Discourse on Yoga Vasishtha
Day 8, July 21
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
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
Sri Rama’s Teertha Yatra Varnana/Description of the pilgrimage undertaken by Sri Rama – 3rd sarga is now commencing.
Jeevanmukti …
Sri Rama stated that he felt a desire to go on a pilgrimage. After the completion of studies at Gurukula/residing with guru, as per tradition, the parents are offered obeisance by Sri Rama and his brothers and permission is sought from them to go on a pilgrimage to seek the grace of God. The pilgrimage centers are visited and also the ways of the world are comprehensively observed. Thereafter, tradition calls for listening to discourses on Vedanta. This sequence of observances is described here.
Today is Adi Krittika, a very auspicious day, and a special day for Lord Subrahmanya. Hence, we have performed the Kavadi ritual for Sri Marakata Subrahmanya Swami at the Sri Datta Venkateswara Temple.
Here, in the Yoga Vasishtha, in this sarga, there is a mention that Sri Rama had the darshan of Kartikeya/Sri Subrahmanya at the pilgrimage center of Swami Malai. It shows that Swami Malai is such an ancient pilgrimage center. That we should be studying this episode on this auspicious Adi Krittikai day appears to me like a sign of special divine grace. We have completed the vibhuti abhishekam to the Lord and have resumed our study of Yoga Vasishtha this morning.
I urge every one of you to have darshan of Lord Marakata Subrahmanya who is called Jnana Skanda, on this highly sacred occasion. He is a manifestation of spiritual knowledge. He is of the form of Sattva. His spear Velayudha has only one sharp point, encompassing the combined forces of all the three points of a Trident. Ekagra means one-pointed. It is also called the Saktyayudha and Sulayudha. In Him, all the three Gunas merge and He is of the form of Sattva Guna. His spear has a single point signifying one-pointed concentration by which He grants us spiritual knowledge. Therefore He is called Jnana Skanda.
Yesterday we mentioned that the qualities of a Jeevanmukta/Self-realized soul were enumerated briefly in the last verse. It explains that being ever contented is an attribute of one who has attained enlightenment. Many people are always insecure about the wellbeing of their families and fail to achieve a state of contentment.
To attain the state of Jeevanmukti, God’s grace and perfect spiritual knowledge are required. It is only by God’s grace and by the grace of Sadguru that a person acquires an interest in Vedanta. To acquire such an interest, Sri Rama intended to go on a pilgrimage.
Sage Bharadwaja requested Sage Valmiki to explain to him in detail how Sri Rama obtained liberation, and how, being in that state of perpetual contentment and unending bliss, he carried out all the affairs of the world. The reason he asked is that this information would help him also to attain perfection in Karma Yoga and Jnana Yoga and thereby experience eternal bliss.
We tend to question what benefit there is for us to know that someone else has attained liberation. To answer that question, Sage Valmiki is presenting this information here.
Bhramasya …
Here begins the actual science of Vedanta. It is a little difficult to grasp. Our intelligence does not quickly absorb this concept. It is always said that this subject can only be known by personal experience. The bliss that is obtained by this experience cannot be measured by any outside instrument or yardstick. Each individual’s own experience of it is the only true testimony for it. Until the experience comes to us, we have to keep striving and listening to Vedanta. We will know that we have attained it only when we ourselves have the experience of that immeasurable joy. No person can certify or testify for another.
The highest reward of this science, which is the toughest subject ever to be taught, and the manner in which this subject should be learned and applied in one’s life, are now being presented in an easily understood manner by Sage Valmiki.
Therefore, let us first listen completely to what he has to say.
This world is illusory.
Analyze it with a scientific mind. No two persons see the world the same way. How is it possible to describe the world? How can one determinedly say that the world is such and such? It is based on each individual’s personal perception of it. Each person’s experience of the world is different. No two persons see the same things in this world. People who can see, see the world a certain way. Those who are blind perceive it differently. People of different ages see the world from their own different perspectives. If the world were of one fixed state, then everyone should see it the same way. But it is not so.
The horrible picture that the world presents to a poverty-stricken man and the luxurious way this same world appears to a prosperous man are totally different.
An enlightened individual knows that the world does not even exist. A yogi perceives the world in a different manner. A sick person’s view of the world is different. Each individual’s world is absolutely different from another individual’s view of the world.
