Philosophy and Religion / Yoga Vāsistha / Yoga-Vāsistha (6.1): Nirvāna-Prakarana

Válmiki

Yoga-Vāsistha, Book 6: Nirvāna-Prakarana (On ultimate extinction). Chapter 11 - Ascertainment of Living Liberation

Vasistha said – I tell you again and repeatedly O pious Rāma! for your understanding that you can never know the spirit without your constant habit, of contemplating on it in your self-cogitation. ¹

It is gross ignorance which is known as necience, and it becomes compact by the accumulated erroneous knowledge of previous births and past life; ².

The perceptions of the external and internal senses of body, both in the states of sensibility and insensibility, are also the causes of great errors or ignorauee erase of embodied beings, ³.

Spiritual knowledge is far beyond the cognizance of the senses, and is only to be arrived at after subjection of the five external organs of sense, as also of the mind which is the sixth organ of sensation.

How than is it possible to have a sensible knowledge of the spirit, whose essence is beyond the reach of our faculties of sense, and whose powers transcend those of all our sensible organs? ⁴ So the Śrutis; He is not to be perceived by the faculties of our sense who does and perceives all with our organs.

You must cut off this creeper of ignorance, which has grown up in the hollow of the tree of your heart, with the sharp sword of your knowledge, if you should have your consummation as an adept in divine wisdom.

Conduct yourself Rāma! in the same manner in the practice of your spiritual knowledge, as the king Janaka does with his full knowledge of all that is knowable to man.

He is quite confident in his certain knowledge of the main truth, both when he is employed in his active duties, in his waking state as well as when he remains quiet at his leisure. ⁵

It was by his reliance on this certain truth, that Hari was led to the performance of his various acts in his repeated births or incarnations. ⁶

May you, Rāma! certain of the main truth, which conducted the three eyed god Śiva in the company of his fair consort; and which led the dispassiõnate Brahmā to the act of creation. ⁷

It was the assurance of this eternal verity, which led the preceptors of the gods and demons, even Brhaspati and Bhārgava in their duties; and which guide and sun and moon in their courses and even directs the elements of fire and air in the wonted ways.

This truth was well known to the host of Sages, including Nārada and Pulastya, Angira and Pracetā, and Bhrgu Kratu, Atri and Śuka, as it is known to me also.

This is the certainty which has been arrived at by all other learned Brāhmans and sages, and this is the firm belief of every body, that has been liberated in his life time.

Rāma said- Tell me truly, O venerable sir, the true nature of the truth, on which the great gods and wisest sages, have grounded their belief, and became freed from their sorrow and grief: ⁸.

Vasistha replied- Hear me tell you ! O worthy prince that are great in arms as in your knowledge of all things, the plain truth in reply to your question, and the certitude arrived at by all of them ⁹.

All these spacious worlds, that you behold to be spread all about you, they are all that One or on, and are situated in the immensity of Brahmā; ¹⁰.

Brahmā is the intellect, and the same is this world and all its animate and inanimate creatures also; Myself and Brahmā and so are you yourself, and such are all our friends and foes beside us.

Brahmā is the triple time of the past, present and future, all which are comprehended in his eternity; in the manner of the continuity of waves, billows and surges, contained in the immensity of the ocean.

It is thus the same Brahmā that appears to us in all the various forms of our perception, and in the different shapes of the actor, action and its act, as those of the feeder, feeding and the food, and of the receiver, reception and the thing re­ceived. ¹¹

Brahmā expands in himself by his power of evolution, or unfolding himself by his vivarta Sakti; Hence He would be our enemy if he would do any thing unfavourable into us. ¹²?

Thus Brahmā being situated and employed with himself, does nothing aught of good or evil to any other. The attribution of passions to him, is as the planting of a tree in empty air. ¹³

How very delighted are they that are dead to their desires, to reflect on this truth, that they are continually living and moving in the all pervading Brahmā. ¹⁴

All things are full of Brahmā, and there is naught of pleasure or pain herein; Brahmā resides in his self same all and is pleased with all in himself. ¹⁵

The Lord is manifest in his Lordship, and I am no other person beside himself; this pot and that painting and I myself, are full with the self-same Brahmā.

