| Hinduism Doctrine And Way Of
Life |
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| Books By Rajaji |
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THE FIRST STEP |
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| A wall or a
hill or a tree is visible to saint and sinner alike. The truth in a proposition of
geometry can be seen by everyone alike whether he is a good man or wicked. Self-control
and equanimity are not required to grasp the truth in these instances. It may be argued
that a teacher’s guidance and reflexion may be needed to obtain knowledge, but why
should a man be good in order to see what exists? Faults of character cannot affect
perception of a fact. If the soul exists, it should be possible to ratiocinate and arrive
at a clear conviction. Why should character be a condition prerequisite for knowledge of
any kind? The answer to this constitutes by far
themost important part of Vedanta. It is the overlooking of this or failure to give
adequate significance to it that has caused even some Hindu philosophers to fall into
sectarian disputations and differencesover the path of knowledge, of devotion, and
of works as if they were separate and distinct paths. Neither
the earlier Upanishads nor the later Bhagavad Gita furnish authority for the view that
jnana or knowledge is possible of attainment without purity of mind. Enlightenment can
come only if purity of mind and detachment of spirit are attained. |
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