all practical purposes, the Vedantist would hold that the whole
phenomenal world, both in its objective and subjective character,
should be accepted as real. It is as real as anything can be to
the ordinary mind. It is not mere emptiness, as the Buddhists
maintain. And thus the Vedanta philosophy leaves to every man a
wide sphere of real usefulnessand places him under a law as strict
and binding as any thing can be in this transitory life. It leaves
him a Deity to worship as onmnipotent and majestic as the deities
of any other religion. It has room for almost every religion,
nay, z¢ 8212braces &la % all.
It is ShriShankar's distinction, to adopt Dr. Deussen's words,
between Pra and Abra Vidya, between empirica (व्यावहारिकी)
and metaphysical'(पारमार्थिकीसत्ता) existence, between phenomena and
the thing-in-itself, and this distinction alone which makes it pos
sible to give full freedom of action to the natural sciences in their
tendency to complete materialism, and yet, by way of the most con
vincing proofs, to attain to a philosophical view of things in which
all essential saving truths of religion are obtained from the mere
analysis of the facts of inner experience. And, therefore, Vedanta
has no quarrel with science or civilisation. It says (Indulge as
much as you can in the revelries of science, conquer worlds, build
empires, frift the earth, fash the lighteningsroll the waters, weigh
the Sun, but always remember that these are not the end of exis.
tence, but that the heart must be satisfied as well as the intellect.'
,
The Vedanta emphatically condemns the procrustean uni
formity now relentlessly enforced by the competitive ideal
prevailing in Europe . Darwin sumnned up this ideal in the ten
memorable words, Marry, multiply, let the strongest live, and
the weakest die!! This is the most heartless doctrine ever offered
for the salvation of mankind
१ )
That modern civilisation is lacking in some of the noble
elements of humanity has been pointed out by many of the leading
writers:- !{{Your average Englishman, says Carlyle, does not
पृष्ठम्:तैत्तिरीयोपनिषद्भाष्यम्.djvu/१९
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एतत् पृष्ठम् अपरिष्कृतम् अस्ति
