Tertium Organum (P.D. Ouspensky) · 177 of 225 · tr. Nicholas Bessaraboff and Claude Bragdon

Chapter XXII (part 5)

______ Whatever we may think of this philosophy, we cannot deny its metaphysical boldness and its logical consistency.

If Brahman is all in all, the One without a second, nothing can be said to exist that is not Brahman .

there is no room for anything outside the infinite and the Universal, nor is there room for two infinites, for the infinite in nature and the infinite in man.

There is and there can be one infinite, one Brahman only.

This is the beginning and the end of the Vedânta.

As the shortest summary of the ideas of the Vedânta two verses of Sankara , the commentator and interpreter of Vedânta are often quoted: Brahma is true, the world is false.

The soul is Brahma and is nothing else .

[paragraph continues] This is really a very perfect summary.

What truly and really exists is Brahman, the One Absolute Being; the world is false, or rather is not what it seems to be; that is, everything which is present to us by means of sense is phenomenal and relative, and can be nothing else.

The soul again, or rather every man's soul, though it may seem to be this or that, is in reality nothing but Brahma.

In relation to the question of the origin of the world two famous commentators of the Vedânta , Sankara and Râmânuga differ.

Râmânuga holds to the theory of evolution, Sankara —to the theory of illusion.

It is very important to observe that the Vedântist does not go so far as certain Buddhist philosophers who look upon the phenomenal world as simply nothing .

No, their world is real, only it is not what it seems to be.

Sankara claims for the phenomenal world a reality sufficient for all practical purposes, sufficient to determine our practical life, our moral obligations.

There is a veil.

But the Vedânta-philosophy teaches us that the eternal light behind it can always be perceived more or less clearly through philosophical p.

276 knowledge.

It can be perceived, because in reality it is always there.

It may seem strange to find the results of the philosophy of Kant and his followers thus anticipated under varying expressions in the Upanishads and in the Vedânta-philosophy of ancient India.

______ In the chapters about the Logos and about Christian Theosophy Max Müller says that religion is the bridge between the Visible and the Invisible , between Finite and Infinite .

It may be truly said that the founders of the religions of the world have all been bridge-builders.

As soon as the existence of a Beyond, of a Heaven above the earth, of Powers above us and beneath us has been recognized, a great gulf seemed to be fixed.

Among contemporary thinkers the noted psychologist, Prof.

William James, approached nearer than all others to the ideas of Max Müller's theosophy.

In the last chapter of his book, The Varieties of Religious Experience , Prof.

James says: The warring gods and formulas of the various religions do indeed cancel each other, but there is a certain uniform deliverance in which religions all appear to meet—this is the liberation of the soul .

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Man becomes conscious that if his higher part is conterminous and continuous with a MORE of the same quality, which is operative in the universe outside of him, and which he can keep in working touch with, and in a fashion get on board of, he can save himself when all his lower being has gone to pieces in the wreck.

What is the objective "Truth" of content of religious experiences?

Is such a "more" merely our own notion, or does it really exist?

If so, in what shape does it exist?

And in what form should we conceive of that "union" with it of which religious geniuses are so convinced?

Themes

◆Infinite Cosmoscosmology

The doctrine of the universe as boundless and without center or circumference, populated by innumerable worlds — Bruno's rejection of the closed Aristotelian sphere; the divine and the cosmos as ontologically infinite.

The passage discusses the nature of the Infinite in relation to nature and man, asserting there is only one infinite.

All passages →

◆Inner Lightanthropology

The divine spark or luminous quality residing within the human person, potentially recognisable through introspection.

The 'eternal light' is described as always there within reality, perceivable through knowledge.

All passages →

◆Kingdom Withinanthropology

The claim that the divine realm is present inside the individual, accessible without external mediation.

The text asserts the soul is Brahma and that the 'MORE' is operative in the universe outside of him but accessible within.

