Discourse on Yoga Vasishtha
June 25, 2016
Om Santissantissantihi
The day before yesterday we learned about the travels of Leela Devi and Saraswati in the inner space of the heart, how they visited the home of Vasishtha. Leela Devi took 800 births and recollected them all. It is good if Jnanis recollect their past lives, but is disastrous if ignorant persons recollect them, because they would not know how to deal with that knowledge. It will only cause endless trouble. Leela Devi is a Jnani and so she remembered and expressed the knowledge that she has gained now. The two ladies were conversing, and invisibly they stepped out of the home. Jyeshta Sarma and others are now relieved of their sorrow. Now the women look at the village Girigrama on the mountainside.
This description is not Vedantic or spiritual. Yet, it is not good to skip this description. It is a beautiful scene, the people are happy and busy with their agricultural activities. Nature is beautiful.
Sage Valmiki is a great poet. Even where the sun’s rays cannot penetrate, a poet can penetrate with his heart, and he will describe the scene. He is good at conveying all types of emotions. It is his job to tell what he sees with his heart, regardless of whether it is pleasant or unpleasant. We cannot physically travel everywhere and see everything. Guru and Ganapati are called Kavis. They see everything and they show us what we cannot see. They teach us what we do not know and take us to our destination. The description here is very beautiful.
We have to study this section because Valmiki has described it. The two ladies entered into the inner space of the heart and are seeing all this. This happened in truth. It is not imaginary. How to believe that? Leela Devi is seeing, experiencing, and touching, the different things in Nature, such as trees and flowers. But the objects she touches are not seeing her. She has no intention that she should be seen by them. It is strange. As far as she is concerned, her experiences are all real. Although it appears real, is it really existing? In Dhyana it is happening. But is it actual? No. We have to understand that. This work is called Maha Ramayana. Valmiki is the Adi Kavi. It is his duty to enhance the beauty of this poetic work. We must benefit by the beauty of these descriptions. It teaches us how to view a certain scene comprehensively. Such stupendous knowledge is given here.
Sloka – griha
Inside the house a man is dreaming. Yet, he sees as if everything is real. By the power of the soul, the entire universe appears real to us. But we cannot assume that it actually exists. The reason it appears before us, is because the power of the soul is throwing light upon it. A dream experience appears real. The individual’s inner power makes the dream experience appear real. Using the dream as an example, we must learn the unreality of this world. Some devotees claim that Swamiji appeared to them in a dream. They followed his directives given in the dream and became close to him. The dream brought them close to Sadguru. For them, they ask, is the dream real or unreal? Thus far, the dream was helpful to them that it led them to their Guru. That is what we should realize. The way a dream is unreal, the world also is unreal, and this is what Vedanta teaches us. It is good is one finds Sadguru through a dream. That is wonderful. No doubt about it. What you saw in your dream you sought in real life and you came to Mysuru and found Swamiji. Take the dream’s virtue for the benefit it gives you. We cannot dismiss Guru and Guru’s words as untrue, although he appeared in your dream. The dream is unreal if it is a bad dream. Why take a good dream to be unreal? Bharata, Trijata, and Dasaratha’s three dreams were mentioned in the Ramayana. Dasaratha got grief from his dream. Trijata’s dream gave happiness. Bharata experienced fear because of his dream. Sita was relieved of her fear because of Trijata’s dream.
A man became ill. He takes medicine. He neither denies the disease nor the world. Take the situation as per the context. Follow Sadguru’s guidance and fulfill your life. We are speaking about persons who claim to have seen Swamiji the very first time in a dream. They question in that instance whether such a dream is unreal. The context there is different. Their experience and benefit are different. The two ladies saw dry land and mirages.
We run for the water seen in a mirage. Is the water real? As long as the water appears, it is true for the seeker. Once he finds that it is a mirage, the water is unreal. If he is lucky and he finds an oasis, then the water is real. If your running leads you to Truth, it is real. If it leads you to nothing, it is unreal.
You read in the paper that Swamiji is in Mysuru. You came and saw Sadguru. The paper you saw got destroyed. But Sadguru is there. Do not worry about the reality of the paper, whether it exists or not. It existed then, and is now destroyed. A dream gives all types of experiences. Sometimes even the hands move when a person accepts money from a donor in a dream, when he is drowned in debt. But when he wakes up, there is no cash there.
See this world as a dream. Never forget the Truth. What appears as real covers up the truth. Everything is unreal in this world. Everything is Truth. Only Truth exists. As per your spiritual maturity you interpret this statement. Nothing other than Truth can exist in this world. This analysis must take place only in our heart. Do not associate this with worldly affairs. Only with the soul you can discover the soul, not with arguments, and debates. Yes. Listen to discourses and discussions but do not get into quarrels and fights. Keep your focus on Paramatma. He alone is Truth. If your faith is absolutely firm, then, you may proceed with your search. Know that first. He alone is true and permanent. Strengthen your faith.