Hence it is in vain to speak of our attachment or aversion to worldliness, since we bear our bodies and dare to die in Brahmā only. ¹⁶

Our bodies being the abodes of Brahmā, it is as false to think to our bodily pains, as also of our pleasure in bodily enjoyments, as to take a rope for a serpent. ¹⁷

How say you, that this or that is your doing, when you have the power of doing nothing. ¹⁸

Myself, yourself and himself, and all others, are but the breaths of the universal spirit; and they heave and then subside to rest as waves of the sea; but the spirit of god, like the water of the deep, neither rises nor falls as ourselves or the fleeting waves at any time.

All persons returning to Brahmā after their death, have their bodies also reduced into Him and retain their personal identity in Him in the same manner, as the moving and unmoving waters rest alike in the sea.

All moving and unmoving souls and bodies, rest alike in the Supreme Brahmā; as the jīva and its form reside in god, and the whirling and still waters remain in the same sea.

The soul and the body, are the two states of the likeness and unlikeness of Brahmā, the one is the living soul of bodies, and the other is the gross body itself.

Irrational souls, that are ignorant of this truth, are verily subject to delusion; but the rational souls are not so, but enjoy their full bliss on earth, while the other is ever doomed to misery.

The blind behold the world all dark, while the eye-sighted find it fully bright and shining; so the wise are blessed with the knowledge of the one soul of the whole, while the ignorant are immersed in misery, by their want of such knowledge.

As the darkness of the night, presents its goblins and spectres, to the sight of children only, and not those of the grown up and adult; so the world presents its delusions to ignorant and never to the wise, who behold one Brahmā only in all things before them.

There is nothing here that lives of itself, nor dies away to nothing; all equally exist in God at all time and nothing is doomed to be born or perish herein to happiness or misery.

All beings are situated in the universal soul, as the waves in the vast expanse of the ocean, therefore it is erroneous to say the one reside in the spirit, aad another to be beside it.

As their is an inborn light in the crystal, which is capable of reflecting a variety of rays, so the spirit of god dwells in his own spirit in the form of the universe, showing various shapes to view by the inner light of the spirit.

As the particles of water flying from the waves, fall into the sea and mix with its body o f water; so the bodies of dying people, fall into the body of Brahmā, wherein they subsisted in their life time. ¹⁹

There is nobody nor being beside the being of Brahman, as there is no wave nor foam or froth of the sea beside the water of the deep.

As the billows and waves, the surges and eddies, and their froths and foams, and bubbles and minute particles, are all formations of water in the great body of waters, so are all beings but productions of the spirit in the Infinite spirit. ²⁰

All bodies with their various modes, and organs of sense and their several functions, and all visible objects and their growth and decay, together with every thing conducing to our happiness and misery, and all other energies and their gains, are the works of Brahmā in himself. ²¹

The production of these various begins in esse, is from the essence of Brahmā; as the formation of different ornaments, is from the substance of gold. There is no other fprmal cause or formation distinct from Brahmā, and the distinction of the cause and its creation, is the erroneous conception of the ignorant.

The mind, understanding, egoism, and the elemental atoms, and the organs of sense, are all the various forms of Brahmā; wherefore there is cause of our joy or grief.

The words I, you, he, and this and that, as also the terms of the mind and matter, are all significant of the self same Brahmā ātmāmani, in the same manner as the roaring of a cloud in the hills, resounds in a hundred echoes through their caverns. ²²

Brahmā appears as an unknown stranger to us, through our ignorance of him, as the visions seen in a dream by our mind itself, appear, foreign to us. ²³

Ignorance of Brahmā as Brahmā or what he is, makes men to reject divine knowledge altogether; as our ignorance of the quality of gold causes us to cast it off dross. ²⁴

Brahmā is known as the Supreme spirit and sole Lord, by those who are acquainted with divine knowledge; but he is said to be unknown and involved in ignorance by them that ignorant of Him.

Brahma being known as Brahmā, becomes manifested such in a moment; just as gold when knows such, is taken in due esteem.

Those who are versed in divine knowledge, know Brahmā as without a cause and causing nothing by himself, and that he is free from decay, and is the Supreme spirit and sole Lord of all.

He who can meditate in himself, on the omnipotence of Supreme spirit of Brahmā; comes to be hold him as such in a short time, even without a leader to guide him in his spiritual knowledge. ²⁵

The want of divine knowledge, that is called the ignorance of the ignorant; whereas it is the knowledge of god, that constitutes the true knowledge which removes the ignorance.

As an unknown friend is no friend at all, until he is recognized as such, after removal of one's forgetfulness; so god is no god to one, as long he continues in ignorance of Him.

We can then only know god, when the mind comes to perceive the unconnection of the soul with the body; and whereby it alienates its from all worldly connections in disgust.

