Page:Essays On The Gita - Ghose - 1922.djvu/263

Rh Where then is the difference between this and the larger equality taught by the Gita? It lies in the differ- ence between the intellectual and philosophic discern- ment and the spiritual, the Vedantic knowledge of unity on which the Gita founds its teaching. The philoscpher maintains his equality by the power of the buddhi, the discerning mind ; but even that by itself is a doubtful foundation. For, though master of himself on the whole by a constant attention or an acquired habit of mind, in reality he is not free from his lower nature, and it does actnally assert itself in many ways and may at any moment take a violent revenge for its rejec- tion and suppression. For, always, the play of the lower nature is a triple play, and the rajasic and tama- sic qualities are ever lying in wait for the sattwic man. “Even the mind of the wise man who labours for per-- fection is carried away by the vehement insistence of the senses.” Perfect security can only be had by resorting to something higher than the sattwic quality, something. higher than the discerning mind, to the Self,—not the philosopher’s intelligent self, but the divine sage’s spiri- tual self which is beyond the three gunas. All must be consummated by a divine birth into the higher spiritual nature. '

And the philosopher’s equality is like the Stoic’s, like the world-fleeing ascetic’s, inwardly a lonely free- dom, remote and aloof from men; but the man born to the divine birth has found the Divine not only in him- self, but in all beings. He has realised his unity with all and his equality is therefore full of sympathy and one- ness. He sees all as himself and is not intent on his lonely salvation ; he even takes upon himself the burden