Course XXX - Teaching 7: Concepts of Principal Vedic Schools

Indian philosophy neither names nor refers to the absolute principle existing beyond any principle; the Buddha is the luminous exemplar of this modality in those ancient masters of India, for constantly he refused to speak of the beginning of the INFINITE.
The Non-Manifested is Eternity, Absoluteness, the unknown, previous to exist in se and to become manifest: even it is not the Non-Manifested because it is That, which is beyond the Manifested and Non-Manifested.
The Non-Manifested, or Brahman, is primordial infinite, unconditional, inexpressible existence, from which the Universe, the Only Reality emerges.
From Brahman, the Universe, His image emerges, and he transforms himself into infinite images like Him. Even if Vedic Philosophy recognizes the Universe as Maya, or illusion, it studies the illusory manifestation in all its phases.
Brahma is Creator, undivided power in the Universe, without beginning and end, without attributes and impersonal.
Ishvara, image of Brahma, is the personal God who condenses in Himself all souls and is endowed with all attributes.
Brahma is Creator, Vishnu is Preserver and Siva is Destroyer of the Universe.
Before the infinite firmament, Upanishads say, “All is Brahma beginning, encouraging and finishing; He is a being in the heart, smaller than a grain of rice and than a grain of mustard”.
To call idolaters to the Hindu is to ignore the most rudimentary postulates of their teaching: the Divine Manifestation, the Impersonal God, the Personal God, all Divine Attributes manifested in the Cosmos are similar divine images, or gods.
The Spirit of God, Purusha, alters matter or Prithivi by changing the Great Cosmic Element, Mahabhata or Tattva. The latter forms the following five cosmic elements: Prithivi – Apas – Tejas – Vayu – Akasa. The cosmic creative thought is summed up in man, prototype of the kingdoms; and its perfect image is Manu, he who knows and practices the Eternal Laws.
Since Manu sums up in himself the Cosmic Laws, he is a living legislation for the races. Through him, the cosmic law becomes Human Law or Dharma, perfectly realized by the action or Karma.
Vedic Philosophy is perfect in itself.
It emanates from the bosom of Eternity and analyses every aspect of the manifestation, even in the tiniest particle, separates and unites it according to its need, but never loses sight of the fundamental unity of the existence.