It is then that we come to know the one true god, when the mind is freed from its knowledge of duality; and by its distaste of dualism, it abandons its attachment of the world.

We then come to the knowledge of god, when we come to know ourselves to be other than our persons; and when by getting rid of our personal egoism, we forsake our affection for this unkind­ered world.

It is then that the thought of god rises in our minds, when we come to the true knowledge of thinking ourselves the same with Brahmā; and when the mind is absorbed in the meditation of the divine truth in one's self. ²⁶

God being known as the tout ensemble or comprising the whole plenum, we come to believe the same as Brahmā; and losing our egoism and tuism in the same, we come to the knowledge of that entity only comprising the entire universe. ²⁷

When I come to know this true and omniform Brahmā, as all in all, and- forming the entire whole; I become released from all my sorrow and grief, and am set free from all my delusion and desire, and the responsibility of my duties; ²⁸.

I am quite calm and at ease and without any sorrow or grief, by my knowledge of the truth, that I am no other than Brahmā Himself; I am as cool as the moon, without her spots and phases in me, and I am the all entire, without any disease, decay or diminution in me. ²⁹

It is true that I am the all pervading Brahmā, and therefore I can neither wish to have or leave any thing from me; being of myself the blood, bones and flesh of my body. ³⁰

It is true that I am Brahmā the universal soul, and therefore the intellect mind and sensibility also; I am the heaven and sky with their luminaries and quarters and the nether worlds also.

It is true that I am Brahmā, composing this pot and painting, these bushes and brambles, these forests and their grass, as also the seas and their waves. ³¹

The unity of Brahmā is a certain truth, and it is the ego which is manifest in the seas and mountains and all living beings; and in the qualities of reception and emission, and of extension and contraction in all material bodies. ³²

All things of extended forms situated in the intellectual spirit of Brahmā, who is the cause of the growth of creepers and plants, and of the germination of vegetative seeds.

The Supreme Brahmā resides in his sheath of the intellectual soul, in the manner of flavour in the cup of the flower; and thence diffuses itself on all sides in the form of everything everywhere.

He that is known as only soul of all, and who is ascertained as the supreme spirit, and who is designated by the appellations of the intellectual soul, Brahmā the great, the only entity and reality, the Truth and Intelligence and apart from all.

He is said to be the all-inherin element, and Intelligence only without the intelligible in it; He is the pure light that gives every being its consciousness of itself.

He appears to the spiritualist to be existent everywhere, as the tranquil and intelligent Brahmā; and contains in himself the powers of all the facilities of the mind and body, such at the understanding and the organs of sense, so the śruti; "He is the, mind of the mind, the sight of the eye."

Give up the thought of your difference from Brahmā by knowing yourself as the reflexion of the intelligent soul; which is the cause of the causes of the existence of the world. Such as vacuum and others, which are causes of sound and are caused by vacuous spirit of god: ³³.

The intellect of Brahmā is the transparent receptacle of all essence, and my ego is of the same essence, which exudes continually as a shower of rain, from the transparent spirit of God.

I am that light which shines in the souls of yogis, and I am that silent spirit which is supported by the ambrosial drops of Divine Intellect; which continually distils its nectarous juice into our souls, as we may feel in ourselves.

I am as a wheel or circle without having the beginning or end of myself, and by having the pure intellect of Brahmā in me. I am quiet in my deep sleep of Samadhi meditation, and I perceive holy light shining within me. ³⁴

The thought that I am Brahmā, affords afar greater delight to the soul, than the taste of any sweet meat, which gives but a momentary delight, so the śruti: God is all sweetness ³⁵.

One knowing his soul and intellect, knows the indestructible Brahmā and himself as identic with the same; as one whose mind is possessed with the image of his beloved, beholds her bright countenance in the shining orb of the moon.

As the sights of earthly people are fixed in the ethereal moon, so the sight of intellectual beings, is fixed in the supreme and indestructible soul, which he knows as self-same with himself.

The intellectual power which is situated in the vacuity of the heart, is verily the verity of the immaculate Brahmā himself. Its pleasure and pain, and mutability and divisibility, are attributed to by ignorance only.

The soul that has known the truth, knows himself as the supreme intellect, as the pilgrim on the way sees only his saint before him, and no intermediate object besides.

The belief that I am the pure and all pervading intellect, is attended with the purity and holiness, of the soul, and the knowledge of the Divine power as the cause of the union of earth, air and water in the production of the germ of creation, is the main creed of all creeds.

