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THE KEY OF KNOWLEDGE
is, the opening out of consciousness on the mental plane, is what is signified by the miracle of Shaq-ul-Qamar. Between the perfect illumination-roshan zimiri-of the Siddhâtman and the obstructed vision of the ordinary humanity of the world, there are several veils of obstruction, which are composed of different kinds of matter. The first of these, which one encounters when trying to reach illumination, is the one constituted by the matter of the Astral Plane, and it is this veil which the Prophet of Arabia was enabled to partially penetrate. His knowledge, then, was derived from what he saw by the power of clairvoyance, * unconsciously developed by him. The Prophet does not anywhere claim to have transcended this region ; and there is not to be found a single passage in the Qur'an to show that his consciousness ever penetrated beyond the region known to Occultism as the Mental plane. It might be that the Prophet did not like to impart the knowledge of the higher regions to his followers, or it might be that he did not possess it himself: so far as the Scripture is concerned, it seems to favour the latter view, since there is no reason why the opening out of the Prophet's consciousness on the higher planes be concealed, when the fact that he had acquired clairvoyant vision is made no secret of. Only two other miracles are ascribed to him, and these are the Merajt and the
* This would be a form of ku-avadhi inana according to strict metaphysics (see The Science of Thought).
There are at least two instances in which the experience of Meraj is described by the prophets of Zoroastrianism, in almost the same way as Mahomed's. Upon the strength of these instances Rev.
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