The Supreme Yoga Yoga Vasistha Translated by SWAMI VENKATESANANDA Foreword by Srt SWAMI RANGANATHANANDA Swami MUKTANANDA PARAMAHAMSA Rt. Hon. Sir S. RAMGOOLAM, P.C. MOTILAL BANARSIDASS PUBLISHERS PRIVATE LIMITED ¢ DELHIReprint: Delhi: 2005, 2006, 2010 Indian First Edition: Dethi, 2003 First Edition: South Africa 1976 in 2 Volumes Second Edition: Australia 1981 in 1 Volume Third Edition: Australia, 1984 © CHILTERN YOGA TRUST, AUSTRALIA. AllRights Reserved ISBN:978-81-208-1964-1 (Cloth) ISBN: 978-8 1-208-1975-7 (Paper) MOTILAL BANARSIDASS 41 U.A. Bungalow Road, Jawahar Nagar, Delhi 110 007 8 Mahalaxmi Chamber, 22 Bhulabhai Desai Road, Mumbai 400 026 208 Royapetah High Road, Mylapore, Chennai 600 004 236, 9th Main II Block, Jayanagar, Bangalore 560011 Sanas Plaza, 1302 Baji Rao Road, Pune 411 002 8 Camac Sweet, Kolkata 700017 Ashok Rajpath, Paina 800 004 Chowk, Varanasi 221 001 The right of Swami Venkalesananda to be identified as the author of this work is asserted. Printed in India By Jainendra Prakash Jain at Shri Jainendra Press, A45 Naraina, Phase-I, New Delhi 110 028 and Published by Narendra Prakash Jain for Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Private Limited, Bungalow Road, Delhi 110 007This Publreakion & deck eated bb amy wudey Swami Styananda. Hts Lge WALA Sum phomy urhose Cons tank WRhravn Wwe? “Sy all Condi trond J am Knowledge - rhigs Ad se lute.” Sage Vasistha LWCanmaked o% Suram Stueamanda & erm bo: Ha Supreme Yoga. In Gurndiv Yoga Vasestha Wak alives OVeuectoe _ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Gra:eful thanks are offered to Sri Swami Ranganathananda, Swami Muktananda Paramaharisa, and the Right Honourable Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam for their gracious Foreword.CONTENTS Acknowledgement. Foreword by Swami Ranganathananda. .. Blessings by Swami Muktananda. . Foreword by Prime Minister's Office, Mauritiv Introduction. : Scheme of Transliteration. Pisyetige. cee coe I. YAIRAGYA PRAKARANAM Section Dealing with Dispassion..........0.2.22.0000eceeseceeteeeeeeee 1—20 Il, MUMUKSU VYAVAHARA PRAKARANAM ‘The Behaviour of the Seeker... 1, The Story of Suka 2. Self Effort... il. UTPATTI PRAKARANAM Section Dealing with Creation ....0505 0.005 BOE ead The Story of Akasaja (The holy man)........060660c0cceeeeeeeee es The Story of Lila. “ mile» The Story of Karka ‘The Story of the Sons of Indu (Ten Young Men). The Story of Ahalya The Story of the Great Forest. The Story of the Three Non-existent Princes . The Story of Lavana PH2rFrer> IV. STHITI PRAKARANAM Section Dealing with Existence. ............ 2.006 scce eee seer ee eens 104—137 1. The Story of Sukra.... 2. The Story of Dama, Vyala and Kata. 3. The Story of Bhima, Bhasa and Drdha 4, The Story of Dasira. 5. Kaca’s Song... V. UPASAMA PRAKARANAM Section Dealing with Dissolution. .......0.2..2.000eeceeceeeeeeevees-138—221 1. The Story of King Janaka. 2. The Story of Punya and Pavana 3. The Story of Bali 4. The Story of Prahlada. 2163175 5. The Story of Gadhi. 176-179CONTENTS, 6, The Story of Uddalaka.... 184—192 7. The Story of Suraghu 8. The Story of Bhasa and Vilasa 9. The Story of Vitahavya VI. NIRVANA PRAKARANAM Section Dealing with Liberation. 0.0.2.6... 0006ce cee cee eeeee ences 222366 Discourse on Brahman... 2 +++231—236 ‘The Story of Bhusunda.. 1.237247 Description of the Lord. -250—284 1 2 3. ‘to's 4. Deva Puja (Worship of God). 5. The Story of the Wood-apple 6. The Story of the Rock (The Nature of Consciousness) 7. The Story of Arjuna 8. The Story of the Hundred Rudra 9. The Story of the Vampire. .. 10. The Story of Bhagiratha j 11. The Story of Sikhidhvaja and Cudala . 12. The Story of the Philosopher's Stone. . 13. The Story of the Cintamai 14. The Story of the Foolish Elephant. 1S. The Story of Kaca......... 16. The Story of the Deluded Man 17. The Story of Vipagcit.. 18. The Story of the Hunter and the Sage. 19. The Story of Kalaratri.... 20. The world Within the Rock. 21. The Story ofthe Sage from Outer Space 22. The Story of Bhrigisa 23, The Story of Ikgvaku. 24. The Story of the Hunter and the Deer 25, The Seven States of Yoga...... * Thus Spake Vasistha Index........FOREWORD The book, The Supreme Yoga, is a translation into English accompanied by brief expositions, by Swami Venkatesananda of the Divine Life Society, Rishikesh, India, of the well-known Vedanta treatise in Sanskrit, The Yoga Vasistha. The Swami has arranged the verses of the book in such a way as to convert them into a rosary of daily thoughts: throughout the year, on the lines of his two other books published, namely The Srimad Bhagavatarh or Book of God, and The Bhagavad Gita or The Song of God. The Yoga Vasistha has been a favourite book of spiritual seekers in India these several centuries. Its special appeal lies in its thoroughly rational approach, and in its presentation of Vedanta as a philosophy which dares, like the Bhagavad Gité, to bridge the gulf between the secular and the sacred, action and contemplation, in human life, through a comprehensive and lofty spirituality. The reader will come across passages such as the verse entry for 3lst January, highlighting the importance of reason: “The remark of even a child is to be accepted, if it is in accordance with reason; but the remark of even Brahma Himself, the creator of the world, is to be rejected like a piece of straw, if it does not accord with reason.’ It is this philosophy of a comprehensive spirituality, rational and practical, that man in the modern age needs to rescue himself from his stagnation of worldliness and put him on the high road of creative living and fulfilment. Swami Venkatesananda, who has been working untiringly for decades to spread the life-giving message of Yoga and Vedanta in East and West, has done a great service to spiritual seekers far and wide by bringing out this translation of The Yoga Vasistha in the wake of his translation of the other two great books. The Chiltern Yoga Trust of Elgin, South Africa, deserves the silent thanks of readers for publishing these three books of the Swami and helping to broadcast far and wide the life-giving, purifying, and inspiring ideas of Eternal India, Amar Bharat, in her Vedanta. 20 December 1975 Strom Ram gomathonanca, President, Ramakrishna Math, Hyderabad, A.P., India.BLESSINGS The Yoga Vasistha is a unique work of Indian philosophy. It is highly respected for its practical mysticism. The study of this great scripture alone can surely help one to attain to God-consciousness. For aspirants of the highest beatitude, the Yoga Vasistha is like nectar. It is a storchouse of wisdom. Like the Amritanubhava of Sit Jiianeshwar, the path shown in this work is for those who are highly spiritually evolved, almost to the state of a Siddha. It expounds the highest doctrine with many stories and illustrations. Not only philosophers, but even the modern psychologists and scientists will certainly find in it something related to their own discoveries. Most of the scriptures were narrated by God to His devotees, but the Yoga Vasistha was narrated to God Himself. It is the teaching of the sage Vasistha imparted to Lord Rama. It contains true under- standing about the creation of the world. The philosophy of the Yoga Vasistha is very similar to that of Kashmir Shaivism. Its main teaching is that everything is Consciousness, including the material world, and that the world is as you see it. This is absolutely true. The world is nothing but the play of Consciousness. Abhinavagupta, the tenth century scholar of Kashmir Shaivism, once said, "Shiva, the independent and pure Self that always vibrates in the mind, is the Parashakti that rises as joy in various sense experiences. Then the experience of this outer world appears as its Self. 1 do not know where this word ‘samsara’ has come from.” This is also the unparalleled philosophy of the Yoga Vasistha. In translating this monumental work, Swami Venkatesananda has worked hard to make its philosophy comprehensible to ordinary people. In doing so, he has déne a great service to seekers of the Truth. Swamiji is a pure person, full of knowledge and therefore worthy of translating this work of supreme yoga. Let this book bring true knowledge to its readers. 2d ) Swami MuktanandaPRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE MAURITIUS FOREWORD It gives me great pleasure to write a foreword to Swami Venkatesananda's "the Supreme Yoga", a sequel to the first edition, In this book Swami Venkatesananda has masterfully translated the Yoga Vasistha, the well known Vedanta treatise in Sanskrit so that it is understood not only by scholars but by laymen as well. As a true diciple of Gurudev Sivananda, Swami Venkatesananda has been tirelessly spreading the life-giving message of the Vedanta and Yoga in both East and West, thus paving the way for a greater understanding of Indian Philosophy. I am sure that Supreme Yoga spread far and wide the message of love and peace. si¥-stewoosagur Ramgoolam Prime Minister 5th June, 1981INTRODUCTION Scholars speculate about the author of this monumental scripture and such other academic matters: may God bless them with success. The Yoga Vasigtha is the greatest help to the spiritual awakening and the direct experience of the Truth. This is certain. If this is what you want, you are welcome to the Yoga Vasistha. The text abounds in repetitions which are, however, not repetitious. If you do not like (or need) repetition, then read just this one verse: “This world appearance is a confusion: even as the blueness of the sky is an optical illusion. I think it is better not to let the mind dwell on it, but to ignore it." (1-3/2) This verse occurs several times in the scripture and it seems to be the very essence of the teaching. If that is not quite clear to you now, read the scripture. The numerous ways in which this truth is revealed will open your mind. It is wise to read just one page a day. The teaching is revolutionary. The biased mind does not readily accept it. After the daily reading, meditate. Let the message soak through. ‘An oft recurring expression in this scripture is ‘kakataliya’ — a crow alights on the cocoanut palm tree and at that very moment a ripe cocoanut falls. The two unrelated events thus seem to be related in time and space, though there is no causal relationship. Such is life. Such is ‘creation’. But the mind caught up in its own trap of logic questions why, invents a ‘why’ and a ‘wherefore’ to satisfy itself, conveniently ignoring the inconvenient questions that stil] haunt an intelligent mind. Vasigtha demands direct observation of the mind, its motion, its notions, its reasoning, the assumed cause and the projected result, and even the observer, the observed and the observation — and the realisation of their indivisible unity as the infinite consciousness. That is the uniqueness of this scripture which hence declares itself to be supreme:“Except through this scripture, one cannot gainswhat is good, now or at any time. Therefore, for perfect realisation of the supreme truth, one should fervently investigate this scripture alone.” (V1.2-103) It is, however, the teaching that is supreme, not a book nor a sage. Hence. Vasistha is bold enough to say: “If, however, one thinks it is not authoritative because it is of human origin, one can resort to the study of any other scripture dealing with self-knowledge and final liberation.” (VI.2-175) Whichever be the scripture taught by whomever, and whichever be the path you choose, stop not till the psychological conditioning ceases entirely. Hence. Vasistha exhorts the seeker: “One should study at least a small part of this scripture daily. The beauty of this scripture is that its student is not abandoned to his despair; if something is not clear in the first instance. a further study of the scripture makes it clear.” (VI.2-175) W A number of friends and publishers have asked for a one-volume version of this great classic. The co-operation of a number of friends, especially Mrs Priya Hart of Israel and Lakshmi of Australia, brought about an “instant revision’. In this edition, the extract from the Laghu Yoga Vasistha has been omitted. In addition, the second pari of the Nirvana Prakaranarh has also been left out — almost. except for a couple of interesting stories which have been wedged into the first part of the Nirvana Prakaranarh, The first part seems to conclude the dialogue with the great Sakti-pata episode and Rama's self-absorption. Though the second part contains some gems, in some respects it seems an anti-climax and after-thought. The gems have been retained. In addition to the two stories mentioned above, some other brilliant declarations have been gathered and added to the end of the volume under the heading "Thus Spake Vasistha”. Thus nothing of value has been left out and yet the two volumes of the previous edition have been combined into one! Dust oF Gurudevs Feet WS eukactsa ————— May God bless you! xivSCHEME OF TRANSLITERATION VOWELS: a & i iu Gr Fle ai o au mh CONSONANTS: gutturals k kh g gh a palatals c ch j jh ft cerebrals t th d dh n dentals t th d dh n labials p ph b bh m semi-vowels oy r lv sibilants s asinsun S palatal sibilant s cerebral sibilant — as in shun aspirate h The above scheme does not facilitate the pronunciation of the syllable jia which occurs often in the Yoga Vasistha as also in yoga literature (jana means knowledge). The j is not really pronounced as j but almost as a g. It is followed by the i which partakes of the character of the guttural and the palatal n. Added to all this there is also a suggestion of y before the appropriate vowel completes the syllable. In this edition, the anglicization of plurals of sanskrit words and their adjectival forms has been abandoned. For plurals the last vowel has been ‘elongated’ irrespective of the correct grammatical form. We crave the indulgence of scholars. On top of the page you have, for example: 1 Ist JANUARY 1 Here I is the number of the section of the book (there are six such sections) and 1 is the number of the chapter in that section. One verse from the relevant chapter is given in transliteration. This verse is ‘freely’ translated and printed in bold type in the body of the story on the same page. On each page is given a faithful summary of the chapter selected for the day. Every effort has been made not to ignore any important teaching. Only non-essential repetitionhas been omitted, xvOM TAT SAT Om Namah Sivanandaya Om Namo Narayanaya Om Namo Venkatesaya PRAYER BEFORE THE DAILY READING yatah sarvani bhitani pratibhanti sthitani ca yatrai 'vo "pasamam yanti tasmai satyatmane namah (1) jiala jfdnarm tatha jheyarn drasta darsana dr§yabhith hartd hetuh kriya yasmat tasmai jiaptyaimane namah(2) Sphuranti stkara yasmad anandasya ‘mbare ‘vanau sarvesarh jivanam tasmat brahmanandatmane namah (3) Salutations to that reality in which all the elements and all the animate and inanimate beings shine as if they have an independent existence, and in which they exist for a time and into which they merge. Salutations to that consciousness which is the source of the apparently distinct threefold divisions of knower, know- ledge and known; seer, sight and seen; doer, doing and deed. Salutations to that bliss absolute (the ocean of bliss) which is the life of all beings whose happiness and unfoldment are derived from the shower of spray from that ocean of bliss.The Supreme Yoga1 1st JANUARY 1 ubhabhyam eva paksibhyaia yathi khe paksinah gatih tathai ‘va jilina karmabbyarh jayate paramarh padam (7) SUTIKSNA, the sage, asked the sage Agastya: O sage, kindly enlighten me on this problem of liberation — which one of the two is conducive to liberation, work or knowledge? AGASTYA replied: Verily, birds are able to fly with their two wings: even so both work and know- ledge together lead to the supreme goal of liberation. Not indeed work alone nor indeed knowledge alone can lead to liberation: but, both of them together form the means to liberation. Listen: I shall narrate to you a legend in answer to your question. There once lived a holy man by name Karunya who was the son of Agni- vesya. Having mastered the holy scriptures and understood their purport, the young man became apathetic to life. Seeing this, Agnivesya demanded why Karunya had abandoned the due performance of his daily duties. To which Karunya replied: “Do not the scriptures declare on the one hand that one should fulfil scriptural injunctions till the end of one’s life, and on the other that immortality can be realised only by the abandonment of all action? Caught between these two doctrines, what shall 1 do, O my guru and father?” Having said this, the young man remained silent. AGNIVESYA said: My son, listen: I shall narrate to you an ancient legend. Duly consider its moral and then do as you please. Once upon a time, a celestial nymph named Suruci was seated on a peak in the Himalaya, when she saw a messenger of Indra the king of gods fly past. Questioned by her, he informed her of his mission which was as fol- lows: “A royal sage by name Aristanemi entrusted his kingdom to his son and was engaged in breath-taking austerities in Gandhamadana hill. Seeing this, Indra asked me to approach him with a bevy of nymphs and escort the royal sage to heaven. The royal sage however wanted to know the merits and the demerits of heaven. I replied: In heaven, the best, the middling and the least among pious mortals receive appro- priate rewards, and once the fruits of their respective merits have been exhausted they return to the world of mortals. The royal sage refused to accept Indra’s invi- tation to heaven. Indra once again sent me to the royal sage with the request that he should seek the counsel of the sage Valmiki before turning the offer down.” ‘The royal sage was then introduced to the sage Valmiki. He asked Valmiki, "What is the best way to rid oneself of birth and death?” In reply, Valmiki narrated to him the dialogue between Rama and Vasistha.i 2nd JANUARY 2 ahar baddho vimukttah sym iti yasya ‘sti niseayah na “tyantam ajiio no taj jhah so ‘smini chastre ‘dhikaravan (2) VALMIKI said He Is qualified to study this scripture (the dialogue between Rama and Vasistha) who feels ‘I am bound, | should be liberated’, who is neither totally ignorant nor enlightened. He who deliberates on the means of liberation propounded in this scripture in the form of stories surely attains liberation from th repetitive history (of birth and death), I had composed the story of Rama earlier and I had imparted it to my beloved disciple Bharadvaja. Once when he went to the Mount Meru. Bharadvaja narrated it to Brahma, the creator. Highly pleased with this, the latter granted a boon to Bharadvaja, Bharadvaja sought a boon that ‘all human beings may be freed from unhappiness’ and begged of Brahma to find the best way to achieve this. Brahma said to Bharadvaja: “Go to the sage Valmiki and pray to him to continue to narrate the noble story of Rima in such a way that the listener may be freed from the darkness of nescience.” Not content with that, Brahma accompanied by the sage Bharadvaja arrived at my hermitage. After receiving due worship at my hands Brahma said to me: "O sage, your story of Rama should be the raft with which men will cross the ocean of samsara (repetitive history). Hence, continue its narration and bring it to a successful completion.” Having said this, the Creator instantly disappeared from the scene. As if puzzled by the abrupt command of Brahma, | requested the sage Bharad- aja to explain to me what Brahma had just said. Bharadvaja repeated Brahma’s words: "Brahma would like you to reveal the story of Rama in such a manner that it would enable all to go beyond sorrow. I, too, pray to you, O sage: kindly tell me in detail, how Rama, Laksmana and the other brothers freed themselves from sorrow.” I then revealed to Bharadvaja the secret of the liberation of Rama, Laksmana and the other brothers, as also their parents and members of the royal court. And, I said to Bharadvaja: "My