TheearlierformsofIndianphilosophyagreedwiththoseprevalentinourowntimes, insupposingtheexistenceofapermanentreality, or "substance,"beneaththeshiftingseriesofphenomena, "Brahma," thatoftheindividualman "Atman;" andthelatterwasseparatedfromtheformeronly, ifImaysospeak, byitsphenomenalenvelope, bythecasingofsensations, thoughtsanddesires, pleasuresandpains, ; their "Atman"thereforeremainseternallyimprisonedindelusions,, or, aswassaidacoupleofthousandyearslater, "andofourpleasantvicesmakesinstrumentstoscourgeus," itwouldseemthattheonlywaytoescapefromourheritageofevilistodestroythatfountainofdesirewhenceourvicesflow; torefuseanylongertobetheinstrumentsoftheevolutionaryprocess, -discipline, ifitscoarserdesires, oneafteranother,canbeextinguished, theultimatefundamentaldesireofself-assertion, orthedesiretobe, mayalsobedestroyed.[7]Thenthebubbleofillusionwillburst,andthefreedindividual "Atman" willloseitselfintheuniversal "Brahma."
Suchseemstohavebeenthepre-Buddhisticconceptionofsalvation, -thatachievedbytheIndianasceticanchorite; nolatermonachismhassonearlysucceededinreducingthehumanmindtothatconditionofimpassivequasi-somnambulism, which, butforitsacknowledgedholiness, mightruntheriskofbeingconfoundedwithidiocy.
Andthissalvation, itwillbeobserved, wastobeattainedthroughknowledge, andbyactionbasedonthatknowledge; justastheexperimenter, whowouldobtainacertainphysicalorchemicalresult, , inoursenseoftheterm, ; nonebutthewillofthesubjectofthekarmawhichcouldputanendtoit.