Four blind-folded men, who do not know what they are being presented with, will give four totally different descriptions of an object. When they feel an elephant with their hands, each describes the different parts of the animal differently. One feels the leg and calls it a pillar. One feels the tail and says it is a snake. One feels the trunk and describes it as a banana tree trunk. One feels the ear and says it is a large flat container used to separate grains. When you put all the descriptions together, you may end up with the conclusion that it is an elephant that they are describing.
Similarly, like the blind-folded men, each of us have our own different perceptions of this world. It does not appear the same to any two persons. That is enough to convince us that this world has no definite substance to it. Its nature is based upon each one’s perception of it. This world is not created by God. It is created by you and I as per our own tastes and preferences.
Bhramasya ..
A child, a deluded individual, and an ignorant person will declare that the sky is blue.
No one has painted the sky blue. Science tells us that the sky is colorless and it merely appears to be blue for certain reasons. At a certain time, the sky appears totally black. At another time, it is filled with light. Again it becomes black. To a colorless sky the mind attributes different colors and features; it is the mind that gives different features to this world also.
Apunasmaranam ..
What can be done about this situation? It is clear now that the world as we see it does not really exist. It is clear that we have fabricated our own separate, differentiated worlds in our own individual minds. Now, what can be done about it?
What gives happiness to one, gives sorrow to another. Every object in this world has something undesirable about it. How to overcome this problem?
Learn to see your Sadguru or Paramatma in everything that meets your eye. Then you will eventually have a vision of Truth.
Sage Valmiki gives a simple solution. Just don’t think about it. Don’t burden your thoughts with it. If you wish to study the science of Vedanta, then, the best policy is not to think about the nature of this world, its origin, its ways, or any such details.
Whatever study you are focusing on at any given moment, if the mind wanders away from it, you will not have the concentration required to grasp the subject. This is everyone’s experience. Learning about Paramatma/Supreme Soul is the same as learning about oneself.
There are some people, who, instead of minding their own business, are always concerned about the evil nature or the wicked doings of others. There are two negative results that are triggered by this. The first is that their own spiritual pursuit gets disturbed. The second is that they fail to see anything positive in their surroundings.
Therefore, the advice given here by Sage Valmiki to Sage Bharadwaja is to simply be indifferent to this illusory world. It is best not to think about this world. That is one quality of a Jeevanmukta/liberated person.
Drisyaad…
Why should one ignore the existence of this world? It is because, until the preoccupation with the world is given up, liberation is not possible.
It is not enough to simply ignore what is disliked by us. It must be remembered with the strongest conviction that whatever is visible or perceived is certainly going to be destroyed sooner or later. It is not permanent and hence, it is not the Truth. Until you learn to shut out this world from your view, it is not possible to experience the Paramatman. It is not possible to become liberated, to become a Jeevanmukta. As long as the awareness of the world is there, it is not possible to attain liberation. Therefore, pursue this spiritual practice of shutting out the world from your mind.
What is the subject taught in Vedanta? In any story, there is a hero, a heroine, a villain, and their associates, and some theme is conveyed through the story. Here, the subject matter is Paramatma/Supreme Soul. Here, the idea that you are being taught by another, is also an illusion. This subject can only be self-taught. What you teach yourself is Vedanta.
What is this? Don’t I know myself? Do I not know my own hometown? Do I not know my own name? Do I need you to teach me these things? Am I that stupid? I know who my friends are. I know who my enemies are. When questioned deeply as to when and why these persons became your friends or enemies, and what the relationship was with them before then, your arguments will lose their strength. The Vedanta scholars will make you poke yourself in the eyes with your own fingers with their probing questions.
You say you know about yourself.
My name is so and so.
You identify yourself with the name given to you.
That is where the teachers of Vedanta will trap you.
Where did you acquire that name?
They gave it to me at the naming ceremony.
What was your name before then?
They called me, ‘little one’, ‘baby’, ‘darling’ or ‘sweet child’.
Are those your names?
No. My parents merely used those terms of endearment to address me or to refer to me.
What happened to those names?
They were given up because I got a regular name.
What about before you were given those endearing names? Did you not exist?
No answer.
How can you say that you are your name?
Hm. Yes. Now that I think about it, I have to agree. I did not like my name and so I changed it. I shortened my name because it was too long. Therefore, I cannot be my name, because I kept changing it myself or others kept changing it.
