Discourse on Yoga Vasishtha
Day 106, February 27
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
Yesterday we missed the discourse. The day before yesterday, in the Mumukshu Vyavahara Prakarana, Sage Vasishtha described the dangers of ignorance and the power of acquiring spiritual knowledge. He convinced us how pleasing and powerful the Yoga Vasishtha is, how it clears all our doubts, and how it fully follows the teaching of the Vedas. Yoga Vasishtha grants us enlightenment. The greatest danger in life is spiritual ignorance. Those who deliberately avoid getting enlightened, risk living their lives in utter misery.
aapado yaa
Khadira tree is called Kaviri chettu in Telugu or Veduru/bamboo which has thorns. Ignorance is a disease which is chronic, and it has to be got rid of. Worse rebirths occur due to the retention of ignorance. People who are born again and again as evil persons will torment others. Sometimes, based on one’s sadhana, a good and a bad person are both born in the same family. It is surprising to observe that. Ignorance causes us no end of trouble. Just like the thorns emerging in bamboo shoots give us pain, so does ignorance. One must listen to Sadguru’s words to dispel ignorance.
varam
A life lived in ignorance is absolutely worthless. Even if one does not do anything to benefit others, it does not matter. But an ignorant one does not even benefit himself. We take birth only to gain spiritual knowledge. Instead of living and dying in ignorance, it is better to live as a beggar in the worst neighborhood of Chandalas. It is a terrible way of life. But living a life of ignorance is even worse.
Chandala is not a man of low caste, but one, who has no positive traits whatsoever. Such a person follows no rules or regulations. He lives a life of acute misery, not paying attention to anyone or anything. Aagaara is a word which is the root for Agraharam.
In a dried up well, one may live as an abandoned one. One may live in the hole in a tree, like an insect that lives all alone. But living with ignorance is worse than these. One must make a deliberate effort to get rid of spiritual ignorance. One must not accept a life of ignorance as something inevitable.
imamalokya
Those who have acquired the spiritual perspective of the scriptures will be able to capture the technique of gaining liberation. The inner spiritual blindness should be avoided. This Sastra, this Yoga Vasishtha has the power to dispel such inner blindness. The blindness referred to here is not that of the physical eyes. The darkness of delusion will be avoided by the one who learns this scripture and brings it into personal experience. One who leads his life with a spiritual perspective will eventually gain liberation. He will never suffer from delusion and spiritual blindness.
It is said in our scriptures that one who gives up life in the city of Kasi gains salvation. It is ordained by Lord Siva.
Recently a woman I know lived in Kasi till she was 97 years old. She never left town to visit any relatives. It is called Kshetra Sanyasa. Such people live in the sacred island between the rivers Asi and Varana.
In her 97th year, she got a telephone call inviting her to attend her great grandson’s wedding in another city. Her mind suddenly wavered. She boarded the train to attend the wedding, and lost her life on the train outside the city of Kasi. It is very difficult to go against God’s plan. Unless it is God’s will, one does not get the privilege of dying in the city of Kasi, which is a very small city.
There are 130 crore people living in India. Yet, so few have the privilege of leaving their body at Kasi. Why did God limit salvation only to a few people?
The Bhajan Kasi kasi says that wherever we may be, in whichever active spiritual pursuit we leave our body, that place itself becomes the city of Kasi. Sometimes, wherever one may die, the body is taken to Kasi to be cremated at Harischandra Ghat for the soul to attain liberation. It is a belief held by some people that it is very important to do that.
But the city of Kasi is not the place, but the level of spiritual pursuit of the seeker. Kasi is everywhere. Kasi means spiritual knowledge. The enlightened person ever resides in Kasi, wherever he may be located physically. Kasi means traveling the path of spiritual light. Kasi is what illumines everyone. One who leaves the body in a state of enlightenment (Kasi) does not take rebirth. He gets liberated.
Since not everyone can be engaged in the serious spiritual pursuit, some opt to take the easy way out of deciding to physically spend their lives in the city of Kasi. It is all based on one’s conviction.
Vasishtha is explaining a very deep subject in very simple words. One must avoid the darkness of delusion by absorbing this knowledge.
tavannayati sankocham
It is very difficult to understand what delusion is. Moha, Maya, Avidya are all terms used to describe delusion. Once we know what causes delusion, it makes it easy to understand what delusion is. Thrishnaa, avarice, or uncontrolled desire is the cause of delusion. We have been introduced to the concept of Thrishnaa even in the first section, Vairagya Prakarana. Here the subject is brought up again.
