106 Veddnla-Sara, or Essence of the Veddnta. [No. 158. 



and I fully concur in Colebrooke's opinion, that the attempt to pro- 

 claim the material world as mere illusion, had not originated with the 

 founders of the Vedanta. The centre on which all Hindoo philosophy 

 depends, is the opposition between the phenomena of the mind and of 

 the body, by which they were led even in early times, as it appears, 

 to maintain the existence of two principles, soul and matter.* This is 

 likewise observable in the Vedanta ; soul and matter, though produced 

 from one and the same substance, are at first real productions, which 

 have the same claim to existence, and only at a later period, when 

 on comparison of both with the substantia absoluta their reality came 

 to be questioned, the reality of matter was denied, and the expedient 

 of an illusion was resorted to, in order to explain its existence. 



The Vedanta in general differs from the Sankhya ; the two systems 

 assimilate in their explanation of productions of the material world ; but 

 while the Sankhya lays down the original independent existence of 

 spirit and of matter, the Vedanta derives both from one and the same 

 substance, in which their differences are destroyed. The two schools 

 of the Vedanta, the ancient and modern, agree as to this substantia 

 absoluta ; the material productions, however, derived from it, though 

 created in the same successive order, are differently explained ; they 

 are real productions according to the ancient school, while the modern 

 one believes them to be a mere illusion, produced by unconsciousness. 



Among the various systems of the Greeks, we can only find that of 

 the Eleates, with which we may compare the principles of the Vedanta. 

 We there perceive the same all comprehensive substance, which has the 

 same attribute of eternal, unchangeable existence which is without 

 differences, either with regard to itself or others, and the sole attribute 

 of which is thought. We also find in the disputes of the Eleate Zeno 

 with other Greek philosophers the same inclination to consider all 

 material things as mere illusion. But I abstain from further comparison 

 of the systems, as the Vedanta treats of the subject matter synthe- 

 tically as well as by analysis, whereas the Eleate school has confined 

 itself wholly to the latter process. 



The modern Vedanta bears the closest affinity to the system of Spi- 



* Though it appears a matter of course, that all philosophers should commence 

 from these principles, history shows the reverse. Thus, Greek philosophy was at 

 its commencement entirely physical. 



