430 Colonel Krnnepy on the Véddnta System. 
listen, therefore, with faith and devotion. Final beatitude is obtained by a 
knowledge of the real nature of the soul, and not by works, and that know- 
ledge is acquired from understanding the important meaning of the Védanta 
doctrines. The soul having thus become enlightened, it will be manifest to 
it that itis Branm. From having acquired this knowledge, man’s belief in 
the individuality of his own soul will cease, and on such belief, ceasing the 
belief in duality will be also destroyed. This being destroyed, nothing 
will longer appear lovely or unlovely, and thus affection and hate will be 
also annihilated. Then, from their cessation will end the distinction of 
virtue and vice, and hence will finally be destroyed the senses and sensible 
objects. Thus, solely by a knowledge of the soul’s real nature, is the belief 
in its individuality destroyed, and by this means, ignorance, the radical 
cause of the apparent existence of this universe, is likewise destroyed. 
From this knowledge, also, proceeds that of the real nature of Bran, in the 
same manner as certainty convinces us that the cord is not a serpent, or the 
post a man (as it was at first supposed); and as soon as this knowledge is 
acquired, it is perceived that ignorance was the origin of the belief that 
there are causes and effects, a maker and things made, and it is ascertained 
that nothing really exists except Braum.”* 
It will no doubt be evident that, in whatever freedom of thinking Chris- 
tian philosophers may have indulged, the religion in which they had been 
instructed in their childhood, and which continued to prevail around them, 
would necessarily prevent such a system as the Védantica from occurring to 
their conception. In consequence, Des Carres thus expressly contradicts 
its fundamental principle: ** If God should by himself exhibit to our minds 
an idea of extended matter, or if he should only cause it to be exhibited 
from something in which there was no extension, nor figure, nor motion, no 
reason could be conceived why he should not be considered as a deceiver. 
But we clearly understand that this substance is perfectly different from 
God and from our own minds; and we seem to perceive clearly that the 
idea of it comes to us from external objects, with which the idea in every 
respect corresponds: But it is evidently contrary to the nature of God 
that he should bea deceiver, as it has been before remarked ; consequently, 
it must be concluded that a certain substance, possessing length, breadth, 
* Scanda Paran Suta Sanhita yadgna Weibhawa khand, the 37th chapter of the Suta Upani- 
shad. 
