Jnâna Yoga, Part II: Seven LecturesVivekananda, Swami
Religion
Jnâna Yoga, Part II: Seven Lectures
Vivekananda, Swami
Vedanta; Yoga, Jñana
Infinite? The Infinite is indivisible; there cannot be parts of the
Infinite. The Absolute cannot be divided. What is meant therefore
that all these sparks are from Him? The Advaitist, the non-dualistic
Vedantist, solves the problem by maintaining that there is really no
part; that each soul is really not a part of the Infinite, but actually
_is_ the Infinite _Brahman_. Then how can there be so many? The sun
reflected from millions of globules of water appears to be millions
of suns, and in each globule is a miniature picture of the sun-form;
so all these souls are but reflections and not real. They are not the
real “I” which is the God of this universe, the one undivided Being of
the universe. And all these little different beings, men and animals,
etc., are but reflections, and not real. They are simply illusory
reflections upon Nature. There is but one Infinite Being in the
universe, and that Being appears as you and as I, but this appearance
of division is after all delusion. He has not been divided, but only
appears to be divided. This apparent division is caused by looking at
Him through the network of time, space, and causation. When I look at
God through the network of time, space, and causation, I see Him as
the material world. When I look at Him from a little higher plane,
yet through the same network, I see Him as an animal, a little higher
as a man, a little higher as a god, but yet He is the One Infinite
Being of the universe, and that Being we are. I am That, and you are
That. Not parts of It, but the whole of It. “It is the Eternal Knower
standing behind the whole phenomena; He Himself is the phenomena.” He
is both the subject and the object, He is the “I” and the “You.” How
is this? “How to know the knower?” The Knower cannot know himself.
I see everything but cannot see myself. The Self, the Knower, the
Lord of all, the Real Being, is the cause of all the vision that is
in the universe, but it is impossible for Him to see Himself or know
Himself, excepting through reflection. You cannot see your own face
excepting in a mirror, and so the Self cannot see its own nature until
it is reflected, and this whole universe therefore is the Self trying
to realize Itself. This reflection is thrown back first from the
protoplasm, then from plants and animals, and so on and on from better
and better reflectors, until the best reflector,--the perfect man,--is
reached. Just as a man who, wanting to see his face, looks first in a
little pool of muddy water, and sees just an outline. Then he comes
to clearer water, and sees a better image, then to a piece of shining
metal, and sees a still better image, and at last to a looking-glass,
and sees himself reflected as he is. Therefore the perfect man is the
highest reflection of that Being, who is both subject and object. You
now find why man instinctively worships everything, and how perfect men
are instinctively worshipped as God in every country. You may talk as
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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