2026-03-26 04:58:00 by akprasad
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INTRODUCTION
X1
perpetual burden of the teaching of Swami Vive-
kananda. It is Vedanta pre-eminently of all systems
of philosophy that can make us free from fear, be it
from death or from tyranny. Vedanta is the only
philosophy that will satisfy the aspirations of man-
kind for all time. Chapter V speaks of the fourfold
way to self-realization and Chapter VI emphasizes the
unreality of the outer world, both sentient and
insentient. Chapter VII is the reaffirmation of the
Truth through the self-realization of the disciple.
Chapter VIII makes an advance upon the position
attained. The realization of the unreality of the
objective world is only a preparation for the similar
realization in respect of the inner psychological
world. The psychological world is as much an
illusory appearance as the objective world. The
mind and the ego are primarily responsible
for bondage, since they obstruct the vision of the
infinitude of the Self. In the next two chapters
the intellectual and ethical worlds also are declared
to be unreal accretions and the temptation for virtue
is shown to be an obstacle to higher realization. The
values of life, economic, moral and aesthetic, are not
ultimate verities and they hold the field so long as
consciousness is in the grip of desires. Chapter XI
deals with the cultivation of moods, which enable
the aspirant to withstand the onslaughts of fortune
-the good and the evil alike. The next three
chapters affirm the futility of the intellectual, aesthetic
and moral disciplines, which become a hindrance to
the aspirant after liberation as he advances in the
X1
perpetual burden of the teaching of Swami Vive-
kananda. It is Vedanta pre-eminently of all systems
of philosophy that can make us free from fear, be it
from death or from tyranny. Vedanta is the only
philosophy that will satisfy the aspirations of man-
kind for all time. Chapter V speaks of the fourfold
way to self-realization and Chapter VI emphasizes the
unreality of the outer world, both sentient and
insentient. Chapter VII is the reaffirmation of the
Truth through the self-realization of the disciple.
Chapter VIII makes an advance upon the position
attained. The realization of the unreality of the
objective world is only a preparation for the similar
realization in respect of the inner psychological
world. The psychological world is as much an
illusory appearance as the objective world. The
mind and the ego are primarily responsible
for bondage, since they obstruct the vision of the
infinitude of the Self. In the next two chapters
the intellectual and ethical worlds also are declared
to be unreal accretions and the temptation for virtue
is shown to be an obstacle to higher realization. The
values of life, economic, moral and aesthetic, are not
ultimate verities and they hold the field so long as
consciousness is in the grip of desires. Chapter XI
deals with the cultivation of moods, which enable
the aspirant to withstand the onslaughts of fortune
-the good and the evil alike. The next three
chapters affirm the futility of the intellectual, aesthetic
and moral disciplines, which become a hindrance to
the aspirant after liberation as he advances in the