An Approach to Reality

AN APPROACH TO REALITY BY N. SRI RAM 1951. THIS volume consists of a number of addresses delivered in different places, and some articles dealing with matters touched upon in the addresses. They. are being printed in this form in the belief that they may be of interest to readers. The subject of Reality is a difficult one, and whatever is in the following pages represents the writers approach and is merely an attempt on his part to define his understanding. The stand point with regard to all matters in the book is that of a student of Theosophy, and what Theo sophy is, as seen from the writers point of view, is explained in one of the articles. To a true Theosophist who seeks the Wisdom without that dogmatism which ever negates the seeking, there is no finality in his understanding. Seeking implies discovery and each must have his own approach to whatever he may discover, But there is a value in exchange of views, and even if the comments of readers do not all reach the writer, the calling forth of those comments is in itself part of the process of exchange. The writing of this foreword serves one excellent purpose. That is to thank my friends and coworkers. Miss Elithe Nisewanger, Mr. M. Subramaniam and Miss Catherine A. Beechey for their valuable help in editing and correcting the proofs of this book, as well as the other small volumes which happen to bear my name.Foreword . . . I. Appearance and Reality II. Completeness in Thought and Reality III. Reality, Subjective or Objective ? IV. The Reality in Ourselves V. Reality in Our Living VI. The Law of Right Relationship VII. Theosophy, a Comprehensive Synthesis VIII. Imagination and Reality IX. The Pure Form X. The Supreme Being . XI. Being and Becoming XII. The Nature of Wisdom XIII. The Path to Spiritual Reality APPEARANCE AND REALITY THIS is a subject that has been discussed almost threadbare both in ancient India and by western philosophers. But our thoughts about it in these days have a basis which is different from that of the earlier times. The distinctive cast of the modern mind, in spite of its vagaries is scientific rather than rdetaphysical, tending to base itself on observations with the senses and the analysis to which we are now in a position to subject them. We are not living in a tradi tional world built on certain metaphysical assumptions, however true these assumptions might be as postulates for a coherent and satis factory system, or even as axioms selfevident to those whose thought can prove their validity. We live in an age of empiricism, though the field of empirical knowledge has become so avanced intellects of the day are able to build on it a structure of inferences or knowledge, which holds together coherently like a deductive system based on certain first principles.