Slowly the truth begins to dawn on us.
We get trapped because we are unwilling to see the truth as it is. Our nose was small when we were babies. Now the nose has become big. The fingers were tiny. Now they are long. You say that the baby was I, and yet, that baby is not I. What I am now, is the real I.
But this person is constantly going through a change. How do you then define the individual? Soon the skin will be wrinkled.
Are you the young you or the old you? When you were in the mother’s womb, was it the real you? But you were then invisible.
No. I am what I was when I was born after spending nine months inside the womb.
What were you when you existed in your father?
My form was very subtle.
What about before you entered into your father?
I existed in an even more subtle form mixed in water, food, and so on.
You accept that you still existed then, although not visible to the naked eye. Before that where were you?
I was a part of the Sun’s radiance.
What was your form then?
I don’t know.
What about before you were a part of the Sun’s ray? Did you have an existence then?
Yes. I did exist. I was perhaps all-pervasive. I was perhaps none other than Paramatma.
The name, the body that have been acquired by us, we mistake as our very own identity. That ignorant concept we have to discard.
If you have managed to even capture a hint of this fresh concept that is enough for now to embark on the study of this subject. Slowly this will get developed. A tiny spark is sufficient for now. Just two flint stones are sufficient to generate the fire of knowledge.
Just understand for now that what is visible to you as the world is an illusion.
Do not have the wrong notion that you alone are truth and the rest of the world is false. You are the laboratory in which you carry out the entire experiment to arrive at the final conclusion of what Truth is. The internal experiments are crucial. External study and research are not going to yield you any useful results. Once you succeed in your internal research, there will be no need for any external research after that. All that exists is within. Because everything exists inside, it is projected outside for you to perceive with your senses.
Without giving up ignorance, without placing firm faith in this science, one cannot gain knowledge. Unless you listen, and you believe, it will not come to be experienced.
If you are given a brand new car and the keys to it and are asked to turn on the ignition and drive, unless you have the faith in my words and do as you are told, you will not go anywhere. The car will simply remain unused, get rusted and rot. You have to have faith, you must pay attention, and follow the instructions to gain the experience.
First you must empty the vessel and clean it. Then if you place milk in it, the milk will not spoil. So, the first step is to sweep out all the misconceptions from your mind. We have studied the examples of how children say that the sky is blue, but the well-informed know that the sky is colorless. They know that the color blue that appears in the sky is an optical illusion. Similarly, the illusion that ‘I’ am ‘the body’ should be first removed. More useful examples will be given as we proceed. There is no other method than to study this science to gain the knowledge that we seek. There is no other way for us to reach our destination.
We build a barrier around ourselves. We have to break the barriers and we must experience the wide expanse of the world. We must broaden our outlook. We are told to acquire knowledge about God. We are told that the Puranas teach us about God and that learning the stories of God will earn us spiritual merit and the grace of God.
This creates a belief in us – ‘I am separate from God’. What is the benefit to me in learning about God? I learn about a few attributes of God and then I am told that God has no form. He has no name. He cannot be seen. Then, we are told that God is everywhere. And going even beyond that, Vedanta, which aims to bestow the greatest reward upon us, says, “You are Paramatma”.
Vedanta is the highest science and the only science which makes such a bold declaration. Is it possible to get any more powerful than that?
The reason that the enlightened ones succeed at whatever they attempt to do is because of this limitless power which they have tapped. They have no desires. But should they have any desires, the five elements will be at their service eager to fulfill all their wishes. If the five elements are their subordinates, then is it any wonder that thousands of people flock behind them? Such is their power. But, once they reach a certain level, they will have no interest in wielding such powers.
This science is called Saareerika Meemaamsa. You have limited your capacity to your body as its boundary. This is not the right perspective. You are without boundaries and barriers. You are Paramatma, says Vedanta.
You have to find yourself. You have to discover yourself.
You have to search for a lost object where you have dropped it. It is useless searching for it elsewhere, saying, O there is light there, so I will search for it there. It is foolish to do so. No matter how hard you search, you will not find it anywhere else except where you have dropped it. It is like a woman wearing a very lightweight necklace and looking for that same necklace all over the world, not realizing that it is right there adorning her neck. She and all her friends frantically searched for it. Finally, another friend, upon inquiring what they were all searching for, pointed to her neck, and said, I see it on your neck. Is that what you are all searching for?
