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A Series of Lessons on the Inner Teachings of the Philosophies and Religions of India1190
water-jars, of Maya, and imagines that he is Many instead of One. It is Brahm
who sees himself through the countless eyes of the individual reflections of
himself. The individual souls persist in their illusory and fictitious “reflection”
or semblance, so long as the bonds of Samsara hold the attention—but
they are but Brahman himself all the while. Throughout the organisms and
forms thus built up, this deluded Brahm, manifesting as countless unitary
reflections and semblances of himself, acts, moves, and plays its many parts
upon the Stage of Maya, identifying himself with the countless images of
characters existing solely in his imagination, or dream. Only by realizing this
Unity—this Truth—may each “soul” escape, one by one, from Maya and
awaken from the dream of Samsara. Only by Knowledge may the “soul”
escape its isolation and return to a consciousness of its Real Self.
The Advaitists do not accept all of the Fundamental Conceptions of that,
or Brahman. In fact, they discard all these conceptions as attempts to bestow
“attributes or qualities” upon that which is above them. They refuse to
consider that in its aspects as the Absolute Essence of Substance or Space,
or in the other aspect of Absolute Essence of Motion at Rest, or in the third
aspect, of the Essence of Absolute Law-in-Itself. They brush all this aside, and,
claiming to rise higher than the original source of their philosophic thought,
they postulate that, Brahman, as being pure intelligence absolute, and
which may be considered as “Sat-chit-ananda,” or Absolute Existence—
Knowledge—Bliss.
The deluding Maya (which we shall consider at length presently) is held
to be more than individual ignorance of the “souls,” and is the shadow of
reality, of eternal duration, and of cosmic extension and significance. Its
origin is veiled in mystery and obscurity. But while it is not eternal, or real—
for it passes away during the Night of Brahm, only to appear again when
the Creative Activity once more begins—still it is something more than a
manifestation. In fact, while in itself it is not real, it may be said that there
is that in Brahman which produces it and which is real—the possibility and
latency of Maya, so to speak, is inherent in Brahman. This Maya is regarded