|
CHAPTER IX
THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE ABSOLUTE SELF
In the same way, the meaning of the
16th and 17th stanzas of the second chapter of the Gita is the
same. "When, in Vedanta philosophy, the ornament is referred,
to as 'mithya' (illusory) and the gold as 'satya' (real), one has
not to understand that comparison as meaning that the
ornament is useless, or invisible to the eyes, or totally false,,
that is, mere earth to which gold foil has been attached, or not
in existence at all. The word 'mithya' has been used there with
reference to the qualities of colour, form etc., and of appearance
of an object, that is, to its external appearance, and not to the
fundamental substance; because, as must be borne in mind, the
fundamental substance is always 'satya (Real). The Vedantist
has to ascertain what the fundamental substance underlying
the covering of Name and Form of various objects is ; and
that is the real subject-matter of philosophy. Even in ordinary
life, we see that although a large sum may have been spent by
us on labour for manufacturing a particular ornament, yet, it"
one is forced to sell that ornament to a merchant in adverse
circumstances, the merchant says to us: "I do not take into
account what expenses you have incurred per tola for
manufacturing the ornament ; if you are prepared to sell me this
ornament as gold by weight, I will buy it" I If the same idea
is to be conveyed in Vedanta terminology, we will have to say
that, "the merchant sees the ornament to be illusory, and only
the gold to be real". In the same way, if one wishes to sell a
newly built house, the purchaser pays no attention to what
amount has been spent for giving that house prettiness (rupa =
form), or convenience of arrangement (akrti= construction), and
says that the house should be sold to him by the value of the
timber and other material which has been used in constructing
the house. My readers will get a clear idea from the above
illustrations about the meaning of the reference by Vedantists
to the Name-d and Form-ed ( namarupatmaka ) world as illusory
and to the Brahman as real. When one says that the visible
world is 'mithya' (illusory), one is not to be understood as
meaning that it is not visible to the eyes ; the real meaning
is that the numerous appearances of various objects
in the world resulting from Time or Space and diversified
by Name and Form are perishable, that is, ' mithya '
and that that imperishable and immutable substance which
exists eternally under the cloak of this Name and Form is
permanent and real. The merchant considers bangles, anklets,
chain, armlets, and other ornaments as ' mithya ' ( illusory ) and
gold alone as satya ( real ). But in the factory of the goldsmith
of the world, various Names and Forms are given to one and
the same Fundamental Substance, and' such various ornaments
as gold, stone, timber, water, air etc. are formed out of that
Substance. Therefore, the Vedantist goes a little deeper than
the ordinary merchant, and looks upon all Names and Forms,,
such as, gold, silver, or stone etc. as mithya ( illusory ), and
looks upon the Fundamental Substance being the substratum
of all those objects, that is, the Thing- in-itself ( vastu-tattva )-
as ' satya ' ( immutable or real ).
|
|