son, if you, too, live like them you will also be freed from sorrow here and now.1 3rd. JANUARY 3 sya jatasya ‘kasavarnavat apunah smaranam manye sadho vismaranar varari (2) VALMIKI continued: This world-appearance is a confusion, even as the blueness of the sky is an optical illusion. I think it is better not to let the mind dwell on It, but to ignore it. Neither freedom from sorrow nor realisation of one’s real nature is possible as long as the conviction does not arise in one that the world-appearance is unreal. And this conviction arises when one studies this scripture with diligence. It is then that one arrives at the firm conviction that the objective world is a confusion of the real with the unreal. If one does not thus study this scripture, true knowledge docs not arise in him even in millions of years. Moksa or liberation is the total abandonment of all vasana or mental condition- ing. without the least reserve. Mental conditioning is of two types — the pure and the impure. The impure is the cause of birth; the pure liberates one from birth. The impure is of the nature of nescience and ego-sense; these are the seeds, as it were, for the tree of re-birth. On the other hand, when these seeds bandoned, the meatal conditioning that merely sustains the body, is of a pure nature, Such mental conditioning exists even in those who have been liberated while living: it does not lead to re-birth as it is sustained only by past momentum and not by present moti- vation. I shall now narrate to you how Rama lived an enlightened life of a liberated sage: knowing this you will be freed from all misunderstanding concerning old age and death. Upon his return from the hermitage of his preceptor, Rama dwelt in his father's palace sporting in various ways. Desirous of touring the whole country and visiting the holy places of pilgrimage, RAma sought the presence of his father and asked to be permitted to undertake such a pilgrimage. The king chose an auspicious day for the commencement of this pilgrimage; and on that day, after receiving the affectionate blessings of the elders of the family, Rama departed. Rama toured the whole country from the Himalaya downwards, along with his brothers. He then returned to the capital to the delight of the people of the country.1 4th JANUARY 456 koparn visida kalanar vitatar ca harsamh na “Ipena karanavasena vahanti santah sargena sathbrtijavena vind jagatyarn bhitini bhiipa na mahanti vik@ravanti (5/15) VALMIKI continued: Upon entering the palace Rima devoutly bowed to his father, the sage Vasis- tha and other elders and holy men. The whole of the city of Ayodhya put on a festive appearance for eight days, to celebrate the return of Rama from the piligrimage. For some time Rama lived in the palace duly performing his daily duties. How- ever, very soon a profound change came over him. He grew thin and emaciated, pale and weak. The king Dasaratha was worried over this sudden and unaccountable change in his beloved son's appearance and behaviour. Whenever he questioned Rama concerning his health, the latter replied that there was nothing wrong. When Dasaratha asked Rama, "Beloved son, what is worrying you?” Rima politely replied. “Nothing, father” and remained silent. Inevitably Dasaratha turned to the sage Vasistha for the answers. The sage enigmatically answered: "Surely, there is some reason why Rima behaves in this manner. Even as in this worid no great changes take place before the coming into being of their cause, viz., the cosmic elements; changes like anger, despondency and joy do not manifest in the behavicur of noble ones without proper cause.” Dagaratha did not wish to probe further: Soon after this, there arrived at the palace the sage Visvamitra of world renown When the king was informed of the holy visit, he rushed forward to greet him. DASARATHA said: Welcome, welcome, O holy sage! Your arrival at my humble abode makes me happy. It is as welcome to me as vision to a blind man, rain to parched earth, son to a barren woman, resurrection of a dead man, recovery of lost wealth. O sage, what may I do for you? Pray, whatever be the wish with which you have come to me, consider that wish already fulfilled. You are my worshipful deity. 1 shall do thy bidding.1 Sth JANUARY 789 kale kale prthag brahman bhiiri virya vibhiitayah bhiitesy abhyudayarh yanti praliyante ca kilatah (8/29) VALMIKI continued: Visvamitra was delighted to hear DaSaratha’s words and proceeded to reveal his mission. He said to the king: O king. | need your assistance in the fulfilment of a religious rite undertaken by me. Whenever I undertake a religious rite, the demons who are the followers of Khara and Diisana invade the holy place and desecrate it. Under the vows of the religious rite, 1am unable to curse them You can help me. Your son Rama can easily deal with these demons. And, in return for this help, I shall confer manifold blessings upon him which will bring you unexcelled glory, Do not let your attachment to your son overpower your devotion to duty. In this world the noble ones do not consider any gift beyond their means The moment you say yes, that very moment I consider that the demons are dead. For, | know who Rama is; even so does the sage Vasistha and the other holy ones in this court. Let there be no procrastination, O king: send Rama with me without delay Hearing this highly unwelcome request, the king remained stunned and silent for a while and then replied: "0 sage, Rama is not even sixteen years old and is, therefore, not qualified to wage a war. He has not even seen a combat, except what goes on in the inner apartment of the palace. Command me to accompany you; command my vast army to accompany you to exterminate the demons. But | can- not part with Rama. Is it not natural for all living beings to love their young; do not even wise men engage themsclves in extraordinary activitics for the love of their children; and do not people abandon their happiness, their consorts and wealth rather than their children? No, I cannot part with Rama. [have heard of the might demon Ravana. Is he the one that causes disturbance to your religious rite? In that case, nothing can be done to help you, for | know that even the gods are powerless against him. Time and again, such powerful beings are born on this earth; and in time they leave the stage of this world.” Visvamitra was angry. Seeing this, the sage Vasistha intervened and persuaded the king not to back out on his promise, but to send Rima with Visvamitra. "O king, it is unworthy of you to go back on your promise. A king should be an exemplar of righteous conduct. Rama is safe in the care of Visvamitra, who is extremely power- ful and who has numerous invincible missiles.”I 6th JANUARY 10 nirasia ‘stho niriso ‘sau niriho ‘sau nr 'Spadah ni midho na ca muktto ’sau tena tapyiimahe bhriarh (45) VALMIKI continued: In obedience to the wishes of the preceptor Vasistha, the king Dasaratha ordered an attendant to fetch Rama. This attendant returned and announced that Rama would follow in a minute, and added "The prince seems to be dejected and he shuns company”. Bewildered by this statement, Dasaratha turned to Rama's chamberlain and wished to know the facts concerning Rama's state of mind and health The CHAMBERLAIN was visibly distressed and he said: Lord, since his return from the pilgrimage, a great change has come over the prince. He does not seem to be interested even in bathing and in the worship of the deity. He does not enjoy the company of the people in the inner apartments. He is not interested in jewels and precious stones. Even when offered charming and pleasing objects, he looks at them with sad eyes, uninterested. He spurns the palace dancers, regarding them as tormentors! He goes through the motions of eating, walking, resting, bathing and sitting, like an automaton, like one who is deaf and dumb. Often he mutters to himself “What is the use of wealth and prosperity, what is the use of adversity or of house? All this is unreal.” He is silent most of the time and is not amused by entertainment. He relishes only solitude. He is all the time immersed in his own thought. We do not know what has come over our prince, what he contemplates in his mind, nor what he is after. Day by day he gets more and more emaciated. Again and again, he sings to himself, "Alas, we are dissipating our life in various ways, instead of striving to reach the supreme! People wail aloud that they are suffering and they are destitute, but no one sincerely turns away from the sources of their suffering and destitution.” Seeing all this and hearing all this, we, his humble servants, are extremely distressed. We do not know what to do. He is bereft of hope, he is bereft of desire, he is attached to nothing and he depends on nothing, he is not deluded nor demented, and he is not enlightened either. At times, however, it looks as if he is overwhelmed by suicidal thoughts spurred by the feelings of despondency: ‘What is the use of wealth or of mothers and relations, what is the use of the kingdom, and what is the use of ambition in this world?’ Lord, only you can find the appropriate remedy for this condition of the prince.1 7th JANUARY 112 kirh name ‘dam bata sukharm yeyam samsarasantatih Jayate mrtaye loko mriyate jananiya ca (12/7) VISVAMITRA said: If that be the case, may Rama be requested to come here. His condition is not the result of delusion but is full of wisdom and dispassion, and it points to enlighten ment. Bring him here and we shall dispel his despondency. VALMIKI said Thereupon the king urged the chamberlain to invite Rama to the court. In the meantime Rama himself got ready to meet his father, Even from a distance he saw and saluted his father and the sages; and they saw that though young, his face shone with the peace of maturity. He bowed to the fect of the king, who embraced him, lifted him up and said to him: “What makes you so sad, my son? Dejection is an open-invitation to a host of miseries.” The sages Vasistha and Viévamitra concur red with the king. . RAMA said: Holy sir, I shall duly answer your question. I grew up happily in my father’s abode; 1 was instructed by worthy teachers. Recently | went on a pilgrimage. During this period a trend of thought has taken hold of me, robbing me of all hope in this world. My heart begins to question: what do people call happiness and can it be had in the ever-changing objects of this world? All beings in this world take birth but to die, and they die to be bern! I do not perceive any meaning in all these transient phenomena which are the roots of suffering and sin. Unrelated beings come together; and the mind conjures up a relationship between them. Everything in this world is dependent upon the mind, upon one’s mental attitude. On examination the mind itself appears to be unreal! But, we are bewitched by it. We seem to be running after a mirage in the desert to slake our thirst! Sir, surely we are not bond slaves sold to a master; yet we live a life of slavery, without any freedom whatever. Ignorant of the truth, we have been aimlessly wandering in this dense forest called the world. What is this world? What comes into being. grows and dies? How does this suffering come to an end? My heart bleeds with sorrow, though I do not shed tears, in deference to the feelings of my friends.1 8th JANUARY 13 14 bharo ’vivekinah éastram bharo jiianarm ca aéantasya mano bharo bharo ’natmavido vapuh (14/13) RAMA continued: Equally useless, O sage, is wealth which deludes the ignorant. Unsteady and fleeting, this wealth gives birth to numerous worries and generates an insatiable craving for more. Wealth is no respecter of persons: both the good and the wicked can become wealthy. However, people are good, compassionate and friendly only till their hearts are hardened by the passionate pursuit of wealth. Wealth taints the heart even of the wise scholar, a hero, a man of gratitude and a dexterous and soft- spoken person. Wealth and happiness do not dwell together. Rare is that wealthy man who does not have rivals and enemies who scandalise him. To the lotus of right action, wealth is the night; to the white-lotus of sorrow, it is the moonlight; to the lamp of clear insight, it is the wind; to the wave of enmity, it is the flood; to the cloud of confusion, it is the favourable wind; to the poison of despondency, it is the aggravating agent. It is like the serpent of evil thoughts and it adds fear to one's distress; it is destructive snow-fall to the creeper of dispassion; it is the night-fall to the owl of evil desires; it is the eclipse of the moon of wisdom; in its presence a person’s good nature shrivels. Indeed, wealth secks him who has already been chosen by death Even so is the life-span, O sage. Its duration is like that of a water droplet on a leaf. The life-span is fruitful only co those who have self-knowledge. We may encompass the wind, we may break up space, we may string waves into a garland, but we cannot pin our faith on the life-span. Man vainly seeks to extend his life- span, and thereby he earns more sorrow and extends the period of suffering. Only he lives who strives to gain self-knowledge, which alone is worth gaining in this world, thereby putting an end to future births; others exist here like donkeys. To the unwise, knowledge of scriptures is a burden; to one who Is full of desires, even wisdom is a burden; to one who Is restless, his own mind is a burden; and to one who has no self-knowledge, the body (the life-span) is 2 burden. The rat of time gnaws at the life-span without respite. The termite of disease eats (destroys) the very vitals of the living being. Just as a cat intent on catching a rat looks at it with great alertness and readiness, death is ever keeping a watch over this life-span.1 9th JANUARY 1S 16 cittarh karanam arthanarh tasmin sat! Jagat trayarn sinam tac cikitsyarn prayatnatah (16/25) RAMA continued: Holy sir, 1am bewildered and scared when I contemplate the coming into being of the dreadful enemy of wisdom known as egotism. It comes into being in the darkness of ignorance, and flourishes in ignorance. It generates endless sinful ten- dencies and sinful actions. All suffeting surely revolves around egotism (it is the ‘I’ who suffers); and cgotism is the sole cause of mental distress. I feel that egotism is my worst disease! Spreading the net of worldly objects of pleasure, it is this ego- tism that traps living beings. Indeed, all the terrible calamities in this world are born of egotism. Egotism eclipses self-control, destroys virtue and dissipates equa- nimity. Giving up the egotistic notion that ‘I am Rama’ and giving up all desires, 1 wish to rest in the self. 1 realise that whatever I have done with an egoistic notion is vain — non-egotism alone is truth. When I am under the influence of egotism, I am unhappy; when | am free from egotism | am happy. Egotism promotes cravings: without it they perish. It is this egotism alone, without rhyme or reason, that has spread the net of family and social relationships to catch the unwary soul. I think I am free from egotism: yet, I am miserable. Pray, enlighten me. Bereft of the grace earned through the service of the holy ones, the impure mind-stuff remains restless as the wind. It is dissatisfied with whatever it gets and grows more and more restless by the day. The sieve can never be filled with water; nor can the mind ever reach the state of fulfilment however much of worldly objects one acquires. The mind flits in all directions all the time, but is unable to find hap- piness anywhere. Unmindful of the possibility of reaping great suffering in hell, the mind seeks pleasure here, but even that it does not get. Like the lion in a cage, the mind is ever restless, having lost its freedom yet not happy with its present state. Alas, O holy one, 1 am bound by the knots of craving to the net that has been spread by the mind. Even as the rushing waters of a river uproot the trees on its bank, the restiess_mind has uprooted my whole being. I am being wafted like a dry leaf in the wind by the mind. It does not let me rest anywhere. It Is this mind alone which is the cause of all objects in the world; the three worlds exist because of the mind-stuff. When the mind vanishes the worlds vanish too.I 10th JANUARY 17 bhisay api dhirar mam andhayaty api seksanarn Khedayaty spi sinandarh trsna krsneva sarvari (16) RAMA continued: It is really when the mind-stuff is enveloped by craving that innumerable errors arise in the darkness of ignorance thus caused. This craving dries up the good and noble qualities of the mind and heart. like sweetness and gentleness of disposition, and makes me hard and cruel. in that darkness, craving in its different forms dances like a goblin. Though I adopt various methods to restrain the craving, the latter overpowers me in a moment and helplessly drives me astray, even as a gale carries away a straw. Whatever hope I entertain of developing dispassion and such other qualities, craving cuts that hope away even as a rat snaps a thread. And I helplessly revolve, caught in the wheel of craving. Like birds caught in a net, we are unable, though we have the wings for it, to fly to our goal or abode of self-knowledge. Nor can this craving be ever appeased, even if 1 were to quaff nectar. The characteristic of this craving is that it has no direction: it drives me in one direction now and the very next moment it takes me away in another direction, like a mad horse. It spreads in front of us a very wide net of son, friend, wife and other relations Though Iam a hero, this craving makes me 2 frightened coward; though I have eyes to see, It makes me blind; though I am full of joy, it makes me miserable; it is like 2 dreadful goblin. It is this dreadful goblin craving that is responsible for bon- dage and misfortune; it breaks the heart of man and creates delusion in him. Caught by this Goblin, man is unable to enjoy even the pleasures that are within his reach. Though it appears as if the craving is for happiness, this craving leads neither to happiness nor to fruitfuiness in this life; on the contrary, it involves vain effort and leads to every kind of inauspiciousness. Even when it occupies the stage called life on which several happy and unhappy situations play, this craving, like an aged actress, is incapable of performing anything good and noble and suffers defeat and discomfiture at every turn, Yet it does not give up dancing on the stage! Craving now ascends to the skies, now dives into the depths of the nether world; it is ever restless. For it is based on the emptiness of the mind. In the mind the light of wisdom momentarily shines, but there is delusion the next moment. It is a wonder that sages are able to cut this with the sword of self-knowledge 101 1th JANUARY 18 baddhastha ye éariresu baddhistha ye jagatsthitau tan moha madironmattin dhigdhig astu punah punah (52) RAMA continued: This pitiable body composed of veins, arteries and nerves is also a source of pain. Inert. it appears to be intelligent: one docs not know if it is sentient or insen- tient, and it engenders only delusion. Delighted with a little gratification and dis- tressed by the least adversity, this body is indeed highly despicable I can only compare a tree to the body: with branches for arms, trunk for the torso, holes for eyes, fruits for head, leaves for numerous illnesses — it is a resting place for living beings. Who can say that it is one’s own? Hope or despair in rela- tion to it is futile. It is but a boat given to one for crossing this ocean of birth-and- death; but one should not regard it as one's self. This tree which is the body is born in the forest known as sams4ra (repetitive existence), the restless monkey (mind) plays on it, it is the abode of crickets (worries), it is constantly eaten by the insects (of endless suffering), it shelters the venomous serpent (of craving), and the wild crow (of anger) dwells on it. On it are the flowers (of laughter), its fruits are good and