THE Doctrine of Maya - HolyBooks.com

H4THE DOCTRINE OF MAYAknown as Advaita, Visistadvaita, Dvaita, andSuddhadvaita. Each of these schools presents adifferent type of thought on the problemof therelation between the Absolute and the Universe,and each attempts to give its own interpretation ofthe principal passages of the Upanisads and ofBadarayana s Sutras to suit its own pre-conceivedplan of ideas.The existence of these different schools within theVedanta needs no apology. It is vain to expect allthe Vedantists to conform to the absolute rationalistic type of Saiikara, or to the theistic type ofRamanuja, or to the other types.Variety, whichis no less true of human nature than of the externalworld, demanded a variety in the philosophic andreligious beliefs, and such diversity, at least in typesor groups, will ever prevail. It is an idle dream toexpect that at a certain time the world will have oneform of religion, or will think in one set groove ofthought. These four schools in the Vedanta represent four stages of the development of thought,which carry with them the philosophic and religiousbeliefs.Our whole personality enters into the formation ofour philosophic or religious systems, and each of usaccepts the one and rejects the other in so far as it is inharmony or otherwise with his cognitive experiencesor general interests. The psychological process ofselection or choice is ever going on in our every-daylife in all its activities. Hence it is not in any way a