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

Válmiki

Yoga-Vāsistha, Book 6: Nirvāna-Prakarana (On ultimate extinction). Chapter 61 - Description of the world as a passing Dream

Rāma said- As we are, O sage! a dream drawn house, the body of the lotus-born Brahmā-the first progenitor, is the same no doubt.

And if this world is a non-entity-asat, we must know our existence the same, then how is it possible to arise the firm faith over this entity-­sat.

Vasistha responded- We are shining here as a created being by the previous birth of Brahmā, but in fact, the reflexion of soul shines forever nothing besides.

Owing to the omnipresence of consciousness, all beings exist as reality everywhere, and if she rises from unreal knowledge, she as real knowledge destroys the unreal one. ¹

Therefore whatever comes from these five elements, is but transitory, but owing to the firm belief on ego, we enjoy a firm faith for the same.

In a dream, we see good many things as reality; but as soon the dream is over, we do not find the things dreamt of; so we see the reality of the world; as long we remain in ignorance.

Oh Rāma! as the dreaming man counts his dream as reality, owing to his faith on it; so this world appears a reality, like the supreme god who has no beginning and end.

That which is to be created by the dreaming man, is to be called his own; as we can say by guessing knowledge, what is in the seed, is in the fruit.

Whatever comes from non-entity, is to be called non-entity; and that which is unreal though is can be workable, is not reasonable to thing good.

As the thinking result of unreality is to be given up, so the firm faith which is arising by the dreaming man; is to be given up likewise.

Whatever soul creates in dream is our firm belief, but that remains only for a time being ².

Brahmā's long drawn portion is this entity, hence we think also the same, but in fact, this entity is a moment to Brahmā.

Consciousness is the creator of all elements, she creates every thing according to her model, hence creator and creation are one and the same.

As the backward and forward whirling motion of water, makes the deep to swell, and a also fairy comes near in a dream, so all these are in reality nothing.

So this entity with its change ³ is nothing. In whatever manner we look object, that will appear in return in the same manner.

The rule of the erroneous dream is not to reproduce ⁴ as the production is not in the world, but owing to ignorance it appears so.

In the three worlds we see wonderous objects, as we see fire burning in the water like a sub­marine fire.

Good many cities exist in vacuity, as birds and stars remain in the sky. We find lotus in a stone like trees growing without an earth.

One country gives every kind of object to the seeker, like a tree that gives all objects to the seeker (Kalpa taru) and also we see in a stone and rows of jewels ⁵ giving fruits like fruitful trees.

Life exists within a stone (Sālgram) as frog exists. Stone gives water as moon-stone gives.

In a dream within a minute good many things can be made and unmade, which in fact, are unreal like one's death in a dream.

The natural water of the elements remains in the sky, ⁶, when the heavenly river Mandākini remains in vacuity.

The heavy stone flies in the air, when the winged mountain does so. Every thing to be got in stone, when everything can be secured from the philosopher's stone.

In the garden of bliss of Indra every desired object to be got, but in salvation such kind of desired object is wanting.

Even dull matter acts like machine, hence every object acts like wonderful erroneous magic.

By magical are ⁷ we see even impossible objects such as two moons, Kavandhas, mantras, drugs, and pishāca. All these are the works of wonderful erroneous magic, which are in fact nothing.

We see impossibility as real as we see possibility, hence impossibility becomes real by our erroneous ideas only.

The erroneous dream though it appears as real is in fact, unreal, as that which is not real does not exist, which is real does exist: ⁸.

So this dreaming creation is looked by all worldly being here as real, as dreamer takes his dream as reality.

By passing from one error to another error, from one dream to another, one firm faithful being comes out.

As a stray deer falls into the pit repeatedly for green grass, so ignorant man repeatedly falls into the pit of this world, owing to his ignorance.

Footnotes

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