Discourse on Yoga Vasishtha
Day 104, February 24
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 in the Mumukshu Vyavahara Prakarana, we began the 13th sarga Shama Niroopana. Shama is concentration of the mind. Cleansing of the mind and making it pure to merge it in constant contemplation of the Paramatman, is Shama. What are the benefits of Shama? How does one obtain bliss by perfecting this quality of Shama? Yesterday we learned a few things about Jeevanmuktas. Today we learn more wonderful things about them.
Svaccha
Those who are always pure and uncontaminated in their minds are the Jeevanmuktas, the Self-Realized souls. Since their minds are always absorbed in the contemplation of God, there is no possibility of there being any impurity in them. Why does Swamiji conduct this Maha Yajna of chanting the Hanuman Chalisa for 1.3 billion times? There is no selfish interest there. It is done only to benefit others, to promote World Peace. If we follow an experienced guide when we go trekking in the mountains, we can go with a carefree mind. There is then no fear of getting lost. Following Sadguru serves the same benefit. The Vedas give both dos and don’ts to us. What should be given up is Heyam. What should be followed is Upadeyam. Only those who have both good and bad in them have to be concerned with these rights and wrongs. The enlightened ones have no trace of negativity in them. They are always established in their Self. Their hearts are merged in the Supreme Entity. Such ones are the liberated ones while still living in the body. They are Sadgurus. They have nothing to pursue and nothing to give up.
Aayanti cha
To others they appear as if they are behaving just like any of us. They neither come nor go, nor do anything, if we experience from their perspective.
We inhale and exhale the air that is all around us. The air is not coming or going anywhere. It does not remain confined within us. The space that is inside a pot has not captured space. Space cannot be confined. We have merely built a shape around a small amount of space.
The Self-Realized souls do not engage in any action in the actual sense.
Our intellect plays games with us. If we have the certain feeling that ‘I am eternal. I do not come and go. I ever exist,’ then, we also feel that we neither come nor go.
The enlightened ones are not engaged in any intentional actions. We get caught in karmic bondage because we engage in selfish action with desire and the feeling that we are doing. The enlightened ones have separated themselves from their intellect.
kurvanti
On many occasions, Swamiji does not remember that He had spoken certain words on a certain day. The words automatically come out of His mouth, sometimes without His awareness. The words are not deliberately spoken, but come out as the situation requires, as upadesha to the audience.
ekes
Many of us are happy to remain idle. We may be lying in bed, but our minds are constantly engaged in action. Verbal dispassion is easy to display but mental dispassion is tough to achieve. Only when mental dispassion is achieved, one may give up engaging in good deeds. One has to constantly be engaged in good deeds. It is wrong to simply declare that God exists in my heart and I have no need to visit any temple, or do any japa, ritual, or charitable activities.
The enlightened ones keep both mind and body in a state of dispassion and inaction. They transcend right and wrong. They are above and beyond what should be done and what should not be done. Only those who are under the shade of a tree called scriptures, have to exercise caution in thought and action. We have to follow the injunctions of the scriptures. But the Jeevanmuktas are way above the trees, and are flying free like the swans. They are not bound by the rules of scriptures. The scriptures are dependent upon them and not vice versa.
Those who have experience the Supreme, are free from all prescribed duties. Sage Narada is constantly travels all the worlds. He is not restricted to any timings for the performance of any daily rituals. He has no need for any of those. The sages are all free from such restrictions and commitments. When they do Sandhya Vandana, when they have their meals, are things beyond our perception. The realized souls travel between planets effortlessly and they travel through cosmic time zones. While it is Kali Yuga here, when they go to a different planet, it may be Krita Yuga there. When they visit the sun, the situation will be even more different. It is all beyond our conception. The dimensions, the time scales, are all different. An ant cannot consume as much food as an elephant. There is no comparison between our capacity and lifestyle and those of the realized souls.
verse
Their minds have transcended all desires. We should not ignore this topic assuming that it is beyond our capacity to be free from desires. Out of a thousand, only one may attain that state. But each of us has to try to achieve it. If one does not make an attempt, nothing ever will be achieved. With Sadguru’s help, it can be attained. They have absolutely no desire for anything. They do not even seek liberation. That is why they are already liberated. We, at our level, may desire God’s grace, devotion, knowledge, and dispassion, which will all lead to liberation.
