t
only universal, but is the universal personal Lord, a supreme
conscious and willing God. Far from being devoid of attributes, like
Cankara's _brahma_, the _brahma_ of R[=a]m[=a]nuja has all attributes,
chief of which is thought or intelligence. The Lord contains in
himself the elements of that plurality which Cankara regards as
illusion. As contrasted with the dualistic S[=a]nkhya phiiosophy both
of these systems inculcate monism. But according to Cankara all
difference is illusion; while according to R[=a]m[=a]nuja _brahma_ is
not homogeneous, but in the diversity of the world about us he is
truly manifested. Cankara's _m[=a]y[=a]_ is R[=a]m[=a]nuja's body of
_(brahma)_ the Lord. Cankara's personal god exists only by collusion
with illusion, and hence is illusory. The _brahma_ of R[=a]m[=a]nuja
is a personal god, the omnipotent, omniscient, Lord of a real world.
Moreover, from an eschatological point of view, Cankara explains
salvation, the release from re-birth, _sams[=a]ra_, as complete union
with this unqualified _brahma_, consequently as loss of individuality
as well as loss of happiness. But R[=a]m[=a]nuja defines salvation as
the departure from earth forever of the individual
spirit, which enters a heaven where it will enjoy perennial bliss[65].

R[=a]m[=a]nuja's doctrine inspires the sectarian pantheism of the
present time. In this there is a metaphysical basis of conduct, a
personal god to be loved or feared, the hope of bliss hereafter. In
its essential features it is a very old belief, far older than the
philosophy which formulates it[66]. Thus, after the hard saying "fools
desire heaven," this desire reasserted itself, and under
R[=a]m[=a]nuja's genial interpretation of the Ved[=a]nta S[=u]tras the
pious man was enabled to build up his cheerful hope again, withal on
the basis of a logic as difficult to controvert as was that of Cankara
himself[67].

Thus far the product of Vedantism is deism. But now with two steps one
arrives at the inner portal of sectarianism. First, if _brahma_ is a
personal god, which of the gods is he, this personal All-spirit? As a
general thing the Vedantist answers, 'he is Vishnu'; and adds,
'Vishnu, who embraces as their superior those other gods, Civa, and
Brahm[=a].' But the sectary is not content with making the All-god one
with Vishnu. Vishnu was manifested in the flesh, some say as Krishna,
some say as R[=a]ma[68]. The relation of sectary to Vishnuite, and to
the All-spir