I am that intellect of Brahmā which is inherent in all things as their productive power; and I am that soul which causes the sweetness of the beal and bitterness of nimba fruits.

I am that divine intellect which inheres alike in all flavours, which is devoid of pain and pleasure and which I perceived in my mind by my consciousness,

I am the undecaying intellect of Brahmā, and deem my gain and loss in equal light of indifference; while I view this earth and sky, and the sun and moon displayed before my eyes in all their glory.

I am that pure and serenely bright Brahmā, whose glory is displayed alike in all of these, and which I behold to shine vividly before me, whether when I am awake or asleep or whenever I am in the state of dreaming or profound sleep.

I am that Brahmā who is without beginning and end, who is known by his, four fold hypostatize, and is ever indestructible and undecaying. He resides in the souls of men in the form of sweetness in the sugar-cane through all their transmigration's.

I am that intellect of Brahmā, which like the sun-shine pervades equally in the form of transparent light in and above all created beings.

I am that all pervasive intellect of Brahmā, which like the charming moon light fills the whole universe; and which we feel and taste in our hearts, as the delicious draught of ambrosia.

I am that intellect of Brahmā, which extends undivided over the whole and all parts of the universe, and which embraces all existence as the moving clouds of heaven encompasses the firmament.

The consciousness is witness to all the bruishes appearing upon the body, it is virtually the Brahmā which is capable of pervading all the lokas. It has palpitations like that of a cloud and wind.

It is unvisible atomic in form, and assumes his form like that of body, It is known through experience only and replete with blissful love.

The consciousness is imperishable and present in the world like the butter in the milk. The existence of the world depends upon consciousness, as if the existence of bracelets etc. depends upon the gold.

The consciousness exists in the body in a manner like gold in the ornaments. It is pervading the whole world as well as invading its threadbare.

Consciousness in fact remains detached and acts like mirror of what we have gained our images from.

Consciousness is above the sinful acts. It gives the fruit of all what is desired by an individual, It is illuminator of all the illuminating things.

It is all purposeful and useful. All objects cease to be there in it and it is above all, so we should invoke it.

We worship the Brahmā in the form of consciousness which is present in all the things like pitcher, clothes, wells etc. as there essence.

It is a slumber in, awakening; hotness in heat; coldness in moon; sweetness in meal and sharpness of rajor or sword.

It is the blackness of darkness, whiteness in moon. It illuminates from outside as well as inside. It is self existant.

It is situated closest as well as forthest to the person who doesn't know it. It is the sweetness of sugar and bitterness of chillies.

It exists in the objects as their essence and has remained undisturbed in the states of awakening, sleep or dream or Turīyasthā i.e. Samādhi.

We worship it as omnipresent and universal. Under the dominance of it all the desires, wishes get satiated.

I consider it pacifying of all the angers and the desires to worldly allurements.

I adore it because it is egoless, pervading all the living beings uniformly.

It has pervaded all through all the things and objects existing in the three lokas. It is the starting point of all the living beings.

It is capable of extending and contracting itself. It is situated having gathered all the worlds in its laps.

It is vivacious and has a huge network. It is, infact, the basis of whole creation, but does't seem to be so.

It is both sat ³⁶ and asat ³⁷ It is cit pour consciousness. It can be trusted most. It is the basis of whole property and prosperity.

I have realised that universal consciousness which is everexisting being the sustainer of the existence of al, which is non-existent being the abode of whole annihilated world during dissolution of the world. It is bases of all happiness.

I worship the extensor and interior of this Iceland of consciousness. It is beautiful like lotus flower who has lost its organs like hands and legs etc.

It is the basis of the like of all loving beings. It has most Bern of Ksira sugar and exist in an object other then moon.

It can not be stolen like nector by the Falcon. It can not be felt by audition, sight, taste, touch or oxfaction.

In fact, I have realised the placid Ātmā which can not be realised with the worldly aids and which is vast and extended like the space and brings all the Lokas in limelight due to his presence.

I have realised the consciousness which neither beings the lokas into limelight nor is extended or vast like sky. It is all seen due to Māyā or ignorance in actual sense, it is not the creator nor do the lokas exist. It all appears to be so. In reality it is not there.

It is all I am. It all belongs to me. In tact, I am not in existence nor does this world. When all this reality is known, the whole world appears to be an artificial appearance and universal consciousness is realised with the realisation of which the notion of suffering or happiness dissolves.

Footnotes

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