Discourse on Yoga Vasishtha
Day 100, February 12
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 learned of the desirable attributes of one who poses questions and the one who gives answers.
Knowledge about God is Tatva. What is the purpose in seeking such knowledge?
Vasishtha at first praises Sri Rama. Your mind is totally immersed in the desire to obtain spiritual knowledge. The Vedanta philosophy’s declaration is that Knowledge is God and it is always whole and complete.
Rama, since you are fervently seeking to learn, and you are filled with reverence towards Guru, you deserve to be taught. Guru Bhakti is most important. You have it. Satva Guna is desired. Rajo Guna causes distractions and interruptions. Tamo Guna envelops the mind like a curtain, and fills the mind with disinterest. Satva Guna must be increased to learn effectively.
Just as there are precious gems in the ocean, within you and me are many gem-like virtues. You are an ideal disciple and I am a qualified Guru. You are totally dispassionate, which qualifies you to receive the teaching of Vedanta. You have perfect discretion and a lack of interest in worldly things.
Rama, the reason the science of Vedanta exists is that it needs to be taught to seekers like you. Those who understand this science will forever be free from sorrow. That is the praise of this subject matter.
Sages and seers retain their bodies because, since they have obtained this knowledge, they are unperturbed by the affairs of the world, be they political issues, moral issues, health issues, or any other issues. They would have been forced to end their lives intentionally, had they not possessed this spiritual knowledge. The sufferings of the world would have pushed them to such a brink. It did not happen because, by the acquisition of this knowledge of Truth, they are free from all fear and sorrow. They continue to live amidst us comfortably and happily.
Vasishtha now speaks about Garuda (Eagle) Mantra and refers to Yoga Sadhana as the Garuda Mantra that cures all ills and sorrows caused by ignorance, which is like a venomous serpent.
In the olden days, for a snake bite, they used the Garuda Mantra as an antidote.
Shamaha, vichara, santosha, and sadhu sangatya are the four most important things which we have to cultivate.
The first is mental and physical restraint and control. Vichara is understanding from the right perspective and not simply accepting things at face value. Santosha is to be happy. There are so many things happening around us to give us happiness. We must notice them and derive the enjoyment they provide, instead of being drowned in worries.
Such are physical enjoyments. Mental enjoyment is derived from singing the glories of God through Nama Sankeertana, and by offering selfless service to others. There is happiness in following the path shown by Guru. The fourth one is association with Sadguru. One must listen to words of wisdom. Proper scriptures should be studied. One must read those books alone, which will give proper guidance. One must first equip oneself with the ability to receive with discretion only the good things that a subject has to offer. If our minds are unsteady, then the mind will begin to waver when new subjects are introduced. If you are following the path of devotion, you should only read books which deal with devotion. If you read works about atheism, then your devotion will get corrupted. Such study of irrelevant books is harmful. Sacchastra means reading only the desirable and recommended books of study. One should drown oneself only in subjects that are beneficial.
Paramartha jnana is something very rare to come by. It is the supreme knowledge.
Many people ask: Why should we bother about learning about God? Why do we need to develop devotion? What is the use of those things? Why should we develop detachment? What is wrong in remaining as we are? We are not bothering anyone.
The answer is: It is good if you are not causing trouble to others. However, by remaining in ignorance, you will be causing yourself harm. It is called Atmaghatuka – which is worse than committing suicide. It is being ignorant about your true Self. The troubles that will result from such ignorance are given here in a long list. One gets stuck endlessly in this cycle of birth and death. Every small incident will cause immense agony and unbearable grief. Some people are even driven towards ending their lives by committing suicide. This happens because they do not realize the immense value of their present birth. That is why they resort to suicide. That is why it is important to know about oneself.
We have heard about heaven and hell. Here, speaking about hell, the entire Garuda Purana is summarized in Yoga Vasishtha. It describes what happens in hell. Those who are spiritually ignorant, suffer while living in this body, and will also suffer after leaving this body. Due to wrong notions caused by ignorance, while living in the body, they commit terrible sins. After leaving the body, you, (as your soul) still remain and reap the results of those sins. It is by God’s grace that we do not remember our past lives. If we were to remember our past lives, then in addition to our present troubles, we would also be weeping about our past misfortunes, by recollecting them. We have neither the remembrance of our past lives, nor the knowledge about our future lives. We only know what is going on now. We must therefore utilize this lifetime.
