the exponent of the Visishtadvaita philosophy - ebooks - ISKCON ...

CH. V. HIS BIRTH AND STUDIES. -31
devoid of any alti-ibute, thus reducing It to a non-entity.
And tlien, if there is Brahman, It mu.st have attidbutes ; for an
attributeless Brahinan can have no existence (fnt^/i). A tiling
must be some-thing, not no-t\nng. And thirdly the attributes
Truth &c. are not inconsistent with each other so as to pi-eclude
their co-existence in Brahman, such as the inconsistency of
light and darkness co-existing in space for example. The
attribute Truth is meant to show that Bi-ahmaii exists not at
one moment merely, and ceasing to exist beyond that moment.
Brahman is Truth is therefore intended to establish Brahman's
existence in eternity, or Its eternality in time. Brahman is
Knowledge is next intended to establish that Brahman is
iovKnowledge means Thougt.
Spirit,
Thought means Intelligence, Sensateness
and so on. And thus Knoieledge is an inseparable adjunct
of Brahman, for otherwise Brahman would be no Spirit, but
simple non-intelligent or non-seusate or non-thinking stuff like
lifeless matter. Brahman is Knowledge therefore establishes i
that Brahman is Spirit or Life. Brahman is Infinity is next
intended to establish that Bi-ahman is without limits or conditions,
or Its infinity in space and mode. Truth therefore is
the term which characterizes Brahman as Eternal, distinguishing
It from what is reo» eternal ; Knoicledge is the term which
characterizes Brahman as Spirit or Life, distinguishing It from
what is Mon-spirit or wra-life ; and Infinity is the term which
chai-aclerizes Brahman as Infinite, distinguishing It from what
is
non-infinite (or conditioned by space-limits or mode-limits).
And these attributes and infinite others can co-exist in Brahman
without mutual contradiction, as redness, softness, perfume &c.,
can harmoniously co-exist in the Eower. The analogy of the
cow is not appropriate in this case ; the analogy of tlie flower
as quoted, or the sun having light and heat co-existing, ate!
appropriate. And therefore to try to postulate an attributless
Brahman, or a Brahman in whom different attributes cannot
co-exist, is neither logical nor consistent with the affirmatory
character of the Vedic passage in question." Yadava after
hearing this, simply said in disdain: ''Thou, to argue with
me ?" '
and kept silent.