samyana. A term used to designate the Three
Higher Steps in Patanjali's Yoga, known as Dha-

354 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OP INDIA.

rana, Dhyana, and Scmahdi; or, in other words,
the steps of Control of the Mind, Meditation, and
Transcendental Contemplation, collectively; the
word means Restraint or Control.

Sanandam. The third stage of Samahdi, or super-
consciousness.

Sanatana. The "External Religion" of India.

Sankaracharya. A great Hindu teacher who lived
about A. D. 800, and who was the leading ex-
pounder and commentor of the Vedanta.

Sankhya. The great system of Hindu Philosophy
founded by Kapila about 700 B. C, the leading fea-
tures of which are the conception of the dual-prin-
ciples of Purusha, or Spirit, and Prakriti, or Na-
ture, or Universal Creative Energy. (See lesson
on The Sankhya System.)

Sannyasa. Renunciation; non-worldliness ; the for-
saking of position, name, possessions, family, and
all connected with the world of sense-attraction.
Sannyasin. A follower of Sannyasa; an ascetic;
one who forsakes all and follows the Spirit.

Sat. Absolute Existence; one of the terms applied
to The Absolute Brahman, or that.

Sat-Chit-Ananda. A term applied to The Abso-
lute, Brahman or that, consisting of three terms,
and meaning "Absolute Existence or Being — Abso-
lute Wisdom and Knowledge — Absolute Bliss or
Happiness."

Sattvas. One of the three Gunas; the Guna of
Brightness, Goodness, and Light. (See the lesson
on the Sankhya System.)

THE VEDAS ) AND GLOSSARY. 355

Siddhanta. The Knowledge of Decision; positive
knowledge.

Siddhas. Yogis who have attained semi-divine pow-
ers, through stiperconsciotts knowledge, etc. Sn>-
dhis. The supernormal powers of the Siddhas.

Sishya. A student, neophyte, or disciple of a Guru ;
a Chela.

Shaktas. Worshipers of ShakH.

Shakti. The Principle of Life Energy or Cosmic
Energy, or Nature.

Shaivas. The cult of Shiva worshipers.

Shiva, or Siva. The Third Principle of the Hindu
Trinity, representing the Destroying or Changing
Principle; also the conception of the Supreme Be-
ing of the Shaivas. (See lessons on The Religions
of India.)

Sloka. A verse of a poem or sacred writing.

Smriti. Memory; also a term sometimes applied to
the sacred books outside of the Vedas, which have
been transmitted in the past by Memory.

Soham. A term meaning "I Am He," used by the
enthusiastic Bhakti Yogis, and others, and implying
the perception of their relation to Brahman or
that; equivalent to the radical Sufi statement of "I
am God Himself."

Soma. The nectar of the ancient gods; an Indian
plant.

Sravana. The supersensuous hearing claimed to be
developed by the Yoga practices ; Clairaudience.

Sri, or Shri. A term meaning "blessed one," or

356 • PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

"holy one/' applied to the great sages and teachers
of India by their followers.

Sthula Sharira. The gross physical body, as dis-
tinguished from the Linga Sharira, or subtle
body, or etheric double.

Sunya Vada. The doctrine that behind the phe-
nomenal world there is an Infinite Void, or Noth-
ing; a form of philosophical Nihilism.

Sushupti. The state of profound, dreamless sleep.

Shushumna. The canal running through the centre
of the spinal cord, and through which the Kunda-
lini ascends in the Yogi practices. (See the lesson
on the Yoga System.)

Svadhisthana. The second lotus of the Yoga sys-
tem of Patanjali, and which is situated back of the
navel.

Swami. A spirtual teacher.

Tadiyata. A state of exaltation common to certain
of the advanced Bhakti Yogis, in which the man
loses his sense of personality and feels that he is
merged with the Lord's "radiation or light" by rea-
son* of his Love-of-God.

Tam^s. Darkness; one of the Gunas; the Guna of
J51oth, Ignorance, and Slowness. (See lesson on
the Sankhya System.)

Tanamatras. Subtle or fine elements of Nature,
from which the gross elements proceed.

T&PAs. Ascetic practices for controlling the body by
fisting, austerities, self-torture, etc.

"Tat tvam asi." A term meaning "That thou art/'

THE VEDAS; AND GLOSSARY. - 357

used by Hindu teachers to their students, and which
informs them of their relationship with Brahman,
through the Indwelling Spirit.

