Discourse on Yoga Vasishtha
June 27, 2016
Om Santissantissantihi
In Leelopakhyana we are discussing the description of Girigrama, the way Leela Devi and Saraswati are viewing the village in the inner space of the heart. They are traveling back 800 births and viewing this scene.
Today Sri Swamiji is commencing the Mouna Seminar in Switzerland. Let us also follow silence. How to do it? With Pranayama the mind may be controlled. Keep the concentration on the breath. Watch intently the inhalation and exhalation. Do it for at least ten minutes at a time. People become sleepy. To avoid that, chant internally a mantra as you watch the breath. For three days, do this for at least ten minutes each day.
Today the description of the village continues. The different scenes witnessed have been presented to us by Sage Valmiki in a very vivid and poetic manner. The Sanskrit poetry is excellent. The fragrance of banana flowers is described, as if Valmiki has entered into the hearts of the ladies. Different birds are chirping, crows, ducks, and so on. Many types of trees and shrubs are described. Many types of flowering and fragrant trees are there in dense forests. Homes are surrounded by gardens. Cows are wading through water. In the forest a herd of thousands of buffaloes are crossing a river. It raises huge amounts of dust. We see such scenes on television. There are green fields and meadows. Some rivers are hidden behind dense trees. The observation is very keen and comprehensive. When we have darshan of a deity, we only say, it looked beautiful. Some devotees examine keenly every ornament, weapon, and piece of clothing worn by the deity.
Sloka
The poetry is wonderful. The Sanskrit language is especially suited for it. The bees are totally covering the view of the lotuses, drunk with honey. The sky is red with the pollen from the lotuses. The rivers are gurgling with rapidly flowing waters. The bird songs are very sweet and mellifluous. The poet is describing the scene without leaving out a single detail. On flowerbeds there are youth reposing. The women are wearing long floral garlands. The green meadows are covered with snow blankets. The ladies are actually there. They are not dreaming. These details cannot possibly be imagined. The sprinkling splash from the river is mistaken by the peacocks to be rain, and they are dancing. The creepers are glowing like lights. The electric light strings we use now remind us of those. Such self-illuminating creepers no longer exist.
Sloka
Dewdrops are appearing like pearls. The trees are looking glorious with full blooms. It is impossible to find anything as beautiful as this scene. The ladies proceeded further. Paramakasa Varnana follows now.
Sloka
In any description, some spiritual teaching will be included. Atma is cool. Atma has many meanings. Atma is everywhere and does everything. Atma is a unique word. Any part of the body may be referred to as Atma. The mind must always be kept calm. One must always watch where and what upsets the tranquility of the mind. We must avoid such places and situations. A mind that has overcome anger is calm. A man who has reached that state is wooed by both Bhoga Lakshmi and Moksha Lakshmi. There are many Lakshmis. This Sastra gives both bhukti and mukti, a comfortable life and Liberation. It is wrong to think that those who develop dispassion get distanced from comforts. A balanced mind teaches a person to deal with both properly. The Upanishads say that a Brahma Jnani must never be insulted. If he is disrespected, the consequences will be bad. One must be healthy to be able to do proper sadhana. One must take care of the body. Bhoga and Moksha occur at the same time to the Jnani. Why pursue heaven? It is a place from which one has to return. From the earth, it is better to bypass heaven and go straight to Paramatma. Aparaa does not mean useless. Aparaavidya is spiritual wisdom. Svaatmaananda is the highest bliss. One revels in himself. This happiness transcends all earthly happiness. The two ladies approached the village.
Sloka
Leela Devi, by her practice assumed a subtle body of knowledge alone. It is a mind-body, knowledge-body, not a physical body. Bad audio. She left her physical body of the five elements and in her astral body which is invisible and is nothing but consciousness, she embarked on this travel. This siddhi can be attained with practice. Daily meditation with gradually increasing duration will lead one to this level. She traveled back in time to a place of 800 births before, through her consciousness.
Sloka
Because of her astral body, she is able to travel back in time. She attained this power by her own effort and intense practice.
Sloka
Mother, you have showered your grace upon me, Leela Devi acknowledges the grace of Mother Saraswati. If Sadguru who has all powers is on our side, what would we lack? By your grace, I am now remembering all my past lives and all past experiences. She is re-living all her past experiences. She is intending to share that information with Saraswati. This is an important point. Because she failed to do sadhana in the earlier lives, she had to take so many births. We have to learn from her mistakes and do sadhana now, to avoid future births. In the past, I was born as a brahmin’s wife. My body had deteriorated with old age. My palms became rough and numb due to slicing the darbha grass blades to prepare materials for religious rituals. I was so immersed in my physical duties that I neglected to do any spiritual practices. Desires should not rule one’s life. Our travel to our final destination of Liberation must proceed smoothly through all our lives. Otherwise, the travel stops. We get stuck with rebirths.
