70 TheSpiritual Life.
comesof work finds Its end. Neither Libera-
tion nor the Great Renunciation canclosethe
path of the man who works with a view to
results; fornatureiseverjust,andwhataman
pays for hewill obtain. If he works for the
sake of reward, the reward will come to him
fromtheunerringJusticethatguidestheworlds.
Sogooddeedsbecomeexhausted; sotheresult
ofgoodKarmacomestoanend; and,whether
it be inthis or in anyotherv/orld, the endis
sure,and back tore-birth must come the Ego
whohasworkedforreward andwhosereward
atlengthisexhausted. But,saysoneof those
greatScriptures,withaquotation fromwhichI
began,thereisatimewhen thestudyof works
andoftheworldsofworksisexhausted. Then
comesthetimewhereof itiswritten:-
Letthe Brahman,after hehas examinedallthese
worldsthataregainedbyworks,acquirefreedomfrom
all desire. Nothing thatiseternalcanbegainedby
whatisnoteternal.*
Whenall desireisexhaustedthenthe Path
ofKnowledgeorofDevotionmaybeenteredon.
LetustakethePathofKnowledge. Know-
ledgeofwhat? Notthelearningoftheworld;
not those many sciences which maybegamed
bytheintellect alone; not that long course of
*"Mundakopanishad,"i.II. 12.