Raja Yoga - Swami Vivekananda

102 RAjA YOGA.Certainly not; it is the difference of the two poles. Isthe thoughtlessness of the stone the same as thethoughtlessness of God? Certainly not. God doesnot think; He does not reason; why should He? Isanything unknown to Him, that He should reason?The stone cannot reason; God does not. Such is thedifference. These philosophers think it is awful if wego beyond thought; they find nothing beyond thought.There are much higher states of existence beyondreasoning. It is really beyond the intellect that the firststate of religious life is to be found. When you stepbeyord thought and intellect and all reasoning, thenyou have made the first step towards God ;and that isthe beginning of life. This that is commonly calledlife is but an embryo state.The next question will be, what proof is there thatthis state beyond thought and reasoning is the higheststate? In the first place, all the great men of theworld, much greater than those that only talk, menwho moved the world, men who never thought of anyselfish ends whatever, have declared that this isbut a little stage on the way,that the Infinite isbeyond. In the second place, they not only say so,but lay it open to everyone, they leave their methods,and all can follow in their steps. In the third place,there is no other way left. There is no other explanation. Taking for granted that there is no higherstate, why are we going through this circle all thetime; what reason can explain the world? The sensible will be the limit to our knowledge if we cannot go