The Religion of the Veda: The Ancient Religion of India (from Rig-Veda to Upanishads) c5.18

c5.18

Death and future life in paradise—Early notions of Hell—The idea of retribution—Limit of reward for good deeds—The notion of "death-anew," or "re-death"—How comes the belief in transmigration—Hindu doctrine of transmigration—The method of transmigration—The doctrine of *karma*, or spiritual evolution—How transmigration and *karma* appear to Western minds—The pessimist theory of life—Cause of Hindu pessimism—Pessimism and the perfect principle (Brahma)—Dualistic pessimism—Salvation through realisation of one's own Brahma-hood—The conception of the *ātman*, "breath," as life principle—Ātman, the soul of the Universe—Brahma, the spiritual essence of the Universe—Fusion of Ātman and Brahma—Māyā, or the world an illusion—The unknowableness of Brahma—Emerson's poem on the Brahma—The fulness of Brahma: a story of Yājnavalkya and his wife Mai-treyī—Transition from philosophy to piety—Hindu asceticism—Professor Huxley's critique of asceti-cism—Pilgrim's progress under the religion of Brahma—Investiture and disciplehood—The life of the householder—The life of the forest-dweller and wandering ascetic—Ultima Thule......249-289