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CHAPTER XIII
THE PATH OF DEVOTION
We think that the knowledge contained in this proposition is
absolutely immutable. Why ? Because, we and our ancestors
have seen this occurrence going on uninterruptedly so long.
But, if one considers the matter deeply enough, it will be seen
that the fact that one and one's ancestors have so far seen the
Sun rising daily can never become a reason for the Sun to
rise to-morrow, that the Sun does not rise every day in order
that one should see it rise, nor because one sees it rise ; and
that the reasons for the Sun to rise are quite different. And
if the fact that you see the Sun rise every day, cannot be a
reason for the Sun to rise to-morrow, what guarantee is there
that the Sun will rise to-morrow ? After a particular occur
rence has been observed to take place in the case of a particular
thing for a GREAT LENGTH of TIME, concluding that that
occurrence will continue in future PERMANENTLY is a
kind of Faith; and although we may give it the high
sounding name of 'inference', yet, it must be borne in mind
that this inference is not an inference based on a considera
tion of Cause and Effect, and arrived at by the Intelligence, but is fundamentally based on Faith.
The inference drawn by us that because Rama finds sugar sweet, Soma
will also find it sweet, is, as a matter of fact, fundamentally
of the same nature; because, though it is true that our Intelli
gence actually experiences the knowledge that sugar is sweet,
yet, when we go beyond that, and say that all persons find
sugar sweet, we have to combine Faith with Intelligence. In
the same way, it need not be told that in order to understand
the principle of Geometry, that it is possible to have two
straight lines which will never touch each other, however far
they may be extended, one has to go beyond the bounds of all
personal experience, with the help of Faith. Besides, all the
activities of the world go on with the help of inherent mental
faculties like Faith, Love etc., and Intelligence does nothing
beyond controlling these mental faculties.
I have explained above in the chapter on the Body and the Atman, that when
once the good or bad nature of any particular thing has been
ascertained by the Intelligence, the further execution of that
decision has to be carried out with the help of the Mind or of
the mental faculties. Therefore, in order to perfect the
knowledge which has been acquired by Intelligence, and in
order that that knowledge should be translated by means of the
Intelligence into behaviour and action, such knowledge has
always to rely on Faith, Kindness, Affection, Love of Duty,
and other inherent mental tendencies; and that knowledge
which does not rely on the help of these mental tendencies
after they have been awakened and purified, must be looked
upon as bare, incomplete, perversely inferential, and barren or
immature.
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