Everyone has desires. The desire for liberation is a good desire. The desire for spiritual knowledge, and the desire for God’s grace, and Guru’s blessing are good desires. Such desires should be encouraged and developed.
Even one born in the family of demons, like Vibheeshana, attained liberation by avoiding delusion and developing devotion.
Excessive greed is most dangerous. It is the cause of delusion.
Man is compared to a closed up lotus. The lotus remains closed at night. Until the sun of spiritual knowledge rises, the mind-lotus does not blossom inside a man. It is only when spiritual knowledge and proper discretion casts its bright rays on the mind, ignorance gets removed. The Sahasrara lotus blooms only then. The darkness of infatuation causes delusion. This realization must come. Avarice causes delusion. Greed or excessive desire must be given up by deliberate effort.
samsara duhkha
The grief that is born from greed and delusion is different from the common grief caused by diseases and so forth. We must clear all our doubts. Once we have reached the college level, we must not still harbor the same doubts as we had entertained in earlier grades.
Sadguru is our only true relative. All other relatives of this world come and go, some help us and some give us pain with their abuse. Sadguru is the most intimate soul-mate. He leads us to the realization of the oneness of the individual soul and the Supreme Soul. Once that realization comes, you get merged in Sadguru.
Vasishtha says, one must associate closely with one like me. He is not speaking out of arrogance, but only from perfect self-assurance. One must associate closely with Sadguru to learn of the nature of the Soul. Based on time, space, and situation, people may experience different things. But the Paramatman is one and the same. The sparks flying out of the main flame may appear different. But our true Self must be properly understood and realized. Our true Self must be understood and experienced, based on Guru’s word and the authority of the Veda and Sastras.
It is dangerous to believe the words of unqualified persons. When you travel, you must follow proper directions. If you carelessly take some route, it may get you stranded. Sadguru’s guidance and the endorsement by the scriptures are most essential for gaining the true personal experience of Self-Realization. The Realized souls are referred to as deities living on earth. Such persons should never be treated lightly. They are Brahmarshis. They move about freely on earth. Sri Rama, once you acquire this spiritual knowledge, you too may move about happily and freely.
ananta
Sorrows in this world are endless.
It does not take much time to eat. But to digest, it takes a long time. If indigestion occurs, it gives great discomfort. Eating gives pleasure. But it is short-lived. But the grief that follows it, with indigestion, lasts a long time. Each one’s pain appears great to the person who is experiencing it.
Do not chase after bodily pleasure. It will waste your life. Seek only intellectual and mental peace and comfort.
yadanantam
It is endless. There is no end or beginning to God or Paramatman. Whatever has a beginning, must have an end. An ocean may appear endless. But it also has a beginning and an end. If we travel by ship, we know that we will reach the end after a few days.
The sky or space is the closest entity that we can compare with the Paramatman. We cannot perceive the beginning or end to space. All other things have a beginning and an end that we can perceive. Paramatman has no beginning.
It is wrong to think that it is stressful to seek God. Realization does not occur because of strenuous action. It actually removes stress. Brahman is the ultimate essence. That is what we should seek to experience. It is the true essence of life. It is the only thing that is worth seeking and pursuing deliberately. Tamil language says Rasam. Kannada says Saru. Telugu combines and says Charu, meaning something exquisite.
It is grace of God that you have embarked on the journey towards enlightenment. Who suffers when one jumps off a moving train? Sadguru helps to the extent of getting you on the train. Thereafter, you have to travel alone. Sadguru, when you offer services to Him, may place you on the right path. By serving God, you may attain the qualification to travel the spiritual path. If anyone promises to give you liberation, do not believe them. Liberation cannot given by someone. It is not something that can be taken from someone. It is something that has to be personally earned and experienced. Sadguru merely points the way and guides you in your efforts.
All those who are enlightened, urge all others to strive towards liberation, which is the highest goal to be achieved in life.
We will continue tomorrow.
Now, since this is Friday, there will be Sri Datta Venkateswara Swami abhishekam. Sri Swamiji will be recording the Bhagavatam episodes afterwards in the studio. They will be shown in the Universal Prayer Hall on the screen. You may sit there and watch. Hanuman Chalisa chanting will continue. Please participate in that.
Jaya Guru Datta
Sri Guru Datta
Om Santissantissantihi