Tattvas. Principles; Categories; Ultimate Classes;
Truths.

Tejas. The element of Fire.

Trishna. Desire; thirst; longing; craving.

Turiya. The highest state of consciousness.

Tyaga. Renunciation of the lower for the higher.

Udana. Nerve-current controlling the speech organs.

Udgatha. The awakening of the Kundalini.

Upadana.

Upanishads. The later Sacred Books of India.

Upayapratyaya. The state of intense abstraction,
or meditation upon abstract things; abstract medi-
tation, or meditation upon nothing.

Uttara Mimansa. A term applied to the Vedanta
System of Hindu Philosophy, and meaning "sub-
sequent investigation, ,, or "investigation of the sub-
sequent part," the "investigation" applying to the
Vedas.

Vada. Knowledge by Argument, or Discussioa

Vairagyam. Renunciation of, and non-attachment to,
the objects or allurement of the senses. .;

Vaisheshika. The school or system of Hindu Phi-
losophy founded by Kanada, one of the distinguish-
ing features of which is the "Atomic Theory." (See
lesson on The Three Minor Systems.)

Vaishnavas. The disciples and worshipers of Vish-
nu, or Krishna; one of the leading religious sects

358 PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS OF INDIA.

of India. (See lessons on The Religions of India.)

Varuna. A god in the ancient Hindu mythology.

Vasudeva. A manifestation of the Infinite Being.

Vayu. The Principle of Aif .

Vedana. The supersensuous faculty of Feeling de-
veloped by the Yogis.

Vedas. The Sacred Books of India. (See latter
part of this lesson.)

Vedanta. The great system of Hindu Philosophy,
the distinguishing feature of which is Idealism.
(See lesson on The Vedanta System.)

Vidya. Wisdom; Knowledge; Science.

Vimoksha. Absolute freedom from Desire; Emanci-
pation.

Virya. Strength; vitality; energy; virility.

Vishnu. The First Principle of the Hindu Trinity;
the Preservative Principle of Deity; of whom
Krishna was an avatar; the conception of Vishnu
and Krishna is often identical. (See the lessons on
the Religions of India.)

Vishesha. Atomic Individuality.

Vishishtadvaita. The branch of the Vedanta
which holds to the conception of "qualified non-
dualism, and which teaches that the individual soul
is a part of God. (See lesson on the Vedanta Sys-
tem.) Vishistadvaitin. A disciple or follower of
Vishishtadvaita.

Vivekananda. A term meaning "Bliss-in-Discrimina-
tion" ; the name adopted by a celebrated Hindu Ad-
vcAtist teacher who visited America in 1893.

THE VEDAS ; AND GLOSSARY. 3$9

Viveka. Discrimination between the true and the
false.

Vishuddha. The fifth lotus of the Yoga of Patan-
jali, and which is situated in the Shushumna, back
of the. throat.

Vritti. A whirlpool, vortex, or wave-action in the
Chitta or Mind-Stuff ; a mental activity or thought-
action.

Vyana. The nerve-currents, of the physical body.

Vyasa. An ancient Hindu teacher who is held to be
the author of the Mahabharata, and of the Apho-
risms of the Uttara Mimansa or Vedanta. Vyasa
Sutras. The Aphorisms of Vyasa.

Vyutthana. Arousing or awakening from medita-
tion, or concentration.

Yama. Self-Control ; the First Step in Patanjali's
Yoga System.

Yoga. A term meaning "yoking ; joining, etc." ; also
meaning "mental control and advancement" result-
ing therefrom; the name of the Yoga System of
Hindu Philosophy established by Patanjalu (See
lesson on the Yoga System.)

Yogi, or Yogin. A follower of Yoga; a practitioner
of the Yoga methods; or in a more general sense,
"one who seeks Union, Realization, and Attain-
ment by means of Wisdom, Divine Love, Action,

or Control— or by all."

SPECIAL MESSAGE XII.

By Yogi Kamacharaka.

For this month we invite you to partake of the fragments of the
Bread of Truth, baked from the flour of Wisdom, by the Hindu Sages
of old:

"I know the One to be the All. The Great Self, the Truth, all
effulgence, transcending all darkness. Knowing this, one can transcend
even death."

