The Vedanta-Sutras with the Commentary by Ramanuja: Sacred Books of the East, Volume 48
Religion
The Vedanta-Sutras with the Commentary by Ramanuja: Sacred Books of the East, Volume 48
Vedanta
similar to silver; thus perception itself informs us that some elements
of the latter actually exist in the former. Sometimes it happens that
owing to a defect of the eye the silver-element only is apprehended, not
the shell-element, and then the percipient person, desirous of silver,
moves to pick up the shell. If, on the other hand, his eye is free from
such defect, he apprehends the shell-element and then refrains from
action. Hence the cognition of silver in the shell is a true one. In the
same way the relation of one cognition being sublated by another
explains itself through the preponderant element, according as the
preponderance of the shell-element is apprehended partially or in its
totality, and does not therefore depend on one cognition having for its
object the false thing and another the true thing. The distinctions made
in the practical thought and business of life thus explain themselves on
the basis of everything participating in the nature of everything else.'
In dreams, again, the divinity creates, in accordance with the merit or
demerit of living beings, things of a special nature, subsisting for a
certain time only, and perceived only by the individual soul for which
they are meant. In agreement herewith Scripture says, with reference to
the state of dreaming, 'There are no chariots in that state, no horses,
no roads; then he creates chariots, horses, and roads. There are no
delights, no joys, no bliss; then he creates delights, joys, and bliss.
There are no tanks, no lakes, no rivers; then he creates tanks, lakes,
and rivers. For he is the maker' (Bri. Up. IV, 3, 10). The meaning of
this is, that although there are then no chariots, &c., to be perceived
by other persons, the Lord creates such things to be perceived by the
dreaming person only. 'For he is the maker'; for such creative agency
belongs to him who possesses the wonderful power of making all his
wishes and plans to come true. Similarly another passage, 'That person
who is awake in those who are asleep, shaping one lovely sight after
another, that indeed is the Bright, that is Brahman, that alone is
called the Immortal. All worlds are contained in it, and no one goes
beyond it' (Ka. Up. II, 5, 8).--The Sûtrakâra also, after having in two
Sûtras (III, 2, 1; 2) stated the hypothesis of the individual soul
creating the objects appearing in dreams, finally decides that that
wonderful creation is produced by the Lord for the benefit of the
individual dreamer; for the reason that as long as the individual soul
is in the samsâra state, its true nature--comprising the power of making
its wishes to come true--is not fully manifested, and hence it cannot
practically exercise that power. The last clause of the Katha text ('all
worlds are contained in it,' &c.) clearly shows that the highest Self
only is the creator meant. That the dreaming person who lies in his
chamber should go in his body to other countries and experience various
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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