THE PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION SWAMI KRISHNANANDA The Divine Life Society Sivananda Ashram, Rishikesh, India Website: www.swami-krishnananda.org ABOUT THIS EDITION Though this eBook edition is designed primarily for digital readers and computers, it works well for print too. Page size dimensions are 5.5" x 8.5", or half a regular size sheet, and can be printed for personal, non-commercial use: two pages to one side of a sheet by adjusting your printer settings. 2 CONTENTS Preface ........................................................................................................... 8 Chapter I: Introduction ............................................................... 9 The Seed of Philosophy ..................................................... 9 The Dissatisfaction of Man ............................................... 9 Government as a Solution to Man’s Problems ............. 10 Ethics as a Solution to Man’s Problems ......................... 12 Basic Urge of Man Is for Freedom, not Bondage ......... 12 Problems of Man .............................................................. 15 Futility of Man’s Attempts .............................................. 17 Chapter II: What is Philosophy? ............................................ 19 Philosophical Analysis Is Like Medical Diagnosis ....... 19 Philosophy Studies Even Notions .................................. 21 Philosophy Studies Change ............................................. 23 Philosophy and Science ................................................... 25 Chapter III: The Structure of the Universe ........................ 27 What Is Reality? ................................................................ 27 The World Is Mechanistic in Nature ............................. 27 The Presence of Consciousness Needs Explanation .... 30 Samkhya, or Dualistic Philosophy ................................. 33 The Doctrine of Samkhya Is basically not Different From Materialism ..................................................... 35 Patanjali’s Proposition ..................................................... 36 Chapter IV: The Study of the Self: From Physics to Metaphysics .................................................................... 39 Gravitation Suggests an Organic Interconnectedness in the Universe ........................................................... 39 3 Precise Working of Material Bodies: An Indication of Cosmic Intelligence ..................... 41 Conclusions of Science: Man Is not Outside the Universe .............................................................. 44 Study of the Self Is Imperative to the Study of the Universe .............................................................. 45 Chapter V: The Nature of the Individual ............................ 49 The Initial Predicament ................................................... 49 Gross Body ........................................................................ 53 Subtle Body........................................................................ 55 What Is Meant by Prana? ................................................ 56 The Source of Prana ......................................................... 57 Functions of Prana ........................................................... 59 Harmonious Balance of Prana Is Necessary ................. 60 Prana is the Connecting Link Between Mind and Body .................................................................... 64 Essence of Subtle Body Is a Totality of the Psychic Personality .................................................... 65 The Subtle Body Is an Organisation of Desires ............ 68 Basic Desires of Man According to General Psychology ................................................................. 69 Chapter VI: The Nature of the Self ........................................ 76 Inadequate Apparatus Used to Investigate the Self Conditions the Result................................................ 76 The Senses Are Unreliable .............................................. 76 The Mind Is Conditioned by Space-Time ..................... 78 The Mind Is Conditioned by Logical Limitations ........ 79 4 The Self Overcomes all Conditioning ............................ 80 Doubt Cannot Be Raised Concerning the Self .............. 81 Is this the Reality that man is searching for? Does this stand the test of truth? ........................................ 82 The Self in Dream ............................................................. 83 The Self in Sleep ................................................................ 84 The Self Is Sat-Chit-Ananda ........................................... 87 Chapter VII: The Theory of Knowledge .............................. 90 Introductory ...................................................................... 90 Rationalism and Empiricism: The Two Schools of Thought .................................................................. 91 Man Has Both Characteristics: The Rationalist and the Empiricist .................................................... 94 Immanuel Kant: Attempt to Bring Together Empiricism and Rationalism ................................... 97 The Process of Knowledge of Things after Sleep ........ 100 The Individual Is Conditioned by Space-Time, Quantity, Quality, Relation and Mode ............... 104 Will and Feeling Are Not Conditioned ....................... 109 Subjective Idealism and Objective Realism ................. 112 Metaphysical Idealism ................................................... 116 The Knowledge Process Explained .............................. 120 The World Is a Flood of Consciousness ...................... 125 Chapter VIII: Religion as the Perfection of Life............. 127 The Definition of Religion ............................................ 127 The Religious Consciousness: (a) Holism ................... 128 The Religious Consciousness: (b) Emergent 5 Evolution ................................................................. 129 Ishta Devata: The Chosen Deity ................................... 132 The Role of the Preceptor .............................................. 133 Religion Is an Experience .............................................. 133 Religion Is the Whole of Life ........................................ 135 Purusharthas: The Fourfold Purpose of Existence ..... 139 Artha: The Material Requirements of Life .................. 140 Kama: The Emotional Needs of Man........................... 141 Dharma: The Ethical Law of Rectitude and Justice.... 144 Moksha: The Spiritual Aim of the Universe ............... 147 Ashramas: The Stages of Life ........................................ 149 Chapter IX: Methods of Practice ......................................... 152 Philosophy and Life ........................................................ 152 The Theory of Karma..................................................... 152 The Last Thought Is Said to Determine the Future ... 157 The Last Moment is like Standing Before the Supreme Judge ........................................................ 158 One Should Be Always Prepared for the Last Moment ........................................................... 159 The Spirit of Religion Must Saturate One’s Daily Life .................................................................. 161 Background of Thought a Necessity in Practice ......... 163 Necessity for Intense Feeling in the Inner Exercise ... 165 Chapter X: The Art of Meditation ....................................... 169 What Is Meditation? ...................................................... 169 The Object of Meditation .............................................. 173 Meditation Energises Personality ................................. 175 6 Meditation Is Religion’s Aim ........................................ 177 Asana: Physical and Mental Posture ............................ 178 The Disciplines of Self-Control .................................... 180 Chapter XI: The Way of Reason .......................................... 185 The Yoga of Understanding .......................................... 185 Meditations Establishing the Existence of God .......... 185 The Ontological Argument and Its Presuppositions . 189 Stages of Knowledge ....................................................... 196 Chapter XII: The System of Yoga ........................................ 201 Patanjali’s Prescriptions for Meditation in Life .......... 201 Name: The Designation of the Object ......................... 205 Form: The Nexus of Objective Centralisation ............ 209 Difficulties in the Meditational Technique ................. 210 Intense Aspiration and Tenacity in Practice Are Necessary ......................................................... 212 The Yoga Way of Life .................................................... 214 Appendix: Practical Hints on Spiritual Living ............... 222 7 PREFACE The present publication consists of another series of lectures addressed by the author to the students of the Academy at the Headquarters of The Divine Life Society. Though the book is indeed going to be a useful and interesting reading, it may not equally be an easy reading. As the themes advance through the chapters, there is a tendency in the presentation to become a little more difficult gradually, mainly on account of the nature of the subjects treated in the later sections. This is especially so with the second half of the book, which enters into a discussion of varied topics, theoretical as well as practical. The last chapter may require a specially concentrated