Yes!!!
You thought you had lost it and everyone else also thought that you had lost it, and all of you are searching for it feverishly, she exclaimed.
Similarly, we are searching for ourselves. Finally, Sadguru comes and shows us that we have the answer within ourselves.
That job Sage Valmiki is doing for us here. That friend is Sadguru. The answer will be found only when you search within.
Andhakasura searched for Siva everywhere. He did not find Him anywhere. Finally he called out, “Siva, where are you? Come and appear before me.” Siva tore open Andhakasura’s stomach and came out. I am right here, He said.
Until we let go of this world, we will not find ourselves. We try to attract everyone else in this world, but we ignore our own existence. It is only when we stop searching outside and when we begin to look for ourselves within ourselves, that we will succeed in experiencing liberation.
Next, Valmiki gives us the means.
Until one gets enlightened, the effort must continue to cleanse oneself of sins, to serve Sadguru, and to keep listening and pondering over this subject. One must continue to dispel doubts and earning spiritual merit.
Sacheha …
If you listen to it fully, and practice it completely, you will attain the result. Tatvamaapsyasi – Tat Tvam Asi.
There is no other way.
In Sri Swamiji’s Life History, what did Sri Jayalakshmi Mata say to Satyanarayana when he asked her repeatedly, “Who am I?”
For that one question, you yourself have to find the answer. It is a search that each person has to make on his or her own.
What does the Hasta Mastaka Prayoga by Sadguru do? It empowers you to obtain the required spiritual knowledge. By that gesture, he removes all the hurdles in your path when you embark on that search. But, after receiving such grace, if you do not contemplate, if you do not do the required sadhana, if you choose to remain idle, you will gather hurdles in your path once again. The path that has been made smooth by Sadguru has to be used by the seeker to attain liberation. That is what is suggested here in a subtle manner. Others can show the way, but they cannot show you to you. You have to discover yourself. It is not something that can be given to you. It is not something that can be purchased. It is an experience that you have to strive to achieve for yourself. If you do not put in the effort, it will elude you. At least listen to discourses such as these and then deeply churn the subject in your heart. Until your experience is complete, do not allow your persistent efforts to become slack.
Jagadbhramoyam ..
It will come to your experience that even this illusion of the world does not exist. A middle school student would have learned that the sky is really not blue. So, easily that misconception leaves him. Similarly, the illusory nature of the world also will easily become apparent to you if you put in the required effort.
Drisyam ..
What is being seen is not real. The sense organs are supplying this data to the mind and it is the mind that is receiving this illusory input and clinging to it. We mistakenly attribute strength to the sense organs and give them credit for bringing us all these experiences. In the process we forget the role of the mind. In reality, it is the mind that rules. It eagerly receives the input from the senses and hoards them all.
Tie a thread to each of five small stones. Place them in a circle. Bring all the five threads together and tie a larger stone with them and keep the larger stone in the middle of the circle. Now begin wetting the five small stones. You will notice that the threads which absorb the water from the small stones will pass on the moisture to the larger stone in the middle, making the large stone wet.
You have to clean the mind. You have to clear from the mind all the collected debris which you have gathered through the sense organs. You must refrain from collecting new data from the senses. The method for this is to begin to see Sadguru in everything that the senses perceive. Or see the Paramatman in everything that the senses bring in. You have to acquire that state. That state will reward you with the fruit of bliss called liberation. Brahmananda will be attained. That is what this Sastra grants.
Without attaining this capacity to free ourselves from the burden carried by the mind, even if spiritual practice is carried out for a million births, you will not experience that transcendental bliss. You have to remove this burdensome luggage from your mind. When V.I.P’s travel, they do not carry much luggage. Wherever they go, they will have all the necessary comforts provided. They do not need to carry their bed sheets, toothbrushes, and so on. The enlightened ones travel through life like that without carrying any mental baggage.
The ignorant ones are caught in this deep ditch called worldly entanglements and find it impossible to get out of the pit. They keep struggling there endlessly going round and round making futile attempts.
When an animal gets trapped in a ditch like that, sometimes knowing that it is going to die there anyway, some people keep shoveling dirt into the ditch to bury the animal to shorten its misery. A clever animal under such circumstances, will step over the dirt at every stage, and using the shoveled dirt as steps, will eventually get out of the ditch to level ground. Like that, using the same earthly dirt that gets heaped upon us should be used by us cleverly, to pave the path to help us get out of our rut.
