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Philosophy and Life
I have not only mentioned the differences of opinion obtaining between the philosophical trends as to three topics viz. the world, soul and God but have also made a little attempt to show as to what way of looking at things has given birth to these differences, how they have undergone development, what goes to unite them and what to differentiate them all this with a view to facilitating an understanding of the origi. nal intention of the founder of this or that trend,
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In the ultimate count, the philosophical discipline inspires man to undertake a consideration of the relation that obtains between man on the one hand and the world and the remaining mass of living beings on the other. This consideration on its part transforms man, His life, ceasing to concentrate merely on things gross, turns towards concentrating on things subtle and on all things whatsoever - as a result of which he develops in relation to all things, even if they appear to be mutually different quâ individuals, a vision of self-similarity and even one of self-identity. This very vision is the aim of humanity and this verily is the foundation of character-building. As soon as the philosophical discipline brings about the touch of a true philosophical vision or higher learning' the process of rising high is inevitable in life. An attempt to bring about this process of rising high is what is called adhyatma-yoga or yogic discipline.
The Indian philosophical discipline did not rest content with a mere delineation of the fundamertal elements; for this delineation has in the main paved the ground for the building up of the pathway to yogic discipline or adhyatma-yoga. If the experience that has found mention in the course of a consideration of yogic path as also in the texts dealing with the same and has gained currency in different traditions is left aside then there remains no vital element whatsoever in the Indian philosophical discipline. From this point of view it was certainly proper for me to under take in these lectures a discussion of yoga or adhya mavidya. However, since these lectures have a limitation of their own I have done nothing of the sort. Even so, the matter as I view it has been discussed by me elsewhere that is, in my book 'Adhyatmavicāraṇā'.'
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The ultimate task present before the philosophical discipline is after all a consideration of the element Supreme Soul. This consideration has been undertaken by so many people and for so long a time, but not all of them have adopted an identical procedure of thought. In the manner described above man first of all looks at the external world that is, he undertakes acts saying about his body "this is I myself in the ultimate count". Proceeding beyond this when he goes deeper then he realizes that
1 Published by Gujatat Vidya Sabha, Bhadra, Ahmedabad -1
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