Discourse on Yoga Vasishtha
Day 1, July 14
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
Till now we watched Sri Swamiji’s program on Yogasangeeta and we have listened to him. Our Nadis have become purified as a result. We had the occasion to listen to Sri Swamiji’s Healing Music concert prior to commencing this discourse on Yoga Vasishtha.
Now during the auspicious Chaturmasya celebration, on the day of Sravana star, we begin the discourse on Yoga Vasishtha. It is very beneficial to begin listening to the scriptures on Sravana star day because Sravana means ‘to listen’.
Today is Somavara/Monday, and Vidiya, the second day of the lunar phases. Everything wonderful has come together for us. First we offer prayers to Sadgurudeva, to Lord Sri Rama, sages Vasishtha and Viswamitra, and all the gurus who teach us our ancient wisdom.
Yoga Vasishtha is an exquisite work. It narrates the dialog between an enlightened Guru Rishi Vasishtha and a direct incarnation of God, Lord Sri Rama. It is impossible to find two personages equal to them in this entire world. Yoga Vasishtha is a dialog between two such exalted individuals. It is also called Yoga Ramayanam, Maha Ramayanam, and Maha Yoga Ramayanam, and Jnana Vasishtham. But Yoga Vasishtha is its popular name that all the commentators have used.
This work grants Yoga and Jnana. We must strive for spiritual knowledge. Instead, we chase after other things in life. That is the greatest illusion that we fall into. When we seek it, knowledge will come. When there is genuine interest and a yearning to earn Guru’s grace, the way a cow comes running after its hungry calf, Guru will come seeking you.
In the Taittireeyopanishad and in our Bhakti Mala magazine also, emphasis is laid on cultivating a deep interest in and an intense thirst for spiritual knowledge.
We offer prayers in our mind to the Supreme Soul, the Paramatma, now incarnated as our Sadgurudeva to kindly bless us with spiritual knowledge, since we have come genuinely seeking to be enlightened.
Yoga Vasishtha consists of 32,000 verses, as compared with 24,000 verses in the Ramayana. There are 6 Prakaranas. This term Prakarana is much used in the Sastras. The subjects are placed before us in a certain sequence. We have to follow that sequence. We cannot study even one sentence out of context. There are 6 such divisions in this work. The first one is Vairagya/Dispassion Prakarana.
We think that we are very intelligent. We advise others that they should have a goal/a wish, a desire or aim and that they should follow it to achieve it in their life. It is true in the worldly sense. But in the spiritual sense, it is different. We are asked not to entertain desires. We have to reduce our physical needs while on this journey called life. We cannot completely do away with requirements. Even great souls retain their body because it is Prarabdham/Destiny. The question arises why an enlightened soul does not give up the body, even in the Yoga Vasishtha this question is addressed.
What I have begun, I must complete. I cannot ask Guru to complete it for me. I have acquired this body. I must experience it till its purpose is completed. We can pray to Sadguru to grant us the capacity to satisfactorily fulfill our purpose in life. We cannot simply throw the burden of the rest of our life onto him. As per our past karma, we acquire illness, bereavement, pain, or even comforts and happiness. We must experience them all ourselves. We can pray to Guru to expedite our experience. King Harischandra experienced in 12 moments of his dream twelve years’ worth of karma and exhausted it. Like that we may pray to speed up our expenditure of karma. This will happen through dispassion. Hatred is different. It is not acceptable.
Sastras say that we should not be like Ravana. Every word employed in the Sastras has a specific meaning. Not a single word can be deleted. Do not behave like Ravana and others who hated others and entertained negative qualities born of Rajo Guna and Tamo Guna. It means that such qualities should not be entertained. It does not mean that you have permission to be like Kumbhakarna instead. The Mahabharata is given as an example, where one should reject the tendencies of hatred and deception shown by Duryodhana and his cohorts. Through love and honesty the Pandavas gained God’s grace. Such ideals one should develop. Through stories like the Bhagavatam and the Puranas, these teachings are conveyed. The Puranas are similar to the Sastras in their intent. It is much emphasized in the Puranas that hatred, deception, jealousy, and such other negative feelings are very harmful. What they do not stress on, is that even attachment should be given up. Excessive attachment also is the cause of grief. Therefore, it should be given up.
A doctor may advise that you should give up hot pickles, and some other things which are your favorite dishes. It is best to follow the advice given instead of arguing that your neighbor is enjoying them without ill effects. The doctor speaks from his knowledge and experience. Just because you stop eating sugar for the sake of protecting your health, do not argue that sugar factories will close down, and so many laborers will lose their jobs. Our thinking process should follow logic and reason.
Due to some specific reasons, Sri Rama covered himself in a veil of ignorance and expressed his doubts to his gurus like an ignorant person, who then dispelled his ignorance. That is this story. The first topic discussed here is Vairagya/dispassion.
Prema/Love is not the subject here. If your mind is preoccupied with other thoughts or is trying to employ the reasoning discussed here upon other unrelated subjects, it is not going to be beneficial to you. You will neither grasp the subject at hand, nor will you attain a better understanding of the subject that you are preoccupied about.
