s meant by saying that Brahmam is the Upadanakarnam
(material cause) of the Universe.

--T Subba Row

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* Adishtatha--that which inheres in another principle--the active agent
working in Prakriti.

** Everything in the universe is Brahma.
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Morality and Pantheism

Questions have been raised in several quarters as to the inefficiency of
Pantheism (which term is intended to include Esoteric Buddhism, Adwaitee
Vedantism, and other similar religious systems) to supply a sound basis
of morality.

The philosophical assimilation of meum and teum, it is urged, must of
necessity be followed by their practical confusion, resulting in the
sanction of cruelty, robbery, &c. This line of argument points,
however, most unmistakably to the co-existence of the objection with an
all but utter ignorance of the systems objected to, in the critic's
mind, as we shall show by-and-by. The ultimate sanction of morality, as
is well known, is derived from a desire for the attainment of happiness
and escape from misery. But schools differ in their estimate of
happiness. Exoteric religions base their morality on the hope of reward
and fear of punishment at the hands of an Omnipotent Ruler of the
Universe by following the rules he has at his pleasure laid down for the
obedience of his helpless subjects; in some cases, however, religions
of later growth have made morality to depend on the sentiment of
gratitude to that Ruler for benefits received. The worthlessness, not
to speak of the mischievousness, of such systems of morality is almost
self-evident. As a type of morality founded on hope and fear, we shall
take an instance from the Christian Bible: "He that giveth to the poor
lendeth to the Lord." The duty of supporting the poor is here made to
depend upon prudential motives of laying by for a time when the "giver
to the poor" will be incapable of taking care of himself. But the
Mahabharata says that "He that desireth a return for his good deeds
loseth all merit; he is like a merchant bartering his goods." The true
springs of morality lose their elasticity under the pressure of such
criminal selfishness; all pure and unselfish natures will fly away from
it in disgust.

To avoid such consequences attempts have been made by some recent
reformers of religion to establish morality upon the sentiment of
gratitude to the Lord. But it requires no deep consideration to find
that, in their endeavours to shift