Discourse on Yoga Vasishtha
Day 81, December 22
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
We are in the Mumukshu Vyavahara Prakarana discussing the subject of Daiva Nirakarana.
Some are convinced that they are helpless and are led by a power or force that is taking them along a wrong path. They call it an unseen destiny and place the burden on it. Vasishtha says this is a wrong escapist notion. Those who believe in this or in the power of past karma which is unconquerable, are cowards and are ignorant. They claim that their misbehavior and misdeeds are caused by an evil destiny which is beyond their control. One should remain at a distance from such people. They will be a bad influence on us because they are misguided. They know what is wrong and still do not stop engaging in their wicked ways. They try to run away from blame, placing the burden on bad luck. They are the worst of the bad lot. Their company should be avoided.
Daiva Nirakarana topic is discussed here. Daiva here is what people refer to as mere luck. It does not refer to God. Vasishtha declares that anything can be achieved with sincere effort.
I had to be on a tour recently. I visited Bangalore and Jayalakshmipuram where Sri Swamiji performed the wonderful Kalyanam of Sri Jayalakshmi and Sri Narasimha Sastry. Then I visited Anantapuram, Srisailam, Mehboob Nagar, and other places and attended the Nandi Bhrungi Raga Sagara Healing Music concert of Sri Swamiji in Hyderabad. After that I have returned to Mysore.
Many are watching this discourse on Yoga Sangeeta. Yoga Vasishtha has become an addiction both to me and to the listeners. We are recommencing today even though it is a day of rest from commencing new lessons.
Individual effort goes a long way in granting enlightenment to those who are genuine in their intention. One should practice Shama, Dama etc. as taught in the scriptures as steps in Yoga sadhana.
Some try to be escapists and avoid putting in any effort. Some disclaim personal responsibility for their evil actions by falsely putting the entire blame on an outside power that is leading them on a wrong path.
Vyavahaara sahasraani ..
We see thousands of actions before us which need to be performed. This happens to everyone of us. How to decide about prioritizing the important duties? What duties should be performed first? Which duties are to be performed continuously? Follow the Sastras, the example of noble souls, and Sadguru’s advice in deciding on your course of action and your priorities. One should base the decision upon the experience of pure souls. Then one gains benefits. While performing such duties, one should not be concerned whether the work is pleasing or displeasing. Only those who are unconcerned about the pleasure or displeasure that the action gives and proceed to do their duty relentlessly are blessed with the desirable and worthy fruits of their effort.
…verse
Each has a designated manner of behavior with specific persons and in specific situations. Sastra stipulates these. We know how we should behave with Guru, with parents, with friends, with relatives, and in our interactions in worldly affairs with other people. If we take or give excessive liberties, we will lose self respect. One should maintain one’s self respect.
What is Sastra? It is experience that teaches us. One should not exceed one’s boundaries. Even an ocean that crosses its bounds will inundate homes and cause harm to the world and to itself.
Just as gems gather in the deep ocean, virtues and benefits will accrue to an individual who engages in worthy activities. One who is constantly concerned about results will not be able to do justice to the work at hand. A student has this experience. His anxiety about his grades and marks will distract him from his studies. He will not be able to focus on his topic of study. One should do one’s duty without any regard to the fruits of the effort.
verse
We all act to earn pleasure and avoid displeasure. We eat when we are hungry. Food removes the suffering of hunger and gives the pleasure of a full stomach where hunger is satisfied. This feeling is selfishness. This feeling should not become excessive. I alone should be happy is one kind of selfishness. Others should be suffering and should not be happy and I alone should be happy is devilish selfishness. It is excessive selfishness. Such people who entertain such an attitude cause misery to others deliberately.
Making individual, sincere effort unconcerned by results is called Paurusha. By continuing to do good deeds, by God’s grace, sooner or later, we get enlightened gradually. We must perform charitable deeds and follow the path of Dharma continuously.
Unless we know how to use an instrument or a vehicle, we do not get proper results or use from it. We may not only be deprived of its benefit, we may even come to harm if we use the instrument wrongly. If you try to drive a vehicle without knowing how to drive it, or without engaging a qualified driver, you will harm yourself and the vehicle by getting involved in an accident. This human body is our instrument. If we misuse it, it will get destroyed. We must first read the manual that tells us how to use and preserve any gadget. That booklet gives us the guidelines for safety, and proper utilization. If we begin to use the gadget without knowing about it, it will get spoilt and will not be beneficial. It may even misfire and harm us.
