________________
184
THE KEY OF KNOWLEDGE.
The story of the fall of Brahma in the Hindu Puranas, which covers a larger field than the Biblical myth, is also an allegorical account of the psychic functions of the soul. It is, however, too long to be reproduced here in its entirety; but the student of mythology would find its interpretation easy, if he would bear in mind the numerous psychological aspects in which spirit appears in conjunction with matter, and which are personified as gods and goddesses in the Puranas. In order however, to explain the true nature of intellect, we shall give the ending of the legend in a somewhat abridged form. The Biblical account of the Fall,' based, as it is, on the Vedantic view of things, stops short with the utterance of the curses, and is, therefore, likely to mislead one as regards the true position of intellect, which is depicted there in its worst aspect. As a matter of fact, redemption or emancipation is simply out of the question without its guidance, since it is the only instrument of knowledge in the condition of the "fall."
Jain Education International
6
But the weakness of intellect lies in the fact that it has no will of its own, and may not refuse to serve the ego in any way he pleases. For this reason, the Biblical legend makes the woman eat the forbidden fruit only at the will of her husband, though she had an opportunity of doing so earlier by herself. It is thus clear that it is not the intellect which is the mischiefmaker in the world, but the power of choice which determines the nature of the work the intellect is required to perform for will. As the faculty of discrimination, its function is only to impart knowledge to the ego, or will, but the kind of knowledge which it is required to
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org