All passages →

◆Microcosm Macrocosmcosmology

The human being as a small-scale image of the entire cosmos; the body, soul, and intellect mirroring the structure of the heavens and the divine — distinct from correspondence in that it makes the human the privileged mirror.

The text discusses the 'infinite in nature and the infinite in man' as being one.

All passages →

◆Opposites Transcendedanthropology

The dissolution of binary oppositions (male/female, inner/outer, above/below) as a mark of spiritual completion.

The passage states there is no room for two infinites and that Brahman is the One without a second.

All passages →

◆Paradox As Teachingethics

Using apparent contradiction, reversal, or riddle to destabilise ordinary understanding and induce insight.

The summary 'Brahma is true, the world is false' presents a paradoxical view of reality.

All passages →

◆Separation From Sourcesoteriology

The felt condition of exile from one's divine origin — Rumi's reed flute torn from its bed, Plotinus's 'we have forgotten,' the Gnostic forgetfulness; the affective wound that complements return_to_source and gives the return its motive.

The text mentions a 'veil' and the 'lower being' that must be transcended to reach the higher part.

All passages →

◆Spiritual Ascentpraxis

A staged journey of the soul upward through heavenly realms or levels of being toward the divine source.

The text discusses the soul's liberation and connection with a higher reality beyond the lower being.

All passages →

◆Sunyata Emptinesssoteriology

The Buddhist doctrine that all phenomena lack independent self-nature; emptiness as the positive recognition that things arise only in dependence on conditions — distinct from kenoma's mere deficiency.

Buddhist philosophers are mentioned for contrast regarding their view of the phenomenal world as 'simply nothing'.

All passages →

◇Apophatic Theologytheology

Describing the divine only by negation—God transcends all positive categories and concepts; the via negativa.

[auto] The text defines Brahman by negation as 'the One without a second' where 'nothing can be said to exist that is not Brahman'.

All passages →

◇Divine Hiddennesstheology

The supreme God's radical concealment beyond ordinary knowledge or perception; the Hidden Father.

[auto] The passage mentions a 'veil' behind which the 'eternal light' exists but is not immediately obvious to sense perception.

All passages →

◇Divine Lighttheology

The uncreated luminous quality of the divine, sometimes experienced directly in mystical states; illumination as revelation.

[auto] The text refers to an 'eternal light behind it [the veil]' that can be perceived through philosophical knowledge.

All passages →

◇Divine Simplicitytheology

The doctrine that God has no parts, divisions, or composite attributes; pure undivided being.

[auto] Brahman is described as 'the One Absolute Being' with 'no room for two infinites', indicating an undivided nature.

All passages →

◇Gnosis Direct Knowledgesoteriology

Salvation through direct experiential knowledge of the divine nature, not through faith, ritual, or moral works alone.

[auto] The text emphasizes 'philosophical knowledge' as the means to perceive the eternal light and achieve liberation.

All passages →

◇Monadcosmology

The absolutely simple, undivided first principle from which all multiplicity and existence flows.

[auto] The passage describes Brahman as 'the One without a second' and 'one infinite', aligning with the concept of an undivided first principle.

All passages →

◇Mystical Unionsoteriology

The merging of the individual soul or self with the divine, transcending personal identity.

[auto] The passage centrally discusses the 'union' with the divine and states 'The soul is Brahma and is nothing else'.

All passages →

◇Return To Sourcesoteriology

The soul's journey back to its divine origin, reversing the fall into matter through stages of purification or illumination.

[auto] William James's quote describes the soul saving itself by getting 'on board' of a higher operative quality, implying a return or connection to the source.

All passages →

◇Self Knowledgesoteriology

The recognition of one's own true divine nature as the primary path to liberation; 'know thyself' as soteriology.

[auto] Vedanta is summarized as the realization that 'The soul is Brahma', making self-recognition of divine nature the core theme.

All passages →

◇Unity Of Beingtheology

The doctrine that all existence is ultimately one substance or one divine reality; non-duality as a theological claim.

