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CHAPTER IX
THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE ABSOLUTE SELF
From the exposition of the principal doctrines of the
philosophy of the Absolute Self and their concise scientific
explanation given so far, it will be clear why all the
perceptible Name-d and Form-ed appearances of the
Paramesvara are Mayic or perishable, why His imperceptible
form is superior to them, why His qualityless form, that is, the
form undefined by Name and Form, is still superior, and why
it is stated in the Gita that the qualityless form seems quality-
ful as a result of ignorance. But this work of setting out
these doctrines in words can be easily done by anyone who has
acquired a little knowledge like me; there is nothing much in
that. In order that these doctrines should be impressed on the
mind, engraved on the heart and ingrained in one's flesh and
bone after they have been understood, and that one should
thereby fully realise that there is only one Parabrahman
which saturates all living things ; and in order that by reason,
of such feeling, one should acquire an immutable mental frame
which will enable one to behave with equability towards
everybody in times of misfortune, it is necessary to have
the continual additional help of impressions acquired during,
numerous births, control of the organs, persevering practice, meditation, and worship.
Therefore, the summary of all the above doctrines, and the highest doctrine of the philosophy
of the Absolute Self is : only that man may be said to have
become fully saturated with the knowledge of the Brahman
in whose every action the principle, "there ie only one Atman
in all created things", has become naturally and clearly
visible, even in times of distress ; and such a man alone gets
Release [1]. The ' earthenware pot' of
that man in whom such behaviour is not to be seen is to that
extent imperfectly or insufficiently 'baked', in the fire of the
Knowledge of the Brahman. This is the difference between
real saints and mere Vedantists; and, therefore, in describing
Knowledge, it is stated in the Gita that true Knowledge may
be said to have been acquired, when noble emotions like
"humility (amanitva), peaceful ness (santi), self-control.
(atmanigraha), equability of mind (samabuddhi)" are awakened,.
whereby the total purification of the mind is continually
expressed in conduct, instead of saying that 'Knowledge is
the understanding by Reason of what is at the root of the
external world' [2].
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