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CHAPTER IX
THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE ABSOLUTE SELF
When one has thus come to the conclusion that there
remains behind only one immutable and qualityjess Element
after all Names and Forms are eliminated, from the point of
view of Knowledge, and that one has, on that account, to
accept Non-Dualism after full and minute consideration, it
becomes necessary to explain how the variegated perceptible
qualityful universe came into existence out of one qualityless
and imperceptible Element, from the point of view of Non-
Dualistic Vedanta. It has' been stated before that the
Samkhyas have got over this difficulty by looking upon Matter
with its three constituents (that is, qualityful Matter) as eternal
and independent, in the same way, as the qualityless Spirit.
But, if in this way one looks upon qualityful Matter as
independent, the fundamental Elements of the world become
two, and the theory of Non-Dualism, which has been un-
conditionally accepted as correct for the various reasons
mentioned above, comes into question ; and if one does not
look upon qualityful Matter as independent, it becomes
impossible to explain how the variegated qualityful universe
came into . existence out of one fundamental qualityless
substance ; because, the theory that it is not possible for the
Qualityful to come into existence out of the Qualityless,
that is to say, for something to come into existence out of
something which does not exist — according to satkaryavada [1]
has also been accepted by Non-Dualists. In short, there is a
difficulty on either hand. Then, how are we to get over this
dilemma ? One must find out some way for explaining how
the Qualityful came into existence out of the Qualityless
without giving the go-bye to Non-Dualism, and that way seems
to be closed to us by the theory of satkaryavada. True, the
position is a difficult one. Nay ; according to some, this is
the principal difficulty in the way of accepting Non-Dualism,
and, on that account, they accept Dualism. But the Non-
Dualists have, by their intelligence, found out a skilful and
unquestionable way for getting over this difficult position.
They say that the theory of satkaryavada or of the guna-
parinamavada f applies only when the cause cad the product
are both of the same kind or class ; and on that account, even
Non-Dualists will accept that the Real and Qualityless
Brahman cannot give birth to a Real and Qualityful Maya;
but, this admission is effective only when both the substances
are Real ( satya ). Where one substance is Real, and the other
one is only a reflection of it, satkaryavada does not apply.
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