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V
from "Man and His Becoming according to the Vedanta, René Guénon, Translation: Richard C. Nicholson, 1958)
V
IN order thoroughly to understand the teaching of the Vedânta as it pertains to the human being, it is essential
to define from the start, as clearly as possible, the fundamental distinction between the "Self," which is the very
principle of the being, and the individual "ego." It is hardly necessary to explain that the use of the term "Self "
does not imply on our part any identity of view with certain schools who may have used this word, but who,
under an Oriental terminology, generally misunderstood, have never set forth any but purely Western views,
highly fantastic at that ; we are alluding here not only to Theosophism, but also to certain pseudo-Oriental
schools which have entirely distorted the Vedânta under the pretext of adapting it to the Western mentality. The
misuse which may have been made of a word does not, in our opinion, provide adequate grounds for declining
to employ it, except where it is possible to replace it by another word equally well suited to express the same
meaning, which is not the case in this instance; besides, too great a strictness on this score would undoubtedly
leave very few terms indeed at oneƞs disposal, especially as there exist hardly any which at one time or another
have not been misapplied by some philosopher. The only words which we intend to reject are those invented
deliberately to express views which have nothing in common with what we are expounding: such, for example,
are the denominations of the different kinds of philosophical systems; such, also, are the terms which belong
specifically to the vocabulary of the occultists and other "neo-spiritualists"; as for terms which the last-named
have merely borrowed from earlier doctrines which they habitually and shamelessly plagiarize without
understanding anything about them, we obviously need have no scruples about employing such words, while at
the same time restoring the meaning which normally belongs to them.
In place of the terms "Self " and "ego," we may also use those of " Personality" and "individuality," with one
reservation, however, for the "Self," as we shall explain later on, may denote something over and above the
Personality. The Theosophists, who seem to have taken a delight in confusing their terminology, interpret the
Personality and the individuality in a sense which is the exact opposite of that in which they should rightly be
understood; it is the first which they identify with the "ego," and the second with the "Self." Previously, on the
contrary, even in the West, whenever any distinction has been made between these two terms, the Personality
has always been regarded as superior to the individuality and that is why we say that this is their normal
relationship, which there is every reason to retain. Scholastic philosophy, in particular, has not overlooked this
distinction, but it does not seem to have grasped its full metaphysical significance, nor to have extracted the
most profound consequences which follow from it ; this is moreover what often occurs, even on occasions
where Scholasticism shows the most remarkable similarity with certain portions of the Oriental doctrines. In any
case, the Personality, metaphysically speaking, has nothing in common with what modern philosophers so often
call the "human person," which is, in fact, nothing but the individuality pure and simple ; besides, it is this alone
and not the Personality which can strictly be called human. In a general way, it appears that Westerners, even
when they attempt to carry their views further than those of the majority, mistake for the Personality what is
actually but the superior part of the individuality, or a simple extension of it1: in these circumstances everything
which is of the purely metaphysical order necessarily remains outside their comprehension.
The " Self " is the transcendent and permanent principle of which the manifested being, the human being, for
example, is only a transient and contingent modification, a modification which, moreover, can in no way affect
the principle, as will be explained more fully in what follows. The " Self," as such, is never individualized and
cannot become so, for since it must always be considered under the aspect of the eternity and immutability
which are the necessary attributes of pure Being, it is obviously not susceptible of any particularization, which
would cause it to be "other than itself." Immutable in its own nature, it merely develops the indefinite
possibilities which it contains within itself, by a relative passing from potency to act through an indefinite series
of degrees. Its essential permanence is not thereby affected, precisely because this process is only relative, and
because this development is, strictly speaking, not a development at all, except when looked at from the point
of view of manifestation, outside of which there can be no question of succession, but only of perfect
simultaneity, so that even what is virtual under one aspect, is found nevertheless to be realized in the "eternal
present." As regards manifestation, it may be said that the "Self " develops its manifold possibilities, indefinite in
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