Discourse on Yoga Vasishtha
July 22, 2018
Today is Shayana Ekadasi. God goes into Yoga Nidra/slumber for four months. He wakes up on Utthaana Dwadasi in Karteeka month. Today is the unofficial date of commencement of the Chaturmasya Vrata. The food regulations begin from today. Vam is the seed letter from Amrita/nectar of immortality. Jnana is Amrita. Vyasa, Valmiki, Vasishtha all three names begin with V, the givers of Amrita to us, showing us the way to Liberation. Ramayana, Maha Ramayana teach Dharma and Vedanta. Vyasa has given us the Brahma Sutras, the Bhagavad Gita. Vasishtha is a predecessor to them. We receive our Nectar from Sadguru. The container is Guru. We learn by remembering Sadguru. Ajnana nirmoolana, removal of ignorance.
Four-faced Brahma is ourselves, we have emerged from him. I am He. We worship Him, praise Him, He is I. This is the highest level of spirituality. He is the lord of Lords. Gods emerge from Him. Brahma himself introspected to realize his Self while Paramatma was in Yoga NIdra. We are the same as He. We create our own worlds. Why have we dropped down to this level of limitations?
Today we learn about ignorance. We have learned about Vaikuntha, the highest level. We have taken birth by falling down from there. Incarnations come down willingly, they are liberated even at birth. Seekers have to do Sadhana to rise again. Who has dropped us down. Why have we lost our position? We stepped on a banana peel and slipped. What is that banana peel? We must know so we can avoid the mistake again. We need to find the stairs which take us back to the top. Jnana stairs only goes up. Ignorance stairs only goes down.
Many have researched deeply into Ignorance. To know the pitfall is helpful to avoid them.
110th Sarga.
Shivaya chetaha prakashanakari – climb the stairs to Jnana/Self-realization. Only if you regard Guru as Parabrahman, you can benefit from his teachings.
What are Yoga Bhoomikas? Rama asked
Jnana Bhoomikas/levels are going to be explained.
First Vasishtha explains the levels of ignorance before explaining the steps to enlightenment. There are seven in each. Listen carefully, says Vasishthas.
On hills, they have fields in different tiers where they grow food.
Saptapada – seven steps. Saptapadi around the fire during the marriage ceremony are explained in detail in the Vedas. This knowledge must be revealed during the marriage ritual. Jeevatma and Paramatma merge into one.
We are naturally inclined towards rising toward liberation. To fall into ignorance, there are causes, thirst for sensual pleasures cause birth. Cause for rising is the thirst for liberation.
Effort without knowledge yields no benefit. Effort with scriptural knowledge yields benefit. Deliberate resolve and effort are required to rise higher.
He came down to enjoy, from ignorance. See the body and identify with it. When he rises, gives up identification with body and focuses on Paramatma.
One causes grief. The other causes immeasurable, highest bliss. Your choice. Stay firm in your resolve.
Two ways of Sadhana – to succeed in the world, or to rise above the world.
There are seven underworlds which give grief. The seven higher worlds give bliss.
If you go deep down to the depths of the ocean, you lose your life. Cannot breathe. Cannot survive. Going down to Patala is like reaching rock bottom.
If you go to the Satya Loka, the highest, bliss increases to the highest level. Each step gives a different level of either grief or joy.
Do not stop mid way as you climb. Go all the way to the top.
Jeevanmukti Viveka is a wonderful book by Sri Vidyaranya Swami. 1999 after Mantra Deeksha, I had neither desire nor aversion for Sanyasa/renunciation. I merely wished to be with Swamiji. May be wished to remain playful. No particular desire. At age 8-9, Swamiji called me. Manager Krishnamurthy, Bhagavat, Kuppa Krishnamurthy and other elders were there with Swamiji. They asked my date of birth. They said I was too young and dismissed me. Later I found that even at that time, Swamiji has considered giving me Sanyasa.
Later, Swamiji suggested Sanyasa for the sake of sharing responsibilities. I had questions. He cleared my doubts. Gave Mantra Deeksha. The above book came to my hands. It contains the essence of Yoga Vasishtha. His style of writing is similar to that of Sri Shankara Bhagavadpada. The title of the book itself is very profound, the discretion required to become Self-realized.
A small book. I kept reading it. By the time I finished reading it, I attained a certain level of spiritual maturity. In 2004, after Sanyasa, the book revealed to me greater truths. The author’s presentation is very clear. Yoga Bhoomikas are called Tapas/penance. Mind, and sense organs must become one-pointed. That is why the Sadhana of climbing the steps is called penance.
Rama, first, listen about the steps of ignorance:
to be cont’d
SGD