The description of hell that is given here is quite horrible and terrifying, especially for those who have weak hearts.
After that description of hell, the reasons for understanding the truth about oneself are explained in detail. That is the topic of study for today.
Tatva Mahatmya Varnanam is the new topic which will be discussed today. It is universally agreed that there is nothing in this world that is greater than knowledge. Even an atheist swears by his knowledge of the subject of atheism. There is nothing higher than Knowledge.
Nahi jnanena sadrsam pavitramiha vidyate.
‘iha’ does not mean here in this world. Anywhere, at any time, Knowledge reigns supreme.
paripoorna
Sri Rama. why should I teach you? Why should I teach only you? I can remain without teaching you. But, I feel like teaching you. It is because your heart is full of eagerness to obtain the highest knowledge. At the same time, you have completely given up all interest in worldly things and are ready to receive only spiritual teachings. That is why you are Paripoorna manaaha – one with a mind that is fully ready.
Whatever we may be doing or seeking, we must be wholehearted about it, whether the task takes five minutes or half an hour or an hour. It is important to fully apply our mind to the task at hand.
Rama, you know what to ask, and you have sifted through all your doubts and have come up with a final selection of a few genuine and valuable questions.
You have the capacity to understand my teaching. You not only grasp the verbal meaning, but the inner meaning as well. When the interest is genuine, an insight will develop and that will reveal the hidden meaning behind the spoken words. One will be surprised that new insights about new topics will generate from within. It happens when there is a fervor to learn. God became divine only because of his Sraddha/sincere and genuine interest. Rama, you have the capacity to churn the matter that is presented to you and to grasp its subtle essence. That is why I am interested in teaching you.
rajas
Sri Rama, I will tell you how a disciple should be. Using Rama as an excuse, Vasishtha is teaching us. The disciple’s mind should be free from both Rajo Guna and Tamo Guna. Pure Satva Guna should be sought always. Rajo Guna generates ahamkara/ego. Raju – the word itself describes one who is arrogant with power and majesty. Rajasam is required for kings because they have to rule the kingdom and hence must show authority.
Ego makes the mind distracted and unsteady. The mind will not be steady to learn the subject at hand. Rajas is dust. It blurs the vision. Rajo Guna blurs the vision like dust in the eye or fog or a dust storm. Set aside Rajo Guna.
Tamo Guna is utter darkness. There is no sunlight and no artificial light. Tamo Guna will totally blind you. It will make you lazy and inert.
Those who feel, while in the presence of Guru, that they already know things that the Guru is speaking about, are showing signs of Rajo Guna. If one is inattentive or sleeping, while in the presence of Guru, such a person has Tamo Guna.
Many devotees travel long distances to see Sadguru. Yet, their Satva Guna makes them remain alert in spite of jet lag and tiredness when they are in the company of Sadguru. We must always seek to develop and increase our Satva Guna.
Establish your thinking brain in the subject of the soul with a fervent desire to know fully about it.
O Sri Rama, prepare yourselves, steady yourself, to obtain this precious knowledge.
While doing Puja, we pray to God to sit steadily to receive our worship. Sthirobhava. But God is never unsteady. It is we, who are unsteady in our minds. We must remain steady while offering worship. God is one. He does not move. The phrase is a reminder to us.
verse
Rama, you have all the fine qualities of a person who wishes to receive answers. I have all the qualifications to provide the answers.
Vasishtha is not speaking out of any arrogance here. He is merely stating the fact that he is fully knowledgeable.
