Although we have examined the functions of the intellect in the first chapter, yet through which we still cannot find out why this becoming world has such substantial state as we see now.
Therefore, in this chapter, we are to hypothesize the operation of the"MAYA" by investigating the footprints marked in this becoming world in order not to leave the substantial power unnoticed in the metaphysical dark abyss.
Though the nature of the investigation remains suppositional, we have to throw the light of intellect over the abyss and investigate it as deep as possible here. That is, the "MAYA" and the single "Supreme Being" which controls it will be considered suppositions by their nature, staying the position as relative existences which correspond to the "thing-in-itself."
In this chapter, however, we are required to heighten the knowledge about the metaphysical field of the internal abyss and imagine what we are. Because the same power determining the substantial state of this becoming world is also at work in each own internal abyss, and the present state of the world reflects without doubt that of oneself.
Therefore, in order to know ourselves, we have to investigate the operation of the "MAYA," the power of life animating all the universe, by following and analyzing the footprints left behind in this world.
Well, first of all, the represented physical phenomenon is to be distinguished between the forms for representation, those of unification and space, and the substantial elements, the presented state of sensation. Then, we have to handle the latter as the stuff of the examination here.
Reflecting the operation of it substantially, so long as the sensation comes to be represented like a shadow projected on a screen, it cannot be considered to show the "MAYA" itself. That is, although this becoming world has its own basis on the sensation, it is by no means the operation itself, but the shadow on a limited side. And moreover, the intellectual subject is not so efficient as to draw up all the stimulus caused by the operation.※
Therefore, we have to admit that it is not enough for us to hypothesize the operation of the "MAYA" through the reflective function, and we must resort to the other ways besides it in order to grasp the "MAYA." That is, one is the way the subject mirrors the "MAYA" itself in a heightened faculty of its representation, and the other is the way it experiences the operation directly inside its own abyss.
Through those three ways, we can grasp what is working on us from each internal dark abyss. Therefore we need to investigate what the "MAYA" is like through their respective ways.
※ Projected from different sides from sensation, imagination and dream are the same shadow as sensation is. Therefore, it may become necessary toexamine all the shadow in the whole representation and frame a hypothesis onthe operation of it.
α. Ideas (The Forms for Developing Each Soul)
Now, let us begin with investigating the operation of the "MAYA" by analyzing the substantial elements marked in this becoming world first.
We can notice that in this world there are some regular patterns which cannot be explained by the forms for representation as we studied in the first chapter. That is, an acorn of a pasania has the strong will to develop into a pasania, and by no means others. And as is the same with human being.
The will is the very intention of the something indefinable in the dark abyss, proving to be the work of the "MAYA" which determines the substantial state of the universe. It is by the power that we all the souls cast into the whirlpools of this becoming world are made to struggle our way with playing absurd roles in order to develop into what we ought to be.
Well, let us extract the regular patterns of the power from this world through the reflective functions.
We can find, however, that those concepts we studied in "Generalization" have their each own regularity. Thus, we are to suppose respective "Ideas" corresponding to those concepts, taking whose regularity as brought in by them not as the forms for representation in the intellectual functions but as those for developing each soul in the domain of the marvelous power.
Therefore, in this case, we have to notice again that the contents of the "Ideas" cannot but be defined in an abstract form on the limited side, because the supposition is based on the physical phenomena consisting of changing sensations.
That is, although the forms for representation can be extracted as they are because they are located in the intellectual functions, yet the "Ideas" we treat here are considered to be located in the domain of the "MAYA" itself, thus, as long as we keep turning our attention to the physical phenomena, we incline to suppose the contents through the shadow on the limited side.
Therefore, in case we suppose the "Ideas" in the domain of the "MAYA," we have to take the other things into consideration besides the physical phenomena based on sensation. That is, emotions and the intellectual functions for representation are to be the indispensable data for the supposition because they have their basis on the "MAYA" itself.
To be more concrete, we should admit that it is not enough to define the "Idea" as the mere form which enable a soul to develop itself into a previously arranged morphology through it. On the contrary, as what is called morphology is apt to change according to the circumstances a soul happen to be put into, we need to look for the other more substantial things as the contents of it.
For the reason above, we come to have the necessity to search the emotions regarded as direct representation of the "MAYA" and the intellectual functions as the very development of itself for the substantial contents of the "Idea." That is, as for the latter, the degree of its faculty will become the important index for the judgement. And as for the former, the nature of each soul will be treated as such.
In this section, we are to study the gradational development of the intellect in hierarchical structure, then, the nature of each soul by arranging them on a level surface of each stratum. Thus, we are to suppose the "Ideas," the forms for developing each soul, from the more substantial aspects, and as will lead to the definition of the substantial contents.
By the way, taking it into consideration that each soul develops itself according to its own "Idea," we can define in this case the "MAYA" as the substantial power and the "Idea" itself as the form of each soul. And, we can also explain in another way that the "MAYA" staying in singleness develops itself into inexhaustible individuals in this becoming world through the"Ideas." In this case, we define those individuals as souls over against the"MAYA" in singleness. ※(1)
Well, let us examine the hierarchical structure originated from the gradational development in intellectual functions first.
1. The first stage is the world of inorganic matter. Those souls belonging to this world have no intellectual functions for their representation, only dominated by the intangible power in their darkabyss.
2. The second stage is the world for the souls of plant which have developed their intellectual faculty as high as that of sensation.※(2) Through which the souls look for indispensable things such as nourishment and water.