evil, it appears to be animated by the wind (of life-force), it supports the birds (of senses), it is resorted to by the traveller (lust or desire) for it provides the shade of pleasure, the formidable vul- ture (egotism) is seated on it and it is hollow and empty. It is certainly not meant to promote happiness. Whether it lives for long or falls in a short time, it is still useless. It is composed of flesh and blood; it is subject to old age and death. | am not enamoured of it. It is completely filled with impure substances and afflicted with ignorance. How can it fulfil my hopes? This body is the home of illness, the field for mental distress and changing emotions and mental states. I am not enamoured of it. What is wealth, what is king- dom, what is the body? All these are mercilessly cut down by time (death). At death this ungrateful body abandons the soul that dwelt in it and protected it — what hope shall 1 repose in it? Shamelessly it indulges again and again in the same actions! Its only certain purpose seems to be to burn in the end. Unmindful of old age and death that are common to the rich and the poor, it seeks wealth and power. Shame, shame upon those who are bound to this body, deluded by the wine of ignorance! Shame on those who are bound to this world!1 12th JANUARY 19 asakttir sna makata midhabuddhita grdhnuta lolata dainyam sarvam balye pravartate (2) RAMA said: Even childhood, the part of life which people ignorantly regard as enjoyable and happy, is full of sorrow, O sage. Helplessness, mishaps, cravings, inability to express oneself, utter foolishness, playfulness, instability, weakness — all these characterise childhood. The child is easily offended, easily roused to anger. easily bursts into tears. In fact, one may say boldly that the child's anguish is more ter- rible than that of a dying person, an aged man, a sick man or any other adult. For in childhood one’s state is comparable truly to that of an animal living at the mercy of others. The child is exposed to the countless happenings around it; they puzzle the child, confuse the child, and arouse in it various phantasies and fears. The child is impres- sionable and is easily influenced by the wicked: in consequence, the child is sub jected to control and punishment by its parents. Childhood seems to be a period of subjection and nothing else! Though the child may appear to be innocent, the truth is that all sorts of defects, sinful tendencies, and neurotic behaviour lie hidden and dormant in it, even as an owl lies hidden in a dark hole during the day-time. O sage, I pity those people who foolishly imagine that childhood is a happy period. What can be worse suffering than a restless mind? And, the child’s mind is extremely restless. Unless the child gets something new every day, it is unhappy. Crying and weeping seem to be the child’s foremost activity. When the child does not get what it wants, it looks as if its heart is broken. When the child goes to school, it receives punishment in the hands of its tea- chers; and all this adds to its unhappiness. When the child cries, its parents, in order to pacify it, promise to give it the world; and from then on the child begins to value the world, to desire the worldly objects. The parents say, "I shall give you the moon for a toy.” and the child, be- lieving their words, thinks that it can hold the moon in its hands. Thus are the seeds of delusion sown in the little heart. Though the child feels heat and cold, it is unable to avoid it — how is it better than a tree, then? Like the animals and birds the child vainly reaches out to get what it wants; and it is fearful of every elder in the house. 121 13th JANUARY 20 udbodhayati dosalim nikrntati gunavalim RAMA continued: Leaving this period of childhood behind, the human being goes on to the s of youth, but he is unable to leave the unhappiness behind! There he is subjected to numerous mental modifications and he progresses from misery to greater misery, for he abandons wisdom and embraces the terrible goblin known as lust that resides in his heart. His life is full of desire and anxiety. They who have not been robbed of their wisdom in their youth can withstand any onslaught. 1am not cnamoured of this transient youth in which shortlived pleasure is quickly followed by long-lasting suffering, and deluded by which man regards the changing, to be changeless. What is worse still, it is during youth that one indulges in such actions that bring unhappiness to many others. Even as a tree is consumed by a forest fire, the youth's heart is consumed by the fire of lust when his beloved leaves him. However much he may strive to deve- lop purity of heart, the youth's heart is stained with impurity. Even when his be- loved is not present near him, he is distracted by the thoughts of her beauty. Such a person who is full of cravings is naturally not held in high esteem by good men Youth is the abode of diseases and mental distress. It can be compared to a bird whose wings are good and evil acts. Youth is like a sandstorm that disperses and dissipates one’s good qualities. Youth aroses all sorts of evils in the heart and suppresses the good qualities that may exist there; it is thus the promoter of evil. It gives rise to delusion and attachment. Though youthfulness appears to be very desirable to the body, it is destructive to the mind. In youth, the man is tempted by the mirage of happiness and in its pursuit he falls into the well of sorrow. Hence I am not enamoured of youth. Alas, even when youth is about to leave the body, the passions that had been aroused by youth burn the more fiercely and bring about one’s quick destruction. He who delights in this youth is surely not a man, but an animal in human garb. They are adorable, they are great souls and they alone are men who are nat overcome by the evils of youth and who survive that stage of life without succumb- ing to its temptations. For, it is easy to cross a great ocean; but to reach the other shore of youth without being overcome by its likes and dislikes is indeed difficult. 131 14th JANUARY 21 22 na jith Satrubhib saiakhye pravista ye ‘drikotare te jara jima raksasya pasya "Su vijiti mune (22/31) RAMA continued: In his youth, man is a slave of sexual attraction. In the body which is no more than the aggregate of flesh, blood, bone, hair and skin, he perceives beauty and charm. Even if this ‘beauty’ is permanent, there is some justification to the imagi- nation; but, alas, it does not last very long. On the contrary, very soon the very flesh that contributed to the attractiveness, the charm and the beauty of the beloved is transformed first into the shrivelled ugliness of old age. and later consumed by fire, or by worms, or by vultures. Yet, while it lasts this sexual attraction consumes the heart and the wisdom of the man. By this is the creation maintained; when this attraction ceases, this sarnsara (birth-death cycle) also ceases. When the child is dissatisfied with its childhood, youth takes over; when youth is plagued by dissatisfaction and frustration, old age overpowers it — how cruel is life. Even as wind tosses a dew-drop from a leaf, old age destroys the body. Even as a drop of poison when it enters the system soon pervades it, senility soon per- vades the entire body and breaks it down and makes it the laughing stock of other people. Though the old man is unable to satisfy his desires physically, the desires themselves flourish and grow. He begins to ask himself, “Who am I? What should 1 do?" etc., when it is too late for him to change his life’s course, alter his life-style, or make his life more meaningful. With the onset of senility all the distressing symptoms of a physical break-down, like cough, white hairs, hard breathing, dys- pepsia and emaciation, manifest themselves. Perhaps, the deity presiding over death sees the white-roofed head of the old man as salted melon and rushes to take it. As a flood cuts away the roots of trees standing on the river-bank, senility vigorously cuts the root of life. Death follows and carries it away. Senility is like the royal attendant who precedes the king, death. Ah, how mysterious and how astounding it is! They who have not been over- come by enemics and who have taken their abode in inaccessible mountain-peaks — even they have been afflicted by the demoness known as senility and degeneracy. 14I 1Sth JANUARY 23 24 yuga vatsara kalpakhyaih kificit prakatatarh gatah riipair alakgya ripitma sarvam akramya tisthati (23/7) RAMA continued: All enjoyments in this world are delusion, like the lunatic’s enjoyment of the taste of fruits reflected in a mirror. All the hopes of man in this world are consis- tently destroyed by Time. Time alone, O sage, wears everything out in this world: there is nothing in creation which is beyond its reach. Time alone creates innum- erable universes, and in a very short time Time destroys everything. Time allows = glimpse of itself through its partial manifestation as the year, the age, and the epoch; but its essential nature is hidden. This Time overpowers everything. ‘Time is merciless, inexorable, cruel, greedy and insatiable. Time is the greatest magician, full of deceptive tricks. This Time cannot be analysed: for however much it is divided it still survives indestructible. It has an insatiable appetite for everything — it consumes the smallest insects, the biggest mountains, and even the king of heaven! Even as a young boy plays with a ball for his pastime, Time uses the two balls known as the sun and the moon for its pastime. It is indeed ‘Time alone that appears as the destroyer of the universe (Rudra), the creator of the world (Brahma), the king of heaven (Indra), the lord of wealth (Kubera), and the nothingness of cosmic dissolution. It is indeed this Time that successively creates and dissolves the universe again and again. Just as even the great and mighty mountain is rooted on earth, this mighty Time is also established in the absolute being (Brahman). Even though Time creates endless universes, it is not wearied, nor does it rejoice; it does not come, nor does it go; it does not rise, nor does it set. Time, the gourmet, sees that the objects of this world have been ripened by the fire of the sun, and when he finds them fully ripe he consumes them! Each epoch of time is decked, as it were, by: the lovely jewels of colourful beings for the pleasure of Time that wipes them all out playfully. To the lotus of youthfulness, Time is the nightfall; to the elephant of life-span, Time is the lion. In this world there is nothing, high or low, that Time does not des- troy. Even when all these are destroyed, Time is not destroyed. Just as a man after a day's activity rests in sleep, as if in ignorance, even so Time after the cosmic dis- solution sleeps or rests with the creation-potential hidden in ‘it. No one really knows what this Time is. 1SI 16th JANUARY 25 26 danava api diryante dhruva ‘py adhruva jivitah amar api maryante kalva "stha madrée jane (26/26) RAMA continued: Besides the Time I have just described, there is another Time which is respon sible for birth and death; people refer to it as the deity presiding over death. Yet again there is another aspect of this Time, known as krtanta — the end of action, its inevitable result or fruition. This krtnta is like a dancer with niyati (the law of nature) for his wife: the two together bestow on all beings the inevitable fruit of their actions. During the course of the existence of the universe, they are indefatigable in their labour, unwinking in their vigilance and unflagging in their zeal. When Time thus dances in this universe, creating and destroying everything, what hope can we entertain? Krtdnta holds sway even over those whose faith is firm, and makes them restless. On account of this krtanta everything in this world is constantly undergoing change; there is no permanency here. All beings in this world are tainted with evil; all relationships are bondage; all enjoyments are great diseases; and desire for happiness is only a mirage. One’s own senses are one’s enemies; the reality has become unreal (unknown); one’s own mind has become one's worst enemy. Egotism is the foremost cause for evi dom is weak; all actions lead to unpleasantness; and pleasure is sexually oriented. One's intelligence is governed by egotism, instead of being the other way round. Hence there is no peace nor happiness in one’s mind. Youth is fading. Company of holy ones is rare. There is no way out of this suffering. The realisation of truth is not to be seen in anyone. No one is happy at the prosperity and happiness of others, nor is compassion to be found in anyone's heart. People are getting baser and baser by the day. Weakness has overcome strength, cowardice has overpowered courage. Evil company is casily had, good company is hard to come by. | wonder whither Time is driving humanity. wis- Holy one, this mysterious power that governs this creation destroys even powerful demons, robs whatever has been considered to be eternal of its perma- nency, kills even the immortals — is there then any hope for simple folk like me? ‘This mysterious being seems to dwell in all, and its individualised aspect is regarded as egotism, and there is nothing that is not destroyed by it. The entire universe is under its control; its will alone prevails here. 16I 17th JANUARY 27 taranti mataiga ghatf taraigarh randmbudhir ye mayl te na sarah SGrasta eve manasastarangarn dehe ‘ndriyambodhim imara taranti (9) RAMA continued: O sage, thus neither in childhood nor in youth nor in old age docs one enjoy any happiness. None of the objects in this world is meant to give happiness to anyone. The mind vainly seeks to find such happiness in the objects of this world. Only he is happy who is free from egotism and who is not swayed by craving for sense-pleasure: but such a person is extremely rare in this world. Indeed, I do not regard him as a hero who is able to battle successfully against a mighty army; only him I consider a hero who is able to cross the ocean known as the mind and the senses. I do not regard that as a ‘gain’ which is soon lost: only that is a gain which is not lost — and there is no such gain available to man in this world, however hard he may struggle. On the other hand, both fleeting gains and temporary adversities come to a man even without his secking. I am puzzled, holy sir, that a man roams here and there seemingly busy throughout the day and is all the time engaged in selfish activity, and though he does not do one good turn during the day, he is still able to sleep at night! Yet, even though the busy man overcomes all his earthly enemies and surrounds himself with wealth and luxury, and even when he boasts that he is happy, death creeps in upon him. How it finds him, only God knows. In ignorance, man binds himself to wife, son and friends; he knows not that this world is like a large pilgrim centre where countless people come together for- tuitously — and they whom he calls his wife, son and friends are among them. This world is like a potter's wheel: the wheel looks as if it stands still though it revolves at a terrific speed. — even so to the deluded person this world appears to be stable even though in fact it is constantly changing. This world is like @ poison tree: one who comes into contact with it is knocked unconscious and stupified. All points of view in this world are tainted; all countries in the world are territories of I the people of the world are subject to death; all actions are deceitful Many aeons have come and gone; they are but moments in time — for there is essentially no difference between an epoch and a moment, both being measures of time. From the viewpoint of the gods even an epoch is but 2 moment. Even so the whole earth is but a modification of the earth-element! How futile to pin our faith and our hope on it! 17I 18th JANUARY 28 29 iti me dosadivaigni dagdhe mahati cetasi < prasphuranti na bhogasa mrgatrsna sarahsv iva (29/1) RAMA continued: O holy one! Whatever appears to be permanent or transient in this world — it is all like a dream. What is a crater today was a mountain before, what is a moun tain today becomes a hole in the earth in a short while, what is a dense forest today is soon transformed into a big city, what is fertile soil now becomes arid desert. Similar is the change in one’s body and in one's life-style and fortune This life-and-death cycle appears to be a skilful dancer whose skirt is made up of living souls, and her dancing gestures consist of lifting the souls up to heaven, hurling them down in hell, or bringing them back to this earth. All the mighty deeds, even the great religious rites that people perform here, are soon consigned to one’s memory. Human beings are born as animals and vice versa; gods lose their divinity — what is unchanging here? 1 see even the creator Brahma, the pro- tector Visnu, the redeemer Rudra and others inexorably going towards destructior In this world sense-objects appear to be pleasant to one only till he remembers his inevitable destruction, Just as a child playing with earth makes different designs with a clod, the ordainer of the universe keeps creating new things and destroying them soon. This perception of the defects of the world has destroyed the undesirable tendencies in my mind; and therefore desire for sense-pleasure does not arise in my mind, even as a mirage does not appear on the surface of water. This world and its delights appear bitter to me. | am not fond of wandering in the pleasure-gardens, I do not relish the company of girls, | do not value the acquisition of wealth. 1 wish to remain at peace within myself. 1 am constantly enquiring: "How can | wean my heart completely away from even thinking of this ever-changing phantasm called the world?” J do not long for death, nor do I long to live; I remain as I am, free from the fever of lust. What shall I do with the kingdom, pleasure or wealth, all of which are the playthings of egotism which is absent in me? If 1 do not get established in wisdom now, when shall another opportunity arise? For, indulgence in sense-pleasure poisons the mind in such a way that its effects last several life-times. Only the man of self-knowledge is free from this. Therefore, O sage, | pray to thee: instruct me in such 2 way that I may forever be free from anguish, fear and distress. With the light of your instruction destroy the darkness of ignorance in my heart. 18I 19th JANUARY 30 31 apahastita sarvartham anavasthitir asthita grhitvotsrjya ca “tminam bhavasthitir avasthita (30/8) RAMA continued: By reflecting on the pitiable fate of living beings thus fallen into the dreadful pit of sorrow, I am filled with grief. My mind is confused, I shudder, and at every step I am afraid. I have given up everything but I have not established myself In wisdom; hence I am partly caught and partly freed. I am like a tree that has been cut but not severed from its root. I wish to restrain my mind but do not have the wisdom to do so. Hence, pray tell me: what is that condition or state in which one does not experience any grief? How can one who is involved in the world and its activities, as Iam, reach the supreme state of peace and bliss? What is that attitude that enables one not to be influenced by various kinds of activities and experiences? Pray tell me: how do you people who are enlightened live in this world? How can the mind be freed from lust and made to view the world both as one’s own self and also as no more valuable than a blade of grass? The biography of which great onc shall we study in order to learn the path of wisdom? How should one live in this world? Holy sir, instruct me in that wisdom which will enable my otherwise rest- less mind to be steady like 2 mountain. You are an enlightened being: instruct me so that Imay never again be sunk in grief. Obviously this world is full of pain and death; how does it become a source of joy, without befuddling one’s heart? The mind is obviously full of impurities; how can it be cleansed and with what cleanser prescribed by what great sage? How should one live here so as not to fall a victim to the twin currents of loye-and-hate? Obviously there is a secret that enables one to remain unaffected by the grief and suffering in this world even as mercury is not affected when it is thrown into the fire. What is that secret? What is the secret that counteracts the habit of the mind that is spread out in the forma of this universe? Who are those heroes who have freed themselves from delusion? And what methods did they adopt to free themselves. If you consider that | am neither fit nor capable of understanding this, I shall fast unto death. VALMIKI said: Having said so, Rama remained silent. 