158 THE ARAB AL-BIRUNI ON HINDU RELIGION " I am the universe, without a beginning by being born, and without an end by dying. Whatever I do I do not aim at any recompense. I do not specially be- long to one class of beings to the exclusion of others, as if I were the friend of one and the enemy of others. I have given to each one in my creation what is suf- ficient for TIJTH in all his functions. Therefore, whoever knows me in this capacity, and tries to become similar to me by keeping desire apart from his action, his fet- ters will be loosened and he will be saved and freed." Further Vasudeva says in the same book: "It is desire which causes most men to take refuge with God for their wants. But if you examine their case closely, you will find that they are very far from having an accurate knowledge of him; for God is not apparent to every one so that he might perceive him with his senses. Therefore they do not know him. Some of them do not pass beyond what their senses perceive; and while some pass beyond this, they stop at the knowledge of the laws of nature, without learning that above them there is one who did not give birth nor was born, the essence of whose being has not been compre- hended by the knowledge of any one, while his own knowledge comprehends everything." This is what educated people believe about God, They consider the unity of God as absolute, but that everything beside God which may appear as a unity is really a plurality of things. The existence of God they consider as a real existence, because everything that exists exists through him. It is not impossible to think
