Discourse on Yoga Vasishtha
Day 78, November 28
Jaya Guru Datta
Sri Ganesaya Namaha
Sri Saraswatyai Namaha
Sripada Vallabha
Narasimha Saraswati
Sri Guru Dattatreyaya Namaha
Sri Ganapati Sachchidananda Sadgurubhyo Namaha
asato ma sadgamaya
tamaso ma jyotirgamaya
mrityor ma amrtam gamaya
Om Santissantissantihi
Please lead me from untruth to Truth, from darkness to light, from death to immortality. May there be peace.
Yoga Vasishtha Dhyana Slokas:
yatassarvāṇi bhūtāni pratibhānti sthitāni ca
yatraivōpaśamaṁ yānti tasmai satyātmanē namaḥ || 1
jñātā jñānaṁ tathā jñēyaṁ draṣṭādarśana dr̥śyabhūḥ
kartā hētuḥ kriyā yasmāt tasmai jñaptyātmanē namaḥ || 2
sphuranti sīkarā yasmāt ānanandasyāṁbarē vanau
sarvēṣām jīvanam tasmai brahmānandātmanē namaḥ || 3
Om santissantissantihi
Vasishtha continues to speak about Purusha Prayatna, individual effort. Today’s karma can defeat the effects of past karma. Sadhana chatushtaya may appear difficult. But it can be done. Our effort itself is luck. Lack of effort alone is misfortune. Without making any effort, one cannot expect a result. That is why our Sadguru always tells us never to remain idle but to continuously engage in the performance of good deeds.
When the two rams of past and present karma are fighting, it is up to you to decide which ram is going to win. Life is referred to as a battle. One has to be continually engaged in the fight against previous bad karma. In worldly life, there may be retirement. But in spiritual life, there is no retirement. The more you learn, the more your effort should be. What is the victory that we aim to achieve? What is the kingdom that we aim to attain? Brahman is not a physical, visible entity. Our inner enemies are invisible. The individual, personal battle against ourselves is more fierce and violent than the Rama-Ravana battle, or the Kurukshetra battle. Our inner enemies have no morals or ethics. One never knows from where they will attack. In outer battles of the past, at sunset the battle would be concluded for the day. The beginning and end of each day’s battle was announced with the blowing of the conch shell. This is Dharma Yuddha/battle. But an unrighteous battle follows no rules and regulations. Our inner battles are terrible to handle because they follow no rules.
Abhimanyu was surrounded and trapped by enemies and was killed by unrighteous means. Our six inner enemies attack us from any and every direction and at any time, during wakefulness or dream. Aswatthama murdered sleeping children. It was the most vicious act which made even Krishna very angry.
In dreams some terrible feelings occur. They also have to be conquered. Some feelings which we have conquered in the wakeful state will attack us during the night in our dreams. People kick, cry, and laugh in dreams. Our inner enemies attack us even in our dreams. Having control even over our dreams is real yoga siddhi. Great courage is required for this effort. How to fight? With deliberate effort strengthened with support from Sadguru, one should fight incessantly. Sadguru’s guidance will confirm that you are proceeding in the right direction and manner.
The next five sargas elaborate on this topic. If we remain still also, our inner enemies will never keep quiet. They keep attacking us constantly. We must seek help from Sadguru to get training and technique to win in this internal battle . This is our spiritual battle. We have to conquer over our own wicked inner enemies. We have to attain Atmasaamraajya Lakshmi. Lordship over our inner kingdom which is our Goddess Lakshmi.
paurusham cha …
Effort ordained by Sastras, Sadguru, and the Vedas will certainly yield good results. The victory may not come immediately. A child demands to be fed instantly and immediately. It cannot bear its hunger pangs. Mother needs time to prepare the meal. Somehow mother pacifies the child by giving some snack or beverage to tide over the immediate hunger pangs while she prepares the proper nourishing food. If the child throws tantrums in the meanwhile, mother will be forced to serve half-cooked food which will cause indigestion.
One should surrender the result of the action to God. Save the result of your good karma like a treasure, at God’s feet. Draw it as you would, your savings from the bank only when you urgently need it. Do not demand immediate results always. You keep digging the well. Until you reach the correct depth, you will not strike water in a bore well.
Effort that is not properly directed will not give a reward. If you randomly search for diamonds where even granite is not available, you will not be successful.
Purushartha is the fruit that is obtained. The four pillars which are in any religion of the world, are Dharma, Artha, Kama, and Moksha, virtue, effort for earning resources, fulfilling desires, and liberation from all. These are most important. Dharma and Moksha are the most important. Dharma is effort. Moksha is the reward. Some mansions stand only on one pillar. Then Dharma or Moksha will be the sole pillar of support. Artha and Kama come in between as worldly effort and enjoyment.
