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themselves for Nirvikalpa*[1] ecstasy, will not be able to comprehend us, nor also those who confound Prakriti with Purusha, or matter with spirit.†[2] If by "scientifically" be meant curiosity, then not only we, but the whole class of philosophers from Thales to Auguste Comte are only hunters of curiosity, and our respected friends more so, as for this purpose only they have come from the other part of the world and pledged their lives and fortune on this. But to come to the point, we are not attracted by curiosity. Our motives are not shallow. Whatever we ask, we ask for scientific purposes, and for that only we entreated you to kindly ascertain the extent of mesmeric force, whether it influences the outer man only, or the inner one too—you said " ***that a mortal wound may be inflicted upon the inner man, &c., &c." Now, according to our knowledge the inner man means the double, i. e., the Taijasha, prágna being the original or first, and the Anna-maya or the Viswa, the third.‡[3] To this third, we


  1. * Surely our respected correspondent cannot mean to convey the idea that in penning this answer he had "composed" himself into the state of Nirvikalpa: unless we take Monier Williams' definition of the term and bear in mind that it is a state "destitute of all reflection." (See Indian Wisdom, page 122, foot-note 2.)—Ed.
  2. † To this kind thrust we answer that we have never confounded Prakriti with Purusha any more than we have confused the north with the south Pole. As both Poles belong to the same and one earth, so spirit and matter, or Purusha and Prakriti, are the two ends that lose themselves, in the eternity of unmanifested and the cycles of manifested matter. But like some of our distinguished Western metaphysicians, our opponent seems to regard matter and energy as two distinct things, whereas the Esoteric doctrine recognizes but one substratum for everything visible as invisible—"Purush-Prakriti" and vice versa. Moreover, we may remind the good Swami, that one need not be a yogee to be a good occultist, nor are there many yogees in India who know anything of real occult sciences.—Ed.
  3. ‡ In such case, our respected critic ought to criticise and correct Professor Monier Williams and other Sanskritists, who regard Anna-Maya as "the covering supported by food, i. e., the corporeal or gross body," calling it the fourth, while we name it as the first sheath or Kósa. (See p. 123 of Indian Wisdom.)—Ed.
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