the Equinox - The Hermetic Library

THE TEMPLE OF SOLOMON THE KING
The first veil against which we must warn the aspirant is
the entanglement of language, of words and of names. The
merest tyro will answer, “of course you need not explain to me
that, if I call a thing ‘A’ or ‘B,’ it makes no difference to that
thing in itself.” And yet not only the tyro, but many of the
astutest philosophers have fallen into this snare, and not only
once but an hundred times; the reason being that they have
not remained silent* about that which can only be
“known” and not “believed in,” and that which can never be
names without begetting a duality (an untruth), and
consequently a whole world of illusions. It is the crucifixion
of every world-be Saviour, this teaching of a truth under the
symbol of a lie, this would-be explanation to the multitude of
the unexplainable, this passing off on the canaille the strumpet
of language (the Consciously Known) in the place of the
Virgin of the World (the Consciously Unknown).†
No philosophy has ever grasped this terrible limitation so
firmly as the Vedânta. “All experimental knowledge, the four
Vedas and the whole series of empirical science, as they are
enumerated in Chândogya, 7. 1. 2-3, are ‘nâma eva,’ ‘mere
name.’ ”‡ As the Rig Veda says, “they call him Indra, Mitra,
Varuna, Agni, and he is heavenly nobly-winged Garutmân.
To what is one, sages give many a title: they call it Agni,
Tama, Mâtirisvan.”§
* The highest men are calm, silent and unknown. They are the men who
really know the power of thought; they are sure that, even if they go into a
cave and close the door and simply think five true thoughts and then pass away,
these five thoughts of theres will live through eternity. (Vivekânanda,
“Karma Yoga,” Udbodhan edition, pp. 164, 165.)
† Or the Unconsciously Known. ‡ Deussen, op. cit., p. 76.
§ “Rigveda” (Griffiths), i. 164. 46. “You may call the Creator of all things
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