[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Studies](https://indike.org/pramana/ins) › [Religion and philosophy](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.religion) › [A History of Indian Philosophy](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.religion.dasgupta-1922) › v2.c19.s2.1 # A History of Indian Philosophy v2.c19.s2.1 A History of Indian Philosophy v2.c19.s2.1 - **Language:** English ### [v2.c19.s2.1](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.religion.dasgupta-1922.v2.c19.s2.1) The world as such never existed in the past, nor exists now, nor will exist hereafter; so it has no production or destruction in any real sense¹. But yet there is the appearance, and its genesis has somehow to be accounted for. The ultimate entity is, of course, of the nature of pure cessation (\*śānta\*), as described above. The order of moments leading to the manifestation of the world-appearance can be described in this way: At first there is something like a self-reflecting thought in the ultimate entity, producing some indescribable objectivity which gives rise to an egohood. Thus, on a further movement, which is akin to thought, is produced a state which can be described as a self-thinking entity, which is clear pure intelligence, in which everything may be reflected. It is only this entity that can be called conscious intelligence (\*cit\*). As the thought-activity becomes more and more concrete (\*ghana-saṃvedana\*), other conditions of soul (\*jīva\*) arise out of it. At this stage it forgets, as it were, its subject-objectless ultimate state, and desires to flow out of itself as a pure essence of creative movement (\*bhāvanā-mātra-sāra\*). The first objectivity is \*ākāśa\*, manifested as pure vacuity. At this moment arise the ego (\*ahaṃtā\*) and time (\*kāla\*). This creation is, however, in no sense real, and is nothing but the seeming appearances of the self-conscious movement (\*sva-saṃvedana-mātrakam\*) of the ultimate being. All the network of being is non-existent, and has only an appearance of existing. Thought (\*saṃvit\*), which at this moment is like the \*ākāśa\* and the ego and which is the seed (\*bīja\*) of all the conceivings of thought (\*bhāvanā\*), formulates by its movement air². Again, - [Previous: v2.c19.s1.16](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.religion.dasgupta-1922.v2.c19.s1.16) - [Next: v2.c19.s2.2](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.religion.dasgupta-1922.v2.c19.s2.2) - [Up: v2.c19.s2](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.religion.dasgupta-1922.v2.c19.s2) --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/ins.religion.dasgupta-1922.v2.c19.s2.1](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.religion.dasgupta-1922.v2.c19.s2.1) · Pramāṇa