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YOGA
VASISHTHA
Mind constantly swings like a pendulum between the
Reality and the appearance, between consciousness and
inertness. When the mind contemplates the inert objects for
a considerable time, it assumes the characteristic of such
inertness. When the same mind is devoted to enquiry
and wisdom, it shakes off all conditioning and returns to
its original nature as pure consciousness. Mind takes
the very form of that which one contemplates, whether it is
natural or cultivated. Therefore, resolutely but
intelligently contemplate the state beyond sorrow, free from
all doubts. The mind is capable of restraining itself; there
is indeed no other way.
It is childish and ignorant to talk of duality and
non-duality; the enlightened ones laugh at all this.
However, without such a discussion based on duality and
non-duality it is not possible to clean one's consciousness
of ignorance. It is only in that spirit that I have dealt
with all this, dear friend.
The mind abandons everything when the vision of the Supreme
is gained. Hence, one should resolutely renounce everything
till the Supreme vision is gained. Not till one renounces
everything is Self-knowledge gained: when all points of view
are abandoned, what remains is the Self.
That which has no seed [cause] and which is
indescribable is therefore not the cause of another - naught
is born of that. Hence the self is neither the doer nor the
action nor the instrument. It is the Truth. It is the
eternal absolute consciousness. It is Self-knowledge. There
is no creation in the supreme Reality. One may theoretically
establish the arising and the existence of a wave in the
ocean on the basis of time of its arising and space in which
it seems to exist as a wave; but who has tried to establish
such a relationship between Reality and the creation? For in
reality, time and space do not exist. Thus, the world has no
basis at all.
It is the cessation of the awareness of action and of
experience, the giving up of conditioning and thus the
attainment of peace and the state of equilibrium that is
known by the expression "abandonment of action".
The infinite consciousness which alone appears as all this
is undying, unchanging and eternal. The unmoving
consciousness remains, appearing to be whatever notion
arises in it here and there. What is true and what is false?
So let one experience bodies, actions, sorrow or pleasure as
and when they arise - or let them all go. There is no
meaning in all this. Let it be 'this' way or 'that' way, let
it be or not - give up this delusion and remain
enlightened.
What is enquiry? To enquire thus: "Who am I? How has this
evil of repetitive history [samsara] come into
being?" is true enquiry. Knowledge of Truth arises in
oneself; and from such knowledge there follows tranquility
in oneself; and then there arises the supreme peace that
passeth understanding and the ending of all sorrow. Enquiry
is not reasoning or analysis; it is directly looking into
oneself.
Diversity has no real existence except in one's own
imagination. "All this is indeed the absolute Reality" -
remain established in this Truth. Give up all other notions.
Even as the waves are non-different from the ocean, all
these things are non-different from Reality. Even as in the
seed is hidden the entire tree in potential, in reality
there exists the entire universe for ever. Even as the
multicoloured rainbow is produced by sunlight, all this
diversity is seen in the one.
The universe is but a long dream. The ego-sense and also the
fancy that there are others, are as real as
dream-objects.
When the 'I' concept perishes, the body-sense will
necessarily perish like a great tree whose roots are sawn
off.
Through divine grace, one can go beyond the influences of
past actions.
Desires arising from latent tendencies connected with
external objects constitute bondage. One who has got rid of
his latent tendencies along with their root cause and
attained equanimity, O Raghava, know him to be a person
liberated from the objects of perception.
Reality, or the supreme Self, is one without a second,
without a cause and without an effect, for it has no reason
[motivation or need] to do anything. It is therefore
not the doer, neither is there any action, instrument nor
seed for such activity. Hence it is not the cause for this
creation or the Creator.
He who has no likes or dislikes towards pleasant and
unpleasant objects, but goes about like one asleep, is said
to be a liberated person.
TRIPURA
RAHASYA
The current notion that one cannot escape one's destiny is
applicable to weak-minded and senseless wastrels.
Destiny seizes and holds only senseless people. Conforming
to and following nature, destiny forms part of nature.
Nature again is only the contrivance for enforcing God's
will. His purpose is always sure and cannot be prevented.
Its edge can, however, be blunted by devotion to Him and if
it is not so blunted, the predisposing cause must therefore
be considered a most powerful factor in a man's life.
Therefore, eschew high vanity and take refuge in Him. He
will spontaneously take you to the Highest State.
True experience of the Self is the unawareness of even "I
am". Can the world persist after such unawareness?
I will tell you the secret. The cycle of births and deaths
is from time immemorial caused by ignorance which displays
itself as pleasure and pain and yet is only a dream and
unreal. Being so, the wise say that it can be ended by
knowledge. By what kind of knowledge? Wisdom born of
realisation : viz., "I am That".
CHANDOGYA
UPANISHAD
As the rivers
flowing east and west
Merge in the sea and become one with it,
Forgetting they were ever separate rivers,
So do all creatures lose their separateness
When they merge at last into pure being.