Sloka.
Many husbands do not bother about the welfare of their wives. The wives are constantly serving the husbands in their rituals and other efforts. The wives have no chance to go on pilgrimages. Pushkara occurs once in twelve years. At least then the women must go and visit the sacred places. They must get a chance to close their eyes and do some meditation. Many women suffer the same plight. Vasishtha in this story, is not Sage Vasishtha. He is a common brahmin, who had studies some Veda. His wife’s name was Arundhati (Leela Devi in a past life, 800 lifetimes ago). She was churning buttermilk daily. She bore many sons to continue the family lineage. She was preoccupied with her duties of caring for the children and attending to the guests. But she disregarded the purpose of her life of pursuing Self-realization. She was always busy cooking and assisting in Homas. Her whole body was smeared with grease and soot. The pots used for preparing offerings in homa were constantly being scrubbed by her. Her time was spent in only such chores. There was no chance for her to study spirituality. It is a wrong notion to think that women do not need spiritual education. Old time men used women as servants to work for them. The wives’ spiritual progress was completely neglected and ignored. Arundhati wore only one bracelet, so that it would not make noise while she worked. We read a similar story in Sri Datta Darshanam. She was always busy serving meals to the guests. The rice remnants were always stuck to her bangle. She lovingly attended to the elders, youngsters, relatives, and guests. Sloka As long as I lived in that body, day and night I strove to do my duties to perfection. I would even urge the servants to do their work efficiently. I would rush the servants, and I too became like a servant in the house, although I was the woman of the house.
Sloka
This was my story. I never asked myself, who am I? Had anyone asked who I was or what I did, I would have said, I work in the house. I never pondered about myself or my relationship with this world. One does not need to express these questions to others. At least internally one must ponder over these things. Even in a dream such questions never arose in my mind. I had no worldly wisdom. Some people are overly strict with their rigorous disciplines during rituals. ‘Madi’ means gathering water and conserving it. It is important to conserve the thoughts, restraining the mind from going outward in unnecessary directions. What is the use of showing anger while doing worship, while doing rituals, and while serving others? Such rituals bear no fruit. People must understand the importance of maintaining a calm mind. No matter who it is, one must have control of emotions and anger. During puja, one must not get angry. Some people do austerities for show. They do not benefit by their strictness, because they lose composure of their minds. During pilgrimages, one may eat outside, exceptions are allowed. A man who never contemplates about spirituality, my husband Vasishtha, also was drowned in his earthly duties. Even in a dream he never thought of these topics. Unless there is some dispassion in the mind, one does not think of these things.
Sloka
I became so emaciated with work, without proper food, my bones began to stick out. I used to cover my body with a thick blanket to hide my skin and bones. The husband scolded me for my skinny frame. I had to gather fire wood, and cow dung for fuel. My life was spent thus. When one does work, as Guru seva, it bears fruit. But Arundhati did it only for worldly benefits.
Sloka
Sometimes I cleaned the ears of the calves of any insects crawling there. I did such unworthy tasks. It is not bad to serve animals. But she totally ignored self-enquiry. She was completely engrossed in her household duties. One does not need to give up duties to sit in isolation to meditate. Sakkubai was a great devotee who engaged in self-inquiry while engaged in her work constantly.
Sloka
Every moment I spent feeding water to the calves and decorating the doorsteps daily.
Sloka
I never lost my dignity. I never crossed my boundaries. I did punish the servants who cut corners in their work. I disciplined and controlled them, without showing rudeness or violence. I urged them to maintain the reputation of the household. I spent my life like this and my body became like a dry leaf. My limbs were moving without my control.
Sloka
Old age overtook me. My ear, without my intention, bent down low and touched my walking stick. It is a beautiful description of old age. The husband also spent his life like this, without any thought for spiritual awakening. O Rama, said Sage Vasishtha, like this, Leela Devi spoke about her past births to Saraswati. Even after 800 births, she still spoke about her experiences and things as if they were hers. This is Vasana, or adhering tendencies. Adhwaanna, is rice discarded onto the street. No one wishes to pick it up to consume it. The mind sticks to certain things and will not let go for several lifetimes. It causes turbulence in the mind. One must deliberately reduce such tendencies, desires or attachments to things, people, and experiences.
Let us all also do some practice of silencing the minds while Sri Swamiji is conducting the Mouna Seminar in Switzerland the next three days.
Jaya Guru Datta
Sri Guru Datta
Om Santissantissantihi