Page:The Science of Religion (1925).djvu/117

Rh color, form, fashion, and its relation to others in the present, past, or future—in time and space. This is how knowledge of the world arises. An insane person has impressions stored in his mind, but they are in a chaotic state—not sorted and made up into distinct, well-ordered groups by Buddhi (Intellect).

Now comes the question: Can Reality (the Ideal, Ever-conscious, Ever-existent, Bliss-God) be known by perception of this sort? Is the process of knowing this world, viz., by perception, valid in the matter of knowing the Highest truth?

Now we know Buddhi can work only upon the materials supplied by the senses. It is certain that the senses give us only the stimuli of qualities and variety. Not only do the senses give variety, but Buddhi itself deals with variety and remains in the region of variety. Though it can think of “unity in diversity,” it cannot be one with it. This is its drawback. Perception can not really give the