Practical Path

SR No.: 006703
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Champat Rai Jain
Publisher: ZZZ Unknown
Publication Year: 1917
Total Pages: 268
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 11 MB

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THE PRACTICAL PATH.
Hindu scriptures, though it is clear that its interpreta
rationalism in religion is not a representation of a 'fact,' whether it mean a being or a state of existence in nature, but essentially and truly a mental concept, formed with the aid of some general principle or other in the factory of a somewhat extravagant imagination. The most remarkable of the post-Vedic conceptions, the one which has now practically usurped the whole field, not only of the Hindu world, but of almost three fourths of the human race-the idea of a supreme creator and ruler of the universe-furnishes about the most striking illustration of this rule. Probably the nucleus of thought which has served as a foundation for this conception is to be found in Visvakarman, the artificer of the celestials and an embodiment of the poetsage's idea of the form-making, i, e., the mechanical aspect of nature. The Hindu mind, puzzled at the natural functioning of substances, seems finally to have arrived at the conclusion that it could not be devoid of a cause, and unable to conceive a rational basis for this vague and shadowy supposition of its own to have promptly created a new category of force, labelling it adrishta, the unknown (from a, not, and drishta, perceived, hence known). In obedience to the same personifying impulse to wbich the other gods of the pantheon are indebted for their existence and being, the adrishta became in due course of time clothed with all the attributes of divinity; and being, ex hypothesi, the source of the activities of all other devntâs', and, therefore, the most powerful of them all-hence the word Ishvara signifying he who is invested with eshvariya, i, e., power, dominion or mastery-was finally ushered into the world as the Great Unknown. Having been set up as the most supreme divinity of the Hindu pantheon, the Unknown began to extend its dominion beyond the Hindu world, and like some of its predecessors, Mitra and others, soon managed to instal itself in other lands. It, however, lost half its inborn strength in the hands of Zaroaster, who split up the original conception into two halves (twins), the one the doer of good, the other the creator of evil. But the idea of splitting up the godhead did not satisfy others, and Isaiah boldly protested against it, making the Lord' the creator of good and evil alike (gee Isaiah, XLV. 6-7). Mahommad, when he came, contented himself merely with Isaiah's view, and declared that good and evil were both created by god, there being no other creator in the world. As