THE Doctrine of Maya - HolyBooks.com

"""OBJECTIONS WITHIN THE VEDANTA 115drawback in the Vedanta that it split itself up intofour systems. This analysis was essential for afinal synthesis.In tracing the development of the conception ofMaya, we have already described in brief the mainfeatures of Sankara s school. To recapitulate verybriefly, we may add that the whole of it centres roundthe theory of Maya. Hence its characteristics maybe summed up as1. That the only true existence is that of Brahman.2. That Brahman is identical with the Atman.3. That the universe isMaya, having only aphenomenal or relative existence.Max Miiller seems to have been a little surprised,judging by his observations on Sankara : The entirecomplex or phenomenal existence is considered astrue so long as the knowledge of Brahman and theSelf of all has not arisen, just as the phantoms of adream are considered to be true until the sleeperawakes" i. (ii. 14), and says, But it isvery curious to find that, though Sankara looks upon thewhole objective world as the result of nescience, henevertheless allows it to be real for all practical purposes ( vy avaharartham .)1But as we have alreadypointed out above, there isnothing to be surprisedat in this conception. That was the only way onecould reconcile the seeming reality of the world withthe idea of the absolute reality. To deprive the1Max Miiller, Six Systems of Indian Philosophy, 1899,p. 202.