A very important point is here. We say that Paramatma is eternal, pure, and without beginning or end. Now, if each of us attains that knowledge ‘I am Paramatma’, then what happens to this world? What happens to all the ignorant people who remain without the enlightenment that I have received? Only a person with incomplete understanding will ask this question. A liberated person will not ask this question. But we have to give the ignorant man an answer.
Just as Truth is eternal, illusion/Maya is also eternal. Just because you became enlightened, it is not required that everyone in the world should also simultaneously get illumined. You need not worry about it. If you are hungry and food is available, you should eat it. You need not sit there at such times and worry about all the hungry people in the world and refrain from eating your food. No one does that. Just because your hunger is satisfied, it does not mean that everyone else in the world is going to feel full. You may get enlightened. But ignorance that is illusory may remain in this world.
In the case of Krishna or Sadguru, when they consume food saying, “Brahmarpanam”, all hungry beings get satisfied. This story is also told. That is because He is of Brahma Svaroopa. Before taking a meal, when the Pranahutis are offered, it is a prayer that all those in the world who are unable to earn food, should also be fed. By the power of your prayers, their hunger will be satisfied. Not everyone has the resources to engage in Annadana. Many have just enough to feed themselves. For such persons to gain spiritual merit, this offering of daily prayer for the satisfaction of hunger of all others is a good option. This is within the means of everyone. It costs no money.
Unless ignorance is removed, spiritual knowledge will not be gained. The power to destroy ignorance and to bestow knowledge is contained in this sacred work, Yoga Vasishtha.
Aseshena ..
A question arose in the mind of Valmiki. There are many scriptures in the world which claim that liberation may be obtained by the performance of Upasana.
Many are under the false notion that Upasana is easy. But performing Upasana is not easy. Upa+asana means to remain close to God. We may choose to stay by Him. But He should allow us to remain close to Him. This process is very difficult. Saayujya, Saalokya, Saameepya, and so on. After much effort, result may be obtained only by some who have a great amount of accumulated merit from previous births. Someone like Dhruva had great merit earned in his past lives that granted him easy success.
To listen to Vedanta Sastra filled with stories to remove the contamination from the mind, to practice the teachings, is easy. It is a smooth journey that will reach you to your destination without any strain. This takes you along in small easy stages, step by step with no frustration. That is the specialty of Yoga Vasishtha. The other method does not come with any guarantees. This method assures success.
Ksheenaayaa..
Examples are a plenty in this work. Once, the odors stuck to the mind are removed, freshness is enjoyed.
In a kitchen, the cooking odors stick to the draperies and the moment you step into the room, the odors begin to bother the nose. Once the draperies are given to the cleaners and come back smelling fresh, you feel much better.
Just because you like fragrance, can you bathe in a tubful of perfume? Excess of anything is unpleasant and harmful. No matter how thick the snow cover may be, once the sun begins to shine during the spring season, the snow has no choice but to melt. Even glaciers melt. Similarly, once, with the acquisition of knowledge through meaningful examples, when our inner odors of ignorance are removed, Truth will disclose itself with certainty.
Next, Sage Valmiki explains that Sri Rama requested permission from his father to go on a pilgrimage. The reasons given by Sri Rama for wanting to go on a pilgrimage are also enumerated. King Dasaratha felt very happy to hear this wish expressed by his son. He gladly gave his consent and sent his four sons on a an extensive pilgrimage with the required entourage. They visited several places in the Himalayas such as Badari, and Kedar in North India. They visited Nepal, Afghanistan, several shrines in South India, all the oceans, and sacred rivers such as Ganga, Yamuna, Saraswati, and Chandrabhaga, and returned home. The pilgrimage cleansed their hearts.
In the Markandeya Purana, a pilgrimage is referred to as Kriya Yoga. Yoga in the form of any action is Kriya Yoga. Kriya means action. Visits to the ashram also count as a practice of Kriya Yoga. Seeing Guru and listening to Guru is also Kriya Yoga. After the description of the pilgrimage, the 4th sarga begins where the story takes a different turn. We will discuss all of that tomorrow.
Jaya Guru Datta
Sri Guru Datta
Om Santissantissantihi
Sri Krishnarpanamastu
Sri Sadguru Charanaravindarpanamastu
Sri Guru Datta