Have faith that there is Venkateswara Swami on top of the hill. How you go up there is up to you, whether you walk up, go by car, bus, or are carried in a ‘dolee’. Some do not believe in God firmly. They doubt the existence of God. But he who totally denies the existence of God cannot pursue the search. At least if you wonder whether or not He exists, you will search. If you believe that He definitely exists, your earnestness in your search will be stronger. You are all at different levels. Sadhana is important, regardless of level. Like a jewel exists in gold, all these things exist in illusion.
The two beautiful ladies slowly stepped out from the house. The people are unable to see them. The village is up on a very tall mountain that is reaching up to the sky. The forest there is filled with flowering trees, birds, and flowing cascades. There are many flowering branches filled with birds. They appear like clouds. The description is very vivid and detailed. A beautiful and lush mountain seen in dhyana is good. A barren and scorched forest with wild fire is not a good thing to see in dhyana. Do not sit in dhyana with a specific wish to see a certain thing. The scene must appear on their own.
The air seems to stand still. The fully blooming trees are joining hands with the clouds. There were water falls. Once upon a time, there were waterfalls in the Chamundi Hill also. Early morning when you rise, have darshan of this holy hill.
Note compiler: Bad audio. 33 min.
There are rivers with icy waters flowing.
Sloka
The ladies saw the village. Poets love to describe nature, regardless of their language of expression. Sage Valmiki is a very great poet.
The village looked like a piece of heaven. The lakes are full of water. Listening to beautiful descriptions of nature improves our mood and consequently our health. It lifts depression.
The forest is very dense. Some rocks are covered with snow. In some places the dew drops are resembling pearls. If you have gone to the Brahma Kundam you will see how the waters have eroded the rocks. In Mekedatu, the water makes holes in the boulders. The sun’s rays make the splashing water drops look like brilliant gems.
The trees are giving honey and flowers to those who seek them. A pious man sees God in everything in nature. All aspects of nature are described here. The otherwise fearless birds are screeching, mistaking the sound of the flowing waters of the cascades to the twang of a hunter’s bow. Children are afraid of birds snatching away their prized possessions and are keeping them hidden.
The ladies are roaming in the region invisibly. In the forest paths, some women are destitute and are lying about without any possessions, dressed in rags. We must remember when we sleep in our warm beds, the street dwellers who shiver in the cold. When we gently covered some such footpath dwellers with blankets during winter in Vijayawada and Nizamabad, in their sleep their facial expression changed to joy as they pulled up the blanket up to their necks. During a marriage feast, remember the beggars outside the premises. Sadguru likes those who have the mindset to satisfy the hunger of the poor.
The abandoned persons are worse than insects. Some lazy fellows evaded work and hid in the forest. There are many such people who are afraid of work. Some naked children were running about all covered in dust and dung and with flowers in their hair. The ripples of the rivers were drawing lines in the sands on the banks.
Some persons who are ill are weeping because they cannot eat the treats that others are enjoying.
Some ladies are laughing at the servants who are rushed to work, not even given time to wash their hands before tying their hair up. There are such inconsiderate and arrogant bosses who derive amusement at the discomfort they cause to their servants. Are these incidents real? We cannot even imagine such situations. Some wild crows were eager to eat the rice grains used in holy rituals. The rishis were chasing them away with flowers and leaves. Such is the compassion of the sages. They were not throwing rocks at them like ignorant persons. Here and there were thorny shrubs. There were flowering shrubs near the homes, shedding their flowers on the ground like a thick carpet. We see such thick floral carpets here in the ashram sometimes. Green grass was providing a bed for the baby deer. The cowherd children had curds smeared upon their lips attracting flies. Some people were bringing home honeycombs from the forests.
Some roofs of homes were decorated with flowers. There was water flowing in the canal with a gurgling sound. The lotuses were round like the full moon. The dew drops on the grass blades were sparkling like diamonds.
Fruits and flowers were dangling from the trees. The clouds were glowing with lights. The clouds appeared to rest upon the blossoming trees. There were birds and deer running about in the neighborhood.
The ladies saw this village and proceeded further. In between deep and heavy Vedantic topics, when one hears about these familiar sights and incidents, the mind finds relaxation. Not everyone can describe a scene so beautifully. We cannot go so deep into the details, as a great poet like Valmiki can.
We will continue tomorrow.
Jaya Guru Datta
Sri Guru Datta
Om Santissantissantihi