[auto] The passage centrally asserts that Brahman is all in all, the One without a second, and that the soul is nothing but Brahma.

All passages →

Related passages · 22 parallels

◆christian_mysticism|Pseudo-Dionysius: The Divine Names|Chapter 1, Section 1h

“that which makes an individual thing to be one thing); (2) Mental or Spiritual intercourse; (3) Physical intercourse; (4) Sense perception. Here it = either (1) or (2), probably (1). limit, infinity, everything that exists. And yet since…”

Both passages discuss the concept of a supreme, all-encompassing divine essence that is the cause and purpose of all things. Pseudo-Dionysius describes the divine as the ultimate Essence of goodness, while the Vedanta passage describes Brahman as the One Absolute Being. Both texts emphasize the unity and infinity of this divine essence.

◆christian_mysticism|Pseudo-Dionysius: The Divine Names|Chapter 3, Section 1d

“233 Cf p. 77, n. 1. 234 This is profound. Spatial metaphors are always dangerous, though unavoidable, in Theology. In space if A is touching B then B must be touching A. In the spiritual world this is not so. God is near me (or rathe…”

Both passages discuss the nature of the divine and the relationship between the divine and the individual. They explore the idea that the ultimate reality (God/Brahman) is beyond spatial and phenomenal limitations, and that the true self or soul is connected to this ultimate reality. The passages also touch on the idea that the divine can be experienced or perceived through certain practices or insights.

◆christian_mysticism|Pseudo-Dionysius: The Divine Names|Chapter 4, Section 1c

“The Good is beyond this distinction, for nothing (on the ultimate plane) is outside It. See Intr., p. 5. and Lifelessness an excess of Life and Its Mindless state is an excess of Wisdom, 252 252 This apparently profitless speculation rea…”

Both passages discuss the ultimate reality and the nature of existence, emphasizing the unity and transcendence of the divine. They also explore the illusory nature of the phenomenal world and the path to spiritual realization through self-abandonment and love.

◆christian_mysticism|Pseudo-Dionysius: The Divine Names|Chapter 4, Section 1}

“In this present treatise we have, to the best of our abilities, celebrated the Good as truly Admirable, as the Beginning and the End of all things, as the Power that embraces them, as That Which gives form to non-existent things, as That wh…”

Both passages discuss the concept of a supreme, all-encompassing reality (the Good in Pseudo-Dionysius and Brahman in Vedanta) that is the source and end of all things. They also explore the idea that this ultimate reality is beyond distinctions and that all existence is grounded in it.

◆christian_mysticism|Pseudo-Dionysius: The Divine Names|Chapter 5, Section 1f

“And the highest measure of existence He bestows upon the more exalted Beings, which the Scripture calls eternal; 380 380 2 Cor. iv. 18 but also the mere existence of the world as a whole is perpetual; and its very existence comes from the…”

Both passages discuss the nature of the ultimate reality (God/Brahman) as the source and essence of all existence, transcending categories and containing all things within itself. They also explore the idea that the ultimate reality is beyond human comprehension and yet is the cause of all phenomena.

◆christian_mysticism|Pseudo-Dionysius: The Divine Names|Chapter 5, Section 1i

“364 The ultimate Godhead is reached only by the Negative Path, and known only by Unknowing. The Affirmative Path of philosophical knowledge leads only to the differentiated manifestations of the Godhead: e.g. the Trinity, in Its creative…”

Both passages discuss the ultimate reality that transcends all distinctions and the limitations of human understanding. Pseudo-Dionysius describes the Divine Darkness and the Negative Path, while the Vedanta passage discusses Brahman as the One without a second, highlighting the transcendence of all dualities.

◆christian_mysticism|Pseudo-Dionysius: The Mystical Theology|Chapter Vb

“The ultimate truth about God and our relation to Him is held to be that He is a “Person” and that He has “made” the world. (This attitude is seen at its worst in Unitarian theology. Bradley’s criticisms on Lotze show how this fails on the…”

Both passages discuss the nature of the ultimate reality and the limitations of human concepts in describing it. They also emphasize the need to transcend conventional understanding to apprehend the divine, though they come from different religious traditions (Christian mysticism and Vedanta philosophy).

