Page:A Collection of Esoteric Writings.djvu/149

135 is eternal or not. But if the Swami insists upon my giving him a definite answer to his question, I beg to refer him to my article on "Personal and Impersonal God," published in the Theosophist, and to Shankaracharya's commentary on the 4th para. of the first chapter of Brahma Sutras. In truth, Prakriti and Purusha are but the two aspects of the same. As our great Shankaracharya truly observes at the close of his commentary on the 23rd Sutra of the above-mentioned Pada, "Parabrahmam is Karta (Purusha), as there is no other Adhishtatha,* and Parabrahmam is Prakriti there being no other Upadanam." This sentence clearly, indicates the relation between "the One Life" and "the One Element" of the Arhat philosophers. After asking us this question, and quoting the doctrines of the Adwaita philosophy against the assumption that matter is not spirit, the learned Swami proceeds to show on his own authority that matter is not Spirit, in fact. If so, is the Swami's doctrine consistent with the doctrines of the Adwaitee philosophers? Our hermit probably thinks that the quotation will not affect his own statement, inasmuch as he holds that matter is not enternal. What then is the meaning of the statement soof tenso often [sic] quoted by Adwaitees—"Sarvan khalvitham Brahma"?† and what is meant by saying that Brahmam is the Upadanakarnam of the Universe? It seems to me that the Swami has entirely misunderstood the Adwaitee doctrine regarding the relation between Prakriti and Purusha. If confusion is to be avoided, it is highly desirable that our critic should inform us distinctly what he means by "matter." I shall now examine his arguments or rather his assumptions to show that Prakriti, is not eternal in the order in which they are stated.

I.For certain reasons matter is not Spirit; Spirit is enternaleternal [sic] and therefore matter is not eternal.