Page:A Collection of Esoteric Writings.djvu/124

110 (1) By externally we mean in gross body (स्थूलशरीरम्) or Annamaya (अन्नमय). (2) The internal fold is the astral body formed of the three koshas or cases, viz.:—Pranamaya (प्राणमय), Manamaya (मनमय), and Vignyanmaya (विज्ञानमय). (3) The spiritual fold is the Pragna state or Anandmaya (आनन्दमय). You say " ***that a mortal wound may be inflicted upon the inner man, &c., &c." Now what do you mean by the inner man here? The question to be settled is whether the double murdered the double or treble. In our opinion the double murdered the treble and not the double—and in no case the spiritual—one. Our object in writing this is to ask you to kindly ascertain what is the extent of a human will's influence, or in other words. Can the Mayavi Rupa be also annihilated by mesmeric force or the material body only?


 * —To our utter amazement, we are called upon to prove that matter is indestructible; at any rate, that "matter is as eternal and indestructible as spirit!" Though the question and proofs as to the eternity and indestructibility of matter alone, might be safely left to the Royal Society to answer, yet we are fnllyfinally [sic] prepared to satisfy our learned correspondent, and, with his permission, will answer all his queries.

We are asked to bear in mind that the entities in question are "matter and spirit beyond the present developed form, or in the stage of perfect Laya.

We are unable to understand what is really meant by "spirit beyond the present developed form." The sentence presents no sense to our mind, trained as it has been by our great Masters to think of "Spirit" as of something formless and entirely beyond the ken of our sensual perceptions, and, therefore, not to be considered apart from, or independently of, corporeal existence. and the, as we call it, conceived of, apart from any physical organization, becomes vital essence, an energy of force; and none of these we believe can be considered as a distinct entity, a substance, or, as having a being or even a form separate from matter. Locke's definition, that "Spirit is a substance, in which thinking; knowing, doubting and a power of moving do subsist"—would hardly be accepted by the average Vedantee, and would