THE Doctrine of Maya - HolyBooks.com

""DEVELOPMENT OF ITS CONCEPTION 103These objections, we reply, do not damage our position,because the entire complex of phenomenal existence isconsidered as true as long as the knowledge of Brahmanbeing the Self of all has not arisen ; just as the phantoms ofa dream are considered to be true until the sleeper awakes .For as long as a person has not reached the true knowledgeof the unity of the Self, so long it does not enter his mindthat the world of effects with its means and objects of rightknowledge and its results of actions is untrue ;he rather,in consequence of his ignorance, looks on mere effects asforming part of and belonging to his Self, forgetful of Brahman being in reality the Self of all. Hence as long as trueknowledge does not present itself, there is no reason whythe ordinary course of secular and religious activity shouldnot hold on undisturbed. The case is analogous to that ofa dreaming man, who in his dream sees manifold things,and up to the moment of waking is convinced that his ideasare produced by real perception without suspecting theperception to be a merely apparent one."These eloquent passages speak for themselves,and hardly call for any further discussion. HereSarikara by making use of appropriate analogiesendorses and develops the same metaphysical truthas was held by Yajnavalkya, Gaudapada, etc.The unity of the Self is the maxim, and it is defendedagainst the charge of its stopping all possibilities ofactivity, exertion, etc., in the world. There are twoother similes used by Sankara in describing thenature of Brahman, and before we refer to his otherpassages let us see what he says in his comments onii. i.9With regard to the case referred to in the ^ruti-passages,we refute the assertion of the cause being affected by the