46 PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGIONpeace of knowledge, one’s nature purified – in that way,
however, by meditating, one does behold him who is
without parts.
(Ibid. III, i, 8)Experience 22: That which is the finest essence – the whole world has
that as its self. That is Reality. That is Atman. That art
thou.
(Chandogya Upanishad VI, ix, 4)
Experience 23: Now, when one is sound asleep, composed, serene, and
knows no dreams – that is the self [Atman]... that is the
immortal, the fearless. That is Brahman.
(Ibid. VIII, xi, 1)
Experience 24: Then Usasta Cakkayan questioned him. “Yajnavalkya,”
said he, “explain to me who is Brahman present and not
beyond our ken, him who is the self in all things.”
[Yajnavalkya replies:] Verily, he is the great, unborn self,
who is this (person) consisting of knowledge among the
senses. In the space within the heart lies the ruler, the lord
of all, the king of all.
(Brhadaranyaka Upanishad III, iv, 1)
Criteria and their application
Tim’s experience of at least seeming to see a whale is veridical if there is the
whale Tim seems to see, and he sees it. Mia’s experience of at least seeming
to hear the bell ringing is veridical if the bell is ringing, and Mia hears it.
Now consider:
Criterion 2: Experience A is of a different sort from experience B if: (i)
experience A is veridical, then X exists; (ii) experience B is
veridical, then Y exists; and (iii) X exists, and Y exists,
then X and Y belong to different fundamental kinds.
Understanding Criterion 2 obviously requires our being able to make sense
of the notion of fundamentally different kinds. We may as well define this
notion in a way relevant to our overall concerns.
Part of this task is easy. Consider this criterion of beings of fundamentally
different kinds (FDK):