A pot’s capacity or the dimension of a fabric will determine how much can be contained or wrapped within it, respectively.
If you have a huge pot, you can take more water. A small piece of cloth will not be sufficient to serve to cover you as a blanket.
Our reward is always dependent upon the extent of our effort.
Karma theory is contained in this shloka.
Sachchastra …
Satya, Sachchidananda, Sadachara, Satsanga are all very important. Sastras sometimes may appear to give contrary instructions. It happens when you misinterpret the Sastra to your convenience, instead of adhering strictly to the instruction of Guru. Vasishtha and Viswamitra once had a deep debate about the merits of Satsanga.
We must reach the correct destination. In the association of good people we should follow good tradition and reach the good destination.
The same method or procedure may not apply to every single individual. Tradition is set by our ancient seers for the wellbeing of our society. When that is followed, it gives good results. Sacchastra, Satsanga and Sadachara yield good rewards. Sat+Guru is Sadguru. True Guru. Sat+ Sastra is correct Sastra. Sat+Sanga is virtuous company.
The flow of good must continue. You cannot divert the flow of a river just to serve your personal needs. The river’s flow must serve everyone. Deep sea divers dive into the ocean only after studying their field for any dangers that lurk in the region such as sharks and sharp reefs. One should look before leaping.
People always say: your case is different. Even Swamiji hears such arguments from devotees. My troubles are different and your solutions will not apply to me, they say. Guru knows what solution to offer to clear a problem.
Even if you are seeking the position of Indra, where all powers and pleasures are included, you should avoid doing a few things: one is to beg without making any effort.
Even Yateeswaras who beg for alms, will first give some useful advice before receiving alms. They do not wish to receive alms for free. It is only when the householder has no time to listen to their words, that they simply accept the alms and leave.
Sometimes for a farmer, a natural calamity may rob him of the entire fruit of his labor. Such grief should be overcome with proper effort that follows. When disease or household trouble strikes also, individual effort can help. One should not sit still throwing up one’s hands in despair.
With consistent labor a tea vendor can become a Prime Minister, as we have seen. Swamiji’s Life History shows how a person can rise from the lowliest circumstances to the highest position. The level of Lord Dattatreya was attained by him.
One learns with great effort since childhood. Sometimes people say: their family merit and luck are responsible for people’s success. Such escapists are foolish. They lack intelligence. One should never say: I can’t do it. It is not for one like me. It is not possible for me.
Laziness leads to great misfortune. A great Brahmarshi, Vasishtha is making this declaration. Without laziness, no one will ever be poor or ill-informed. One should search for opportunities and make trials. Look at the unemployed people. They mark all the appropriate ads. But once they get employed, they become lazy. The level of effort and activity should be maintained.
Why are you late? It is a slap in the face. I hated to go to class late. Maintaining time is most important.
This entire earth is filled with human beasts, says Vasishtha, referring to lazy persons. Okay, if in childhood, you had no opportunity, do it in adulthood or old age. Many in the ashrama who have never been accustomed to sitting on the floor, learn to sit for long hours. Anything can be achieved with steady practice.
Entire childhood is wasted by most people in playfulness. In youth, the shoulders are strong as wooden posts. What is the purpose of this strength? It is for serving Guru, great souls, and society. Put your strength to proper use. In old age, with Satsang, listening to Guru and the Sastras and the Veda, one can clear all doubts and cleanse the intellect of all flaws and weaknesses. Spirituality requires continuous internal search for finding the inner light. One should keep remembering the words of Guru and by inner search one should rise to higher spiritual heights.
Valmiki was narrating the story to Arishtanemi. The sun was setting and the sage got ready to retire for the day. The time of sunset is very poetically described.
At least for 12 minutes a day one must remain in the presence of the sun, doing Sun worship – Surya Namaskara. The rishis in the assembly including Bharadwaja rose and offered their respects before leaving the presence of Guru.
These days the first requirement in an assembly is to switch off the cell phone. One must not talk to neighbors, yawn, scratch the head and so on. Proper etiquette must be observed. One must not dust off their clothes as they leave a lecture, as if they are throwing all the dust back in the face of Guru who has taught them precious lessons. Such behavior discourages and insults the teacher.
The story begins again with sunrise.
Next episode is Daiva Niraakaranam – rejection of the concept of luck. There is no such thing as luck. It is wrong to blame bad luck. It is wrong also to depend on good luck. All that happens in the world is the result of deliberate effort.
Today is Friday. There will be abhishekam to Lord Sri Datta Venkateswara now. We will have darshan of Sadguru Sri Swamiji. Bhagavata Parayana during the day, and discourse on Bhagavata in the evening are taking place. Please attend.
Jaya Guru Datta
Sri Guru Datta
Om santissantissantihi