191 20th JANUARY 32:33 sakala loka camatkrii karino ‘py abhimatarh yadi raighavacetasah phalati no tad ime vayam eva hi sphutstaram munayo hatabuddhayah (33/46) VALMIKI said: All those who had assembled in the court were highly inspired by the flaming words of Rama’s wisdom which is capable of dispelling the delusion of the mind. They felt as if they themselves had been rid of all their doubts and deluded mis- understanding. They drank the nectarine words of Rama with great delight. As they sat in the court listening to Rama's words, it appeared as though they were no longer living beings but painted figures — they were so still with rapt attention. Who listened to Rama's discourse? Sages like Vasistha and Visvamitra, the ministers, members of the royal family including king Dagaratha, citizens, holy ones, servants, caged birds, animal pets, the horses of the royal stable, and the celestials including the perfected sages and heavenly musicians. Surely, even the king of heaven and the chiefs of the nether world listened to Rama. Thrilled to hear Rama's speech, all of them acclaimed "Bravo, bravo” with one voice and this joyous sound filled the air. To felicitate Rama, there was a shower of flowers from heaven, Everyone assembled in the court cheered him. Surely, no one but Rama who was full of dispassion couid have uttered the words that he gave expression to — not even the preceptor of the gods. We were indeed extremely fortunate to have been able to listen to him. While we listened to him, it seemed as though we were filled with the feeling that there is no happiness even in heaven. THE PERFECTED SAGES in the assembly said: Surely, the answers that the holy ones are about to give to the weighty and wise questions of Rama are worthy of being heard by all beings in the universe. O sages, come, come, let us all gather in the court of king Dasaratha to listen to the answer of the supreme sage Vasistha. VALMIKI said: Hearing this, all the sages of the world hastened to the court, where they were duly received, honoured and seated in the court. Surely, if in our heart the lofty wisdom of Rima is not reflected, we shall indeed be the losers; whatever be our abilities and faculties, we shall thereby prove that we have lost our intelligence! 20ul 2ist JANUARY 123 yasah prabhrtinag yasmai hetunai ‘va vind punah bbuvi bhoga na rocante sa jivanmuktta. ucyate (2/8) VISVAMITRA said: O Rama, you are indeed the foremost among the wise, and there is really nothing further for you to know. However, your knowledge needs confirmation, even as the self-knowledge of Suka needed confirmation from Janaka before Suka could find the peace that passeth understanding. Just like you, Suka also arrived at the truth concerning existence after deep contemplation of the evanescence of this world. Yet because it was self-acquired knowledge, he could not positively affirm to himself ‘This is the truth’. He had of course arrived at the state of extreme and supreme dispassion. One day, this Suka approached his father Vedavyasa and asked him: “Sir, how did this diversity of world-creation come into being: and how will it come to an end?” Vedavyasa gave a detailed answer to this question: but Suka thought ‘All this I knew already: what is new in this?’ and was not impressed. Vedavyasa also sensed this, and hence he said to Suka: "My son, I do not know anything more than this; but there is the royal sage Janaka on earth who knows more than this, Kindly approach him. Suka thereupon came to Janaka’s palace. Informed by the palace guards of the young Suka’s arrival, Janaka ignored him for a week while Suka patiently waited outside. The next week Janaka had Suka brought into the palace and waited upon by dancers and musicians. Suka was unmoved by this, too. After this, Suka was ushered into the royal presence, and Janaka said: "You know the truth; what else shall I tell you now. This diversity arises on account of mental modifications and it will cease when they cease.” Thus when his self-knowledge had been confirmed Suka attained peace and remained in nirvikalpa samadhi. Like Suka, Rama too has gained the highest wisdom. The surest sign of a man of the highest wisdom is that he is unattracted by the pleasures of the world, for in him even the subtle tendencies have ceased. When these tendencies are strong, there is bondage; when they have ceased, there is liberation. He is truly a liberated sage who by nature is not swayed by sense-pleasure, without the motivation of fame or other incentives. And I pray that the sage Vasistha should so instruct Rama that he will be confirmed in his wisdem and we, too, may be inspired. VASISTHA said: I shall surely accede to your request. And, O Rama, I shall now impart to you the wisdom which was revealed to me by the divine creator Brahma, himself. O Rama, countless have been the universes that have come into being and that have been dissolved. In fact, even the countless universes that exist at this moment are impossible to conceive of. All this can immediately be realised in one’s own heart. for these universes are the creations of the desires that arise in the heart, like castles built’ in the air. Neither the world of matter nor the modes of creation are truly real; yet the living and the dead think and feel they are real. Ignorance of this truth keeps up the appearance. 21u 22nd JANUARY 4s param paurusam @éritya dantair dantan rictrnayan éubhena ‘Subham udyukttarn prakttanam paurusarh jayet (5/9) VASISTHA continued: © Rama, even as water remains water whether there are waves or no waves, whatever be the external appearance of the liberated sage his wisdom remains unchanged. The difference is only in the cyes of the ignorant spectator. Therefore, O Rama, listen to what I am about to say; this instruction is sure to remove the darkness of ignorance. In this world whatever is gained is gained only by self-effort; where failure is encountered it is seen that there has been slackness in the effort. This is obvious, but what is called fate is fictitious, and is not seen. Self-effort, Rama, is that mental, verbal and physical action which is in accordance with the instructions of a holy person well versed in the scriptures. It is only by such effort that Indra became king of heaven, that Brahma became the creator, and the other deities earned their places. Self-effort is of two categories: that of past births and that of this birth. The latter effectively counteracts the former, Fate is none other than seli-effort of a past incarnation. There is constant conflict between these two in this incarnation; and that which is more powerful triumphs. Self-effort which is not in accord with the scriptures is motivated by delusion When there is obstruction in the fruition of self-effort one should examine it to see if there is such deluded action, and if there is it should be immediately corrected. There is no power greater than right action in the present. Hence, one should take recourse to self-effort, grinding one's teeth, and one should overcome evil by good and fate by present effort. The lazy man is worse than a donkey. One should never yield to laziness but strive to attain liberation, seeing that life is ebbing away every moment. One should not revel in the filth known as sense-pleasures as a worm revels in pus. One who says: “Fate is directing me to do this” is brainless, and the goddess of fortune abandons him. Hence, by self-effort acquire wisdom and then realise that this self-effort is not without its own end, in the direct realisation of the truth If this dreadful source of evil named laziness is not found on earth, who will ever be illiterate and poor? It is because laziness if found on earth that people live the life of animals, miserable and poverty-stricken VALMIKI:said: At this stage. it was time for evening prayers and the assembly broke up for the day. 2223rd JANUARY 67 Sastraih sadacara vijrabhita desadharmair yatkalpitarh phalam ativa cra praridhath tasmin brdi sphurati copanam eti cittam aigivali tad anu paurugam etad ahuh (6/40) VASISTHA began the second day's discourse: As is the effort so is the fruit, 0 Rama: this is the meaning of self-effort, and it is also known as fate (divine), When afflicted by suffering people cry ‘Alas what tragedy’ or “Alas, look at my fate’, both of which mean the same thing. What is called fate or divine will is nothing other than the action or self-effort of the past The present is infinitely more potent than the past, They indeed are fools who are satisfied with the fruits of their past effort (which they regard as divine will) and do not engage themselves in self-effort now. Sometimes it happens that without effort someone makes a great gain: for example, the state elephant chooses (in accordance with an ancient practice) a mendicant as the ruler of a country whose king suddenly died without leaving an heir; this is certainly neither an accident nor some kind of divine act, but the fruit of the mendicant’s self-effort in the past birth Sometimes it happens that a farmer's efforts are made fruitless by a hailstorm; surely, the hailstorm's own power was greater than the farmer's effort and the farmer should put forth greater effort now. He should not grieve over the inevitable loss. If such grief is justified, why should he not weep daily over the inevitability of death? The wise man should of course know what is capable of attainment by self-effort and what is not. It is ignorance however to attribute all this to an outside agency and to say that God sends me to heaven or to hell or that an outside agency makes me do this or that — such an ignorant person should be shunned. One should free oneself from likes and dislikes and engage oneself in righteous self-effort and reach the supreme truth, knowing that self-effort alone is another name for divine will. We only ridicule the fatalist. That alone is self-effort which springs from right understanding that manifests in one’s heart which has been exposed to the teachings of the scriptures and the conduct of holy ones. © Rama, one should, with a body free from illness and mind free from distress, pursue self-knowledge so that he is not born again here. Such self-effort has a three- fold root and therefore threefold fruit: an inner awakening in the intelligence, a decision in the mind and the physical action. 23ML 24th JANUARY 789 aSubhesu samavistarh Subhesv eva ‘vatdrayet prayatnac cittam ity esa sarva Sastra ‘rtha sarigrahah (7/12) VASISTHA continued: Self-cffort is based on these three: knowledge of scriptures, instructions of the preceptor and one’s own effort. Fate (dr divine dispensation) does not enter here. Hence, he who desires salvation should divert the impure mind to pure endeavour by persistent effort — this is the very essence of all scriptures. Rama, the tendencies brought forward from past incarnations are of two kinds — pure and impure. The pure ones lead you towards liberation, and the impure ones invite trouble. You are indeed consciousness itself, not inert physical matter. You are not impelled to action by anything other than yourself. Hence you are free to strengthen the pure latent tendencies in preference to the impure ones. The holy ones emphasise: persistently tread the path that leads to the eternal good. And the wise seeker knows: the fruit of my endeavours will be commensurate with the intensity of my sclf-effort and neither fate nor a god can ordain it otherwise. Indeed, such self-effort alone is responsible for whatever man gets here; when he is sunk in unhappiness, to console him people suggest that it is his fate. This is obvious: one goes abroad and one appeases one’s hunger, by undertaking a journey and by eating food — not on account of a fate. No one has seen such a fate or 2 god, but everyone has experienced how an action (good or evil) leads to a result (good or evil), Hence, right from one’s childhood one should endeavour to promote one’s true good (salvation) by a keen intelligent study of the scriptures, by having the company of the holy ones and by right self effort. Fate or divine dispensation ‘is merely a convention which has come to be regarded as truth by being repeatedly declared to be true. If this god or fate is truly the ordainer of everything in this world, of what meaning is any action (even like bathing, speaking or giving), and whom should one teach at all? No. In this world, except a corpse, everything is active and such activity yields its appropriate result. No one has ever realised the existence of a fate or divine dispensation. People use such expressions as ‘I am impelled by fate or divine dispensation to do this’ for self- satisfaction, but this is not true, For example, if an astrologer predicts that a young man would become a great scholar, does that young man become a scholar with- out study? No. Then, why do we believe in divine dispensation? Rama, this sage Visvamitra became a Brahma-Rsi by self-effort; all of us have attained self-know- ledge by self-effort alone. Hence, renounce fatalism and apply yourself to self- effort. Note: The word used in the text for fate is ‘daivarh’ which also means ‘god’. 24i 2Sth JANUARY 10 Imarh moksa kathari srutva saha sarvair vivekibhih pararn yasyasi nirduhkharh naéo yatra na vidyate (8) VASISTHA continued: The cosmic order that people refer to as fate, daivarh or niyati and which ensures that every effort is blessed with appropriate fruition, is based on omni- present and omnipotent omniscience (known as Brahman). By self-effort therefore restrain the senses and the mind, and with a mind that is one-pointed calmly listen to what | am going to say. This narrative deals with liberation; listening to it with other wise seekers who are assembled here, you will realise that supreme being where there is no sorrow nor destruction. This was revealed to me by the creator Brahma himself in a pre vious age. © Rama, the omnipresent omniscience (the cosmic being) shines eternally in all beings. When a vibration arises in that cosmic being, lord Visnu is born, even as a wave arises when the surface of the ocean is agitated. From that Visnu, Brahma the creator was born. Brahma began to create the countless varieties of animate and inanimate, sentient and insentient beings in the universe. And the universe was as it was before the cosmic dissolution. The Creator saw that all living beings in the universe were subject to disease and death, to pain and suffering. In his heart there arose compassion, and he sought to lay down a path that might lead living beings away from all this. He thereupon instituted centres of pilgrimage and noble virtues like austerity, charity, truthful- ness and righteous conduct. But these were inadequate; they could bestow only temporary relief from suffering, and not final liberation from sorrow. Reflecting thus, the Creator brought me into being. He drew me to himself and drew the veil of ignorance over my heart. Instantly I forgot my identity and my self-tiaturé. 1 was miserable. 1 begged of Brahma the creator, my own father, to show me the way out of this misery. Sunk in my misery I was unable and unwilling to do anything, and I remained lazy and inactive. In response to my prayer, my father revealed to me the true knowledge which instantly dispelled the veil of ignorance that he himself had spread over me. The Creator then said to me: “My son, I veiled the knowledge and revealed it to you so that you may experience its glory; for only then will you be able to understand the travail of ignorant beings and to help them." Rama, equipped with this knowledge, 1am here and I will continue to be here till the end of creation. 2sn 26th JANUARY al Samo vicdrah santogas caturthah sadhusafigamah (59) VASISTHA continued Even so, in every age the Creator wills into being several sages and myself for the spiritual enlightenment of all. And, in order to ensure the due performance of the secular duties by all. Brahma also creates kings who rule justly and wisely over parts of the earth These kings. however, are soon corrupted by lust for power and pleasure; conflict of interests leads to wars among them which in turn give rise to remorse. To remove their ignorance, the sages used to impart spiritual wisdom to them. In days of yore, O Rama, kings used to receive this wisdom and cherish it; hence it was known as Raja-Vidya (Kingly Science). The highest form of dispassion born of pure discrimination has arisen in your heart, O Rama, and it is superior to dispassion born of a circumstantial cause or an utter disgust. Such dispassion is surely due to the grace of God. This grace mects the maturity of discrimination at the exact moment when dispassion is generated inthe heart. As long as the highest wisdom does not dawn in the heart, the person revolves in this wheel of birth and death. Pray, listen to my exposition of this wisdom with a concentrated mind. This wisdom destroys the forest of ignorance. Roaming in this forest one undergoes confusion and seemingly interminable sutfering. One should therefore approach an enlightened teacher and by asking the right question with the right attitude, elicit the teaching. It then becomes an integral part of one’s being. The fool asks irrelevant questions irreverently; and the greater fool is he who spurns the sage’s wisdom. He is surely not a sage who responds to the vain questions of a foolish questioner. © Rama, you are indeed the best among all seekers, for you have duly reflec- ted over the truth and you are inspired by the best form of dispassion. And Iam sure that what Iam going to say to you will find a firm seat in your heart. Indeed, one should positively strive to enthrone wisdom in one’s heart, for the mind is unsteady like a monkey. And, one should then avoid unwise company. Rama, there are four gate-keepers at the entrance to the Realm of Freedom (Moksa). They are self-control, spirit of enquiry, contentment and good company. The wise seeker should diligently cultivate the friendship of these, or at least one of them. 26tf 27th JANUARY 12 13 prasanne cittatve hrdi samabhave valgati pare fama bhogi bhutasy akhila kalani purah samara yati svintahkarana ghatenisvadita rasar dhiya drste tattve ramanamatanarh jagatam Idath (12/21) VASISTHA continued: With a pure heart and a receptive mind, and without the veil of doubt and the restlessness of the mind, listen to the exposition of the nature and the means of liberation, © Rama. For, not until the supreme being is realised will the dreadful miseries of birth and death come to an end. If this deadly serpent known as igno- rant life is not overcome here and now, it gives rise to interminable suffering not only in this but in countless lifetimes to come. One cannot ignore this suffering, but one should overcome it by means of the wisdom that I shall impart to you. © Rama, if you thus overcome this sorrow of repetitive history (sathsira), you will live here on earth itself like a god, like Brahma or Viynu! For when delusion is gone and the truth is realised by means of enquiry into self-nature, when the mind Is at peace and the heart leaps to the supreme truth, when all the disturbing thought-waves in the mind-stuff have subsided and there is unbroken flow of peace and the heart Is filled with the bliss of the absolute, when