________________
CHAPTER VII.
SECTION (E).
The Advaita' Doctrine of the Soul.
COMMENTARY
Others, upholding the Advaita (Monistic) system of Philosophy, who are followers of the Upanisads, postulate the Soul' to be Eternal, One and of the nature of Consciousness, which appears in the form of the illusory modi. fications of Earth etc.-This is the view set forth in the following Texts.
TEXT (328).
OTHERS ASSERT THAT "THE EARTH, FIRE, WATER ETC. ARE THE ILLUSORY MODIFICATIONS OF ETERNAL CONSCIOUSNESS, AND THIS IS WHAT CONSTITUTES THE SOUL."-(328)
following
COMMENTARY.
This is what constitutes the Soul-That is, the Soul is of the nature of one Eternal Consciousness of which Earth etc. are illusory modifications. Others-i.e. the followers of the Upanisads.-(328)
Question:What is the proof of this ?'-The answer is given in the
x
TEXT (329).
"THERE IS NOTHING IN THIS WORLD WHICH IS ENDOWED WITH THE
CHARACTER OF apprehensibility; AND ALL THIS IS HELD TO BE
THE ILLUSORY MODIFICATION OF CONSCIOUSNESS."-(329)
COMMENTARY.
Apart from Consciousness (Cognition), Earth etc. are not found to fulfil the conditions of apprehensibility'; whereby they could appear (be perceived) as composites;-and Atoms do not exist (for the Vedantin); hence, by implication, it is concluded that Earth etc. are merely so many reflections in Consciousness.
This-i.e. Earth and the rest.-(329)
The above view of the Vedantin is controverted in the following
