Philosophy and Religion / Yoga Vāsistha / Yoga-Vāsistha (4): Sthiti-Prakarana

Válmiki

Yoga-Vāsistha, Book 4: Sthiti-Prakarana (On Ontology or Existence). Chapter 62 - Speech of the Divine Messenger

The diligent and rationalistic inquirer after truth, has a natural aptitude to resort to the society of the sapient and good natured Guru, and discusses on matters of the Śāstras by the rules of the Śāstras he has learnt before and not talk at random.

It is thus by holding his argumentation on the abstruse science of Yoga, with the good and great and unavaricious learned, that he can attain to true wisdom.

The man that is thus acquainted with the true sense of the Śāstras, and qualified by his habit of dispassionateness in the society of holy men, shines like yourself as the model of intelligence.

Your liberal mindedness and self-reliance, combined with your cool-headedness and all other virtues, have set you above the reach of misery and all mental affliction; and also freed you from future transmigration, by your attainment of liberation in this life.

Verily have you become as the autumnal sky, cleared of its gloomy clouds; you are freed from worldly cares, and fraught with the best and highest wisdom.

He is truly liberated whose mind is freed from the fluctuations of its thoughts, and the flights and fumes of its thickening fancies, and ever crowding particulars. ¹

Henceforth will all men on earth, try to imitate the noble disposition of the equanimity of your mind, which is devoid of its passions of love and hatred, as also of affection and enmity.

Those who conform with their customs of the country, and conduct themselves in the ordinary course of men in their outward demeanour, and cherish their inward sentiments in the close recesses of their bosoms, are reckoned as truly wise, and are sure to get over the ocean of the world on the floating raft of their wisdom.

The meek man who has a spirit of universal toleration like yours, is worthy of receiving the light of knowledge; and of understanding the import of my sayings.

Live as long as you have to live in this frail body of yours, and keep your passions and feelings under the sway of your reason; act according to the rules of society, and keep your desires under subjection.

Enjoy the perfect peace and tranquility of the righteous and wise, and avoid alike both the cunning of foxes and silly freaks of boys.

Men who imitate the purity of the manners and conduct of those, that are born with the property of goodness, acquire in process of time and purity of their lives also. ²

The man who is habituated in the practice of the manners, and the modes of life of another person, is soon changed to that mode of life, though it be of a different nature, or of another species of being.

The practices of past lives accompany all mankind in their succeeding births, as their preordained destiny; and it is only by our vigorous efforts that we are enabled to avert our fates, in the manner of princes overcoming the hostile force, by greater might of their own.

It is by means of patience only, that one must redeem his good sense; and it is by patient industry alone, that one may be advanced to a higher birth from his low and mean condition.

It is by virtue of their good understanding, that the good have attained their better births in life; therefore employ yourself, O Rāma! to the polishing of your understanding.

The god fearing man is possessed of every good, and exerts his efforts for attainment of godliness; it is by means of manly efforts only, that men obtain the most precious blessings.

Those of the best kind on earth, long for their liberation in future, which also requires the exertion of devotion and meditation for its attainment. There is nothing in this earth below, or in the heaven of the celestials above, which is unattainable to the man of parts, by means of his manly efforts.

It is impossible for you to obtain the object of your desire, without the exercise of your patience and dispassionateness, and the exertion of your prowess and austerities of Brahmacarya. Nor is it possible to succeed in any without the right use of reason.

Try to know yourself, and do good to all creatures by your manliness; employ your good understanding to drive all your cares and sorrows away; and you will thus be liberated from all pain and sorrow.

O Rāma! that are fraught with all admirable qualities, and endued with the high power of reason; keep yourself steady in the acts of goodness, and never may the erroneous cares of this world betake you in your future life.

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