◆christian_mysticism|The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme|Chapter 2 (part 1)

“p. 58 CHAPTER II. THE UNITY OF THE ALL. "We are all one body in Christ, and have all the Spirit of Christ within our reach. If, then, we enter into the Christ, we may see and know everything by the power of His Spirit." ( Forty Question…”

Both passages explore the concept of an ultimate, infinite reality (Brahman in Vedanta and the Godhead in Boehme's theology) and the challenge of human comprehension of this infinite. They also discuss the nature of the phenomenal world in relation to this ultimate reality.

◆christian_mysticism|The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme|Chapter 4 (part 1)

“p. 89 CHAPTER IV. CREATION. Everything we see in nature is manifested truth; only we are not able to recognise it as such, unless the truth is manifest within ourselves. God is the supreme, fundamental, universal, self-existent eternal…”

Both passages discuss the nature of the divine and its relationship to the world and human beings. They explore the idea of a single, ultimate reality (Brahman in Vedanta, God in Boehme's theology) and the distinction between the divine and the phenomenal world.

◆egyptian|The Egyptian Book of the Dead (Papyrus of Ani)|Chapter 43 (part 69)

“xcii} unity of a supreme and self-existent being, his eternity, his almightiness, and external reproduction thereby as God; the attributing of the creation of the world and of all living beings to this supreme God; the immortality of the so…”

Both passages discuss the concept of a supreme, singular, and self-existent being that is the source of all creation and the universe. They also touch on the idea of the immortality of the soul and the hidden, mysterious nature of the divine.

12 more

◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 143

“Section 4 4. Now, in general anything that has a potentiality is actually something else, and this potentiality of the future mode of being is an existing mode. But what we think of as Matter, what we assert to be the potentiality of all th…”

Both passages explore the nature of ultimate reality and the distinction between true being and apparent being. Plotinus discusses the concept of Matter as Non-Being, while the Vedanta passage emphasizes Brahman as the only true reality, with the phenomenal world being an illusion.

◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 246

“Section 14 14. But would this mean that if there were no Matter nothing would exist? Precisely as in the absence of a mirror, or something of similar power, there would be no reflection. A thing whose very nature is to be lodged in somethin…”

Both passages explore the nature of reality and the relationship between the ultimate reality (the Authentic Beings in Plotinus, Brahman in Vedanta) and the phenomenal world (Matter in Plotinus, the world in Vedanta). They both discuss the idea that the phenomenal world is not the ultimate reality but a reflection or illusion of it.

◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 265 (part 2)

“And this is how Time is omnipresent: that Soul is absent from no fragment of the Kosmos just as our Soul is absent from no particle of ourselves. As for those who pronounce Time a thing of no substantial existence, of no reality, they clea…”

Both passages discuss the omnipresence and unity of a fundamental reality (Soul in Plotinus, Brahman in Vedanta). They explore the idea that this fundamental reality is the ultimate truth and is present in all things, though expressed in different metaphysical frameworks.

◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 288

“Section 1 1. The soul: what dubious questions concerning it admit of solution, or where we must abide our doubt- with, at least, the gain of recognizing the problem that confronts us- this is matter well worth attention. On what subject can…”

Both passages explore the nature of the ultimate reality and the soul, emphasizing unity and the interconnectedness of all existence. Passage A discusses the Vedantic concept of Brahman as the one infinite reality, while Passage B explores the nature of the soul as a unified yet multi-present entity, both touching on the idea of a single, overarching principle that governs the universe.

◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 420

“Section 4 4. But there is yet another way to this knowledge: Admiring the world of sense as we look out upon its vastness and beauty and the order of its eternal march, thinking of the gods within it, seen and hidden, and the celestial spir…”

Both passages discuss the concept of a unified, divine reality that encompasses all existence. Plotinus describes the Intellectual-Principle as the archetype of the sensible world, while the Vedanta passage discusses Brahman as the ultimate reality. Both emphasize the idea that all things are part of this divine unity.

◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 505

“Section 13 13. It remains to decide whether only what is known in sense exists There or whether, on the contrary, as Absolute-Man differs from individual man, so there is in the Supreme an Absolute-Soul differing from Soul and an Absolute-I…”

Both passages discuss the nature of ultimate reality and the relationship between the individual soul and the divine. They explore the idea that the divine is not separate from the individual but is present within, and that the phenomenal world is a manifestation of this ultimate reality.

◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 534

“Section 27 27. On other grounds also, it is indefensible not to have reserved the high place for the true first-principle of things but to have set up in its stead the formless, passive and lifeless, the irrational, dark and indeterminate,…”

Both passages discuss the nature of ultimate reality and the relationship between the absolute and the phenomenal world. Plotinus argues against the idea of Matter as the first principle, while the Vedanta passage discusses Brahman as the ultimate reality and the illusory nature of the phenomenal world.

◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 535

“Section 28 28. Many as are the objections to this theory, we pass on for fear of the ridicule we might incur by arguing against a position itself so manifestly ridiculous. We may be content with pointing out that it assigns the primacy to t…”

Both passages discuss the nature of reality and the limitations of sense perception, but they take opposing positions. Plotinus argues against the primacy of Matter and the reliability of sense perception, while the Vedânta passage asserts the ultimate reality of Brahman and the illusory nature of the phenomenal world.

◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 637

“Section 17 17. But what of the Infinite Number we hear of; does not all this reasoning set it under limit? And rightly so if the thing is to be a number; limitlessness and number are in contradiction. How, then, do we come to use the term?…”

Both passages explore the concept of the infinite and the nature of reality. Plotinus discusses the infinite in terms of Intellectual Beings and configurations, while the Vedanta passage discusses Brahman as the infinite and universal reality. Both traditions grapple with the idea of the infinite and its relationship to the phenomenal world.

◆platonism|Plato: Republic|Section 1a

“BOOK VI SOCRATES - GLAUCON AND thus, Glaucon, after the argument has gone a weary way, the true and the false philosophers have at length appeared in view. I do not think, he said, that the way could have been shortened. I suppose not, I…”

Both passages explore the nature of ultimate reality and the qualities of those who seek to understand it. Plato's passage discusses the philosopher's ability to grasp eternal truths, while the Vedanta passage describes Brahman as the ultimate reality and the soul's connection to it. Both emphasize the importance of truth and the nature of existence.

◆renaissance_hermeticism|The Heroic Enthusiasts, Part I (Gli Eroici Furori)|Fifth Dialoguen

“Of necessity, one is according to the sum of the other, seeing that where things are finite it may result in this, that it is more wise than beautiful or good, more good and beautiful than wise, more wise and good than powerful, and more po…”

Both passages discuss the concept of an infinite, all-encompassing divine essence. Passage A from Giordano Bruno's 'The Heroic Enthusiasts' explores the infinite attributes of the divine essence, while Passage B from the Vedânta philosophy describes Brahman as the One Absolute Being. Both texts emphasize the unity and infinity of the divine, showing a genuine conceptual parallel.

◆renaissance_hermeticism|The Heroic Enthusiasts, Part II (Gli Eroici Furori)|Third Dialoguee

“This alone I will not leave (unsaid) that it is not without reason that the affection of the heart is said to be the infinite sea by the apprehension of the eyes.[X] For the object of the mind being infinite, and no definite object being pr…”

Both passages discuss the concept of the infinite and the nature of reality, with Passage A focusing on the Vedânta philosophy's view of Brahman as the ultimate reality and Passage B exploring the infinite nature of the deity and the soul's relationship to it. Both texts emphasize the idea that the infinite is singular and that the phenomenal world is a manifestation of this ultimate reality.