A new approach to the Vedas : an essay in translation and exegesis

NOTES

“ One of our most ancient philosophers who found the truth long, long before God’s birth, ere ever there was Christian faith at all as it is now, Eckhart, I, 103. Cf. Note 58.

2 Except where otherwise stated, references to Eckhart are to C. de B. Evans’ admirable version in two volumes, London, 1924.

3 On the one hand, the professional scholar, who has direct access to the sources, functions in isolation: on the other, the amateur propagandist of Indian thought disseminates mistaken notions. Between the two, no provision is made for the educated man of good will.

4 Langdon, S., Tammuz and Ishtar, Oxford, 1914, p.v.

5 It is not without good reason that Jahangir speaks of “ the science of the Vedanta which is the science of Sufism,” Tuzuk-t-Jahangiri, translated by Rogers and Beveridge, I, p. 356. Parallels to almost all the ideas discussed below could be adduced from Islamic theology : see especially Nicholson, R.A., Studies in Islamic mysticism, 1921, and Macdonald, D.B., The development of the idea of spirit in Islam, Acta Orientalia, IX, 1931. It may be noted that the ontology of a nonChristian tradition has been competently discussed by these authors in a way that has never been attempted by any professional European student of the Vedas.

6 A distinction of existence from pure being is easily made: “ being” in itself is modeless, “‘ existence is being in a mode. Essence and nature, per se, are evidently non-existent: it need scarcely be added that this ‘“‘ non-existence,’ viz., the absence of properties, has nothing in common with the non-existence of the absurd or self-contradictory, for example, a square circle: it is not illogical, but alogical, or ineffable, all that can be said of it being purely analogical. Nevertheless, the practical use of the terms Non-being, Being, and Existence, presents real difficulties.

We understand Non-being and Being to be correlative aspects, the inseparable Nature and Essence, of Brahman, the Supreme Identity, not yet existent, antecedent to procession, solus ante principium, apravartin, Kausitaki Up., 1V, 8: and iinderstand Existence to include all multiplicity, whether nominal and informal, or real and formal. Non-being is the permissive principle, first cause, of Being: Being the permissive principle, first cause, of Existence. Thus:

Non-being anaimya

(avyakta) nirguna, amuria, Asat) Being pavam-atman akala :

| (vyakt-dvyakta) Brahman, Satya

Existence pratyag-aiman saguna, murta,

Sat 4 (vyakta) (Visve Devah, kala, sthita, vigua bhuvanant) martya