thus the truth has been seen in the heart, then this very world becomes an abode of bliss. Such a person has nothing to acquire, nor anything to shun. He is untainted by the defects of life, untouched by its sorrow. He does not come into being nor go out, though he appears to come and go in the eyes of the beholder. Even religious duties are found to be unnecessary. He is not affected by the past tendencies which have lost their momentum: his mind has given up its restlessness, and he rests in the bliss that is his essential nature. Such bliss is possible only by self-knowledge, not by any other means. Hence, one should apply oneself constantly to self-know- ledge — this alone is one’s duty He who disregards holy scriptures and holy men does not attain self: knowledge. Such foolishness is more harmful than all the illnesses that one is sub- ject to in this world. Hence, one should devoutly listen to this scripture which leads one to self-knowledge. He who obtains this scripture does not again fall into the blind well of ignorance. O Rima, if you want to free yourself from the sorrow of saii- sira (repetitive history) receive the wholesome instructions of sages like me and be free. 27a 28th “JANUARY 13 sthito ‘pi na sthita iva na hrsyati na kupyati yah susuptasamah svasthah sa Santa iti kathyate (76) VASISTHA continued: In order to cross this formidable ocean of sarisira (repetitive history), one should resort to that which is eternal and unchanging. He alone is the best among men, O Rama, whose mind rests in the eternal and is, therefore, fully self-control- led and at peace. He sees that pleasure and pain chase and cancel each other, and in that wisdom there is self-control and peace. He who does not see this sleeps in a burning house. He who gains the wisdom of the eternal here is freed from samsara and he is not born again in ignorance. One may doubt that such unchanging truth may not exist! IF it does not, one comes to no harm by enquiring into the nature of life; seek- ing the eternal will soften the pain caused by the changes in life. But, if it exists, then by knowing it one is freed. ‘The eternal is not attained by rites and rituals, by pilgrimages nor by wealth; it is to be attained only by the conquest of one's mind, by the cultivation of wisdom. Hence everyone — gods, demons, demi-gods or men should constantly seck (whether one is walking, falling or sitting) the conquest of the mind and self-con- trol which are the fruits of wisdom. When the mind is at peace, pure, tranquil, free from delusion or hallucination, untangled and free from cravings, it does not long for anything nor does it reject anything. This is self-control or conquest of mind — one of the four gatekeepers to liberation which I mentioned earlier su that is good and auspicious flows from self-control. All evil is dispelled by self-control. No gain, no pleasure in this world or in heaven is comparable to the delight of self-control. The delight one experiences in the presence of the self-con- trolled is incomparable. Everyone spontaneously trusts him. None (not even demons and goblins) hates him. Self-control, O Rama, is the best remedy for all physical and mental ills. When there is self-control, even the food you eat tastes better, else it tastes bitter. He who wears the armour of self-control is not harmed by sorrow. He who even while hearing, touching, seeing, smelling and tasting what is regarded as pleasant and unpleasant, is neither elated nor depressed —he is self- controlled. He who looks upon all beings with equal vision, having brought under control the sensations of pleasure and pain, is sclf-controlled. He who, though liv- ing amongst all is unaffected by them, neither feels elated nor hates, is self-con- trolled, 281 29th JANUARY 14 Jffyate tattvarn tattvad visrantir atmant ato manasi ¢intatvarn sarva duhkha pariksayah (53) VASISTHA continued: Enquiry (the second gate-keeper to liberation) should be undertaken by an intelligence that has been purified by a close study of the scripture, and this enquiry should be unbroken. By such enquiry the intelligence becomes keen and is able to realise the supreme; hence enquiry alone is the best remedy for the long-lasting illness known as sarhsara. The wise man regards strength, intellect, efficiency and timely action as the fruits of enquiry. Indeed kingdom, prosperity and enjoyment, as well as final libe- ration, are all the fruits of enquiry. The spirit of enquiry protects one from the cala- mities that befall the unthinking fool. When the mind has been rendered dull by the absence of enquiry. even the cool rays of the moon turn into deadly weapons, and the childish imagination throws up a goblin in every dark spot. Hence, the non- enquiring fool is really a store-house of sorrow. It is the absence of enquiry that gives rise to actions that are harmful to oneself and to others, and to numerous psychosomatic illnesses. Therefore, one should avoid the company of such unthink ing people They in whom the spirit of enquiry is ever awake illumine the world, enlighten all who come in contact with them, dispel the ghosts created by an ignorant mind, and realise the falsity of sense-pleasures and their objects. O Rama, in the light of enquiry there is realisation of the eternal and unchanging reality; this is the supreme. With it one does not long for any other gain nor docs one spurn anything. He is free trom delusion, attachment; he is not inactive nor does he get drowned in action; he lives and functions in this world and at the end of a natural life-span he reaches the blissful state of total freedom. The cyc of spiritual enquiry does not lose its sight even in the midst of all activities; he who does not have this eye is indeed to be pitied. It is better to be born as a frog in the mud, a worm in dung, a snake in a hole, but not be one without this eye, What is enquiry? To enquire thus: ‘Who am I? How has this evil of sarh- sara (repetitive history) come into being?’ is true enquiry. Knowledge of truth arises from such enquiry; from such knowledge there follows tranquillity in oneself; and then arises the supreme peace that passeth understanding, and the ending of all sorrow. (Vicdra or enquiry is not reasoning nor analysis; it is directly looking into oneself.) 29a 30th JANUARY 1S 16 17 santosah paramo labhsh satsaigah parama gatih . vicarah paramam jfanarh Samo hi paramar sukhari (16/19) VASISTHA continued: Contentment is another gate-keeper to liberation. He who has quaffed the nectar of contentment does not relish craving for sense-pleasures; no delight in this world is as sweet at contentment which destroys all sins. What is contentment? To renounce all craving for what is not obtained un- sought and to be satisfied with what comes unsought, without being elated or depressed even by them — this is contentment. As long as one is not satisfied in the self, he will be subjected to sorrow. With the rise of contentment the purity of one’s heart blooms. The contented man who possesses nothing owns the world. Satsafiga (company of wise, holy and enlightened persons) is yet another gate- keeper to liberation. Satsaiga enlarges one’s intelligence, destroys one’s ignor- ance and one’s psychological distress. Whatever be the cost, however difficult it may be, whatever obstacles may stand in its way, satsahga should never be neglec- ted. For, satsanga alone is one’s light on the path of life. Satsaiga is indeed supe- rior to all other forms of religious practices like charity, austerity, pilgrimage and the performance of religious rites. One should by every means in one’s power adore and serve the holy men who have realised the truth and in whose heart the darkness of ignorance has been dis- pelled. They. on the other hand, who treat such holy men disrespectfully. surely invite great suffering. These four — contentment, satsahga (company of wise men), the spirit of enquiry, and self-control, are the four surest means by which they who are drown- ing in this ocean of sarisara (repetitive history) can be saved. Contentment is the supreme gain. Satsanga is the best companion to the destination, The spirit of enquiry itself is the greatest wisdom. And, self-control is supreme happiness. If you are unable to resort to all these four, then practise one: by diligent practice of one of these, the others will also be found in you. The highest wisdom wiil seck you of its own accord. Until you tame the wild elephant of your mind with the help of these noble qualities, you cannot have progress towards the supreme, even if you become a god, demi-god or a tree. Therefore, O Rama, strive by all means to cultivate these noble qualities. He who is endowed with the qualities that | have enumerated thus far is qualified to listen to what | am about to reveal. You are indeed such a quali- fied person, O Rama. 30I 31st JANUARY 18 19 20 yuktti_yukttam upadeyarh vacanari bilakid api anyat trnam iva tyajyam apy ukttam padmajanmani (18/3) VASISTHA continued: One who sows the seed of the knowledge of this scripture soon obtains the fruit of the realisation of truth. Though human in origin, an exposition of truth is to be accepted; otherwise even what is regarded as divine revelation is to be rejected. Even a young boy’s words are to be accepted if they are words of wisdom; else, reject it like straw even if uttered by Brahma the creator. He who listens to and reflects upon the exposition of this scripture enjoys unfathomable wisdom, firm conviction and unperturbable coolness of spirit. Soon he becomes a liberated sage whose glory is indescribable. One who studies this scripture and comprehends its teaching is no longer deluded by world-appearance. When one sces that the yonder deadly snake is a life-like painting, one is no longer afraid of it. When the world-appearance is seen as an appearance it does not produce either elation or sorrow. It is indeed a great pity that even when such a scripture exists. people seek sense-pleasures which lead to great sorrow. O Rama, when a truth that has not been personally experienced is expounded, one docs not grasp it except with the help of an illustration. Such illustrations have been used in this scripture with a definite purpose and a limited intention. They are not to be taken literally, nor is their significance to be stretched beyond the intention. When the scripture is thus studied, the world appears to be a dream- vision, These indeed are the purpose and the purport of the illustrations. Let no one of perverted intellect misinterpret the illustrations given in this scripture. Again, study of this scripture should continue till the truth is realised; one should not stop short of complete enlightenment. A little knowledge of the scrip- ture results in confusion worse confounded. Non-recognition of the existence of supreme peace in the heart and the assumption of the reality of imaginary factors, are both born of imperfect knowledge and the consequent perverted logic. Even as the ocean is the substratum of all the waves, direct experience alone is the basis for all proofs — the direct experience of truth as it is. That substratum is the experiencing intelligence which itself becomes the experiencer, the act of experiencing, and the experience. Even as movement is inherent in air, manifestation (as the subtle perceiving mind and as the gross objects it perceives) is inherent in this experiencing intel ligence. And the perceiving mind, on account of ignorance, thinks ‘] am such and such an object’ and thence becomes that. The object is experienced only in the sub- Ject, not elsewhere! 31MW Ist FEBRUARY 1 yatha rasah padarthesu yatha tallanh tladigu kusumesu yatha ‘'modas tatha drastari drsyadhih (43) VASISTHA continued: I shall now declare to you the creation and its secret. For, it is only as long as one invests the perceived object with reality that bondage lasts; once that notion goes. with it goes bondage. Here in this creation only that which is created grows, decays and then goes cither to heaven or to hell, and it gets liberated. During the cosmic dissolution the entire objective creation is resolved into the infinite being which is variously designated as Atma, Brahman, Truth, etc., by the wise. to facilitate communication and dialogue. This same infinite self conceives within itself the duality of oneself and the other. Thence, mind arises, as a wave arises when the surface of the calm ocean is disturbed. But, please bear in mind that just as a bracelet of gold is but gold (and though gold exists without being a bracelet, bracelet does not exist without gold or other metal), the qualities and the nature of the created and the potentiality of creation are inherent in the Creator. The mind is non-different from (has no existence independent of) the infinite self. Even as the mirage appears to be a very real river of water, this creation appears to be entirely real. And, as long as one clings to the notion of the reality of "you" and ‘I’, there is no liberation. Not by merely and verbally denying such a notion of existence is it obliterated; on the contrary, such denial itself becomes a further distraction. Rama, if the creation is in fact real then there is no possibility of its cessation: for it is an immutable law that the unreal has no real existence and the real does not cease to be: Austerity, meditation and such other practices can therefore not cause its cessation nor enlightenment. As long as the notion of creation lasts, even the contemplation (samadhi) in which there is no movement of thought (nirvikalpa) is not possible. Even if it were possible, the moment one returns from such contem- plation, the creation with its sorrow arises in the mind. Movement of thought creates the notion of created objects. Even as the essence exists in all things, as oil exists in sesame seeds, as aroma exists in flowers, the faculty of objective perception exists in the perceiver. Even as the dream-objects are experienced only by the dreamer, the objects of percep- tion are experienced by the perceiver. Just as from a seed the sprout arises in due time. this potentiality becomes-manifest as the notion of creation 32I 2nd FEBRUARY 23 ativahikam eva ‘ntar vismrtya drdharapaya adhibhautikabodhena mudha bhati pisacavat (3/22) VASISTHA continue! In the Creator there is neither a seer nor an object of perception. Yet, he is known as self-created. He shines in cosmic consciousness as a painting in the mind of an artist. In the Creator there is no memory of the past since he had no previous karma. He does not even have a physical body; the unborn is of spiritual substance. Mortal beings have two bodies, as it were, one physical and the other spiritual, but the unborn Creator has only the spiritual, since the cause that gives rise to the physical does not exist in him. He was not created, but he is the Creator of all beings. Surely, the created (like a bracelet) is of the same substance as that of which it was created (gold). The Creator's thought being the cause of this manifold creation and the Creator him- self having no physical body, the creation, too, is truly of the nature of thought, without materiality. A throbbing arose in the Creator whose thought had spread out as the universe. This throb brought into being the subtle body (made of intelligence) of all beings. Made only of thought, all these beings only appeared to be, though they felt that that appearence was real, However, this appearence, thus imagined to be real, produced realistic results or consequences, even as sexual enjoyment in a dream does. Similarly, even the Creator (the holy man of the story) though he has no body, appears to have a body. The Creator is also of a dual nature: consciousness and thought. Conscious- ness is pure, thought is subject to confusion. Hence, he appears to come into being (arise), though he does not so arise. He is the intelligence that supports the entire universe, and every thought that arises in that intelligence gives rise to a form Though all these forms are of the nature of pure intelligence, on account of self-for- getfulness of this, and of the thought of physical forms, they freeze into the physi- cal forms, even as goblins though formless are seen to have forms on account of the perceiver’s delusion. The Creator. however. is not subject to such delusion. Hence, he is always of 8 spiritual nature, not materialistic. The Creator is spiritual; and even so, his creation, oo, is in reality spiritual in essence. This creation is causeless. Hence, it is essent- ially spiritual even as the supreme being, Brahman is. The materiality of the creation is like the castle in the air, an illusory projection of one's own mind — imaginary The Creator is the mind: mind or pure intelligence is his body. Thought is in- herent in the mind. The object of perception is inherent in the perceiver. Who has ever discovered a distinction between the two? 3Ml 3rd FEBRUARY 4 na drsyam asti sadraparh na drasta na ca darsanai na sunyarh na jadam no cic chantam evedam atatarh (70) VALMIKI said: At this stage the sun sped towards the western hills as if eager to meditate upon the sage’s words and to illumine other parts of the earth. The assembly dispersed for prayers. The next morning all the members of the court reassembled as before. RAMA asked: O Holy sage! Pray, tell me what the mind really is. VASISTHA replied: Even as empty. inert nothingness is known as space, mind is empty nothing: ness, Whether the mind is real or unreal, it is that which is apprehended in objects of perception. Rama, thought is mind; there is no distinction between the two. The self that is clothed in the spiritual body is known as mind; it is that which brings the material or physical body into existence. Ignorance, satisara (rep-titive history), mind-stuff, bondage, impurity, darkness and inertia are all synonyms. Experience alone is the mind; it is none other than the perceived. This entire universe is forever non-different from the consciousness that dwells in every atom, even as an ornament is non-different from gold. Just as an ornament potentially exists in gold, the object exists in the subject. But when this notion of the object is firmly rejected and removed from the subject, then conscious- ness alone exists without even an apparent or potential objectivity. When this is realised, evils like attraction and repulsion, love and hate, cease in one's heart. as also the false notions of the world, you, I, ete. Even the tendency to objectify ceases; this is freedom. RAMA asked: Holy sir, if the object of perception is real, then it shall not cease to be. If it is unreal, then we do not see it as unreal; so how can we overcome this? VASISTHA said: Yet, O Rama, we sce that there are holy ones who have overcome this! External objects like space, etc. and psychological factors like ‘I’ etc. exist only in name. In reality neither the objective universe, nor the perceiving self, nor perception as such, nor void, nor inertness exists; only one is — cosmic consciousness (cit). In this it is the mind that conjures up the diversity, diverse actions and experiences, the notion of bondage and the desire for liberation. 