Sastras, the experience of elders, the declarations of the Vedas, and the teachings of Guru serve as our Manual for Life. Test it. Let one person act as he likes with no guidance. Let him eat whatever junk he wishes to eat, and act as he chooses. Let another follow the Sastras and Guru’s words. Observe who is successful at the end of life. The latter will certainly obtain complete success.
verse
Those who are intelligent will serve society, elders, Guru, and will follow the words of wisdom learned from them. They read good books, associate with noble souls, and will constantly recollect words of good advice. This will purify the mind and will remove the burden from the mind and will keep the mind calm and clear. The way a tablet or a specific seed can clear muddy waters to make it clear, similarly sadhana works to improve the mind. This is proper Sadhana. All the negative tendencies will then leave the mind. The person becomes uplifted. Guru’s words and the advice from the Sastras will enhance his intelligence and discretion.
verse
Some people give peace merely by their presence, and association. Especially in the association of Sadguru you experience a calmness of mind. Those who are enlightened are fully at ease, and are totally free from ego and their peace radiates to those who are around them.
It is described here what it is that we are born to achieve. We must seek unlimited eternal bliss. Equanimity at all times is to be achieved. We should see God or divinity in everyone and everything. This kind of a perspective grants the highest bliss. Everyone gains some small benefits in life. But this is the highest benefit when one wishes well to the entire Creation and not just for one’s near and dear ones.
During Aksharabhyasam, a child is exposed to different objects. The child crawls towards the collection of items and picks one item, be it a pen, a sword, a toy, currency, or so on. Each child has a different mentality and aptitude and chooses the object accordingly. While different tastes may exist, there is one thing that is required for all.
Each requires a different remedy. But everyone requires food and vitamins. Everyone requires strength and energy. What is it that every single creature should aim for in life? It is this limitless bliss of experiencing the oneness of all, and the experience of the presence of God in all that exists. Everyone, regardless of caste, gender, nationality, or species should aim to attain this perspective. This is the greatest goal in life.
Not everyone follows this advice, although everyone receives this same advice. Only a few get enlightened. Such ones who are enlightened become Sadgurus. They should be approached and served for attaining enlightenment. That is the secret method.
Those who claim to be enlightened out of delusion, and are not genuinely and truly enlightened, should be avoided. Some run away from home because of domestic troubles and wear the garb of a ascetic. They feel cold in the Himalayas and return home after a while only to be scolded by the family members. Their wisdom is not genuine.
Giving up the body through suicide out of fear is against the instructions of Sastra. Such a one gains sin and not merit. Such persons who attempt such deeds are not qualified to be Guru. Theirs is not true dispassion.
Those who attain Jnana through Guru’s guidance are the true seekers and true Jnanis. They should have attained their enlightenment through following the proper prescribed methods. Service to Guru is a means to achieve spiritual wisdom. But service alone does not grant wisdom. One must ask Guru and get doubts cleared. Thotakacharya is a rare exception. Such instantaneous enlightenment as he attained by Guru’s grace, does not occur to everyone.
verse
What is Daivam? In this context, the word ‘Daiva’ does not refer to God.
We have descended here from somewhere. Some intuitively know their past lives. There is confusion caused if some people know of their past lives, The gods have saved us from untold trouble by making us forget our past lives and keeping us in ignorance of our future lives. If people lack the capacity to handle such knowledge, it is not advisable to pursue the attainment of such knowledge. It is best to handle effectively what is at hand in this present lifetime only.
if you know that in the next birth you will be born as a dog, you will be troubled by this thought through this entire life and will also suffer in the next birth. Trying to heal the wound on your one hand while gaining another wound on the other hand, is not advisable. You will then need to go through twice the number of problems dealing with the problems of your previous births while dealing with the problems of the present lifetime as well. There is no need to know your past and future lives because knowing about them creates needless problems. Where we have come from is unknown, and how many lives we have taken in the past is unknown.
The blind cannot lead the blind. It is foolish to seek the guidance of those who speak about the power of luck and who forget the scriptural teachings, Guru’s guidance, and the efficacy of association with the noble. Such persons are dangerous to society. They should be shunned.
verse
We should seek the help of the enlightened. Those who follow the wrong notion and get misled by the ignorant deserve to be blamed. They gain no benefit in life. They become degenerated. Such persons become overly sentimental. They think twice before engaging in any good action and find excuses to avoid it. To feed the hungry no good omens are required. In some instances we do need to have some good sentiments.