"As oil is found in sesamum-seeds; as ghee is found in curds; as
water is found in .the streams; as fire is found in the flame; so is the
One Self seen in the self by him who tries to realize it through universal
love and perfect control over mind and body."

"Three are the supports of religion: Benunciation; Knowledge;
and Compassion."

"Beyond desire; without parts; above egoism: being and non-being
— whatever thou art, still thou canst not escape Deing the One. Thou
protectest, destroyest, givest, shinest, speakest, though ever free from
egoism — wonderful is the power of Illusion which concealeth thee, and
yet revealeth thee — but more wonderful still art thou beyond the
Illusion."

"Then, when Truth was still unmanifest, It, of itself, became
manifest through name and form, endowing everything with this or that
name, and this or that form. All things even until now are defined by
some name and some form. This is the import of Its entering into the
objective formed and evolved from Itself."

"In dreams there are in reality no chariots; no horses; not even the
course on which the chariot may run; and yet all these are mentally
created in a moment. There are in reality no joys; no pleasures; no
delights; and yet all are mentally seen and felt at the instant. There
are in reality no ponds, no lakes, no rivers, and yet all are there at the
merest thought. The power of evolving any number of forms from
Itself is the creative power of the One."

"This, therefore, is the Truth, that as from fire well-lighted, fiery
sparks flow off in every direction by the thousands, so do all beings of
every variety come out, O Great One! from the ever Immutable, and are
resolved also into the same. It is the self -illumined, formless Spirit of
Truth, all within and all without; unborn; without breath; without
mortal mind; above all conditions; beyond the eternal cause of the
phenomenal and relative objective."

Our Meditation for the coming month is:

"THEBE IS BUT ONE TBUTH— MEN CALL IT BT MANY
NAMES. ABOVE TIME AND BEYOND SPACE, AND FREE FBOM
" NATION, EVEB DWELLETH THE ONE THAT IS ALL."

Reincarnation

• • a n d • •

The Law of Karma

Br

WILLIAM WALKER A T K I H 8 *

A Study of the Old-New-World Doctrine of Rebirth
and Spiritual Canae and Effect

This wonderful book embraces all the truths and knowl-
edge of the foremost thinkers of the past and present on
this interesting subject.

It was the universal belief a thousand years ago. Half of
the world's inhabitants believe it to-day.

Every thinking person should read this great book.

Partial Enumeration of Contents:

What is Reincarnation f— The Egyptians, Chaldeans,
Hindus, Greeks. Romans, Christians, Chinese, Japanese,
Druids, etc. Idea of the Soul — Length between Incarnations—
Where Does the Soul Dwell Between Incarnations?— What
Happens at Death T— The Great Astral World and Its Planes
and Sub-Planes Where the Soul Goes After Death and What
It Does There— Rebirth and Its Laws— What Is the Final
State of the Soul ?— The Message of the Illumined— The
Justice of Reincarnation.— The Arguments for Reincarnation
— The Proofs of Reincarnation— Arguments Against Rein-
earnatlon— The Law of JKarma.

Price, $1.10 Poatpald
Cloth Bound; 256 Pagoa

BOOKS PUBLISHED AND FOR SALE

BY

THE YOGI PUBLICATION SOCIETY

Masonic Temple, Chicago, HI.

Poatfaid.
Fourteen Leuom In Toil Phlloaopby, and Oriental Oc-
cam am. Bjr Bamarnaraka. Bound ID green allk

Raja Yoga. By Bamacharaka. Bound In brown allk

cloth 1

Gnana Yoga. By Bamacharaka. Bound la blue nil*

cloth 1

Piychlc Healing. Br Bamacharaka. Bound In maroon

allk cloth 1.10

Hatha Toga. Br Bamacharaka. Bound In yellow Mil

cloth

Science of Breath. By Bamacharaka. Bound In paper,

Light c

Cloth

t IllamlMQ- Way. By M. C.

:" Paper?

Jesus ; The Laat Great" Initiate. By'BTdoaard Sensr*.

Bilk cloth

Krlahna and Orobeiia. Bv Bdouard Bcbure. Silk cloth.

"cioii. '.'.'.'.
ag! By W.

oih'. '.'.'.'.'.'.'.

uaphlet Rdl-

COMFLETE CATALOG ON APPLICATION.