The guru and disciple are well-matched.
apta
Suta means son. Vasishtha is treating Rama as his own son. He is showering his affection on Rama. Rama’s qualities are described. He has discretion, dispassion, and total interest in learning the subject. The Chandrakanta stone melts like ice when it is touched by moonlight. Rama is compared to the moon. Rama, the name itself has the power to soothe and comfort us. We can say Ramakrishna, because Krishna has the power to attract our minds and tie them up and thus give solace. Not only the elderly, but everyone can repeat the name Ramakrishna to derive peace and comfort.
chirama
Vasishtha says: I have been observing you for a long time. Sadguru constantly observes his disciples. When they are ready and ripe, he enters into their lives. It is Sadguru who attracts us and makes us approach him. It is not our decision. Guru knows the individual merits and qualifications of each disciple.
Vasishtha says, since you were an infant, I have been observing you. You are constantly developing your virtues, your Satva Guna. Rama learned all the skills of warfare but never developed an ego and never employed any weapon without a purpose.
We may wonder why Rama did not employ the most powerful weapon at the very outset to kill Ravana? It shows Rama’s self control and methodical approach. Only one who is self-restrained will be successful at studies. Rama prolonged the war hoping that Ravana would change his mind and get a positive mindset if given time. When Ravana was exhausted, Rama sent him away to get some rest and resume the war the following day.
Suddha
Rama, you are glowing like a radiant lotus, that is absolutely pure. It is such a wonderful sight to see a just blossomed lotus in a pond, moving gently with the ripples of water.
Yoga Vasishtha, the deepest of philosophical subjects is presented in the form of stories. That is the remarkable aspect about it. We will come across many stories, fables, and anecdotes up ahead and it will surprise us as to how such terse topics can be made so easy to grasp when presented as stories. That is the nature of a Sadguru to make things easy and interesting to learn.
Atma Katha – the story about oneself. What is taught to Rama will remain for posterity, just as what was taught to Arjuna has endured for future generations. Lord Krishna did not choose to postpone his teaching. He gave the lesson right on the battlefield. Sri Rama is a manifestation of Knowledge, Truth, and Dharma. He is the chosen perfect disciple.
nahi chandram
Without the moon, the lily will not bloom at night.
A beautiful example. Once this supreme knowledge is obtained, all mental functions which are the root cause of sorrows, will vanish. All thoughts, desires, and repulsions will leave the mind. The mind will just remain pure. At the time of Pralaya, all the twelve aspects of the suns, the Dwadasa Adityas will merge into one. We cannot even endure the heat of one sun. Imagine the heat of 12 suns. Even boulders will melt and flow. That is how everything dissolves into atoms and subatomic particles and even more subtle matter and eventually there is no matter whatsoever remaining. Then Creation begins anew and new mountains form. All these descriptions are given.
Similarly, with spiritual knowledge, all troubles simply disintegrate and disappear.
dussaha
Another secret is disclosed. Cholera is a terrible disease. At one time, it was a terrible epidemic. Samsara, which is the serpent called birth and death, has stung, and the venom has spread all over the body. The pain is unbearable. But with the Yoga Garuda Mantra this venom can be removed completely.
In the olden days, the Ayurvedic physicians would grind some substances together to make a paste and when they put some of it in the mouth, and applied some of it to the location of the snake bite, along with the chanting of some secret mantras, the entire venom would just pour out of the body like a fountain, frothing and bubbling. Perhaps such medicines are still there in the villages. Such physicians chant the Garuda (Eagle) Mantra.
Do Kriya Yoga, Pranayama, and other Yoga practices. It will work effectively like the Garuda Mantra to rescue us from the snake bite of Samsara.
Do at least ten minutes of Pranayama each day. You do not even need to hold your nose. Simply do slow, deep breathing, paying attention to the movement of the breath in the body. How can you afford to forget to notice your own breath? You do not even need any mantra. The deep breathing cleanses the entire system. The thyroid, blood pressure, and sugar problems will be controlled.
The snake charmer has the snake in a basket under control. The lion and tiger which are kept in a cage do not harm us. They are kept under control. Pranayama will restore good health and will preserve longevity. You must do it with faith. It is a science and it is effective. Some atheists tie up yoga also with religion. They are most ignorant. Yoga is universal. Breath is for everyone. Controlled breathing is not a religion. It will benefit everyone who practices it.
Jaya Guru Datta
Sri Guru Datta
Om Santissantissantihi