3. The third stage is the world for the souls of animal which have developed their intellectual faculty as high as that of intuition. Through whose world they look for food and sexual partners.
4. The last stage is the world for the souls which have reflective functions standing at the top of this hierarchical structure and quench their thirst for lower desires with their heightened intellect, moreover become conscious of the true nature of the universe and their Real Self. That is, the stage should signify the world of human being.
Well, this hierarchical stages are not to be treated separately, because the souls in upper stages are supported by the lower stages. In other words, for example, those souls which ought to become human being have to struggle their respective own ways to the goal going through several stages from the bottom.
But, it sometimes happens that they cannot find their own ways to it staying in the lower stages, that is, in the animal world running after game and sexual partners, or completely in the inorganic world pursuing money, power, fame, and so on. Although those things are mere illusion, the souls continue to seek after them because they are dazzled and deceived by the "MAYA" into believing that they are something substantial.
By the way, as for the law of the "MAYA" working on each stage, it should have different operations according to respective stages. Therefore, we need to study that even the things taken as the same will play different roles according to the operations in each stage they respectively belong to.
For the very reason above, we must admit that we cannot reduce upper stages having different operations to the bottom one, the inorganic world, and explain them through the only operation in the bottom either.
Well, then, let us examine the characteristic side arranged on a level surface of each stratum next.
1. In the inorganic world, the characteristic side does not divide up according to the natures of souls. And various states of the "MAYA" such as that of tension, that of explosion, and that of easement are embodied by the souls themselves.
2. In the plant world, the characteristic side divides up according to the natures of souls. Thus, each soul in this world develops into a peculiar morphology according to its own nature.
3. In the animal world, it divides up so plainly that the nature a kind of animal shares comes to be well characterized by its own morphology.
4. In the world of human being, even if we have the same morphology with the same intellectual level, we may develop ourselves totally different from one another because of the difference in each nature. Thus, each soul in this world comes to be compared to a kind of animal or plant whose nature is similar to that of the soul itself.
So far we have studied the contents of the "Idea" from both vertical and horizontal aspects, through which the "MAYA" develops innumerable souls casting itself into the world of becoming.
In this case, it never develop them disorderly. In case it casts a soul in this becoming world, it without fail prepares the circumstances for its development beforehand. Thus, as for the hierarchical structure, a lower stage prepares for and supports the next upper stage. And as for the characteristic side, a proposed soul is to be thrown into this world under the circumstances arranged by the"MAYA."
Well, we can say that we all souls struggle to develop into what each soul ought to become according to each own "Idea." But through only such reflective knowledge, we still cannot understand the operation itself of the"MAYA" which determines the substantial state of this becoming world. Therefore, we have to take the other ways in order to understand it well.
That is, one way is to mirror itself in a heightened intellect, and the other is to experience itself directly inside each own abyss. And through the latter, we can for the first time grasp concretely what is represented by our reflective functions or what is mirrored in our representation.
※(1) We can suppose in the "Noesis" two separable grounds which bring regular patterns in the "Noema," that is, one is the forms for representation, and the other is those for developing each soul. By the way, as for the form of unification, it is at work not only in the former but also in the latter. Therefore, all souls are to go on developing on the ever unifying point.
※(2) The sensation here will not be represented as inception as we have under the intellectual light, remaining stimulus which works upon souls of plant directly and arranges and helps their development.
β. Pure Mirroring
In case a soul is human being, with its faculty of representation heightened, it could mirror the "MAYA," the unifying power, by representing the real intuitive world as it is.
Different from the direct internal experience of the "MAYA," the representation obtained here still has the nature of shadow, through which the soul may feel a sense of anxiety about the operations of it. Because it foresees that they will come forth inside its own abyss. As we human being can experience frequently in childhood when our faculty of representation is kept fairly high.
γ. Embodiment of the "MAYA"
Well, while the heightened state of intellect is compared to flying up into outer space, the experience of the "MAYA" inside each own abyss is the embodiment of the whole universe. That is, we can embody the whole universe inside each own abyss by experiencing all the operations of the "MAYA" in the same place. In other words, even though we may fly over the whole universe from end to end, so long as we stay with limited operations of it, we cannot experience anything more remaining ignorant of other operations.
Therefore, the quality of our knowledge turns out to be determined by the qualitative depth of each internal experience, and what is represented through the pure mirroring is also given concrete contents by it.
While embodying the "MAYA," the subject, without separation between the subject and objects, perceives the operations as emotion, which is not confined to the mere flicker of its intellectual light because it is the direct representation of the "MAYA" operating from the depths of each own abyss.
For the very reason above, we come to be able to understand internally a state of a soul represented in its intuitive world. If we cannot do that, the real intuitive world itself means to us nothing but total illusion of the intellectual flicker with its light on and off successively; thus, we can never understand emotional states of other souls such as "agony," "sorrow," "anger," "joy," and so on.
We human being, however, can experience the operations inside each own abyss, then represent them as emotion; and moreover we can infer them from the representation. Therefore, we can grasp all the state of each soul struggling its own way to develop itself in this becoming world by tracing down to our each own abyss, through which we experience all the operations of it, the universe itself. And, at the climax of the experience, the subject which has been controled by the "MAYA" and deceived by its magical power will come to realize the Real Self staying in the bottom of its own internal abyss when it is set free from the yoke of it and turns its attention back to itself.
TO THE NEXT CHAPTER
NEXT
CONTENTS
HOMEPAGE