The System of the Vedanta according to Badarayana's Brahma-Sutras and Cankara's Commentary c5.s2.t1.7

c5.s2.t1.7

How the development which led them to this goal is to be conceived in detail, we cannot yet accurately determine; it seems to us specially matter of question how the historical relation between Brahman and Âtman, the two chief concepts on which Indian metaphysics grew, and which already in the Upanishad's, so far as we see, are used throughout as synonyms, is to be considered: whether the concept of Âtman developed itself from that of Brahman through a mere sharpening of the subjective moment lying therein, or whether we have rather to distinguish between two streams, the one, more ecclesiastical, which raised Brahman to a principle; the other, more philosophical, which did the same for Âtman, until both, closely connected in their nature, were led into a common bed. Putting aside these questions for the present, let us briefly, by a few selected examples, indicate the steps along which the Indian genius probably raised itself to the conception of the world, which we are then to set forth.