r life is terrible grief" (vs. 30),
_i.e_., this heaven will pass away at the end of the world-period,
when the Eternal draws all in to himself again (iii. 261); and the
thought that one has been in heaven, while now he is (re-born) on
earth, is a sorrow greater than the joy given by heaven.[47]
One is reminded by the epic description of heaven of that poet of the
Upanishads who describes his heavenly bliss as consisting in the fact
that in that world "there is neither snow nor sorrow." The later
version is only an amplification. Even with the assurance that the
"fault of heaven" is the disappointment of being dropped to earth
again in a new birth, the ordinary mortal is more averse from the
bliss of absorption than from the pleasure of heaven. And in truth,
except to one very weary of his lot in life, it must be confessed that
the religion here shown in all its bearings is one eminently pleasant
to believe. Its gist, in a word, is this: "If you feel able to endure
it, the best thing to do is to study the plan of the universe, and
then conform to it. By severe mental discipline you can attain to this
knowledge, and for reward you will be immortally united with God." To
this the sectarian adds: "Or believe in my god and the result will be
the same." But both philosopher and sectarian continue: "If, however,
you do not want to be united with the Supreme Spirit so soon as this,
then be virtuous and devout, or simply be brave if you are a warrior;
do whatever the rules of morality and caste-custom bid you do, and you
will go to heaven for thousands of ages; at the end of which time you
will be re-born in a fine family on earth, and may again decide
whether to repeat the process of gaining heaven or to join God and
become absorbed into the World-Spirit at once." There were probably
many that chose rather to repeat their agreeable earthly experience,
with an interlude of heaven after each death, than to make the
renunciation of earth and heaven, and be absorbed once for all into
the All-god.

The doctrine of 'the ages'[48] is so necessary to a true understanding
of the rotative immortality offered as a substitute for the higher
bliss of absorption (that is, genuine immortality), that an account of
the teaching in this regard will not be out of place. The somewhat
puzzling distinction between the happy life of them that fail to
desire absorption, and yet are religious men, and the blissful life of
those people that do attain