Their minds are enchantingly beautiful.
Madhurashtakam is a beautiful prayer consisting of eight verses. It describes how every single thing about Sri Krishna, His glance, His gait, His smile, and everything in His environment, such as the village, the dust, the flowers, the creepers, the bees, the honey, the sound of His flute, is all totally enchanting and beautiful. Once in His presence, even what normally is unattractive, will also become attractive. Even a muddy ditch filled with excreta will become pleasing and attractive, once the sun’s rays dry up all the contaminants and purify it. It turns into good dirt and perhaps even good manure.
Madhuram, like honey, gives us happiness. That is why we seek honey-like bliss.
The mind gets drenched in bliss and becomes bliss itself. The mind has a tendency to become restless, uneasy, and anxious. It has the tendency to run hither and thither. In the enlightened ones, the mind itself is absent.
According to Vedanta, either per Yoga Vasishtha or other scriptures, the mind is eternal. It is the cause of our existence. What is the reason for our birth? This is a common question. The mind is the cause for our birth. Our mind is the cause of our bondage. Our mind is the cause of our liberation. The mind has created a fence around us. It binds us. The body and the world are all the fences we have built around us. The mind is most subtle. It is tinier than the pointed end of a rice grain. In every thought, word, and action you engage in, your mind is involved. When one applies the mind to every thought, word, and action, it is beneficial. Otherwise random thoughts, words, and actions result, which may cause us harm. The mind is everywhere that we go.
A jeevanmukta is one who is liberated while still living in the body. He enjoys bliss all the time.
‘Attaining liberation’ is a wrong notion according to Vedanta. We are always liberated. We have forgotten our liberated state. Just because a curtain covers the view of an object placed behind it, we cannot say that the object does not exist. Once the curtain is removed, we will clearly see the object. This veil called ignorance, delusion, illusion, and wrong perspective covers our state of liberation. In the common parlance, we say, we want liberation. But liberation is always there. Liberation is not something that can be given or taken, or something that is found in a different world. Similarly, ignorance also is eternal. It always exists with the ignorant ones. We simply wish that ignorance should leave us.
People are still debating whether there is water on the moon. But our Sastras and Vedas have always said that the moon has nectar on it. Just like those who go to the moon will enjoy that nectar, once mind becomes bliss itself, the enlightened ones ever enjoy bliss. Inside our Sahasrara there is the moon and it drips nectar. Soundarya Lahari describes how the enlightened ones enjoy drinking that nectar. The moon referred to here is not the inert sphere that one tries to travel to.
The mind of the realized soul is not the mind that creates confusions and anxieties. It is the mind that is filled only with the nectar of bliss.
api nirmanana
Their mind has no thoughts. Hence, there are no resultant actions. That is why such people are free from desires. We get excited about things and get tempted to try this and that. The realized souls are not excited or surprised about anything. They may pretend such feelings just to please their audience. But those who have experienced the Supreme Entity are not impressed with anything else. Their bliss is immeasurable. We can detect by the way they behave that they are internally enjoying immense happiness. Their happiness is not something that can be seen. It simply has to be experienced. The seeker, by following Yoga is able to drink that nectar of bliss. The nectar in the moon also cannot be seen. It can only be experienced. A scientist discovers new things and feels a certain excitement. Because we are bound within the fences we have built around ourselves, we are unable to experience that bliss.
na karoti indrajaala
Like the world created by a magician, we are caught in delusion. But the enlightened one is free from it. He has restricted his mind from going towards worldly things. Small children, when they are taken to the market, keep stopping frequently, excited to see many new things and desiring each of them. Like such small children, whose mind wavers, we also crave for everything we see. The mother finally buys one small toy to satisfy the child. Actually, the child does not know exactly what he wishes for. We should have a definite aim and should pursue it. But greed and wanting to possess everything will make us the ultimate losers. He, who wants everything, will eventually not get anything.