34ih 4th FEBRUARY 56 yasmad visnvadayo devah siiryadiva maricayah yasmaj jaganty anantini budbuda jaladher iva (5/9) RAMA asked: © holy sage! What is the source of this mind and how did it arise? Kindly enlighten me on these. VASISTHA replied: After the cosmic dissolution and before the next epoch dawned, the entire objective universe was in a state of perfect equilibrium. There then existed the supreme Lord, the eternal, unborn, self-effulgent, who is the all and who is omni- potent. He is beyond conception and description: though he is known by various names like Atma etc., these are viewpoints and not the truth. He is, yet he is not realised by the world; he is within the body, too, yet he is far. From him emerge countless divinities like lord Vignu, even as countless rays emerge from the sun; from him emerge infinite worlds as ripples arise from the surface of the ocean. He is the cosmic intelligence into which countless objects of perception enter. He is the light in which the self and the world shine. He ordains the characteristic nature of every created thing. In him the worlds appear and disappear, even as a micage appears and disappears repeatedly. His form (the world) vanishes, but his self is unchanging. He dwells in all. He is hidden and he overflows. By his mere presence this apparently inert material world and its inhabitants are’ ever active. Because of his omnipresent omnipotent omniscience, his very thoughts materialise. This supreme self cannot be realised, O Rama, by means other than wisdom — not indeed by exerting oneself in religious practices. This self is neither far nor near; it is not inaccessible nor is it in distant places: it is what in oneself appears to be the experience of bliss, and is therefore realised in oneself. Austerity and penance, charity and the observances of religious vows do not lead to the realisation of the Lord; only the company of holy men and the study of true scriptures are helpful, as they dispel ignorance and delusion. Even when one is convinced that this self alone is real, one goes beyond sorrow, on the path of liberation Austerity or penance is self-inflicted pain. Of what value is charity performed with wealth earned by deceiving others — only they derive the fruits of such charity! Religious observances add to one’s vanity. There is only one remedy for ignorance of the Lord: the firm and decisive renunciation of craving for sensc- pleasure.WW Sth FEBRUARY 7 ¢rastr drsya kramo yatra sthito ‘py astamayangatah yad anakisam am tad riipam paramatmanah (21) RAMA asked: Where does this Lord dwell, and how can I reach him? VASISTHA replied: He who has been described as the Lord is not very far: He is the intelligence dwelling in the body. He is the universe, though the universe is not He. He is pure intelligence. RAMA remarked Even a little boy says that the Lord is intelligence; what need is there for special instruction concerning this? VASISTHA replied: Ah, one who knows that pure intelligence is the objective universe knows nothing. Sentient is the universe, and sentient is the soul (jiva). The sentient creates the knowable and gets involved in sorrow. When there is cessation of the knowable, and the flow of attention is towards that which is not knowable (pure intelligence), then there is fulfilment and one goes beyond sorrow. Without the cessation of the knowable, one’s attention cannot be finally turned away from the knowable. Mere awareness of the involvement of the jiva in this samsara is of no use. But, if the supreme Lord is'known, this sorrow comes to an end. RAMA asked: Holy sir, please describe the Lord. VASISTHA replied: The cosmic intelligence in which the universe, as it were, ceases to be, is the Lord. In him the subject-object relationship appears to have ceased, as such. He is the void in which the universe appears to exist, In him even cosmic consciousness stands still like @ mountain RAMA asked again: How can we realise the Lord, and realise the unreality of the universe that we have come to regard as real? VASISTHA answered: The Lord can be realised only if one is firmly established in the unreality of the universe even as the blueness of the sky is unreal. Dualism presupposes unity, and non-dualism suggests dualism. Only when the creation is known to be utterly non-existent the Lord is realised. 36bi oth FEBRUARY 89 yo jagarti susuptastho yasya jagran na vidyate yasya nirvasano bodhah sa jivanmukttah ucyate (9/7) RAMA asked: Holy sir, by what method is this known, and what should I know by which the knowable comes to an end? VASISTHA replied: The wrong notion that this world is real has become deep rooted on account of persistent wrong thinking. However, it can be removed that very day on which you resort to the company of holy men and to the study of the holy scripture. Of all scriptures this Maharamayanarh is best. What is found here is found elsewhere; what is not found here is not found anywhere clse. However, if one docs not wish to study this, one is welcome to study any other scripture — there is no objection to this. When the wrong notion is dispelled and the truth realised, that realisation so thoroughly saturates one, that one thinks of it, speaks of it, rejoices in it and teaches it to others. Such people are sometimes called Jivanmukta and also Videha- mukta, RAMA asked: Lord, what are the characteristics of Jivanmuktd (liberated while living) and Videhamukia (liberated ones who have no body)? VASISTHA replied: He who, while living an apparently normal life, experiences the whole world as an emptiness, is a Jivanmukta. He is awake but enjoys the calmness of deep sleep; he is unaffected in the least by pleasure and pain. He is awake in deep sleep; but he is never awake to this world. His wisdom is unclouded by latent tendencies. He appears to be subject to likes, dislikes and fear; but in fact he is as free as the space. He is free from egotism and volition; and his intelligence is unattached whether in action or in inaction. None is afraid of him; he is afraid of none. He becomes a Vidchamukta when, in due time, the body is dropped. The Videhamukta is, yet is not, is not ‘I’ nor the ‘other’. He is the sun that shines, Vignu that protects all, Rudra that destroys all, Brahma that creates; he is space, the earth, water and fire. He is in fact cosmic consciousness — that which is the very essence in all beings. All that which is in the past, present and future — all indeed is he and he alone. 37ul 7th FEBRUARY 9 drastr darsana dréyanam madhye yad darsanam sthitam sadho tad avadbanena svatmanam avabuddhyase (75) RAMA asked again: Lord, my perception is distorted: how can I attain to that state you have indi- cated? VASISTHA replied: What is known as liberation, 0 Rama, is indeed the absolute itself, which alone is. That which is perceived here as ‘I’, ‘you’ etc., only seems to be, for it has never been created. How can we say that that Brahman has become all these worlds? O Rama, in ornaments | see only gold, in waves I see only water, in air I see only movement, in space I sce only emptiness, in mirage I see only heat, and naught else; similarly, I see only Brahman the absolute, not the worlds. The perception of ‘the worlds’ is beginningless ignorance. Yet it will vanish with the help of enquiry into truth. Only that ceases to be which has come into being. This world has never really come into being, yet it appears to be — the exposition of this truth is contained in this chapter on creation. When the previous cosmic dissolution took place, all that appeared to be before disappeared. Then the infinite alone remained; it was neither emptiness nor a form, neither sight nor the seen, and one could not say that it was, nor that it was not. It has no ears, no eyes, no tongue, and yet it hears, sees and eats. It is uncaused and uncreated; and it is the cause of everything as water is the cause of waves. This infinite and eternal light is the heart of all; and in its light the three worlds shine, ay a mirage. When the infinite vibrates, the worlds appear to emerge; when it does not vibrate, the worids appear to submerge: even as when a firebrand is whirled fast a fiery circle appears, and when it is held steady, the circle vanishes. Vibrating or not vibrating, it is the same everywhere at all times. Not realising it, one is sub- ject to delusion; when it is realised all cravings and anxieties vanish. From it is time; from it is perception of the perceivable object. Action, form, taste, smell, sound, touch and thinking — all that you know is it alone; and it is that by which you know all this! It is in the seer, sight and seen as the very seeing; when you know it, you realise your self. 38Hl 8th FEBRUARY 10 pamat pinam prasarati sarhsthitarn piinam eva tat ato visvam anutpannarh yac cotpannarh tad eva tat (29) RAMA said: Holy sir, how can it be said to be not empty, not to be illuminated and not dark? By such contradictory expressions you confuse me! VASISTHA replied: Rama, you are asking immature questions. Yet, I shall clucidate the correct meaning, Even as the uncarved image is forever present in a block, the world whether you regard it as real or unreal is inherent in the absolute, which is therefore not void. Just as one cannot say that there are no waves present in a calm ocean, the absolute is not empty of the world. Of course, these illustrations have limited application and should not be exceeded In truth, however, this world does not arise from the absolute nor does it merge in it. The absolute alone exists now and for ever. When one thinks of it as a void, it is because of the feeling one has that it is not void; when one thinks of jt as not- void, it is because there is a feeling that it is void. The absolute is immaterial and so material sources of light like the sun, do not illumine it. But it is sclf-luminous, and therefore it is not inert or dark. This absolute cannot be realised or experienced by another; only the absolute can realise itself. The infinite (space of) consciousness is even purer than infinite space; and the world is even as that infinite is. But, one who has not tasted capsicum does not know its taste: even so, one does not experience consciousness in the infinite in the absence of objectivity. Hence, even this consciousness appears to be inert or insent- ient, and the world is experienced as such too. Even as in tangible ocean tangible waves are seen, in the formless Brahman the world also exists without form. From the infinite the Infinite emerges and exists in It as the infinite; hence the world bas never really been created — it is the same as that from which it emerges. When the notion of self is destroyed by the withdrawal of the fuel of ideas from the mind, that which is, is the infinite. That which is not sleep nor inert, is the in- finite. It is on account of the infinite that knowledge, knower and known exist as one, in the absence of the intellect 39il 9th FEBRUARY iB adav eva hi yan na ‘sti karanasarnbhavat svayarh vartamane ‘pi tan na ‘sti nasah syat tatra kidrsah (13) RAMA said: Lord, during the cosmic dissolution, this world which is clearly seen now — where does it go? VASISTHA said From where does the son of a barren woman come, and where does he go? A barren woman's son has no existence, ever. Even so, this world as such has no exis- tence, ever. This analogy baffles you only because you have taken the existence of the world for granted. Consider this: Is there a bracelet-ness in the golden bracelet, is it not just gold? Is there a thing called sky independent of the emptiness? Even so, there is no thing’ called the world independent of Brahman the absolute. Just as coldness is inseparable from ice, what is called the world is inseparable from Brahman. Water in the mirage does not come into being and go out of existence; even so this world does not come out of the absolute nor does it go anywhere. The creation of the world has no cause, and therefore it has had no beginning. It does not exist even now; how can it reach destruction? If you concede that the world has not been created out of Brahman but assert that it is an appearance based on the reality of Brahman, then indeed it does not exist and Brahman alone exists. It is like a dream: in a state of ignorance the intelli- gence within oneself appears as numerous dream-objects, all of which are nothing other than that intelligence. Even so, in what is known as the beginning of creation, such an appearance happened; but it is not independent of Brahman, it does not exist apart from Brahman, hence it does not exist. RAMA said: Holy sir, if that is so, how is it that this world has acquired such a sense of reality? As long as the perceiver is, the perceived exists, and vice versa, and only when both these come to an end is there liberation. If there is a clean mirror, it reflects something or other all the time: even so in the seer this creation will again and again arise. However, if the non-existence of creation is realised then the seer ceases to be. But, such 2 realisation is hard to get! VASISTHA said: Rama, I shall presently dispel your doubts with the help of a parable. You will then realise the non-existence of creation and. lead an enlightened life in this world. 40m 10th FEBRUARY 12 13 jagatah paficakarh bijarh paficakasya cld avyaya yad bijarn tat phalarh viddhi tasmid brahmamayarn jagat (13/9) VASISTHA said: © Rama, I shall narrate to you how this creation appears to have emerged from the one pure undivided cosmic being. even as dreams appear in the consciousness of the sleeping person. This universe is in fact the eternal effulgent infinite consciousness which generates within itself the knowable (which would be known as that which is to be): with an idea concerning its form (which is space), and with an enquiry concerning itself. Thus is space brought into being. When, after a considerable time the con- sciousness of creation becomes strong in the infinite being, the future jiva (living cosmic soul — also known as Hiranyagarbha) arises within it: and the infinite abandons, as it were, its supreme state, to limit itself as the jiva. However, even then Brahman remains the infinite, and there is no real transformation into any of these. In space, the faculty of sound manifests itself. Then comes into being egotism which is vital to further creation of the universe, and, at the same time, the factor known as time. All this happens merely by the creative-thought inherent in the cosmic being, not as real transformations of the infinite. By the similar exercise of the creative-thought, air is created. Consciousness which is surrounded by all these is called the jiva which gives rise to all the differ- ent elements in this world. There are fourteen planes of existence, each with its own type of inhabitants. And all these are the manifestations of the creative-thought of consciousness. Even so, when this consciousness thought: ‘I am light’, sources of light like the sun, etc., were instantly created. Similarly water and earth were created. All these fundamental elements continued to act upon one another — as experi- encer and experience — and the entire creation comes into being like ripples on the surface of the ocean. And, they are interwoven and mixed up so effectively that they cannot be extricated from one another till the cosmic dissolution. These material appearances are ever changing and the reality exists unchanged; since these are all linked with consciousness, they instantly become gross physical sub- stance, though all these are the infinite consciousness alone, which has undergone no change whatsoever. ‘The five elements are the seed of which the world is the tree; and the eternal consciousness is the seed for the elements. As is the seed, so is the fruit (tree). Therefore, the world is nothing but Brahman the absolute. 4lWl 1th FEBRUARY 13:14 mi satyasamkasam brahma "ste jivasabdavat ittham sa jivasabdarthah kalanakulatam gatah (13/33) VASISTHA continued: Rama, | shall now tell you how the jiva (living soul) came to dwell in this body. The jiva thought “I am atomic in nature and stature” and so it became atomic in nature. Yet, it only apparently became so, on account of its imagination which was false. Even as one may dream that he is dead and that he has another body. this jiva which in truth had an extremely subtle body of pure consciousness, now begins to identify itself with grossness and so becomes gross. Even as a mountain is reflected in a mirror and is seen as if it were in the mirror, the jiva reflects the external objects and activities, and soon begins to think that they are all within it- self and that he is the doer of the actions and the experiencer of expetiences. When the jiva wishes to see, eyes are formed in the gross body. Even so the skin (tactile sense), ears, tongue, nose and the organs of action are formed as a result of the appropriate desire arising in the jiva. Thus in the body abides the jiva. which has the extremely subtle body of consciousness, imagining various external physical experiences and various internal psychological experiences. Thus resting in the unreal which however appears to be real, Brahman, now appearing to be jiva, becomes confused. This same Brahman which has come to regard itself as a finite jiva and en- dowed with a physical body, apprehends the external world which on account of the veil of ignorance appears to be composed of matter. Someone thinks he is Brahma, someone else thinks he is something else — in this manner the jiva imagines it is this or that, and so binds itself to the illusion of world-appearance. Rima, there is neither one jiva nor many nor a conglomerate of jiva. Jiva is only a name! What exists is only Brahman. Because he is omnipotent, his thought forms materialise. One alone appears as diverse on account of ignorance; we do not experience this ignorance which disappears on enquiry even as darkness vanishes when light is brought in to look at it. Brahman alone is the cosmic (Mahajiva) soul and the millions of jiva. There is naught else But all this is mere imagination or thought. Even now nothing has ever been created; the pure infinite space alone exists. Brahma the creator could not create the world as it was before the cosmic dissolution, for Brahma attained final liberation then. Cosmic consciousness alone exists now and ever; in it are no worlds, no created beings. That consciousness reflected in itself appears to be creation Even as an unreal nightmare produces real results, this world seems to give rise to a sense of reality in a state of ignorance. When truc wisdom arises, this unreality vanishes. 2ul 12th FEBRUARY 14 cetya samvedanat jivo bhavatyayati samsrtirn tad asarhvedandd rdparh samayati samarh punah (36) VASISTHA continued: By the apprehension of the percelved or the knowable, consclousness becomes jiva (the living soul) and is apparently involved in repetitive history (sarisira). When the false notion of a knowable apart from the knower (consciousness) ceases, It regains its equilibrium. The mysterious power of consciousness which in an inexplicable and miracu- lous way produces this infinite diversity of names and forms (body) is known as egotism, When egotism has come into being, that egotism (which is non-different from consciousness) entertains notions of the various elements that constitute this universe, and they arise. In unity diversity arises. Rama, give up all these false notions of ‘I’ and ‘you’, by renouncing even the notions of a jiva and its own cause. When all these have gone, you will realise the truth which is in the middle between the real and the unreal. This consciousness is not knowable: when it wishes to become the knowable it is known as the universe. Mind, intellect, egotism, the five great elements, and the world — all these innumerable names and forms are all consciousness alone. A man and his life and works are indistinguishable, the static and the kinetic mani- festations of the same factor. Jiva and the mind etc. are all vibrations in conscious- ness. This is the truth. People like to argue and confuse others; they are indeed confused. But, O Rama, we are beyond confusion. Changes in the unchanging are imagined by ignorant and deluded people; but in the vision of sages who have self-knowledge no change whatsoever has taken place in consciousness. When the notion of an external knowable has been removed, self-knowledge arises; and when in it there is the notion of inertia or ignorance, the state of deep sleep has come to it. Hence, since consciousness alone exists at all times, it may be said that space exists and does not exist, the world exists and does not exist. Even as heat is to fire, whiteness is to a conch-shell, firmness is to a mountain, liquidity is to water, butter is to milk, coolness is to ice, brightness is to illumination, oil is to mustard seed, flow is to a river, sweetness is to honey, ornament is to gold, aroma is to a flower — the universe is to consciousness. The world exists because consciousness is: and the world is the body of consciousness. There is no division, no difference, no distinction. Hence the universe can be said to be both real and unreal; real because of the reality of consciousness which is its own reality, and unreal because the universe does not exist as universe, independent of con- sciousness. But, because of the unreality of the universe, etc., it cannot be said that its own cause, namely, the consciousness, is also unreal: such a statement would only be a set of words with no meaning — for it runs counter to our experience, and the existence of consciousness cannot be denied. (At this stage, the third evening set in: and the assembly dispersed.) 