First, you must empty your cup. Unless your cup is empty, Guru cannot fill it with knowledge. If your cup is already full, Guru cannot pour any more liquid into it. At first empty your mind of your strong preconceived ideas. With an open mind you must listen. After fully listening, you may write down your questions if you have any, based on your contrary experience. I will then answer your questions.
Attachment must be given up, it is said. Attachment towards what and towards whom should be given up? If that is a good question, guru would have specified the conditions to begin with. He simply made a general statement that attachment leads to sorrow. Except for Truth, except for your own true nature, attachment for anything else must be given up. Whatever is harmful to your health is against your nature. Such things you must give up. That will require another voluminous work to list all such items.
Gradually, step by step, let us give up our preoccupation with all outward objects at least while we are here engaged in this study.
This first section is called Vairagya Prakarana. The second section is Mumukshu Vyavahara Prakarana. Who does not wish for happiness? Everyone does. How does a person wishing for happiness behave? That description is given here. Utpatti Prakarana is next, which gives a description of how this Creation came into being. The next is Sthiti Prakarana which explains how this Creation is sustained. Whether this explanation is all true or false, we will discuss later. The next is Upashama Prakarana. Anything that comes into being has to also be withdrawn. That is the law of nature. It does not use the word destruction, but uses a word that describes a gradual process of extinguishing. In Telugu, we do not say the lamp has ‘aripoyindi’/gone out; instead, we say ‘kondekkindi’/gradually went out, like the rising and setting of the sun which happens gradually and not abruptly.
In Vedanta and in Yoga Vasishtha this description about sunrise and sunset is frequently used. The next is Nirvana Prakarana/Liberation. All these six subjects were taught by Sage Vasishtha.
Today we begin the Vairagya Prakarana. This part of the work is in the form of stories. Therefore, I am hoping that you will find it interesting.
Those who have eaten prasadam from the hands of Guru will not appreciate the taste of anything else. Annamacharya tasted the laddu prasadam of Mother Goddess and declared that nothing else beats that taste. Vidura declared that the taste of a Tulasi leaf is unbeatable.
Similarly, along with the taste of the stories, also develop a taste for the subject matter that will be discussed here. The experience of what is not an object is difficult to describe and explain. Here they are laying a beautiful path for us to follow. Here Rama is an excuse for the teaching of Truth, just as Arjuna was made the excuse for the teaching of Truth in the Bhagavad Gita.
I searched everywhere for a copy of Yoga Vasishtha to read. But I only came across a few incomplete versions and some that were full of printing errors, which caused me great frustration. Finally, a person brought me a steel box containing some books studied by Sri Narasimha Sastry, Sri Swamiji’s father. It was a treasure chest with the most precious gems.
Sri Swamiji has made a phone call just now (from the USA).
Appaji gave his blessing and permission to proceed with the discourse on Yoga Vasishtha.
I had left a message for Appaji after listening to the concert. Now he has called and given his seal of approval. I am conveying Appaji’s blessings to all of you here. I told him that we enjoyed listening to the concert here, especially that I enjoyed the songs, Phalabhoo Tilaka lochana and Saptaswaroodham. It felt as if we were transported to heaven. If it was so beautiful here, I cannot imagine the thrill felt by those who attended the concert in person.
I have requested Appaji to conduct a concert in Shuka Vana, although the space will not accommodate many. We once enjoyed a concert that he played in the Bonsai Garden.
That Sadguru should call just at this time to give his blessings for this discourse as we are just about to commence it, is indeed our wonderful good fortune.
To begin any discourse, the first thing to do is to describe the worth of the book. After looking through the collection of the books in the box, I found this Yoga Vasishtha. I looked to see if all the different sections were there, and I found a complete collection of all the sections. He had studied this work in 1973. It was published much earlier. It is for me a great gift from my grandfather. I am extremely happy that Swamiji himself has given this gift to me in this wonderful manner.
Any book’s value must first be mentioned. The intent of the book, what it is trying to convey, should be explained. Then there should be a proper conclusion.
Do not read all kinds of commentaries and confusing versions of books. It is always best to read the original work. Otherwise the false interpretations are likely to mislead the readers.
First we begin with a prayer to Guru.
Gurur Brahma, Ajnana timira, Akhandamandalakaram, Om Purnamadah, Om Santissantissantihi.
If we know the value of a work, then our interest gets stimulated. Without knowing the worth of a book to begin with, if you begin your study, and after traveling halfway, find that you are not getting anywhere, then from the middle of the ocean which way do you proceed?
Some people indulge in self-praise. But here, it is not so.
If Sage Vasishtha himself speaks well of this work, then what should we think? Those who are far superior to us are praised by us. Or those who are far superior to us will praise us just to encourage our progress. In the case of Sage Vasishtha, he is the most ancient of all sages, and the most knowledgeable. There is no one who is higher than him in the field to write a commendation for his work. All others are way too inferior to estimate the worth of the book. Hence, he alone is qualified to comment on his own work. Veda speaks about itself. Veda is that which clears everyone’s doubts. Guru himself has to assure us that he is competent to lead us on the correct path.