The Self which is
free from sin, free from old age, from death and from grief,
from hunger and thirst, which desires nothing but what it
ought to desire, and imagines nothing but what it ought to
imagine, that it is which we must search out, that it is
which we must try to understand. He who has searched out
that Self and understands it, obtains all worlds and all
desires.
This is the Self. And That thou art, O Svetaketu.
All this is Reality. Let a man meditate on that visible
world as beginning, ending, and breathing in It
[Reality].
SVETASVATARA
UPANISHAD
They are two
birds, close companions, clasping the same tree. Of the two,
one eats sweet fruit; the other looks on without eating. On
this same tree a person, sunk and grieving in slavery, is
deluded, but upon observing the Lord happy and great,
becomes free of sorrow.
Only the Eternal which
dwells in the soul has to be known. There is nothing else to
be known.
He who is beginningless and endless, who created all things
in the midst of chaos, who pervades the universe - knowing
Him one is freed from all fetters.
It is neither female nor male, nor is it neuter. Whatever
body it takes with that it is identified.
That person, who is of the measure of a thumb, is the inner
Self dwelling in the hearts of men, limited by the heart,
the understanding and the mind. Those who know this become
immortal.
Its hands and feet are everywhere, its eyes and heads are
everywhere, its ears are everywhere. It [Reality]
stands encompassing all in the world.
When identified with the ego, the Self appears other than
what it is. It may appear smaller than a hair's breadth. But
know the Self to be infinite.
The Self which pervades all things, as butter pervades the
milk, that which has its roots in Self-knowledge - that is
Reality.
Meditate and realise this world is filled with the presence
of God.
You are the supreme Reality, infinite, yet hidden in the
hearts of all creatures. You pervade everything.
Subtler than the subtlest, greatest than the greatest, the
Self is hidden in the heart of the creature. By the grace of
the Lord the one who is freed from sorrow sees him who is
actionless and majestic.
The Eternal which dwells in the soul has to be known. Beyond
that there is nothing else to be known. By knowing the
enjoyer, the object of enjoyment and the ruler, everything
has been said. This is the threefold Reality.
He who is subtler than the subtle, who in the midst of chaos
has created all things of manifold forms, who alone envelops
everything - by knowing Him as the auspicious Lord one
attains peace forever.
He is indeed the guardian of this world in time, the Lord of
all, hidden in all things. In Him are united the seers of
Reality as well as the gods. By knowing Him one cuts the
cords of death.
Perishable is matter, imperishable and immortal is the Lord.
He, the only God, rules over both matter and the soul. By
meditating on Him, by uniting with Him and becoming one with
Him there is in the end complete cessation of the illusion
of the world.
The One who rules over every single cause, in whom all this
comes together and goes asunder again, who is the Lord, the
Bestower of blessings, the adorable God - by discerning Him
one attains the eternal peace.
MUNDAKA
UPANISHAD
Like two birds of
golden plumage, inseparable companions, the individual self
and the immortal Self are perched on the branches of the
selfsame tree. The former tastes of the sweet and bitter
fruits of the tree; the latter, tasting of neither, calmly
observes.
He is the unseen seer,
the unheard hearer, the unthought thinker, the unknown
knower. There is no other seer, hearer, thinker or knower,
but He. He is your Self, the immortal.
When you have reached Him, the sages become satisfied
through their jnana [direct knowledge of the Reality
that is the Self]. They become perfectly tranquil and
free from passion.
Indeed, one who knows the supreme Reality, becomes Reality
himself. He overcomes grief. He overcomes sin. Free from
fetters of the heart, he becomes immortal.
Grand, divine, inconceivable - in form smaller than the
smallest, it shines forth. It is farther than the far, and
yet it is here at hand, hidden in the heart.
The immortal Reality is before and behind, to the right and
to the left; below and above - Reality indeed is
everywhere.
Fetters of the heart are broken, all doubts are dispelled,
all karmas are melted away, when He is seen, who is both
high and low.
KENOPANISHAD
Reality is known
to one who thinks it is unknowable and not known to one who
thinks he knows.
Only the knowledge
derived from the above hint is the real knowledge; as with
this immortality is gained; from the indwelling Lord is
obtained the power to know Him; and through knowledge the
supreme Lord is obtained.
If in this life the Lord is known, it is well and good; if
not, it is a great loss. So wise men taking the supreme Lord
in every being, depart from this world and become
immortal.
Verily, O friend, he who recognises the shadowless,
bodiless, colourless, pure imperishable Self attains that
supreme Self itself. He, knowing all, becomes the All.
There neither the
eye goes nor the speech about the result of concentration
[the organs of action and perception as well are
negated]; nor does the mind; how to teach what Reality
is - we do not know from our own knowledge nor do we know
through hearing from others because that is different from
what is known and also from that which is not known from
mind, etc., and which is above and apart from them.
KATHA
UPANISHAD
The Self is never
born, nor does it die. It was born from nothing and nothing
was born from it. It is unborn, eternal and primordial. It
is not slain when the body is slain.
The one ruler, the Self with all beings, who manifests
himself in many forms - the wise perceive Him within
themselves.