The mind of the enlightened goes back to its original liberated state of absolute bliss.
Earlier, I spoke about a woman who wore a necklace and kept looking all over the place for it. She thought that it had slipped and fallen off and searched for it everywhere until a man pointed out that it was right there around her neck.
We are like that woman. We look everywhere for what is right within us. A mother once held her child in her arms and searched for him everywhere. Such is our fate. We have forgotten our true state and search outside for what is within us. Paramatma is eternal. We have clutched this pillar called delusion. We have to let it go to free ourselves. We have to do sadhana by following the paths of devotion, spiritual knowledge, and so on.
When the mind gets liberated, then rebirth is not possible, because it is mind which is responsible for our birth. According to Sastra, there are many other things to be explained. But we are following an easy path. Hence, let us not complicate the subject at this stage.
verse
The Self-Realized souls are free from all types of bondages. We have a preconceived notion that joys and sorrows must co-exist. We eat the Ugadi Pachhadi and remind ourselves of it. This is to develop in us the ability to treat joy and sorrow alike and to develop even-mindedness.
But why should we not believe that we can always be happy? This question arose in the minds of the sages. The Upanishads gave the answer. You are of the form of bliss itself. Dattatreya is also called Anandadayaka, one who grants bliss. Datta appears like an Unmattaha, a madman, because He is always smiling and happy. We chase after Him because we wish to share His happiness. We must pray to Sadguru to bless us with His never-ending happiness and equanimity. Those with devotion see Him as a manifestation of bliss. Those who lack devotion, who are most ordinary, see Him as a madman. He may appear as a Pisacha, and yet, He is also Jnana Sagara, an ocean of spiritual knowledge.
The mind’s attributes are to engage in thoughts, desires, and actions. But once, the mind seeks to learn about the Soul, it gives up these traits. This is the only way. Nanyah panthaaha – there is no other way. Every day for at least ten minutes a day, one has to steady the mind by doing Pranayama. Once the mind is calm and still, the Self will be experienced.
Now they are introducing us into the actual science.
tasmat vicharena
We are constantly searching, without knowing what we are seeking. It is the nature of man to search. God has given us many karmas to perform, all as a part of our search for happiness. To satisfy hunger we eat. We search for that happiness. We sleep to derive some rest. That gives us a type of happiness. In every action of ours, we are searching for joy. No one ever looks for unhappiness.
But what is it that we should truly search for? Seek to experience your own Self. All your searching should converge there. Without understanding the Self, understanding all other things is futile. Every single day, one should seek to know oneself. Pranayama stills the mind. The mind will reduce its running after outside objects.
Whatever one may be doing, at all times, be aware of your presence everywhere. Consider all others as yourself.
Feel as if you are always looking in the mirror when you look at the beings of the world. This concept helps society immensely. Always see yourself in others. Refrain from hurting others by word or deed. Always remember how if the same harsh words or deeds were addressed to you, how you would feel pain. Sri Jayalakshmi Mata in her 12 commandments gave the same message that was given in the Upanishads. This technique helps to find liberation. All mantras, rituals, and accomplishments are towards gaining liberation.
All the siddhis, the eight spiritual accomplishments when granted to Prahlada, he said they should only lead to liberation. Prahlada prayed that all his siddhis should only strengthen his faith in the lotus feet of the Lord. He also prayed that all those who exist should ever be happy. All living beings should be happy, including animals, trees, and insects. This should be the lifelong prayer. Purusha here refers to all living creatures.
svaanu
Personal experience, scriptural word, and Guru’s instruction should all coincide and merge. This has to be remembered. We listen to some teachings. We read of the same in the books. The same should be our personal experience also.
Now, during the Sri Chakra Puja, Hanuman Chalisa will be chanted by all the devotees. Although Swamiji has said that listening itself is sufficient, it is only when you chant it yourself, that Hanuman’s energy will fill your entire system. Please join the group and chant along.
Jaya Guru Datta
Sri Guru Datta
Om Santissantissantihi