Vasishtha himself writes the praise for this work. What does he say? He says that to overcome the difficulty that we are in, of being caught in the cycle of births and deaths, we require an effective strategy. We need to get freed from this. Yoga Vasishtha is the strategy to employ, to obtain Liberation. Liberation is not going from this world to another world. That is a wrong notion. Liberation is bliss. This work gives you the procedure step by step, in a proper sequence, on how to attain eternal bliss. This contains the essence of the Upanishads. There are 32,000 slokas/verses in this. The fruit that this work grants is Moksha/Liberation.
We have awakened from sleep. We see the sun rising. Or we see a lamplight. We did not open our eyes with the intention of seeing the light. It was enough that we opened our eyes. The light automatically became visible.
There is no need to make any additional effort. It is sufficient if this book is studied with full understanding. It is sufficient if we place complete faith in its teachings as the teaching of our Sadguru. The way the light becomes visible to our eyes even without any effort on our part, liberation will occur to us without any effort on our part, by the mere understanding of this text. Who is seeing this light? It is the one who resides within us who is seeing the light. Similarly, the study of this book will certainly yield liberation. Like a light, this is placed before you.
We may study it on our own if we have the capacity. It is easy to follow. This Yoga Vasishtha has that feature about it. All other philosophical works have to be studied under the tutelage of a guru. They require the authority of the explanation by a guru. You may seek the permission of your guru and begin this study. Ordinary people may face some doubts while studying it on their own. So, it is also good to listen to someone who reads it and explains it to you. It removes delusion and grants peace.
We chant Om Santissantissantihi, uttering the word Santi three times. The number 3 has a great significance. May the 3 worlds be at peace. May my 3 types of ignorance be dispelled. May my 3 types of sins be eradicated. Here, we pray for the extinguishing of our ignorance/delusion. The one and only eternal bliss will be granted by the study of this work. If we listen to it with attention, we gain the benefit. If you bathe in the Ganga, if you have Sadguru’s darshan, your body, mind, and soul get cleansed, without any further effort on your part. Even an atheist will benefit by bathing in the Ganga because the river has descended from heaven directly. Like the Ganga, Yoga Vasishtha will wash away our ignorance.
One runs away in fright mistaking a rope for a snake. But when he examines the object with a flashlight, the illusion is dispelled.
Just worship this work with reverence, as you should all sacred scriptures like Swamiji’s Life History, Sri Datta Darsanam, and the Bhagavad Gita. Keep these books readily accessible, not locked away out of sight.
If you grasp the meaning of this work, you will become enlightened. This is Veda itself. It should be thoroughly examined and understood. It should be commented upon. That is why I am attempting to explain it to you now. It should be approached with reverence and devotion. If you do, it will give you the four-fold benefit including salvation.
The Veda prescribes several different karmas/actions or rituals. Here, in the form of stories, the highest knowledge is conveyed. In the study of this work, there will be no difficulty. There will not be any pain or suffering. The Upanishads also convey the same meaning as this great work. But since here it is in the form of stories, it will keep us entertained. There is no need to elaborate on this. The Yoga Vasishtha grants happiness. As their concluding words of praise for this work, Sage Valmiki and Sage Vasishtha declare that this book grants Liberation, which is in the form of the experience of Sat, Chit, and Ananda – Pure Existence, Consciousness, and Bliss.
The work begins with 3 dhyana slokas: verses for meditation. We will discuss the meaning of these verses tomorrow.
Please chant the verses:
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 ānanandāsyāṁbarē vanau
sarvēṣām jīvanam tasmai brahmānandātmanē namaḥ || 3
Victory to Sadgurunatha Maharaj
Om Santissantissantihi/May peace prevail
Harihi Om Tatsat
Today we begin. At least to a small extent we will try to grasp the essence of Yoga Vasishtha, and pray that we are well rewarded by this experience.
This is a book that should be studied joyfully, not forcibly. Please keep that in mind as you listen. Because once I begin, where or when I will stop, I do not know. It will not be easy to stop the flow but sometime we are under time restrictions. Just as you keep working until you go to bed, you should keep churning in your mind the principles of Vedanta until you fall asleep. Until the body is given up, the study of Vedanta must continue.
Swamiji says that he plays the healing music for his own benefit. Similarly, I am doing this as my own personal study. You are all joining me on this journey, each sitting in their own seats on this bus, train, or boat. As much as possible, keep thinking about the ideas discussed here.
Tomorrow we begin the discourse on Yoga Vasishtha at 8 AM. Knowing that it is going to be physically strenuous, I still have decided to take this plunge into this ocean called Yoga Vasishtha. There is going to be another discourse every evening also during this Chaturmasya, plus there are numerous other activities in between.
Sri Guru Datta