The Self is not certainly adequately known when spoken of by
an inferior person ; for It is thought of variously. When
taught by one who has become identified with It, there is no
further cogitation with regards to It. For It is beyond
argumentation, being subtler even than the atomic
quantity.
The intelligent Self is neither born nor does It die. It did
not originate from anything, nor did anything originate from
It. It is birthless, eternal, undecaying, and ancient. It is
not injured even when the body is killed.
One who has not desisted from bad conduct, whose senses are
not under control, whose mind is not concentrated, whose
mind is not free from anxiety, cannot attain this Self
through knowledge.
MANDUKYA
UPANISHAD
Self-knowledge together with renunciation is the means to
immortality.
The knower can not become an object to be known.
Realisation of Reality is brought about by the mere
cessation of ignorance.
The immortal Reality
is before and behind, to the right and to the left; below
and above - Reality indeed is everywhere.
Fetters of the heart are broken, all doubts are dispelled,
all karmas are melted away, when He is seen, who is both
high and low.
As long as there is mental preoccupation with causality, so
long does the worldly state continue. When engrossment with
causality is exhausted, one does not attain the worldly
state.
Since it is stated in the Vedas, "There is no
diversity here", "The Lord on account of maya
[illusion] is perceived as manifold", and "The Self,
without being born, appears to be born in various ways", it
follows that He is born on account of maya alone.
ADI
SHANKARACHARYA
I always bow down to those Masters who are conversant with
words, sentences and sources of knowledge and who, like
lamps, have shown clearly to us Reality, the secret of the
Vedas.
The conception of the existence of the non-Self is what is
called ignorance, the destruction of which is known to be
liberation. This destruction is possible by means of
knowledge only, which is incompatible with ignorance.
Actions compatible with ignorance cannot destroy it.
The learned know the Vedas to be one continuous whole
the only purpose of which is to demonstrate one thing viz.,
Knowledge inasmuch as the Oneness of the Self is to be known
by the understanding of the Vedic sentences.
It is, therefore, reasonable that this universe is unreal.
Existence-knowledge only is real. Existing prior to
everything, It is both the knower and the known. It is the
forms that are unreal.
Unperceived in deep sleep but perceived in waking and dreams
by those who are ignorant, the whole of this universe is an
outcome of ignorance and therefore unreal.
It is said in the scriptures that the consciousness of the
Oneness of the individual Self and Reality is knowledge, and
that of a difference between them is ignorance. Knowledge
is, therefore, demonstrated in the scriptures with great
care.
What is called deep sleep, darkness or ignorance is the seed
of the waking and dream states. It gets perfectly burnt by
the fire of Self-knowledge, and it no more produces effects,
like a burnt seed that does not germinate.
That one seed, called maya, is evolved into the three states
which come one after another again and again. The Self, the
substratum of maya, though only one and immutable, appears
to be many, like reflections of the sun in water.
That which permeates all, which nothing transcends and
which, like the universal space around us, fills everything
completely from within and without, that supreme non-dual
Reality - That thou are.
O deluded one, give up the thirst for accumulation of
wealth. Create in your mind the thought of Reality, without
any thirst. What you get, the wealth acquired through your
past deeds, with that, satisfy your mind.
The water on the lotus leaf is very unsteady, likewise life
is extremely fickle. Know that the whole world is devoured
by disease and infatuation, and assailed by sorrow.
As long as one is fond of acquiring wealth, so long one's
circle is devoted. Later, one lives in a decrepit body, and
none in the house enquires about one's well-being.
As long as breath abides in one's body, so long she enquires
about one's health in the house. When the breath has
departed on the loss of one's body, the wife is afraid of
that body.
As a child, one keeps on being attached to playing. As a
youth, one keeps on being attached to maidens. Growing old,
one keeps on being attached to anxiety. To the supreme
Reality, none is attached!
Who is your wife? Who is your son? This transmigratory world
is very strange! To whom do you belong? Who are you? Whence
have you come? Think of what is the Truth, bewildered as you
are.
When there is attachment to saints, there comes
non-attachment. When there is non-attachment, there comes
absence of delusion. When there is absence of delusion,
there comes steadiness. When there is steadiness, there
comes liberation in life.
When youth has gone, what play of desire is there? When
water has evaporated, what pond is there? When wealth has
decreased, what circle is there? When the Truth is known,
what transmigration is there?
Do not take pride in wealth, people and youth. Time takes
away everything in the twinkling of an eye! After leaving
all this which is illusory, having realised the state of
Reality, enter into That.
Who are you? Who am I? Wherefrom have I come? Who is my
mother? Who is my father? Reflect over this, having left
aside all the universe which is an essenceless dream
perception.
Having given up desire, anger, greed and delusion, enquire
into the Self - "Who am I?" Being without Self-knowledge and
the prisoners of hell, the deluded are tormented.
Being devoted completely to the lotus-feet of the Guru, be
liberated from transmigration without delay! Thus, by
controlling the mind and the senses, you will see the divine
who is dwelling in your Heart.
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