43MI 13th FEBRUARY 15 varjayitva ‘javijifanar jagac chabdartha bhajanari jagad brahma sva Sabdanamarthe na 'styeva bhinnata (10) VASISTHA continued: O Rama, even as from the waking state experience, there is no materiality in the objects scen in a dream (though while dreaming the objects appear to be solid) this world appears to be material yet in reality it is pure consciousness. There is not even a temporary or subtle river in the mirage: even so there is in mo sense a real world, but only pure consciousness. Only knowledge based on ignorance clings to the notion of a world; in reality, there is no difference in the meaning of the words ‘world’, ‘Brahman or the infinite’ and ‘self’. The world is as true in relation to Brahman as the dream-city is true in relation to the experience of the waking con- sciousness. Hence, ‘world’ and ‘cosmic consciousness’ are synonyms. To make all this crystal clear, © Rama, | shall now narrate to you the story of Mandapa: pray, listen attentively. Once upon a time, O Rama, there was a king on earth called Padma. He was perfect in every respect; and by his own nature and conduct he enhanced the glory of his dynasty. He honoured religious traditions even as the ocean respects the authority of the shore. He subdued his enemies even as the sun routs darkness. Even as fire reduces hay to ashes, he destroyed evil in society. Holy men resorted to him even as gods resort to heaven. He was the abode of virtue. He made his enemies tremble on the battlefield even as a gale ruffles a creeper. He was highly learned and a master of arts. To him there was nothing impossible of achievement, even as to lord Narayana there was no impossibility. This king had a wife by name Lila, She was highly accomplished as a woman was very beautiful. It appeared as if she was goddess Lakshmi (consort of Narayana) incarnate on earth. She was soft-spoken, her gait was slow and grace- ful and her smile radiated the cool delight of moonlight. She was fair. She was sweet as honey. Her arms were soft and delicate. Her body was as pure and clear as the waters of the holy river Gafiga; and even as a touch of the waters of the Gaiga gives rise to bliss, to touch her was to experience bliss. She was highly devoted to her husband Padma and knew how to serve him and to please him She was one with the king, and shared his joy and sorrow. She was in fact the alter ego of Padma — except that when the king became angry, she merely reflected fear. 44m 14th FEBRUARY 16 17 cittakiéar cidakasain akasarh ca trtiyakat dvabhyarn sinyataram viddhi cidakasarh variinane (17/10) VASISTHA continued: King Padma and queen Lila lived an ideal life. They enjoyed their life in every possible and rightcous way. They were young and youthful like the gods, and their love for each other was pure and intense, without any hypocrisy or artificiality. One day, the queen Lila thought: “The most handsome king who is my husband dearer to me than even my own life. What should I do in order that he and | may live forever enjoying the pleasures of life? I shall immediately undertake such austeri- tics as the holy ones would suggest in order that | may fulfil my ambition.” She sought the counsel of the holy ones, who said to her: “0 queen, austerities or penance, repetition of mantra and a disciplined life will surely bestow upon you all that it is possible for one to attain in this world; but physical immortality is not possible of attainment in this world!” Lili began to propitiate the goddess Sarasvati immediately, without even dis- cussing this project with her husband. The goddess Sarasvati appeared before her and granted her the boons of her choice. Lili prayed: "O Divine Mother, grant me two boons: (I) when my husband departs from his body, let his jiva remain in the palace, and (2) whenever I pray to you, let me see you.” Sarasvati granted these two boons and disappeared. Time inexorably passed. King Padma, who was mor- tally wounded on the battlefield, died in the palace. Queen Lila was inconsolable with grief. When she was thus sunk in grief the ethereal voice of Sarasvati said: "My child, cover the king's dead body with flowers; then it will not decay. He will not leave the palace. (Lild asked her: “Pray, tell me where my husband is”.) “0 Lila, there are three types of space — the psychological space, the physical space and the infinite space of consciousness. Of these the most subtle is the infinite space of consciousness. By intense meditation on this infinite space of consciousness you can see and experience the presence of one (like your husband) whose body is that infinite space, even though you do not sce him here. That is the infinite space which exists in the middle when the finite intelligence travels from one place to another; for it is infinite. If you give up all thoughts you will here and now attain to the realisation of oneness with all. Normally only he who has realised the utter non- existence of the universe can experience this; but you will do so by my grace.” VASISTHA continued: Lilé began (o meditate. Immediately she entered the highest state of conscious- ness free from all distractions (nirvikelpa). She was in the infinite space of conscious- ness. There she saw the king once again, on a throne, surrounded by many kings who adored him — but they did not see her. She wondered: are they all dead, too! Again, by the grace of goddess Sarasvati, she came back to her palace, and saw her attendants asleep. She woke them and asked them to request the members of the royal court to assemble at once. 45ml 15th FEBRUARY 1B 19 Gdarse ntarbahiscaiva yatha éailo ‘nubhijyate bahirantas cid idarse tatha sargo ‘nubhuyate (18/5) VASISTHA continued: Seeing all the members of the royal court, Lila was puzzled: she thought. "This is strange, for these people seem to exist in two places at the same time — in that region which I saw in my meditation and here in front of me. Just as a mountain is seen both inside the mirror and outside it, this creation is seen both within conscious- ness and outside it. But, which of these is real and which the reflection? I must find out from Sarasvati.” She adored Sarasvati and saw her seated in front of her. LILA asked: Be gracious, O Goddess, and tell me this. That on which this world is reflected is extremely pure and undivided, and it is not the object of knowledge This world exists both within it as its reflection and outside as solid matter: which is real and which the reflection? SARASVATI asked: Tell me first: what do you consider real and what unreal? LILA answered: That | am here and you are in front of me — this I consider real. That region in which my husband is now — that | consider unreal. SARASVATI said: How can the unreal be the effect of the real? The effect is the cause, there is no essential difference. Even in the case of a pot which is able to hold water whereas its cause (clay) cannot, this difference is due to the co- operative causes. What was the material cause of your husband's birth? For only material effects are produced by riaterial causes. Hence when you find no immediate cause for an effect, then surely the cause cxisted in the past — memory. Memory is like space, empty. All creation here is the effect of that emptiness — and hence the creation is empty, too. Even as the birth of your husband is an illusory product of memory, I see all this as the illusory and unreal effect of imagination. I shall narrate to you a story which illustrates the dream-like nature of this creation, In pure consciousness, in a corner of the mind of the Creator, there was a dilapidated shrine covered with a blue dome. It had the fourteen worlds for rooms. The three divisions of space were holes in it. The sun was the light. In it there were little ant hills (the cities), little piles of earth (mountains) and little pools of water (the oceans). This is creation, the universe. In a very small corner of it there lived a holy man with his wife and children. He was healthy and free from fear. He per- formed his religious and social duties well. That holy man was known as Vasistha and his wife was Arundhatl. One day he saw a colourful procession with a king riding a stately elephant. followed by an army and other royal paraphernalia. Looking at this a wish arose in his heart: “When will ride a royal elephant like that and be followed by an army like this?” 46I 1oth FEBRUARY 19-21 yathaitat pratibhamatram jagat sargavabhisanam tathaitat pratibhamitrarh ksanakalpavabhisanam (20/29) SARASVATI continued: Some time after this the holy man grew old and then death overtook him. His wife, who was highly devoted to him, prayed to me and asked for the same boon that you had asked for: that her husband's spirit should not leave her house. I grant- ed her that boon. Though that holy man was an ethereal being, on account of the power of his constant wish during the previous life-span he became a mighty king and tuled over a great empire which resembled heaven on earth. Arundhati had also given up her body and attained reunion with her husband. It is eight days since this happened Lila, it is the same holy man who is now your husband, the king; and you are the same Arundhati who was his wife. On account of ignorance and delusion it seems. that all this takes place in the infinite consciousness, though in reality nothing hap- pens. I do not utter falsehood, but am telling the truth. It sounds incredible but this kingdom appears to be only in the hut of the holy man on account of his desire for a kingdom. The memory of the past is hidden, and you two have risen again. Death is but waking from a dream. Birth which arises from a wish is no more real than the wish, like waves in a mirage! Even after the ‘creation’ of all this in the holy man’s house, it remained as it was before. Indeed, in every atom there are worlds within worlds. LILA asked: Goddess, you said that it was only eight days ago that the holy man had died; and yet my husband and I have lived for a long time. How can you reconcile this discrepancy? SARASVATI said: Lila, just as space does not have a fixed span, time does not have a fixed span either. Just as the world and its creation are mere appearances, a moment and an epoch are also imaginary, not real. In the twinkling of an eye the jiva undergoes the illusion of the death-experience, forgets what happened before that, and in the infinite consciousness thinks ‘Tam this’ ete., and ‘Tam his son, 1am s0 many years old’. ete, Even as in a dream there is birth, death and relationship all in a very short time, ind even as a lover feels that a single night without his heloved is an epoch, the jiva thinks of experienced and non-experienced objects in the twinkling of an eye. And, immediately thereafter, he imagines those things (the world) to be real. Even those things, which he had not experienced nor seen, present themselves before him as in adream. This world and this creation is nothing but memory, dream: distance and measures of time (like a moment and an age) are all hallucinations. This is one kind of knowledge — memory. There is another which is not based on memory of past experiences. This is the fortuitous meeting of atoms in consciousness which are then able to produce their own effects. 47Ut 17th FEBRUARY 21 mahacidripam eva tvarh smaranamh viddhi vedanash karyakaranata tena sa gabdo na ca vastavah (23) SARASVATI continued: Liberation is the realisation of the total non-existence of the universe as such. This is different from a mere denial of the existence of the ego and the universe! The latter is only half-knowledge. Liberation is to realise that all this is pure con- sciousness. Indeed, the prior hallucination of the creation of the holy man and his wife was due to the thought-form of Brahma, the creator. He himself had no hidden thought- forms (memory), for before creation there was dissolution and at that time the Creator had aitained liberation. At the beginning of this epoch, someone assumes the role of creator and thinks "Iam the new Creator” — this is pure coincidence, even as one sees a crow alighting on a palm tree and the cocoanut falling, though these two are independent of each other. Of course. do not forget that even though all this seems to happen, there is no creation! The one infinite consciousness alone is thought-form or experience: there is no cause and effect relationship. These (‘cause’ and ‘effect’) are only words, not facts. The infinite consciousness is forever in infinite consciousness. LILA said: O Goddess, your words are truly enlightening. However, since I have never been exposed to them before. the wisdom is not well grounded. I wish to see the original house of the holy Vasistha. SARASVATI said: O Lila, give up this form of yours and attain the pure spiritual insight. For only Brahman can really see or realise Brahman. My body is made of pure light, pure consciousness. Your body is not. With this body of yours you cannot even visit the places of your own imagination, then how can you enter the field of another's imagi- nation? But if you attain the body of light. you will immediately see the holy man's housc. Affirm to yourself, "I shall leave my body here and take a body of light. With that body, like the scent of incense I shall go to the house of the holy man.” Even as water mixes with water, you will become one with the field of consciousness. By the persistent practice of such meditation, even your body will become one of pure consciousness and subtle. For, I see even my body as consciousness, You do not, for you see the world of matter. Such ignorance arises of its own accord, but is dispelled by wisdom and enquiry. In fact such ignorance does not even exist! There is neither unwisdom, nor ignorance; neither bondage, nor liberation. There is but one pure consciousness 48ul 18h FEBRUARY 22.28 faccintanam tatkathanam anyonyarn tat prabodhanam etad eka paratvam ca tad abhydsarm vidur budhah (22/24) SARASVATI said: Dear Lila, in dream, the dream-body appears to be real; but when there is an awakening to the fact of dream, the reality of that body vanishes. Even so, the physical body which is sustained by memory and latent tendencies is seen to be unreal when they are seen to be unreal. At the end of the dream. you become aware of the physical body; at the end of these tendencies, you become aware of the etheral body, When the dream ends, deep sleep ensues; when the seeds of thought perish, you are liberated. In liberation the seeds of thought do not exist: if the liberated sage appears to live and to think, he only appears to do so, like a burnt cloth lying on the floor. This is, however, not like deep sleep or unconsciousness, in both of which the seeds of thought lie hidden. By persistent practice (abhyasa) egotism is quietened. Then you will naturally rest in your consciousness; and the perceived universe heads towards the vanish- ing point. What is called practice? Thinking of that alone, speaking of that, conversing of that with one another, utter dedication to that one alone — this is called abhyasa or practice by the wise. When one’s intellect is filled with beauty and bliss, when one’s vision is broad, when passion for sensual enjoyment is absent in one — that is practice. When one is firmly established in the conviction that this universe has never even been created, and therefore it does not exist as such, and when thoughts like ‘This is world, this 1 am do not arise at all in one — this is abhyasa or practice. It is then that attraction and repulsion do not arise: the overcoming of attraction and repulsion by the use of willforce is austerity, not wisdom. (At this stage, evening set in; and the court dispersed. Earl) next morning the court assembled, and Vasistha continued his discourse.) VASISTHA continued: O Rama, Sarasvati and queen Lila immediately sat in decp meditation or nirvi- kalpa samadhi. They had risen above body-consciousness. Because they had given up all notions of the world, it had completely vanished in their consciousness. They roamed freely in their wisdom-bodies. Though it seemed that they had travelled millions of miles in space, they were still in the same ‘room’ but on another plane of consciousness. They saw all that was already in the mind of Sarasvati and which Sarasvati wanted to show to queen Lila. Having seen the oceans, mountains, the protectors of the universe, the king- dom of the gods, the sky and the very bowels of the earth, Lili saw her own house. 