verse
Sorrows and troubles occur due to the bad karma of the past lifetimes. Past life’s negative influences and the sorrows caused by them can be removed by performing good deeds now. We are most of us born with ignorance in our minds. Even noble souls attain wisdom by their effort. Only a few like Krishna Dvaipayana and Vamadeva are born enlightened. We are born as ignorant children. We have to get rid of our spiritual ignorance with deliberate effort performed throughout our present lifetime. All the sorrows caused by our ignorance should be thus wiped out. When we do that, we have a comfortable life here and we attain a desirable future existence after this life ends in this world. There is no need to be afraid of past karmas and their effects. They can be canceled out by determined effort executed now.
verse
This shloka gives great advice. We can cancel past demerit by the merit earned today with the performance of good deeds. Those who lead their lives based on this conviction are like those with a gooseberry in their palm. Gooseberry is extremely beneficial for health. Only a few with excessive acidity may be contra-indicated in consuming it. At least have one gooseberry a day as diluted juice, pickle, or take it in some form. It is a wondrous remedy. In some pickles they use the whole gooseberry, without chopping it or removing the seed. Regardless of how you consume it, it is beneficial. Never eat a gooseberry on a Sunday.
It is good to fast at least once a week. It is easy to fast every Sunday. But who would wish to fast on a holiday? Just like a car gets serviced, our body also requires regular servicing. This body has been working non-stop since birth. It requires some respite for its digestive system to function effectively.
Once in every few days one should fast. New Moon, Full Moon, Ekadasi are good days for fasting. Such fasting gives rest to the digestive system. It should be done in a systematic way. One should not fast for days on end.
Gooseberry is good for the eyes, skin, digestion, heart, bones, and all the organs of the body. Hastamalakacharya is the name of a disciple of Sri Adi Sankara. It means one who has a gooseberry in his palm. His Guru felt that enlightenment will come to him effortlessly.
We should not give up the opportunity to engage in a good deed that is right at hand and wait for some distant destiny to give us direction to do so. Good fortune does not befall us just like that without any effort.
Guru gives Upadesha, gives good guidance. But by merely receiving Upadesha you do not gain enlightenment. You must put that advice into action. You must make your effort, regardless of how great your Guru’s power may be. Guru has the power to grant enlightenment instantaneously if He so chooses. He may choose to transmit His spiritual energy to you without your effort. It does not happen by your choosing. One must never lose the opportunities to perform good actions. Losing the chance to put in good effort is nothing but foolishness.
Guru is waking us up like an alarm clock. Once you make a habit of waking up to an alarm clock, soon you will find that you wake up without the aid of an alarm clock. Once you get habituated like that for two to three months of waking up to an alarm clock, you will not require the clock any more. I guarantee that. You will naturally wake up at the desired time.
Some lazy disciples get tired of taking rest and will continue to rest to get more rest. Such people who are addicted to resting all the time cannot be helped.
verse
Useless occupations and meaningless thoughts should be given up. Useless thoughts sometimes enter the mind. They are called Vikalpas. Sankalpas are useful thoughts. Gurus have sankalpas. Any thought should be of some useful purpose. Basing faith on luck is wasteful and useless. Give up that preoccupation of thoughts of luck, and make a sincere effort.
Viswamitra suffered a lot with numerous impediments during his penance. Did he succeed due to good luck? He faced so many hurdles. Menaka disturbed his penance. He overcame and continued his penance with determined effort. After a thousand years of penance Indra came and sought food as Viswamitra was about to eat. Viswamitra gave up his food. He continued his penance with determination and finally succeeded and became a Brahmarshi.
Sri Swamiji suffered from several conflicts at home, in innumerable ways. He suffered non-cooperation, rejection, insults, everywhere, in Bangalore and at other places. Only in Proddutur He had the support of Aunt Venkamma who drove away the impediments before they disturbed Him. Even there, Swamiji faced some obstacles. Swamiji overcame all of those and continued his sadhana. We must derive inspiration from his example. We should engage in our determined individual effort.
Now we proceed to Sri Chakra Puja.
Tomorrow we will continue and complete this sarga where 5-6 shlokas are remaining. This topic is very important. Vasishtha will reiterate this subject in different angles. Our armor, our shield, our vehicles, and our weapons are very important in this our fight against ignorance. We do not even know what ignorance is. It is a tough battle that we are engaged in. Do not remain idle and expect luck to take care of you and your situation.
The approach and attitude of Mumukshus, seekers of enlightenment are stressed here. Vasishtha strengthens our determination and resolve by giving us instruction in different ways. He is giving Upadesha to the entire world, using Sri Rama as an excuse.
Jaya Guru Datta.
Sri Guru Datta.
Om Santissantissantihi.