49mL 19th FEBRUARY 26 27 paramanau paramanau sargavarga nirargalarh mahaciteh sphuranty arkaruciva trasarenavah (27/29) VASISTHA continued: © Rama, the two ladies then entered into the holy man’s house. The whole family was in mourning, On account of their grief the house itself had a depressing atmosphere. By the practice of the yoga of pure wisdom Lila had acquired that faculty by which her thoughts instantly materialised. She wished, “These, my relat- ions, should sec me and Sarasvati as if we were ordinary womenfolk.” They appeared so to the mourning family. But the two ladies were of supernatural radiance which dispelled the gloom that pervaded the house. They asked the eldest son of the departed holy couple: “Tell us the cause of the sorrow which seems to afflict all these people here.” The son of the holy couple replied: "O ladies, in this very house there lived a pious man and his devoted wife, who were both devoted to a righteous life. Recently, they abandoned their children and grandchildren, their house and their cattle, and ascended to heaven. Therefore, to us the whole world appears to be empty.” Hear- ing this, Lild laid her hand on the young man’s head: instantly he was relieved of his sorrow. LILA asked Sarasvati: How was it that we were seen by this family of mine here, and we were not seen by my husband who was ruling a kingdom when we visited him? SARASVATI answered: Then you were still clinging to your notion ‘I am Lila; now you have overcome that body-consciousness, Till the consciousness of duality is completely dispelled, you cannot act in the infinite consciousness; you cannot even understand it, even as one standing in the sun does not know the coolness of the shade of a tree. But now if you go to your husband you will be able to deal with him as before. Lila, you and your husband have been through many incarnations, three of which you now know. In this incarnation the king has slipped deep into the snare of worldliness a thinks “I am the lord. | am strong, | am happy, etc.” Though from the s standpoint the whole universe is experienced here, from the physical point of view millions of miles separate the planes. In the infinite consciousness, in every atom of It, universes come and go like particles of dust in a beam of sunlight that shines through a hole in the roof. These come and go like ripples on the ocean. LILA reminisced: O Divinity! Since emerging as a reflection in the infinite con- sciousness I have had 800 births. Today I see this. I have been a nymph, a vicious human woman, a serpent, a forest tribal woman, and on account of evil deeds I be- came a creeper, and by the proximity of sages | became a sage’s daughter; I became a king, and on account of evil deeds done then I became a mosquito, a bee, a deer, a bird, a fish; and again | became a celestial, after which I became a tortoise, and a swan, and I became a mosquito again. I have also been a celestial nymph when other celestials (males) used to fall at my feet. Just as the scales of balance seesaw con- stantly, [have also been caught up in the seesaw of this repetitive existence (samsara). sOul 20th FEBRUARY 28-30 ihaivi “hgustamitriinte tad vyomny eva padarh sthitarh mad bhartr rajya samavagatam yojanakotibhik (29/36) RAMA asked: Holy sir, how was it possible for the two ladies to travel to distant galaxies in the universe, and how did they overcome the numerous barriers on the way? VASISTHA replied: O Rama, where is universe, where are galaxics, where are barriers? The two ladies remained in the queen's inner apartment. It was there that the holy man Vasistha was ruling as king Vidiiratha; it was he who was king Padma before. All this happened in pure space: there is no universe, no distance, no barriers. Conversing with cach other, the two ladies emerged from the room and pro- ceeded towards a village on top of a mountain. On account of the intensity of her practice of the yoga of wisdom, Lila had acquired full knowledge of the past. present and future. She recollected the past and said to Sarasvati: “O Divinity, some time ago my husband and J lived an ordinary unenlightened life. We did not practise self-inquiry.” After saying this, Lili showed to Sarasvati her previous dwelling, and continued: "See, this is my favourite calf. On account of my separation, it has been constantly weeping for the past eight days. In this place, my husband ruled the world. Because he was determined to be a great king soon, he had indeed become an emperor within the short span of eight days, though it looked like a long, long time. In this house my husband lives, unseen. Here, in the space of the size of a thumb, we imagined the kingdom of my husband to be a million square miles. O Divinity, surely both my husband and | are of pure consciousness; yet, on account of the mysterious illusory power, Maya, my husband's kingdom appears to encompass hundreds of mountains. This is truly marvellous. I wish to enter into the capital city where my husband rules. Come let us go there: for what is impossible of achievement to the industrious?” Sarasvati and Lild rose into space and saw the whole creation; and beyond that was pure consciousness. Because of the essential nature of this infinite consciousness, universes, jiva and forms keep arising and again arising, and by their own thought- force, return to a state of tranquillity; all this is like the spontaneous play of a child. Of those countless universes, © Rima, in some there are only plants; some have Brahma, Visnu, Rudra and others as the presiding deities, and some have none at all some there are only animals and birds; in some there is only an ocean; some are solid rocks, some are inhabited only by worms; some are pervaded by dense darkness; in some angels dwell; some are forever illumined. Some seem to be heading towards dissolution; some seem to be falling in space towards destruction. Since conscious- ness exists everywhere for ever, creation of these universes and their dissolution also goes on everywhere for ever. All these are held together by a mysterious omni- present power. Rama, everything exists in the one infinite consciousness; every- thing arises from it; it alone is everything. Simh 2ist FEBRUARY 31-40 yatha samivit tatha cittam sa tatha ’vasthitin” gata paramena prayainena niyate ‘nyadasarh punah (40/13) VASISTHA continued: Having seen all this, Lila saw the inner apartment of the palace where the corpse of the king lay buried under a heap of flowers. There arose in her an intense wish to behold her husband's other life. Instantly, she broke through the summit of the universe and entered into the realm where her husband now ruled. At the same time, a mighty king who ruled over the Sindhu region was laying siege to her husband's kingdom. As the two ladies were coursing the space above the battlefield they encountered countless celestials who had assembled there to witness the battle and the exploits of the great heroes. © Rama, still standing in the sky, Lila saw the two great armics closing in on each other, ready to engage themselves in battle. As evening set in, Lila's husband held council with his ministers concerning the events of the morning; and then he went to sleep. The two ladies left the place where they stood watching the fierce battle, and travelling like a breath of air, entered unobstructed into the closed apartment where the king was asleep. O Rama, it is impossible for one who is rooted in the idea that he is a physical body to pass through a subtle hole. It is the innermost conviction ‘I am the body which is obstructed thus in its movement’ that in fact manifests as such obstruction: when the former is absent, the latter is absent, too. For the same infinite conscious- ness is also the individual consciousness (mind) and the cosmic space (material). Therefore the ethereal body can enter anything anywhere, and it goes where the wish of its heart leads. Just as water ever remains water and flows down, and fire does not abandon its nature of rising up, consciousness remains for ever consciousness. But, he who has not understood this does not experience its subtlety or true nature. As is his understanding so is his mind, for it is the understanding that is the mind; yet, its direction can be changed by great effort. Normally, one’s actions are in accordance with one's mind, (i.e., one’s understanding). O Rama, everyone's consciousness is of this nature and power. In everyone's consciousness there is a different idea of the world. Death and other such experi- ences are like cosmic dissolution, the night of cosmic consciousness. When that comes to an end everyone wakes up to one’s own mental creation, which is the materialisation of one’s ideas, notions and delusions. Even as the cosmic being creates the universe after the cosmic dissolution, the individual creates his own world after his death. 52mt 22nd FEBRUARY 41-43 dirgha svapnam idari visvarh viddhy shantidi serhyutam atra’nye svapna purusa yatha satyas tatha érnu (42/8) VASISTHA continued: The two ladies entered the apartment of the king like two divinities, resplendent like two moons. When Sarasvati asked the king who he was, the minister informed the ladies that he was Viduratha. Sarasvati then blessed Vidiratha by laying her hand on his head, and inspired him to recollect the facts of his previous lives. Instantly, the king remembered everything and asked Sarasvati: “How is it that though it is hardly one day since I died, it seems that I have lived in this body a full seventy years?” SARASVATI replied: O king, at the very moment of your death and in the very place of your death, all this that you are seeing here manifested. All this is where the holy man Vasistha lived, in the village on the hill. That is his world, and in that world is the world of king Padma, and in that world of king Padma is the world that you are in. Living in it you think: “These are my relations. these are my subjects. these are my mini- sters, these are my enemies”; you think that you are ruling, you are engaged in religious rites; you think that you have been fighting with your enemies and you were defeated by them; you think you are seeing us, worshipping us, and that you are receiving enlighteament from us. All this took no time to happen, even as in no time during a dream a whole life's drama is enacted. In reality, you are unborn and you do not die. To the enlightened person there is only one infinite consciousness, and there is no notion of ‘I am’ or ‘these are’. (While Vasistha said this, another day came toan end.) To an immature and childish person who is confirmed in his conviction that this world is real, it continues to be real. He who sees the glory of palaces, elephants and cities does not see the infinite consciousness which alone is true. This universe is but a long dream. The ego-sense and also the fancy that there are others, are as real as dream-objects. The sole reality is the infinite consciousness which is omnipre- sent, pure, tranquil, omnipotent, and whose very body and being is absolute con- ousness (therefore not an object, not knowable): wherever this consciousness manifests in whatever manner, it is that. Because the substratum (the infinite con- sciousness) is real, all that is based on it acquires reality, though the reality is of the substratum alone. This universe and all beings in it are but a long dream. To me you are real. and to you | am real: even so the others are real to you or to me. And. this relative reality is like the reality of the dream-objects. O king. you shall die in this war and then you will regain your previous king- dom. After your death in this body. you will come over to the previous city with your daughter and your ministers. We two shall go now as we came; and all of you will of course follow us in due course: for the nature of the motion of a horse, an elephant and a camel is different!mM 23rd FEBRUARY 43 44 mrtir janmany asadrupa mrtyan janma ‘py asanmayar visared visararutvad anubhites ca raghava (44/26) VASISTHA con} Even as Sarasvati was saying this to the king, a royal messenger rushed in to announce that the enemy forces had entered the capital and were destroying it. ued: In the meantime, the queen arrived there. The lady-in-waiting announced her to the king. She said: "Your Majesty, all the other ladies of the harem have been violently dragged away by the enemy. From this indescribable calamity that has befallen us, only Your Majesty can redcem us.” The king bowed to Sarasvati and excused himself, “I shall myself go to the battle-front, O Goddess, to deal with the enemy; and this, my wife, will wait upon you during that time.” The enlightened Lila was amazed to sec that the Queen was a complete replica of herself. She asked Sarasvati: "O Divinity, how is it that she is exactly what | am? Whatever | was in my own youth, she is now. What is the secret of this? Also: all these ministers, etc.. who are here, are the same that were there, in our palace. If they are but a reflection or the objects of our fancy, are they sentient and are they also endowed with consciousness?” SARASVATI replied: © Lila, whatever vision arises within oneself, that is immediately experienced. Consciousness (as subject) itself becomes. as it were. the object of knowledge. When in consciousness the image of the world arises, at that very instant it becomes so. Time, space, duration and objectivity do not arise from matter; for then they would be material. What is reflected in one's consciousness shines outside also. What is regarded as the real objective world experienced in the waking state no more real than that experienced during sleep (dream). During sleep, the world does not exist; and during the waking state, the dream does not exist! Even so, death contradicts life: while living, death is non-existent, and in death, life is non-exis- tent. Because, that which holds together either experience Is absent in the other. One cannot say that cither is real, or unreal, but one can only say that their substratum alone is real. The universe exists in Brahman only as a word, an idea. It is neither real nor unreal: just as a snake-in-a-rope is neither real nor unreal. Even so is the existence of the jiva. This jiva experiences its own wishes. It fancies that it experiences what it had experienced before: and some others are new experiences. They are similar at times and dissimilar at times. All these experiences, though essentially unreal, appear to be real. Such is the nature of these ministers and others, Even so this Lild exists as the product of the reflection in consciousness. Even so are you, me and all others, Know this and rest in peace. 54wt 24th FEBRUARY 45 46 tapo va devata va ‘pi bhutva svaiva cid anyatha phalarh dadity athe svairath nabhah phala nipatavat (45/19) THE SECOND LILA said to Sarasvati: O Divinity, I used to worship Sarasvati and she used to appear to me in my dreams. You jook exactly like her: 1 presume that you are Sarasvati. | humbly beg of you to grant me a boon — when my husband dies on the battlefield, may | accom- pany him to whichever realm he goes. in this very body of mine. SARASVATI replied: © dear lady, you have worshipped me for a long time with intense devotion: therefore, I grant you the boon sought by you. THE FIRST LILA thereupon said to Sarasvati: Truly, your words never fail, your wish always comes true. Pray, tell me why you did not allow me to travel from one plane of consciousness to another with the same body. SARASVATI replied: My dear Lila, I do not really do anything to anyone. Every jiva earns its own state by its own deeds. I am merely the deity presiding over the intelligence of every being; | am the power of its consciousness and its life-force. Whatever form the energy of the living being takes within itself, that alone comes to fruition in course of time. You longed for liberation, and you obtained it. You may consider it the fruit of your austerity or worship of the deity; but it is consciousness alone that bestows the fruit upon you — even as the fruit that seems to fall from the sky really falls from the tree. VASISTHA continued: As they were talking among themselves like this, the king Vidiratha ascended his resplendent chariot and proceeded to the battlefront. Unfortunately, he had not assessed the relative strength of his and the enemy's forces right up to the moment he actually entered into the enemy ranks The two Lila, Sarasvati, as also the princess who had received the blessings of Sarasvati, were watching the terrible war from their apartment in the palace. ‘The sky was crowded with the missiles from both the armies. The battle cries of the warriors were heard everywhere. There was a pall of smoke and dust over the entire city. Even as the king Vidiratha entered the ranks of the enemy, there was an intense tut-tut sound of intense crossfire. As the missiles collided, there were sounds like khut-khut, tuk-tuk, jhun-jhun, 5Sih 25th FEBRUARY 47-52 yo yathd prerayal na svabhiivo ‘nya mar tasya tisthimi tat phala dhatte vahner ausnyamivaisa me (47/5) VASISTHA continued: THE SECOND LILA asked Sarasvati: O Goddess, please tell me why it is that though we are blessed by you, my husband cannot win the battle? SARASVATI replied: No doubt, I was adored by king Vidiiratha for a consider- able time, but he did not pray for victory in battle. Being the consciousness that dwells in the understanding of every person, | bestow upon that person that which he secks. Whatever it be that a person asks of me, I bestow upon him that fruit: it is but natural that fires gives you heat. He had asked for liberation; and he shall attain liberation. On the other hand, the king of Sindhu worshipped me and prayed for victory in battle. Hence, the king Vidiratha will be slain in battle, and he will rejoin you both and in course of time will attain liberation. This king of Sindhu will win the war and will rule the country as the victorious monarch. At one stage both the kings lost their vehicles. As Vidiratha was about to ascend a new one he was cut down by the king of Sindhu. Seeing Vidiratha fall the second Lila fell unconscious. The first Lila said to Sarasvati: "O Goddess, see. this my husband is about to give up the ghost.” SARASVATI said: Dear one, all this terrible war, this destruction and death are as real as a dream; for there is neither a kingdom nor the earth. All this took place in the house of the holy man Vasistha on top of the hill. This palace and this battle ficld and all the rest of it is nowhere but the inner apartments of your own palace. In fact, the entire universe is there. For, within the house of the holy man is the world of the king Padma; and within the palace of that king in that world is all that you have seen here. All this is mere fancy, hallucination. What is, is the sole reality — which is neither created nor destroyed. It is that infinite consciousness that is perceived by the ignorant as the universe. Just as a whole city exists within the dreamer, the three worlds exist in a small atom; surely, there are atoms in those worlds, and each one of those atoms also contains the three worlds. The other Lila who fell down unconscious has already reached that world in which your hus- band Padma's body is lying. LILA asked: O Goddess, tell me: how did she go there already, and what are the people there telling her? SARASVATI replied: Just as both of you are the fancied objects of the king, even so the king himself and I are dream-objects. One who knows this gives up look- ing for ‘objects of perception’. In the infinite consciousness we have created each other in our fancy. The other youthful Lila was indeed yourself. She worshipped me and prayed that she would never be widowed; hence, before the king Vidiratha died she left this place. Dear one, you are all individualised cosmic consciousness, but I am the cosmic consciousness: and I make all these things happen.ml 26th FEBRUARY 53 54 tasmin prathamatah sarge ya yathi yatra satividah kacltas tds cath tatra sthita ady& "pi niscalah (54/13) YASISTHA continued: O Rama, the second Lila who had obtained a boon from Sarasvati rose into the sky and there met her daughter. The girl introduced herself to Lila. And, Lila requested her to guide her to where her husband the king was. The girl thereupon flew away with her mother. Passing beyond even this universe, Lila crossed over the oceans and other elements that envelop this universe, and entered into the infinite consciousness. In that infinite consciousness there are countless universes which do not know of one another's existence. Lila entered one of those universes in which the body of king Padma lay covered with a heap of flowers. She thought, "By the grace of Saras- vati I have physically reached this place. I am the most blessed among persons.” She began to fan the king's body. SARASVATI said to the first Lila: The king, the servants of the royal household and all the rest of them, are only infinite consciousness. However, since the substratum is the reflection of the infinite consciousness which is real, and since there is a conviction in the order of fanciful creation, they recognise one another. She could not go in her own physical body to the new realm, because light cannot co-exist with darkness. When the wisdom concerning one’s ethereal body arises, the physical body ceases to be recognised as true. This is the fruit of the boon that I granted her. The recipient of the boon thinks, "Just as you have made me think by your boon, so I am.” There- fore, she thinks she has reached her husband's abode in her physical body. Only one who has arrived at wisdom can ascend to the ethereal realms, O Lila, not others. This Lila does not possess such wisdom; hence, she only fancied that she had reached the city where her husband dwelt. THE ENLIGHTENED LILA said: Please tell me: how did the objects acquire their characteristics — like heat in fire, coolness in ice, solidity in earth? SARASVATI said: Dear one, during the cosmic dissolution, the entire universe having disappeared, only the infinite Brahman remains in peace. It fancies the existence of 2 creation. Whatever, wherever and however was conceived or fancied by the infinite con- sciousness during that first creation, all that has remained there and in that manner and with those characteristics even now, In fact, this order is inherent in infinite con- sciousness. All these objects and their characteristics were potentially present in it even during the cosmic dissolution: into what else could they dissolve? Moreover, how can something become nothing? Gold that appears as bracelet cannot become formless entirely. Such is the order (niyati) in the universe, that nothing until now has been able toalter it. 57